FiiO X5 High-res Portable Music Player

*** UPDATE *** Now available directly from Miccastore: http://www.miccastore.com/fiio-portable-high-resolution-loseless-music-player-special-bundles-available-p-118.html
 
I have to start with a disclaimer that I'm not an audiophile, and this review is written from a perspective of someone who typically reviews Android gadgets and accessories (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192333)   I hope my write up will help others who are just discovering the audiophile world and trying to decide if they need a dedicated DAP or can live with just using their smartphone and a portable DAC/amp.  I would like to give a big Thanks! to FiiO team for the opportunity to test and to review their new flagship product.  Last, but not least, I follow my own review format, and unfortunately it's not as neat as Brooko (you rock!), so hopefully you can follow along.
 
I consider headphones to be very important part of our lives. Many people's entertainment world evolves around their smartphone that we use to listen to music, to watch movies, to stream videos, to play video games, or to communicate with others. We have consolidated a lot of the other gadgets into this one universal device with headphones being a gateway to our entertainment world. That is why I put a high value on quality of the sound. Typically with high quality headphones you end up rediscovering sounds all over again and hearing new details for the very first time. To my very pleasant surprise, when I received FiiO X5 DAP - I actually ended up rediscovering my headphones, all over again!!!
 
It's great to have a portable entertainment system where you can do everything, but often NOT everything could be done at it's best because we are limited by the hardware. Sure, you can build a library with only lossless format files and you can get the best pair of audiophile grade headphones, but you are still limited by a path of digital files converted into analog sound to drive your headphones. You can get a quality audio app and even external amp, but the source of your audio will still come from a smartphone with every electronic component cramped in there, without any proper power filtering, and with low bit resolution and low sampling rate to deliver that sound. Yes, it's very convenient and you can significantly improve your sound quality by using, for example, Neutron MP app, external usb OTG DAC/amp like E18, and quality headphone cables and headphones (RC-SE1 cables with W40 IEMs in my current setup). This is a very adequate setup even for an audiophile, but there is still room for improvement. Nothing will match a dedicated Digital Audio Player (DAP) where from step one you will be processing your music source at the highest sampling rate with a highest bit depth resolution!!! There is a number of such DAP players available on the market, but often they cost north of $700 with a higher quality ones starting at $1000. That is why FiiO shook audiophile world when they introduced their next flagship X5 DAP priced at $350. This is my first experience using DAP, since I don't count my previous iPods or Sansa players as quality audio sources; and I can tell you with certainty that listening to X5 and Sansa Clip+ is like night and day. Let's take a closer look to find out more about X5.
 
There is no question you are dealing with a premium product the second you see their package box. You are greeted by a high res 1:1 scale picture of X5 on the front cover, and the back of the box has all the main function highlights. My review sample also had a sticker on the back mentioning that DSD playback and USB OTG support will be added in future firmware updates. Out of the package box, the actual X5 is stored inside of another "gift" box which is built out of sturdy carton with a nice foam padding inside to hold accessories as well. It's not exactly intended for traveling, but it definitely comes very handy to store X5 when not in use (the same with E18 and its storage box). Once you get a chance to hold X5 in your hand, you do realize it's not exactly lightweight at 210g (that's including 2 loaded micro-SD cards and silicone protection skin), although it's on par with typical smartphone weight. It was very clever for FiiO to include a high quality silicone protection form fitting sleeve. It enhances the grip, covers up aluminum CNC unibody to protect from scratches (although some might argue you would rather show it off!), and covers up volume and power buttons, as well as covering up Line out and Coax out ports leaving only headphone port exposed so there is no confusion which 3.5mm port to use. Furthermore, it comes already with pre-installed screen protector covering its gorgeous 400x360 res 2.4" IPS screen, and 2 more screen protectors for spare. Other accessories that come with X5 are high quality usb to micro-usb charging/data cable, 3 push plugs for each 3.5mm port, coaxial cable adapter, USB OTG cable, micro-SD card reader, and detailed easy to read manuals. I'm sure some will prefer to take X5 out of silicone protection sleeve to show off it's sexy aluminum brushed body, the same finish used in E18, but for others - you have an option to cover it.
 
Unboxing
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Accessories
 

 

 

 
Inside of silicone skin
 

 

 

 

 
Out of the skin
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Of course, the biggest eye candy of this design is the mechanical control wheel. What looks like a miniature DJ spinning record is one cleverly designed control to scroll through the available menu options, song selection, and other controls. Some people mind find it resembles a classic iPod from a distance, but only by geometry of the circle. This is an actual mechanical wheel you can spin with your thumb and which provides a very tactile response and control of your selection. In the middle of the wheel you have a multifunction Ok/Play/Pause button, and at the corners of the wheel there are 4 other multifunction buttons to enable various controls and selections. In theory, you can use these 5 buttons without even a need for a wheel, but being able to scroll through selection or menu items or to adjust the volume with a wheel is just super cool! It gives an analog touch to the control and makes it feel more premium. At the same time, it's nice to know that function of analog wheel is duplicated with extra buttons which comes especially handy when you want to control your X5 without looking at the screen (skip, fast forward, pause, etc.).
 
X5 is not just an eye candy from outside, its a power house inside. In order to handle every available lossless format (DSD, APE, FLAC, ALAC, WMA, WAV) and all MP3s without skipping a beat, X5 is equipped with a dual core 600MHz Ingenics CPU which supports 192k sampling rate with 24B resolution. It also has asynchronous USB DAC functionality where you can use it as an external DAC for your laptop or computer. The internal power distribution uses quad-balanced power supply architecture to avoid any coupling noise from capacitors. Remember, power supply reference is very important in order to process a clean signal without any distortion. Also, it uses a very advance DAC/pre-amp/amp audiophile grade path (from reading digital audio to analog headphone output) with some of the top electronic components available on the market. And this is not just a statement. FiiO actually provided a detailed diagram of that path with part number of every component used in their circuit to support their claim. They even have a detailed screen shot with a layout of their PCB. These guys are definitely proud of their achievement and have nothing to hide!
 
The storage for your music media is provided on two removable micro-SD cards. With a current firmware support, you can use 2x 64GB cards for a total of 128GB storage, and future fw upgrades promise a support of 256GB and 512GB. If you think about it, this is solid state storage, not a mechanical hard drive or internal memory that can never be upgraded or replaced. Here you have a total control of your storage with a smallest footprint media. You can either copy files using provided micro-SD adapter or connect X5 to your computer (select Storage instead of DAC mode), and copy files directly to your DAP. Once USB OTG connection will be available, most likely you will be able to connect an external usb storage, such as HDD or usb flash drive. Btw, when you are using X5 as external usb DAC or connected to copy files, it charges the device automatically. With a 3700 mAh internal battery, you get up to 15hr of interrupted play (which is going to be available with future fw update), while currently it works for approximately 11-12hr. Although charging from PC usb port is possible, I would recommend using external 2A wall charger for a faster speed.
 
Once the battery is fully charged and you are ready to go, turn the power on and enjoy what comes up next! The crisp high resolution IPS screen has fantastic colors and highly visible from wide angles. It bring up a great visual since X5 is capable of displaying the song artwork or using a default background when playing your tunes. Also, there is an extensive amount of customization with a lot of options of how you want your DAP to function, under System Settings, to how you want it to play your songs, under Play Settings. It felt almost like I'm using my smartphone, the level of customization was that detailed. It even included a full readable manual of how to use X5. There are a lot of ways how you can play the songs, browse by favorites, play by category, browse folders, by artist, by album, etc. There is also a fantastic 10-band graphic EQ to fine tune your sound with included presets or by customizing it on your own, but in my opinion leaving it at Normal is the beauty to enjoy it's pure sound. I was very pleased to hear neutral signature of this DAP without any coloring of enhanced bass or treble, at least to my ears. This becomes especially apparent when you start switching your favorite set of headphones between different audio sources. The sound really comes alive!!! I can even tell you that listening from my Note 2 w/E18 and comparing it to X5, I found X5 to have a bit wider sound, more sparkle in high, better extension and control of lows, and overall a little bit more details across the whole frequency spectrum. Without a doubt, headphones play a significant role in sound quality, but if you are not driving it with a clean source - you can't polish a turd lol!!! If you look at the spec of X5, it has some very serious power of 460mW@16ohm and 28mW even at 300ohm driving the most demanding high impedance audiophile headphones. It also has low/high gain setting to boost output by additional 6dB, and with Line out you can even drive an external amp, if you desire.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Overall, to say that I was impressed with FiiO X5 would be an understatement. Since the day I got it, I have been trying to find every possible excuse to use it. This brings me to one very important question, why would I want to set aside my current setup of Galaxy Note 2 and E18? What I discovered, my current smartphone total integration has its positive and negative sides. It's convenient, no doubt about it. But in order to enjoy your music to a full potential, you need to tune out the outside world. Doesn't matter if you are listening to EDM, Pop, Rock, Rap, R'n'B, or Jazz or Classical. If you are relaxing and want to enjoy listening to the sound, you don't want to be interrupted by another email or text message or social media update or reminder to update an app. Smartphone is a jack of all trades, while X5 is a master of one - the PURE SOUND QUALITY. Based on what I have seen and heard while using one, and read from other audiophiles on head-fi.org, FiiO X5 achieved and mastered that goal quite well at the price which is a fraction of competition. In my opinion, if you decided to invest into high quality audiophile equipment and spending hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars to achieve your goal - this little DAP will be an excellent investment. Or, if you are saving money for $700-$1000 DAP, don't be cautious by $350 price tag of X5 and give it a serious consideration!

Disclaimer 
I am part of the X5 Preview tour for Europe (UK). I had the chance to evaluate the unit for 10 days.  I have no affiliation with FiiO and this review is based solely on my 10 days with the X5.
I would like to take this opportunity Joe, James and the whole FiiO team for making this preview possible.  Any company that makes an effort to know who their customers are and engage with them is on to a winner.  
Well done FiiO.
 
A little context
I am not an audiophile - at least I don't think I am.  Unless of course what I deem to be excetional sound quality makes me an audiophile then so be it.
First I had an iPod playing 128, 160 and 192 kbit/s MP3's using the standard packaged earphones - I was super impressed.
After a while I wanted more so sourced 320 kbit/s MP3's and bought some 'upgrade' earphones (Sennheiser CX 300-II) - I was super impressed.
After a while I wanted more and discovered FLAC & ALAC and bought some 'upgrade' earphones (Sony XBA2 In-Ear Headphones) - I was super impressed.
Then I got a gift of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro-80 Closed Studio Headphones which led me to discover headphone amps. Some research pointed me in the direction of the Fiio E07K Andes USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amplifier - I was completely blown away.  This was now on a par with the McIntosh MX406 and MCD4000-6-Disc-CD-Changer system I have in my car.  I never thought I could have that quality of sound in a portable package.
After a while I wanted to take this sound with me when I travelled so I purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic DTX501P to complete the package.
After a while I wondered how much nicer it would be to have exactly what i have in a more compact package which is when I discovered the FiiO X3.  It was while researching the X3 that I discovered the X5 which led me to an invitation to join the X5 tour.
 

 
The question that I needed the X5 to answer for me was is it a suitable replacement for my current bundle and are the improvements significant enough for my definition of 'sound quality' (I think sound quality is something that is totally subjective although I understand the need to try and describe or define it)
I firmly believe (my personal opinion) that the main function of a high quality music player is to listen to music.  Things like being able to easily adjust the volume, the bass & treble or whether a track can be tagged as a favourite are very much secondary functions.  Fortunately, most of these secondary functions are software based so they can be improved or tweaked.  
Here are my findings.
 

 
Build 
The build quality of the unit is hard to fault.  The solid metal casing is a joy and feels great in the hand. Unlike some, I actually like the weight of the X5 - it gives it a premium feel.
 
Operation (User Interface)
I found the operation of the X5 via the User Interface to be fresh and different, in a good way.  It took a little getting used to and I can see that a little more work is required in the software to address issues of workflow and making a few functions configurable.
The good news is that most of this can be done via the Firmware upgrades with relative ease.  FiiO will have to manage their development roadmap carefully to release Firmware upgrades that address logical feature sets.
I would like to be able to adjust the speed of the scroll wheel or what each 'click' represents.
 
Operation & Ergonomics (Control)
I found operating the X5 in terms of volume controls, shortcut 'X' buttons for next track, previous track etc., was perfectly adequate.  It took a very short time to get used to how things operated and then it was a breeze.
In terms of Ergonomics, the only thing I would change would be to duplicate the volume buttons on the left of the unit, on the right.  Then I would allow the user to select the right or left for the volume controls and the right or left for the next track/previous track. This way the ease of use of the X5 does not depend on which hand it is held in – just a thought 
 
   
 
                   
Sound Quality
For me this should be the only reason to buy a portable player. The UI, the controls and even the capacity are all secondary in my opinion- after all there isn’t much point in listening to several songs at the same time ?.  I was truly amazed at the sound quality produced for such a reasonable price.
As I mentioned before I am not an audiophile.  All I know is that I found the X5 to have just the right amount of bass, treble and mid range for almost any type of music I cared to put through it.  I was particularly impressed by the way I could get the perfect sound by using the EQ when listening to high quality recordings of Kora music.  But it doesn’t stop there – I pulled out some music that I only have on as MP3’s and somehow the X5 treated them with so much respect that they decided to behave like high quality FLAC’s - miraculous!
The only ‘core’ part of the X5 I would want to see improved if possible would be the power of the headphone amp – more power please.
 
Conclusion
The X5 really is a hidden gem.  I will be getting one just as soon as I can.  I am already looking forward to long haul flights with the X5.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to evolve their enjoyment of recorded music – by the time they become a fully fledged audiophile they will already have the right player!
Next challenge FiiO – make a player that is twice as good for only twice the money, I dare you!
For me the X5 is a better package than the iPod/E07K bundle and that X5's wining margin grows with each firmware update.
 

 
 
This review is based on the brief time I had the X5 as part of the UK tour.
 
I am not going in the facts, like spec, what's in the box etc, we all know that by now.
 
This is all my personal opinion and you should try to listen to anything yourself before buying.
All our ears are different.
 
Me
46 year old – amateur musician for 32 years, audiophile for 20 years. I think I know
two channel audio pretty well, I have worked in Hi-End audio retail,and I certainly know how an instrument, especially guitars and drums are meant to sound.
Loves Rickenbackers, Gretsch Drums, Vox amps, LP12s, Quad Electrostatics and BBC speakers.
 
 
Equipment Used with X5 and in comparison
 
Hisoundaudio 3^rd Anniversary.
Hifiman - HM-801
Linn Ikemi CD player
 
Audio Technica ATH-ES10 (ESW9 pads)
Beyerdynamic DT1350
Denon AH-D2000
Sennheiser HD600
 
My 801 developed faults about a month before the X5 arrived, so I used my Studio 3^rd
for that period until I received the X5. So both other DAPs were still quite fresh in my memory.
 
When I first received it, it was already charged, and very simple plug and play.
I plugged into my Dell Precision M4700 (Win7 64 bit) at work and there were no issues.
I find Fiio quite brilliant at this. You KNOW that when a lovely FIIO box arrives it will work.
I have E7, E07k, E17 and G01 guitar amp, and they've all been easy to use, and reliable.
If only the same could be said for others.
 
So I've the X5 in my hand, it's big, wider than my Iphone5, it feels good and weighty in my hand,
however I have very very big hands, so I am not too sure how others would feel, it could seem
a bit large.
 
I transfer some music with drag and drop, there is no internal memory so you have to use a mico SD card, I used a Samsung 32g class 4, that I had in my Studio 3^rd. Of course the first thing I put on
is some 24/192 files. This is the first DAP I have had that plays over 24/96, and this was my main
reason for showing interest in the first place.
 
After ejecting safely I turn it on and am completely bemused!. I can't seem to move the cursor.
I show it to a younger MAC friendly colleague at work, and he instantly spots the wheel and shows me. I have never used an Ipod so this was not intuitive to me.
So panic over and I plug in my ES10s
UURGGGGGHH – horrible. BUT I know it's not the DAP. I have had the ES10s for 2 months
now and the X5 confirmed that I just don't like them.
Ridiculous bass and veiled treble. I often wonder if they are fakes, yet they are beautifully built and others who I lend them to like them.

 
Back to the trusty DT1350. That's more like it.
Real world bass, beautiful midrange and treble.
 
Lots of treble.
On certain recordings there is no doubt I found the combo of X5/DT1350 a little
overly bright, like there is a spotlight on the treble. Sometimes I really like this as the detail
on the X5 is fabulous, the best I have heard on any DAP.
 
I am a detail freak, I think a lot of musicians are. I love hearing more, whether it was Beatles
24/44 flac, Rolling Stones 24/192 or WAVs of Jason Falkner and Michael Head I heard more detail
than ever. I was delighted as this.
Due to the short time I can't really say if part of the extra detail is due to the brightness or not. The match with D2000s was the best, I could have listened to that for a long long time without needing to upgrade a thing.
 
I have a Voyager and O2 but used the X5 only as a DAP, after all I was looking for a one box
replacement for my 801. I did find on better masterings, with high dynamic range like Mobile Fidelity and DCC that I had to have the volume at 85-90 with my DT1350s. I don't normally have to turn any amp up that hard, and I am no headbanger.
With other more modern compressed recordingsI had the volume at 65-75 – a bit more acceptable. Unlike others here I find the DX50 to have more power, but that of course is not what's important.
 
I found the battery life to be very good, I didn't measure it but definitely better than the 801, and its so easy to charge via USB, unlike other DAPs where you need a unique charger, this used to drive me mad about my HM-601 and HM-801
 
It's my birthday soon, it's fabulous value and I may ask for one.
I wish I had more time with it, and got to try it with the Voyager (that may have tamed the brightness a bit) I need to find out more about the X90, then the X7 might come out, or I might get my 801 repaired or exchange it for a 901 – choices, choices, this are very very exciting times in the world of personal audio, golden days. And the X5 adds to that perfectly
 
So to summarise
 

1. Great Build
2. Works Flawlessly
3. Superb Value
4. Plays Hi-Res beautifully
5. Amazing details, you will hear things you haven't heard before
6. Dual USB slots
7. Proper Line Out
8.  
   Firmware easy to change

 
My only criticisms (that don't seem to agree with anyone else's here!)

1. Maybe a bit bright with certain headphones.
2. I don't like the X controls on the front. Though I guess I would get used to it after time.
3. Headphone amp could be a bit more powerful.

 
Introduction
Fiio as company in the Audio Market is very well known for bringing Audio equipment to the mainstream market that not only sounds good and looks good but priced good. There was a point in time where we would’ve turned our back on Chinese Audio Companies but recently we have been accepting them and they have been outdoing their competition with quite a few successful products. Over the years Fiio has made a name for itself with portable headphone amplifiers and dacs but in 2013 the company decided to make a move into the world of Digital Audio Players or DAPs. They did this by giving us the successful Fiio X3, while it had an old school look it provided a great sounding portable music player that could play almost any file format at a great price. But being Fiio they always like the one up themselves where they can, so in the beginning of 2014 we saw the fabulous Fiio X5 come to market which aimed itself in the Mid-Fi to High-End Market by coming in at a price of £450.00 (RRP) and here it saw competition from the likes of iBasso, Colorfly and Astell & Kern who are very big names in this portable audio market. So did it deliver? Yes it did!
 
