[olddude]

Also, for any Mac-ies, the Audirvana Plus is pretty interesting.  It can convert/play/put into iTunes all sorts of high bit stuff.  I was using it to down-convert DSD files to 24/176, but it does all kinds of stuff.  Not freeware, but you can find it floating about.  
 
Fidelia is a very good player for Mac, again, plays high-bit stuff.  As above, not freeware, but....
 
And iso2dsd_OSX_v5 can convert SACD .ISO to DSD format.  Which I believe is source ware.  
 
Nice that there are finally some tools for Macs.

 

[Flomet]

Also, for any Mac-ies, the Audirvana Plus is pretty interesting.  It can convert/play/put into iTunes all sorts of high bit stuff.  I was using it to down-convert DSD files to 24/176, but it does all kinds of stuff.  Not freeware, but you can find it floating about.  

Fidelia is a very good player for Mac, again, plays high-bit stuff.  As above, not freeware, but....

And iso2dsd_OSX_v5 can convert SACD .ISO to DSD format.  Which I believe is source ware.  

Nice that there are finally some tools for Macs.

Just for tagging only you want to have a look at Kid3, I use it all the time and find it good plus its freeware.

 

[Poimandres]

I believe there is a list on media monkeys site that shows the differences between the two. I just decided to buy the lifetime upgrade before I bought dbpoweramp as I believe at that time one of the features was unlimited ripping speed and I had my whole collection to rip. However when I realized that dbpoweramp had accuraterip I was sold.

 

[Loquah]

  Oh, Poimandres, I've wondered about Gold for quite a while. Can you explain how it's better than the freebee? Specifically?

 
The biggest reason's I bought the gold version was for features like smart playlists - I love being able to create an automated playlist that fills each of my X5 TF cards based on the criteria I set and rotates out the most recently played tracks (base on PC plays, not X5 plays) so that I get all my music rotating steadily through. As was said above, check the MM site for more info

 

[Kerouac]

Originally Posted by aangen 
 
I picked up Benji yesterday, I am a little afraid to play it. I am retired so my music collection is a main focus for me.
The Ducati got burned in pretty fast and so far I have put 13,000 miles on it this year. Winter will be here soon and I'm not sure how I will deal with it. Bah. I use the X3 on the Ducati as it weighs less than the X5/E18DIY brick. Fun!

Afraid of what, disappointment? Imo Benji is his best work till now, same opinion on Immunity from Jon Hopkins.
 
X5/E18? I have a PicoPower that I really like for it's clean output. But the footprint of it doesn't match the X5 at all (it does with my DX90 though).
On the Fiio site I read E12 has crossfeed (is it any good?), but E18 is also a DAC and has much better battery life. Main question for me: does the E18 give an upgrade in SQ over the E12 (can see you have them both) when you use it with your X5?
 
Maybe more people out here who use(d) them both with X5 and can advise on this?
Thanks in advance...

 

[aangen]

My fear of it is the path he has been on seems to be spiraling downward as he gets older. I fear for him. Sort of. I love his work so I know I'll be okay.
 
I made a mistake when I typed E18, I have an E12 DIY not an E18. And even though I use Shure SE535 headphones that do not require anymore amplifier than what the X5 offers, I enjoy the sound of the combination quite a bit. I have not listened to just the X5 since I bought the E12 DIY except for comparison purposes. My comparison trials have me believing that the E12 DIY offers a firmer grip on all frequencies and the sound is more enjoyable because of it.  I was very happy with the sound of the X5 on it's own, but the madness of this place and a spare $250 convinced me to by one. No regrets here.
 
Sorry for the confusion!
 
I'll have to pick up Immunity, soon.  

 

[kino lau]

Thanks for the recommendations and input. I'm trying to tear through my entire CD collection right now using dBpoweramp with the free license. I've realized very quickly that there is a direct correlation between the amount of money spent on audio gear and how acutely the ear picks up imperfections, thus effecting how much I'm willing to pay to remove those audio flaws. I picked up correlations from my Developmental Psych class. Though I think I originally learned about this correlation stuff as it related to my music through thousands of hours of riding in my car listening to tapes recorded in Dolby C under the influence of a lot of different mind altering drugs...lol

 

[Chris J]

Any X5 users pair theirs with a tube amp? curious to know what the impressions are...

