Reviews by wormsdriver
Greetings everyone, and Happy New Year!
This here is my "review" of the new Hifiman He-R10p closed back planar magnetic headphones…
First off (and this will become very apparent soon enough) is the fact that I am not a reviewer. I am reviewing these as part of the loaner tour terms so here it goes!
I'll start this off with my unboxing impressions as I did receive what looks like a brand spanking new pair of these cans.
Those of you familiar with probably most Hifiman cans will know exactly what to expect as the presentation is basically the same as other Hifiman headphones, like for example the He6SE that I bought over a year ago. Same box with the exemption of maybe better feeling outer materials (leather?), otherwise inside the box it's exactly the same. Three single sided cables are stuffed in the box. A desktop length 6.3mm and also 4 pin balanced xlr. The third is a portable length cable and it's terminated in an unbalanced 3.5mm. Also included inside the box is a nice hard cover book that I really didn't pay much attention to.
The headphones are reasonably well built and sturdy enough. Headband and earpads seem to me like a protein leather but I could be wrong. While the weight on these at least on paper is substantial, once on my head weight is not an issue and long listening sessions were not a problem for the most part but at one point I did started getting a sore spot right on the top of my head after a few hours, ymmv.
Wooden cups are nicely matched, headband and eapads are very soft and plush, definitely comfortable.
The problem with these headphones and something I might repeat a few times during this review is the price! what !?
...BTW, apparently the MSRP on these is $5499USD! Wait what? …WHAT!!!?
Ok, to be quite blunt, GTFO Hifiman. C'mon man!
Taking into account the price of these headphones, build quality and materials used are cheap and unacceptable! Lol
Without getting deep into this next part, the design of these is also very questionable to say the least. You take the same headband you are using on some of your much cheaper models, then you rip off Sony's wooden cups from a well known legendary headphone and throw in some of your own drivers and Bam! Call it He-R10 and charge $5.5K a pop!? C'mon man! LOL
Another thing about the design is the single sided cable coming out of one earcup. Really? Seriously Bruh?... C'mon man!!! Lol
In my opinion Hifiman should of stuck with their big cups found on the Arya, HEK, etc. then "paid tribute" to Sonys F'd up looking wooden cups on the R10 in their own f'd up way. BTW, for being closed cans, unfortunately isolation is not that great. I'd say maybe a bit more isolation than the Fostex TH900 family, maybe.
Ok enough shenanigans, what about the sound!?
I'll list the gear that I'm using with these cans as this will undoubtedly influence the end result, IMO.
Also, all the music I listened to was FLAC files I ripped from my old CDs, Tidal Hifi and also live performances off of Youtube.
Gear:
-Ak240
-Aurender Flow
-WooAudio Wa8
-Well's Audio Milo
I found these cans to sound really good out of all of above. Rather easy to drive in my opinion but also scale past whatever in my humble arsenal I could throw at it. Certainly revealing enough to tell the difference between whatever amp, dac combo I put it through even with my beat up half deaf ears I can tell the subtle differences between them.
First off, the appeal of these cans is the fact that they are closed back flagship cans. While they don't sound like open headphones they do sound quite spacious. I feel the music does go outside my head a bit as opposed to being stuck in my head. There's a nice 3D image when the music calls for it. I can only imagine my gear might be limiting this a bit as surely a higher end dac would be more fitting for the capabilities of these cans. Speaking of imaging with both the Milo and the Woo Wa8 the HE-R10P has a big image for headphones IMO. Instruments sound big as do vocals. Straight out of the Ak240, while it doesn't particularly sound under driven it does sound at a smaller scale and compressed in a way in comparison to the above amps. Now that I think about it, this is probably just a result of these cans conveying what's being fed through them.
I'm not sure how to describe their signature but I'd say they have a balanced midrange, bass extends well down low, mid bass is bumped up a bit and treble is rolled off a bit early.
When it comes to the low end I feel these cans are well extended into the sub bass fairly linear and then get a bump up in the mid bass. Great tonal quality, tight, taught, punchy, kick drums hit hard. I can easily get side tracked just following a bass guitar in any given track. Pretty awesome in my book.
As far as the midrange goes I feel it's neutral for the most part. Full bodied lower mid range also comes to mind. Higher mids are pulled back a bit since I feel some guitars in certain tracks are not as forward as they should be, and therefore not as lively or exciting at times. Both male and female vocals are quite good but maybe a bit on the dry side to be the most engaging they could be. Lots of subtle details in the midrange, very clear. Very good focus.
Treble is well controlled and defined. Never splashy or tizzy. Cymbals are very resolved but I do feel there is some air missing up top once again making these cans sound not as exciting as I usually prefer.
Resolution on these cans is indeed flagship level. Subtle nuances are well resolved. There is layers in the music. Much space between instruments. A good amount of low level detail is present. Great imaging.
Although I do enjoy a good mix of different music it seems I spent most of my time with these cans listening to hard rock and heavy metal. I found these cans quite enjoyable and engaging with this type of music. When listening to slower genres I did think these cans sound a bit dull at times to be honest.
The HE-R10p are surprisingly forgiving for the most part of badly recorded music but obviously wont polish a total turd like the Misfits early recordings. Lol
In conclusion while I did enjoy these cans and do indeed think they are worthy of flagship headphones, I just don’t think they command that price, I don't think they're worth %50 of the asking price. Not only because of the lackluster build or because of the ripping off of somebody else's work but because the sound just isn't quite there either.
I know when it comes to price we all have our own perspectives, to give you mine, I had the Focal Utopia on loan a couple of years ago which I did like but in the end it wasn't for me but I do think the Utopia is worth it's going rate at around $2k USD for a lightly used one. I don't think I would pay $2k for an HE-R10p new or used.
Thank you for reading this and thank you to Hifiman for the opportunity to listen to these cans, I do appreciate it.
This here is my "review" of the new Hifiman He-R10p closed back planar magnetic headphones…
First off (and this will become very apparent soon enough) is the fact that I am not a reviewer. I am reviewing these as part of the loaner tour terms so here it goes!
I'll start this off with my unboxing impressions as I did receive what looks like a brand spanking new pair of these cans.
Those of you familiar with probably most Hifiman cans will know exactly what to expect as the presentation is basically the same as other Hifiman headphones, like for example the He6SE that I bought over a year ago. Same box with the exemption of maybe better feeling outer materials (leather?), otherwise inside the box it's exactly the same. Three single sided cables are stuffed in the box. A desktop length 6.3mm and also 4 pin balanced xlr. The third is a portable length cable and it's terminated in an unbalanced 3.5mm. Also included inside the box is a nice hard cover book that I really didn't pay much attention to.
The headphones are reasonably well built and sturdy enough. Headband and earpads seem to me like a protein leather but I could be wrong. While the weight on these at least on paper is substantial, once on my head weight is not an issue and long listening sessions were not a problem for the most part but at one point I did started getting a sore spot right on the top of my head after a few hours, ymmv.
Wooden cups are nicely matched, headband and eapads are very soft and plush, definitely comfortable.
The problem with these headphones and something I might repeat a few times during this review is the price! what !?
...BTW, apparently the MSRP on these is $5499USD! Wait what? …WHAT!!!?
Ok, to be quite blunt, GTFO Hifiman. C'mon man!
Taking into account the price of these headphones, build quality and materials used are cheap and unacceptable! Lol
Without getting deep into this next part, the design of these is also very questionable to say the least. You take the same headband you are using on some of your much cheaper models, then you rip off Sony's wooden cups from a well known legendary headphone and throw in some of your own drivers and Bam! Call it He-R10 and charge $5.5K a pop!? C'mon man! LOL
Another thing about the design is the single sided cable coming out of one earcup. Really? Seriously Bruh?... C'mon man!!! Lol
In my opinion Hifiman should of stuck with their big cups found on the Arya, HEK, etc. then "paid tribute" to Sonys F'd up looking wooden cups on the R10 in their own f'd up way. BTW, for being closed cans, unfortunately isolation is not that great. I'd say maybe a bit more isolation than the Fostex TH900 family, maybe.