Exterior Design
The exterior of the Fiio X5 is a well made and solid design, the entire chassis and housing has been constructed from Metal with the buttons being constructed of Metal. The top output ports are gold plated, this is to ensure a more durable connector and overall increase lifespan. There is a myth that gold plating does improve sound but so far this hasn’t been confirmed and the original use of gold plating on electrical connectors such as 3.5mm connectors and usb connectors is to get a better contact between the two connectors and improve durable which in turn improved the life span of the connector. Next we have the big design choice which sticks out like a sore thumb, this is the mechanical scroll wheel. This is reminiscent of the older iPods which used this to control the device but where the Fiio differs from the iPod is by using a mechanical scroll wheel which does feel better but unfortunately there are some problems where by the scroll wheel can be a bit loose and it can take time to respond in some cases. The IPS Screen is a very nice touch, providing very nice colour and a good resolution with Text and album Artwork looking very good on it. The Dual MicroSD Cards is another very good addition, as with most Music Fans their libraries will be huge especially if they are in FLAC or Hi-Res so therefore having dual MicroSD Card Slots means we get up to 256GB of Storage and I’m sure Fiio will allow us to expand further when larger MicroSD Cards become available, but the only problem here is the covers for the MicroSD Slots are quite difficult to remove and to be far I don’t see why Fiio just didn’t use a sliding door like Astell & Kern. Overall the exterior is very well made and mostly designed with thought but in some cases they could of done better.
 
Internal Hardware
 
Internally the Fiio X5 also has us covered using a PCM1792 DAC for the digital conversion, then we have 4 op-amps which are OPA1612 handling Volt Amp, I/V Conversion & Low-Pass Filtering. Then to finish it off we have two headphone output chips which are LMH6643 which hand the Current Amplification and the Headphone Output. The PCM1792 is a superior DAC to that found the original X3 which was a Wolfson DAC, WM8740SEDS. Now the little brother, Fiio X1, uses another PCM DAC which is the PCM5142 and the new X3 uses a Cirrus Logic DAC which is the CS4398 but in the case of the X3 it uses the same OPA1612 as the X5 but only two which handle Volt Amp and Low-Pass Filtering and then a single LMH6643 for Current Amplification and Headphone Output, so where the X5 can split the output into Left & Right the new X3 does them both on a single chip. The hardware found in the X5 is very good, but at this point I can’t compare it to the X1 or X3 to see how this hardware configuration compares to them. Now comparing the hardware of the X5 to the iPod Video 5g and Note 4, well the iPod uses a Wolfson Dac which is the WM8758 DAC which in itself is a pretty great DAC. Now the Note 4, well not sure we know what it is cause as far as I am aware I can’t seem to find out what it is so if people know then please comment but we do know that it will decode 24-Bit/192Khz Music Files so it’s not a slouch.
 
User Experience (UI)
The UI is another section that needs to be done right, as if the UI is poor then users will not want to use it. Well I am partly happy to say it’s good, ish! Now the good thing is that once your library is updated, the X5 is able to successfully compile your music by Artist and Album without issues plus navigating the UI is fast thanks to the Dual-Core Processor found inside the X5. But for me I feel the UI could've been designed a lot better, to me it doesn’t seem to well thought out and compared to the likes of the iPod it does seem old fashioned. Plus navigating and finding your way around can be difficult at first but you do get used to it. Overall I feel that the UI is ok but not great and could’ve been done a lot better.
 
Sound
Now let us get to the sound, I shall try to explain as best I can the sound I can hear coming from the X5 but please do remember that this is my own personal feelings of how I hear the sound. Everyones ears are different!
 
Bass:
So the bass is by no means overpowering and by now means fitting for real bass heads, there is a bass boost but I don’t use EQ so the out of the box SQ is not bass head ready. However the bass is strong, tight and clear, there is no sense of it being weak nor withdrawn. The bass has great presence without overpowering the rest of the frequency range. It has very good separation, by being very cable of separating Kick Drums from Bass Guitars makes for a very good low end experience.

 
Midrange:
The mid range for me is great, its neutral and is always there, it just never goes away! Which is a great thing, the one I like is hearing Vocals which falls into this range so having the mid range clear, articulate and neutral means it never gets overpowered nor gets put aside, for Metal/Rock/Rap/Pop or anything with vocals this is something I always want from my Audio equipment.
 
Treble:
This is where I feel the detail of the X5 gets into its own, the highs are detailed and extend very well. They can sound a bit bright but overall I love it, hearing cymbals crash and high guitar notes clear without distortion makes for a very pleasing experience.
 
Separation/Soundstage:
If you pair the X5 with a headphone that can separate well then the X5 will compliment it by separating instruments very well. It almost feels as if I can sense the silent space between the instruments and for that really gives great airiness to the sound. This provides a great soundstage as well, it doesn’t feel compressed nor claustrophobic. Remember “The music is the silence between the notes” and does it ring true when the song is separated well.
 
Overall the sound quality is neutral with each section of the audio spectrum well presented and not overpowering each other, each range is allowed its space to perform without the other ranges coming in its way. The treble can sound a little bright or harsh but this is very dependent on the track and how the track is mastered. If I was to sum up the way the X5 sounds, its that the Music drives the X5 not the X5 driving the Music.
 
The following comparisons were done using the following albums:
 
Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Decent
AC/DC - Back In Black
Warpaint - Warpaint
Slash - Slash
 
I know I specifically chose these albums mainly because Disarm The Decent and Warpaint can suffer from a too much low end and muddy sound, this would allow me to see how each player would handle these kind of tracks. Then using the AC/DC Album & Slash Album allows me to see how well each player separates the sound and how clear the SQ can be. So while it may seem unfair using partly poorly mastered albums it helps to see how each player handles them, as remember not all albums are mastered perfectly.
 
Compared to iPod Video:
The first things I notice is how the bass on the iPod does become a little boomy when compared to the X5 especially because of the Bass Guitar and Low Electric Guitar notes, however the X5 also suffers a little bit a boomy bass due to the track but not as much as the iPod, with the iPod I feel the slightly worse bass management on the iPod does affect the other ranges where the X5 has better bass management allowing the other ranges to work better. The next thing is the kick drum which sounds a little weaker on the iPod compared to the bigger presence it has on the X5. The vocals also sound a little bit more withdrawn on the iPod than the X5, whether than means the X5 is more forward in the midrange than the iPod who knows but having the vocals sound a little bit withdrawn is quite annoying. Plus I sense a lot more airiness and spaciousness on the X5 than the iPod. By no means does the iPod do poorly, in fact it does a good job and performs well but the X5 just out does it in almost all aspects. Would I say upgrade to the X5 from the iPod, well for me the slightly boomier bass from the iPod and slightly weaker midrange makes me want the X5 a lot more.
 
Compared to Samsung Note 4:
The Note 4 does have a clearer sound than the iPod and better management of its bass, the separation of the Note 4 is actually quite good and overall the SQ is quite neutral and similar to the X5 but again I feel the X5 just has a little bit better clarity and spaciousness. But by no means does the X5 get a clean whitewash over the Note 4, as on it’s own with and without the Fiio E11K which when added to the Note 4 makes the SQ a little thicker and deeper adding nicely to the clear SQ. So while I recommend the X5 over the iPod Video, if you already own a Note 4 have a go at pairing it with a Fiio AMP like the E11K or E12 and you could even pair it with an AMP/DAC like the Oppo HA-2 if you want to.
 
So while I recommend the X5 over the iPod and mostly over the Note 4 but with the Note 4 I would say have a go with some portable AMP/DACs and see how it goes as you may be surprised. I still feel for the price of the X5 + MicroSD Cards, I would highly say have an audition of the Fiio X1 and Fiio X3K to see how they sound compared to your current setup and I will only really recommend the Fiio X5 for those who really want the top end from Fiio, like me!
 
Final Thoughts
Well this has gone on for a while! Please do remember this is all my own opinions and your own experience can differ for the better or the worse. For me the X5 serves as a great foundation to build upon with better headphones and IEMs, it allows me to have a great source to which I can then plug in some great headphones. But like a lot of things I own, I don’t always recommend it even though I love it a lot and the reason being because when comparing to the Note 4 I was surprised how the Note 4 was able to keep up mostly with clarity and spaciousness to the X5, it really shows that if you try it out with some portable AMP/DACs it can shine. And with the X1 and X3K below it, it makes much more sense for people to try those out first as considering the Fiio X3K uses a similar circuit to the X5.

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
DISCLAMER: I am not affiliated with FiiO. This is a part of a world review tour and FiiO provided me the unit for review purposes. This review is as independent and objective as possible.
 
 
 

 
 
As the very first Italian reviewer of the FiiO X5 i want to thank all the FiiO staff for this opportunity to grow as a reviewer and to put my hands on this beauty.
 
Box content:
FiiO X5
Documentation (Quick Start + Warranty, etc.)
USB charging / data cable
Silicone protective case
Digital out to coax cable
USB micro SD card reader
Screen protectors
The X5 is well packaged and basically includes almost everything you need to start using it.
 

 
 
My review will follow a unusual route and i'll start with the
 
Build Quality:
 My unit is really well crafted, the chinese aluminium production standards this days are really high and this unit is not an exception. The design is sleek but a bit «rough», in my opinion lacks a bit of smoothness. The lines and texture of the material are original and the overall presentation is good but it lacks a bit of friendliness on the design. It looks industrial. It feels and looks like a tank; and speaking of tanks, i think the unit is well ruggedized. I'm not sure if it meets the requirements of some standards (not for the water i guess) but i think wih this build quality would be easy to achieve. As i've mentioned, water can be a real problem with this unit because it lacks basic isolation: think about the gap on the wheel or some other small parts. Central and lateral buttons are perfect, the wheel rattles a little bit on the side (microns), but it feels solid. All the other buttons are perfect on this unit.
The aluminum cutting is really good on this unit, there aren't debris or bad soldering points.
The screen top protection is well ruggedized, and so the parts around it.
Obviously i haven't done drop tests but i feel like the unit can handle concrete drops from hands, even more with the silicon cover provided.
It does sometimes get  warmer than most DAPs or smart phones when used for a while but nothing to be concerned here.
Thinking about a single word to describe the buildings and design on the unit i think the best for me is TANK.
 
3 reasons:
It's a little on the heavy side;
It's rock solid;
It looks and feels powerful;
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Software and UI design:
The software will change from the testing time to the final release.
My assumption are not based on the final software design of the unit.
Software side, my opinion is that there is a solid code base to work on but the work is not finish yet.
Solid code means that there is space to work on some bugs and improvements confortably wathever is the development environment.
Overall, the system seems really reactive and again, space for improvement is really, really high from now to release and with new firmwares.
 
Talking about the UI usability more deeply, i guess that everything is in the right place aside of some scrolling problems due to the firmware but they are working on it as i have the unit in my hands.
The graphics on the UI is clean and fluid.
 
 

 
 
The Sound:

I'll go straighforward to a description of the key components of the sound:
 
    Signature: A very neutral signature, no questioning here, the player is neutral born and i love it. Neutral and sweety flat as beautiful mountain lake in a calm, sunny day.
 
    Bass: The X5 has a very big bass compart. It is big and punchy. The bass is neutral and not in the way of the detail coming from the other frequencies. Other than that, bass are on the warm side, but still very detailed.
 
    Midrange: Midrange are just right there, a little bit recessed maybe, but everything in the right place
 
    Treble: If the recording is bad, there might be some sibilance and discomfort with the treble, especially at high volumes.
 
    Sound Stage: The X5 sound stage is excellent: Imaging and instrument placement are really good for a portable player.
 
It is very close to the FiiO house sound, the kind of sound quality you get from products like the e07k or above, absolutely fantastic.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Comparing the player i must say that is able to outperform most of my gear starting from the SansaClip+ up to the Rockboxed ipod even with the help of the FiiO e07k, sonically speaking and i'm glad it delivers all of that in a more compact package, even if it's still on the heavy side.
 
 
 
 

 
Final Ratings and Conclusions:
The DAP market has really taken of this year, the quest for an all in one music solution has never sounded any better and now we have so many choices for where we go.
I think this player has a sweet spon on it's price range and to me everyone deserves a FiiO X5.
It's not just a Audiophile matters, i just think that this product can break off the lines of the audiophile elites and push himself on the bigger market, the game changing field.
This product can satisfy the casual listener looking for more and the demanding audiophile.
For my honest opionin, it's a Buy.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

I’ve had my eyes peeled for a staunch enough system to replace my GalaxyS4>UAPP>OTG>Dragonfly1.2 mobile setup. While this package sounds amazing, it’s cumbersome and time-consuming to connect and get running. I have all my adapters and cables, along with the Dragonfly itself, in a leather pencil roll. To set it all up I must unroll the bundle, take the Dragonfly out of its sheath, remove the cap, pull out the cable I need for going mobile, connect everything, load up USB Audio Player Pro, and select an album to play. Oh, and headphones, of course. Gotta have that.





All this can be accomplished in less than a minute. But in the doing, that time takes on a brutish quality. It’s a lot more work than it should be. I wanted something lighter and quicker, something self-contained, compact, and extremely easy to just pick up and go.

Them who roam the lands of high-end audio call a contraption of that sort a “DAP”. Queer little buggers… these audiophiles.

There are lots of options out there. Fortune placed a 2nd Generation FiiO X3 in my path at a reasonable mark-off. You can find that review on your own, if you fear what awaits you for not reading it. The X3ii did everything I could possibly want from a DAP, save one crucial mark: it did not match or surpass the Dragonfly in raw, unadulterated sound quality. It came close in some ways. The sound is so clean and lively, that after a week of not comparing it to the Dragonfly, I began to ponder why I should ever desire an upgrade.

Then, when I listen to the Audioquest again, I am refreshed of its spaciousness, clarity, and refinement. After that, it’s tough to reconcile the disparity and convince oneself to settle.




Perhaps a week and a half into owning the X3ii, I found a brand-new X5 Classic for $195. The taut, well-oiled reflexes of a degenerate sprang into action, and I pounced on the opportunity.

Allow me to say, if you’ve spent the last month reading every review of the X3ii, X5 Classic, and X5ii, forming proper expectations is a cruel and befuddling exercise. Part of me thought this could be a monstrous upgrade. Another part feared it might weigh in just under the X3ii, and sound rather too dark as a bonus. Both extremes informed by stuff I’d read.

My principle monitors for mobile and work listening were the fairly new AUDIO TECHNICA IM04 in-ear phones. Being on the warm side, I knew mingling with the X5 Classic might yield a very dark sound indeed.



As it turns out, it does. But only on a few especially dark albums—like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, or Dookie by Green Day, or Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. Most everything else sounds marvelous. Using the ATH-IM03, which is a brighter, airier IEM, these darker tracks breathe again. The sonic signature is mildly warm, yet quite open and spacious. There is a rich, velvety smoothness to the music that favors slower acoustic pieces, yet somehow never falters on quick, complex tracks. Paired with a multi-driver earphone, you are treated to such immersive layering. The X5 is a clear, transparent, detail-oriented machine.

I’ve coveted the aesthetics of the X5, even before I knew what it was. Again and again, as I read up on various products, I’d see a photo of this bold, almost brash, hunk of metal. I’d think, “That’s right and good, isn’t it? That’s what a DAP ought to look like.” I much prefer this design over the 2nd Gen FiiO players. While smarter, sleeker, and, functionally speaking, superior, they’ve killed something in the personality department. Also, on a carnal level, the fluidity of the scroll wheel of the X5 Classic promotes a greater number of erections than the cog-like workings of the newer players. There’s a luxuriousness upon fingering it which frightens me.

When coupling this DAP with something larger, like the Sennheiser HD600, it holds up admirably. Setting the volume at 100/120 on High Gain, I reach a sufficient blast to meet the fundamental requirements of Metallica, the Black Album. These 300 Ohm headphones do not reach the same fidelity on the X5 as they do on my desktop amp. Then again, the Maverick Audio TubeMagic D1 Plus with the OPA627 upgrade is a hellcat. Nonetheless, fed by the X5, it sounds more or less badass.

I don’t own a portable amp to which to chain my DAPs. Something like the E12 or the C5 is the antithesis of what I want from a portable unit. As I only take IEMs on the go, this is not a problem. But should I ever want to go mobile with a king-hell headset, the X5 will serve splendidly in a pinch.



14 Ohms, 34 Ohms, 300 Ohms… all pair very well here. Even my 50 Ohm Klipsch X7i opens up like a prom date for the X5 Classic. It’s a privet agony, but the X7 has been relegated to backup duty in recent months. Once you go multi-driver, it’s impossible to willingly go back. Still, the X7 is the lightest, smallest, and most comfortable earphone I’ve ever tried. So they stick around, criminally underutilized, as my Podcast and Audiobook phones, played via the headphone-out of my Galaxy S4 (now S6). Heaven forbid if my IM03 were to go on a walkabout I could stride onward with the X5>X7i setup, head held high. They certainly make a handsome couple.



So… the FiiO thrills on all of my equipment. But does it compete against that which it’s meant to replace? Well…

The Dragonfly has a soundstage more-or-less equal to the X5, erring on the side of broader. There seems to be a greater degree of detail on the X5. It’s a close call, though. The Dragonfly sounds smoother, perhaps due to a combination of less detail and wider staging. Both sound very close to one another. I have trouble deciding which is darker and which is lighter. I believe the Dragonfly is a smidge brighter, if at all.

It’s particularly difficult to decide which is better. Smoother speaks to refinement I’ve always felt, but in this case, the X5 makes up for it in detail, a natural rendering of space, and a lively sense of musicality. Switching back and forth between the two, neither emerges a clear winner. They share so much in common.

Which makes this FiiO DAP a perfect replacement for the muddling mess of the Audioquest. I’ve been using the X5 Classic for weeks now, and have not once reckoned a lack in my listening sessions. This is what I had hoped the X3ii would sound like. Turns out my expectations were perverted by the lusty Dragonfly.

If all you need is a thumb-sized DAC to plug into a PC or tablet, the Dragonfly 1.2 cannot be beat for the price. But if you want an all-in-one portable music player of extreme audio fidelity, the X5 Classic is where you start.

I say “start”, because I’m nowhere near done yet. I still long to discover new levels of quality and refinement. But this will tide me over for a few months at least. It’s the beginning of August now. With my Christmas bonus I may give the Cayin N6 a try. See where that takes me.

This is the perfect place to rest for a time. If I were unable to buy another piece of gear, it would not kill me. The X5>IM03 is unreasonably great and delivers immaculate pleasure to your ear-holes.

