The luxurious pleasure of ultra portable audio heaven. Empire Zeus R ciems, Linum Super BaX and Sony WM1A.

This review might be unorthodox. I will do my best to make it relatable.

Now, I'm going straight to it and show you what using the Linum BaX meant for my every day consistent carry habit. Look below:


Yup! That's how close to consistent concealed carry as it can get people! By using the Super BaX I could fit them without any hassle into my ACS Pro17 earplug case which fits into my jeans pocket. Ultra portability achieved.

Stick around for the reasoning

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Product page:
http://www.linum.dk/linum-super-bax

Official Linum Super BaX cable
Specifications:

• Available connector types: MMCX, 2Pin
• Termination: 3.5 TRS (90° angled)
• Silver plated copper litz wires
• Quad twisted - 168 strands
• Weight: 8-9g
• Length: 127 cm/50"
• Impedance: 0.75 Ω
• Pull strength of cable: 120 N/26lbs
• Microphonics: Almost none

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I've received a Linum Super BaX cable as part of a review tour. Now I don't know the why and how of it, maybe the conjunction of Easter holidays and me being the last of the group, I got to spend about 23-24 days with them.
I was offered to buy them which I declined. But only because at this price, I rather want them perfectly suited to my current usage, so I'll try my luck and await a potential 4.4mm TRRRS Linum Super Balanced offering.

My curiosity and interest in Linum Super BaX started back around 2015. Fellow head-fier Sorensiim had made a tour visit at Estron a/s Linum HQ itself where the Super BaX prototyping process was well underway.
In August 2015 I got to meet Allan Sørrig, co-owner of Estron at the Linum booth of the first CanJam London. I got to try out the Linum BaX and 2 Linum Super BaX prototypes, the 3.5mm TRS and 3.5mm TRRS, on my Sony ZX2 at the time on Cosmic Ears CE6P uiems demo units at the same table. My feedback of that should be accessible in the CanJam London2015 impressions thread.
I've been on the waiting list ever since for acquiring one.




My current collection consists of these:



Cables from left to right: Norne Audio Therium 8 conductor 4.4mm TRRRS, Linum BaX 3.5mm TRS, Empire Ears stock quad SPC 3.5mm TRS
Case from left to right: Pelican Micro 1010, Earwerks softcase, Linum Super BaX case, ACS Pro17 plug case, Trinity Audio Delta case

Only the 2 cases on the right could fit into a jeans pocket. So wearing a jacket, coat, manbag or backpack is necessary.



The Earwerkz soft case doesn't have enough room to fit my 4.4mm balanced cables reliably in there. Too much of a tight space for the ciems.
It'd be fine if they were 4x26awg conductors though.


The Peli 1010 is crush proof and watertight, best protection possible for transport no doubt; provided you pad the clear side too in order to prevent any banging damage to the faceplates/shell. Ample room.



The Linum Super BaX case has 3 + 2 small pockets. Great for tidy management. Separate your ear tips, the wax removal tool, put in your ear plugs too. So nothing else can fall off when you open your case while walking to put on your earphones or stow them away.
The Linum case is a bit more compact than my Earwerkz one, but the down side is the side padding is quite thinner. So in my case I'd be wary of putting acrylic iems in there. Potential pressure to the middle of the case could crack them.


Ample room indeed. More robust universal IEMs would be preferred for this use. Or just mindful carrying. But why the risk right?

Entering the fray, the small ear plug case, like a lovechild of the Linum case:



*2017 Wish* To see and own one with a sticker named: 2pin 4.4mm TRRRS, with serial #00001



Alright now look again to this picture above. The side linings are the same. Thinner than the Earwerkz one. But the difference here, is that since the width of the left one is much narrower, it's actually tremendously more robust against top and bottom pressure. I can't squeeze the middle when the case is closed unless I press like a madman and then it's only the very center that gives in, not the sides where the ciems lie. Hardened sides are too strong to react to my hand pressure.
So in effect, my tiniest case is the 2nd most resilient one after the hard shelled Peli 1010 ^^
Disclaimer: I ain't saying they'd resist against me biggie 120kg sittin on em of course. That'd be the job for Peli haha



Linum provides a very nice magnetic tie for cable management. It 'clips' nicely to the Linum case pockets too.
The Y splitter is optimal. Light and sturdy plastic. The chin slider works well. Slides up easily, and stays in place, so it won't fall down by itself because of the tactile rubber aspect of the cable jacket coating. My only issue with using the chin slider I guess is the very light nature of the wires. When you pull it back down, gotta watch out that Left and Right are even, or you bend it too much. No one wants to experience a signal contact loss on expensive after market cables right?






