Impressions with the Thinksound Rain 2
 
Thanks @d marc0 for including me in the Australian Thinksound Rain 2 Tour
 
Source: Itunes downloaded music - Equaliser Player app by Audio Forge (EQ set to neutral) - Ipad 3rd Gen Wifi+cell - Line out cable - Just Audio AHA 120 Portable Class A headamp set to 32 ohm- Think Sound Rain 2
 

 

 
 
The Thinksounds are a well built set of earphones. Wooden housings capped by a metal ring (aluminum?), sturdy tangle free cable, angled connector, but no inline mic or remote controls. It also comes with various sized silicone tips and a cable clip. They all come in a small white packaging, packed in compressed cardboard and a hessian bag carry pouch. Simple functional and ecologically sustainable.
 
 
  
 
 
SOUND:
 
Well I must say these are picky with amp pairings. I also have a C&C BH but that just made these sibilant in my opinion and the best pairing was to be found with with Just Audio's. It just seems to amplify whats good about these headphones namely the warm sound signature, the smoothness and the soundstage.
 
Songs listened to: Emeli Sande Maybe (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) Micheal Buble Me and Mrs Jones (Live from Madison Square Garden) and just for kicks How Low by Ludacris (MAAAAD BASSY Track)
 
Ludacris HOW LOOOOOwwwww: Well I must say thinksounds performed well in this track. The bass presentation is certainly what Im looking for here and it does go quite low. It has good bass impact and good decay. Texture is also quite nice. Vocals seem to be smooth and present, not drowned out by the bass, although i think its abit recessed but not by much. The highs are non fatiguing but it could use more sparkle and airyness. Its just not resolving in my opinion. (not that there is anything to resolve. This is a club dance track after all) PRAT seems to be just abit off so these I would think are more suited to accoustic music hence the next two songs.
 
Emeli Sande Maybe:  Now were more into what these Thinksounds are about! This is totally the perfect genre for the Thinksounds. Simple accoustic music, female vocals, a long listening session. Totally goes with the relaxed and smooth sound sig. Since this track is recorded live, there seems to be a huuge sound stage and its just seems that Im on stage with Emeli and the claps the shouts and other sounds from the crowd are portrayed clearly. Instrument separations is also excellent with each having room to breathe. Emeli does not sound sibilant here at all. Again the guitar and and other instruments could use more resolution/detail but I can forgive this shortcoming as Im totally enjoying what Im hearing.
 
Michael Buble Me and Mrs Jones: Now for some male vocals. This track has a lot of wind instruments and percussion and I must say it underwhelmed me a bit. This track starts out slow and slowly builds into a crescendo towards the end when everything is playing at once and then slowly fades . Perhaps the thinksounds are too smooth. Michaels Vocals are fine, soundstage is fine but when everything is playing at once, to me it just seemed unexciting. I had no emotional connection. With the Emeli track, I felt like I was standing there on stage with her. With Michael it seemed I am front row and the crowd is behind me (perhaps the differing way the tracks are recorded?) 
 
COMPARISON with my current favourite in ears Phonak PFE 122 Grey Neutral filter
 

 
 
Michael Buble Me and Mrs Jones: Now the first thing I noticed is that the Phonaks have a brighter signature, more detailed, less bassy but its still there and just right for me. Its just totally at a different level. I can hear more of the crowd, the texture of the individual instruments. Michael's vocals seem to get back the energy and forwardness that the song deserves. In a short word my emotional connection is back. The Phonaks just seem to be more dynamically alive with this track and its a pleasure to listen to.
 
Emeli Sande Maybe:  This is such an emotional song and it connects with me if the presentation is correct. On my favourite headphones (He400, HD 650, Fidelio L2) and earphones (Phonaks), when she starts singing, I get goosebumps. I did not get the goosebumps with the Thinksounds but with the Phonaks its just amazing. The details of her voice, the nuances, the vocalizations and pain that should radiate from her voice is just portrayed so well (and thats why I get the goosebumps) with the Phonaks. Every instrument is heard clearly and resolutely. Simply amazing for me. Now let me sit back and put the track on repeat a few times and recline my chair......................
 
