[EagleWings]

 
i am a person who can't hear any difference in sq between the fiio x3ii and iphone 5s when volume matched with shure se846 earphones. i have also listened to fiio x5ii which again i feel is no different from x3ii / iphone 5s in terms of sq. considering this do you still feel i'd find an immediate out of the box improvement (i am not looking for a long term improvement) over the fiio x5ii?
please do reply when you get time.
 

 
Quote:

  Anyhow, I listen to a lot of fairly, to very-well recorded acoustic music, so the difference in how natural instruments sound is apparent to me. FiiO improved the ability of the X5II to drive headphones quite a bit, so especially with IEMs the difference will be considerably less, more centred around the level of detail retrieval when listening carefully and the versatility with full-sized headphones as well as IEMs. It's not a difference in the manner of having more bass or anything along those lines, which would be much more apparent.

 @RamblerBoy  This ^^^ is absolutely true based on my experience. There are 2 aspects to why people would feel a X3ii or a X5ii is an improvement over a smartphone such as an iPhone.
#1. Improvement in sound quality
#2. More power to drive headphones that are not driven well to their fullest potential by the smartphones
 
Since you own a sensitive IEM, #2 does not apply to your case as the iPhone has enough juice to drive it. 
 
Now as for #1: I am just going to add on to what Currawong mentioned. If by any chance you still have one of the fiio devices with you, try this experiment. Take a couple of well recorded tracks with acoustical instruments that have the sense of instrument placements. Hotel California by Eagles is a good example. In case you have high resolution format files, down sample it to 16/44 FLAC or convert it to 320kbps MP3 (this is to keep things simple and avoid people raising arguments about the experiment) and load the music onto both the devices. Use a hifi player app on iPhone like the Onkyo HiFi player. Now do an A/B comparison of the devices with a volume match. (Human ears are not to be trusted for volume matching. Use the right equipments and setup. If you don't own equipments, you have no other option but to rely on your ears. Try to be as close as possible). Use the neutral filter on the SE846 for the purpose of the experiment.
 
You will understand what Currawong is talking about. With the Fiio X3ii, you will realize that the instruments actually sound like those actual instruments being laid out in a 3 dimensional room. With the Fiio X5ii the instruments start sounding even more natural and the sense of 3 dimensional space becomes more apparent. On the iPhone you will definitely hear those details and notes but won't sound as natural as on the Fiio devices nor will it have that 3D effect of the X5ii. On certain notes the difference between the iPhone and Fiio devices can be day/night and on some notes the difference can be subtle. But I can assure you that you will hear the difference.
 
Now all that said, it doesn't necessarily mean that you would prefer the Fiio devices over the iPhone. There are certain tracks that I prefer listening on my iPhone even though I hear more natural details on the X3ii, because to me the music is more enjoyable on my iPhone. And I also prefer iPhone over my X3ii for EDM, House and Electro types of music. But I only listen to those music once in a few days. So based on my music collection and listening preferences, I do 80% of my listening on my X3ii.

 

[RamblerBoy]

   @RamblerBoy  This ^^^ is absolutely true based on my experience. There are 2 aspects to why people would feel a X3ii or a X5ii is an improvement over a smartphone such as an iPhone.
#1. Improvement in sound quality
#2. More power to drive headphones that are not driven well to their fullest potential by the smartphones
 
Since you own a sensitive IEM, #2 does not apply to your case as the iPhone has enough juice to drive it. 
 
Now as for #1: I am just going to add on to what Currawong mentioned. If by any chance you still have one of the fiio devices with you, try this experiment. Take a couple of well recorded tracks with acoustical instruments that have the sense of instrument placements. Hotel California by Eagles is a good example. In case you have high resolution format files, down sample it to 16/44 FLAC or convert it to 320kbps MP3 (this is to keep things simple and avoid others raising arguments about the experiment) and load the music onto both the devices. Use a hifi player app on iPhone like the Onkyo HiFi player. Now do an A/B comparison of the devices with a volume match. (Human ears are not to be trusted for volume matching. Use the right equipments and setup. If you don't own equipments, you have no other option but to rely on your ears. Try to be as close as possible). Use the neutral filter on the SE846 for the purpose of the experiment.
 
You will understand what Currawong is talking about. With the Fiio X3ii, you will realize that the instruments actually sound like those actual instruments being laid out in a 3 dimensional room. With the Fiio X5ii the instruments start sounding even more natural and the sense of 3 dimensional space becomes more apparent. On the iPhone you will definitely hear those details and notes but won't sound as natural as on the Fiio devices nor will it have that 3D effect of the X5ii. On certain notes the difference between the iPhone and Fiio devices can be day/night and on some notes the difference can be subtle. But I can assure you that you will hear the difference.
 