Gotta admire how low profile the Super BaX is. Aesthetically, I prefer the spiral or helix twist braiding, to round/milloit. While I love flat braiding, it is just too prone to coiling on itself.
About the angled plug. I got bias for overmolded connectors. I got 0 scientific data to back my hunch. It feels more rugged when engulfed in glue/plastic. It seems cable's weaknesses are at both ends, solder points o strain relief part. But between these two, the Linum Super BaX and the stock cheapo SPC quad cable, both seem ok. I mean if the BaX was overmolded I might've preferred it, but I gotta be real, it's the more fragile -albeit reinforce- nature of the Linum Super BaX cable that will matter more (about 12kg of tensile strength). estron uses silver plated copper with aramid fiber threads to reinforce it. That's how it is so light and slim but still strong enough to prevent breakage.

I did notice a difference on the other side of the cables between the two:



The Linum Super BaX doesn't have ear guides, no metal memory wire. This is means more comfort, lighter on the ears and ideal for those wearing glasses.
If you look closer to the two pictures above, you'll notice that the male 2pin connectors on the Linum don't seem to have this small metal cinch inside wrapped around the 2 signal conductors. My take is that is only used to hold the ear guides tight around the conductors.

Overall thoughts:

Price: At about 180euros +25% danish VAT comes around 224euros. It's going to be the most expensive SPC cable you'll possibly own. The sound quality is on par with the $45 stock default quad cable. While the latter is of a small profile too, it's not as thin or light as the Super BaX. The decision will be how much value does one place into the feeling of not feeling wearing a cable.

Microphonics: The Linum Super BaX has such low microphonics, I can tap or rub the cable right under the ear lobe it won't be distracting while walking. That is a major plus for those listening to music or talks or audio books while walking or running. On this aspect it beat the stock quad cable and my Norne Therium

Tangling: Never had any coiling issue or tangled messes. But know that since this is a very light cable, the Left and Right can twist around each other. So it takes an extra moment when you are about to put them on if you're OCD like me about a clean Y splitter ^^

Comfort: Twisting my head around, almost not feeling I have cables on me. Possibility of storing them in my tiny case for optimal transport.
Yet there is a funny aspect that forced me to change my habits, I'm used to wearing ear guides. So when I need to talk to someone, I could just untwist my ciems and let them hang on my ears dangling right above them. The ear guides acting like a coat hanger. But this doesn't work at all with the Linum Super BaX. The cable itself is so light that there's nothing countering the weight of the ciems. So if they just slide progressively down my ears which look super silly. And risky too. Cuz they could slide off easier and drop down to the floor. So you got to make sure to completely take em off and put them around the neck.


Sound: The amount of time it took me to remove the 2pins, reconnect to the other cable and plug them in makes any perceivable difference a moot point for me. If I can't notice a clear difference in a normal setting I don't attribute it to the cable. The daily mood/health of a person swings more than the cable's SQ prowess.
There were clear sound differences between my Norne Therium and the Linum Super BaX, but we're talking about 4.4mm TRRRS balanced circuitry of the Sony WM1A with better components vs 3.5mm TRS singled ended. Not fair.

So in closing, I'll be waiting some more. If Linum releases a Super BaX 4 conductor with 4.4mm plug or Super Balanced 8 conductor with 4.4plug, I would order one. But I think I'd put a limit of 300eur personally.