AFTER 10 mins...
 
 
Ludacris HOW LOOOOOwwwww: I must say the bass goes deeper on the Phonaks but not a lot impact but its well textured. I wish it has more bass (but thats what the black and green filter are for, Included in the Phonaks packaging for a V shaped sound and finally a U Shaped sound, a definite plus for the Phonak user, its customisable). While PRAT was missing from the Thinksounds, its back with the Phonaks. It certainly got my head bopping. The track just seemed more alive dynamically. There are parts of the song that has a heartbeat sound it occurs about 3 times, that goes on for about 3 seconds. On the Thinksounds, I dont think I ever heard ít. It just shows the Phonaks are more resolving in the bass texture if not in quantity.
 
Final thoughts:
 
I think the Thinksounds specialize in a specific genre or type of music. Simple. Earthy. Accoustic vocals. Perhaps in its next iteration, they can make it more resolving and more exciting so it would pair with most types of music.

Thanks to Luke (H20Fidelity) for letting me a part of the Australian leg of the COZOY DAC/Amp tour and for Igor (DJScope) for the personal delivery, no doubt due to him enjoying the unit so much that it saved on "Postage Time" quote unquote.
 
Introduction: Simple things are attractive things. This COZOY amp certainly fits the bill. I also found it had beauty and brains to match, especially if you have a lower to mid range device. I found that this unit audibly improves the sound quality of my units, most especially the Nexus 5, which really isn't known for its audio prowess. This will just be a quick impression on this unit with my various devices.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pairing with my Nexus 5 Lollipop updated V5.1. Nexus 5 headphone out is kinda lifeless and 2 dimensional. I downloaded Poweramp and it improve things abit but still it was "MEH". I put in PCM WAV file rips and it improved again but for me it just passed the grade. Dont get me wrong the phone itself is a pleasure to use but im not reviewing the phone here..HA! Im actually listening to Shania Twains "That don't impress me much" right now (wav file) on the headphone out. Im using phonak's and I have my bass boost eq curve applied in Poweramp and yes it does sound nice but its abit two dimensional and flat. Where is the soundstage? the dynamism? the toe tapping urge?? (scratches head). Queue the COZOY amp. Yep found it! Not that this track is the bees knees of recording and sound engineering nor is it an audiophile test track but listening through the COZOY amp just improves the clarity, the bass, her vocals seem more real and the song is just more alive, like the amp is doing its best to convey every last information on this track. Its night and day difference for me and the pairing with the nexus 5 and COZOYS and the phonak's are a saviour for me. I can now consider using the Nexus 5 as a music player as well, where previously it was just there for me to play with an unmodified android O.S. I found that I can switch between headphone out of the devices and the cozoy headphone out without interruption. I tried plugging in my phonaks in the cozoy and my BW P5's into the nexus 5 headphone out and see if it plays sound through both ends at the same time but my P5's had the only sound coming out if it so I guess it defaults to the unit when it detects a headphone plugged in...kinda was testing this to see if I can share my music with another person. I use the cozoy output while the friend uses the unit output but sadly no. 
 
Pairing with my HTC One M7 lollipop update: The HTC M7 is a top end device a couple of years ago and this is what I plug my Phonaks into when Im out and about. currently Im listening to S2S sister (a pop song popular in Australia early 2000's) and i can definitely vouch for the M7's standard audio reproduction as im happy with its clarity, soundstage, instrument separation, and general sound presentation.  Now Queue the COZOYS and here's the first hiccup. I had to re start the unit with the Cozoy's plugged in as it didn't detect it at all. Now that its plugged in, I tried to change the volume one down from Max  (as Cozoy turns to line out when volume pot on unit is max) guess what, when i press the volume keys down, 1st press nothing happens, and 2nd press just mutes the sound. What happened?! i tested if it pauses the music or mutes it and i came to the conclusion it mutes it cause the song keeps playing in the background. Weird! Also the first 2 minutes of re-starting the phone, the playback stutters and i lose sound for a second or two. After that it seems to stabilize. I think this due to my phone not the amp itself so no biggie.
 
