DX260 Digital Audio Player, a New avenue to your music. Preorders have started. Easily replaceable battery. NEW Firmware Update! 2.02

[rickywck]

For anyone considering the DX260 or the FiiO M23, I'll copy my ergonomics rant from the M23 thread here (hope that's kosher):

Sounds brilliant, and the subtle cobalt blue colouring is a refreshing and beguilling change from ubiquitous black/silver bricks.

However, after using my M23 daily for about two months, I find the overall ergonomics problematic. FYI, I reckon my hands are on the larger side: when I buy gloves, it's at least a large, and more often an extra-large.

With that in mind, here are my ergonomic grievances:

• Flush buttons and recessed switches sure do look swish but are hard to operate blindly.
• Too many controls in too many places make it hard to learn to operate blindly.
• The brutalist squarish angles of the unit might be visually striking, but my hands prefer slight curves (as in the M15s--never held one, but it looks more sensible to grasp).
• Slick surfaces all over + hard right angles + the unit's height make it hard to grip single-handedly, even with the TPU case, which is almost as slick as the aluminum frame.
• The (p)leather case ensures a better grip, and has a little undercarriage that makes the M23 a bit easier to use one-handed. That said, the (p)leather case covers the playback buttons, which made them nearly impossible to differentiate by feel. I had to get a sharp knife and cut a window into the case to expose them.
• The (p)leather adds surprising bulk--surprising to me, at least. It's one of those cases with a velcro fastening system. It's great for keeping the player in the case, and even it's nice and low-profile as far as velcro goes. Nevertheless, with the (p)leather case on, the M23, for me, is more transportable than portable.
• The headphone jack is on top, which is not my preference. I flipped the screen to reverse that, but it makes the placement of controls even more awkward--for example, with the jacks on the bottom, I'm now prone to gripping the player in such a way that I activate the volume control.
• If anyone would like to wage jihad against the volume slider, please sign me up. I can see how some like it in a desktop setup, but for portable use its much more a hindrance than a help, and disabling it is a must. Disabling it protects my ears and IEMs but leaves me with no tactile feedback on which direction the volume is going when I reach into my pocket. Intuitive volume control is kind of the most important thing on a DAP: even more than John Darko's "Red Hot Chili Peppers button," IMO.
• Screen is hard to see outdoors, even on full brightness.
• While the microSD card slot does offer a beautifully flush appearance (and maybe superior dust protection compared to an open spring-loaded system?), it's just a faff to use in practice. And I do find myself having to move the card in and out a fair bit, because file transfer on the Fiio M23 itself (with my Windows 11 PC) is sluggish compared to loading files onto the card directly.

To help me identify controls by feel, I've added a bunch of adhesive rubber stickers over the controls I use most often. I also covered the TPU case with electrical tape to make it more pleasant to touch (OK, I'm getting obsessive here).

Sounds great, and works kinda OK as a Roon endpoint (which is why I bought it), though it drops out a lot if I move from room to room on my mesh WiFi network. It just seems that the designers prized austere aesthetics over functionality.

Overall, I'm not terribly pleased with the M23 as a daily driver, even around the house. Having mostly used smaller and more ergonomic DAPs which are genuinely pocketable (Hiby R3II, Fiio X5II, Dethonray DTR1(+), Cayin N3Pro), this chonker is hard to get used to. Naked, I'd call it barely pocketable, less so with the TPU case, and the leather case is a bit hopeless unless you're a marsupial.

By contrast, the DX260's ergonomics, while imperfect (scratchy volume encoder; playback buttons too flush and sensitive for my taste), are a big step up. That half inch less on the screen makes a huge difference and allows true one-handed operation. The reduced weight is also helpful, as is the brighter screen and the bottom placement of the headphone ports.

No offense intended to any of the designers, of course! I'm not claiming I could do any better. I do get the sense, though, that the DX260 was designed with pocket ability and on the go use first, while the M23 was intended more as a transportable device. The M23's layout makes a lot more sense on a desktop (and in desktop mode) than in a pocket, whereas the DX260 is equally at home in either scenario.

How does sound for DX260 vs M23? From reviews I read so far, DX260 has very high resolution and is good at retrieving details. However, if I like to listen to rock music, would M23 give more impactful and fun sound? How about female focal (that's my second favourite genre)?

 

[energie]

How does sound for DX260 vs M23? From reviews I read so far, DX260 has very high resolution and is good at retrieving details. However, if I like to listen to rock music, would M23 give more impactful and fun sound? How about female focal (that's my second favourite genre)?

In the end I returned the m23, not that it was bad but I preferred the pros you mentioned.
M23 is impactful and energetic but has less definition, details and clarity

 

[sofastreamer]

are there rumors about an successor already? i just saw that the german distributor doesnt list the dx260 anymore, while he got a new charge of dx180s. wonder if the dx260 is discontinued

 

[energie]

Lol no

 

[Ichos]

It's a brand new model.

 

[Bengkia369]

are there rumors about an successor already? i just saw that the german distributor doesnt list the dx260 anymore, while he got a new charge of dx180s. wonder if the dx260 is discontinued

Not possible DX260 quite new

 

[Bondipix]

I have to say that I am so enamoured with the DX260 that it has become my primary dap; pushing my much loved LTP6K in to a secondary role and actually questioning the need to keep it (I will). I am thoroughly enjoying the SQ, power, form-factor and versatility. It’s pretty much all you need imo, unless you have a dap fetish - which I do!

 

[Octavius]

On official site dx260 is still available, there's no context for successor. Anyway, even phone manufacturers aren't updating their line so fast.