Ok enough shenanigans, what about the sound!?
I'll list the gear that I'm using with these cans as this will undoubtedly influence the end result, IMO.
Also, all the music I listened to was FLAC files I ripped from my old CDs, Tidal Hifi and also live performances off of Youtube.
Gear:
-Ak240
-Aurender Flow
-WooAudio Wa8
-Well's Audio Milo
I found these cans to sound really good out of all of above. Rather easy to drive in my opinion but also scale past whatever in my humble arsenal I could throw at it. Certainly revealing enough to tell the difference between whatever amp, dac combo I put it through even with my beat up half deaf ears I can tell the subtle differences between them.
First off, the appeal of these cans is the fact that they are closed back flagship cans. While they don't sound like open headphones they do sound quite spacious. I feel the music does go outside my head a bit as opposed to being stuck in my head. There's a nice 3D image when the music calls for it. I can only imagine my gear might be limiting this a bit as surely a higher end dac would be more fitting for the capabilities of these cans. Speaking of imaging with both the Milo and the Woo Wa8 the HE-R10P has a big image for headphones IMO. Instruments sound big as do vocals. Straight out of the Ak240, while it doesn't particularly sound under driven it does sound at a smaller scale and compressed in a way in comparison to the above amps. Now that I think about it, this is probably just a result of these cans conveying what's being fed through them.
I'm not sure how to describe their signature but I'd say they have a balanced midrange, bass extends well down low, mid bass is bumped up a bit and treble is rolled off a bit early.
When it comes to the low end I feel these cans are well extended into the sub bass fairly linear and then get a bump up in the mid bass. Great tonal quality, tight, taught, punchy, kick drums hit hard. I can easily get side tracked just following a bass guitar in any given track. Pretty awesome in my book.
As far as the midrange goes I feel it's neutral for the most part. Full bodied lower mid range also comes to mind. Higher mids are pulled back a bit since I feel some guitars in certain tracks are not as forward as they should be, and therefore not as lively or exciting at times. Both male and female vocals are quite good but maybe a bit on the dry side to be the most engaging they could be. Lots of subtle details in the midrange, very clear. Very good focus.
Treble is well controlled and defined. Never splashy or tizzy. Cymbals are very resolved but I do feel there is some air missing up top once again making these cans sound not as exciting as I usually prefer.
Resolution on these cans is indeed flagship level. Subtle nuances are well resolved. There is layers in the music. Much space between instruments. A good amount of low level detail is present. Great imaging.
Although I do enjoy a good mix of different music it seems I spent most of my time with these cans listening to hard rock and heavy metal. I found these cans quite enjoyable and engaging with this type of music. When listening to slower genres I did think these cans sound a bit dull at times to be honest.
The HE-R10p are surprisingly forgiving for the most part of badly recorded music but obviously wont polish a total turd like the Misfits early recordings. Lol
In conclusion while I did enjoy these cans and do indeed think they are worthy of flagship headphones, I just don’t think they command that price, I don't think they're worth %50 of the asking price. Not only because of the lackluster build or because of the ripping off of somebody else's work but because the sound just isn't quite there either.
I know when it comes to price we all have our own perspectives, to give you mine, I had the Focal Utopia on loan a couple of years ago which I did like but in the end it wasn't for me but I do think the Utopia is worth it's going rate at around $2k USD for a lightly used one. I don't think I would pay $2k for an HE-R10p new or used.
Thank you for reading this and thank you to Hifiman for the opportunity to listen to these cans, I do appreciate it.
Adnen Ayed
Thanks for sharing. Most of the reviews I said so far join you in finding these headphones way too expensive.
iFi Nano iDSD Black Label
Greetings all, these are my impressions on the iFi nano iDSD Black Label. The unit comes courtesey of iFi as they are hosting a review tour of the nano idsd BL here on Head-fi. I have spent 7 days with the unit and I am shipping it out to the next person in line so they can review it. Before I begin I want to thank Lawrance and iFi for hosting these tours of their products and giving us a chance to try out their products in exchange for an honest review, can't beat that right!?
Package, accessories, built quality
The Nano comes in a small white box. Inside opening the package you will find some paperwork, the Nano itself and a small white box. Inside that box there is a USB cable for connecting the nano to your PC/Mac and it also doubles as charging cord. Also included are 2 other USB adapters, 2 silicone bands for stacking the Nano to your smartphone/ipod and a felt carrying bag to protect your Nano.
The Nano iDSD Black Label is as it's name indicates all black in color, made out of brushed metal and has an excellent finish. The unit itself is very small and light weight so it is ideal for taking along with you to use with your smartphone, tablet or laptop as long as your device is cable of being a USB host.
Features
The nano's front panel has two 3.5mm outputs, one of which is labeled iEMatch and the other is labeled direct. iEMatch is ideal for sensitive in ear monitors and headphones, I found it works very well giving you full use of range on the volume knob. Direct output is the regular higher gain output. And lastly the front also consists of the volume knob which is lovely to have for a device such as this as opposed to buttons or even worse only software volume controls as found on such DACs as the Audioquest Dragonfly and other similar types of Dac/amps in this price range.
The back of the unit has a dedicated line out for sending your signal from the Nano DAC to a different amp or powered monitors. A switch containing two listening filters and a digital input for connecting to your transport device or for charging the unit itself.
Sound
The nano BL to me sounds on the warm side of neutral. Very nicely done in my opinion, not overly done just right. At times the treble seems a bit laid back, not as upfront and the bass is slightly warm but makes it very engaging in my opinion.
As a matter of fact my whole time with the nano has been very enjoyable no complaints whatsover and the only short comings (nit picking really) are only audible when in direct comparison to something "better" that is in a higher price brackett. Even then it really depends on how resolving your headphone is and how critical you are listening to really tell a difference.
In direct comparisons with the Chord Mojo, the nano held it's own but ultimately fell short in overall resolution and sounded a tiny bit more dry. The Mojo also has a lower noise floor which helps notes come across more clearly. For this comparison I used a classic Grado Rs1 which is easy to drive and has a very intimate soundstage so Ymmv. Speaking of soundstage the Mojo is abit more holographic as the sounds had a bit more depth and were more sourrounding as opposed the nano which sounds a bit more 2 dimmensional in comparison. These are very subtle differences and not exactly night and day. I'd say for one third the price of the Mojo the Nano BL has nothing to be ashamed about, no Sir!
Direct comparisons were done by volume matching both units with and SPL Meter app on my phone and playing a pink noise file to the Rs1.
In conclusion, I'd say the iFi Nano iDsd is a definitive winner not only for it's price to performance but for it's overall engaging sound that is a joy to listen to!
Other notes:
No noticeable interferance when using with my Android phone. UAPP would occassionally crash and track would start looping.
I was unable to fully test battery life and charging cycle in my short audition period.
I wasn't really able to tell if the Nano was fully decoding MQA files since the led did not change colors while listening to Tidal Master tracks.
Unfortunately I was unable to try out the balanced output due to not having a proper adapter for my cans.
Greetings all, these are my impressions on the iFi nano iDSD Black Label. The unit comes courtesey of iFi as they are hosting a review tour of the nano idsd BL here on Head-fi. I have spent 7 days with the unit and I am shipping it out to the next person in line so they can review it. Before I begin I want to thank Lawrance and iFi for hosting these tours of their products and giving us a chance to try out their products in exchange for an honest review, can't beat that right!?
Package, accessories, built quality
The Nano comes in a small white box. Inside opening the package you will find some paperwork, the Nano itself and a small white box. Inside that box there is a USB cable for connecting the nano to your PC/Mac and it also doubles as charging cord. Also included are 2 other USB adapters, 2 silicone bands for stacking the Nano to your smartphone/ipod and a felt carrying bag to protect your Nano.
