FiiO X1 preview world tour--impressions thread

First review from our tour members by DisCHORDDubstep! <-click me

If you live in the following countries, you may also apply for the following national tours of the X1 (with links to application threads):
Japan, Korea: to be announced
2014-08-19 Thailand: http://www.forum.munkonggadget.com/detail.php?id=153208
2014-08-20 Indonesia: http://www.audiophile-id.com/index.php/topic,20142.0.html
2014-09-07 Germany: http://www.hifi-forum.de/viewthread-125-8750-3.html

The last world tour for the X5 was very successful in letting head-fiers get an early taste of what has become known as one of the best values in the high-end DAP market. However, some of you may be hankering for something approaching high end sound from something much more compact. And do we have the answer for you!

Read all about the upcoming X1 compact hi-res player in Jame’s thread here
http://www.head-fi.org/t/691332/fiio-x1-the-most-portable-and-affordable-high-resolution-dap-from-fiio-updated-on-9-5-2014

Interested? Here’s your chance to get an early ear to the unit for free! (mailing costs excepted)

Preview application period: 3-14 August 2014
Previewer list announcement: 15 August 2014
Beginning of shipment of preview X1s: before 20 August 2014

Please apply for the X1 preview world tour by replying to this thread and including the following information in your reply:
-Headphone(s) you possess:
-DAP(s) you possess:
-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
-Language(s) you can read:

Shipping info:
Depending on the geographical distribution of selected reviewers, FiiO will ship out several X1s, one or more to reviewers in each region, e.g. USA, Europe, SE Asia, Pacific region, etc. so that shipping costs from one reviewer to the next is kept low. FiiO will pay for shipping to the first reviewer and from the last reviewer back to FiiO for each region.

•Please note that the review X1s will not ship with micro SD cards. Please prepare your own micro SD cards and music files for review and preferably format the cards within the X1 prior to use.

Review regulations (subject to change before the tour commences):
•Reviewers should keep the X1 for at most 10 days before shipping to the next reviewer.
•Reviewers should ship the X1 to the next reviewer by registered post in the padded box provided.
•Reviewers will not be held responsible for any damage to the X1 sustained during shipping or normal usage.
•Reviewers should do the review fairly and objectively, and related product photos are required.
•Reviewers should not overstate the advantages of the products.
•Reviewers should indicate that the review X1s are free loan units, in order to avoid any misunderstandings.
•Reviewers are prohibited from using or disseminating pirated music on the X1.
•Reviewers are reminded to listen responsibly and safely to the X1, to not use it when operating machinery or driving, and not to drive headphones to excessive volume with the X1.
•Reviewers should send the review content to us for examination prior to publishing—for basic fact-checking purposes only. We will only request corrections of factual mistakes regarding the X1. Reviewers should post the corrections alongside their original content for reference.

Happy listening!

First man in!
 
-Headphone(s) you possess:
 
Blox M2C
DIY PK2 from Dasetn
Magnum X in custom Lignum Vitae cups
Grado SR80 pinks in custom African Blackwood cups

-DAP(s) you possess:
 
FiiO X 5
iPod Touch 2G 16GB
Sansa Clip+

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
 
FiiO HS6 stacking kit for X5
Had a FiiO E7
Have a FiiO E5

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
 
FiiO X5 review:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x5-high-res-portable-music-player/reviews/10830
 
SennGrado tour unit review:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/sennheiser-grado-hybrid-a-k-a-senngrado/reviews/11340
 
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
 
United States, Southern California

-Language(s) you can read:
 
English; Afrikaans; Zulu and Xhosa (not sure if those last three count )

-Headphone(s) you possess:

I have some headphones. Some have the little ear bud thingys and some you put over your head and wear like a hat. 

-DAP(s) you possess:
 
I have a couple DAPs. They are shinny. 

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
 
A few FiiOs I guess

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
 
Do I have to? 

