[JackiesFridge]

That was brilliant! I didn't know so much assembly and testing was done by hand. I like Fiio even more now.

 

[vincik]

can somebody elaborate on battery life of X5II? How much is it for DSD? Did it get better with new firmware versions?

 

[roghelt]

With about 160GB of flac lossless, hi-res & redbook plus about 75 DSD albums, I estimate about 12 - 14 hours before the battery indicator shows less than 1/4 remaining -- which is when I charge it. That said, I use my X5II strictly digital-out to DAC & amp.

 

[397324]

Hi All
 
Has anyone done a direct comparison of a X5ii & Chord Mojo vs X7 using the same headphones/IEM's?
 
Regards
 
Darren

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Hi All
 
Has anyone done a direct comparison of a X5ii & Chord Mojo vs X7 using the same headphones/IEM's?
 
Regards
 
Darren

 
 
What do you want to know there?

 
The differences will be subtle, both X7 and mojo are capable, but will have different signatures. 

 

[erictioh]

I bought a used Fiio X5ii on Amazon and it was bricked in 3 weeks. The main problem was it stopped taking a charge and would no longer power on. I loved it for the time I had it but am wary about ordering another one. I am I obviously buying new this time.The question here is has anyone else had their Fiio X5ii mysteriously cease working?

mine cease half year ago, when i plan to send back for warranty i gave myself a last try by openingit up. then i open the battery connector, clean it up and put back. surprisingly it turns alive until now no problem.

 

[x RELIC x]

Hi All

Has anyone done a direct comparison of a X5ii & Chord Mojo vs X7 using the same headphones/IEM's?

Regards

Darren

Yup.

From both the X5ii and X7 coaxial out to the Mojo there is no sound difference that I can tell. Both feeding the Mojo sound the same, which is to say the Mojo is the one doing all the sound and it is excellent sounding.

Compared to the headphone out of each device this is my ranking with the JH Angie:

Mojo > X7 > X5ii

It's been a while since I've compared all three but based on my memory and listening notes here is my findings (take with a grain of salt, YMMV, etc.). Both the Mojo and X7 are more detailed, AND more musical than the X5ii, which I find to be flatter and slightly more grainy in direct comparison. This is what I'm finding is actually harder to do the more gear I listen to and test... having excellent detail while sounding musical and natural at the same time. The X7 presents a wider soundstage (almost holographic width) and brings a lot of detail forward. The bass has more impact and texture on the X7 compared to the X5ii. The X5ii sounds more 'splashy' and etched compared to the X7, less Hi Fi, more digital. Given the price difference I'm not surprised. It isn't night and day, but certainly noticeable.

The Mojo is smoother and has more depth than the X7. The presentation, to me, sounds more natural and not as exaggerated in the soundstage width like the X7. Not that the X7 is bad per se, but I find the Mojo more natural here. In my X7 review I described it as if sitting in the studio and having every detail laid out in front of you. With the Mojo it feels, to me, more like you are in a venue with a better sense of depth and realism rather than being at a mixing board.

The nice thing about the X7 is that it still sounds musical, even though the soundstage is a little wider than deep. Lots of detail and great bass and mids. Frankly I have hard time going back to the X5ii's headphone output after moving up the ladder, but for its price it's a fantastic device.

The differences may be profound or very subtle to you depending on many factors, including the capability of your IEM and the threshold at which you value these differences. Another user may find the differences to be very subtle (at best) where I may place more personal value to the differences so they may seem larger than they objectively are. Of course audition if you can is always the best approach.

 

[Nirvana1000]

@Relic -So when the X5ii and X7 are hooked up to the Mojo ,is it the mojo DAC being used or is it their DAC being used?

 

[x RELIC x]

@Relic -So when the X5ii and X7 are hooked up to the Mojo ,is it the mojo DAC being used or is it their DAC being used?

The Mojo only accepts a digital input and therefore the proprietary DAC in the Mojo is used (the X5ii and X7 are basically just transports to the Mojo). That's the whole point of Chord's tech is the way they have done their proprietary DAC. Just to expand a little on the Mojo, the analogue out of the Mojo is very simple and basically acts like a variable line out that is measurably very transparent. Basically, you can't seperate the amp of the Mojo from the DAC and can't use the DACs from the device feeding it (but why would you want to?). Chord and Rob Watts have a very different design approach compared to other devices.