-~::Pinky_Powers::~-

First of all, would like to thanks Fiio for allowing me to review the X5 even it havent hit our shore yet. This review stay neutral and i didnt biased toward any of the company.
 

a picture line up of all the DAP i have use for this review. i try not to make much SQ comparison between each of them as they are all unique to me
 
Unit info:
Product name: Fiio X5
FW: X5FW1.00 (I have upgraded to FW1.10 and didn’t notice and noticeable change on the SQ)
 
Physical Appearance

1. The picture does not do justice to the actual product as the physical product looks more solid. Fiio has also finally got it right for the metal polish finishing. If Fiio uses the same finishing on their other products such as X3 and E12 series, it will be a good selling point in terms of appearance.
2. The scroll wheel takes some time to get used to it. Fortunately Fiio has included the 4 navigation button whereby most of the navigation can be performed by the 4 buttons.

 
UI

1. Nice UI, snappy and responsive
2. Navigation of system is quite easy even without reading the instruction manual

 
Phone static test

1. None detected. I didn’t notice any interference even though I put my mobile phone (which is ringing) on top of the X5.

 
Function test

1. Gapless play is working fine for me.  I don’t play classical music that much but I do play live concert music genre.
2. The X5 can detect earphone jack unplug, this is one of the features which I appreciate that Fiio has built in.
3. The bookmarked function is also nicely done but the only downside is that I can’t create a playlist on my computer and throw it into the X5. Hopefully Fiio can come up with something for this function in the near future. I’m sure other users will be pleased with this too.

 
SQ

1. There’s no issue for X5 to portray the dynamic range of the music. Lossless file like APE and FLAC gave this player some extra edge compared to mp3 format, especially on the music details. In my opinion, Fiio has managed to build a better music decoder for X5 as there are more music details in the X5 compared to X3 and DX50.
2. Throughout the whole review period, I have constantly tested different genre of music on the X5, and it passed all the test with no complaints J
3. Sound stage – balance / neutral sound stage which doesn’t make the whole music taste like artificial but yet it have plenty of room on it J
4. Treble – soothing and extensive
5. Mid –I would say neutral mid, by comparing it to X3+E12DIY (BUF634+MUSES01), X5 mid is lesser than my X3+E12DIY but I will gladly present this as a positive point for X5.
6. Bass – it’s quite neutral, not too overwhelming. X5 can handle it well enough for all the trance/jazz/rock track that I have played.

 
IEM used:
The Max volume is 120 for X5
 
Westone W4r – Low Gain, Vol 66-70
Phonak Audeo PFE232 – Low Gain, Vol 70-78
Westone UM3X RC –Low Gain, Vol 66-70
ATH M50 – High Gain, Vol 60-65
 
EQ setting: Normal/ None

• Green Day – Jesus of Surburbia (Flac). Genre - Rock
• Jane Monheit – over the rainbow (audiophile voices collection) (flac). Genre – Jazz
• Colbie Caillat – Begin again. Genre – Pop
• David Tao - Airport in 10:30 (APE). Genre – Pop/R&B
• Kacey Musgraves - My House (flac). Genre – Country
• MayDay – Second life album (Flac). Genre – Pop/Rock
• Jacky Cheung – Live The Life (Flac). Genre – Pop/Concert

Intro:
 
To start off, I'd like to thank Joe for giving me an opportunity to demo this unit. I'd also like to thank James for being so active in the community and really taking our fellow headfier's feedback into consideration. This is a first to my knowledge, and really goes to show how much they care .
 
I received the X5 on the 17th and of course was skeptical regarding the design and sound quality. To be honest I wasn't really expecting much. Not that I was going into the demo biased. Just wasn't expecting it to be so good . I first used the unit with the Flat 4 Suis and that was "the pairing" for me. These two are just made to go together IMO. Extremely musical, detailed and effortless. Before I go into more detail on the sound I'll talk about the packaging and the build quality.
 
 
 
 
Packaging:
 
The X5 is well packaged and comes with some novel items such as 3.5 plugs which will help prevent the plugs from getting contaminated with dust. There is also extra screen protectors and a silicone case to help protect your investment. Other than that the X5 comes with a USB plug, some sort of coaxial plug, a USB memory stick (not exactly sure is on that, maybe music or directions?), and book-manuals.
 
 


 
 
Build Quality:
 
The X5 has rather good build quality. It feels solid in hand and is made mostly of metal. As I mentioned earlier though the scroll wheel is a bit of a sore point for me. It does seem a bit jittery and due to this I end up selecting wrong settings or tracks at times (keep in minda Fiio did mention fixing this issue with a firmware update in the future?). Also the micro SD slot covers are cumbersome and feel a bit frail. Personally I think they should have gone with a design like the AK units do where it slides open and closed (hint, hint!). I don't think the current covers will last a long time. Other than that I think the build quality is quite good overall.
 



 
 
UI:
 
It's quite well known that audiophile DAPs have & still lack quite a bit in this department. Only recently have things started changing and thank goodness for that. The X5 is definitely going in the right direction with the UI. I had minimal issues with the UI and found it rather easy to use. I don't have much to complain about in this regards. The unit boots up pretty quickly and shuts down as it should. There are multiple features within the UI that makes this player nifty and versatile. Although it doesn't look like they have playlist support . I hope Fiio can add this as it would make this player perfect for me. I'm a control freak and like to have all my music organized how I want it .
 
Anyways, you can view your music via folder view, album, artist, favorites (add favorites to your list first), genre & all music. Even with WAV it recognizes the tags and allows for this. They all work. This is excellent. 
 
In System Settings you can manually update the library (scan). You can switch this feature to manual or auto by pressing the bottom left or right buttons on the player. I prefer to manually do it anyways opposed to having the unit scan every time . There is a key lock setting which gives you two options Option 1 disables the buttons on the DAP so you can't switch tracks or adjust volume while the screen is off. With option 2 it gives you that ability. Sweet! You can also adjust the screen time out, idle power and sleep mode. You also have a USB mode feature which can be switched from either storage or DAC. Under this menu you also have info about the X5, the ability to format either SD slot, and you can do a factory restore.
 
Under Play Settings you have Play Mode which allows you to play songs @ random, repeat, Play all, and there is one more function but I'm not sure what that play mode is... You also have gapless playback under this menu which can be enabled or disabled. You can also adjust the max volume, and a fixed volume setting. There is also a Power on Volume settings (will start the unit at a specific volume @ your choice). Lastly there is a Low and High gain setting and balance . With balance you can adjust how loud the left channel or right channels are if you have hearing loss. Very sweet. Lots of customizations available on this UI. .
 
 
Sound Quality:
 
This is probably the most important part for a good amount of you folks (it sure is for me) and the X5 doesn't disappoint for me in this area. I've been extensively listening to the X5 through my Flat 4 Suis for the past week.... I love this player. Sounds very good. Fiio surpassed my expectations. Silky smooth sound. Spacious, detailed, slightly warm but on the neutral side to my ears. Just love the contrast and texture of the sound. Separation is good. Vocals really stand out for me. Very natural, easy on the ears yet not rolled off or overly smooth. Very well done Fiio.
 
Treble:
 
The treble has great extension while sounding rather smooth and natural. Its generally non-offensive unless the track is poorly mastered. The contrast throughout the frequencies is very impressive and still being able to strike a balance between detail, neutrality & natural sound is amazing. The overall sound has a nice thickness to the sound which is what I relate to a natural sound.
 
Mids:
 
The mids is one of my favorite aspects of this player. Really stands out in a good way for me. I guess you could say the player is a bit mid-centric. Although I feel the overall signature of the player is on the neutral side. Just the mids really stand out in a way where I could see where people are coming from stating it is mid-centric.
 
Bass:
 
The bass is tight and punchy. It is just ever so slightly emphasized which gives the player a nice amount of warmth to it, without deviating too much from a neutral signature.
 
Sound-staging:
 
The Sound-staging for some reason reminds me a bit of how my SE5s portray its Sound staging. It has a decent amount of width to the presentation with a bit more depth than width to it.
 
Micro-detailing:
 
This is by far my favorite aspect of this player. Micro-details just stand out so much more than I'm use to and in a good way. Normally I give Hisound players the nod in this area but the X5 manages to do it and I think even better. As mentioned earlier the player has great contrast and this goes hand in hand with the micro-detailing this player outputs. Everything just stands out and is easy to differentiate. Yet the player still has a natural sound to it without sounding overly thin.
 
 
Final thoughts:
 
It has been a pleasure to demo this unit and sadly I had to send it back earlier today ;(.... I'll have to wait in line like everyone else, but I plan on buying a unit for myself. I had no intentions on buying another player (owning an AK120 S-mod & Rocoo BA) but I'm sold. The X5 has many more pluses than it has minuses. With the minuses being the scroll wheel and the micro SD slot coverings. If you can look past that and want a player that sounds excellent and has a UI that is easy to use and just works, well you found the right player . I'd like to once again thanks Joe and James for the opportunity to demo this unit and I think they have a winner on their hands.
 
Aloha!

 
INTRODUCTION
My audio chain has actually been pretty stable of late, my last addition being the Studio V3 Anniversary (DAP) and Dunu DN-1000s.  With the addition of the Studio V3, I had pretty much solved the one missing component – a decent DAP for my requirements.  I watched the progress with other “audiophile” high-res players being released (DX100, DX50, AK100 & 120, X3 and others), but beyond mild curiosity, I wasn’t overly tempted to go beyond what I currently have.  Then Fiio advertised that they were looking for reviewers for a World tour for the X5 – and with the hype building I put my hand up and was fortunate to be included.
 
My main reasons for wanting the opportunity were to further my experience with reviewing and to make a comparison with the Studio V3
 
So how does the X5 perform in my eyes?  Is the current hype justified?
 
DISCLAIMER
I was provided the Fiio X5 as a tour sample.  It now goes on to the next reviewer once I have finished reviewing it.  There is no financial incentive from Fiio in writing this review.  I am in no way affiliated with Fiio - and this review is my honest opinion of the X5.  I would like to thank Joe & James for making this opportunity available.
NOTE - I later paid for the review sample from Fiio at a price I am not at liberty to disclose.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.
(This is to give any readers a baseline for interpreting the review).
 
I'm a 46 year old music lover.  I don't say audiophile - just love my music.  Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current mid-fi set-up.  I vary my listening from portable (iDevices and Studio V3) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP).  My main headphones at the time of writing are the Senn HD600, Grado RS1, Beyer DT880, Dunu DN1000 & Shure SE535 Ltd Ed. IEMs.
 
I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz to grunge and hard-rock.   I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, indie, classic rock, and alternative rock.  I am particularly fond of female vocals.  I tend to like audio chains that are relatively neutral/balanced - with a slight emphasis on the mid-range.  I am neither a bass or treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though).  Current amps = NFB12 and LD MKIV.  I also formerly owned several portable amps - the most notable being an Arrow 4G and GoVibe PortaTube.  I have also in the past owned Fiio’s E7, E9 and E11.
 
My experience with DAPs in the past have been initially with very cheap Sony offerings, then step-ups to the Cowon iAudio7, my iPhone4 and iPod Touch G4 – which are both very good sounding and have excellent interfaces, and finally to my HSA Studio V3.  I've also listened to various other devices along the way - including Cowon's J3.
 
I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent.  For my portable listening – it has been my preferred format (space vs quality).  All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).
 
 I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences.  I am not a ‘golden eared listener’
 
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A DAP
I thought I’d list (before I start with the review) what I really look for in a new DAP.

1. Great (neutral) sounding – but with body (not thin)
2. Good build quality
3. Reasonable battery life
4. Easy to use interface
5. Able to drive both low impedance and (within reason) higher impedance cans without additional amping.

 
Did I get all of this with the X5?  Mostly – yes, and I’m sure what is missing will come with firmware updates.  Will I be buying an X5 – likely based on my very short time with it, but this would be dependent on FW upgrades which I will be watching closely.  So please pull up a chair, sit for a while, and let me relay my experiences with Fiio’s new flagship.
 
This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience.  Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.
 
THE REVIEW
 
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES
 

First up – the review sample I was sent was really well packaged with exterior foam – so Kudos to Fiio for that.  The retail box is red and black, actually reasonably compact considering the contents, and very smart looking IMO.  There is a great photo of the X5 on the front, whilst the rear has information on the build, specifications, and other features of the DAP.
 

On opening the retail outer box, you are presented with an inner black textured box and lid which houses the X5, silicone case, documentation, and in a compartment underneath, the accessory package.  This includes:

1. A USB charging / data cable (very well constructed and shielded)
2. A digital out to coax cable
3. 3 x socket pin protector plugs (for the output ports)
4. A Fiio branded USB micro SD card reader (this is very handy!)
5. 2 spare screen protectors for the X5 (plus one already fitted)

 

Documentation includes:

1. A Fiio warranty card
2. An HD tracks discount card (15%)
3. A contact card
4. The Fiio X5 quick start guide

 
 
The entire package is IMO very good, covering everything you initially need for the player.  Materials are all good quality.  Cables are particularly sturdy.
 
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The tables below list most of the relevant specifications.  I’ve collated these from information on the box, information found on line, my own personal experience with the X5, and also information from Joe.
 
General
 
Headphone Out
 
Line Out
 
BUILD
The build on the X5 (IMO) is what I would expect (mostly) in a top of the line DAP.  The casing looks to be a 2 piece high quality CNC aluminium alloy with a very nice matte finish.  I see no blemishes on this unit – everything seems to fit extremely well together, and the corners are smooth, and bevelling gives a nice touch of class.  The X5 feels more expensive than its RRP.  The screen has a really nice resolution, and is very clear and easy to read.  It does suffer a little in direct sunlight, but just shading the screen with your hand helps.
 
 
The scroll wheel flows nicely, and is easy to spin.  My only critique is that there is some side-to-side play with this unit – not much but it is there.  Probably the only part of the unit that feels a little flimsy.  The wheel itself is fairly sensitive, and takes a little getting used to – but practise makes perfect, and the buttons are also very easy for advancing and reversing through menu choices.
 
 
The buttons themselves are nicely placed, and feel good to the touch.  They are easy to locate on the unit, and equally easy to use unsighted (or with the screen off).
 
 
Moving to the ports – once again, an excellent fit – nice and snug for plugs.   All connections feel very solid. The best I have seen from Fiio in this regard.  There are three ports in the top of the unit – the headphone out, a dedicated 3.5mm line out, and also a digital plug (works with a 3.5mm to coax adaptor – which Fiio supply).
 
Finally the micro SD ports – functional, and positioned well.  My only criticism is the covers for these.  I appreciate them being there, and I’m probably a user who wouldn’t be removing the cards a lot.  But the covers themselves are extremely difficult to remove.  Maybe something that loosens over time, and therefore fixes itself.

Overall – the build for me is a solid 4.5/5.  TheX5 feels reassuringly solid in your hand at 122g.
 
UI (USER INTERFACE) / USABILITY
Please note that this is with the released firmware 1.00.
 
Let me preface by saying that for me the overall usability sits above my experience with my Studio V3, but still falls short of the benchmark (Apple).  However – the surprising thing for me is how good the interface is considering it is just the initially released firmware.
 
 
On starting the X5, you are greeted with a very nice “welcome” and Fiio animation – before moving to the menu.  The menu can be navigated using either the scroll wheel or buttons.  At the top of the menu is a status bar which shows (left to right) : volume, gain, current screen, sleep timer – if set, SD card in use, play status, and battery level indicator.
 
 
The menu choices include: now playing, equaliser (10 band), audio settings, general settings, folder mode, library access (via tags), and favourites.
 
 
The general setting and audio settings screens are straight forward, and pretty much include everything you’re likely to need.  General settings include language, media library updating, lock screen settings (2^nd option allows manual button access while locked), timer, brightness and power settings, access to different USB modes, information about the player, and ability to format.  Audio settings give access to the play
modes, gapless on/off, volume default settings, gain and balance modes.
 
The equaliser is 10 band, and comes with 10 presets including ‘flat’ and a custom one you can save.  The presets are OK – I probably wouldn’t use them – but the custom one is handy, especially if you have a headphone that needs a tweak.  My only wish would be that there was an option to add more custom EQs, or simply ditch / override the presets, and replace them with your own.  I would rather have 3 or 4 EQs for different headphones rather than different music types.  It would have been nice to have a parametric EQ setting – but the 10 band is functional and works well.
 
 
Folder mode works very well, and is far easier to use with this firmware release than browsing by tags.  In tag mode you can select one major level of operation, and then one minor level – e.g. choosing artist brings up the artist list – but then all material from that artist is listed in file name order (i.e. there is no sorting by album etc).  So if you have multiple albums under an artist, and your filenames list by 01 name, 02 name, 03 name – then all the 01’s are listed first (i.e. albums are scattered).  Similarly – browsing by album brings up individual albums – but if you have multiple CDs within an album, and they aren’t noted in the album name (e.g. “The Wall CD1”) then you have the same problems.  Fiio will be apparently fixing this – and they need to.  Browsing by tags at the moment for me is pretty much not going to work.
 
 
Going to folder mode is better – as you have the ability to then organise a folder hierarchy to suit (much easier to navigate).  Mine are always stored artist > album.  The only issue I have again is that (being used to Apple and also any reasonable PC software) I sometimes store multiple-disc albums together (again The Wall) – but have differentiated the 2 discs in the tags rather than in separate folders.  This is a relatively easy fix (I have to manually do it).  The best answer is having tagging working.
 
 
The upper left button brings up a context menu that is dependent on the menu you are in.  Amongst this is a favourite’s button so that you can save a song to a favourite’s playlist.  This works really well, and it is quite easy to add and remove songs from favourites using the context button.  Unfortunately there is only one favourites list – so no using multiple playlists at this stage.
 
The upper right button is a back button, and this is literally what it does – puts you back exactly to your last menu choice.  It has a memory too – so you can go back 4 or 5 choices.  This is something I would personally change.  IMO it would be far more practical to have this as an “up one level” button instead.  When navigating simply as a back button, it is quiet easy to get lost if you’ve been in a number of screens.  Holding this button down (no matter where you are) will take you back to the main menu.
 
The bottom two buttons are forward, back / up, down / fast forward, rewind – depending on your application.
 
The middle button is simply to select (i.e. action button).  One thing I have found – if you want to change volume – hold this button in (when screen is active) and the wheel volume control is activated.  Nice little touch.
Overall the UI is reasonably responsive – but can sometimes have some small lags between button press and actual action (this includes the wheel).  Hopefully this gets better with later firmware releases.
 
A couple of final notes on the UI – the gapless play is not entirely seamless (still a noticeable micro-pause between songs.  I can live with this – many wont.  This needs fixing.  Also the gain is 6 dB and is much appreciated especially for driving my DT880 and HD600.
 

Overall – if the Apple (think iPod Touch 4 / iPhone4) UI is a 10 (and that’s what I’d give it) – this initial release would come in about a solid 6.  It’s usable, has plenty of features, and I believe will get better with more firmware releases.  But it needs work.
 
SOUND
Probably best if I preface this section with a small note so that you are aware of my thoughts on audiophile type DAPs.  I like my iPhone4.  It is linear, user friendly, sounds pretty good actually – and I can tailor the sound via apps.  When I got my Studio V3, I was very surprised in the increase (to me) of perceived SQ.  Sonically the Studio seemed to have a more holographic/spacious sound to it.  Now I’m not sure if this is crossfeed, a dsp they’re using, or simply in the frequency response (I know the Studio is slightly on the bright side).  All I know is that I like it.
 
