ibasso dx80 vs fiio x5 3rd gen
Jun 25, 2017 at 7:33 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 8

poodles

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Hi everyone
trying to decide between the ibasso dx80 and the fiio x5 3rd gen. From what i can tell the fiio seems to have a better ui and i think firmware in general however the ibasso is a bit better on battery life. The sound production seems to be pretty much only subjective but as someone whos moving up from my old ipod classic which has finaly died I will simply be happy not having to convert flac files ever again.
I will be most likely pairing these devices with the RHA T20's although that could well change depending on what you guys think and what would be a good pairing for either device. I understand the price difference is around £100 although tbh if the fiio is better, i dont mind paying that much extra considering I will use the device every single day for the next few years.
Thanks
 
Jun 28, 2017 at 8:45 AM Post #2 of 8
Never tried the Fiio, but I've owned the DX80 for a while now. Can't fault SQ and battery life is fine (I reckon I get 14 hours+ out of it between recharging); all of my gripes with the device are, as you suggest, around the UI. I've found about a dozen small bugs, despite it being on the latest firmware and it's not the most intuitive navigation and usage, especially coming from an iPod. The touch screen is also pretty laggy. For me, none of these are dealbreakers as the SQ is great, the amp section more powerful than your average DAP and with support for 2x micro SDHC/SDXC, storage is ample. If you value a slick UI over SQ and battery life though, its drawbacks on that front are worth bearing in mind.
 
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Jun 28, 2017 at 6:58 PM Post #3 of 8
Never tried the Fiio, but I've owned the DX80 for a while now. Can't fault SQ and battery life is fine (I reckon I get 14 hours+ out of it between recharging); all of my gripes with the device are, as you suggest, around the UI. I've found about a dozen small bugs, despite it being on the latest firmware and it's not the most intuitive navigation and usage, especially coming from an iPod. The touch screen is also pretty laggy. For me, none of these are dealbreakers as the SQ is great, the amp section more powerful than your average DAP and with support for 2x micro SDHC/SDXC, storage is ample. If you value a slick UI over SQ and battery life though, its drawbacks on that front are worth bearing in mind.

Thanks man, unfortunately a bad ui is a bit of a deal breaker so think i will go with the fiio. It annoys me that its a deal breaker for me as the ibasso seems so good for sound quality and that extra 4 hours battery life but having my 2 memory cards almost full the the brim i feel like the lag on the ibasso would just get too annoying for me. thanks for your feedback, appreciated.
 
Jun 29, 2017 at 4:35 AM Post #5 of 8
Are you locked into the T20(i), or are you considering other IEM's?

Not at all, i am very much still considering other IEM's and very open to suggestions, I have been looking at the sennheiser ie 80, shure se425 and my current favourites the LZ A4. I mostly listen to Metal, blues, classical and hiphop so quite a broad range of music. I do like a bit of bass although i wouldnt want to be constantly overpowered by it due to the range of music i listen to. The LZ A4 interested me due to their filter system and i know many others have one so if you have any suggestions that would be great. From what ive read the LZ A4s can lack in the mid to treble so thats the only reason i have not yet ordered them. My current budget is around £200 ($260) give or take. Thanks.
 
Jun 29, 2017 at 4:29 PM Post #6 of 8
Not at all, i am very much still considering other IEM's and very open to suggestions, I have been looking at the sennheiser ie 80, shure se425 and my current favourites the LZ A4. I mostly listen to Metal, blues, classical and hiphop so quite a broad range of music. I do like a bit of bass although i wouldnt want to be constantly overpowered by it due to the range of music i listen to. The LZ A4 interested me due to their filter system and i know many others have one so if you have any suggestions that would be great. From what ive read the LZ A4s can lack in the mid to treble so thats the only reason i have not yet ordered them. My current budget is around £200 ($260) give or take. Thanks.
The only ones I might add to your list are the Dunu DN2000/2000J and the Finder X1. Maybe read about them and see what you think. It's possible one could work for you.
 
Jul 19, 2017 at 8:14 PM Post #8 of 8
Hi everyone
trying to decide between the ibasso dx80 and the fiio x5 3rd gen. From what i can tell the fiio seems to have a better ui and i think firmware in general however the ibasso is a bit better on battery life. The sound production seems to be pretty much only subjective but as someone whos moving up from my old ipod classic which has finaly died I will simply be happy not having to convert flac files ever again.
I will be most likely pairing these devices with the RHA T20's although that could well change depending on what you guys think and what would be a good pairing for either device. I understand the price difference is around £100 although tbh if the fiio is better, i dont mind paying that much extra considering I will use the device every single day for the next few years.
Thanks
hi I own both of these Daps. the dx 80 sounds great but if you want the most bang for your buck then I would say go for the x53rd gen you get android 5.1 lots of features ie. balance headphone connect. excellent interface and sound wise I give the x5 a slight edge
happy listening
 

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