 

 
Now that the COZOY is working properly, immediate improvement is SOUNDSTAGE!! and overall refinement of sound. Id say a 30 improvement over the headphone out of the unit. I can also hear more details in the music. Since S2s a girl duo, I can now audibly distinguish the two sisters when they're singing together in the chorus. So yes there is a marked improvement on my HTC M7 when its working properly. The biggest jump is still the Nexus 5 tho.
 
Pairing with my Galaxy Tab S 8.4:  The galaxy tab s 8.4 is a pretty recent device, about 6 months old I believe and while i like the headphone out, for me, its a step below the HTC M7 so this is another perfect candidate for the COZOY DAC AMP. When I plugged it in, Poweramp chucked a spaz. The sound coming out of the Cozoy amp was not music at all but a horrible approximation of one. Thus I had to restart my galaxy tab with the Cozoy plugged and it worked!
 

 
Now thats out of the way, Im listening to Kenny G with Chaka Khan, a jazzy rendition of Beautiful, I believe originally by Christina Aguilera. What and improvement this makes! with the COZOY and the galaxy tab s 8.4, this pairing gives me greater listening pleasure than with the HTC M7 Cozoy combo. The sound from the headphone out was ok, but nothing exciting, kinda 2 dimensional like the nexus 5 and flat dynamically even with my EQ settings on Poweramp. With the Cozoy's Chaka Khans voice becomes more lively and authoritative. There also seems to be no compression when she gets to her upper registers and when she full out belting, unlike the headphone out. Kenny G's sax doesn't get drowned out in the mix and the other instruments are more distinct, especially when everything is playing at once towards the end of the song. I can actually say this is one of my favourite pairings with the COZOY and the Phonaks.
 
 
[size=small]Pairing with my Ipad air Wifi+cell 1st gen: [/size]On my Ipad im using itunes quality downloaded music and using the equaliser paid app by Audioforge. I find this ipad to be excellent in sound quality even in headphone out. There is clarity, instrument separation, clarity and soundstage that actually satisfies me when im pluggin in my Phonaks. the song that im listening to is Eros Ramazotti's La Cosa Mas Bella, the album Eros Live. (eros is kinda the Robbie Williams of italy lol). Eros live is one of my favourite albums as its just recorded so well. It conveys the crowd, the vocals the stage, the instruments for me is such a lifelike manner that this album is where I go and listen with my favourite headphones and earphones. Also as a litmus test for soundstage since its a live recorded album.
 

 
 
Now plugging in the Cozoy's. I tried again plugging my Phonaks in the Cozoy and the P5's in the Ipad headphone out the sound came out only on the P.5's so no sharing here. Also i found it to be less buggy with IOS. I can plug and unplug the amp and it doesn't skip a beat. Wait 5 seconds and sound will come out of the Cozoy. Im thinking this item was made more for the Apple devices as it seems to perform more smoothly.
 
There seems to be a difference in sound presentation. Eros' vocals seem more laid back with the Cozoy and the Ipads headphone out seems like Eros is singing right in front of you, more intimate like your'e in the front row. With the Cozoy's it seems your a few rows back. Also I noticed the resolution is improved abit also with the other instruments having more room to breathe but there's not much in it. I could happily live without the COZOY on the Ipad air.
 
Now with using the COZOY as a DAC only and paring it with MY CC BH: As I found for myself when doing this with all the devices mentioned above, I found pairing it with my CC BH was heaps better. there's an added level of energy and dynamism to all the songs that I played through it but maybe just because it was louder (Ha!). 
 