The biggest drawback is that you need to use the Mojo in a stack, where the X5ii is a very small, good sounding unit for the price.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Yup.

From both the X5ii and X7 coaxial out to the Mojo there is no sound difference that I can tell. Both feeding the Mojo sound the same, which is to say the Mojo is the one doing all the sound and it is excellent sounding.

Compared to the headphone out of each device this is my ranking with the JH Angie:

Mojo > X7 > X5ii

It's been a while since I've compared all three but based on my memory and listening notes here is my findings (take with a grain of salt, YMMV, etc.). Both the Mojo and X7 are more detailed, AND more musical than the X5ii, which I find to be flatter and slightly more grainy in direct comparison. This is what I'm finding is actually harder to do the more gear I listen to and test... having excellent detail while sounding musical and natural at the same time. The X7 presents a wider soundstage (almost holographic width) and brings a lot of detail forward. The bass has more impact and texture on the X7 compared to the X5ii. The X5ii sounds more 'splashy' and etched compared to the X7, less Hi Fi, more digital. Given the price difference I'm not surprised. It isn't night and day, but certainly noticeable.

The Mojo is smoother and has more depth than the X7. The presentation, to me, sounds more natural and not as exaggerated in the soundstage width like the X7. Not that the X7 is bad per se, but I find the Mojo more natural here. In my X7 review I described it as if sitting in the studio and having every detail laid out in front of you. With the Mojo it feels, to me, more like you are in a venue with a better sense of depth and realism rather than being at a mixing board.

The nice thing about the X7 is that it still sounds musical, even though the soundstage is a little wider than deep. Lots of detail and great bass and mids. Frankly I have hard time going back to the X5ii's headphone output after moving up the ladder, but for its price it's a fantastic device.

The differences may be profound or very subtle to you depending on many factors, including the capability of your IEM and the threshold at which you value these differences. Another user may find the differences to be very subtle (at best) where I may place more personal value to the differences so they may seem larger than they objectively are. Of course audition if you can is always the best approach.

 
When you say that Mojo is even smoother than X7, how can it be better 

?
 
Joking aside, Mojo's signature itself is a let down at times, mojo is smooth like butter. 
 
Am still rocking an X5ii until Romania gets all amp modules for X7,  to know what to get 

 

 

[Nirvana1000]

I have heard the Fiio X5ii with V moda headphones and i liked it.I couldn't audition the Mojo because my phone Samsung galaxy alpha wouldn't connect and i also had ipod classic that wasn't compatible.

 

[x RELIC x]

When you say that Mojo is even smoother than X7, how can it be better  ?

Joking aside, Mojo's signature itself is a let down at times, mojo is smooth like butter. 

Am still rocking an X5ii until Romania gets all amp modules for X7,  to know what to get   

It's like this... for me... If the music in the track has a hard and bright sound I want the player to play it hard and bright. If the sound is soft and warm I want it to sound soft and warm. Some gear makes everything sound hard and bright, and some gear makes everything sound soft and warm. Smoother in this case, to me, plays as representing the sound the way it is in the track, not accentuating detail for the sake of excitement, which sounds harder to me (the opposite of smooth). Transitions from hard to soft feel right and I don't get fatigue from it while at the same time I can easily hear the same amount of detail, if not more low level detail. I get this from the desktop DAC I've had (DAC-19, very recently sold). I get this from some TOTL amps I've heard (Cavalli Liquid Crimson). I don't get the same level of refinement from something like the Oppo HA-1 (very recently sold), iFi iDAC2, or the X5ii, but I don't expect to given the price and the components used, and I can guarantee others will disagree as much as some would agree.

Let me re-iterate, I think the X5ii is a wonderful player that sits at the top of the heap in it's price range IMO, and the differences I note with other gear may be more subtle to another user than what I feel they are.

I completely understand why some users don't like the sound of the Mojo. That's cool. Everyone has their preference.

Edit: To expand a bit, smoother to me does not equal muffled, veiled, or less detailed.

