Mega reply incoming...
I was testing how different Bluetooth codecs sound by using two DAPs, and found that some DAPs were sending a lower volume level over BT than others. I'm not sure what is up with that either, but I'm going to test everything I have and see what I can nail down.
Something I did find is that even if the M11 and other DAPs are set to output LDAC, that doesn't mean that they will. If the receiving device can't do LDAC then you'll usually get SBC, or APTx if you're lucky. Since a lot of headphones don't indicate what codec they are receiving it's luck of the draw.
Yeah M11 def sounds best balanced in high-gain. I’m averaging Vol 40 on the FH5 with these settings.
It's worth noting how extremely easy it is to be fooled by gain settings. Even a 1dB increase in volume can sound better when comparing two things, so it is easy to think that higher gain settings sound better, when really they are identical in performance. This still gets me from time-to-time as the illusion is very convincing.
How's the M11 sound when used wirelessly? I assume it'd depend on whatever headphones you have since it's using whatever DAC is in there instead the one in the M11
Someone already answered this, but since it comes up often, a Bluetooth transmitter doesn't have a "sound" as it is only transmitting digital. The only way this can be changed transmitting digital audio is by changing between SBC, AAC, APTx and LDAC essentially, which use different (lossy) compression schemes to send the audio.
Fiio have said they are stopping with amp modules soon. Maybe they'll go the Cayin n6ii route
$200/amp module certainly wasn't appealing.
I reckon you have something wrong with your M11. Mine is dead silent. As in pitch black. I auditioned the notoriously sensitive Andromedas last weekend and try as I may, high gain full volume (no load), SE and balanced, quiet songs, loud songs - zero hiss. Not even a faint whisper. This thing is black.
Dead silent while tracks are playing? Some super-sensitive IEMs will still pick up hiss, but this only during silent parts during music. I should really make a file of silence to test hiss.
Early in the thread some people we talking about standby life of the battery, I found that 4% draind off in 10 hours in standby.
I read in the audio options that ALL TO DSD will drain it much faster up to 50%. I have yet to try leaving it in that mode over night in standby but I'll test tonight.
I suspect some apps, after being run, keep processing in the background, causing the battery to drain faster even when not playing. I should have tested DSD battery performance, now I think of it.
After a day testing, I'm really not sure what to think of the sound signature. This is with my Sony XBA N3.
Too clynical maybe, too sharp.
Maybe I'm too used to a bit warmer sounding, tho "lower end" daps. Currently I own a FiiO X3, Walkman A35 and Cayin N3. All entry level daps, and all of them sound engaging and inviting.
This one feels impersonal, I didn't get any wow factor the second I put it on. The imaging is the only thing I really feel is an upgrade, it is more progressive, more coherent, specially in the middle. Is not that I found the player technically flawed, on the contrary, is quite too perfect maybe? Not organic.
Now I'm thinking maybe a ZX300 is more my cup of tea, if it retains that "Sony" sound.
I'm gonna let this one grow on me before I take a decision
Some DAPs seem to be tuned a bit warm, deliberately. I find the FiiO sound to be a
too perfect for my tastes too. Something you can try is changing the digital filter to one of the slow ones. You might like them better.
Yes, here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-all-in-one-thread-to-address-any-inquiries-to-fiio-product-lineup-丨future-plans丨product-functions-and-features.903431/page-5#post-14997390
THX AAA is some sort of voodoo amping tech from the movie sound company THX (hence the name) that’s meant to make for exceptionally clean, transparent, noise-free playback. How that will be implemented in dap form, we’ll have to wait and see.
If it lives up to the potential and improves on the sound quality of the M11 at a price tag of ~$800-$900, the flagship daps will be in serious trouble.
The THX amp module might be a good match with the X7II. I found that its DAC performance exceeded that of the amp modules like the AM3A, so if the THX module is an upgrade, then that's a good thing. I should test the M11's DAC performance. I forgot to do that.
You should learn some better manners for posting online, as you aren't helping anyone with your aggressive, and sometimes rude comments. You could have posted the same comments in a way that was helpful and had more effect. I suggest if you cannot write a post without being aggressive and rude, that you don't post at all, nor even come to this forum any more.
I'm not one for fancy talk, I've bought 13 daps in the past 6 months this is the only one to not go back. It sounds good and doesn't piss me off when trying to use it.
Please DO list them (maybe it'd make for a good, separate thread) and explain, briefly, all the things you didn't like about the DAPs you bought. You might cop a bit of flak for your comments, but I (and other people) find "journey" threads to be interesting.
Cant figure out the album art. I have a 64gb Sandisk card with about 4 thousand songs, all connected to album art.When I play random songs they do arrive with the album art on screen but when I go to fiio app to look at my album art only the first 50 or so appear and the rest don't as I scroll through albums.I know the art is there but it doesn't all show up as I scroll. My card is in SD slot one, should I switch it to slot 2 and try to rescan the card. The same card was used in the M3K and all album art appeared with no problem.
I have over 1k songs and no problem with
embedded album art. I find the art only shows up after the scrolling stops. Someone suggested to me getting a Sandisk Extreme or similar for better performance. I'm guessing the FiiO music app doesn't cache the art.
So im getting tired of dragging and dropping songs from my tunes account on my iMac to the card .Looking for a quick way to just sync my 90GB of music from my iMac iTunes into a 128GB card in my m11 just the way its effortlessly done using an iPod with one sync push of button. Does the Android software Fiio talks about on their site or the wireless adding of music allow this effortless sync? Would hate to have to buy software to make syncing work. Thanks for your help.
I use rsync in the terminal. Years ago, I wrote
a guide how to sync an AK100, which required changing the format of playlists. If you know what you are doing, you can put an SD card in your computer and use an exported iTunes M3U playlist in rsync to copy the files in it with one command. More or less, it's steps 1-4 in that guide. Other than that, I think Syncmate will sync files. I haven't tried it for a while, so I'll give it a go to see if it works.
Ok, a follow up to my earlier problem.
It appears that when I have the M11 connected to USB port of my desktop PC (Dell Optiplex) and I play through the balanced port (2.5 or 4.4) from muted condition (after 15sec power down), I get a very loud buzz when I start to play again.
The attached ZIP https://www.dropbox.com/s/4w0rk8gbjx29b7y/M11 Noise .m4a?dl=0 captures the noise heard (volume warning! It's very annoying!).
If I unplug the USB the noise goes away. The problem does not seem to happen on 3.5mm port.
Any similar experience or guidance with this? It's not a ground loop hum. Maybe some ground isolation issue?
Unless you're using it as a USB DAC I'd just not connect it to the DELL. Ground isolation issues come through as a low hum. This is one for FiiO to figure out I think.
Has anyone found a document explaining all the different options settings? I don't know much about all the different modes and stuff...enter technical jargon here.
I basically tell people, if you don't know what it does, you don't need to know. I went through some of them in my video review, but are there particular options you are wondering about?
I know this is totally OT but you informed gentlemen would know the fastest (reliable) microSD card read.. kindly enlighten me please!
Sandisk Extreme.