Now all that said, it doesn't necessarily mean that you would prefer the Fiio devices over the iPhone. There are certain tracks that I prefer listening on my iPhone even though I hear more natural details on the X3ii, because to me the music is more enjoyable on my iPhone. And I also prefer iPhone over my X3ii for EDM, House and Electro types of music. But I only listen to those music once in a few days. So based on my music collection and listening preferences, I do 80% of my listening on my X3ii.

 
might be true in your case but i have tried my best to find a difference between fiio x3ii and one of the new ipods / iphone 5s starting off with a bias favoring the fiio because it is marketed as a dedicated dap. while there are dedicated features in fiio x3ii, i genuinely don't hear the difference and by telling that i don't hear the difference i am talking about every aspect of sound as it comes out of x3ii's headphone out.
i don't want to make an equipment sound better with obsession or compulsion but rather listen to the difference and i don't hear any.

 

[EagleWings]

   
might be true in your case but i have tried my best to find a difference between fiio x3ii and one of the new ipods / iphone 5s starting off with a bias favoring the fiio because it is marketed as a dedicated dap. while there are dedicated features in fiio x3ii, i genuinely don't hear the difference and by telling that i don't hear the difference i am talking about every aspect of sound as it comes out of x3ii's headphone out.
i don't want to make an equipment sound better with obsession or compulsion but rather listen to the difference and i don't hear any.

 
Well in that case you must consider yourself fortunate and stick with your smartphone (as you don't have to spend an extra $200 or $300 for a dedicated music device or carry an additional device).
 
But do give Mojo a try. I have been hearing nothing but great things about this device and I am tempted to get one myself. 

 

[RamblerBoy]

   
Well in that case you must consider yourself fortunate and stick with your smartphone (as you don't have to spend an extra $200 or $300 for a dedicated music device or carry an additional device).
 
But do give Mojo a try. I have been hearing nothing but great things about this device and I am tempted to get one myself. 

so according to you if i don't find any difference in sq between fiio x3ii and iphone 5s i wouldn't find anything different in any other dap or dac or amp. that is a far fetched statement to post.
 
the topic of this thread isn't related to a comparison between fiio x3ii and iphone/ipod or advocacy regarding the same. i have all the 3 and i have drawn my conclusions on them based on my sensitivity to sound but you tell me that i am not hearing what i am hearing and ask me to stick with smartphones. this is not helpful in any manner.
 
will definitely give mojo a try.

 

[EagleWings]

I can see how my post must have sounded far fetched. It was an honest recommendation, just not worded the best way. You must understand the reason why I offered such an advice. I have seen your posts on the X3 thread about your unpleasant experiences with Fiio devices. On top of that, if you do not hear any improvement in SQ over your iphone, it could possibly mean that the iphone is doing a good job in playing music and you could avoid the risk of facing similar issues with a DAP again by simply sticking to your iphone. (And not to mention the money that you would save by returning/selling the fiio players).
 
Quuote:

 
the topic of this thread isn't related to a comparison between fiio x3ii and iphone/ipod or advocacy regarding the same. i have all the 3 and i have drawn my conclusions on them based on my sensitivity to sound but you tell me that i am not hearing what i am hearing and ask me to stick with smartphones. this is not helpful in any manner.
 

 
I was suggesting an experimental procedure that could quite possibly reveal sound differences. And fiio devices happened to be the specimens because those are the devices that you currently own, and it so happens that I have had the chance to listen to both those Fiio devices and I was in a position to guarantee a difference in Sound Quality.
 
But apparently you did not hear any difference. I do believe and respect your observations. Chances are you might end up with similar results in case you are going to try a couple more DAPs in the X5 range. Which is the reason why I suggested you to stay with your iphone in the first place. If my suggestion was helpful/not helpful, is your own point of view. But it was typed with an intention to save you some trouble of experimenting with more DAPs in the X5 price range.

 

[RamblerBoy]

   
I was suggesting an experimental procedure that could quite possibly reveal sound differences. And fiio devices happened to be the specimens because those are the devices that you currently own, and it so happens that I have had the chance to listen to both those Fiio devices and I was in a position to guarantee a difference in Sound Quality.
 
But apparently you did not hear any difference. I do believe and respect your observations. Chances are you might end up with similar results in case you are going to try a couple more DAPs in the X5 range. Which is the reason why I suggested you to stay with your iphone in the first place. If my suggestion was helpful/not helpful, is your own point of view. But it was typed with an intention to save you some trouble of experimenting with more DAPs in the X5 price range.

i kind of feel the same too about daps especially in that price range which is why i am looking into a dac/amp which might at the very least prove an asset to full sized phones. it's difficult especially when my opinion is my personal preference and doesn't apply to any other individual in any manner yet people try to object it or prove otherwise. i am always careful to add words like "to me", "i am a person who", etc... fiio x3ii / iphone analogy was given to communicate my shortcomings, or strengths as others may call it, to Currawong so that he could help me accordingly. you also assumed that i did not make a proper comparison between the devices mentioned.
i am sorry for sounding cold while i replied to you earlier and thanks for trying to help.