The Nano iDSD Black Label is as it's name indicates all black in color, made out of brushed metal and has an excellent finish. The unit itself is very small and light weight so it is ideal for taking along with you to use with your smartphone, tablet or laptop as long as your device is cable of being a USB host.
Features
The nano's front panel has two 3.5mm outputs, one of which is labeled iEMatch and the other is labeled direct. iEMatch is ideal for sensitive in ear monitors and headphones, I found it works very well giving you full use of range on the volume knob. Direct output is the regular higher gain output. And lastly the front also consists of the volume knob which is lovely to have for a device such as this as opposed to buttons or even worse only software volume controls as found on such DACs as the Audioquest Dragonfly and other similar types of Dac/amps in this price range.
The back of the unit has a dedicated line out for sending your signal from the Nano DAC to a different amp or powered monitors. A switch containing two listening filters and a digital input for connecting to your transport device or for charging the unit itself.
Sound
The nano BL to me sounds on the warm side of neutral. Very nicely done in my opinion, not overly done just right. At times the treble seems a bit laid back, not as upfront and the bass is slightly warm but makes it very engaging in my opinion.
As a matter of fact my whole time with the nano has been very enjoyable no complaints whatsover and the only short comings (nit picking really) are only audible when in direct comparison to something "better" that is in a higher price brackett. Even then it really depends on how resolving your headphone is and how critical you are listening to really tell a difference.
In direct comparisons with the Chord Mojo, the nano held it's own but ultimately fell short in overall resolution and sounded a tiny bit more dry. The Mojo also has a lower noise floor which helps notes come across more clearly. For this comparison I used a classic Grado Rs1 which is easy to drive and has a very intimate soundstage so Ymmv. Speaking of soundstage the Mojo is abit more holographic as the sounds had a bit more depth and were more sourrounding as opposed the nano which sounds a bit more 2 dimmensional in comparison. These are very subtle differences and not exactly night and day. I'd say for one third the price of the Mojo the Nano BL has nothing to be ashamed about, no Sir!
Direct comparisons were done by volume matching both units with and SPL Meter app on my phone and playing a pink noise file to the Rs1.
In conclusion, I'd say the iFi Nano iDsd is a definitive winner not only for it's price to performance but for it's overall engaging sound that is a joy to listen to!
Other notes:
No noticeable interferance when using with my Android phone. UAPP would occassionally crash and track would start looping.
I was unable to fully test battery life and charging cycle in my short audition period.
I wasn't really able to tell if the Nano was fully decoding MQA files since the led did not change colors while listening to Tidal Master tracks.
Unfortunately I was unable to try out the balanced output due to not having a proper adapter for my cans.
iFi iDSD Black Label
Hey guys, this is my quick review of the ifi idsd Black Label. The unit itself is courtesy of ifi, and is a loner unit which I am borrowing for seven days as part of a world wide review tour. Besides getting to audition the unit at our home for seven days with our own gear, there are no other incentives or hidden agendas on my part. This is my honest opinion and my opinion only.
Thank you to Laurence @ ifi for giving me the opportunity of auditioning this unit.
Unboxing:
Upon opening the box I was greeted with the unit itself. Taking the unit out of the box, it feels like a well made piece of gear. There are two switches on the front, one is for the XBass+ and one for the 3D+ features. The switches feel sturdy and have a nice firm click to them when flicking them up or down. Up engages the given feature, down is the normal off position.
The volume knob has a good size for the device, and sticks out enough out of the way of the 3D+ switch which is positioned right next to the volume knob. One thing to note here is that the volume indicator on the knob itself is just a small slit and is black on an already black knob so I really couldn't tell most of the time were the volume was at. I would have prefered for the tiny slit to be painted in orange like the rest of the printing on the device for a better visual aid.
Also on the front of the device we find a 6.3MM jack and a 3.5MM jack. The 6.3MM jack is the headphone output, and the 3.5MM jack is actually an input! I was surprised at first since I was expecting both would be headphone outputs to accommodate for both 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphones without a need for an adapter, non the less I don't find it to be lacking either way. The addition of this input makes this versatile device even more diverse as it can be used strictly as a headphone amplifier too!
Moving on to the back of the device we find a pair of RCA outs and a very clever combo SPDIF Coaxial/Optical Input and Output. Also on the back of the device we find the USB input. Again, I find it quite clever for iFi to have the USB input implemented this way. It is essentially a male USB jack that has been recessed in the chassis of the unit. I found it extremely sturdy and very spacious. It easily accommodated for a CCK from my ipod touch and it also fitted my Android USB otg cable without of course, the need for any extra adapters in both instances.
Flipping the idsd BL on its side we find three small recessed switches that are very well implemented as far as being easily accessible. Easy to switch yet also out of the way enough that I don't think they'll be accidentally engaged when carrying the unit in your hand. Turning the unit on it's belly we find some more orange printing indicating, for example, what these three switches on the side of the unit are for.
One switch is for the Power Mode, one for the Polarity, and one for the Digital Filters.
There are three positions on the Power Mode switch. Eco, Normal and Turbo.
Eco = for high-sensitivity IEMs
Normal = for medium-sensitivity headphones
Turbo = for the most-demanding headphones
The Polarity switch has either "+" or "-"
From iFi: "Adjustable signal polarity of music playback. For a digital signal source only (ie. not for an analogue signal via the 3.5mm input.)"
In all honesty I have not read up much on this and I tried it a couple of times and found there was no noticeable change to the sound.
The Digital Filters switch also has three positions and are as follows: Bit-Perfect, Minimum Phase, and Standard. I believe iFi recommends "Bit Perfect" for PCM, so thats what I used my short time with the iDSD BL since I did not use any DSD or DXD files.
Also on the bottom of the unit we find two more switches. One switch is towards the front of the unit and it's iFi's very own iEMatch(TM). This switch is for further use in tweaking your headphone output for ultra sensitive iems especially. There are three positions on the switch; Off, High sensitivity and Ultra Sensitivity.
Towards the back of the unit we find a two position switch indicating Preamplifier and Direct mode. Direct mode is used as a fixed RCA output that bypasses pretty much everything else on the unit and goes straight to your power amp, headphone amp, etc.
Preamplifier: (direct quote from ifi)
the iDSD functions as a DAC/preamplifier. The volume control is now enabled for the RCA line output and when used in conjunction with the Power Mode offers gain of:
Eco = 0 dB
Normal/Turbo = 9dB
Last but not least on this incredibly versatile unit we find a female USB socket on the remaining side of the unit. This USB port is labeled SmartPower Charging on the belly of the unit. It is used to charge small devices like your smartphone, ipod or other digital transport you might be using with your iDSD BL.
Ah, I almost forgot to mention. There is one thing on the top side of the unit and that is a very small pinhole of an indicator light. This LED light turns different colors to indicate different things:
LED Color Mode
Magenta DSD512 22.5/24.5MHz
Blue DSD256 11.2/12.2MHz
Cyan DSD128/DSD64 2.8/3.1/5.6/6.2MHz
White DXD705/768kHz
Yellow 176/192kHz DXD352/384kHz
Green 44/48/88/96kHz
Green(Flashing) Awaiting USB Connection
Red Battery Low
No light Battery Empty
Accessories inside the box:
1x Blue male USB to female USB cable (1 meter) to connect iDSD to a PC.
1x Male 3.5mm to male 3.5mm (15 cm) interconnect cable to use iDSD as an amplifier.
1x Purple male RCA to RCA cable. (50 cm)
1x Female USB Type B to Female USB Type A converter “cable” to connect iDSD to a PC with a audiophile grade USB Type B cable.
1x Female USB Type B to Female USB Type A converter “dongle” to connect iDSD to a PC with a audiophile grade USB Type B cable.
1x iFi branded, velvety carrying pouch.