[size=small]Conclusion: [/size][size=small]The Cozoy is a well built product that fulfills its design brief, trying and mostly succeeding in being a jack of all trades with compatibility for many android and I OS devices. Perhaps the hiccups with android devices is abit of a let down in me experience but once its up and running, it provides and audible jump in quality for my devices except for the Ipad air. For me, this is better to be used as a DAC and a separate portable amp to power your headphones/earphones. But itself, I would recommend the unit if you're not happy with the sound coming out of your android or I OS device. Androids more if you have a low to mid range device.[/size]

AN AUDITION WITH THE SENNHEISER URBANITE XL
 
 
 
 
Firstly, I'd like to thank White Lotus for letting me be part of the Australian Urbanite XL tour group as well as Brooko for endorsing me and DJScope.
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION: Im just a guy in my thirties who likes collecting headphones and general audio stuff. I'd like to think I know what sounds good but then again these will be my opinions and thoughts. Your mileage may vary. I believe in the concept of "bang per buck" and im not scared of trawling gumtree for second hand items (especially headphones as they have been burnt in...yes I believe in burn in but that is a separate discussion I guess I also believe price-aesthetics ratio. If $400 product looks $4...well... ahem.... 
 
Lets face it. Who doesn't cringe when we see someone wearing BEATS headphones. I always think..hmmm...I'd have only pay $100 for that thing on your noggin...but hey we all seem to be caught up in some new fad so I guess Sennheiser noticed a market for stylish upmarket headphones that the GEN Y'rs will clamour for or so they hope. Now knowing that Sennheiser has got a reputation to keep, my expectations for this headphone is quite high. They promised clarity, balance and QUALITY BASSSS.......SSS! 3 things I love! (I know balance and BASS may be at odds with each other but its what I look for in headphones) therefore I love my HE 400.....but I digress...
 
NOW THE URBANITES
 
PACKAGING: The Urbanites come in a box, not overly ostentatious but none the less I found it to be a box that you can actually keep because of the pre perforated cut out foam on both the insides of the box to cradle and cosset your new toy. Inside the box you will find the Urbanites with a flat cable connector, proprietary of course but none the less adds to the bespoke nature of the thing but may be a nightmare when trying to replace. Not sure about the replacement costs but it aint gonna be cheap. Also the modders or the upgraders of head fi will not be able to use their more esoteric silver cables on these, not unlike if they were just 3.5mm to 3.5mm standard, but the cables themselves seem to be made well and durable with a 3 button pod close to left earcup. The 3.5mm end is right angled while the 2.5mm end which plugs into the left earcup is a 2.5mm straight jack with a location notch. The Urbanites also come with a stretchy fabric drawstring bag in which to store them in for
portability.
 
  
 
 
 
 
HEADPHONES: I must say..IM DIGGING THE LOOK OF  THESE!! The use of fabric (but I think its polyester fabric from sport bags, especially my black camera DSLR bag seems to have the same look and feel of the Urbanites headband top layer). The headband also consists of what seems like silicone rubber on the underside of the headband glued together with the top layer. Its nice to touch and play with actually. Im liking it to a stress ball. You want to keep touching it and squeezing it.
 
      
 
 
The style continues with the connection to the earcups swivels which are made of metal lightweight of course. The top bit is silver with the SENNHEISER logo on it, and the lower bits which the earcups slide up and down is metal again but a different colour this time a really dark metallic purple. The earcups themselves are plastic but then again there are 3 different colours on the earcups. The shell is half metallic purple and half black with a white stripe near where the earpads join to the body. I actually think this is some sort homage to racing stripes on sports cars. Maybe the focus group decided on this particular visual embellishment but it does tie in with the white underside squishy rubber thingy on the headband so its actually very nicely done!
 
  
 
 
Again I must congratulate Sennheiser on the way they have hidden the headphone wires in a black rubber hollow sleeve that slide in and out of the earcups on the top. These holes are also bordered  by metal. The earcup connections to the slide up down mechanism is some sort of ball joint covered in durable thin foam. Nothing creaks or looks low rent.
 