 

[sofastreamer]

Not possible DX260 quite new

On official site dx260 is still available, there's no context for successor. Anyway, even phone manufacturers aren't updating their line so fast.

Lol no

It's a brand new model.

glad to hear that! probably it wasnt selling good enough in germany only or whatever the reason might be. gladly there are other european sources

 

[Flooshie]

How does sound for DX260 vs M23? From reviews I read so far, DX260 has very high resolution and is good at retrieving details. However, if I like to listen to rock music, would M23 give more impactful and fun sound? How about female focal (that's my second favourite genre)?

Hey, sorry for weighing in a bit late. Yeah, that's how I hear it exactly: DX260 has more apparent detail, air, and a larger, more holographic soundstage.

But the M23 is dynamic and punchy by comparison (like the FiiO KA17 dongle, if you've heard that), and a touch smoother/sweeter.

Honestly, both players are great for rock n roll, from Chuck Berry to Led Zep to Blind Melon. We're talking about small differences here

That said, I would give the nod to the M23 for rock, and especially for poorly recorded hard rock and metal.

I have to admit that I don't really understand what female vocal is, as a genre. All the female vocals I listen to are competing for space with male vocals, bass, synths, drums, guitars, etc. And they are sometimes delivered in shrieks and screams, or in a baritone register like Nico

Seriously though, if you mean what I think you mean (like, Norah Jones?), either player would be great. The M23 gives a bit of velvet gloss to vocals and probably puts them in the centre, while the DX260 offers more texture, micro-detail (room reverbs, for eg), and more room to position the vocal laterally in the soundstage.

FWIW, I can understand lyrics better on the DX260. That tells me it's more resolving in the midrange, which might be what you want.

 

[Flooshie]

In the end I returned the m23, not that it was bad but I preferred the pros you mentioned.
M23 is impactful and energetic but has less definition, details and clarity

Yeah, that's close to how I hear the two of them.

Still have both, though, cause the FiiO supports proper, bit- perfect Roon, whereas Roon ARC still cannot handle bit-perfect playback on Android DAPs.

That said, they both sound bloody good (as they should), and it's one of those things where if your only DAP was the M23, you'd be perfectly happy with the audio and probably couldn't imagine a more resolving sound. At least, that was the case for me; shouldn't generalize.

Oh, one more thing to report on the difference between the FiiO M23 and the DX260: I'm using them exclusively with highly sensitive IEMs and the M23 has a detectable noise floor (very low and not a real issue for me) on the Campfire Audio Solaris OG, whereas the iBasso unit is dead silent from both BAL and SE outputs.

 

[Flooshie]

That’s good to know. Anyone else?

Yep, ditto: can't tell a difference between the BAL and SE outputs. I'm running sensitive IEMs, (CA Solaris OG), so the SE termination offers about twice the useable volume steps.

 

[Ace Bee]

Finally I got my dream DAP, the DX260, and as a bonus, was able to borrow the Onix XM5 from @gadgetgod for a back to back comparison. I used the Alpha Omega Ra and 634EARS LOAK2-TX01 for the comparison, volume matched, test track being Queen - The Show Must Go On, Muse - Resistance. Here are my impressions:

Design:

• The DX260 is longer, but less thick. The width is almost same between two.
• The XM5 feels bulkier and heavier.
• The button placement and usage are more convenient on DX260. The wake-up button of XM5 is rather inconvenient to use with one hand.

Sound:

• The DX260 sounds more even, and somewhat gentle U-shaped. The bass and treble have a gentle elevation but the midrange sounds neither recessed nor forward. The XM5 sounds somewhat W shaped, with bass, mid, treble sounding pushed forward a bit.
• The XM5 bass has a little bit more slam and body than DX260. Textures feel similarly well-detailed.
• The XM5 has a really romantic midrange, full and organic, with precise note definition. The DX260 midrange feels more neutral, but not dry, with a similarly precise note definition.
• The treble is more forward on XM5 with a similar note definition and details. The treble on DX260 is placed a bit further from the listener with no loss in details.
• The DX260 has a grander presentation, with a bigger and more spacious soundstage in all direction. The XM5 has a relatively more intimate presentation and yet similarly clean. The imaging is top notch on both.

Both are amazing performers. I wished the XM5 was a bit more ergonomically friendly to my preference. But the sonic performance of the DX260 is truly astounding given it is coupled with android platform and an amazing battery backup as well! Truly the best value for money, felt like it was the right decision to go for it.

 

[Delta9K]

I just recieved my DX260 (Black) today from Bloom Audio. I've gone through setup, checked that the firmware is current, formatted a new 1tb SanDisk Extreme Plus sdxc and am copying my library over to it from my roon server. When that's completed I may listen to it some but I will probably just plug in the burn-in cable and start that process.
I picked up the dx260 becuase I've been so impressed with my dx180. I am really curious to hear the differences between the two.

 

[Bengkia369]

I just recieved my DX260 (Black) today from Bloom Audio. I've gone through setup, checked that the firmware is current, formatted a new 1tb SanDisk Extreme Plus sdxc and am copying my library over to it from my roon server. When that's completed I may listen to it some but I will probably just plug in the burn-in cable and start that process.
I picked up the dx260 becuase I've been so impressed with my dx180. I am really curious to hear the differences between the two.

DX260 required quite long burned in to be really good. Straight out of box I feel it's a bit harsh especially on the treble. After the long burned in, that harshness will be gone.
You will surely be impressed with it's sound quality I feel it's considered a mid range DAP but not many other DAPs from other brands can compete at this price point.