 

 
 
Head-Fi, Fiio X5 and me
 
I came out of my lurking in January 2014 to join Head-Fi, I was looking for a DAP to replace my Creative Zen X-Fi's whose display had a 'black ink' spreading disease at terminal phase. I wanted to buy an X-Fi again, but I found out that with the advant of smartphones, MP3 players section had all melted away and all that was left were very cheap 4GB/8GB players or iPods. I couldn't find the Zen X-Fi in any stores in my area. Expensive iPod nano/touches with 32GB/64GB with no SD card capacity was a no go. I had resisted buying an Apple player for all these years (Creative fan since the inception of PC soundcards), I was almost tempted to buy an iPod Classic due to higher storage capacity , but the fear of damaging a micro hard-drive (lost my Zen Micro 16GB to a fall) made me consider going online to find a solution.
 
I discovered about Head-Fi, and oh boy, I felt ridiculous and vain for being an enduring Creative fanboy. My brick & mortar only shopping world was just the tip of the iceberg. DAPs had gotten so much better and DAPs from SanDisk and Iriver still existed! It was time to go submarine mode and lurk through hundreds of pages of threads to get my universe updated (i.e. wow people even carry brick stacks of amps!).
 
After an initial shortlist of the Fiio X3, iBasso DX50 and Astell&Kern AK240 (was enthralled by its beauty), I went back to my local shop to ask if they knew em, if they had any or if I could place an order. Turns out they were Fiio and A&K dealers too but had none in stock (the X5 and AK240 wasn't even in their database for pre-order). If I had to wait for an X3 to arrive, I preferred to pre-order the X-5 online instead.
 
Only ultraportability interests me now. IEMs and a DAP. No cans, no amp stacking. I'm bulky enough to want to carry more stuff around. ;P
 
 
 
My take on Fiio
 
Portable Hi-Fi that works reliably while remaining affordable, simple as that. James and Joe Bloggs are very active on Head-Fi. Great feedback interaction with the members, involving us in the different parts of the design and production process.
 
 
 
Disclaimer
 
I want to give my thanks to James and Joe Bloggs at Fiio for giving me the chance to review this new dap. This is my first review. The unit I had was part of the World Preview Tour, European part. We each had 10 days to play with X5ii before shipping it to the next reviewer. I received no compensation for writing this review, I did not get to keep the review sample, and had to ship it to the next in line from my own pocket (full disclosure/shoutout to the Belgian Post Office, Belgium to Austria  €32.80 ...fleecers).
I've got limited gear and experience so my review won't be very technical, but more oriented on how it affects me directly.
 
Official Fiio X5ii product page: http://www.fiio.net/en/products/41
 
 
 
My review sample box:
 

 

1. Fiio X5ii DAP
2. USB transfer and charging cable
3. COAX cable
4. Silicone body protective case
5. Screen protectors (3 total, one already applied, 2 spare)
6. 3 complete body make-over sticker kits (Carbon fiber / Light grainy wood / American flag)
7. Button operation leaflet
8. Quick start manual
9. Warranty info

 
 
 
X5 and X5ii side to side comparisons
 
  
^
X5ii size H: 109mm W: 63.5mm D: 15.3mm
X5 size  H: 114mm W: 67.6mm D: 15.6mm
X5ii weighs 165g, around 30g lighter than the X5.
 
Coming from the X5 to X5ii, I immediately noticed the width and length decrease, the change of the 4 buttons around the scroll wheel to small slicker round ones matching the color of the body.
I always found the X5 to look like a stove, so the X5ii was pleasing change, much more appealing.
 
The X5ii  facelifting also includes brushed metal finish instead of powdered, and a color change (like the X3ii). I prefer the black original color but since I use the silicone case I admit it doesn't matter anyway. I gotta say the new color is much more coherent overall though, matching the 4 X and center scroll wheel buttons.
 
The actual screen display size remains the same in the newer gen. On the X5 the glass was bigger than the screen display. With the X5ii, Fiio recessed the screen and made the glass flush with the body. A very nice improvement there.
 
While my hands are somewhat average, it's not very proportionate. My fingers are shorter than average, but I got a big palm. The reason why I mention this is because the X5 always was at the limit of my comfort level. I always used it with the silicone body case which adds a bit to the size. It's bulky to operate with only hand only and at times was annoying when you also take into account the scrolling aspect of the Fiio X5/X5ii. So the the smaller size and weight change with the X5ii was a very welcoming advantage for me. Easier to hold and operate, a noteworthy plus for small handed users.
 