 

[Dobrescu George]

It's like this... for me... If the music in the track has a hard and bright sound I want the player to play it hard and bright. If the sound is soft and warm I want it to sound soft and warm. Some gear makes everything sound hard and bright, and some gear makes everything sound soft and warm. Smoother in this case, to me, plays as representing the sound the way it is in the track, not accentuating detail for the sake of excitement, which sounds harder to me (the opposite of smooth). Transitions from hard to soft feel right and I don't get fatigue from it while at the same time I can easily hear the same amount of detail, if not more low level detail. I get this from the desktop DAC I've had (DAC-19, very recently sold). I get this from some TOTL amps I've heard (Cavalli Liquid Crimson). I don't get the same level of refinement from something like the Oppo HA-1 (very recently sold), iFi iDAC2, or the X5ii, but I don't expect to given the price and the components used, and I can guarantee others will disagree as much as some would agree.

Let me re-iterate, I think the X5ii is a wonderful player that sits at the top of the heap in it's price range IMO, and the differences I note with other gear may be more subtle to another user than what I feel they are.

I completely understand why some users don't like the sound of the Mojo. That's cool. Everyone has their preference.

Edit: To expand a bit, smoother to me does not equal muffled, veiled, or less detailed.

 
 
It's funny. 
 
I am in search for the hardest sound possible, that is as least smooth as possible. Mostly because the music I listen is not bright enough. 
 
I begin to fear it's a compulsive reaction to wanting more treble. 
 
I can understand your point completely, and had noticed that a major part of the public wants to hear the music as you describe, my friend! It's completely understandable, and well, if it were not for the exact species of metals and harsh toned music I listen to, probably I would want too. But I generally listen to music to energize, not relax. I listen to music to get the blood going, instead of relaxing, as I can't touch coffee.
 
On this note, when testing X5ii against other DAPs, X5ii's top end had more bite, it goes upper, and forces the details to show. Depending on the music and IEMs, this is an extremely good thing, or can be fatiguing. I do admit that my listening habits to cause fatigue after 1 hour, but that's the way I like it. I do reduce volume after 1 - 2 hours of listening, but even then, it's better that the details are over-emphasized. 
 
That;s one thing I love about X7's mids. They are really really clear and with a lot of detail. 
 
On mojo, it's extremely fluid. It's sure to be lovely for relaxing and to be able to listen to it hours on a row, but it never gets more exciting. Maybe music is a major factor, fluid sound probably works better with slower paced music than with metals, death metals, fast / aggressive electronica and sub genera of pop. And Japanese music has this thing where it already sounds very clean, fluid, and melodic. Adding over-detailing sure makes it more exciting. 

 

[x RELIC x]

George, I see your point, 100%. Actually, I have to commend you for articulating the reasons why you like the sound you do and also for giving references to your preferences. If only more posts on Head Fi were like this (my posts as well) then there would be a lot less noise and arguing in the threads. No one can debate your preferences. I know you've liked a bright sound for quite some time which would explain why you liked the Hugo and not the Mojo.

Regarding the X7 I agree 100%. The mids details are brought forward, clear as day, yet not as bright in the treble as the X5ii. I feel the X7 is also technically better than the X5ii in the sense that the detail is better articulated, not just a tonal balance difference. Call it a slight grain, smearing, digititus, whatever from the X5ii, the X7 earns its place as the top DAP from FiiO.

 

[Nirvana1000]

The Mojo only accepts a digital input and therefore the proprietary DAC in the Mojo is used (the X5ii and X7 are basically just transports to the Mojo). That's the whole point of Chord's tech is the way they have done their proprietary DAC. Just to expand a little on the Mojo, the analogue out of the Mojo is very simple and basically acts like a variable line out that is measurably very transparent. Basically, you can't seperate the amp of the Mojo from the DAC and can't use the DACs from the device feeding it (but why would you want to?). Chord and Rob Watts have a very different design approach compared to other devices.

The biggest drawback is that you need to use the Mojo in a stack, where the X5ii is a very small, good sounding unit for the price.

Thanks.The X7 is top of my list now.I have read about other DAP players having hardware problems as well as software.