  
 
 
The ear pads are removable which is a good thing. The fabric used is some sort of suede? Im liking it to the suede fabric found on seats but not quite. It’s the first time Ive seen this fabric used in an earcup. I like it. The only thing I believe that lets its down is the size of the opening/circumference of the earpads. I think they could be 10mm larger to actually not touch your ears. Also the foam used is abit hard. As DJ scope found, when he turned his head, he would lose sealing and the sound would degrade. I have experienced the same problem. Perhaps they could have used softer memory foam.
 
  
 
Overall, as I said, the URBANITES are stylishly built and the design and stylistic elements come together in a cohesive fashion to form one handsome looking cans with materials that are quality and pleasant to look at and touch. Certainly $399 worth I believe. (then again there are the Bowers and Wilkins and the Bang and Olufsen headphones but I believe they cater to a different demographic but nonetheless offer their own interpretation of style and quality)
 
IMPRESSIONS WITH MY HTC ONE M7 PLUGGED IN DIRECTLY.
 
 
 

Now the first hurdle is to either use the native android music app or the POWERAMP APP which I downloaded. I listened to this Samsung music file on my phone, 320 kbps only mind you which has this nice bit where a racing car, with differing engine notes seem to cross left to right and right to left one after the other and its meant to be behind the listener. The POWERAMP offered an audibly better sound so it won and that’s what I ended up using. Also I chose to review the Urbanites in this mobile context only as this will be its most likely use. 

 

Now my files on my phone are like 320kbps max as it’s really not meant to be a portable audiophile listening station. On Poweramp, I've left the tone controls on it standard position on the bass dial, but I feel the Urbanites needed a treble boost..all the way up in fact. It just made it more clearer in my ears. The equaliser has been left to flat. Right now, Im listening to the Hed Kandi Mixed CD, which is house music, plenty of vocals, beats, percussion instruments etc and I find that I need the volume to be one notch down from full to get to my desired listening level. This surprised me because I had read it’s meant to be 18 Ohm impedance and that it should be easy to drive......or my ears are shot....or I just like my music really loud. In which case then I can say my phone drives the urbanites with as much gusto as it can muster and still sound good. The bass is definitely felt as well as heard on many tracks. It has that nice bass slam to my ears, reaches quite low but has that slow decay that hangs around abut longer than usual but with the type of music the Hed Kandi CD has, It’s quite complimentary. Bottom line: YEP BASS CHECK ALL GOOD!

 

Here Without You: Three doors down: This is a guitar driven pop music and its only 160 Kbps. Hmmm.... i can definitely hear the compression artefacts here, it’s just sounds metallic and grating but I guess this just shows the pedigree of the drivers, its Sennheiser after all and it just forces you to upgrade the quality of music you listen to. But in general, I found the sound to be balanced. The bass is kept in check and not overpowering anything..well there isn’t much bass on this track anyway but it’s nice to know that the Urbanites can be polite in the bass department when needed. Vocals are just right to my ears, not too close or far away, not veiled at all. Treble, maybe just because I have had the treble dial to max may have exacerbated the low quality of the file but I liked it still turned all the way up otherwise it just lost that treble sparkle. Bottom Line: Bass can behave itself on less demanding tracks while vocals and the mids are not drowned out at all.

 

Mariah Carey: Angels Cry: A nice track with a nice simple bass line, sparse instrumentals and mostly concentrating on Mariah's Vocal Talent (if it indeed does still exist, she apparently sounds horrible live now if the leaked audio tapes are to be believed). This is a 176kbps file but for some reason this sounds quite good actually. Makes me think the 160 KBPS Here without you track above was like recorded on radio and just up sampled...but these Urbanites portray Mariah's vocals as I remember them to be in hey heyday, her slightly nasally voice and occasional gravelly undertones are like what I remember them to be. The simple bass line that pervades the track is there and actually provides the ear shake I like to hear as it indeed goes very low. The cymbals, pianos and the other instruments all just seem to be in one spot tho. Where is the soundstage? But then again this might be the recording itself or the low quality file. Nothing piercing in the highs as well. Well controlled and just as I like it. Bottom Line: Highs provide enough clarity and detail for me and I think this will satisfy the majority of  buyers.