 
 

^
The silicone body case of the X5ii feels more smooth in the hands, the X5 case is a bit more sticky, making it easier to slide in and out of my jeans pocket. The X5ii with the 4 new buttons and silicone case give a nice tactile feedback, more convenient use.
 
The silicone material seems different. How it will affect its durability I do not know. In the case of the Fiio X5, the silicone case got a minor shred on the bottom left corner of the screen due to me having to expand it by sliding it on and off each time I need to add/transfer new music (the case covers over the microSD slot). I never could connect the X5 to my pc directly, so relied on the small Fiio USB 2.0 dongle card reader supplied. The X5ii review unit didn't come with such a dongle.
 
 
 

^
The X5ii no longer has dust covers making it bit more elegant. While I prefer the covers for an added safety layer despite already using the silicone body case at all times.
On the other hand it was reassuring that while there's no covers on the X5ii, the micro sd card goes deeper, so there's absolutely no risk of friction.
 
 
 

^
The power+lock button moved to the left side on the X5ii and has a tiny led in its center. Very pale non-disturbing (for those using while in bed) blue color when ON/playing,  orange red when plugged in recharging and green when fully charged. Notice the tiny tactile raised dot on the Volume + button so you don't mistake it for the power button; it's easy to operate in the dark.
 
When the player is locked, holding the Vol+/- buttons will skip tracks. So to change the volume in locked mode, you have to lightly press repeatedly to increment/lower step by step.
 
Notice how nicely flushed the display and 4 buttons are now on the X5ii.
 
 

^
X5ii on the left, X5 on the right. X5 original had 3 distinct output jacks, HP, COAX and Line out. The X5ii changed by having only 2; Coax and Line out have a shared output jack, switchable from within the UI (Multifunctional Outputs under System Settings menu).
 
The visible hard reset pinhole on the X5 has gone on the X5ii, you'll have to press and hold the power button for about 15s to reset the player.
 
Note: the X5ii HP out location switched sides. On the X5 it's at the top left of the DAP. On the X5ii, it's at the top right side. Users coming from the X5 might have the nasty suprise if plugging their sensitive iems to the Line out jack on the X5ii being used on this side, blasting their eardrums!
 
 
 
User Interface
 
Buttons
You can adjust the volume two ways: hold the center dial for a second which displays the volume arc, and you can then turn the wheel to +/- the volume; or you can use the side buttons.
 
The left and right button below the wheel serve as Previous/Next track skip if pressed once, or back/forwarding within the current track if held.
The upper left button opens the tiny submenu where you can add the current track to your favorites (heart icon), change the playing mode like shuffle, repeat all or same track, and delete track.
The upper right button serves as go back up a level or previous menu. If held longer it goes straight back to main menu centered on Now Playing.
 
Deep sleep stand-by
The X5ii comes with a Deep sleep stand-by mode that's a very good improvement I think. In daily/weekly usage I didn't have to shut it down completely, it used very low battery while on stand-by mode, and resumed instantly. My X5 unit with X Relic X's mod takes around 9-10 seconds of waiting time between Power ON booting to being fully functional. So this new deep sleep stand-by mode is quite welcomed.
 
Folder browsing
I solely used my X5 in folder browsing mode. The lack of proper tagging of my library makes the Play by Category mode absolutely chaotic. This is an issue with the ZX2's default music app too because I can't apparently access my memory card in folder browsing mode and only allows categorized mode.
 
Folder browser on the X5 and X5ii is easier for me. My TF card root has artists/bands folders, sub-folders are albums. Here lies a big problem, it can take me up to half a minute of spinning the scroll wheel just to get to the artist/band I want to listen to. There's no progressively accelerating scrolling either from the wheel nor the buttons.
The bottom left and right buttons also serve as scrolling keys, so my only chance at scrolling faster is by using two hands, one is holding the scroll button while the other is spinning the wheel resulting in a moderately faster scrolling up or down, but I can't stress how much absurd this looks and feels.
 
