[krayziehustler]

   
Seems they finally fixed that on their latest betas... (at least 2.36beta seems to allow more than 10,000 files)

But Shuffle play is all but broken on that firmware. I know because that was the straw that broke the camels back for me.

 

[gelocks]

But Shuffle play is all but broken on that firmware. I know because that was the straw that broke the camels back for me.

Are you sure you tested the correct FW!?!? Shuffle seems to be working beautifully on that version!

 

[krayziehustler]

Are you sure you tested the correct FW!?!? Shuffle seems to be working beautifully on that version!

Yes. I have over 10000 songs and i could almost guess the next song every time because it would always make the same order. And even when i picked the starting point after a few songs it would revert to the list that i know. This happens when i try to "Play All"

 

[sluker]

OK,
Now back to the regularly scheduled program:
 
Made a new low profile LOD for the A-16. If I could only get it a couple of cm lower profile. Any suggestions?
 

 

[gerelmx1986]

  OK,
Now back to the regularly scheduled program:
 
Made a new low profile LOD for the A-16. If I could only get it a couple of cm lower profile. Any suggestions?
 

what amp is that? looks like PHA-3 but dunno

 

[Mmet]

 
what amp is that? looks like PHA-3 but dunno

i think it is head stage arrow 

 

[audioxxx]

Nice slimline plug. I have to make one. The standard plug line out is way to long.

 

[sluker]

  i think it is head stage arrow 

You sir are a winner.
Arrow 3

 

[Mmet]

  You sir are a winner.
Arrow 3

 

[rontant]

 
But Shuffle play is all but broken on that firmware. I know because that was the straw that broke the camels back for me.

 
You got it mixed up. 2.36 really fixed the shuffle play issue of the previous versions. It works perfectly now with my X5. Btw, I was one of those who complained about the shuffle play of the previous versions.

 

[Mickice]

The beauty of Walkman is the fully functional v1.0 firmware

Even if Fiio has fixed things, I've had issues with their products too, so yeah, never again.

 

[zilch0md]

The beauty of Walkman is the fully functional v1.0 firmware

Even if Fiio has fixed things, I've had issues with their products too, so yeah, never again.

 
Yes, indeed!
 
I used a Sony PCM-M10 recorder as my DAP for over three years prior to getting the FiiO X5.
 
The Sony PCM-M10 is at firmware v1.0.
 
I've never seen a bug anywhere in the M10's UI.
 
Sony has never issued a firmware update for the M10.
 
Contrast Sony's quality assurance to every other DAP out there.  
 
The end users do the QA testing for FiiO, HiFiMan, iBasso, iRiver, HiSound, Colorfly, etc.
 
They are all buggy - even after multiple firmware updates. 
 
Sony's build quality is in another league, too.
 
All of those "boutique" manufacturers, who sell to a much smaller market, cannot afford to do a proper job of QA.  
 
Sony's problem is that they have to produce products that appeal to a mass market in order to sell enough units to make a profit after spending a ton of money on R&D, QA, and tooling.
 
(Just imagine in your mind's eye what Sony's production line looks like - lots of employees, modern facility, state-of-the-art test equipment, etc.  - vs.-  the competition's production facility.)
 
Sony must therefore cater to the demands of the masses, by keeping their DAPs small, light and stylish, with excellent battery life, or Joe Consumer won't buy it.
 
It's Joe Consumer Sony has to satisfy, not Joe Audiophile.
 
Small dimensions (way smaller than a FiiO X5), lightweight (way lighter than a FiiO X5), and long battery life (much longer play times than a FiiO X5), can only be accomplished with very weak amps.
 
That's the Achilles heel of Sony's DAPs - if you have any intention of using headphones or IEMs that are not extremely efficient, you will not get good dynamics or bass control out of a 10mw per channel amplifier.  It may be "loud enough" and you may read testimonies saying "it sounds great with all of my headphones," but no - a 10mW amp is just a tease of an amp unless you are using very efficient headphones or IEMs (with the latter being a much more viable candidate.)
 
