[Mython]

(but you will find it faster to load the music files onto the card using a USB card reader/writer)

 

[SilverEars]

Is it just me or DX90 sounds like the bass is lifted?  When I first listened the bass was lifted even more, and then I noticed EQ was on, and turned it off. X5 sounds more neutral to me.  Maybe there is somthing I'm overlooking?  Or is this the DX90 sound signature.  My initial impressions of this player isn't favorable.

 

[jamato8]

I don't hear a bass bump and have compared to the X5 and Hugo.

 

[haens]

to my ears X5 bass sounded sometimes bit too compressed (especially on pop/rock songs) while dx90 bass was more "airy" (compared to X5) but in my opinion it was more true to the recording.

 

[SilverEars]

  to my ears X5 bass sounded sometimes bit too compressed (especially on pop/rock songs) while dx90 bass was more "airy" (compared to X5) but in my opinion it was more true to the recording.

That's interesting.  I'm sure it has to do with what headphones we are using with it.  I'm more of a iem guy so my iem of preference is 16ohm 119SPL 1964V3 which are very sensitive.  
 
I know what you mean by aire, I think of that aire as woofer bass, and It creates that U shape in the sound since the treble is a bit more forward than the X5.  The extra bass presence people think of as sounding with a sound stage.  I prefer X5's non forward sound as other frequencies do not interfere with treble that is not that forward, which doesn't cover details.  X5 isn't really forward in any areas.

 

[SilverEars]

I don't hear a bass bump and have compared to the X5 and Hugo.

relative to X5, what is your impression of DX90 bass?

 

[jamato8]

I find the dx90 to be a little more defined.

 

[shakur1996]

IMO there is a slight bump in subbass on dx90. Any bump on X5's bass comes from midbass. May only problem with X5 was that this player was too dark for me.

 

[SilverEars]

To me it doesn't sound dark.  It doesn't have sparkle or tinny or forward treble the DX90 has.  That doesn't mean there is no details because of the lack of forwardness, but details show since the bass doesn't over take it or it seems neutral for the most part.  I found DX90 mids to be not that clear, possibly because treble and bass stood out.  
 
My ears can hear details with 650 and TG334 which people think are dark.  Moment of truth will come when my NT6 arrives, the judge.  

 

 

[shakur1996]

We all have different ears. For me X5 was somehow contradictory - on one hand it sounded dark (my shot is that it has some problems with transparency i.e. midbass/upper bass is bloating into the lower midrange), but on the other hand it has some bump in the lower treble/upper midrange resulting with a little harshness on some tracks. But I have to stress one thing - this darkness does not mean that X5 was lacking details or clarity, not at all. To my ears Dx90 is far more neutral (I would not call X5 neutral).

 

[SilverEars]

Yeah we sure do. One thing for sure though. I'm pretty disappointed with the two audiophile players.  They don't wow me as I was hoping for given their prices.  Especially ibasso, it doesn't wow me very much, and my ears favor X5 more, but X5 really isn't that great.  For some reason, ODAC is still better.  My ODAC/O2 has been my favorite for iems so far, and I've been trying to find something better and have not run into it.  Maybe with the NT6 I can decern subtle differences better.

 

[shakur1996]

dx90 and X5 did not WOW me as well. but more I'm listening to dx90 I'm more liking it (although it is very similar in tonality to and not superior technically over my imod with DIY amp).

maybe hm-901 would be a good match for your incoming NT-6?

 

[Marleybob217]

  Yeah we sure do. One thing for sure though. I'm pretty disappointed with the two audiophile players.  They don't wow me as I was hoping for given their prices.  Especially ibasso, it doesn't wow me very much, and my ears favor X5 more, but X5 really isn't that great.  For some reason, ODAC is still better.  My ODAC/O2 has been my favorite for iems so far, and I've been trying to find something better and have not run into it.  Maybe with the NT6 I can decern subtle differences better.

Hmm I found that the DX90 has way better synergy with my cIEMs than the audinst hud-mx1/ O2 setup.
Needless to say that it wowed me...

 

[SilverEars]

  Hmm I found that the DX90 has way better synergy with my cIEMs than the audinst hud-mx1/ O2 setup.
Needless to say that it wowed me...

People think it's the O2 amp that is responsible for the overall sound.  I think it's a misconception, it's actually the ODAC.  I've fed the O2 many LOs and nothing matches the ODAC fed to O2.  I want a portable player that can match ODAC/O2 or do better.  ODAC is simple implemenation of ES9023 a cheap Sabre, but it sounds much better than what people would expect I think.
 
I primarily use (C)IEMs with all my sources.  I currently don't own cans besides a Lambda Pros currently.

 

[goodvibes]

dx90 and X5 did not WOW me as well. but more I'm listening to dx90 I'm more liking it (although it is very similar in tonality to and not superior technically over my imod with DIY amp).

maybe hm-901 would be a good match for your incoming NT-6?

Give it more time. DX90 didn't wow me out of the box either and it's the correctness of character that grows on you as it breaks in and stops holding on to the sound. You're not acclimating, the 90 is getting better with play. Nice qualitative improvements and not linear in it's development. Kinda settles in after a couple hundred hours.
 
I agree with your take on the X5. It's exactly as I heard it. It's been a while since I've listened to one but I think the 901 may still be better than the DX90 but to be honest, like your 2 piece Imod rig, it contradicts what the term portable means to me, personally.