A workaround fix would be to have the root folders be alphabetically ranked and have artists inside them. Like 26 folders; A-Z. But this solution is not fitting for me because of my personal nature in regards to listening music. Which track I pick depends on my mood of the moment, browsing through names which I associate with feelings is the deciding factor. But Cagin, be rational, surely you'd prefer changing your listening habit and put stuff in  A-Z folders first instead of the boring up to 30 seconds of spinning wheel to fit your 'mood' no? Well... ok sure, if it wasn't for a bothersome aspect of organizing by alphabetical folders at the root folder; the lag. I'll come to this on the next paragraph. Now I understand the scroll wheel is mechanical, and doesn't allow acceleration, but I would've liked if at least the bottom buttons could be set to like skip 5 by 5, or a whole screen of folders, or maybe alphabetical letters directly.
 
One quality of life improvement I'd like to see in a future firmware would be the ability to just play the highligthed folder without having to go through its subfolders and pick a certain track before it starts playing. I'd like it if when folder browsing, I scroll down to say an artist folder and I just press say the top left button and it automatically will play it's content starting from the top album, top track and go from there. 1 click instead of 3.
 
Lag?
My 128GB SanDisk microSD card was formatted by my X5 (fat32), it works flawlessly with the ZX2 as well, and is recognized and working with the X5ii fine. But I did notice a major lag issue and perhaps I should've formatted the card from within the X5ii to make sure it wasn't due to format origin, but I admit it was too daunting to it all over again via the X5ii. So take the lag details with a grain of salt ok.
 
In folder browser mode, TF1 main root access had a 2.5 second delay (1.5s on the X5). This means, each time I go in Folder Browser mode, and pick TF1 card, it takes 2.5s before I can start scrolling through folders. Accessing a sub folder brings a 0.5s delay on the X5ii (not noticeable on the X5). Now if I'm in the Artist sub-folder and want to go back up a level to main root, I get a 2 second delay on the X5ii (1.5s on the X5).
 
On the X5ii when spinning the wheel to adjust the volume, if I make more than a few incremental steps, there is a delay as the volume will keep adjusting even if you stopped spinning the wheel.
On the X5, it's more responsive. There's no delay lag regardless of if I make wide volume changes or small increments.
 
Note about the Scroll wheel: Fiio said the production units will have higher damping factor (similar to production X3 2nd gen units) for more positive tactile feedback. Hopefully this will address the delay lag I experience when spinning it fast.
 

^
Main menu  Now Playing / Play by Category / Folder Browse / Play settings / System settings
 
 

^
Play by Category sub menu
I never go here ^^
 
 

^
Play settings
Here you can change things like:

1. Left/Right channel balance (+/-10dB)
2. Low/High gain
3. set which volume you want your player to automatically fix to each time you power it on (avoiding any eardrum blasting suprise)
4. fix a hard volume cap
5. Equalizer has 10 bands and 9 presets, it reduced output -6dB by default when active. You can edit the preset names via firmware if you desire.
6. The 'play through folders' option is nice if say you browse into one artist folder containing like 4 album folders, it will automatically keep on playing by switching to the next folder in line (top to bottom); and once all sub folders player, will go to the next main folder and start from there working through sub folders, on and on.

 
 

^
System Settings menu

1. 3 Key-lock modes. I prefer the one where only the side volume buttons are working when display is locked. I can adjust the volume and skip tracks from the pocket without taking it out. Minimal risk of pressing something wrong.
2. Idle standby and timer. If player is on pause the time lapse before it goes to stand-by mode from lack of user input to save on display battery
3. Sleep + timer. If like me you like to go to sleep while listening to music or some ASMR, will automatically cut the music and go stand-by, alternatively if you're lazy and unsure of when you're about to sleep you can just unplug the headphone jack, it will pause the player, and then Idle out ^^
4. Multifunctional outputs. Switches from Line out to Digital out Coax
5. USB Mode. Storage for data transfer or DAC mode
6. Supports in-line headphone. 3.5mm TRRS cables with track skip/pause/play [volume +/- not incl]
7. Format. Allows the device to format a TF card to FAT32. Recommended you do it via the device for optimal compatibility, avoid hanging ups during library scanning.

 
 
GUI Themes
 
The Fiio X5 allowed users to modify the GUI (Graphical User Interface) via firmware files, we could to change the colors, fonts and placing of objects. This led a growing number of daring creative headfiers to make modded themes.
There's many flavors, from minimalistic to flamboyant ones.
 