2x Silicone bands to attach iDSD to a phone.
1x Silicone piece that protects your phone when you attach your phone to iDSD.
1x Female 3.5mm to male 6.3mm connector.
3x silicon covers/protectors for RCA and coax jacks.
Turning on the unit.
The volume knob is also used to power on the unit. I used the provided blue USB cable and plugged in to my laptop. Plugged in my headphones, turned on my Tidal desktop app, aaaannnd nothing! No music came out. I opened up my Windows playback devices and did not see the idsd BL on the listed devices so I figured I needed some drivers. A quick google search lead me to the idsd BL product page and on the bottom of the page found the Downloads tab which led me to the Windows drivers. After a quick download and setup I was ready to go...
Listening impressions.
I did most of my listening the first few days with my Grado PS1000. The Grados are not considered particularly hard to drive but I have found them to be a bit picky of headphone amps and even DACS. I've owned the PS1000 for over two years now and it has been overall my favorite headphone up to date. I would say it is a very colored headphone compared to all other TOTL headphones I've tried, but it is also very exciting for me. Listening through these cans is always a pleasure for me as the music is always very lively and transparent. The midbass has a very noticeable boost and the highs are very airy. Voices and guitars are excellent imo.
Listening to a few tracks the idsd BL sounds balanced to me and very similar to what I'm used to hearing straight out of the Mojo. The Ps1000 sounds properly driven, the details that I'm used to hearing are all there, there is no added sibilance which is great because I've came across a couple of DACs and amps that didn't play well with the Ps1000. It does not sounds too analitical, has nice warmth and the mids sound proper, not thin. I do feel like it might not be as involving as the Mojo.
I decided to compare it against the Mojo since I feel like these two are direct competitors and are around the same price range. For my home setup I use the Mojo feeding my headphone amp so I was curious to see how the iDSD BL would compare.
Micro iDSD BL as a Dac vs Chord Mojo.
I connected both the Mojo and the BL to my laptop. Both are then hooked up to the Schiit SYS and then the Schiit SYS to my MAD Ead+ HD headphone amp. I listen with my Grado PS1000. All tracks were from the Tidal desktop app. All are lossless FLAC files and also lots of new "MASTER" files which are at 24/96kHz and a few files at 24/88kHz. In the Tidal settings I check "Force volume" and "Use Exclusive Mode" for both the Mojo and the BL.
Switching between the two DACS is as easy as opening the settings in Tidal, picking either dac and the pressing down the button on the SYS. It is important to note that in this direct mode, the Mojo sounds a tad louder so I did compensate the volume on the amp when switching to the idsd BL. Volume matching was done by ear and I did as best as I could.
Setting on the Mojo itself: I held down both volume buttons when powering on to set the volume to a standard output level for typical line-out use.
Setting on the BL: I tried both from battery power mode and USB powered. Output switch set on "Direct".
What I hear with this setup going back and forth was that the BL sounds a bit more laid back than the Mojo. I felt that overall it fell a bit short in comparison. The Mojo simply feels like it has more PRESENCE. The ifi BL tends to have a softer sound. The bass hits a tad softer, vocals are a tiny bit further (also softer), the Mojo sounds like it has a blacker background, the music sounds like it has better attack and it sounds clearer than the BL. There was more enjoyment out of the Mojo since I caught myself more than few times bobbing my head, singing along and tapping my feet to the music when listening was switched to the Mojo.
Now for the sake of being a bit more thorough I'd thought I try this same setup but this time I switched the idsd BL Output switch to pre-amplifier instead of direct mode. I then proceded to get the volume on my amp as closely matched as possible between the Chord Mojo's "standard output level" and the volume wheel on the idsd BL to match it. Power mode on the idsd BL was on "normal" btw.
What I now heard was a lot more closer than before, in fact I'm having a hell of a time trying to nitpick and find any differences between these two. I hesitate to say the Mojo is a tiny bit more nuanced than the BL, but I can't reliably tell a difference so I'll just leave it at that.
As a dac/amp vs Chord Mojo:
Same setup as above but without the Schiit SYS and my MAD Ear+ in the audio chain. Volume matching was by ear and once again I did as best I could with these two. Using the Grado PS1000 here's what I found:
I spent quite a bit of time comparing side by side really trying to pick at something to reliably point out but in all honesty I would not be able to tell these two apart in a blind test with my headphones. Any differences that might exist are so small that I don't feel comfortable even pointing out. Again this is my experience with a given set of headphones. One thing to note though, on extended listening sessions between the two, I noticed that I found the Mojo more engaging and musical. The iDSD BL while apparently not lacking any behind the Mojo still fell a bit short for me as far as listening pleasure goes.
Listening with XBass+ and 3D+:
I must say that I did enjoy both the 3D+ and XBass+ features. With the Ps1000 the 3D+ switch makes the treble more airy and expansive. Highs are boosted very tastefully with these headphones and I did find it useful in many tracks but not always. Both these features are well implemented and are good to have imo. I also had great success with the XBass+ and 3D+ on a pair of Ortofon eq-5 iems that I borrowed from a friend of mine. Again the 3D+ makes the treble sound airy and the sound stage more expansive and the bass boost did just that boosting the low end on this iem to a much more favorable level.
Electrical interference:
One thing that I almost forgot to mention was that I found the iDSD BL did really well on my desk right next to my cell phone and also my office phone. The reason I noticed this is because I always have to set my cellphone aside to a different location away from my gear and I also end up unplugging the office phone from the wall wart because of electrical interference.
Due to the short review period with the unit time did not permit me to further test the unit more in depth. I did try the unit as a DAC/pre-amp with my power amp and speakers and I can say that the couple of tracks I heard sounded very well in this setup. I also wanted to compare the amp section od the idsd BL versus my RSA Intruder but only manage to squeeze in a few tracks. I thought the idsd definitely held it's own but the intruder still has a more mature sound and is a step ahead of the amp in the idsd bl.
In conclusion:
Well that about does it for my impressions of the Micro iDSD Black Label. In my opinion ifi have themselves a winner in this device and I would have no reservations recommending this to anyone who is in the market for a DAC/AMP combo in this price range and a bit beyond really, whether it be desktop, transportable or portable this thing is very good and certainly up there with the Chord Mojo on a short list of what to buy under $1000. Great bang for the buck!
Sources:
Dell i7 Laptop
Ipod touch 6th Generation
Samsung galaxy Note 4
Samsung TV - optical out
Amps:
Mad Ear+ HD
RSA Intruder
YamahaCA-1010 *edit CA-2010
Headphones:
Grado PS1000
Grado GH-1
Magnum V7 build
Ortofon Eq-5 iem
Speakers:
Magnepan .7
All Music was lossless tracks from Tidal.
Hey guys, this is my quick review of the ifi idsd Black Label. The unit itself is courtesy of ifi, and is a loner unit which I am borrowing for seven days as part of a world wide review tour. Besides getting to audition the unit at our home for seven days with our own gear, there are no other incentives or hidden agendas on my part. This is my honest opinion and my opinion only.
Thank you to Laurence @ ifi for giving me the opportunity of auditioning this unit.
Unboxing:
Upon opening the box I was greeted with the unit itself. Taking the unit out of the box, it feels like a well made piece of gear. There are two switches on the front, one is for the XBass+ and one for the 3D+ features. The switches feel sturdy and have a nice firm click to them when flicking them up or down. Up engages the given feature, down is the normal off position.
The volume knob has a good size for the device, and sticks out enough out of the way of the 3D+ switch which is positioned right next to the volume knob. One thing to note here is that the volume indicator on the knob itself is just a small slit and is black on an already black knob so I really couldn't tell most of the time were the volume was at. I would have prefered for the tiny slit to be painted in orange like the rest of the printing on the device for a better visual aid.