-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
 
U.S.A U.S.A U.S.A

-Language(s) you can read:
 
English and some French
 
 
 
Application speech:
 
Okay. So here I am. I know everyone says they’ve dreamt about this moment since they were a kid or whatever. I seriously did, though. Like, I pretended I was giving this speech many times over, except my audience was a bunch of stuffed animals and the like, not the Head-Fi elite. It’s so weird, man. I’m telling you. Here’s the thing about the production of FiiOs. I loved it. Every minute of it. I don’t think I made any bones about this, even during reviews. Most of you will probably remember a certain widely publicized review I did saying exactly that—with more reviews than one, of course. But I stayed on because I knew it would be a great product brand. None of my complaints were because of my co-reviewers, of course. Everyone from reviewers to the dude keeping Head-Fi warm atforum threads were great. And that, I think, shows in all of these FiiO units. And these, of course, are the people who really need thanks. I might have done well at my job, but this recognition from the Pantsu chan, which I very much appreciate, comes at the cost of a LOT of other peoples’ work. Everyone from CLIEOS up to the guys in R&D deserves at least a little credit for what I believe are the finest affordable device launches I’ve worked on. And it was a fine one at that. If my application doesn’t prove it to you, look at all the other ones this company's revieewrs have done this evening—and the nominations it still has coming. There were a lot of fine reviewers that stopped at the nomination phase that maybe should have won, but the content of the piece was just that strong. I rarely get moved watching dailies, or even going to an application page, but this one had me in tears halfway through the long terms Joe wrote. That’s really saying something, I think. I really don’t know where I’m going with this. Maybe I didn’t practice enough as a kid! Whatever the case, I was just a small cog in a very large machine. A cog that happened to submit an application, yes, but again, I think that’s more of a side effect of a very good movie. To the company, my co-reviewrs, and my fans, thank you. This is the realization of a huge life dream. I am truly and honestly thrilled to be here with this application. If I my work somehow made people’s lives a little better, if only for the duration of the process, then I feel like it has been a success. You all have given me the chance to live my passion, and I thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart.
 

---

Not an official application btw.   I'm not joining this. Just giving it a boost for coverage and helping out my friends. 
 
 
 
 
Good luck to everyone out there. And thanks to pantsu-chan Joe for setting this all up for us again. And thanks to James and all of FiiOs people for making this possible. 

Oh yeah! Count me in!

-Headphone(s) you possess:
Beyerdynamic DT880 250Ohm Pro, Hippo ProOne IEM
 
-DAP(s) you possess:
Fiio X3

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
X3, D03K, L2

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
Fiio X5 review
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x5-high-res-portable-music-player/reviews/10698

-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
Malaysia

-Language(s) you can read:
Malay and English

- Headphone(s) you possess:
 
Bayerdynamic DT770 Pro 250Ω
InEar Stagediver SD-2
AKG K518LE
Pioneer HDJ-1000

- DAP(s) you possess:
 
FiiO X3

- FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
 
FiiO X3
FiiO E12
FiiO E10
(and various cables and adapters)

- Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
 
FiiO X5 review:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x5-high-res-portable-music-player/reviews/10910
 
- Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
 
Bromölla, Sweden.

- Language(s) you can read:
 
English, Swedish and limited Spanish 

EUROPE
 
-Headphone(s) you possess:
     - BeyerDynamic DT880 PRO 250 Ohm
     - AKG AK551
     - Sennheiser Momentum
     - B&O H3 In-ear
 

-DAP(s) you possess:
    - Astell&Kern AK100 II (new model)
    - iPod Classic 160GB Gen 7
 

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
    - E18 for use with my Samsung Galaxy S5 & iPod
 

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
    - FiiO E18 KUNLUN Android Phone USB DAC & AMP  
    - http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-e18-kunlun-android-phone-usb-dac-amp/reviews/11197
 
    - Pioneer DJE-2000 In Ear Headphones Black
    - http://www.head-fi.org/products/pioneer-dje-2000-in-ear-headphones-black/reviews/11196
 
    - Astell&Kern AK100II High Resolution Single DAC Audio Player (Smoky Blue)
    - http://www.head-fi.org/products/astell-kern-ak100ii-high-resolution-single-dac-audio-player-smoky-blue/reviews/11347
 

-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
    - Belgium
    - Brussels

-Language(s) you can read:
    - Dutch (native)
    - French
    - English
    - German (to less extend)

Quote:

Please apply for the X1 preview world tour by replying to this thread and including the following information in your reply:
-Headphone(s) you possess: Sennheiser HD650, Sennheiser Momentum over-ear, Sennheiser C300-II iem
-DAP(s) you possess: Fiio X5, iPhone 4G with Onkyo Player, iPod 2G with Rockbox. Which means that now I'm using only the X5.
-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any): Fiio E12 Montblanc, Fiio E12 DIY (2X) and the X5 mentioned above.

Click to expand...

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted: None so far. Longtime ago I made a couple of reviews for a local audiophile magazine now discontinued. 
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in): Lisbon, Portugal
-Language(s) you can read: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (native).
 

