[Krisman]

Hi guys, I will do a comparison of the DX50 and the X3 ASAP.
 
s0lar - totally agree with your comments. The F805 is very much a mid focussed player and bass, although fairly detailed, is not there in abundance.
 
Cheers

 

[s0lar]

I also tested R50 with X3 only, they sound a lot brighter with X3 compared to F805. To my ears X3 and R50 is not a good combo unless you like a brighter sound then I do.

 

[MasterPR0]

  I just received my R-50's back and tried them on F805.
 
I have tried several IEMs and I am quite sure what I hear will be most often the case.
F805 gives a smooth, more intimate 3-D sound with forward vocals. It might even be called mid-focused and present the singer centered and more forward.
It is great for detailed IEMs, but for those that feel their IEMs lack bass, the F805 does not boost or focuses on bass.

 
So would you say the F805 has less bass than the X1050 or other Sony players like the A865, etc?

 

[s0lar]

I don't have other Sony players so I cannot compare. But to my ears the F805 is mid-focused so I have the perception of less bass just because it's further placed in the background. 
 
I have replaced the opamp in my X3 so I can no longer compare the standard X3 to F805 or any other DAP. My X3 now has a OPA1602 opamp and now it sounds wider, deeper, more natural and smoother then with that standard AD8397 opamp but looses on bass hitting.

 

[MasterPR0]

So the F805 has more detail in the highs, correct?

 

[s0lar]

F805 sounds smoother than stock X3 and has a more 3D like presentation. It manages to tame the treble on IEMs like Brainwavz B2, RE0, R-50 and make them sound more musical without sacrificing much detail. But stock X3 will give you more micro-detail at the cost of edgy, harsh treble sometimes.
 
If you love detailed IEMs but find the treble to bite a bit much, the F805 is an excellent player.
Sansa Clip+ is a much brighter source, presentation is a lot tighter in the sense that you don't have the intimate 3D you have with the F805. You will have a perception of more detail but with lower resolution. There is more layering with F805 compared to Clip+. I used to pair my RE0 and Clip+ with iBasso T4 and got a similar sound signature but lost on resolution. With the F805 RE0 sounds just more musical and mid-focused. It makes RE0 sound more like a Earsonics SM3.
 
F805 is not really neutral, probably not nearly as colored as Soundmagic A10 or Hifiman players but for bright, detailed IEMs this really is my preferred player.
My modded X3 also smoothens but hasn't got the intimacy F805 has. 

 

[MasterPR0]

Thanks a lot mate. I will pair it with a Sennheiser IE80. It's a very detailed IEM (SM3 level, but brighter), despite the strong bass. 

 

[s0lar]

I haven't heard IE80 but the tunable bass will mean no worries about bass with F805 and if it sounds bright, the F805 will smoothen it out. It will probably sound more intimate and more mid-forward but for me, that is a good thing.
If you find it bright, the stock X3 might sound to edgy but you always have a line-out.

 

[kkrbd]

A simple and clear review,I hope fiio x3 is more and more perfect

 

[soundy08]

I'm using Poweramp installed on my Sony F805, it did not sound as good as it was from my HTC. Do you guys use any apps or use the Sony stock music app?

 

[s0lar]

I am using deadbeef on my F805. I don't believe there will be a difference in SQ between applications but I have not tested it.

 

[Krisman]

Hi s0lar - I didn't experience the 3D nature of the F805 at all from any ear/headphones I tried hence I finally sold it. The F805 has a very clean sound that some may find lacking in the bass but it certainly does not have much depth or a particularly wide sound stage.
The X3 has far greater depth and a more natural sound, some may say a tad warm but it certainly did have depth.
 
soundy08 - I tried about 7 different music apps and none sounded different at all. The F805 will use a standard ASIC architecture inside and there is very little software can do to alter how the F805 sounds other than using DSP effects. It is really a matter of which app you prefer in terms of design etc.

 

[s0lar]

  Hi s0lar - I didn't experience the 3D nature of the F805 at all from any ear/headphones I tried hence I finally sold it. The F805 has a very clean sound that some may find lacking in the bass but it certainly does not have much depth or a particularly wide sound stage.
The X3 has far greater depth and a more natural sound, some may say a tad warm but it certainly did have depth.
 

The stock X3 has a bigger, wider soundstage but compared to my laptop-setup it's still not that big. With the OPA1602 in place X3 sounds very close to my iBasso D4 and is almost at the same level, to my ears, as ODAC to Corda MOVE or iBasso D4 (AMP+DAC). It's the same level as stock X3 LO to T5 now with the OPA1602 or OPA1612, they sound very similar as well in my iBasso D4. I opted for the OPA1602 because specs are so close, as is sound and OPA1602 draws less current for the same output current.
 
F805's soundstage is a lot more intimate and thus smaller in depth and width, but it manages to take imaging and presentation to a new dimension. It was a similar effect I heard when trying the SM3 for the first time. F805 transformed my RE0 and even R-50 to more intimate, mid-forward, musical IEMs with more 3D sound. It's a certain coloration and presentation one might or might not like and it suits me. Also because I have more than one DAP and I don't always listen to one pair of IEMs. 
 
Yesterday I tried SM3 with my modded X3 and that's a lot more in-your-face 3D, almost agressive presentation, luckely the OPA1602 manages to make it sound smooth. The album I listened was Street Legal, Bob Dylan.

 

[Krisman]

Interesting observations!
 
TBH I do not consider the RE0 or R50 (which I borrowed from a friend for a few weeks) to be anywhere near the resolving abilities of the Westone 4Rs or even my new Sony XBA-4 earphones. The F805 and X3 exhibited the same characteristics on both earphones (and even my Beyer T70p headphones).
 
X3 very musical, tad warm but a lovely soundstage and instrument seperation
F805 more clinical, great detailing in vocals but overall pretty flat presentation (still very enjoyable though)

 

[s0lar]

I have not heard Westone 4R so can't comment on that. I haven't really listened a lot to the stock X3, because I had T5 and now swapped opamps and therefore my comments and observations were comparing my desktop/laptop setup against F805 and the X3 with T5 which came close.
 
Todat my Stepdance V1 I bought from a member here arrived and although I have only listened to a few songs, I can already say that combined with the ODAC I have heard a new level of SQ.