 

COMPARED to the BW P5 series 1. have chosen to compare these as they are both aesthetically pleasing to look at, price wise they seem to be in the same ballpark when new and they are meant to be for portable use with low impedance. BW P5's actually note that you should plug them in to your device without any external amps.

 

  

 
Now the BW P5 has the one of the best build quality of headphones even by today's standards. If the Urbanites are and Audi, modern clean and sleek, the BW P5's are like the bespoke Rolls Royce. The BW P5's had an original retail price of $449 I believe in the Apple stores but can be had now for lower as a new version had come out a couple of years ago. Comfort wise, I’d give the nod to the P5's due to it being lighter and the way it just rests on top of your ears where all the pressure is shared on all the surfaces of your ears, unlike the urbanites, while called over ear, I do not find it large enough as the corners of my ear are somewhat forced in the opening and pinched. There are some really nice design touches too, such as the leather ear pads that are held onto the ear cups with magnets for easy replacement and the cable tunnel on the left ear cup presumable to counteract the sudden jerking of wires and can disconnect leaving you with an intact headphone most of the time.

 

Now let’s get to Mariah's Angels Cry: First thing I noticed is the bass seemed fuller and more controlled and again goes lower and deeper. The soundstage seems to be wider on these as Im hearing echoes like she’s in a hall. The instruments are more spatially separate specially the piano which now seems to come from the right hand side and back abit. It’s just a more refined sound to me. Her voice gains another level of smoothness and lushness that the urbanites don’t seem to portray. The highs on the P5 certainly seem more smooth and resolving. The high hats and cymbals seems to have that extra air and sparkle about them.

 

Here Without You: Three doors down: The metallic edge that I noticed in the Urbanites don’t seem to be as pronounced here on this track. It’s more smoother, which leads me to believe there could be a spike somewhere in the frequency graph of the Urbanites which could explain its metallic sounding overtones. Also I noticed another instrument that I couldn't quite hear on the urbanites, a tambourine or a maracas, not quite sure as it’s still pretty hard to make out due to the low quality file. Also the soundstage also appears to be wider to me overall. The lead vocals voice again has this extra level of smoothness and lushness that the Urbanites don’t have. Bass is more noticeable on the P5's on this track even more than the Urbanites but it’s the kind of bass I like.

 

HED KANDI MIXED CD: Just general observations that the BW P5's just seem to be more smoother, resolving, vocals are more natural sounding and it’s just an overall bassier headphone. Soundstage I believe is generally wider on those tracks that have multiple instruments and vocals. That bass tho. Just more fun and controlled for me.

 

OK: Now the pointy end of the stick. Would I buy one myself? YES but when the prices have come down as I think they have to recoup their research and development on these first. They are fine looking headphones, and the target market exists for these. And since the demographic is cashed up Gen Y'ers then yes I believe this product fills the brief. I don't think they're for more discerning ears but they are not that bad. There is room for improvement in the sound department but we move in a fast paced world and who knows? A second version may be around in  a year. 

Disclaimer

 
I received this unit for a few days as part of a Australasian tour. I did not buy one and do not own one (yet). Thanks to @Brooko for providing his own unit for this tour.
 
INTRODUCTION
 
Im not an audiophile....there its been said, but I do love my music and I know what sounds good to me. Im not in the position to convince other people with this brief look about the merits of the FIIO X1 or if it will suit your needs and thus these are my thoughts BUT I have always believed that getting the most value for your money is sound fiscal policy. I usually like to buy items that have a high price to performance ratio. Im always up for a bargain and thus Gumtree and and other classified ads listings are always visited by me. Im not scared of 2nd hand items. I have also known FIIO for a while now and my first product was their E5. This was my first foray into amping (although I realise now that all I did was double amping) but it gave life to my Ipod touch 2nd gen to actually sound GOOD! Thus started the interest in portable audio products for me. All you have to do is look in my profile page to see how many I've gone through. Sometimes people ask me if there is a product that I could recommend to start out with their audio journey but I know that there is not one product I can recommend that is both value for money and sounds good to boot. Have I found that in the FIIO X1?
 