Click to expand...

I would love to review a unit!


-Headphone(s) you possess:

Sennheiser CX500
Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD
Beyerdynamic DT770

-DAP(s) you possess:

Sony MiniDisc
Creative Zen
Sansa Fuze
iPod Shuffle
iPod Classic

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):

Fiio Andes E07K
Fiio L9
Fiio H7

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:

Sadly,
I do not have any reviews as of yet. Although I would love for the X1 to be my first!

-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):

Unities States of America

-Language(s) you can read:

English

Headphones I possess,
Audio Technica ATH-m50
Aiaiai TMA-1 studio
Beats by Dre HD Solo
AKC Q350
Paradigm Shift E3

DAP's I possess
Apple iPod Classic 160gb (Rockbox)
Apple iPod Touch 8gb
Apple iPhone 5 with Can-opener app

Geographical Location
New Braunfels, Tx

Languages spoken/written
English

Here is my info, as in the past, would be very handy for me to receive from or send to the UK.
 
-Headphone(s) you possess: Vsonic GR-07BE, Brainwavz S1, Klipsch Custom 3
 
-DAP(s) you possess: Sansa Clip+, X3, X5
 
-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):  X3, X5
 
-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted: http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x5-high-res-portable-music-player/reviews/10450
 
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in): Dublin, Ireland
 
-Language(s) you can read: English and Spanish
 
Looking forward to it!
 
Thanks

Hi and thanks for the opportunity!
Headphones: 
AKG K550
Grado SR60i
AKG K451
Cambridge Audio MX40 
 

DAPs
Fiio X3
Hisoundaudio Rocco P
Sansa Clip Zip
Modified iPod 5.5 Video

FiiO products
Fiio X3
Fiio E17

Languages
English and Greek
 
Location:
Lincolnshire, England

Headphone(s) you possess
Sennheiser HD600
Aurisonics ASG-1
MEE M6P
 
DAP(s) you possess
None; mobile devices being used as mobile players:
Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung Galaxy Note
Apple iPad2 32gb
iPod Touch 3g 8gb
 
Note: I think this comparo will be interesting, as I find the S3 just barely usable when drivng my IEMs, especially without Neutron Music Player's EQ to correct the response on the ASG-1 that is seemingly exacerbated by the S3's lack of treble. The Note is noticeably better, and even better with NeutronMP's EQ. It will be interesting to see how much better the X1 can be, if it is, over these two smartphones in terms of frequency response given its better DAC vs NeutronMP's EQ, as well as driving power/energy if it improves PRAT in an efficient IEM.
 
Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted
Ibasso DX100 Review: http://headfonics.com/2013/01/ibasso-dx100-the-last-word-in-daps/
Burson Soloist Review: http://headfonics.com/2013/04/the-soloist-by-burson-audio/
 
Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in)
Metro Manila, Philippines, ASEAN

Language(s) you can read
English (I speak other languages but will write the review in English)

-Headphone(s) you possess: Sony MDR-1R
-DAP(s) you possess: iPod Nano
-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any): E11
-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted: None yet
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in): Singapore
-Language(s) you can read: English, Mandarin Chinese and Korean

Note:I've been a lurker on the forums for ~2 years and I'm regretting now being more active haha. I'd love it if Fiio could give me the chance to make this my first review I'm a pretty good writer and having read hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews over the past few years I'm pretty certain I can do a good job with it.

-Headphone(s) you possess:
Sennheiser IE800
JVC FXT90
Xiaomi Piston 2
Sennheiser HD595
 
-DAP(s) you possess:
Sansa Zip Clip
Colorfly C3
iBasso DX50
iBasso DX90

-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any):
FiiO E11
FiiO E12

-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted:
N/A, but I've got a MBA, so I know how to write pretty well. (sorry not bragging but just something supporting for a better chance!)

-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in):
Guangzhou, China

-Language(s) you can read:
English & Chinese
 

I've been waiting for this for quite a while!

-Headphone(s) you possess: AKG K250, Xiaomi Pistons, Sennheiser HD 380s
-DAP(s) you possess: Cowon i9+, ipod 5g rockboxed, Colorfly C3
-FiiO product(s) you possess (if any): Fiio E07k and Fiio E7
-Descriptions and links to review(s) you have posted: Well, none yet. This would be my first review.
-Your geographical region (e.g. the city and country you live in): Kelowna, British Columbia Canada
-Language(s) you can read: English, partial French