Here's the superb repository thread for the X5 original gen: http://www.head-fi.org/t/717947/fiio-x5-custom-modded-firmwares
 
The X5ii takes the theme potential even higher by allowing up to 5 customizable themes. There are 5 default themes that came with the X5ii, but fellow headfiers @X Relic X and @AsianInvasion have already adapted their mods to the X5ii firmware, so you can have a whopping 5 completely different big modded themes available to switch from one to another from inside the menu directly without any need of rebooting. Quite convenient also for having for example one theme made for easier contrasting while outside in a glaring daylight situation.
 
Click here for the X5ii theme mods repository: http://www.head-fi.org/t/771221/fiio-x5-ii-custom-themes-thread
 
Here are the 5 default themes:
 



 
 
 
 
Sound
 
Gear at hand
I've received my X5ii review unit at the same time as my custom EarWerkz Omega iems arrived. Being my 1st set of ciems, I was very critically attentive during my listening sessions with the Fiio X5ii. I also had received my Sony ZX2 a few days earlier, so there were a lot of switching back and forth between the Fiio X5, X5ii, the Sony ZX2, the new Omega ciems and my faithful Zero Audio Duoza's.
During the comparisons my Sony ZX2 was at 50-90 hours burn-in period, was using the Sony Music Player app with the following settings off: Clear Audio, EQ, DSEE HX, Dynamic Normalizer.
The X5 and X5ii were with EQ off
 
All my music library fits in one 128gb SanDisk microSD card, comprising of .FLAC, .wav, .mp3 files, I have no DSD contents to play with sadly. Those with DSD recordings will be interested to know that the X5ii has an "all new digital audio architecture, utilizing dual crystal oscillators dedicated to multiples of 44.1 and 48kHz respectively (including 176.4kHz=4x44.1, 192kHz=4x48 and DSD64 and DSD128 (multiples of 44.1), handling all major sample rates without resampling artifacts and minimal jitter", so no need for PCM conversion.
For all the hardware components, I'll refer the reader to the official product page where it's all detailed very clearly (http://www.fiio.net/en/products/41).
 
Test Tracks
Jardín de la Croix - 187 Steps to cross the Universe EP, especially the "Colorado Springs" track
Cowboy Junkies - live binaural recording by Immersifi (available free right here on Head-Fi forum in the free flac thread); track #1 to #8
Envy - A Dead Sinking Story album - #1 Chain wandering deeply and #2 Distress of ignorance tracks
Florence and the Machine - Lungs album
KOAN sounds - Forgotten Myths EP
 
Sound quality differences?
As much as I could write a page and a half about the difference of sound quality between my Duoza's and the Omega's I just can't reliably notice a difference between the 3 DAPs themselves while playing music. Aside from the hiss, the X5 and the X5ii sound the same to me (even with both equal volume dials). And when I add the ZX2, it's an eye opener on two fronts really. Yes the X5ii is just as good as my ZX2 in the music reproduction. The X5ii didn't feel lacking at all compared to the ZX2. The balance was right, the bass wasn't overwhelming and the trebble clarity was there. I might prefer the drums for a bit more details on the ZX2 but I certainly don't feel confident about it enough to certify in a courtroom for example. Sure ZX2 might not be at the optimal burn-in period but still.
Unfortunately I don't have any equipment/program to volume match the players so I could have a better way to compare.
Another factor why I had a hard time differenciating anything was the impossibility of instant A/B comparisons. Had I two cards I could have one inside each DAP and just switch jacks.
My other revelation was just how good the Duoza iems were as a pairing match for the X5ii and the ZX2. Everything feels just balanced, each parts given an equal footing. No instrument boasting over another. I like bass but not overwhelming bass that ruins the details of distinguishing each element. The Duoza/X5ii or ZX2 pairing avoids a boomy bass so I can actually enjoy the nuances of the bass guitar. The treble is clear and detailed always just below my sibilance treshold, the drum kit's hi-hats, cymbals and snare aren't relegated to the background, they have this sparkling pride, and lasting decay that gives me great pleasure.
The Omega's on the other hand are a bad pairing with the X5ii or the ZX2. Voices can be explosively uncontrolled, non seductive, aggressive. And when I say aggressive voice is not due to sibilance, oh no, the Omega's are completely immune to any risk of silibance whatsoever from any source possible. It avoids sibilance so much that drum kits feels muted, gagged, and relegated to the background. Treble is tamed hard. The electric guitars on the other hand are given immense power and ooze with omph goodness. Electric guitars definitely gets forefront emphasis; too much maybe because it overshadows the bass guitar details.
I seriously need to find a DAP to get enjoyment out of the Omega's.
But I digress, this ain't a review comparison about Omega's or Duoza's, but about the X5ii. And the X5ii still has this somewhat neutral flat signature that I long for (with bit of warmth). 
 