Also on the front of the device we find a 6.3MM jack and a 3.5MM jack. The 6.3MM jack is the headphone output, and the 3.5MM jack is actually an input! I was surprised at first since I was expecting both would be headphone outputs to accommodate for both 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphones without a need for an adapter, non the less I don't find it to be lacking either way. The addition of this input makes this versatile device even more diverse as it can be used strictly as a headphone amplifier too!
Moving on to the back of the device we find a pair of RCA outs and a very clever combo SPDIF Coaxial/Optical Input and Output. Also on the back of the device we find the USB input. Again, I find it quite clever for iFi to have the USB input implemented this way. It is essentially a male USB jack that has been recessed in the chassis of the unit. I found it extremely sturdy and very spacious. It easily accommodated for a CCK from my ipod touch and it also fitted my Android USB otg cable without of course, the need for any extra adapters in both instances.
Flipping the idsd BL on its side we find three small recessed switches that are very well implemented as far as being easily accessible. Easy to switch yet also out of the way enough that I don't think they'll be accidentally engaged when carrying the unit in your hand. Turning the unit on it's belly we find some more orange printing indicating, for example, what these three switches on the side of the unit are for.
One switch is for the Power Mode, one for the Polarity, and one for the Digital Filters.
There are three positions on the Power Mode switch. Eco, Normal and Turbo.
Eco = for high-sensitivity IEMs
Normal = for medium-sensitivity headphones
Turbo = for the most-demanding headphones
The Polarity switch has either "+" or "-"
From iFi: "Adjustable signal polarity of music playback. For a digital signal source only (ie. not for an analogue signal via the 3.5mm input.)"
In all honesty I have not read up much on this and I tried it a couple of times and found there was no noticeable change to the sound.
The Digital Filters switch also has three positions and are as follows: Bit-Perfect, Minimum Phase, and Standard. I believe iFi recommends "Bit Perfect" for PCM, so thats what I used my short time with the iDSD BL since I did not use any DSD or DXD files.
Also on the bottom of the unit we find two more switches. One switch is towards the front of the unit and it's iFi's very own iEMatch(TM). This switch is for further use in tweaking your headphone output for ultra sensitive iems especially. There are three positions on the switch; Off, High sensitivity and Ultra Sensitivity.
Towards the back of the unit we find a two position switch indicating Preamplifier and Direct mode. Direct mode is used as a fixed RCA output that bypasses pretty much everything else on the unit and goes straight to your power amp, headphone amp, etc.
Preamplifier: (direct quote from ifi)
the iDSD functions as a DAC/preamplifier. The volume control is now enabled for the RCA line output and when used in conjunction with the Power Mode offers gain of:
Eco = 0 dB
Normal/Turbo = 9dB
Last but not least on this incredibly versatile unit we find a female USB socket on the remaining side of the unit. This USB port is labeled SmartPower Charging on the belly of the unit. It is used to charge small devices like your smartphone, ipod or other digital transport you might be using with your iDSD BL.
Ah, I almost forgot to mention. There is one thing on the top side of the unit and that is a very small pinhole of an indicator light. This LED light turns different colors to indicate different things:
LED Color Mode
Magenta DSD512 22.5/24.5MHz
Blue DSD256 11.2/12.2MHz
Cyan DSD128/DSD64 2.8/3.1/5.6/6.2MHz
White DXD705/768kHz
Yellow 176/192kHz DXD352/384kHz
Green 44/48/88/96kHz
Green(Flashing) Awaiting USB Connection
Red Battery Low
No light Battery Empty
Accessories inside the box:
1x Blue male USB to female USB cable (1 meter) to connect iDSD to a PC.
1x Male 3.5mm to male 3.5mm (15 cm) interconnect cable to use iDSD as an amplifier.
1x Purple male RCA to RCA cable. (50 cm)
1x Female USB Type B to Female USB Type A converter “cable” to connect iDSD to a PC with a audiophile grade USB Type B cable.
1x Female USB Type B to Female USB Type A converter “dongle” to connect iDSD to a PC with a audiophile grade USB Type B cable.
1x iFi branded, velvety carrying pouch.
2x Silicone bands to attach iDSD to a phone.
1x Silicone piece that protects your phone when you attach your phone to iDSD.
1x Female 3.5mm to male 6.3mm connector.
3x silicon covers/protectors for RCA and coax jacks.
Turning on the unit.
The volume knob is also used to power on the unit. I used the provided blue USB cable and plugged in to my laptop. Plugged in my headphones, turned on my Tidal desktop app, aaaannnd nothing! No music came out. I opened up my Windows playback devices and did not see the idsd BL on the listed devices so I figured I needed some drivers. A quick google search lead me to the idsd BL product page and on the bottom of the page found the Downloads tab which led me to the Windows drivers. After a quick download and setup I was ready to go...
Listening impressions.
I did most of my listening the first few days with my Grado PS1000. The Grados are not considered particularly hard to drive but I have found them to be a bit picky of headphone amps and even DACS. I've owned the PS1000 for over two years now and it has been overall my favorite headphone up to date. I would say it is a very colored headphone compared to all other TOTL headphones I've tried, but it is also very exciting for me. Listening through these cans is always a pleasure for me as the music is always very lively and transparent. The midbass has a very noticeable boost and the highs are very airy. Voices and guitars are excellent imo.
Listening to a few tracks the idsd BL sounds balanced to me and very similar to what I'm used to hearing straight out of the Mojo. The Ps1000 sounds properly driven, the details that I'm used to hearing are all there, there is no added sibilance which is great because I've came across a couple of DACs and amps that didn't play well with the Ps1000. It does not sounds too analitical, has nice warmth and the mids sound proper, not thin. I do feel like it might not be as involving as the Mojo.
I decided to compare it against the Mojo since I feel like these two are direct competitors and are around the same price range. For my home setup I use the Mojo feeding my headphone amp so I was curious to see how the iDSD BL would compare.
Micro iDSD BL as a Dac vs Chord Mojo.
I connected both the Mojo and the BL to my laptop. Both are then hooked up to the Schiit SYS and then the Schiit SYS to my MAD Ead+ HD headphone amp. I listen with my Grado PS1000. All tracks were from the Tidal desktop app. All are lossless FLAC files and also lots of new "MASTER" files which are at 24/96kHz and a few files at 24/88kHz. In the Tidal settings I check "Force volume" and "Use Exclusive Mode" for both the Mojo and the BL.
Switching between the two DACS is as easy as opening the settings in Tidal, picking either dac and the pressing down the button on the SYS. It is important to note that in this direct mode, the Mojo sounds a tad louder so I did compensate the volume on the amp when switching to the idsd BL. Volume matching was done by ear and I did as best as I could.
Setting on the Mojo itself: I held down both volume buttons when powering on to set the volume to a standard output level for typical line-out use.
Setting on the BL: I tried both from battery power mode and USB powered. Output switch set on "Direct".
What I hear with this setup going back and forth was that the BL sounds a bit more laid back than the Mojo. I felt that overall it fell a bit short in comparison. The Mojo simply feels like it has more PRESENCE. The ifi BL tends to have a softer sound. The bass hits a tad softer, vocals are a tiny bit further (also softer), the Mojo sounds like it has a blacker background, the music sounds like it has better attack and it sounds clearer than the BL. There was more enjoyment out of the Mojo since I caught myself more than few times bobbing my head, singing along and tapping my feet to the music when listening was switched to the Mojo.
Now for the sake of being a bit more thorough I'd thought I try this same setup but this time I switched the idsd BL Output switch to pre-amplifier instead of direct mode. I then proceded to get the volume on my amp as closely matched as possible between the Chord Mojo's "standard output level" and the volume wheel on the idsd BL to match it. Power mode on the idsd BL was on "normal" btw.
What I now heard was a lot more closer than before, in fact I'm having a hell of a time trying to nitpick and find any differences between these two. I hesitate to say the Mojo is a tiny bit more nuanced than the BL, but I can't reliably tell a difference so I'll just leave it at that.