 
Also – when doing comparisons – to make sure I’m comparing correctly – I equalised the volume on all 3 devices with an SPL meter, and used the same files for all 3 devices.
So without further ado ….
 
The X5 (IMO) sounds phenomenal.  My initial impressions, and this is also comparing to my desktop (NFB-12) is that the X5 essentially has a very black background, is essentially flat/neutral – but with a slightly warmish tint to it.  It sounds very similar to my NFB-12 when level matched.  So the sound is quite full bodied (yet not dark).  I’ve noticed no hiss at all, and even with sensitive IEMs (SE 535), no issues with any channel imbalance.
 
I won’t go into highs, mids, lows etc. – as that is more to do with the frequency range of the headphones being used.  But I will say that I am very happy with the detail presentation, and also with the overall sense of space when listening via both my HD600 and DT880.  There is nothing lacking.
 
After level matching, I tested the following tracks with the Studio V3, Fiio X5 and iPhone4.  I used the DT880 250 ohm as it’s the most neutral can I currently have (and it was easier level match than the IEMs).

1. Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen
2. Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing
3. Amber Rubarth – Tundra (ideal for soundstage and imaging tests)
4. Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca – Lakme, The Flower Duet
5. Porcupine Tree – Trains

 
I had two main revelations when doing this:

• How close the V3 and X5 sounded in terms of detail and sense of space
• How good the iPhone sounded comparatively

 
In terms of absolutes (and please remember this is very subjective - my ‘old and imperfect ears’) in all of the tracks tested …..

1. V3 is definitely slightly brighter than both the iP4 and X5
2. I’d actually call the iP4 the most neutral – sitting between the V3 and X5
3. V3 and X5 have similar detail retrieval – withiP4 comparatively just a little behind, but still performing well.
4. Whilst the X5 is still very flat/neutral – it does have a slight hint of warmth to it – and this does it give a slightly fuller sound than both the iP4 and V3.  The X5 does this without losing its sense of detail.
5. Both V3 and X5 have a bigger impression of spaciousness (than the iP4)

 
 
For my personal preference and rankings – skip forward to the end.
 
OTHER FEATURES
The review wouldn’t be complete without a quick word regarding the other features the X5 offers, and this is where it truly sits apart from my other devices (as they do not have some of these features).
 
As a digital transport – using the 3.5mm to coax out – it works extremely well.  This is ideal for anyone who is away from home (e.g. at a Meet) and wants to test an audio chain – but with their own music.  I actually tried this feature going straight to my NFB-12, and then alternately using the NFB-12’s SS amp and also my LD MKIV.
 
With line-out to an external amp.  The line-out (to my ears) is essentially very clean, with no discernable noise or degradation of SQ.  I used this feature going straight to the LD MKIV – and the X5 in combination with my HD600s was simply sublime.  I actually ended up getting lost in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Anne-Sophie Mutter) for about half an hour while I was supposed to be evaluating.  To me, getting lost in the music is always a great sign of an audio chain done right.
 
As a DAC.  It did take a while to get the drivers loaded for Windows 8.1 (if you’re having trouble try this link [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM1MN8QZhnk] – thanks to John aka musicheaven for the help with that).  Once the drivers were installed, the X5 performed flawlessly with no recognisable dropouts or glitches.  The interesting thing was that I did a volume matched (using an spl meter) comparison with my NFB-12 and DT880s, and they sounded pretty much identical.  Blind, I don’t think I could have picked one from the other.  From my point of view – this is a great endorsement, as it means I can essentially have desktop quality whilst on-the-go.  Fantastic!
 
POWER
The X5’s amp section is a good one.  The power output is listed in the specs earlier in the review.  Basically I tested these with: HD600 @ 300 ohm, DT880 @ 250 ohm, RS1 @ 32 ohm, SE535 @ 36 ohm and DN-1000 @ 10 ohms.  At no stage did I feel any of the headphones were under driven, or in any way lacking.  With the X5 – for my tastes, there is simply no point in having an add-on amp.
 
BATTERY PERFORMANCE
Fiio rates the battery life under current firmware at around 10-12 hours, and thinks they can get up to 15 hours once the firmware matures.  I ran a ‘real world’ test from fully charged, and playing overnight with screen off.  I managed 11.5 hours before the X5 quit (playing red-book FLAC files) – so consistent with the information released.  From fully depleted using a 1a wall-wart, full charging took ~ 4 hours (again consistent with Fiio’s released information).
 
SD MICRO CARDS (PERFORMANCE/SCANNING)
With my Studio V3 – one of the ‘issues’ that I have is that every time it’s switched on, it scans the card for changes.  With approx. 2200 lossless tracks – this takes around 1m15s (64Gb card).  After that it’s pretty good – with very little lag.
 
With the X5 – the nice thing is that you only have to scan once – and then no scanning again unless you update / add to your library.
 
Scanning the same micro SD card on the X5 took approximately 3 minutes, - dual cards roughly double that.  Scanning a single 64Gb card filled with a mix of FLAC, aac and MP3 files (approximately 5500 files total) took considerably longer – but once again, after the initial scan – access has been very snappy.
 
MY PREFERENCES
Ok – time for me to state my personal rankings – and remember these are mine – your own thoughts may be different.

1. Packaging / accessories – 5/5 – nothing missing IMO.  Packaging is smart and accessories are well thought out.
2. Build/form factor – 4.5/5 – excellent build, and size is good considering it’s feature set (audio only), and power capabilities
   X5 > V3 > iP4
3. UI – 3.5/5 – still some work to do, but promising feature set.  Slight responsiveness lag at times and the hierarchy within the audio structure needs to be multilevel and fixed.  This is essential to the X5’s success.  Other features need tweaks, and there is room for added functionality.
   iP4 >>> X5 >= V3
4. Sound – 5/5 – I can’t fault it.  The X5 sounds fantastic.  I wouldn’t change anything.
   X5 = V3 > iP4
5. Other features – 5/5 – the versatility of this DAP is going to be one of its greatest strengths
   X5 >>> iP4 > V3
6. Power – 4.5/5 – it’s not going to drive power hungry orthos, or extremely high impedance cans – but it’ll drive practically anything else.  Based on my tests – I’d guess an effective target impedance range might be between 10-300 ohms (depending on sensitivity).
   X5 >= V3 >>> iP4
7. Battery – 4/5 – average-to-good for its class, and if Fiio can get it to 15 hours, it would be ideal.  The V3 can’t be beat here though.
   V3 >> X5 = iP4
8. Overall – given its feature set and current FW, I’d put the X5 ahead of the Studio V3 for my preferences.  The main points (given SQ is similar) is the potential for better UI, plus the far quicker boot time and access to both SD cards simultaneously.
   X5 > V3 > iP4

 
So will I be getting one?  That will very much depend on the development of the firmware,  If Fiio gets it right – then the purchase of the X5 is a given.  The value proposition is simply too good at USD 350.00 to turn down.
 
FINAL THANKS
Firstly – my apologies for the length of the review.  I really couldn’t do it any other way without glossing over essential information.  My thanks to Joe and James for the opportunity to be part of the tour.  I will genuinely miss having this unit when I have to send it on to the next recipient next week!

FiiO X5 Review:
 
Hi first ever review,so probably not the most in-depth you will ever read,a bit about my self I am a Network engineer for Ericsson maintaining all of the Telecoms networks and as well as having a love for music,I have a passion for racing bikes and compete in the odd triathlon.
 
Thanks to the Fiio team for for giving me the chance to be one of the first few to listen to this player.
Ive only started listening to high quality sounding music,in fact it was Fiio who started me on this journey a few years back when I purchased the E7(Dac/amp)to improve the sound of my iPod and laptop.
I have been a fan ever since and jumped on the X3 when it came out,not without its bugs early on,because of a great team these have mostly been ironed out and in a whole I think the X3 is a fantastic player.
I will be comparing the X5 with the X3 and the new Sony F886 using Grado GR8,T-PEOS H-100j and HiFiMAN HE-400.
Most of my listening was either driving in the car or when training on the bike, and the X5 was a constant companion on the indoor trainer drowning out the constant drone of the flywheel!
 
Build
 
The X5 is a solid piece of kit with a good weight,I love the scroll wheel although a bit sensitive and responsive at first,I did get used to it,screen is good with better resolution than the X3,although the Sony has by far the better screen,the buttons are ok and do the job once you get used to there purpose,the only real gripe are the sd card slots, they are too deep and you have to use something to press to insert/eject,the X3 was a lot easier to insert/eject.

 
 
User Interface
 
FiiO have done a great job here,very neat menu layout,fast scrolling through menus,a vast improvement over the X3.Despite the Sony having a fantastic UI, I see no need for android on a dap,a good touch screen with wifi so that you can stream to spotify and Qobuz would be nice though!!.Ive had a few screen freezes and sd card problems but i am certain these will be ironed out before the International launch.
 
Sound
 
As I’ve said most of my listening was done on the move,no sitting down with the audio club dissecting every piece of the frequency range.For my ears the X5 produced the best SQ of any dap I’ve heard,lovely detail,excellent separation and good soundstage more revealing than the warmer Sony and X3,a good match for my Grados,I could listen to this combination all day
 I used the DAC connected to a mac with Audirvana running and comparing the H/O with a Little Dot mkIII,the Little Dots warm tubes are a better match but not by much,the X5 drives the HE-400 very well and I think tames the treble a touch.To compare the bass I used my T-Peos H-100j which have tremendous sub bass,the X5 sounded crisper and cleaner to the heavier X3,the sony is unfortunately euro capped,so to make it a fairer fight I hooked the sony up to the C&C BH amp which opened the sony up a bit especially with my Grados which needed that bit more juice,although I love the tone of the warmer Sony,I still think the X5 was one step ahead in detail.
Overall I think Fiio have done a great job improving on the stellar X3 and with future DSD upgrade,its a tremendous bargain,half the price of the Sony ZX1 which I believe sounds similar to the F886,with HI-RES streaming just around the corner,hopefully the future X7 will have an OLED touchscreen(wishing) and wifi.(But please no Android!!)



 
 
To sum up the X5 is a true robust urban road warrior of a player,true Hi-Fi on the move and I for one would buy it in a second.

I am in no way, shape or form affiliated with FiiO or their partners.
 
First of all i would like to thank FiiO and those involved for making the world tour possible.
This write-up is based upon the ten day period of time in the middle of march when i had a preview unit in my possession.
 
1.   The first time
 
I picked up the unit on the fourteenth of march, and quickly hauled a*se home to try this new thing that came to change my view on portable audio.
When i got it out of the packaging i quickly realized that i was a beta tester, the player crashed when trying to index my library of seven hundred or so FLAC files. 
After a quick search i found that this was a common bug with version 1.10 of the X5's firmware and that it had been fixed in a later update. With the new update installed the listening began.
 
1.1 Listening and hearing
 
I plugged my InEar StageDiver SD-2's into the X5 and heard... well i heard music, nothing spectacular just music. I thought "This can't be right, is there something I'm missing?", it turned out that i was. Later that evening when i grabbed my InEar's again for another listening session it struck me, the X5 is not doing anything in special, it's just doing what it's supposed to. It does not colour the music in any mayor way, nor does it improve it. The X5 is strikingly natural. The music just sounds right, and that is the best way I can describe it. 
 

The X5 and the StageDivers.
 
1.2 Contemplation
 
Natural, is that it? Sonically, yes that is the best way i can describe it, natural. And with me being a naturalist i feel that this is the way that I want to enjoy my music, "as it is" and with as few disturbances as possible detracting from the music.
 
2.   The physical
 
The X5 is one solid feeling player. Built out of solid aluminum with very little plastic in the actual chassis. The one thing i wish that FiiO took a good hard look at is the mechanical navigation wheel. The unit i received had a very poorly implemented wheel, the thing jiggled like there was no tomorrow and felt like it was about to pop of the unit, which could probably be fixed with some inlays but since I didn't own the unit I decided against putting the X5 under the screwdriver and fixing it myself. That wheel was a real turnoff. When everything about the unit screamed quality there it was, jiggling away.
 
2.1 Holding its own
 
The Swedish weather can get a bit crazy around the month of march. One minute it can be sunny and lovely, the next it can be poring down rain and the next it can be snowing. Despite this i never had the X5 crap out on me because of the weather, it handled sub zero degrees centigrade like a champ when other digital devices like my phone didn't.  
 
3.   The big picture
 
Even though the X5 has some flaws I still feel like it's a welcomed addition to the ever growing market of Digital Audio Players. It's solid enough to withstand some fairly heavy abuse, it handles weather like a champ and it plays music without to many diversions. It gives ample amounts of performance for not to much money. Is it the best player on the market? No, it isn't. Is it for everyone? I believe not, but for someone that likes things to be a bit bigger (yes, some puns intended), does not like to have things spoiled and enjoys naturality. Then i think it is something to consider and keep in mind when the time for an upgrade comes.
 

The X5 does also work well with FiiO's E12 amplifier if you need some extra power.
 
3.1 Closing words
 
I would once again like to thank FiiO for this opportunity and for pushing to meet the demands of us Head-fi'ers that keep knocking on your noggins with an everlasting thirst for you and your products.
 
Thank you.
Markus Petersson a.k.a. Skalkman.

Firmware: 1.20; 1.22 Beta; 1.23 Beta
Gapless Playback: On
Files Used: FLAC (16/44.1)
MicroSD Card: Sandisk 32GB, formatted to FAT32
 
Music used during review:
The Beta Band – the Three EPs
Devandra Banhart – Cripple Crow
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
Miles Davis – Musings of Miles
John Wizards – John Wizards
Amampondo – Raw and Undiluted
McCoy Tyner – Extensions
F. Gulda, K. Abbado, Wiener Philharmoniker – Mozart, Great Piano Concertos 20, 21, 25 & 27
 
Headphones used during review:
Magnum X drivers in Cabillas Mahogany Cups
Blox M2C (2013/2014 edition)
Vintage Grado SR80 Pink Drivers in African Blackwood Cups
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80
Fostex T50rp (unmodded)
 
Sadly, this is not virgin territory. There have been a slew of X5 reviews prior to this one, and at this point not much new can be said for this product. Like a man who meets a delightful young lady on a weekend trip to Las Vegas, the best I can do is perhaps add my voice to the cat’s chorus of people who have also met said young lady, and alongside them, sincerely voice my appreciation of her company. The unit I reviewed is my own, purchased at full price, from B&H Photo and Video in New York.
 
I applaud FiiO for what they have done. I am a firm believer that quality audio (in fact, quality anything…) can be had for a reasonable price. Money does not equal superiority, class cannot be bought, etc, etc… (insert anti-elitist, pseudo-libertarian, wannabe-anarchist cliché here). Anyone interested in this concept should read Robert M. Pirsig’s classic, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”.  With regards to the X5, read on for a subjectivist’s impressions…
 
The unit comes very well packaged, and has a plethora of accessories. Some of them will never see the light of day for me…they are nice to have nonetheless. A side note of little relevance: the X5 does not include earbuds, but this is not a con in my book. I am waiting for the day FiiO ventures into headphone and earbud territory. They will more than likely be a force to be reckoned with. In the meantime, if you are buying an X5, the odds are that you already have a headphone/earbud/iem of preference.
 
The X5 is solidly built, and in its complimentary silicon case feels rather comforting to hold (like a lead-filled baseball bat or perhaps a nice police baton…or just a nicely engineered piece of consumer electronics).  All of the entry points are secure and solid (I am going to refrain from making an improper joke here). The SD card slots are a touch awkward to get to, but once the cards are in, they are safe (again…refraining from inserting yet another improper joke). I added and removed music without using the micro-SD card reader so thoughtfully provided and encountered no problems at all.
The user interface was built by FiiO from the ground up apparently. As such it is a completely new animal for all of us. I am not completely used to it, but I will be soon enough I am sure. It’s hard to override all that muscle memory built up from years of using iPods…Like a man confined to a hospital bed for 3 months while his broken leg heals, I now find myself having to walk down the hall to take a leak again…It’s going to be a little wobbly at first, and there will be accidents, but I am pretty sure after a little while I will be whizzing (see what I did there?) through the system effortlessly.
 
The sound the X5 puts out as both a portable device and a USB DAC is absolutely perfect for my tastes. It is neutral, but not completely so (if it were, it would be a dreadful bore to listen to). Not only does it sound good, it is (as noted by others) very detailed. I haven’t used this old chestnut for a while: I heard things on old favorite albums I have never heard before. Gapless playback worked flawlessly for me. There was no noticeable pause, not even a miniscule little hiccup, between tracks for me. I do not use playlists or replaygain, so I shall refrain from commenting on these. I was impressed with its ability to drive even the dreadful stock T50rp (See? I had good reason to include the wretched old studio mules in my headphone list at the beginning…) and Beyerdynamic DT770 80 to acceptably enjoyable levels.
 
For someone looking for a step up from the iPod, or a reliable on-the-go player with superior sound, I highly recommend the X5. For those who feel that being asked to pay upwards of $500 to enjoy decent sound in a portable player is asking you to perhaps invest too much of your hard-earned income into something that should feel like a pleasurable pursuit as opposed to a spending habit that rivals a nice combination of a crack habit and a gambling problem, I say pursue the X5, pursue it with a gleeful heart and enjoy it when you have it.
 
 

 

 
Disclaimer:
 

• This is not my personal DAP, as part of the X5 Preview tour, I only had the chance to evaluate the unit for 10 days to form my opinion.
• As a preview model, there may be material differences compared to the commercial version - especially in the firmware.
• The following review is based on my personal needs and tastes using equipment that I personally own unless otherwise noted.

 
Pros: Top grade sound, powerful quality internal amp, superb micro-detail, great value, ability to obtain full quality sound in a compact package without the inconvenience of an external amp.
Cons: No removable battery for easy charging or continuous use, adequate only battery life, difficult to get back to now playing screen to regain forward/back button functionality, scrolling long lists is difficult.
 
The X5 rocks! It is the best sounding mobile DAP I have heard to date. However, I have not heard the DX100, balanced 901, or the AK120 to know if they can do any better. What I can say is that at 2 to 4 times the cost including the required balanced cable for the 901,  and considering the form factor, they would need to be clearly twice as good to get any serious consideration from me vs. the X5. That’s not even considering the AK240 – could it really be 7 times better?
 
The X5 is the clear winner over my current DX50 – no contest. However, adding my BH2 amp pairing gets the stack sound quality much closer with the X5 still taking an easy win. The DX50’s internal amp really lets it down. I guess the big question is whether the X5 is good enough to justify replacing that stack which starting this review, I was still considering. If I didn't already have them, it would be a no brainer, but it is much harder to justify sidelining what I already have. So I still have to work on answering that question – maybe I can introduce the stack to my wife or make a gift to my father. We’ll see.
 