 
 
BUILD QUALITY
 

 
Well to start off with I congratulate FIIO for making the X1 mostly out of machined aluminum. I believe the only plastic items are the back plate and the scroll wheel, but at this price point this is very well done indeed. There is no flex at all to the case although find the scroll wheel is not as sturdy as I would like as it there is play while moving it but at least the material of the wheel is correct in which it is grippy. No doubt greasy fingers were a factor in the materials selection. The rubber scroll wheel will be susceptible to scratches so long fingernails is a no no if you want to keep its physical appearance pristine. Otherwise there is nothing to complain about. The buttons are tactile and clearly labelled. Speaking about labelled, I wish that FIIO replicated the button signs on to the black silicone rubber sleeve provided but this is just a minor thing. Screen was bright enough for me outdoors and since this is not a multimedia player, the screen quality is just right for this type of device. No doubt anything of a higher quality would have driven up its price and the battery consumption. Bottom Line: For a US$ 99 device it ticks FORM FIT and FUNCTION for me!
 
INTERFACE
 
From my use of it the past few days, the interface is quite logical for me. Of course a new interface would always have a learning curve (part of the thrill of having a new gadget for me) and at least it took me only a few minutes to go through the setting and figure out how everything worked and interacted. There are different color schemes to choose from as well so at least there is customization on the UI. I noticed no lags or freezes while scrolling and button presses are responsive and its nice that there is a reset hole just under the power button just in case. The scroll wheel as mentioned before is abit loose for me as it move it a notch and it wont register till the second movement. Something to improve upon I believe. Bottom Line: Interface and button interaction are well thought out with the scroll wheel needing improvement as a minus.
 
BATTERY LIFE:
 
Website claims an 11 hour battery life with initial firmware but could go up to 15 hours with further firmware updates. I for one wish that this is much longer, say 24 hours for all the road warriors out there. I did not like having my music taken away from me while camping one time (to be honest that was a 5 night camping trip) but hey this is a wish from me for the next iteration of this device.
 
SOUND IMPRESSIONS (Listening to Kenny G Duets album various songs)
 
Pairing with the Phillips Fidelio X1 (see what I did there?)
 

 
This unit from drives the X1's beautifully in my opinion. The EQ has been set to flat/off and find Im enjoying what I hear. The warm sound signature matches the X1's strengths. The volume is at 80% and this is my listening level for these headphones on the X1. HMM..maybe needs more power? How will it power my HD 650's? Employing the EQ changes the sound effectively so I guess the EQ works as advertised. Im listening to the Kenny G Duets album at the moment and loving it. Vocals are nice natural, the sax is beautiful and Marcia Hines voice on the Forever Young track is just soothing. YEP! the X1's (FIIO and Phillips) pair together well in my ears.
 
Pairing with the Sennheisser HD650
 

 
Well I actually preferred the line out setting when using the HD 650's. Switching it back to the headphone output i need to put the volume to 90 percent and i can already hear its struggling to drive them. BUT with the line out enabled and the hD 650's plugged directly, the X1 is actually able to drive them to my listening volume. The track Im listening to currently is Misty featuring Gladys Knight. Heaven! If anything I think I've fallen in love with the hD 650's again. The vocals are so natural and true. Also I believe the soundstage opens up if using the line out. I have just put on my Fidelio X1's again and yep definitely soundstage has improved!!! Perhaps the FIIO X1 can indeed use more power from its internal amp in its next iteration. Lots of Headfier's have the HD650 and its a shame that the FIIO X1's have to be set to line out to get acceptable performance and to my listening levels at least but YMMV.
 