As a dac/amp vs Chord Mojo:
Same setup as above but without the Schiit SYS and my MAD Ear+ in the audio chain. Volume matching was by ear and once again I did as best I could with these two. Using the Grado PS1000 here's what I found:
I spent quite a bit of time comparing side by side really trying to pick at something to reliably point out but in all honesty I would not be able to tell these two apart in a blind test with my headphones. Any differences that might exist are so small that I don't feel comfortable even pointing out. Again this is my experience with a given set of headphones. One thing to note though, on extended listening sessions between the two, I noticed that I found the Mojo more engaging and musical. The iDSD BL while apparently not lacking any behind the Mojo still fell a bit short for me as far as listening pleasure goes.
Listening with XBass+ and 3D+:
I must say that I did enjoy both the 3D+ and XBass+ features. With the Ps1000 the 3D+ switch makes the treble more airy and expansive. Highs are boosted very tastefully with these headphones and I did find it useful in many tracks but not always. Both these features are well implemented and are good to have imo. I also had great success with the XBass+ and 3D+ on a pair of Ortofon eq-5 iems that I borrowed from a friend of mine. Again the 3D+ makes the treble sound airy and the sound stage more expansive and the bass boost did just that boosting the low end on this iem to a much more favorable level.
Electrical interference:
One thing that I almost forgot to mention was that I found the iDSD BL did really well on my desk right next to my cell phone and also my office phone. The reason I noticed this is because I always have to set my cellphone aside to a different location away from my gear and I also end up unplugging the office phone from the wall wart because of electrical interference.
Due to the short review period with the unit time did not permit me to further test the unit more in depth. I did try the unit as a DAC/pre-amp with my power amp and speakers and I can say that the couple of tracks I heard sounded very well in this setup. I also wanted to compare the amp section od the idsd BL versus my RSA Intruder but only manage to squeeze in a few tracks. I thought the idsd definitely held it's own but the intruder still has a more mature sound and is a step ahead of the amp in the idsd bl.
In conclusion:
Well that about does it for my impressions of the Micro iDSD Black Label. In my opinion ifi have themselves a winner in this device and I would have no reservations recommending this to anyone who is in the market for a DAC/AMP combo in this price range and a bit beyond really, whether it be desktop, transportable or portable this thing is very good and certainly up there with the Chord Mojo on a short list of what to buy under $1000. Great bang for the buck!
Sources:
Dell i7 Laptop
Ipod touch 6th Generation
Samsung galaxy Note 4
Samsung TV - optical out
Amps:
Mad Ear+ HD
RSA Intruder
Yamaha
Headphones:
Grado PS1000
Grado GH-1
Magnum V7 build
Ortofon Eq-5 iem
Speakers:
Magnepan .7
All Music was lossless tracks from Tidal.
Onny Izwan
Very unfortunate that the Mojo comparison was conclusive. The BL still needs a lotta work
Ok guys, here's my take on the SennGrados...
First of all, I would like to mention that these are not my personal cans, they are on loan to me as part of a tour that's spreading the word on these cans, the SennGrados.
Many thanks to Head-fi members JoeDoe and 7keys for organizing this tour, and putting this excellent headphone together, and out for loan.
I first found out about this tour from a post that 7keys posted on the "post your Grado mods thread". I've been following this thread for a while know, since I build a pair of Magnum cans last year.
The SennGrado cans are essentially the drivers from a Sennheiser PX100 II incased in a Grado style headphone (wooden shell, headband, pads). I believe credit for this particular mod goes to head-fi member wje, which he first brought to light on the "non-Grado driver thread". Thanks wje!
Sound
Strengths: Detail. This headphone is surprisingly detailed. Treble and mids exhibit very nice detail. Very easy to focus on different instruments and voices.
I wouldn't know exactly how to classify it as far as signature goes, except to say that it has some boosted midbass and forward mids as voices and guitar are always quite present.
Bass: The Bass is punchy and has good texture. Good body. Never muddy, very good tone.
Mids/Treble: Both midrange and treble seem a bit forward to me, pushing lots of detail through. High-mids seem boosted. I must say though, I had very little problems with sibilance or of it ever sounding harsh.
Weakness: Depth. I'd say soundstage is normal/average but lacks a bit of depth. I believe this is due to the forwardness I just indicated above.
Other thoughts...
The Senngrados do a great job of staying true to the source, changes were very apparent between gear that was being used at the time, which I like very much. Also, they truly shine with good recordings(Chesky!), but still forgiving enough to enjoy crappy recordings (yeah, I'm looking at you mid-late 80's Megadeth!)
Comfort:
These cans are based on Grado cans so your mileage may vary.
Amping:
These headphones are not particularly hard to drive, but sources like my Galaxy S4 did lack volume on them.
Synergy:
These headphones are superbly adaptable to the source you are using, like I mentioned earlier, so to me, they had very good synergy with my gear.
Gear Used:
Hisound Studio 3rd Anniversary, Headroom Desktop Amp/Dac, and Samsung galaxy S4. All my files are FLAC ripped from CD's, Spotify and Youtube were also thrown in the mix.
Update: I did manage to squeeze in a good 20 minutes with my desktop setup (USB to COAX converter > Bifrost Uber > MAD ear+ HD) before having to ship these headphones out to the next person on the tour, and MAN this little can ROCKS!
Great up-scaling!
Overall, I'd STRONGLY recommend this headphone. Outstanding price to performance ratio, not to mention the thrill of putting together your own headphone can be quite an awesome experience!
Thanks for reading, and Happy Listening!
First of all, I would like to mention that these are not my personal cans, they are on loan to me as part of a tour that's spreading the word on these cans, the SennGrados.
Many thanks to Head-fi members JoeDoe and 7keys for organizing this tour, and putting this excellent headphone together, and out for loan.
I first found out about this tour from a post that 7keys posted on the "post your Grado mods thread". I've been following this thread for a while know, since I build a pair of Magnum cans last year.
The SennGrado cans are essentially the drivers from a Sennheiser PX100 II incased in a Grado style headphone (wooden shell, headband, pads). I believe credit for this particular mod goes to head-fi member wje, which he first brought to light on the "non-Grado driver thread". Thanks wje!
Sound
Strengths: Detail. This headphone is surprisingly detailed. Treble and mids exhibit very nice detail. Very easy to focus on different instruments and voices.
I wouldn't know exactly how to classify it as far as signature goes, except to say that it has some boosted midbass and forward mids as voices and guitar are always quite present.
Bass: The Bass is punchy and has good texture. Good body. Never muddy, very good tone.
Mids/Treble: Both midrange and treble seem a bit forward to me, pushing lots of detail through. High-mids seem boosted. I must say though, I had very little problems with sibilance or of it ever sounding harsh.
Weakness: Depth. I'd say soundstage is normal/average but lacks a bit of depth. I believe this is due to the forwardness I just indicated above.
Other thoughts...
The Senngrados do a great job of staying true to the source, changes were very apparent between gear that was being used at the time, which I like very much. Also, they truly shine with good recordings(Chesky!), but still forgiving enough to enjoy crappy recordings (yeah, I'm looking at you mid-late 80's Megadeth!)
Comfort:
These cans are based on Grado cans so your mileage may vary.
Amping:
These headphones are not particularly hard to drive, but sources like my Galaxy S4 did lack volume on them.
Synergy:
These headphones are superbly adaptable to the source you are using, like I mentioned earlier, so to me, they had very good synergy with my gear.
Gear Used:
Hisound Studio 3rd Anniversary, Headroom Desktop Amp/Dac, and Samsung galaxy S4. All my files are FLAC ripped from CD's, Spotify and Youtube were also thrown in the mix.
Update: I did manage to squeeze in a good 20 minutes with my desktop setup (USB to COAX converter > Bifrost Uber > MAD ear+ HD) before having to ship these headphones out to the next person on the tour, and MAN this little can ROCKS!