 
Use Case:
Having a two year old and another child due in two months, cranking my speakers whenever I want is no longer an option so I need a high fidelity alternative to enjoy my music. I actually need three alternatives:
 

• (NO) Listening station: My highest quality option is my desktop setup when I am willing to sit still at my desk or in my recliner.
  - iTunes/AIFF (.5TB) < Caiman DAC < Mjolnir < Black Dragon balanced < LCD2
• (NO) Active mobile: This is for the gym, jogging, mowing the lawn, or hiking. The Clip Zip has been the perfect solution for this as it is light, sounds great, clips to my shirt making it very manageable and out of the way, and it pairs well with most headphones. The surrounding noise and distractions during these activities makes it impossible to appreciate a higher quality sound anyways so why be at risk for more than $30. I listen through my TF10s or my Monster Coppers for reasonably high quality sound.
• (YES) High quality mobile: When wanting to listen comfortably around the house, when going to sleep, or when traveling, I like to be able to listen to higher quality sound. This is where the X5 would be used. I am currently using my DX50/BH2 combo for these purposes, so it would be my main comparison in the review. Traveling or around the house I use my NT6pros to pair, but for going to sleep I need a better low volume performer and more comfort so I use my HD595s.

 
Testing:
Since my main pairing for my high quality mobile setup will be with the NT6pros, this is the HP that I will be making the general comparisons with. However, the other headphones will have their own sections on pairing attributes. As my DX50/BH2 stack is by far the best I have to compare to the X5, I will be mainly discussing the DX50 stack when comparing except in the specific comparison sections.
 
Music Collection:
My biggest music sound quality upgrade by far was to convert my entire library to a lossless format, period. To keep things simple, I use iTunes to rip, tag, and manage my entire 1 TB AIFF music collection. I use playlists to organize my favorite music collections. Outside of Apple products, I create folders named for my playlists, and drag and drop all songs directly from the iTunes interface into the folders on my MicroSDs. I divide the playlists between my 5 MicroSDs and rotate as I update. This allows me to choose folders and play them like playlists as the mood strikes. I bring this up because it defines my DAP usage style.
 
NOTE: Given the lack of music worth listening to in high res 24/196 formats and absolutely no reasonable choices in DSD, I am almost ignoring these capabilities with the exception of a few test files.
 
Perspective:
My Magnepan Mangneplaner speaker setup is my best sounding by far, period. IMO, the ergonomics of wearing a headphone automatically remove some of the “being there” illusion so I would be really surprised if a mobile setup even came close. So my perfect ten is my speaker system and I compare everything else to it. My speakers make the performers sound as if they are in the room with me, literally. No kidding, but I often respond to background voices in the music or during movies thinking it is my wife or child calling me. It may not be as good as some of the quarter to half a million dollar full sound room setups that I have heard, but it is not far off. I am guessing that most  of the difference is the dedicated room, speaker placement and tuning, and room treatments.
 
Most of the good Head-Fi gear I have heard are a step or two below “being there.” Continuing the analogy, a step below is like an old wild west Hollywood movie set with 2D building fronts held up by posts. You can get lost in the sound only if you ignore all the 2D clues and stay focused on the action. A step below that is the stylized stage show where no one is attempting to imitate reality, but to make colorful and fun. The final step below that is a children’s kindergarten play with miss-scaled props made from cardboard and crayons. The table below shows my perspective of how the gear I tested lines up.
 
 
 
Ergonomics:
The interface takes a little getting used to, but quickly it becomes second nature. Here are some of the things that I have noticed while using it. Please remember that this is a pre-release tour unit on an early firmware so any of these UI dependent notes are likely to change with firmware updates.

1. Looks: It is not ugly like I thought it would be from the pictures - it looks and feels like a quality product that you would be proud to show off. Holding the DX50 and the X5 in either hand, IMO you would guess the X5 costs more which held up when I was showing to friends and family.
2. Resume: It requires a startup period rather than instant on resume like an iPod. However, the startup isn’t bad and is faster than most players I have used including the irritatingly slow DX50 startup. Like an iPod, after starting it does resume playing where you left off. It even has resume options in the setup options to customize how it resumes.
3. Off: It is relatively easy and quick to turn off – much easier than the DX50 that requires an additional confirmation.
4. Wheel: The wheel spin is opposite of the expected screen movement which is a little weird, but given the short graphical list, easy to adjust for. However, this should probably be fixed.
5. Navigation: It is easy to navigate the UI and find the option you are looking for. The UI is fast and responsive with no lags.
6. Buttons: The front buttons do get pressed in the pocket easily unless disabled, but then you cannot forward between songs easily.
7. Now Playing: You lose the ability to use the forward/back buttons to control the music when you leave the “Now Playing” screen which is unfortunate. Worse, there is no easy way back to the “Now Playing” screen once you leave it requiring too many clicks and too much navigation to return. This is one of the bigger issues with the player. (Joe Bloggs says that a coming firmware update will provide a shortcut key option for the “Now Playing” screen.)
8. Search: There is no search function that I can find. I would love to see an indexed search function that creates a selectable smart options list below as I type letters like any smart phone uses. The iPhone IOS7 smart search is a good example.
9. Scrolling: There is no scroll management to get through long lists quickly so it takes forever to go to the end of a large library list. I would like to see the scroll speed up after a few seconds switching to the alphabet scroll like the iPod.
10. Weight: It is heavy compared to other DAPs and is built like a tank so it needs to be well secured when mobile. However, I would be more worried about chipping my granite counters than damaging the X5 as it is that solid.
11. Heat: It does sometimes get noticeably warmer than most DAPs or smart phones when used for a while, but not uncomfortably.
12. Indexing: The player took my DX50 MicroSD cards without issue and indexed them rather quickly – both of them – while showing progress.
13. Charging: This seems to take a very long time compared to my DX50 S3 batteries given the larger battery size. This was never a problem with the DX50 with their removable batteries that could simply be swapped out and charged independently. However, charging requires planning with the X5 that I will have to get used to.
14. Battery: I have yet to run the battery out as I am constantly charging it afraid it will not be charged when I need it. This constant topping off could shorten the battery life if the battery has a maximum number of charge cycles which could be an issue as the battery is not user replaceable. However, there is also conflicting advice that this could be better for a battery than letting it run dry at this site:
    http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries.
15. Battery Indicator: The only battery status I could find is the small typical graphical indicator at the top of the screen. It is difficult to tell where the battery charge is at as it is small and there is no numeric percentage next to it.
16. Volume: While the X5 has a very large sweet spot throughout the volume that is appreciated, controlling it could be improved through some interface tweaks. For better control, it would be nice if the screen would turn on –for a second or two - when adjusting to show the volume as a number. This is the one time that I think at least most of us can agree that it would be nice for the screen to briefly engage. Otherwise, it is hard to tell if the press did anything at all. I typically find volume numbers that work for me for different uses and adjust to them.
17. HP Out: Music pauses when the headphone is unplugged.
18. Line Out: Music pauses when the line out is unplugged. The volume control has no effect on the line out.

 
Ergonomic Conclusion: My main use cycle is to turn on my DAP, and resume where I left off playing a folder or a playlist randomly. I tend to forward through the songs a lot as I get bored of the current song. I occasionally go into the interface and change folders. So really, I mainly need a DAP to turn on quickly and resume while allowing me to easily forward through the songs. The X5 did very well with this. The only real issue was the buttons being easily pushed when in my pocket and unexpectedly forwarding songs. Otherwise, I find the X5 very usable assuming the battery is not an issue. Having gotten used the convenience of the DX50’s easily swappable batteries I am very concerned about battery management which is the only downside I can see in moving to the X5.
 
Sound Overview:
Sound reproduction to me is all about producing that “being there” feeling. This is something that the X5 does better than any other DAP I have heard. While it is difficult to forget that you are wearing headphones and are attached to a device, what the X5 does right is to effortlessly produce realistic full speaker sized sounds that feel like they are coming from a full sized humans and instruments in the same room. This is in part due to the very detailed and realistic sounding DAC that is very surprisingly analog sounding and a powerful amplifier that is able to project these sounds to full size with realistic texture and impact. I almost said slam, but there is nothing artificial here which slam almost implies. While the X5 does not project the full speaker setup realism, there are times with the correct recordings that I do feel like I am there.
 
When I say analog, what I am referring to is a lack of metallic, artificial, or digital sounding artifacts that destroy the illusion of “being there.” The X5 also has an extraordinarily black background that allows the details to flow and the textures to layer 3 dimensionally. However, what is most impressive is how the player creates this sound so effortlessly allowing a very large sweat spot on the volume dial to play with. The sound stage and full spectrum realism flows to very low volume and high volumes can be reached without the X5 sounding shouty or strained. In the end, as good and realistic as it sounds, it is the headphone sized sound stage coming from the headphones holding the X5 back, not the X5 itself. I will be very impressed when I hear another DAP that is significantly better and not just a different sound signature.
 
Sound Breakdown:
For those that prefer a traditional Head-Fi sound description:

1. Signature: A very neutral signature with reasonable extension at both ends with a touch of warmth.
2. Bass: The X5 has a very honest bass. It is big and punchy if that is how it is recorded. However, poorly recorded or poor digital reproductions and sound thin, deflated, or clicky. What is most important is that the bass is neutral and not in the way of the detail coming from the other frequencies. In fact, it borrows from the other frequencies to better define the bass sound for better realism. Having said this, there is a touch of warmth in that the bass is very capable with a powerful amp that is not afraid to rise to the occasion.
3. Midrange: As a neutral signature with above average extension in both directions, the mids can seem neglected sometimes, but are usually just right. To get it right, it is better to listen to the X5 in a quiet room without distraction. In noisier rooms the tendency is to turn up the volume to compensate which may make the treble and bass too much for some. However, in the right environment paired with the right music and headphones, the midrange can be heavenly.
4. Treble: The treble is surprisingly analog, smooth, and effortless  until the volume goes too high. The treble is the first thing to get shouty at too high of volumes or with bad recordings. However, what is special about the treble is how it typically gets out of the way of the music by integrating with the other frequencies to add to the realism and 3D effect.
5. Sound Stage: The X5 sound stage is excellent for a DAP with a nice sized airy sound stage with reasonably 3D instrument placement. What is special about the sound stage is really the very black background to help with placement and the space between instruments. Unfortunately, being made to power headphones is the X5’s “Achilles heel” only allowing it to produce the head stage that the headphones are able to produce.

 
Volume Performance:
I set my volume by focusing on the mids and increasing volume until the singer sounds full sized. Then I make small adjustments to blend the bass and treble to produce the most pleasing sound resulting in a full sized sound stage with a properly sized singer and instruments. If the performers cannot be sized correctly, the frequency range doesn’t blend correctly, or if the sound becomes shouty or incoherent, the “being there” feeling is lost. What is wonderful about the X5 is that it has a wide sweet spot on the volume dial where the sound is realistic to low volumes scaling correctly to rather high volumes. Turning down the volume feels like moving further back away from the stage where lesser DAPs lose their coherency. The X5 sound stage only loses cohesion at extremely low volumes and sound quality only becomes shouty at overly high volumes. This is unique among my DAPs that typically have very small ranges or require an amp to perform at low volumes.
 
This awesome low volume performance is very important to me as a large percentage of my X5 listening mileage will come at night while going to sleep. Now if only the screen would engage momentarily – a second or two - when adjusting volumes with a volume number to allow easy and accurate volume adjustment.
 
Line Out:
To test the line out capabilities, I tested the X5 with my BH2, miceblue’s O2, and my Mjolnir:

1. X5/BH2:
   Compared to the headphone out, the line out paired with my BH2 is a lot boomier with the HO being tighter and more realistic. The BH2 adds an unrealistic bass boost that creates a fun and euphoric sound that I enjoy greatly, but the HO also has a weighty presentation with impact that is much more realistic getting closer to my “being there” goal. What was surprising was that my DX50 was holding back my BH2 sound wise. I already mentioned that the X5 wipes the floor with the DX50 one on one. In addition, pairing the BH2 with the X5, the woofer/sub-woofer sound went from a cheap $300 DJ setup to an audiophile $2000 subwoofer with $2000 high end speaker sound with much tighter, more realistic quality. That I wasn’t expecting. One more point, the BH2 is much more forgiving of poor bass recordings than the X5 HO where the X5 HO is much more realistic. The difference is reduced considerably when the BH2 is powered through the X5 vs. the DX50. For those that know that BH2, I always have all switches on as I feel it sounds best that way.
2. X5/O2 (Borrowed from miceblue):
   Paired with my NT6pro, the O2 brings the entire presentation forward for a nice intimate sound stage. It also brings a tad brighter sound losing some of the richness of the X5 presentation. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other but are two different very capable presentations. So the convenience of the X5 as a single solution vs. a transportable but not portable stack is a no brainer. However, when using the LCD2 or the LCD-X, the extra power is appreciated allowing the Audeze signature to scale closer to the Mjolnir sound. This comes at the cost of a portable solution, so I would personally opt to go direct from the X5 deferring to my desktop solution when I want to hear the ultimate in sound quality.
3. X5/Mjolnir:
   There is nothing unexpected here. As a balanced setup, the only headphones that I can use with my Mjolnir are my LCD2s and the tour LCD-X. Both appreciate the additional power and make full use of it. As expected, the Mjolnir spanks the X5 amp badly, but it is not in any way portable so is likely irrelevant. More interesting is the comparison to my desktop DAC. While the Caiman is not a very expensive DAC/AMP unit, when used as a DAC it  excels and has tempered my motivation to get the Da8 DAC that I have been eye balling. However, when compared to the X5 as a DAC, the X5 loses.  Even though the X5 sounds very good, when compared it is more aggressive, bright, and has a smaller sound stage. The Caiman as desktop unit is sweeter, more musical, and more effortless with a better sound stage. But hey, it’s a desktop unit.

 
Line Out Conclusion: Following these tests, I came to the conclusion that I would never personally use an amp with the X5 as there is no need and often a step backwards.
 
DAP Comparisons:
For those looking to move up from lesser devices, here is a comparison to the ones that I own.
 

1. DX50:
   My main comparable rig is with my DX50. The DX50 is dialed in with FW1.2.8, paired with my BH2 as a two piece stack. Without the BH2, the X5 wipes the floor with the DX50 with great authority and a much superior DAC providing a much richer/blacker/punchier/3d sound. The problem that I have with the DX50 now that I have the X5 to contrast is that the DX50 often sounds strained or thin or both. Think of it like with American Football and the recent 2014 Super Bowl. While the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos both obviously had skills making it to the top game in professional football, the Seahawks obviously had some extra magic that allowed them to make the Broncos look like a high school football team easily taking the 43 to 8 win. Yes, I am from Seattle.
   
2. DX50/BH2:
   Adding the BH2 amp, the DX50 sound is closer adding the punch and richness of the X5. However, the BH2 has warmer more euphoric sound that is aggressive and sometimes fatiguing in its slam with the NT6pro. The X5 is a little more laid back allowing the details to flow through widening the sound stage a bit. The other notable difference is that the BH2 focuses a bit more on mid-bass while the X5 bass response is flatter going really deep into the sub-bass allowing the sub-bass to shine through without covering it up. This plays well with the NT6 Pro signature promoting its unique frequency extension both directions.
3. C3/BH2:
   The C3 is a nice sounding detailed DAP that works well with highly efficient IEMs. However, the magic happens when it is paired with the BH2 that allows the sound to become full sized and powerful. As a stack, the C3/BH2 is very different from the “being there” signature of the X5, unless by being there you mean a large Rave party with oversized subwoofers and a large pounding, euphoric, in your face sound. This is a very fun combination that sounds extremely good with my LCD2s and everything else. But like being in a loud night club, it can become overwhelming after a while unless this is the sound you are after.
4. Clip Zip/+:
   As a value DAP, at $30 to $40, nothing beats the Clip. I use this smooth, musical, and open sounding DAP more than anything else as my main mobile use is when working out. However, it is not in the same league as the X5 so there is no way to compare the two. However, when working out, the distractions and the noise eliminate the ability to hear the additional sound quality anyways so it is good enough in these situations. The Clip replaced my Apple devices that sounded a bit shouty and congested in comparison. While it was nice having my phone with me when I was working out, it is more convenient to simply clip the light Clip Zip to my shirt and not have to deal with an arm band case or the weight of the iPhone.
5. iPod Classic (Gen5):
   iPhone 5:
   Although the iPod and iPhone signatures are somewhat different, at this lower level, the Apple products are more alike than different so I am grouping them. While I was surprised listening to them again after a while to see how much talent they really had - compared to the X5, they are irrelevant in terms of sound quality. My like for these devices is more for the ecosystem that allows me to store, manage, and sync music easily. On top of that, it is very convenient to have my phone, email, applications, and the Internet available at all times. But when listening to music, they sound too flat and 2D and way too shouty. In addition, the realism is just off with both performers and instruments sized incoherently and often metallic sounding.

 
X5 Headphone Pairings:
For those looking to pair their headphones correctly, below is a description of how my collection pairs.
 

1. LCD2.2:
   The LCD2s sound very good with the X5. However, that is not saying much because the LCD2s are fairly easy to drive and make most everything sound good. The LCD2s even sounds ok with my Clip Zip so I think it requires a little more explanation.
   
   IMO, what is unique about the LCD2 is its ability to scale down extremely well. The LCD's signature changes significantly when scaling from warm and euphoric with a small congested sound stage with low end low power sources to crystal clear, punchy, black background, and a much more realistic sound stage with higher end, higher powered sources. Throughout the scale, the LCD2 has a very realistic "being there" sound. At the higher end of the scale, the signature ranges from laid back and rich with something like a Bryston BHA-1 to aggressive/engaging with my Mjolnir. The difference is being able to take a pleasant nap while listening to spending half your listening time up on top of your chair involuntarily playing air guitar. You know what I’m saying.
   
   
   
   My impressions of the LCD2s with the X5 are this:
   1. Power: The X5 has enough power that the LCD2 sound stage opens up a bit and the warmness clears up a lot, but not as much as a Mjolnir or Bryston that boast between 5 and 8 watts.
   2. Laid Back: The signature leans more toward the Bryston laid back signature than my Mjolnir's more aggressive signature.
   3. Stackless: The most important point is that I don't feel the need to amp the X5 as the sound is very pleasing as is.
   4. Realistic: It is a very full size and realistic sounding experience.
   5. Mobile Option: It is not as good as through my Mjolnir, but that was never expected.
2. LCD-X (Tour Unit):
   While I don’t own the LCD-X myself, I happen to have the tour unit to test with the X5. Compared to my LCD2, the LCD-X feels shifted up in the frequency range and a little faster providing even greater clarity than my LCD2.2/Mjolnir pairing which is saying a lot. It’s not that the LCD-X is lacking in the bass department, but the bass seems to be turned down a notch keeping it from getting in the way of the rest of the frequency range. The result is a very realistic sounding sound stage that is even wider and closer to being there than the LCD2.2.
   