 

[EagleWings]

  i kind of feel the same too about daps especially in that price range which is why i am looking into a dac/amp which might at the very least prove an asset to full sized phones. it's difficult especially when my opinion is my personal preference and doesn't apply to any other individual in any manner yet people try to object it or prove otherwise. i am always careful to add words like "to me", "i am a person who", etc... fiio x3ii / iphone analogy was given to communicate my shortcomings, or strengths as others may call it, to Currawong so that he could help me accordingly. you also assumed that i did not make a proper comparison between the devices mentioned.
i am sorry for sounding cold while i replied to you earlier and thanks for trying to help.

 
That's aright.
 
Here is my response to you in the X3ii thread. Not sure if you took the Chord Mojo route based on my post there, but you can see that I suggested you other devices/options when you expressed your frustration with the Fiio devices regarding the channel imbalance issues and did not try to defend the device or the Fiio brand. But it is after you said that you did not hear any improvement in SQ even with the X5ii that I suggested the experiment so that you gave those devices one last try through an objective comparison. I was not trying to force my observations.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/743704/the-fiio-x3-2nd-gen-ex-x3k-x3ii-thread-192k-24b-cs4398-native-dsd-usb-dac-with-lo-and-inline-remote/6615#post_12174821
 
Regarding, me assuming that you did not make a proper comparison; Had I thought otherwise, I would still be making an assumption that you did perform an objective comparison. But the cost of this latter assumption could be far more. As in these forums we don't know each other personally, and with very little information available, I tailor my experimental suggestions to be generic. In your case, you may have made a proper comparison but there is no guarantee that everyone does so. Consider a Mr.X who is about to give up on his device because he/she was did not do a proper comparison. May be my suggested experiment and its corresponding observations could possibly change his mind to keep the device and save him from the trouble of going through the return process and then researching and buying another device only to discover the exact same result. Or may be, it will make him feel glad that he is returning the device now that he knows for sure that the device has no improvement in Sound Quality. Or may be not both. Better to leave no stones un-turned. 
 
Regardless, I am sorry if I offended you.
 
Hoping that we can put this case to rest now that we have clarified each others' perspectives, have you already ordered the Mojo?

 

[RamblerBoy]

Not sure why you are posting excerpts from other threads in here that which is not relevant. i never hinted that you are trying to defend a product you own.
 
post#17: mentions my initial bias favoring the fiio having bought it as a dedicated hi-fi dap.
got it replaced under warranty → the bias has gone → i don't hear the difference → simple → lucid. not sure which part of it is difficult to understand.
 
 
by starting this thread i never asked fellow head-fiers to help me prove that fiio is better than apples in terms of sq. you did not offend me but all you did was deviate the intention of this thread trying to prove something that you believe and it clearly is irritating to me especially when you are trying to tell me that i am wrong about my personal observations in a forum under Introductions, Help and Recommendations.
 
to me x3ii has no improvement in sq over the new apples. period. it was mentioned to help others help me better accordingly (if a fellow member can't differentiate x3ii from ipods/5s, he/she shares my observations. hence when they hear a difference with some other dac/amp there are more chances i might hear the same).
 
i wouldn't call such an experiment / comparison objective because bias and expectations can change my results too. assumption is good from the way you describe it but your assumption isn't related to the subject of this thread and hence not helpful to me.
 
no i haven't. i am still trying to figure out whether i should spend that money on a standalone amp instead of a dac/amp combo because it might be of more use to me when i buy full sized power hungry headphones. i am in no hurry though. the se846s are genuinely a treat to my ears.


 
 
post#17

   
might be true in your case but i have tried my best to find a difference between fiio x3ii and one of the new ipods / iphone 5s starting off with a bias favoring the fiio because it is marketed as a dedicated dap. while there are dedicated features in fiio x3ii, i genuinely don't hear the difference and by telling that i don't hear the difference i am talking about every aspect of sound as it comes out of x3ii's headphone out.
i don't want to make an equipment sound better with obsession or compulsion but rather listen to the difference and i don't hear any.

 

[EagleWings]

Sorry for the trouble. Unsubbed..

 

[GLM101]

Hi,
 
Has anyone compared the Mayflower Objective 2/ODAC Revision B to the Chord Mojo?
 
I appreciate that the mojo is more portable, but I was thinking of getting a DAC for the office/home.
 
Regards, 

 

[bettyn]

Which is the best sound and features:: the Chord Mojo or the Sony PHA 3? I have a Questyle QP1R (which, in my opinion, doesn't need an amp to sound great. In addition, I have a FiiO X5 II, numerous iPods of differing generations, and an iPod Touch and an iPhone 6 which I use with an Oppo ha 2. Am just looking to upgrade. Use Audioquest Nighthawk and  B & W P7 headphones./

 

[turkayguner]

Hi,

Has anyone compared the Mayflower Objective 2/ODAC Revision B to the Chord Mojo?

I appreciate that the mojo is more portable, but I was thinking of getting a DAC for the office/home.

Regards,

Anyone?