[peter123]

  Gratitude's are $56 on Amazon right now.

 
I'd say go get them

 I paid $110 for mine including shipping and taxes and still find tem to be great value!
 
I'm going to do a comparision between the Gratitudes and the S2's as soon as the Gratitudes get a little more burn in,

 

[doctorjazz]

Still burning my Gratitudes in (stupid ipod mini is annoying, randomly stops), so far I think the S2 is technically "better" (more accurate), but I may find I listen to the Gratitude more, will check again after more burinig

 

[peter123]

  Still burning my Gratitudes in (stupid ipod mini is annoying, randomly stops), so far I think the S2 is technically "better" (more accurate), but I may find I listen to the Gratitude more, will check again after more burinig

 
This is exactly my impression so far as well.

 

[Dsnuts]

So I spent the day just listening to my 2 daps and loading music and trying out phones for the 2 daps.. I came up with a little formula for which Dap will synergize better with which phone more so than the other. Based on what type of phones you guys own it goes a little like this.
 
Coloration + Ibasso DX50= Bliss ,  Neutrality + Fiio X3= Bliss.   
 
This formula has been proven over and over again from just using the various cans and earphones I have used on both and it rings completely true.

 

[TekeRugburn]

  So I spent the day just listening to my 2 daps and loading music and trying out phones for the 2 daps.. I came up with a little formula for which Dap will synergize better with which phone more so than the other. Based on what type of phones you guys own it goes a little like this.
 
Coloration + Ibasso DX50= Bliss ,  Neutrality + Fiio X3= Bliss.   
 
This formula has been proven over and over again from just using the various cans and earphones I have used on both and it rings completely true.

 
Isn't this a general thing a lot of people do?
 
Colored/warm phones + Neutral/cold source or Neutral/colder phones + colored/warm source.  Evens out a bit; Just like Grados with a warm source/amp.  

 

[Dsnuts]

For sure but I had to confirm it using my own headphones and earphones..I am just stating what people should know before they decide which one to go with for a player as it should be more based on what type of phones people own.
 
Both players will sound good on what ever phones you all have but the strengths of the players shine more so with the opposite type of sounding phone connected to it..
 
Philips S2, Gr07, EX600, Brainwavz Deltas will synergize better with the X3.
 
CKS1K, Onkyo IE-HF300, WS99, Brainwavz R3 will synergize better with the DX50.

 

[kova4a]

   
Isn't this a general thing a lot of people do?
 
Colored/warm phones + Neutral/cold source or Neutral/colder phones + colored/warm source.  Evens out a bit; Just like Grados with a warm source/amp.  

 
Nah, I want as neutral source as possible and let the phones' signature be as it is. If I want bright sound I get bright phones. If the Grados are too bright for you, you don't keep them. I don't like to even out stuff - if an iem/headphone signature doesn't work for me, it has to go - I don't start looking for a source that works with it. But that's just me and I'm drunk, so what do I know?

 

[TekeRugburn]

   
Nah, I want as neutral source as possible and let the phones' signature be as it is. If I want bright sound I get bright phones. If the Grados are too bright for you, you don't keep them. I don't like to even out stuff - if an iem/headphone signature doesn't work for me, it has to go - I don't start looking for a source that works with it. But that's just me and I'm drunk, so what do I know?

 
I didn't say thats what I do but what a lot of people do.  

 

[kova4a]

   
I didn't say thats what I do but what a lot of people do.  

 
Well, as I said I'm pretty drunk, so don't quote me on that (lol I actually made only 4 mistakes while writing this sentence, so I'm not that bad). 
 
Anyway, actually I was at the park the other day and there was some concert thingy going on while I was getting wasted with my mates. It was some little girls and teens that couldn't sing until this one girl came out and listening to her through those warm and smooth speakers with boosted bass I kinda got nostalgic about the old days when I was walking around with my portable cassette player and unknown sony cans. I was like "Damn, I miss that warm analog sound - ****** neutral sound and clarity, I want that". So I'm still kinda split between x3 and dx50 and I'm trying to keep myself from buying both. I really dig the dx50's look and the big hardware buttons on the front, which is what I've wanted from a DAP since I was walking around with a cassette player in my pocket there's something about the x3 too. (yeah, had to correct this paragraph several times too)

 

[nihontoman]

At least Ican say that iBasso DX50+Sony XB90EX sounds really good. I wonder how the new sony XBA H3 will sound with it though

 

[Dsnuts]

If the Sonys have forward mids which a lot of them do. It will pair better on the DX50 me thinks.

 

[Dsnuts]

   
Well, as I said I'm pretty drunk, so don't quote me on that (lol I actually made only 4 mistakes while writing this sentence, so I'm not that bad). 
 
Anyway, actually I was at the park the other day and there was some concert thingy going on while I was getting wasted with my mates. It was some little girls and teens that couldn't sing until this one girl came out and listening to her through those warm and smooth speakers with boosted bass I kinda got nostalgic about the old days when I was walking around with my portable cassette player and unknown sony cans. I was like "Damn, I miss that warm analog sound - ****** neutral sound and clarity, I want that". So I'm still kinda split between x3 and dx50 and I'm trying to keep myself from buying both. I really dig the dx50's look and the big hardware buttons on the front, which is what I've wanted from a DAP since I was walking around with a cassette player in my pocket there's something about the x3 too. (yeah, had to correct this paragraph several times too)

I would go for the X3..It is more closer to an old school sound than the DX50. Plus your VSD1s/ HA-S500 gonna shine on the player.

 

[drbluenewmexico]

the hf300s sound great to me on the X3, of course i don't have the the DX50.
i do have the cf c3 and the agh cks  phones sound really good on that to me.
mix and match, grab and snatch the best sound for the occasion.....
currently listening to repaired akg701 through david berning microzotal
ray samuels predator as  preamp and iFI gemini usb ycable into Iusbpower
 
lush powerful sound, studio quality. friends drop over, i drop headphones on
on them w Tengri psych trance album and they are literally SPEECHLESS.
audio alchemy....rave on

 

[quartertone]

  I would go for the X3..It is more closer to an old school sound than the DX50. Plus your VSD1s/ HA-S500 gonna shine on the player.

 
But that would go against the 'opposites attract' logic, as those phones are quite coloured.

 

[Mackem]

Definitely need to get round to upgrading my IEMs. Just waiting for the right deal / IEMs to come along I suppose.