   Now, paired with the X5, I was surprised by how good the LCD-X sounded directly from the X5 headphone out. The X5 coupled with the O2 amp (borrowed from miceblue) is even better giving the LCD-X enormous sound on the go. What is really noticeable is the clarity and wide sound stage of the LCD-X scaled down to the level of a DAP where the LCD2 is more euphoric, warm, and congested. Both are enjoyable, but the LCD-X obviously scales down better than the LCD2.2.
3. Fostex TH900 (Borrowed from m2man):
   While I thought that the Fostex TH900 sounded awesome through the X5, m2man thought it sounded a little boomy. To prove his point, we plugged into his Laptop > Off-Ramp 5 > PWDmkII > Schiit Mjolnir home setup and indeed, it did sound bigger, clearer, and more neutral - but you would expect that from $8000 setup vs. a $350 one. So that doesn’t take away from how good the TH900 sounded with the X5. However, a better comparison was to compare the LCD-X to the TH900 where we both agreed that the LCD-X sounded better. The reason was that the LCD-X sounded closer to the $8000 home setup sound on the $350 X5 than the TH900 did. The LCD-X just simply scales down better.
4. HD595:
   The HD595s were the second best pairing that I heard. As very neutral sounding, open eared headphones, they have the largest sound stage of all my headphones in a mobile context. Matching the X5’s neutral signature, they project that black background very effectively enhancing the already very large sound stage. With nothing to get in the way of the details that X5 is capable of, the HD595 matches the NT6pro’s bell like clarity with a larger sound stage. The only thing holding the HD595 back is it’s neutral bass response. With no warmth, it may be considered to be bass light by some which the X5 helps to supplement with its touch of warmth. This only effects the HD595 pairing at excessive higher volumes where the bass falls off. However, the HD595 is my low volume top performer with the ability to reach deep with realistic sub-bass performance down to extreme lower volumes. Being my most comfortable and best low volume performers, they are what I like to listen to at night to fall asleep.
5. Hidition NT6 Pro:
   The NT6 Pros are outstanding with the X5 and the best pairing that I heard. The things I appreciate with the X5 paired with the NT6pro:
   1. Stackless: it has all the punch and authority that I need with the NT6Pro so no stack required.
   2. Effortlessness: the sound is full sized with rich texturing and without any clipping or thinness. The sounds from each singer/instrument sound like they are on the same stage and are scaled correctly. Drums sound like drums rather than like weird clicks.
   3. Neutral Signature: as discussed so far in the X5 threads, the X5 is neutral across the frequency range with a slight warmness that pairs very well with the NT6pro enhancing its signature and supporting its extension both directions.
   4. Sub-bass Authority: The X5 has the power and signature to support an authoritative sub-bass down to the bottom of the range showing off what the NT6pro can really do.
   5. Low Volume Performer: The X5 has authoritative power, full sized sound, and a realistic sound stage down to very low volumes. This is particularly important to me as I am a low level listener usually needing an amp to keep the sound from falling apart at lower volumes. The X5 has a very wide sweet spot in its volume range that is much greater than most DAPs.
   6. Realistic Details: The detail is all there, but in a much more natural sense than the DX50 with a much blacker background to support the 3d sound stage. For example, a singers breath between passages sounds like you were standing next to them vs. an unnatural metallic sizzle that is pushed forward.
6. TF10:
   The TF10 pair very well with the X5 and sound better than I have heard them sound before. What is interesting with the TF10/X5 pairing is that the mids are pushed way forward to take center stage where they are normally somewhat recessed with a V shaped signature. The mids are really outstanding with this combo. I never felt the need to amp the TF10 with my prior setups as the TF10s don’t really require it, but the power of the X5 is giving them real authority that they don’t typically have. The sound stage isn’t enlarged that much with the X5 showing a weakness in the TF10s, but it is much more believable with the X5 with larger sized performers and much more realistic sounding instruments. The other place the TF10 is showing its limitations is with clarity and the associated detail. While they have never sounded so clear before, the TF10 is not a NT6pro nor a LCD2 or an LCDX. So while the X5 is holding the TF10 to new heights, the TF10 is holding down the X5. Regardless, I would still chose to pair the TF10s just to enjoy those great mids, wow.
7. Monster Coppers:
   My Coppers are my most comfortable IEM that seal almost as well as my CIEM. This is quite an accomplishment as I tend to find IEMs as uncomfortable – although convenient – and typically have difficulty getting a seal at all. While it is nice that the Copper is very efficient, it is not a plus with the X5 that boasts a very powerful amp. The Coppers are also quite warm in signature with the most bass boost of any of my headphones giving it a very smooth signature. However, I find that this hides some of the X5 detail and congests the sound stage. While the Copper sounds great with the X5, I find that the Copper holds the X5 back from its full potential. The Copper is probably my worse pairing with the X5. I do use them though to pair at night as a comfortable low volume listening option when the open ended HD595s disturb my wife.

 
 
I think it is pretty obvious to anyone reading this review that there is a X5 in my future. Although it is possible that the uber expensive DAPs may meet or exceed the sound quality of the X5, I cannot imagine it being by much and certainly not by enough to justify the additional cost. As a portable music player I would rather carry something that I can afford to lose or damage without crying. Otherwise bringing it along stops being fun and it ends up being left at home. I would rather put my significant investments into my speaker or desktop system that stays home - safe and sound. The X5 is good enough that I don’t care what the other DAPs sound like any more……….. well, not as much.  

Disclaimer: I am not related to FiiO, nor am I paid to do this review, they have kindly organized a tour to let the previewers have a 'taste' of how it actually sounds like.
 
Intro: I first came across FiiO's dap in Early December , which is their first and only dap in 2013 , I was particularly impressed on how it actually sounds , especially for it's price . In late December there was the FiiO X5 world tour application, decided to try my luck , and unfortunately I wasn't that lucky , but a few weeks after the shortlisted names were announced , I received a PM from my fellow group of local-Head-Fiers, enclosing a message sent by Joe that there'd be an extra set, so there it is, I'm in the X5 world tour !
This is a simple review of mine:
 
[Sorry for the low quality pictures , I do not have a proper camera so I took these using my phone]

The packinging: 9/10
 

 
 
It's a simple yet elegant box
 

 
 
Open up the box and you'll find a black box, it has the leather-texture, though it's made out of paper.
 
Accessories: 9.5/10

 
 
Inside the box, you'll get a silicon protective case for the X5, a micro USB charging/data transfer cable, 2 instruction manual, 2 screen protector, a warranty card, a coaxial cable, 3 anti-dust plug, a micro sd card reader, a USB OTG cable (for future firmware use) and a HDtracks discount code.

Build/design: 8.5/10
 

 
 
It is heavy(200g as stated), build quality like a tank, though I have not (and will not ) try to drop it to see whether it'd survive after a drop
There're a total of 5 clickable buttons at the front side, they're have a tactile feeling when you try to press it.
The scroll-wheel has a rubbery texture and it is turnable , unlike the iPod , where you'd only touch and go round the circle.
 

 
 
There're two volume buttons at the side, it has also the tactile feeling when you press it.

 

 
 
At the top of the X5, you'll see 3 output holes, the first hole to the left is Headphone Out, second hole is the Line Out and lastly to the right is the Coaxial Out.
[Picture (bottom)]
On the bottom of the X5 you'll find 2 micro sd cards slot, with a rubber flapper attach to it, not the biggest fan of it , as I had problems opening up the rubber flap , takes awhile to open it up .

Battery: 9/10
It is a built-in 3700mAH Li-polymer battery, it is said that it'd last 12-15 hours of playback which is quite impressive it has to be said.

UI: 9/10
Not the fanciest UI , but it's simple , good , and best of all , fast .
 

 
 
This UI reminds me of a Sony Walkman-style (phone) kind of theme , scrolling speed is great , no lag or whatsoever .

General specifications (Thanks Brooko!)
 
Dimensions:64.6 x 114 x 15.6 mm (W/L/H)
 
Weight:122 g
 
Display:2.4” 260K HD IPS (400x360)
 
CPU:Ingenics 4760B 600MHz dual core
 
DACCM1792A (supports up to 192/24 res)
 
Outputs:3.5mm headphone out, 3.5mm line out, 3.5mm digital coax out
 
Storage:2 x microSD (max support 64Gb x 2 at time of review)
 
Battery:3700mAh Li-Polymer, up to 15 hours playback (~12 hours currently)
 
Gain options:0 / 6 dB
 
Supported Formats:APE, WAV, FLAC, WMA, ALAC, MP2, MP3, AAC, OGG
 
Supported Resolution:Up to 192K/24bit – dependent on format
 
Headphone Out:
 
Output Impedance<0.26 Ω
 
Crosstalk:>75 dB @ 1KHz 
 
THD+N< 0.003% @ 1KHz
 
MAX output voltage:> 8 Vp-p
 
MAX output current:> 150 mA 
 
SNR > 115 dB
 
Output Power:460 mW @ 16Ω, 255 mW @ 32Ω, 28 mW @ 300Ω
 
Line Out:
 
Crosstalk> 100 dB @ 10KΩ @ 1KHz
 
THD+N< 0.0025% @ 1KHz
 
SNR> 115 dB
 
Line output> 1.5 Vrms
 
Here's the main part of the review , it's a little short and simple section . 
 
Sound: 9.5/10

Treble: It's extends very well , yet smooth and natural . Consiered 'netural' in FiiO's product, it is a little warm if compared to other daps , excellent for bright sounding headphones or in-ear monitors.

Bass: It's punchy yet controlled , it produces the right amount of bass when needed .

Sound-stage: It has more depth than width , I'd give a score of 3/5 for depth and 3.5/5 for it's width .

Mids: If you have a 'mids-laid back' headphones or IEMs and you want a dap with forward mids, this is for you, presentation of the mids is just stunning, one of the excellent aspects of the player .

Micro-detailling: W-O-W . By far , the best I have ever heard , every strumming of the guitar , beat of the drums , this player will never fail to capture every micro detail of the music . Just wow . 

Final thoughts: 350 USD ? You don't get what you pay for this player , you have gotten a steal of the century , it has to be the best player for it's price tag , and with a great customer service , you'll not regret buying this player . Judging from it's build , it can last for at least a good 5 years . If you're looking to buy a player that sounds excellent and can last for long time , FiiO's X5 is for you .
 
I'd like to thank FiiO , James and Joe for organizing this tour and giving me a chance to preview the X5 , it has been a amazing and wonderful experience .  
 
Thank you for reading

Background
 
I am writing this review about a tour unit that I received from Fiio for a 10 day trial. I currently own the Fiio X3 and use it as my portable DAP as well as my DAC with my home setup. I tested this tour unit as a portable DAP by itself, as a portable DAP combined with the Fiio E12, and as a DAC with my desktop and Schiit Mjolnir. I listened to these setups with Sennheiser HD 598s, HD 700s, and Audeze LCD-Xs (as well as some Skullcandy "The Fit" earbuds for some train rides through Chicago).
 
Unboxing
 
Upon receiving the X5, I was happy to see the numerous accessories included with the unit:
 
- Fiio X5 unit with screen protector applied
- Two extra screen protectors
- Silicone case
- USB Cable
- 3.5mm to RCA digital coax adapter
- Three 3.5mm dust covers for the 3.5mm ports
- Micro USB card reader
- User manual and HD Tracks coupon code
 
My X3 came with a plethora of accessories as well, so it was nice to see Fiio continue this very much appreciated trend.
 
Initial Impressions
 
Holding the X5 for the first time I noticed that it felt very solid. It has a good weight, but is not necessarily heavy. It seems very well built and like it could stand quite a beating with the exception of the scroll wheel. The wheel seems a bit loose and that it would be the 'life-limiting' feature of the unit. Aside from the wheel, the buttons feel solid and durable. The input/output jacks seem well laid out as well. I'm happy to see the line out jack is at the top of the unit. This makes it easier to pair the X5 with the E12. The line out is on the bottom of the X3 so the E13 must be turned upside down to use one of the short line out cables. One thing that seems a bit odd to me is the placement of the four buttons surrounding the scroll wheel. Perhaps it's my experience with iPods that makes me want to use the top, bottom, left, right locations for moving through the menus, but it seems a bit more natural than the current layout of the X5. I guess the buttons fit the given space, though. The only other feature that seemed a bit of a hassle were the microSD card slot covers. They were a bit difficult to open and I had to resort to the tip of a mechanical pencil to pry them open. This isn't a huge issue, though, since I wouldn't be accessing the cards on a frequent basis.
 
Standalone DAP
 
I found the X5 very useful as a standalone DAP. I could see it very easily replacing my X3. I really like the idea of dual microSD slots as my music library is ever-growing and high-res files take up quite a bit of space. The X5 was able to drive all three of my headphones to a good listening volume. Unfortunately, I didn't do a proper back-to-back comparison between the X3 and X5 from an audio standpoint as I spent most of my time with the X5 on a trip to Chicago and did not want to bring both DAPs. I used my sh***y Skullcandy earbuds during this trip and was actually surprised at how good the music sounded out of such a low-quality earbud. For my few days back home listening to the X5 as just a DAP, I noticed no distortion or coloration of the music, but did notice that the X5, like the X3, did not have enough power by itself to bring the LCD-Xs to their full potential - not that I would use them as a portable headphone anyway. 
 
X5 + E12
 
After returning from Chicago, I tried out the X5 with the E12 for a brief period (only an hour or two to listen to some of my favorite songs). I noticed that the E12 gave some extra oomph to the X5 and increased the soundstage of my 598s and 700s. Pairing the combination with the LCD-X left them sounding a bit veiled (if that's the right word), though not as much so as with the X5 alone. Again, I wouldn't plan on using this setup with my LCD-Xs as a portable rig, so no worries there. I would be perfectly happy with the X5 --> E12 --> 598s.
 
X5 as a DAC
 
During my remaining two days with the X5 I used it as a DAC. My setup was high-res (FLAC and DSD files) to the X5 and fed via line out to the Mjolnir. I listened to this with my HD700s and LCD-Xs through balanced cables and was very happy to see that I could finally listen to some of the DSD files that I hadn't been able to listen to previously. (The X3 is now capable of playing DSD files via firmware update released since my time with the X5) I was very impressed with the clarity of the X5 and found myself sitting for hours on end into the wee hours of the morning absorbed in my music. Using the X5 as a DAC brought forth the best of both worlds. It gave me the high-res DAC capability of the X5 and the powerful amplification of the Mjolnir. The extra power from the Mjolnir really helped to open up my LCD-Xs and bring them closer to their full potential. Even though they are efficient headphones and the X5 alone can bring them to a comfortable (or more) listening level, the extra power from a separate amp is a noticeable improvement. 
 
Final Thoughts
 
As a result of my demo of the X5, I do plan to try to sell my X3 and upgrade to the X5. I've heard Fiio plans to release another DAP or two in the near future and would be very interested in demo-ing those as well. For now, though, I see reason to upgrade from the X3 to the X5. Even if there was no change in audio quality between the two, the additional storage capability of the X5 coupled with its more user-friendly layout (still not perfect) is reason enough for me to make the move. A $350 price tag for a device that serves both as a standalone portable DAP and as a DAC for my home setup that is DSD capable seems like a steal to me. Overall, I liked the X5 very much and hope to see some of the few cons worked out in the upcoming products.

Hello everyone, My late review of the X5 due to PC issues.
 
 
Headphones used: AD900X, MDR-F1, HD25-ii, JVC SZ2000, Fischer FA-011, JH16 and FXZ200.
 
 
To start with, no pictures since they were all lost along with the review so I will keep it short and sweet.
 
 
To begin with, the player feels sold and well built compared to the X3 and should be able to hold its own against the rest of the DAP bunch.
 
The buttons feel well built and nice to the touch although the wheel could use a more rigid gearing compared to the one it has now as it feels too loose at times.
 
 
Moving on to the display, the display seems nice and clear and sufficiently lit to see in the sunlight too very important due to the fact that it will be used outside.
 
Could use a bit more brightness or maybe its just me going blind.
 
 
The layout of the X5 with all its ports and buttons is very easy to use after fiddling with it for 15 minutes and as with most things you can just feel the buttons and do your thing.
 
So a big benefit for future X5 users as the wont have to deal with esoteric buttons and myriad menus.
 
 
Now coming to the most important part, the sound. The Fiio X5 seems fairly well balanced overall with no nasty spikes or unnatural boom.
 
Just clean and clear audio with no surprises.
 
The treble is well defined and articulated for a very pleasant presentation, midrange just needs a bit more body but that could possibly be changed by using different headphones.
 
The bass is just about right with no bloom or looseness. You get tight punchy bass and very good speed/impact for most tracks.
 
The soundstage is very precise and large though not huge.
 
 
I also tested it with my E12DIY and that only helped it to get even better. The E12 adds some more bass impact and punch to the whole sound while helping out with harder to power cans.
 
 
The X5 surprised me most however when it came to plugging it in my car and boy oh boy, it was amazing how good it was.
 
I have a comprehensive triple amp car setup with a HX-D2 headunit,Focal Kevlars, JL Audio sub and sound proofing all around.
 
The X5 literally was the cheapest piece of kit in the whole setup and it also had the biggest impact.
 
The whole system seemed to have cleared its throat and the sound was simply mesmerising.
 
It was crystal clear, sharp and very very enjoyable and seemed to unlock hidden potential in the whole setup.
 
I still haven't gotten over the fact and will get an X5 just to keep in my car.
 
 
 
To conclude, the X5 is something that is well worth the price and even more importantly for Fiio, a shot across the whole DAP field.
 
Having owned the X3 and currently running the E12DIY, the X5 pushes Fiio in a newer and bigger direction as I always liked Fiio products (E7,E12 and E18)
 
but had that nagging feeling that something was missing or not right but not anymore.
 
The E12DIY and the X5 have progressed Fiio to a higher playing field and everyone else, watch out.

Firstly, I'd like to say special thanks to James from FiiO and Joe for offering us a wonderful tour on their new FiiO X5 unit.

It's not everyday we get to sample a new product before release, this has been a wonderful opportunity not only to give members a grasp on the player though also examine whether the unit might be for myself as a keeper or future purchase. I will try to write as even review as possible. The FiiO X5 unit I have with me is a loaner unit for 10 days to assess my likes and dislikes. I received the X5 unit on the 25th of February 2014. Firmware version: FW1.10

My past history with FiiO being I haven't been particular fond of their warmer house sound. In general I lean for more neutral sound signatures and as preference prefer bright to analytical presentations, (though I am flexible to a degree). What I've always been impressed with about FiiO is their excellent price to performance ratio for budget orientated audio enthusiasts which seems almost untouched by any other company out there. When I heard FiiO was designing a higher end DAP that leans more towards neutral from their previous house sound this intrigued me quite a lot, especially remembering the price to performance ratio I mentioned.





 



Packaging:
 
The FiiO X5 unit comes in a stand alone box with an outer sleeve, it reminds me very much of IBasso's DX50's packaging, simple, sweet and elegant, nothing to over the top though enough to get the job done nicely with a feeling of satisfaction. After all its what inside that counts right? To some yes, but FiiO have dressed up the boxing nicely to give that consumer feel. The inner box can also be used for long term (or short term storage) of your unit as you can see in the photos, the X5 sits nicely inside and you can place the lid back on.