I've used the X5 with a La Figaro 336C tube amp and a vintage pair of Sennheiser HD424 headphones.
A nice pairing, the tubes definitely help the vintage headphones out. A nice warm, full, smooth and lush sound.
The HD424 are a 30 year old headphone, a modern pair of Sennheisers will sound more accurate, the HD424 are a somewhat bright sounding headphone, they almost sound like Grados! and there are other tube amps out there with a more neutral sound, so it's hard to really generalize. And then there are the hybrid SS/tube amps, which may lean more towards SS or tube sound, depending on the designer's intentions.

BTW:
IIRC, half the listening time was also using an external DAC: the Beresford Bushmaster Mk II.
The Bushmaster is a better DAC, but the X5 is a damn good DAC for the money!
I've never used the USB input on the X5, meaning I've never taken a USB signal from a computer and used the X5 as a USB DAC.

 

[mikaelmark]

Over the summer, I use my X5 paired with an amp, using line out. I´ll get about 16-17 hours of playing time using FLAC, both standard and hi-res. When there are two bar´s left of the battery, it will play several hour´s more, but when there´s only one bar left, it´s just about 10 min. left. (incl. Some fiddling with scrolling in the menu to switch between each album)
 
Now some questions:
 
Is it possible to play all the FLAC´s in the micro SDHC in album order, without having to scroll in the menu between each album.
 
If fully charging the X5, will the player not charge simultaneously any more if still having the micro USB adapter cable connected?
 
 
/ Mikael Markstrom

 

[Saoshyant]

I'm not sure I can agree with your statement about the correlation. While yes, the ear can be trained to pay more attention, I'm not sure I'd argue there's enough evidence to support your claim. Some people's hearing is more accurate than others for any number of reasons such as the innate capabilities of the individual's hearing, how well their hearing has been treated and if any hearing loss has resulted from it, other factors like allergies which can result in increased wax creation can affect it as well.

 

[heart banger-97]

Hi guys
I have a problem with my device that is a little weird. I'm kind of sure that the volume from right side is more than the left side. Sometimes it is solved by just a socket movement, sometimes it isn't.
Does anyone else who has [size=12.8000001907349px]the same [/size]experience?

 

[Dobrescu George]

maybe it is your hearing?... or the 3.5 connection from your headphones?...
 
i never had this problem...
 
you can always go to warranty if it seems to persist, and your problem seems to be on your unit, like a faulty one, so, you should try to get it solved...
 
also, sorry for me trying to take a point on equipment i did not hear... i am kind of curious of what new things i will be able to try in Romania!...
 
am i the only one that now fiinds it more fun to listen to headphones at volume 60/120 instead of my usual almost full volume on any headphone?.... i mean, with x5, the details are like purring into my ears, even without great volumes, it is a very great player!...

 

[nmatheis]

[@]skerry2006aj[/@] and other young folks (taking a leap here and assuming skerry2006aj is young-ish) - DON'T LISTEN AT FULL VOLUME!!!

Sorry to get preachy, but I used to listen loud and go to concerts without hearing protection when I was young and have tinnitus now - NOT FUN

BE SMART - PROTECT YOUR HEARING!!!

 

[3ternalDr4gon]

Yeah I listen at about 25-30 on average. The highest ever was on 40. Either the Fiio X5 is loud or my earphones are loud

 

[heart banger-97]

  maybe it is your hearing?... or the 3.5 connection from your headphones?...
 
i never had this problem...
 
you can always go to warranty if it seems to persist, and your problem seems to be on your unit, like a faulty one, so, you should try to get it solved...
 
also, sorry for me trying to take a point on equipment i did not hear... i am kind of curious of what new things i will be able to try in Romania!...
 
am i the only one that now fiinds it more fun to listen to headphones at volume 60/120 instead of my usual almost full volume on any headphone?.... i mean, with x5, the details are like purring into my ears, even without great volumes, it is a very great player!...

No, it's not the case.
I've tested for that problem too, I've tested with different headphones and I wore headphone inversely. At the end, I listened via line out. The weirdest thing is that the problem doesn't occur at a consistent rate. Sometimes [size=12.8000001907349px]it's obvious[/size], sometimes it is subtle and sometimes [size=12.8000001907349px]there is no problem at all.[/size]