Secondly, there are DAPs out there with better DACs inside than Sony's proprietary sigma-delta DACs.  Sony's DAPs do a "good" job of D/A conversion - not a great job, in my opinion.  (The FiiO X5's PCM1792A DAC is spectacular.)
 
So, to me, the ideal solution for great portable sound would be to pull a digital signal out of a Sony DAP (with its flawless UI, small size and weight, microSDXC card reader, and long battery life), to bypass its DAC and amp sections altogether - using the WMport -to- USB cable to drive a proper, portable DAC/amp that can drive headphones requiring more than 10mW to shine.
 
Yes, the combined package will no longer be small and light, but if you are after Sony's UI and build quality, combined with the FiiO X5's sound quality (or even better), that would be the way to go.

 

[gerelmx1986]

   
Yes, indeed!
 
I used a Sony PCM-M10 recorder as my DAP for over three years prior to getting the FiiO X5.
 
The Sony PCM-M10 is at firmware v1.0.
 
I've never seen a bug anywhere in the M10's UI.
 
Sony has never issued a firmware update for the M10.
 
Contrast Sony's quality assurance to every other DAP out there.  
 
The end users do the QA testing for FiiO, HiFiMan, iBasso, iRiver, HiSound, Colorfly, etc.
 
They are all buggy - even after multiple firmware updates. 
 
Sony's build quality is in another league, too.
 
All of those "boutique" manufacturers, who sell to a much smaller market, cannot afford to do a proper job of QA.  
 
Sony's problem is that they have to produce products that appeal to a mass market in order to sell enough units to make a profit after spending a ton of money on R&D, QA, and tooling.
 
(Just imagine in your mind's eye what Sony's production line looks like - lots of employees, modern facility, state-of-the-art test equipment, etc.  - vs.-  the competition's production facility.)
 
Sony must therefore cater to the demands of the masses, by keeping their DAPs small, light and stylish, with excellent battery life, or Joe Consumer won't buy it.
 
It's Joe Consumer Sony has to satisfy, not Joe Audiophile.
 
Small dimensions (way smaller than a FiiO X5), lightweight (way lighter than a FiiO X5), and long battery life (much longer play times than a FiiO X5), can only be accomplished with very weak amps.
 
That's the Achilles heel of Sony's DAPs - if you have any intention of using headphones or IEMs that are not extremely efficient, you will not get good dynamics or bass control out of a 10mw per channel amplifier.  It may be "loud enough" and you may read testimonies saying "it sounds great with all of my headphones," but no - a 10mW amp is just a tease of an amp unless you are using very efficient headphones or IEMs (with the latter being a much more viable candidate.)
 
Secondly, there are DAPs out there with better DACs inside than Sony's proprietary sigma-delta DACs.  Sony's DAPs do a "good" job of D/A conversion - not a great job, in my opinion.  (The FiiO X5's PCM1792A DAC is spectacular.)
 
So, to me, the ideal solution for great portable sound would be to pull a digital signal out of a Sony DAP (with its flawless UI, small size and weight, microSDXC card reader, and long battery life), to bypass its DAC and amp sections altogether - using the WMport -to- USB cable to drive a proper, portable DAC/amp that can drive headphones requiring more than 10mW to shine.
 
Yes, the combined package will no longer be small and light, but if you are after Sony's UI and build quality, combined with the FiiO X5's sound quality (or even better), that would be the way to go.

+1
completely agree on this one, fiio is great in terms of SQ but yeah buggy UI, sony's got a great SQ too but IMHO weak.
 
Fiio is kind of Microsoft way

, we make the software, yo, end user, test it for us at no cost....

 

[qsk78]

Well, pairing the A15 with the PHA-3 makes this combo sound at the level where Fiio just simply don't have a product today...
Saying this as the owner of X5 MM (migel mod).

 

[thepooh]

 
+1
completely agree on this one, fiio is great in terms of SQ but yeah buggy UI, sony's got a great SQ too but IMHO weak.
 
Fiio is kind of Microsoft way

, we make the software, yo, end user, test it for us at no cost....

Buggy UI on Fiio ? It may not be fluid like Android but it does what it suppose to do, I used both X5 and X3 I never got real issues with the UI as long as I'm enjoying my favorite songs