[James McGregor]

Ironically, all of this is actually making the case that one should simply is one's smartphone with maybe a DAC/amp instead of getting a dedicated DAP.
I mean, FiiO is supposedly better than all of these, right? Yet it also fails to impress, at least me. So what does that say about the state of DAPs?

Don't think it really says anything about DAPs in general, the X1 ii is just a poorly performing device. It sounds fine, especially for the price range, it just performs badly.

 

[James McGregor]

I’m fairly pleased with my X3ii but my X1ii has been a total disappointment. I would like a nice Bluetooth player and am strongly considering replacing my X1 with a Shanling.

Yeah I think I'll be heading shanlings way too

 

[wijnands]

Ironically, all of this is actually making the case that one should simply is one's smartphone with maybe a DAC/amp instead of getting a dedicated DAP.
I mean, FiiO is supposedly better than all of these, right? Yet it also fails to impress, at least me. So what does that say about the state of DAPs?

Both of my smartphones sound considerably worse than the Fiio.

State of DAPs is not that great to be honest. Bottom of the market doesn't have much options and certainly not perfect ones. But that has been the case for many years.

 

[wijnands]

Don't think it really says anything about DAPs in general, the X1 ii is just a poorly performing device. It sounds fine, especially for the price range, it just performs badly.

Perhaps it's in the way of how I use it but I've not noticed that bad a performance. It's not rockbox but it's workable.

If ne of you does go for shanling I'd like to hear about the transition.

 

[AliveNoMore]

Don't think it really says anything about DAPs in general, the X1 ii is just a poorly performing device. It sounds fine, especially for the price range, it just performs badly.

Well, I thought that a DAP is more than just "sound quality". Other things matter as well, like size and weight, build quality, battery life, software, features, etc. I know that sound quality is a rather important aspect but it hasn't been an issue since like... forever.
I'd rather have a worse sounding player (i.e. sacrifice one "zero" after the decimal point in the specifications) that doesn't annoy me when I use it, than have the best hardware that would be crippled by its software. However, it appears that the last part is applicable, more or less, to all DAPs nowadays. All manufacturers try to cram whatever hardware they think audiophiles would like to see, but ignore the software.

Both of my smartphones sound considerably worse than the Fiio.

Hence why I added "with maybe a DAC/amp" in my post.

State of DAPs is not that great to be honest. Bottom of the market doesn't have much options and certainly not perfect ones. But that has been the case for many years.

I agree. As I stated above, DAP manufacturers began trying to appeal to audiophiles, which means using all the right hardware -- the chips audiophiles like to see on a tech specs sheet.
I still have my Sansa Fuze and Sansa Clip Zip, the latter of which I still use.

 

[sponsor]

Well, I thought that a DAP is more than just "sound quality". Other things matter as well, like size and weight, build quality, battery life, software, features, etc. I know that sound quality is a rather important aspect but it hasn't been an issue since like... forever.
I'd rather have a worse sounding player (i.e. sacrifice one "zero" after the decimal point in the specifications) that doesn't annoy me when I use it, than have the best hardware that would be crippled by its software. However, it appears that the last part is applicable, more or less, to all DAPs nowadays. All manufacturers try to cram whatever hardware they think audiophiles would like to see, but ignore the software.


Hence why I added "with maybe a DAC/amp" in my post.


I agree. As I stated above, DAP manufacturers began trying to appeal to audiophiles, which means using all the right hardware -- the chips audiophiles like to see on a tech specs sheet.
I still have my Sansa Fuze and Sansa Clip Zip, the latter of which I still use.

I also have my Clip Zip with me, but the power button has gone kaput.
Still it's hard to imagine how they were able to provide such a good DAP at just $30, sound quality was way worse than X1II, but for that throwaway price, they had rockbox and such a small and portable size.

 

[wijnands]

Rockboxed clip+, which I still have (and by the way they go for silly money on ebay now) sounded better than the Fiio m3 to be. It doesn't sound as good as the X1mk2 though. For me sound quality wise the X1 is pretty much the sweet spot, it's good enough for most things and it's at a very nice price point.

Usability wise I'm not running into serious issues but htat can be because I'm used to playing by folder and I don't use BT.

 

[fredhubbard2]

And their software support is actually better? But ok, let's take a look..
Shanling: website is partially broken, half doesn't even load.
Hidizs: Ap60 looks good but only one firmware release since it came out? Either they are very good or their support is terrible.
Xduoo.. nice pictures but this is their software support: http://www.xduoo.com/xduoo/En/DownList.Asp?SortID=1

Also none of these seem to have a dealer in my country, in fact I struggle to find any european dealers. So.. it's between a Fiio where I have warranty and because it's a fairly widely sold brand which has been reviewed, at least some idea of what I'm buying or a much more obscure brand? I';m not regretting my Fiio. It's not perfect but it's good enough and I know that if it breaks I'll have local warranty service.

maybe i'm lucky; I have several xDuoo's all still in service and still sounding great. an AGPtek H1 that's built like a brick still in service, a Benjie S5 that plays everything I throw at it and sounds great for the super cheapo price (better than my sansa which are probs comparable units ) and several other great sounding daps (Xunsound, Xuelin, Colorfly) and fortunately none of them have gone kaput on me.