Great up-scaling!
Overall, I'd STRONGLY recommend this headphone. Outstanding price to performance ratio, not to mention the thrill of putting together your own headphone can be quite an awesome experience!
Thanks for reading, and Happy Listening!
Soundsgoodtome
Good review!
wormsdriver
Thanks!
Introduction:
Fiio has become a well known brand in the last few years by people in this hobby due to their very affordable and well built products. Pretty much everything you need for your portable set up they've made available for a great price and solid performance on top of that!
From interconnects, line-out docks for idevices, iem cables, amplifiers and DAC/Amp combos, and most recently their very own Fiio X3 DAP. The follow up to the Fiio X3 is this little device I have here which I am about to review...
Before I go any further, I would like to give a big thank you to Fiio and special thanks to Head-fi member Joe Bloggs for letting me get a sneak peak of their newest addition to their product catalog, Ladies and Gents... the Fiio X5!
For the record, I have no affiliation with Fiio and this review unit is and will remain the property of Fiio as it is only on loan to me for ten days for this review.
Packaging:
As I mentioned before, this is a preview sample of the X5 that is on loan to me from Fiio, which has not been released yet in North America, so packaging, accessories and/or even the X5 itself might slightly differ from the final release version that will be due out very soon...
The X5 comes in an attractive retail box which is overall black in color with some red overtones.
After opening the retail box you are greeted by a textured black cardboard box that contains the X5 and other goodies, which include:
1. Fiio X5 unit
2. Black silicone case
3. USB Cable
4. Micro USB card reader
5. 3.5mm to RCA digital coax adapter
6. Two extra LCD screen protectors
7. Three 3.5mm dust covers for your 3.5mm ports
8. User manual, and other paperwork
*MISSING - The OTG cable was not included in my review sample, but will be provided in the retail version*
Build Quality:
I must say I am impressed with this unit. It is very well built, nothing about it seems cheap and it has a very nice solid heft to it. The whole body seems to be made of machined aluminum. The power button, volume keys, the "select" button that is in the middle of the scroll wheel and the four buttons on the front of the unit are also made of metal. There are three 3.5mm jacks on the top side of the unit that are of excellent quality reminiscent of my Meier Audio Corda Quickstep amp.
The scroll wheel reminds me of a sansa player I had some time ago, it has a rubber texture on it and quite frankly I don't see it being an issue, or at least not an issue for a good few years of heavy use, imo.
Operating the Unit:
Being the manly man that I am, I did not read the user manual and dug right into the X5.
I found the X5 to be just as intuitive as I have found any other unit that I've own in the present/past. Your basic operations are easy to figure out in no time, while other features will come out as you spend a bit more time with the player.
As you all know, at this point in time there are many excellent and in depth reviews about the Fiio X5, so instead of going on and on about every single detail when it comes to operating the unit I will refer you to the User Manual which can be downloaded through Fiio here: (http://fiio.com.cn/support/download.aspx ) and does an excellent job at explaning how to operate the X5.
Specification:
Features:
The X5 is packed with features that make it extremely attractive if you are in the market for a Hi-res DAP, in my opinion. Not only is it able to play a large array of Lossless and lossy formats (DSD decoding will also be available at a later date through a firmware update), but it is also able to natively play Hi-Res content of up to 192k/24Bit! The X5 can also be used as an Asynchronous USB DAC from your computer which is a great feature!
On the hardware side of things, you have two micro sd card slots at the bottom of the unit that can handle the newly released 128gb micro sd cards (must be formatted to Fat32) with no problems! That means you can use two 128gb cards for a combined capacity of 256gb (approx) of storage! but wait! There's more!
... In the near future, Fiio will release a firmware update that will enable otg capability for even more external storage capacity! *Please note that the X5 does not have any internal memory for storing music*
On the top side of the X5 you have three 3.5mm ports, these are a headphone out(duh), a dedicated line out and a digital coax out. For my particular uses, this works out great! My current desktop setup is an older headphone amp/dac made by Headroom. The dac protion of this unit only goes up to 16/44k via usb but can do 24/96 via optical or digital coax. My old pc which is connected to this setup does not have either optical/coax out, so in this case with the Fiio X5 using the provided 3.5mm to digital coax adapter I was able to play some music files I had in Hi-Res in their native resolution through the Headroom's DAC.
Although I didn't get to try it out for myself, in theory, the X5 could be used as a USB to Digital Coax converter for situations like I stated above. I'm not sure if many people would use it in such a way, but good to know it's there if you did need it.
How's it sound?
First of all here is the gear I used with the X5, please note that my main purpose for a DAP is to use it on the go with iems, so most of my listening was done with the Audio-Technica CK10 and the AKG K3003i.
As far as headphones go, I tried it briefly with my Mr. Speakers Mad Dogs 3.2 and Grado Sr325 non "i" version.
The Amps I used was mainly my Corda Quickstep, along with a brief audition on my Headroom Desktop Amp.
First of all the Fiio X5 has a very nice black backgroud with my gears. Please note that my iems are not terribly sensitive such as other multi-ba customs like my recently sold jh13 for example, so keep that in mind.
The mid bass is definitely a bit north of neutral, just enough to make it a slightly warm signature and was the very first thing that came across to me since my first listen and has remained my impression throughout my short stay with the X5.
I find the midrange and treble quite neutral and a little flat to be honest. I tend to prefer a slightly brighter signature which to me sounds more lively as opposed to laid back.
It is important to note that even though I consider the X5 to have a slightly warm signature, there is no lack of details in the music. Even on busy passages of music, there is a spotlight highlighting every instrument. There was a couple of times I was distracted by this which is not something I can say I enjoyed, as it wasn't natural and took the focus away from the main instrument or voice in a particular song.
Other thoughts...
I love the X5 for many different reasons, here is a shortlist of pros and cons that I would like to point out:
Pros:
Having the two micro SD cards is fantastic, the line out is very good vs headphone out when using an amp, otg capability will be good to have, but not really something I see myself using. Digital Coax out to my desktop DAC, Asynchronous USB DAC, good internal amp section, good overall UI. Manually updating the library, my 128gb sd card along with a 64gb sd card took around 2-3 minutes to scan then after that the X5 only takes about 10-12 seconds to start playing music every time you power it up. Also worth mentioning, when it comes to updating firmware, Fiio did an excellent job at making this task super easy and it also updated very fast.
Cons: (including some present quirks that may be fixed later through firmware)
Here are some of my gripes with the X5:
When skipping songs, it is a fraction of a second too slow which can get very irritating very fast. When the unit is in my pocket (which keep in mind that this is how I use my DAPs 90% of the time) the front buttons are too sensitive and I accidentally kept bumping things(very lightly, mind you), hitting forward, pause, and the previous buttons. While on the lockscreen (again in my pocket) when adjusting volume, if I hold down the volume rocker up or down, it also doubles as a forward and previous button, which is totally unnecessary in my opinion, so instead you must keep depressing repeatedly to achieve the desired volume. The X5 has many steps on the volume control, so when on lockscreen in your front pocket, it is a total pain in the ***** to have to keep pressing repeatedly for desired volume. Since there are two lockscreen modes, I think Fiio should keep lockscreen 1 mode as-is, but change lockscreen 2 to not skip forward or previous track on the volume rocker.
Another thing to note is that while I had no trouble the first time I used the X5 as a USB DAC, I wasn't able to do it again. I tried a few times, but due to lack of time, I wasn't able to fully troubleshoot and get it going again. **Please note that there have been some hardware changes in the USB interface between the tour unit and retail units and so USB functions including DAC and OTG may have improved.
I wasn't able to do a battery test, although I found battery life acceptable, a longer battery life is always welcomed.