 
 
 

Inside the packaging you're greeted with:

 

1.  Pre molded Silicon case (high quality silicon)
2.  High current USB charging / data cable (shielded)
3.  Digital out to coax cable
4.  3 x socket pin protector plugs (for the output ports)
5.  FiiO branded USB micro SD card reader 
6. x2 spare screen protectors for the X5 (plus one already fitted)

 

1.  FiiO warranty card
2.  HD tracks discount card (15%)
3. Contact card
4. FiiO X5 quick start guide
   
   
   
   
    

 
 
 
 
As you can see the accessories are more than adequate FiiO seem to have provided everything you need to get started, there won't be any 'I need this" or "damn I forgot to get that". The only thing you will need is your own micro sd card as FiiO X5 does not support any internal storage for music, it relies on dual  micro sd cards slots.  I hear X5 can be bought bundled together with micro sd card to get you on your way although I think in our day and age especially amongst many of us here micro sd cards are found in most users house holds. If not they're rather cheap and only dropping in price due to the the new Sandisk 128GB cards now on the market. 




Build quality:

The finish is of high quality aluminum alloy which feels solid in the hand making the x5 unit feel a little more than it's asking price, on the sides the edges are smooth and well rounded over, the entire unit feels admirable in the hand, you get a real feeling of quality when holding X5 as it also holds little weight equaling 174 grams.

The scroll wheel does feel a little loose or plastic feel to it though once you learn how to use it adjusting to the sensitivity levels being more than suitable. At first I was having problems with the scroll wheel either pushing it to much or not enough which caused me to miss my destination, but as driving a car the unit becomes easier to control with some use especially after an hour or two, I also hear this will be improved in future firmware updates. I do have some concerns about it's long term durability after many months of hardcore spinning although considering the player is so early and fresh we cannot say for certain.

The input jacks feel sturdy and have a nice firm click to them as do the volume and power tactile buttons, there's a feeling of craftsmanship within the build of X5. Moving to the bottom of the player you're greeted with not one but two micro sd card slots, an excellent selling feature of X5. Each slot can take up to 128GB micro sd cards giving a whopping total storage of 256GB. I will probably opt for two 64GB cards until the price of these newer 128GB come down a touch. 















Format Support:

X5 takes almost every format you will ever need to use, rather than go through them all individually I'll simply display the formats. We also need to remember that FiiO X5 is not only a 16bit player it also does Hires 24 bit play back, this is another superior selling feature only seen in a few other players at this price point. This here having the 24bit support is a huge feature as now time is moving forward these files will be in demand so this feature assures FiiO's X5 long life span in the market.



Formats / Resolution  
 

Supported Formats	APE, WAV, FLAC, WMA, ALAC, MP2, MP3, AAC, OGG
Supported Resolution	Up to 192K/24bit – dependent on format

 


USB External sound card (using X5 as a DAC)

I must admit during my time with X5 I haven't had a chance to use it as a DAC, though the player does support this feature. To my understanding it can be connected to any laptop or PC then use the DAC section similar to FiiO E10, E17, for example. Only X5 does support 24bit playback as well in this area. For more information regarding using X5 as a DAC please check some other reviews as I'm sure it's just as functional as being a stand alone media player, it's just I don't listen to music while at a computer it's not something I can concentrate on.




 
UI (User Interface):



When first booing up the player you're greeted by the FiiO logo welcoming you to X5, the actual start up time between pressing the power button is about 6 seconds total from screen on to  main menu, I think that's a pretty decent amount of time to get up and running for my standards, especially considering the dual card support. Some players like Studio V or Rocco BA take more than 10 seconds to load and up to 15-20 seconds with Studio V as those players scan their cards before each boot up quickly. So for me the boot up times on X5 is closer to instant.. I think only a Rockboxed Clip+ would boot quicker. 

Once at the main menu you're created by a scrolling design where all your options for music selection, setting, music settings are located, it's a rather intuitive interface and something I've not seen before. You get a feeling of uniqueness but most importantly it matters how well this functions at speed. Happily I can say after a week with the unit you become quite at home rather quickly.

At first there's always that "what the hell am I doing" but without even reading the manual the player has become second nature to me in a matter of days, my only grunt is the scroll wheel sometimes misses your selection as it seems to click as you turn and sometimes doesn't land on the menu option/track selection you want, however I think in further firmware the unit will be improved in this area. By all means it's more than functional, you can move at speed though  I can see some people possibly kicking up a fuss about it.

In the system settings you can manually scan your card which can also be done automatically. I prefer having the auto scan function off as I don't think it's needed to scan every boot up unless when adding several albums to your cards. There is a key lock setting which gives you two options: option 1 disables the buttons on the DAP so you can't switch tracks or adjust the volume while the screen is off. Option 2 leaves access to the volume pause/play, track navigation buttons.

You can set the screen time out duration before the screen locks but currently you cannot disable the key-lock feature completely. As it is on the current firmware I found this a little frustrating when the player is just sitting on a table or bed because each time you pick the player up you must press the power button to unlock the unit first. I hear this will  be improved in future firmware updates. There''s also sleep mode, idle power off settings available.

You can view your music via folder view, album, artist, favorites (add favorites to your list first), genre & all music.  For me personally I only ever view my music by folder so I didn't run the player through tests of tag reading, I hear though on our boards it's fairly stable for most parts.

There is one little niggle with the current firmware, when selecting from folder view (when selecting your track) X5 unit takes about 3-4 seconds before your track starts which can be a little laggy, it does give you a feeling of halting for a second however we must remember the firmware I was on is still very early, I gather this time delay will be sped up in the future. Once an album is playing the transition between tracks is smooth. I did however detect a slight skip if gap-less was engaged between track transitions.


More examples of FiiO X5 User Interface.

(please click each photo to see close ups)


Main Menu:




System Settings:




Play Settings:



Custom 10 band EQ: (with presets):



Folder selection screen (albums):



Now Playing Screen:


 
 
 

 
Sound Quality:



Tonality:

Tonality of X5 is indeed more towards neutral than FiiO's previous products I've tried, I still personally hear a hint of warmth in the presentation, which makes the entire mid range rather smooth and non fatiguing, while I find it does lean very close on neutral I can still feel a hint in there, just a slight essence of FiiO still, but we must remember my preference with other DAP's is a little bright to begin with and everyone opinion on neutral varies wildly on head-fi and in general. When I first heard X5 I couldn't help feel it sounded a little veiled with some of my parings though that sensation clears up rather quickly, probably within 5 minutes of listening. I think most will agree the X5 unit is much closer to neutral than their previous products and this is a good thing for audiophiles.

Bass:

The bass on X5 is a tricky section for me, I find it rather powerful and a touch forward from the mid range, not by incredible amounts though it does lean a little on the emphasized side of things depending what headphone you're using. Some have suggested because of X5's driving power it's really just a tight well presented bass, but I do get a slight feeling of light bloat depending on my earphone / headphone used. For my preferences it can just hinder a little to much in the bottom stage and express a fraction of bleed, With that aside it has good texture and detail, the mid bass isn't to much for my standards (very slight amount). I think just a little less in the low end quantity would be my perfect preference although in a world that needs to please a majority of listeners I think FiiO made the right choice. 

Mids:

The mids on X5 to put in perspective are excellent, the refinement in that mid range is second to none from most DAP's I've heard  there's great coherency on both left/right channels and samples hold excellent posture all round the stage This refinement mixes in with high resolution on X5, so when they blend together they make a rather wonderful mid range experience, as I've said sometimes it feels a little to smooth or a touch lacking some aggression though the detailing levels combined with that excellent refinement really steal the show.

I think X5  (for my standards) would be better paired with a slightly brighter sounding IEM/Headphone, just a fraction to light up the mid range with some more edge and sparkle. The background on X5 is very dark, it forms a pitch black space around your instruments, with no hiss. The actual imaging is especially focused and accurate, your perception of each image well refined. 

I must double express though the mid range is simply wonderful for the price, the timbre is natural if not a fraction digital sounding. Detailing levels and clarity are right up there it makes a really professional sounding player. The micro detail is strong, I was hearing certain samples such a singers lips closing together, or a singer breathing in before the next verse my other DAP's don't express. The dark background just lets them push out from no-where. I think because of X5's high level of resolution there's new layers to find in your music, little pieces otherwise hidden and that resolution finds pushing out to you. 

Treble:

The treble to my ears has a slight emphasis in the lower regions, tends to push out most detail in this area, I cannot say it has incredible extension with pairings I've tried although never absent or lacking in anyway, rather well balanced with the mid range, you can always hear what's going on upstairs, I would however personally prefer a slight tilt here to try and increase the amount of air around the stage, this would also tilt the players overall tonality, though it doesn't seem to be lacking in anyway. Never harsh or strident, basically true to your headphone, probably a nice safe choice to again please a wide variety of consumers.

Separation:

Many people have asked me if X5's instrument separation can compete with Hisound Studio V 3rd Anv (the best instrument separation I have heard), well to be quite frank no, X5 does not match Studio V 3rd Anv's instrument separation, it is on similar levels but always lacking a touch behind in attack, it does however have better ability to present samples coherently in the mid range, there are samples I've been able to make out easier due to this bonus especially when many are playing at once though the Studio V player has like a metronome effect where instruments are so well separated they can tick in time with each other, kind of like a clock and all it's cogs working together (like clockwork). X5 does not have that unfortunately but as compensation no other player has that I've heard expect for Hisounds unit. So fear not because X5's instrument separation is far from lacking you really get a nice image of each instrument and the much darker background than Hisound players ices the cake.


Soundstage: 

X5's soundstage has excellent depth to all left/right/center channels for example, if you hear a saxophone playing on the left channel it images itself way out back much closer to what a real life presentation would sound like if it's in the recording, it does this on all 3 channels so when you add this with strong imaging characteristics  it makes a really well defined stage, the width with some of my hybrids is wider than most players I've heard, but it also has a big head-stage (the actual size of the image) so vocals sound larger than average, there's a fair amount of height and all your samples sound much bigger than for example on a Sansa Clip or even the Studio V for that matter to some extent. This is an area that works well while the mid range places those final pieces to the presentation we've talked about. I have not one bad word to say about the stage, besides a little more air would work well in the upper regions. You really get that feeling you're almost there live because of this area working strongly with the right headphone..




Conclusion:


I think what FiiO have done is a mighty achievement, they have answered the prayers of consumers bringing them basically what they asked for. As we know James is very active on Head-fi forums and listens to every piece of advice, what you see in X5 is partly exactly what you all asked for, an affordable mid tier high resolution DAP. The features like dual micro sd card slots, 24bit playback, along with the sound and build of X5 is what could possibly be a slight game changer for the future. I think some other DAP manufacturers may want to take a step back and look what FiiO are doing in the DAP market. I still think for me X5 needs to lean cooler in tonality, just a fraction and lessen the bass because of my stubborn preferences but overall taking into consideration the majority, X5 was made for them, and for them it will more than please.

I had a lot of fun on this tour and would like to thank once again the FiiO team.


~H20​

tl;dr: 3.9/5.0 => 4.5/5.0. The X5 is a good DAP and USB DAC combo that will shine even more after more polishing (right now it’s 1.20 and will get 1.21 soon. Things are looking really great from what I have seen in the changelog so far! )
 
For…
People who want the same sound for their portable and desktop setup
People who prefer a very well-detailed and well-presented soundscape
People who want something simple to play their loseless files (i.e. those who just throw everything into one card and play from there)
People who are ok with frequent firmware upgrades
 
Not For…
People who want something a little smaller and/or lighter
People who prefer a touchscreen
People who need ReplayGain support
People who want something more intuitive at one look
People who want something that works really well off-the-shelf
 
Note: In italics are the required disclaimers as per stipulated in the Preview Tour thread.
 
One day in December 2013, as I was looking around in Head-Fi (being more interested in audio ever since Fiio decided to add USB DAC capability to the X3), I came across a thread by Fiio asking people to test out the X5 as part of its “Preview Tour” (i.e. test it for 10 days for free and then pass it to the next reviewer/Fiio depending on schedule set by Fiio). I thought to myself, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained, YOLO” and signed up for it despite not writing having written a proper review before, not having high-level audio products and most probably being unable to afford to get the X5 in the immediate future being just a college student only. So, by some stroke of luck, here I am, reviewing the Fiio X5 (albeit an engineering sample and mostly on Firmware 1.00; the ones that you will be buying will be better than this review set ), and here’s my experiences with it.
 
Initial Opening
When I got the set from the previous reviewer, it was in a normal-looking box that you will expect for any electronic product. But, when I opened it, I was a little impressed by that sleek looking black box that held the X5; its leathery surface seems to show that this product is clearly for the (slightly more) upmarket consumer. The other stuff you get is on par with the rest in this market (e.g. USB cable, 3.5mm to coaxial cable and maybe that silicon case), except for the screen protectors (the X5 already has one, and some spare ones), the MicroSD card reader and even an USB OTG cable (as the X5 will be able to play media files from other USB storage devices in future firmware patches), which I thought are a nice touch from Fiio. The silicon case is a little thick though, which means that if you are planning to use the X5 with bigger 3.5mm plugs, you cannot use the silicon case (that’s why you will see that I am not using it in the pictures).
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
The X5 itself
The first impression you might have is that “Hey, it looks like and iPod!” thanks to its mechanical wheel. But beyond that, it is a completely different beast from the iPod and many other digital audio players in the market. Around the wheel are 4 buttons, with a fifth one in the middle of the wheel. Below the wheel, you will see 4 dots, which are lit by a green/red LED to indicate USB activity. Above these is a large screen, which is quite clear and sharp. I am happy with the screen considering that it is the biggest I ever had for a DAP. On the top side of the X5, you will see the 3.5mm ports for Line-Out, Headphones Out and Coaxial Out, the Reset button and Power On/Off button (which acts as a Lock button too), which is as expected. The left side of the X5 has two buttons for controlling volume like the Sansa Clip Zip. What may be more interesting is the bottom of the X5, which has two MicroSD card slots and a MicroUSB port; not many digital audio players allow you to use two MicroSD cards and also another USB storage device at one go and not many digital audio players have thick and strong rubber covers to protect your MicroSD cards, which I think are important since they are small and somewhat fragile.
 

 

 

 
Within the X5
The X5 starts up pretty fast and switches off pretty fast too (with a friendly “See You” message). Once the X5 is started, you will be in the main menu and you can use the wheel (or the bottom two buttons) to select where you want to go and the middle button to confirm your selection. You can choose to play your music files via selecting one of them among them within a storage device (this is what I used almost exclusively throughout this review), or go by artists or genres. There is also a “Favourites” playlist that you can use after setting some songs as your Favourites. Finally, you can adjust your X5 according to its “Equalizer”, its “Playback Settings” (e.g. gain control) and “System Settings” (e.g. language settings and USB port settings). A firmware upgrade can be done quickly and easily by getting the firmware file from the official Fiio website and placing it in a MicroSD card and then starting the X5 with it.
 
 

 

 
Sound Signature
Coming from entry-level digital audio players like the Sansa Clip Zip that I am using now, the X5 is unsurprisingly a huge improvement. When paired with my (modded) Beyerdynamics Custom ONE Pro, I was happy at how the X5 was near-neutral as compared to the Clip Zip; I noticed slightly more treble (and even more so if FW1.15 is used). More importantly, I was pleased with how the X5 presented the details of the music; the level of detailing may be the same for the X5 and the Clip Zip but the X5 somehow managed to make me notice all these details much more than the Clip Zip. I support the popular notion that the X5 is good at showing the “micro-details” of the music. Also, it was only on the X5 that I can notice the weakness of my COPs: weak mids, which goes to show that the X5 is good enough at telling the weakness and strengths of some headphones. One of my friends also noted that the X5 is on par with the Cowon Z2 in terms of sound signature, but another friend using an iBasso DX50 noted that it was too bassy to his liking.
 

 
USB DAC
One of the reasons why I am interested in Fiio’s X3 and X5 is that they can be USB DACs too and thus be part of your desk setup aside from being your portable setup (i.e. I prefer an all-in-one solution). Here, the X5 proved to be quite good. In order to use the X5 as an USB DAC, you must set it to be a DAC in the USB settings under the System Settings and then install the USB DAC drivers for your computer. When I was using the X5 as an USB DAC and paired it with a 12AU7 tube amp from Fred’s Amps using a RCA 1960’s grey plate tube, the sound signature is obviously the same as before except for the slightly tubey sound due to the tube amp. It is surprisingly on par with the much cheaper Fiio D03K/Taishan, but I must note that the Fiio D03K needs a SPDIF or Coaxial input while the X5 needs an USB input. (Sidenote: I connected the X5 to the D03K via its Coaxial output and then connected the D03K to the tube amp. The results are almost the same aurally, but it looks kind of funny ) The X5 however outdid Stoner Acoustics’ UD100 as it is much heavier on the vocals and bass, which then underemphasized other details, making it less neutral than the X5. Notably, the X5 hung and had forced shutdowns a few times during this testing phase; I suspect it has something to do with the line out port since they happened when the jack is inserted or removed from the port. Normal usage does not require you to do this many times in a short period of time though so this should be a not-so-urgent issue lest this is related to other forced shutdown issues.
 

 

 

 
USB Charging
The X5, being an USB device, needs to be charged via the USB port. While it can reach 100% if charged from a wall socket (of which I need to separately get a wall socket to USB plug), I was disappointed in seeing that it cannot be charged that quickly when plugged onto my laptop as an USB DAC (even after 12 hours!). I thought that I can use the time it is acting as an USB DAC to sufficiently charge it for the next day. Strangely, when I tried using a portable charger to charge (whether using the X5 or not), it was not charging as fast as on a wall socket too. On FW1.10 and above, I also noticed how hot the X5 can get while charging and how slower the charging process can get.
 
Other Issues
Other than this issue, I also noted that the buttons could have been labelled a la the X3; some of my friends and I noted that at first glance we do not understand what buttons do what until we either read the Quick Guide (in the System Settings or the one supplied with the X5) or we just play around with the X5. We also noted that the physical wheel feels flimsy and can be clumsy in terms of usage (especially when setting the Equalizer). While the wheel makes it faster to go through many songs as compared to the normal buttons as seen on the X3 and the Clip Zip, it is still slower than a touchscreen. I also noticed how imprecise the wheel can be at times, for some reason I tend to select the option/file that is just below my intended target.

Album art proved to be another issue I had with the X5; while the X5 is able to support them as stated on the official website, I am forced to experiment to find out what naming convention works and what doesn’t. Also, album art is cut off at the bottom and anyway, I feel it could have been better placed in the screen (i.e. the text should not block it at all).
 
The X5 is also quite huge and heavy compared to my Clip Zip, I had a hard time operating the X5 with one hand given that it is almost as wide as my palm. I also note that at certain circumstances (e.g. chasing a bus), its weight can be a hindrance.
 
Finally, song switching is much slower on the X5 than on the Clip Zip. This is slightly rectified on FW1.15 but the new Artist>Album behaviour (and that much loathed lockscreen being switched on when wrong button is pressed issue) is not something I want at all times.
 
