[tusharthegamer]

Please suggest a good dap under this price range! I have Fiio x1 in my mind .

 

[PurpleAngel]

I got to test a FiiO X1 for a 10 days
 
If you do not need more then 8GB or 16GB of storage space and do not use FLAC audio.
The Sony Walkman E series is nice and small, I have the E465 and E474 players.
 
Or wait until the new FiiO X3 Gen II goes on sale.

 

[Jake Barnes]

Surprised not to see more posts

 

[Leviticus]

  Surprised not to see more posts

That price range is not the specialty of most head-fiers. Cheap is, after all, a relative concept for some folk here. (including me) 

 
I'd recommend the Sony Walkman A17. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this beauty. 

 

 

[Jake Barnes]

Had not seen that before. 
 
Thanks

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Surprised not to see more posts

 
There really isn't much below that price point other than the X1/X3 - nearly everything else are mainstream design devices that use an integrated DAC+HPamp audio chip with around 5mW to 15mW output. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for most, the noise and distortion levels aren't enough to justify lugging around another device when they already have smartphones using the same chip, and with a very convenient interface as well.
 
Any others below that price that have similar innards to the X1/X3 aren't as pocketable, and have very basic, Gameboy-Discman era screen and interface.

 
Or the hardware can be similar to the X1/X3, is pocketable and has a touchscreen, but with a slower UI due to the firmware.

 
And that's why the X3 and X1 were basically the best products to come out in recent years, despite the X3 firmware issues at the start or the file limit.

 

[tusharthegamer]

thank you for the suggestions guys.. seems like i have to increase my budget for DAP ...

 

[dby2011]

Get the Fiio X1 for sure! It's a great DAP and will power most headphones fine. If you want more power you can get a Fiio E11k amp and stacking kit for it and still be under $200.00.  You also can get a Fiio X3 2nd gen for $200.00.  Just keep in mind you have to buy sdcards for them as they have no built in memory.  For $99 the X1 is a great player.

 

[tusharthegamer]

One of my friend owns a sansa clip plus but i will go for x1 as you guys have suggested. Is there any major difference between sansa clip and x1 as i will get local sandisk  warranty with clip plus 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  thank you for the suggestions guys.. seems like i have to increase my budget for DAP ...

 

Why? What's wrong with the X3II and X1, or the DX50 for just a little bit more that spending more will change?

 
 

  One of my friend owns a sansa clip plus but i will go for x1 as you guys have suggested. Is there any major difference between sansa clip and x1 as i will get local sandisk  warranty with clip plus 

 

Clip uses the same type of integrated DAC+HPamp chip, with somewhere between 5mW to 15mW of clean output. What you are getting with the X1 are dedicated DAC, output stage, and amplifier chips, with possibly enough current over the Clip. Take note that for IEMs that have a sensitivity of 110dB and upwards you might not notice any actual difference in sound, barring any that might a touch more current; it's only when you start hooking these up to headphones that the Clip might start falling behind the X1. Note though that between the X1 and the X3 the former is the one tuned more for IEMs, with a lower gain and a smaller chassis (vs the MkI, haven't seen the MkII in the flesh yet) that is more pocketable, so honestly even with a line out I'd rather not use an amp with the X1. It has enough power to drive every IEM out there (and still able to handle bass boost on the EQ if you want to use it) and still be enough for most efficient headphones with lower impedance. I loved it with the RS1e, no amp.

 

In terms of battery life I think they're about even - the Clip's circuit is more efficient but it also has a smaller battery.

 

In terms of UI, the Clip runs smoothly, but it's not like the X1 is problematic. If anything, once you get used to how you work the wheel (which is not exactly the same as the iPod's, my mistake, which had me fumbling with the review unit for a couple of days like an idiot) it might even feel more intuitive for navigating a microSD card with a lot of albums and tracks given that it's a wheel. The Clip can be Rockboxed but given the headroom on the output of the X1 and the neutral enough response it will just be a matter of picking an IEM that has the sound you like (and then with its power driving it will not be an issue at all).

 

[PurpleAngel]

  One of my friend owns a Sansa Clip Plus but i will go for x1 as you guys have suggested. Is there any major difference between Sansa Clip and X1 as i will get local Sandisk  warranty with clip plus 

 
Maybe get a Clip Plus 4GB (or Clip Zip 4GB) and install the Rockbox firmware.
Later on you can always upgrade.

 

[sepukku]

I wouldn't recommend Fiio X1 at all, in any price range. If someone would offer it to me for free, I wouldn't take it for myself. This DAP has absolutely no highs, they roll off at about 10-12 KHz, which is outrageous. For anyone that doesn't stand highs (?!?) it could probably be a good choice because it is quite a neutral sounding unit, with a good timbre. But man, the treble is horrendous. And I'm speaking about the headphones out, the things improve quite a bit on the line out.

 

[Toom]

  I wouldn't recommend Fiio X1 at all, in any price range. If someone would offer it to me for free, I wouldn't take it for myself. This DAP has absolutely no highs, they roll off at about 10-12 KHz, which is outrageous. For anyone that doesn't stand highs (?!?) it could probably be a good choice because it is quite a neutral sounding unit, with a good timbre. But man, the treble is horrendous. And I'm speaking about the headphones out, the things improve quite a bit on the line out.

 
 
Sorry, but that's just bollocks.
 
Get the X1 - it's ace on toast.

 

[Watagump]

How about a used Cowon J3?

 

[sepukku]

If we were more civilized and not attack a person's opinion, this would probably be a much better place, where people could really form themselves a opinion about a product. As it is, that DAP is not worthy a single dollar in my opinon. My ALC codec (latest generation, true) beats it in almost every thinkable area: timbre, neutrality, detail, soundstage, frequency extension. The only things that DAP do better, but only by a small margin, are SNR and dynamic range. But that is minor compared to what it does NOT do right.
So my advice would be if you have the possibility to try it first, do it. You might end up shocked, like I was.
I gave my unbiased opinion about said product w/o attacking anyone. I respect others' opinion so I don't make comments (rude or not) about their comments.