FiiO X5 2nd gen Impressions and Discussion thread

barra said:

[COLOR=FF0000]Just got the US tour unit today.[/COLOR]

First impressions are good without even getting to hear it yet. Plugged in two 64gb MicroSD cards and then turned it on. By the time I got over the new looks and tried to time the library update, it was over. That seems much better than the previous version, but I will have to try again under more controlled conditions. The look and feel is still very premium, just a bit smaller. I really like the coloring on the old X5, but with the case on, they both look black anyways so no biggie. [COLOR=0000FF]However, a nice new touch is the color coded LED inset into the on button on the side providing feedback on its power status. The instant on is also very nice indeed.[/COLOR]

Will be testing X5 vs X5ii vs AK100ii over the next few days to see what sounds better with what and why. My love for the old X5 was its grand texturing and intimate details while I disliked the shoutyness at higher volumes. However, the power was more than enough to stay in the mid power range so the shoutyness was never an issue for me.

Will be using my Hidition NT6pro CIEMs and the H8P tour demo unit as well as the LCD2.2 to check pairing and power. I will also play with my BH2 amp to check the DAC section and my silver litz vs. black dragon copper cables to see what it does to the sound.

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wega03 said:

When you say that, are you talking about the new ak Jr or you call Jr at the ak 100??

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dogmusic said:

Thanks for this review. I learned a lot from it.

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x relic x said:

Word to the wise........... It seems better to wait for local stock rather than pre-orders unless you can get in very early on the first batch.

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massacare said:

A bunch of photos for the x5 2nd gen :

Spoiler: Warning: A bunch of hires photos!

And this is some quick preview video for the x5 2nd gen:

[VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INfFaYmds1M[/VIDEO]

Quick TLDR Review:

Build : Superb, but not so superb with the scroll wheel. The tactile feedback is just too loose. The button tactile is nice though. The housing is solid. Save and sound even after some unintended drop test (with the silicon case on ofc ).

Interface : Just like X1, with no random freeze and other stupid stuff. No lag , easy to use. Need some time to adapt if you use ipod regularly though. Even after some random microsd pull out when it's on, no freeze.

File Support : Massive kinds of audio stuff. Include dsd stuff.

Battery life : standard 8-10 hours with high gain and almost full volume *110-120* (just for testing purpose, x5 2nd gen is powerful enough to drive a he-560). Should be longer with low gain and volume .

Sound : Quite not a "fiio" I guess. It still has the warmth but a bit thinner than the first gen of x5. The resolution is just superb, slightly better than the first gen of x5. Soundstage is quite wide, but the depth is not very good (paw5000 does better job at depth). Black background is better on paw5000 , but the soundstage is wider on x5-II. Speed is just fine, no decay or whatsoever. No nasty spikes, just a tad thinner than I want it to be (personal preference). Bass is a lil bit not so good though on the sub bass part. The sub bass is a bit (just a bit) less punch than it should be. First gen x5 does a better job for the sub bass region. Dunno FiiO will fix this on the next firmware or not . The headphone amp is quite powerful for the price. It can drive he560 with no distort at high gain. I suppose almost all other headphone (not include he-6 and abyss) shoule be just fine with x5-II's headphone out. No noticeable hiss on ciem too btw. Quite a good reference DAP from my perspective. Even on some part, the resolution of x5-II is better than the ak junior or ak-100. Good job fiio .

Summary : Nice build, good file support, even run dsd without any fuzz, good sound, nice resolution, good headphone amp.


Nice job FiiO !

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massacare said:

I'm glad you say it's sometimes better, last month I almost buy an ak 100, but I read about the ak Jr and x5ii. X5ii had the advantage of dual microsd, now sound and price

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joe bloggs said:

Oh, and to the tour members, it is okay to take off the cover on the actual LCD screen protector. I saw the "(2) Peel off blah blah blah AFTER blah blah blah is completed" sticker and cover left on many preview unit photos even for the last few previewers in the whole tour

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joe bloggs said:

Oh, and to the tour members, it is okay to take off the cover on the actual LCD screen protector. I saw the "(2) Peel off blah blah blah AFTER blah blah blah is completed" sticker and cover left on many preview unit photos even for the last few previewers in the whole tour :tongue_smile:

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nmatheis said:

Funny. Just about first thing I did was rip that off

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originalsnuffy said:

  I will be interested in more details from NMatheis and Massacare on the sound signature.  I had a hard time getting my arms around expressing what I was experiencing, and it seems like you are both looking into this issue also.  My preliminary thinking is that a less lively and more linear approach is the way to go.  That should bring out the benefits of the increased resolution of the unit in a very positive fashion.

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