Verdict
The X5 does well to market itself to the audiophile market (which have its own expectations of prioritising SQ over UI/physical size and not minding to read the manual first) given its excellent near-neutral detailed SQ (+2.5 stars) and the USB DAC functionality (+1.0 stars) at a good price point (+1.0 stars) (compared to iriver/Astell&Kern’s AK series of DAPs, which seems to be its main competitor given the similarity in terms of functionality). That said, the slight problem of it is getting “mainstream” customers due to the UI (particularly the five unlabelled buttons) and the slowness of the hardware wheel vis-a-vis touchscreens that most of us are used to today (-0.5 stars). I am also not impressed by the album art issue; the lack of documentation can give a bad impression to consumers (-0.5 stars). I however acknowledge that I might be nitpicky over these points since they will not cause much problem operational-wise (+0.5 stars). If then, the main problem I have would be the charging issues (-1.0 stars) as I feel that no matter how good the X5 is in terms of sound quality, that will be pointless if I cannot use it often thanks to this issue. Thankfully, all these issues I have mentioned can largely be mitigated via the firmware patches that Fiio gives often (as seen in the X3) and I believe that Fiio can and will be able to fix these issues in due time and even throw in new features as per users’ suggestions/feedback (e.g. the USB DAC feature in the X3) given their excellent track-record in Head-Fi. (+0.9 => +1.5 stars)
 
Will I Get It: Maybe. Its price (SGD 479) is a little too high to my liking though but that’s really just me. The lack of ReplayGain functionality is another personal bugbear too (having to reconvert my collection takes up a lot of my time that could have been better to enjoy the X5, but thankfully, it is just an one-off…)
 

And sighs, it is too big for this pouch... :X

The X5 from Fiio. Where to begin...
 
Perhaps I'll start with dual-CPU processing power... or maybe the dual TF card slots... or perhaps USB DAC functionality... then again how about the exceptionally black background...
 
So many options. You know what? I'll make your life easier. Since every other review is pretty dang thorough, I'll just include the highlights and then my personal impressions.
 
The Hits 

1. Support for every lossless format under the Sun
2. USB DAC capability
3. Two TF-card slots (up to 256 GB!)
4. Exceptional firmware/UI development that continues to improve

 
The Misses

1. The click wheel implementation
2. Non-removable battery

 
My Thoughts
 
To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, my head-fi DAP history has included a plethora of iPods, a sample of Sansas, a cache of Colorfly, a basket of iBassos, and a few Fiios. Some like the iPods, C3, and DX50 were used with additional amps & DACs, while the X3, DX90, and now X5, have been standalones. 
 
The X5 is the one I've decided to keep and here are the reasons why:
 
Sound
 
Duh. This whole journey has been a pursuit of better sound without sacrificing much else. The X5 does it right. It's a noticeable step up from the iPods, Sansas, and Colorfly so I won't reference those.
 
In comparison to its younger sibling, the X3, the presentation is more neutral, with just a dash of warmth in the lower mids. Both have the Fiio sound, but to me, the X3 is the obsessed-with-being-cool younger brother, and the X5 is more sophisticated, eternal-bachelor uncle. Just more refined, clear, authoritative sound. Since it's often a subject of contention, I'll cast my vote confidently for the X5 over the DX90. It's got a more organic (less digital) sound and comes at a substantially lower price. 
 
Mid- and sub-bass are both very textured and well-balanced. From Paul's upright to Bassnectar's bass cannons, I've never once wanted more. This is definitely a pro for the X5 over the DX90. The 90's bass is heard. The X5's is felt. Which, if you ask me, is better. I've never been to a concert or venue where, when it was time, I didn't feel the bass, whether it be from a drum or an instrument. 
 
Vocals and instruments presented in the midrange are in a word: rich. From the distortion in Jimi's electric to the rasp in Norah's voice, I've always felt that the X5 does the mids better than is let on. Often in DAP-world, we judge by extremes. Depth of soundstage. Low-listening noise. Extreme upper and lower-end frequencies. Sometimes we forget about the middle. Well, have no fear. I did not forget, and neither did the good people over at Fiio. The X5 gives them just like they were recorded. 
 
The X5's upper end is solid. It's not as spacious as the DX90, but it's certainly close. It extends farther than the X3, and offers more detail than the DX50. Thanks to the exceptionally noiseless background, all the details you only hear up top are easy to discern. Things like Joe's fingers sliding on guitar strings, Adele's breathing, and Neil's cymbal rolls are very detailed and lifelike. In my experience, these kinds of things are lost in live recordings with most DAPs. They just don't have the resolution capability to make instruments recorded live sound like it. Luckily for us, the X5 does.
 
All in all, the X5 offers a complete audio experience that doesn't leave this listener wanting anything. In a world where DAP to DAC to AMP to headphone pairings are all the rage, this is quite a feat if you ask me!
 
Function
 
With regards to the X5's user experience, we've been presented with something original (always scary) yet very capable. Physical buttons require a little getting used to, but they follow a reasonable navigational scheme. I also appreciate the thought that has gone into making this player one-handed and non-visual operational. Being able to choose which buttons function when the screen is off is a nice touch. I can operate all audio functions without seeing the player!
 
The UI has a pretty short learning curve, which is certainly appreciated. Honestly, no matter how good the sound is, a bad UI can be a dealbreaker. Fiio's folder-based UI is easy enough to navigate and adjusting player and audio settings like gain, EQ, sleep, and card-scanning are reasonably intuitive. Heck, I like the look of the nav screen with it's circular design. Even the volume adjustment is cool. Unfortunately, I can't stop here though...
 
The qualms I have with the UI right now are that 1. the playlist support is clunky at best. 2. the Verdana-style font with now-playing information is a little annoying and 3. the click wheel. Why oh why would you try to make a different click wheel the the most popular portable player of all-time? That's asking for it. The X5's wheel works just fine, but it's mechanical design (as opposed to the iPod's electronic) drops the ball in two ways. First, it has as limited scroll speed - super annoying for those of us with large libraries. Second, one click of the wheel does not equal one move on-screen. Sometimes it does and then sometimes it doesn't. This makes for a lot of missed selections. 
 
Even though I don't use them much, there are other functions that the X5 offers which should satisfy most users. First, it's USB DAC capability is quite nice. It offers some seriously quality sound for those of us who are doing most of our listening through a laptop or portable rig. It's coax and line out are also very convenient. The line-out is one of the cleanest I've ever heard!
 
Finally, I should mention that the driving power of the X5 is excellent. I've yet to use a headphone that made it feel insufficient. From the 215s to the KSC75s to the PS500s to the ZMFs, the X5 drives everything I've thrown at it with authority. This is great not only from an SQ standpoint, but also from a convenience factor: I don't need to look for an additional amp! No more double-stacking! Woohoo!
 
Conclusion
 
In closing, the X5 from Fiio bests most of the other DAPs in and (obviously) below it's price bracket in almost every category. I can't compare it to the offerings from A&K or the brick of a player that the DX100 is, but I can assure you that it leads the race in my experience, for sub-$500 players. From it's excellent sound quality (I don't remember the last time I listened so exclusively to my portable device), to it's "extras" like dual-TF slots and USB DAC capability, to it's authoritative amplification, this DAP has proven it's worth time and time again. If you want an all-inclusive solution to hear your music more clearly and enjoyably when you're on the go, look no further than the Fiio X5. 

[size=16pt]X5 Review by musicheaven[/size]
 
Before I start, I would like to make a few points clear so no one will be misled about if I own one or got one as a review sample:
1. The X5 was loaned to me for 10 days by FiiO which was to be returned once the evaluation is done or 10 days have elapsed whichever came first.
2. I'm in no way affiliated with FiiO in any shape or form.
3. I can’t thank Joe and James enough for what they have done, if a vendor knows what personal touch means those two guys truly know. If there is a model other vendors should copy, I suggest they look at FiiO’s.
 
There is something else that I want to express: my gratitude to Jude and the site admins for their diligent work in creating and managing such an exciting and excellent site with people from all walks of lives and with so much human and user experiences. This site might be addictive, which I am sure lots would concur but wouldn’t be as exciting without the participations of countless members who have given me and many others the key to music nirvana but also wallet sliming. I extend my heartfelt thank you to all of you out there! One more thing; this is my first time so please be gentle but also join the club if you like or dislike anything, this is a democracy and everyone is welcome to comment, constructively .
 
[size=14pt]Let’s go with the task at hand, the review:[/size]
 
[size=14pt]First let me describe what it does not have[/size]:
With my SE535, I did not get any hiss whatsoever. This has to be the cleanest player I have heard so far. I am usually pretty quick to attach an amp to the player, but this has not been the case with the X5, it is clear from the headphone out and did not feel any major boost in sound quality or changes from the line out. I would say the amp section has to have been extremely well designed. I used my SE535, Sennheiser Momentum and HD600 headphones without ever moving into high gain.
 
[size=14pt]Build quality[/size]:
The X5 is without a doubt a solidly built player. It is heavy and feels it’s built like a tank. The first thought you have when holding the player is holly crew, the dap feels heavy/solid. The body is bi-leveled aluminum construction all around, the display is raised a few millimeters above the base. To be honest I would be hard pressed opening the case, I still can’t find how they put it together so the silicon cover would definitively stay there to avoid any collisions.  The size is about just right, slightly larger than the iPod Classic, it still stands nicely in your hands. The buttons on the side and tops are properly positioned, no chance of accidently pushing one by pressing on the others. The wheel action is very smooth and you can also feel the slight mechanical click as you move the wheel. The rubber mat covering the wheel definitively helps in having a good grip. I am a tad worried about the durability of the rubber mat as you could easily scratch it with your nails. The buttons are well placed and also slightly raised with a solid feel, akin to the iPod construction. The headphone, line out and coax out plugs are quite solid and seem to be made of copper allow with possibly gold platting but I can’t say for sure ([size=10pt]James and Joe stated that in fact they are gold plated[/size]). The TF card readers sit at the bottom of the dap cover by rubber plugs. Not sure about the durability of those covers however the dap I own does not even have a plug.
 
The wheel middle button is quite sensitive, I have stopped and started the player a few times just lying in my coat pocket. If you want to avoid having any actions while transporting the player, you should definitively pick the lockscreen mode 1 but keep in mind that the only button you will have operating is the power on/off button. I think I can see FiiO adding additional lock screen modes, say just the power on/off, volume +/- and maybe just the play/pause button, best would be to allow customizations for the lock mode, have it a tad granular so we can pick our own settings without rendering the player useless.
 
The screen resolution is really outstanding, I have not tried it outside when the sun is out, my feeling is it will be hard to read. I believe the best for that (I did not have a single player that was easy to read under those conditions) would be a screen shield that can block the sun rays.
[size=14pt] [/size]
[size=14pt]Functions and features[/size]:
Main features:
• Supports up to 24Bit/192kHz - TI PCM 1792 24Bit DAC Chip
• 4 OPA1612 used for current / voltage conversion and amplification
• 2 LMH6643 used for headphone output
• 2.4” IPS color LCD (320*240)
• Up to 24 Bit/192Khz 3.5mm Coaxial Output
• 3.5mm Headphone Output, and Line Out
• 10 bands graphic EQ
• Dual TF card slots for a total of 128 Gb storage space (with support for 256GB, 512GB, etc. with future firmware upgrades).
• All-new mechanical scroll wheel (using Alps rotary switch components from Japan)
• All-new custom UI forged from years of experience and feedback
• Volume +/-, Power on/off button
• 2-setting gain software enabled switch
• Audio Formats Supported: DSD, APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, OGG, MP2, MP3 
• 3700mAh 3.7V lithium polymer battery
• Support auto-turn off when sleeping, time can be decided.
• Auto track, support CUE playing by selection and fast forward/ fast backward of playing song
 
[size=14pt]The functions and features I have tested: Playback low and hi-res up to 192khz/24 bit files including all supported file formats. I also tested the Equalizer unit and the USB-DAC function on both Windows 8.1 and Mac OS Maverick, also tested the HO and LO ports (with amps). The only feature I have not tried are DSD playback (not available yet) and the coax output.[/size]
[size=14pt]I would strongly recommend for anyone who either evaluates the player or own one to consult the detailed user manual as indicated by the link below, it is filled with useful information and instructions on how to operate the player. I also added the X5 quick start guide link. I won’t repeat anything that pertains to the manual other than emphasizing the features and functions. [/size]
 
[size=14pt]Joe's user manual translation from Chinese to English - Click Here[/size]
[size=14pt]https://www.dropbox.com/s/yt0cjq3dptq14mj/X5%20Quick%20start%20guide.pdf[/size]
 
[size=14pt]Photos[/size]:
 
·         Missing on the photos the HDTracks.com and quick control cards.
  [size=14pt]User Interface[/size]:
The user interface is centered around the scroll wheel motion. That is the theme used. It is well laid out and is very intuitive (even more so for the ex or current iPod classic user). It will take you few minutes to get used to it. I have noticed a bit of lag when selecting songs and moving from song to song however [size=10pt]I am hopeful[/size] it will be fixed in a future release. It has all of the main functions available from the main menu. You go to detail selections by selecting the top level and then using the scroll wheel to position yourself on different selected items. To confirm you selection, you use the center button. Notice that you cannot work on the current displayed song if you are navigating the menu selection. You will have to select Now Playing in order to go back to the Now Playing screen. If you are on the now playing screen and you activate the scroll wheel, you will browse your song selection using the scroll wheel theme with all of the songs being displayed depending on how you got there (directory of album listing).
 
File format art work is recognized:
 
[size=12pt]Pros[/size]:
Easy navigable user interface, once you get the hang of it, you can operate it with one hand.
Sound reproduction is fantastic.
Option based feature selections instead of hardware (e.g. gain).
 
[size=12pt]Cons[/size]:
A one second lag going from song to song although I am hoping that they will fix this issue.
The fast forward and reverse do not provide acceleration when keeping the button depressed, it is constant. It would be amazing if they could increase the speed trough acceleration.
It only recognize embedded art work instead of allowing a generic picture file to be picked up if one is missing.
I was not able to fully take advantage of the library using my current song library due to possible file and/or tag conflicts, it is always hoped that the player can deal with those issues like some well known manufactures I won’t mention. [size=10pt](James and Joe have stated that the library scan issues will indeed be addressed in a firmware update before the player launches worldwide in late March).[/size]
 
[size=14pt]Usage as a DAC:[/size]
The DAC implementation is flawless, it sounds as good on the PC as it sounds on the Mac. The driver needs to be installed in Windows in order to get it recognized by the operating system. But once you do, it works without a hitch. It will play any music with up to the player top resolution. I have played my hi-res sample files with the same results than playing them directly on the player. The DAC does use the amp as I connected my headphones on the HO port. I also connected the LO port to one of my amps and worked beautifully. So your choice is yours, you can go and enjoy the DAC with your favorite headphones/iems or just plug it to your nearby stereo through the LO out and enjoy a room full of music. Goes without saying that if you have coax in from your favorite stereo system, the better. I did not attempt to connect the coax out as my sound system did not have the coax in and I do not own an amp with coax in.
 
[size=14pt]Using the Equalizer: [/size]

 
I did not spend a lot of time with the EQ other than trying the different settings and the custom one. I can only say it just works and it does change the sound frequency/amplitude response according to your selection. I am not much of an EQ proponent, I have always enjoyed the player as is with its pros and cons. If the vendor is serious enough to make a great sounding player, they will make it nice untouched (flat as much as possible), that is what FiiO has confidently done with the X5.
 
[size=14pt]Sound quality[/size]:
It is airy, light, delicate, open, and seemingly unrestricted in the mid and upper extension. Instruments are playing in what I can perceive as ample surrounding space. Vocals are articulate, voices come clearly and sound well-spoken. Aliveness is one quality that comes to mind, I feel the performers to be located close to me.
 
As far as imaging is concerned, it would classify it as in the semi-wide (in the middle), you can get the feel of space between the instruments and the singers but not to a point where you could place the different singers (back and front) on a stage, at that level they blend in and tend to be gathered right in front of you. The musical instruments feel somewhat closer but you do feel some separation. Spanning and field depth is truly felt on the X5, this is what gives it a feeling of depth and perception of a wider  soundstage.
 
The sound is truly transparent, pretty much even across the frequency range however I do sense that the mids and highs are slightly prominent but in good way more towards being clear/transparent, I truly enjoyed the vocals from the player, to me so far that is the best player for vocals.
 
I would classify it as analytical but not excessively, quite detailed sounding, playing with different music file res makes me say “ah I never heard that sound before”.
 
[size=12pt]The bass[/size]
In general, the player tilts towards being a neutral clean player. The bass is there but it isn’t prominent nor recessed but with enough confident energy. For an audiophile, I believe it to be just right, that is if you do not like this section of the audio frequency being boosted. With high sampling rate (hi-res) music, this part truly shines, you can easily feel every stick hit on the drums as if you are only few feet away. The sound is truly clear and crisp and quick. There is no heft or heaviness to it.
 
[size=12pt]The mid-range and highs[/size]
This is where the player truly shines, the vocals on this player is a joy to listen to. I haven’t had so much fun listening to such a clear, crisp and non-fatiguing sound, you can literarily spend hours listening to the music and not get tired.
 
By the way I have already been through one firmware update and no sound changes, so that makes me happy as I don’t have to change the review according to how the dap sounds after each update.
What is nice and great about the player is it is really easy on the headphones, IEMS you are throwing at it. I used my cheaper SE215 IEMS and the more expensive SE535 and they all sounded very good with it. My SE535 have never sounded so good with the player as I had difficulty using them with prior players to a point of satisfaction. My HD600 really came to life using the dap, to me it’s so far the best pairing I can dream to achieve not going beyond a certain price point. For portability, A+ as I never had to carry an amp, the HO out is crystal clear and the output power is more than enough to power my HD600 headphones, I also used it with my SennHeiser Momentums at work and it was a delight.
[size=14pt] [/size]
[size=14pt]In Conclusion[/size]:
Pros:
Outstanding build, easily navigable interface, loads of extra goodies.
Sound reproduction is fantastic; exceptional sound quality, clear, airy neutral and non-fatiguing.
No need for an amp, truly portable and friendly with headphones and iems. The hi-res on this player is a joy if you love details you are in for a treat.
Easy navigable user interface, can be operated with one hand (did it and did not drop it).
Option based feature selections instead of hardware (e.g. gain).
 
Cons:
I don’t see that many cons but if I have to pick a few the user interface do need some tuning to allow for a smoother scrolling using the album/artist/genre Library features and the next levels that the interface should tackle, for example once artist is selected, album would be displayed then one can pick an album to play instead of all songs from the artist (that is my preference, may vary with other members). A last one would be to get a flawless scan and somewhat more tolerant of file naming and tag info. I truly find that a player which can handle directory and library browsing is more useful than one that does not. I also found myself turning the player on/off with just the friction of it on my inner wall pocket, not a desirable thing that explains most likely why the lock screen option 1 is available.
 
In Summary I would definitively classify the player as one of near reference. I don’t want to over emphasize the player but I have to say its implementation is impeccable. You will certainly gain from playing hi-res music playback but yet will provide a great performance for better recorded lower res files. I can say with confidence that you will not regret purchasing this player.