Pairing with the Phonak Audeo PFE121 (Grey filter on)
 

 
The Phonaks are my go to in ears for when Im out and about and perhaps this is more important test for me. Again I prefer the line out sound of the FIIO X'1s when paired with the Phonaks. Its just more detailed and open. Perhaps its abit bright (a Phonak Trait) but its never sibilant or harsh. The bass is just right and Le Anne Rimes vocals on Everything I DO I DO IT FOR YOU is rendered faithfully with the correct timbre of voice as I remember from her. Indeed the FIIO X1 and the Phonaks pair well together in my opinion and I can see myself using this configuration if ever I do get the X1 which is most likely.
 
Pairing with the Phonak Audeos and the C&C BH portable AMP using line out
 

 
Now THIS is match made in heaven! I cant believe the sound coming out of the Phonaks now! The amp is on high gain, LF (bass) boost on and SF (sound field) enhancer on. This leads me to believe that the FIIO X1 should just be a source and it should really be paired with a decent inexpensive external portable amp and the sound gains on all measurable levels just go up. There's just more detail, more resolution, more soundstage and its just an overall more enjoyable energetic sound. For me at least
 
Comparison Between the E11k and the C&C BH amp using Phonak Audeo and the an AB switch
 

 
 
Since I have another new FIIO product as part of the review package, namely the FIIO E11K I shall give my thoughts impressions on it, To be fair, I have turned off the SF sound field enhancer on the C&C BH as the E11k does not have that feature. Both amps are on high gain and bass boost on. I have roughly set each amp to the same volume although and this was just by ear and no electronic instrument was used to measure.
 
Its apparent that the E11K has a more forward presentation on the MIDS. Its more in your face and intimate. The C&C BH has more headroom and soundstage. Each instrument is more distinct and due to the increased soundstage each instrument or part of the music has more room the breathe. It is also apparent that the C&C BH bass boost goes deeper. The C&C also seems to extract more detail. The clicks as the each button is pressed on the saxophone is just more distinct. The echoes are also more apparent on the C&C BH. To be fair, I believe the C&C BH is in the $100+ price bracket and the FIIO E11K is $69 USD if im not mistaken so Im not entirely sure if this is a fair comparison but hey! 
 
Lets see if I can pick up the same differences with my HD650. CONFIRMED: I have to raise the volume pot of the E11K to 5 and the C&C BH to about 70 percent so this would lead me to believe the E11K is more powerful. SO to test this out I have the HIFIMAN HE400 handy with me.
 
Surprise surprise! I haven't touched the volume pot but the volume is still listening volume for me AND I now prefer the sound coming from E11K paired with the HE400's. Perhaps the open nature of the HE400's (vs the Phonak in ears which already has the out of the head listening experience) help to open out and space out the instruments on the E11K. It now has the instrument separation and space that I heard using the C&C BH. Plus the vocals are now up close and intimate BUT the bass is still superior in the C&C BH which is evident on the track I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE (FEAT EARTH WIND AND FIRE)
 
SO Now that I've slowly moved up the chain of equipment I thought Id try to pair the FIIO X1 to the Just Audio AHA 120's, Class A portable headphone AMP with an RRP of $599
 

 
And of course the results are again another level up. More detail, more separation, more soundstage and more naturalness to everything you hear. Its a more refined sound I guess and the standout item for me are the vocals it just at another level. In the end you just sit back and enjoy the marvel that is the FIIO X1. Amazing how a $99 player can put a smile on your face and makes your toe tap.
 
 
CONCLUSION
 
To answer the question posted in my introduction: YES! The FIIO X1 in my opinion provides a beautiful gateway to HIFI sound that I would like the general public to hear. I would like the FIIO X1 at least to be the standard recommendation for those starting out their audio journey. There is really nothing negative to say about the unit. It works as intended and the sound that comes out of it is better than most units from other manufacturers and the price of $99 (albeit without memory card), I believe the price to performance ratio is indeed quite high. Would I buy one? Yes I would as the X1 for me provides a real good source specially with the line out and pairing it with other portable amps can be an interesting journey.