 

[Koukol]

I'm having trouble installing the DAC driver on my laptop running Windows 10.
Will the latest DAC driver (4.13.0) work with the older 1.2 VTX firmware?
I can't remember how I did it before

I've tried restarting my Windows 10 with the driver protection off yet the X5ii isn't showing up after completion.
The Fiio control Panel says "no device found"

 

[fourrobert13]

I'm having trouble installing the DAC driver on my laptop running Windows 10.
Will the latest DAC driver (4.13.0) work with the older 1.2 VTX firmware?
I can't remember how I did it before

I've tried restarting my Windows 10 with the driver protection off yet the X5ii isn't showing up after completion.
The Fiio control Panel says "no device found"

X1II can't be used as a DAC with your PC. You might be in the wrong thread.

 

[Koukol]

Damn...this is the second time I've done this.
Thanks, Robert.

 

[Meshaboo]

I’m officially fed up with my X1 2nd gen. I doubt I can return it, because I purchased it in Feb of this year.

The reason I got it was because I had the og X1. It broke at the time where I realized I needed to transition into Bluetooth products because of how disastrously clumsy I am. I am always getting my headphone cords caught on doorknobs and counter top edges, my headphone jack usually ends up bent inside the audio jack of my devices when they fall, and I’ve gotten so tired of my audio cable shorting out on me within only a few months. I had to make the sacrifice to forgo a little bit of quality loss for functionality.

I decided to get the 2nd gen because of its known phenomenal sound quality, but also because I thought I’d prefer a device with hard buttons rather than a touch screen. I also, more than anything, needed (functional) Bluetooth.

I have a 200gb micro sd, I think it’s only 40gb left of space. My 2nd gen is severely slow, laggy, and annoying lol. It takes 45 seconds for my screen to catch up to the play spot once I click on a new song to listen to. The scroll wheel is kinda laggy as well, but I was able to deal with that.

I’m seeking a new player to turn to, after I can hopefully sell my 2nd gen. I’ve seen plenty of recs for the Cayin N3 and Shanling M1, 2, or 3. I just haven’t come across any definitive differences between these players after reading pages and pages of search results with the two in my query.

I just need a functional, great sounding audio player with good battery life (10-15 or more, it depends). I need the hardware to be easy to use, Bluetooth with great range and connectivity, storage up to or past 256gb, ability to play a variety of audio formats... basically, everything that X1 2nd gen is supposed to be. Man! No more than $200

I listen to a range of genres but my most played is hip hop, soul, and jazz. My headphones are vastly different, I have the JBL Everest 310 and iBasso IT01. So I think I prefer a player that is neutral, but if it’s a little warm, that should be okay.

Oh and can someone please explain OTG to me?

 

[fourrobert13]

I’m officially fed up with my X1 2nd gen. I doubt I can return it, because I purchased it in Feb of this year.

The reason I got it was because I had the og X1. It broke at the time where I realized I needed to transition into Bluetooth products because of how disastrously clumsy I am. I am always getting my headphone cords caught on doorknobs and counter top edges, my headphone jack usually ends up bent inside the audio jack of my devices when they fall, and I’ve gotten so tired of my audio cable shorting out on me within only a few months. I had to make the sacrifice to forgo a little bit of quality loss for functionality.

I decided to get the 2nd gen because of its known phenomenal sound quality, but also because I thought I’d prefer a device with hard buttons rather than a touch screen. I also, more than anything, needed (functional) Bluetooth.

I have a 200gb micro sd, I think it’s only 40gb left of space. My 2nd gen is severely slow, laggy, and annoying lol. It takes 45 seconds for my screen to catch up to the play spot once I click on a new song to listen to. The scroll wheel is kinda laggy as well, but I was able to deal with that.

I’m seeking a new player to turn to, after I can hopefully sell my 2nd gen. I’ve seen plenty of recs for the Cayin N3 and Shanling M1, 2, or 3. I just haven’t come across any definitive differences between these players after reading pages and pages of search results with the two in my query.

I just need a functional, great sounding audio player with good battery life (10-15 or more, it depends). I need the hardware to be easy to use, Bluetooth with great range and connectivity, storage up to or past 256gb, ability to play a variety of audio formats... basically, everything that X1 2nd gen is supposed to be. Man! No more than $200

I listen to a range of genres but my most played is hip hop, soul, and jazz. My headphones are vastly different, I have the JBL Everest 310 and iBasso IT01. So I think I prefer a player that is neutral, but if it’s a little warm, that should be okay.

Oh and can someone please explain OTG to me?

Can't comment on Shanling, but I can the N3 because I owned two of them. It's really stable, good sound quality, and excellent Bluetooth. Since you asked about it, the N3 has OTG capabilities. What this means is that with the proper OTG cable, you can connect a flash drive loaded with music and use your N3 to navigate and listen to the music. It essentially adds storage space. It was a feature i used quite often. I'd probably still have those N3s, but I got tired of carrying multiple devices so I just use my phone and Bluetooth headphones now as my signature says.

 

[Meshaboo]

Can't comment on Shanling, but I can the N3 because I owned two of them. It's really stable, good sound quality, and excellent Bluetooth. Since you asked about it, the N3 has OTG capabilities. What this means is that with the proper OTG cable, you can connect a flash drive loaded with music and use your N3 to navigate and listen to the music. It essentially adds storage space. It was a feature i used quite often. I'd probably still have those N3s, but I got tired of carrying multiple devices so I just use my phone and Bluetooth headphones now as my signature says.

Aahhhh so awesome, thank you for your response!! So if I had a 1 tb flash drive... MWAHAHHAA

 

[fourrobert13]

Aahhhh so awesome, thank you for your response!! So if I had a 1 tb flash drive... MWAHAHHAA

Technically. Whatever you hook up to it draws power from the device. I used large flash drives and card readers with mine. Never tried anything bigger. If you check out the N3 thread, there's discussions about OTG and the drives people are using with it.