Final thoughts:
The Fiio X5 is definitely a winner in my book and it would be very hard to beat at this price range. yes, it's a good looking piece of gear. Yes, all the extra features are great. Yes, the UI (while not perfect) is very good, and nothing to complain about. What I really miss the most about it is it's very clean and detailed sound, and that my friends, is the most important thing of all, the sound!
Thanks for reading!
Fiio has become a well known brand in the last few years by people in this hobby due to their very affordable and well built products. Pretty much everything you need for your portable set up they've made available for a great price and solid performance on top of that!
From interconnects, line-out docks for idevices, iem cables, amplifiers and DAC/Amp combos, and most recently their very own Fiio X3 DAP. The follow up to the Fiio X3 is this little device I have here which I am about to review...
Before I go any further, I would like to give a big thank you to Fiio and special thanks to Head-fi member Joe Bloggs for letting me get a sneak peak of their newest addition to their product catalog, Ladies and Gents... the Fiio X5!
For the record, I have no affiliation with Fiio and this review unit is and will remain the property of Fiio as it is only on loan to me for ten days for this review.
Packaging:
As I mentioned before, this is a preview sample of the X5 that is on loan to me from Fiio, which has not been released yet in North America, so packaging, accessories and/or even the X5 itself might slightly differ from the final release version that will be due out very soon...
The X5 comes in an attractive retail box which is overall black in color with some red overtones.
After opening the retail box you are greeted by a textured black cardboard box that contains the X5 and other goodies, which include:
1. Fiio X5 unit
2. Black silicone case
3. USB Cable
4. Micro USB card reader
5. 3.5mm to RCA digital coax adapter
6. Two extra LCD screen protectors
7. Three 3.5mm dust covers for your 3.5mm ports
8. User manual, and other paperwork
*MISSING - The OTG cable was not included in my review sample, but will be provided in the retail version*
Build Quality:
I must say I am impressed with this unit. It is very well built, nothing about it seems cheap and it has a very nice solid heft to it. The whole body seems to be made of machined aluminum. The power button, volume keys, the "select" button that is in the middle of the scroll wheel and the four buttons on the front of the unit are also made of metal. There are three 3.5mm jacks on the top side of the unit that are of excellent quality reminiscent of my Meier Audio Corda Quickstep amp.
The scroll wheel reminds me of a sansa player I had some time ago, it has a rubber texture on it and quite frankly I don't see it being an issue, or at least not an issue for a good few years of heavy use, imo.
Operating the Unit:
Being the manly man that I am, I did not read the user manual and dug right into the X5.
I found the X5 to be just as intuitive as I have found any other unit that I've own in the present/past. Your basic operations are easy to figure out in no time, while other features will come out as you spend a bit more time with the player.
As you all know, at this point in time there are many excellent and in depth reviews about the Fiio X5, so instead of going on and on about every single detail when it comes to operating the unit I will refer you to the User Manual which can be downloaded through Fiio here: (http://fiio.com.cn/support/download.aspx ) and does an excellent job at explaning how to operate the X5.
Specification:
Features:
The X5 is packed with features that make it extremely attractive if you are in the market for a Hi-res DAP, in my opinion. Not only is it able to play a large array of Lossless and lossy formats (DSD decoding will also be available at a later date through a firmware update), but it is also able to natively play Hi-Res content of up to 192k/24Bit! The X5 can also be used as an Asynchronous USB DAC from your computer which is a great feature!
On the hardware side of things, you have two micro sd card slots at the bottom of the unit that can handle the newly released 128gb micro sd cards (must be formatted to Fat32) with no problems! That means you can use two 128gb cards for a combined capacity of 256gb (approx) of storage! but wait! There's more!
On the top side of the X5 you have three 3.5mm ports, these are a headphone out(duh), a dedicated line out and a digital coax out. For my particular uses, this works out great! My current desktop setup is an older headphone amp/dac made by Headroom. The dac protion of this unit only goes up to 16/44k via usb but can do 24/96 via optical or digital coax. My old pc which is connected to this setup does not have either optical/coax out, so in this case with the Fiio X5 using the provided 3.5mm to digital coax adapter I was able to play some music files I had in Hi-Res in their native resolution through the Headroom's DAC.
Although I didn't get to try it out for myself, in theory, the X5 could be used as a USB to Digital Coax converter for situations like I stated above. I'm not sure if many people would use it in such a way, but good to know it's there if you did need it.
How's it sound?
First of all here is the gear I used with the X5, please note that my main purpose for a DAP is to use it on the go with iems, so most of my listening was done with the Audio-Technica CK10 and the AKG K3003i.
As far as headphones go, I tried it briefly with my Mr. Speakers Mad Dogs 3.2 and Grado Sr325 non "i" version.
The Amps I used was mainly my Corda Quickstep, along with a brief audition on my Headroom Desktop Amp.
First of all the Fiio X5 has a very nice black backgroud with my gears. Please note that my iems are not terribly sensitive such as other multi-ba customs like my recently sold jh13 for example, so keep that in mind.
The mid bass is definitely a bit north of neutral, just enough to make it a slightly warm signature and was the very first thing that came across to me since my first listen and has remained my impression throughout my short stay with the X5.
I find the midrange and treble quite neutral and a little flat to be honest. I tend to prefer a slightly brighter signature which to me sounds more lively as opposed to laid back.
It is important to note that even though I consider the X5 to have a slightly warm signature, there is no lack of details in the music. Even on busy passages of music, there is a spotlight highlighting every instrument. There was a couple of times I was distracted by this which is not something I can say I enjoyed, as it wasn't natural and took the focus away from the main instrument or voice in a particular song.
Other thoughts...
I love the X5 for many different reasons, here is a shortlist of pros and cons that I would like to point out:
Pros:
Having the two micro SD cards is fantastic, the line out is very good vs headphone out when using an amp, otg capability will be good to have, but not really something I see myself using. Digital Coax out to my desktop DAC, Asynchronous USB DAC, good internal amp section, good overall UI. Manually updating the library, my 128gb sd card along with a 64gb sd card took around 2-3 minutes to scan then after that the X5 only takes about 10-12 seconds to start playing music every time you power it up. Also worth mentioning, when it comes to updating firmware, Fiio did an excellent job at making this task super easy and it also updated very fast.
Cons: (including some present quirks that may be fixed later through firmware)
Here are some of my gripes with the X5:
When skipping songs, it is a fraction of a second too slow which can get very irritating very fast. When the unit is in my pocket (which keep in mind that this is how I use my DAPs 90% of the time) the front buttons are too sensitive and I accidentally kept bumping things(very lightly, mind you), hitting forward, pause, and the previous buttons. While on the lockscreen (again in my pocket) when adjusting volume, if I hold down the volume rocker up or down, it also doubles as a forward and previous button, which is totally unnecessary in my opinion, so instead you must keep depressing repeatedly to achieve the desired volume. The X5 has many steps on the volume control, so when on lockscreen in your front pocket, it is a total pain in the ***** to have to keep pressing repeatedly for desired volume. Since there are two lockscreen modes, I think Fiio should keep lockscreen 1 mode as-is, but change lockscreen 2 to not skip forward or previous track on the volume rocker.
Another thing to note is that while I had no trouble the first time I used the X5 as a USB DAC, I wasn't able to do it again. I tried a few times, but due to lack of time, I wasn't able to fully troubleshoot and get it going again. **Please note that there have been some hardware changes in the USB interface between the tour unit and retail units and so USB functions including DAC and OTG may have improved.
I wasn't able to do a battery test, although I found battery life acceptable, a longer battery life is always welcomed.
Final thoughts:
The Fiio X5 is definitely a winner in my book and it would be very hard to beat at this price range. yes, it's a good looking piece of gear. Yes, all the extra features are great. Yes, the UI (while not perfect) is very good, and nothing to complain about. What I really miss the most about it is it's very clean and detailed sound, and that my friends, is the most important thing of all, the sound!
Thanks for reading!
My very initial take is of a good quality sound, and I will wait for other aspects.