Hiss - background noise
The background noise comparison gave a cleaver cut divide. The EarWerkz Omega's are very easy to drive and overly sensitive, prone to hissing noise.
Using them one the X5 and ZX2 I get moderate hiss noise. The X5 is a bit hissier than the ZX2. When listening to most genres it's not audible, but on slower or more quiet tracks like solo piano or live acoustic it can be distracting. When on pause it's quite audible and annoying.
The X5ii was very suprising because it was in another category regarding background noise, when on pause it was quite low hiss, and inaudible during playback.
With my Duoza's, the X5ii is simply quiet even when on pause.
 
 
 
Battery life
 
With my usage habit of always locking the display after picking a track, and mainly flac listening I get around 10 hours of music before battery going out. Same as my X5. A nice average stamina but when you take into account the power output of it, it's good. The X5ii has 3300mAh battery, the X5 had 3700mAh. If I had to guess why they both having the same stamina despite lower battery on the X5ii has to come from the redesigning of power architecture regarding low and high gain.
 
 
 
Concluding ponderings & alternatives to consider researching/auditioning
 
I think that it's good to have options. Especially when I'm thinking of upgrading. Gives me clarity noticing what matters to me in the end. What functionality I can dispose of, what I can't do without anymore, to reveal what I'm really after.
 
Some questions I feel must be considered:
 
Do I honestly hear a difference noticeable enough to warrant such a price jump? 
 - At time of comparisons, with a burn-in period of 50-80h on my ZX2 , I found the X5ii equal sound-wise.
 
Can my ego take the hit for disappointment after HYPE buying? 
 - Hype and aspirations have to be allowed but also tamed.
 
Does the user interface help me or do I fight it too much? Does it hamper me getting me to enjoy my music? 
 - With my X5 it can take me up to 30sec of scrolling to find the music I want. With a touch sensitive Android based ZX2 it's immensely faster, I personally do no longer want to come back to an UI that doesn't allow a form of acceleration or faster scrolling. (Questyle QP1R and Cayin N5 I'm looking at you; that's why the X7 will get all my attention)
 
Am I ready to change my iem/headphone in case it doesn't pair well with my dap? Or would I prefer to change the DAP to match my gear?
 -Gotta have a matching pair to enjoy. If it sounds good to you, who cares if it looks like a downgrade.
 
To those interested about the Fiio X5ii, I'd suggest considering listening to the X3ii if budget is tighter.
Sidegrades possible are the QLS QA360, iBasso DX90.
Potential upgrades would be the Lotoo Paw 5000 (balanced headphone output and Bluetooth but with a fun/musical signature instead of neutral flat like the X5ii). If patience is your virtue, then these options open up as well, Questyle QP1, Cayin N5, Fiio X7 (to be released in mainland China in August, Fall worldwide).
 
And oh suggestion to consider =/= advise to buy  0
 
 
To me the X5 2nd Gen is clearly an upgrade to the original X5. Smaller, lighter, more tactile feedback makes it easier for me to handle. Very more quiet background (quite important with sensitive iems if you don't tolerate hissing noise). The X5ii can play DSD64/128 and play SACD .iso if you have those. The X5ii still has that great neutral sound with bit of warmth that I liked so much in the original X5.
It still has that oomph of power to not feel the amping requirement if you use iems and some cans. The stand-by mode is the cream on the top.
 
I'll conclude with this though, even if I had golden ears, and I don't -I only got to silver ears at the Phillips challenge before I gave up tired ^^- you only have your ears to enjoy your music. I doesn't matter if it sounds great to me; how good will it sound FOR YOU !?! Do your best to attempt an audition.