[JerryLeeds]

Okay I’m loving my X5S. It is exactly what I needed. SSD as my music library and coaxial out to my DAC.

I had to sort my library in alphabetical order with a drivesort utility.

Also the X5S front panel when displaying playing song/track “10231 of 20211”truncates the last one in 20211 .. length for this section of the screen in one byte short

One of my tracks from my library is not recognized when the X5S scans .. I have to track down the file name issue.

I also tested the crosstalk using left and right test tracks and I heard no bleed over. Previous Topping M50 and SMSL SD-9 both had significant bleed through when playing the left & right test track .. sound was heard in both channels.

I also purchased the lower priced X5S model without BT

I now waiting for a linear power supply for the X5S

 

[twinkles]

One of my tracks from my library is not recognized when the X5S scans .. I have to track down the file name issue.

I also got the X5S 8thAE, and characters other than dash - and coma , mess up the display of song names on the screen, for example parentheses cause the name to be full caps and truncated. Also the files in the browser are arranged in a strange order (by date?). Is this why you used a drivesort utility? to have your files in alphabetical order physically on the SD card?

I now waiting for a linear power supply for the X5S

I swapped the SMPS wallwart for a linear power supply. Couldn't hear much difference sonically, but I'm leaving it in so as not to inject noise into other components on the same outlet.

I'm quite happy with the X5S as a transport with optical out into a Audio-Gd R2R 11 mk2. Very quiet, good dynamics. I'm not using the X5S DAC or any other X5S output.

 

[JerryLeeds]

I also got the X5S 8thAE, and characters other than dash - and coma , mess up the display of song names on the screen, for example parentheses cause the name to be full caps and truncated. Also the files in the browser are arranged in a strange order (by date?). Is this why you used a drivesort utility? to have your files in alphabetical order physically on the SD card?

I swapped the SMPS wallwart for a linear power supply. Couldn't hear much difference sonically, but I'm leaving it in so as not to inject noise into other components on the same outlet.

I'm quite happy with the X5S as a transport with optical out into a Audio-Gd R2R 11 mk2. Very quiet, good dynamics. I'm not using the X5S DAC or any other X5S output.

Yes … drivesort alphabetized my library folder …

Thanks for the help with ‘characters’ that could mess with things

 

[twinkles]

Thanks for the help with ‘characters’ that could mess with things

You're welcome Jerry.
Did you swap the power supply yet? did it have any effect?

 

[JerryLeeds]

You're welcome Jerry.
Did you swap the power supply yet? did it have any effect?

Yes .. I ordered a linear power supply from eBay ‘Studer 900’ with tax & shipping to NYC $155, seems to be an improvement

Edited: With the linear power supply please note… you will needed to power down the X5S and then flick the rear power switch to off before turning off the linear power supply… need to do things in reverse when turning things on

 

[JerryLeeds]

FYI: Aune has posted a new firmware as of 5/2023 … the main comment mentioned ABC file ordering

I’ve installed this 1.07 firmware this past weekend no issues with it but my SSD library was already sorted correctly. I won’t know if the library listing on the X5S is sorting things until I add a new album to my library

 

[twinkles]

FYI: Aune has posted a new firmware as of 5/2023 … the main comment mentioned ABC file ordering

Cool, thanks for the firmware info, I'll check it out

 

[JerryLeeds]

Does anyone have experience with the X5S coaxial output in a Denafrips Hermes DDC to re-clock the digital output signal?
Is it worth purchasing the Denafrips Hermes for this reclocking for better sound quality?

 

[EJS73]

A bit hard to find but I’ve installed 1.071 and testing it now. I run the x5s with an XP2, toslink into a separate dac. Under earlier firmware, the unit did not ‘release’ the dac at the end of a playlist, which meant that reinserting a new sd card could result in a loud pop. I am very carefully testing if this has been resolved.

 

[EJS73]

OK… I didn’t know what to expect as the firmware doesn’t seem to come with release notes but first signs are encouraging - in the first three tests, the player correctly stopped at the ‘end’ of an SD card and smoothly handles the insertion of a new one.

If this keeps up, I’ll try the XC1, next. Previously, the clock signal became audible through the speakers after a playlist had finished - always suspected this was a related issue.

PS off topic but found out by chance that toslink happily plays 24/192.

 

[JerryLeeds]

Do you have a web address for this version of the firmware?

 

[EJS73]

Do you have a web address for this version of the firmware?

https://www.aune-store.com/en/downloads/

 

[JerryLeeds]

https://www.aune-store.com/en/downloads/

Thanks … I must have misunderstood.. I installed this version last weekend

Let us know if the XC1 makes an improvement

 

[EJS73]

Let us know if the XC1 makes an improvement

Based on when I had the XC1 in the stack, the clock does make a difference but a subtle one, but I've had the unit in its box for the past months - looking forward to re-testing once I'm completely convinced the 'end of playlist' issue on the X5S has been fully addressed. I've been listening to music on SD cards yesterday all afternoon, though, and so far no issues (in fact the price-to-performance of this unit as a digital transport is off the charts).

 

[JerryLeeds]

Any have experience using an iFi spdif iPurifier2? Would it improve the SQ coming out of the coaxial from X5S ?