[x RELIC x]

One other thing with the wheel. Sometimes it requires 2 movements to move forward to the next selection rather than one. Is that normal?

Yes. It's the weakest part of FiiO DAPs. I just get over it, but it drives others up the wall. The original X5 had barely noticble indents in the wheel motion (or none at all on some units) and I much prefer that - combined with a little more resistance to the turning motion like the X5ii and the wheel would be perfect. Oh well.

 

[x RELIC x]

Wondering if there is a way to turn off the USB charging when the x5ii is in USB DAC mode?

No.

Read FiiO's statement about it here:

http://www.fiio.me/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=40265&extra=

"Q: Regarding X5 2nd gen/X3 2nd gen/X1/X3/X5's charging behaviour when connected to the computer

A: When the X5 2nd gen/X3 2nd gen/X1/X3/X5's are connected to the computer, whether as a DAC or as a storage device, power is supplied to the device as follows:
1. While the device is charging
Because the computer USB port has limited current capacity, the battery is given priority for part of the charging current while the rest powers the device directly. But if the current draw by the device is high, the battery participates in powering the device as well. Hence, both the battery and the USB port take part in powering the device while the device is charging.

2. After the battery is full
Because there is no need to charge the battery anymore, the USB port would power the device directly. The battery would neither be charged nor discharged.

In summary of the above, the powering scheme of the X5 2nd gen/X3 2nd gen/X1/X3/X5's ensures that the battery may be fully charged while at the same time guaranteeing proper function of the device. Finally, the battery will be at rest after it is fully charged, thus guaranteeing extended battery life."

 

[Dobrescu George]

Does using x5 as a DAC to an external amp draw less battery?

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Still still on the edge eh?  

Not really on the edge, I am just waiting for someone to pick my X5 to help me buy X5II

 

[x RELIC x]

Does using x5 as a DAC to an external amp draw less battery?

Yes, just like the original. :wink_face:

 

[cadsh]

I just took the plunge and ordered the X5II with a Samsung 64Gb sd card.
This will be my first dap with FLAC capability
Excited to listen to it.
 
On another subject, I recently found this test and went through it for fun
How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?
The test has six songs, each song as 3 samples and one is uncompressed.
I had difficulty with the Jay-Z track (highly compressed). Did the test on my computer speakers.
 
http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fb_ref=Default

 

[Mr Trev]

  I know it was already mentioned many times in this thread, the early review samples of X5ii had pre-production quality scrolling wheel and a few other differences.  As a result a number of reviewers, such as myself, mentioned about a sub-par quality of that wheel mechanism.  Though it was confirmed by others who already purchased the production quality unit about scrolling wheel being similar to X3ii, I still wanted to double check it myself.  Got my hands on one of those final units, and I can confirm with 100% certainty - the final scrolling wheel is night'n'day in comparison to review unit, and it feels nearly the same as X3ii with a nice click-friction response.  Other changes I noticed are with front 4 buttons being no longer as recessed and easier to feel when you slide the finger over, side volume buttons have a more tactile response, and headphones jack feels a bit tighter.  Oh, and a body color is a few shades lighter.  Now, X5ii is a perfection!
 
Production unit (on the left), Review unit (on the right):
 

 

My production unit center button wobbles a bit and the four face buttons around the wheel seem to be slightly at different heights. Lieven commented in his review on Headfonia that his back button was slowly getting lower over time so perhaps there's room for them to 'settle in'. I agree with @twister6 that the wheel is night and day better from the pre-production unit.

Overall I have no real issues using the hardware interface. Everything that's been noted is pretty much nitpicking to me.

One thing that's got my goat is the battery doesn't seem to last near ten hours. I'm going to time it playing 16/44.1 redbook ALAC to see what numbers I get on my production unit. I may just be getting lost in the music so take what I just said with a giant grain of salt until I can time the battery life.

I suppose, with any new product (regardless of what it is) there will be variations in the production line. That's the downside to being an earlier adopter. Let 'em go through a few production runs to work all the bugs out.
 
I've given up on the manufacturers est. battery life. I don't think I've ever own an electronic product that lives up to the claims. (same goes for mpg estimates)

 

[danmlr]

 
 
On another subject, I recently found this test and went through it for fun
How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?
The test has six songs, each song as 3 samples and one is uncompressed.
I had difficulty with the Jay-Z track (highly compressed). Did the test on my computer speakers.
 
http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fb_ref=Default

And you didn't tell us your score? lol.
 
I tried 3 tracks at random and picked the uncompressed wav file each time. My average listening volume was about 50 dBA through (external, self powered) computer speakers. 
 
The difference is subtle, but it only took me a few seconds at most to detect the difference between uncompressed and compressed.
 
I did not try to detect the difference between 128 and 320 mp3; I just followed the test instructions to pick the uncompressed version of each track. 

 

[danmlr]

I find that some sources of compressed tracks are better than others.
 
Amazon mp3's almost always have very noticeable compression artifacts and generally just sound bad.
 
Whereas using itunes, I can create compressed mp3 or aac files of excellent quality with zero noticeable artifacts, esp. at lower to medium volume.

 

[Hal Rockwell]

  I just took the plunge and ordered the X5II with a Samsung 64Gb sd card.
This will be my first dap with FLAC capability
Excited to listen to it.
 
On another subject, I recently found this test and went through it for fun
How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?
The test has six songs, each song as 3 samples and one is uncompressed.
I had difficulty with the Jay-Z track (highly compressed). Did the test on my computer speakers.
 
http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fb_ref=Default

 
I took this test too on my studio powered monitors. My score was 4/6. I listened to the samples on the same volume level I generally listen to music which is not high at all. I think that the tracks presented in the test for evaluation don't have enough musical data in them to begin with to notice what parts gone missing in the compression process (especially the track by Suzanne Vega). I tried the same test with a more complex music and I could tell without a doubt which file is the compressed one and what parts went missing. The reason that the authors of the test article on NPR wrote to turn the volume up is that the parts that are being left out by compression are the quietest ones.

 

[Mark2010]

Hi all,
 
I don't have time to read this whole thread.
 
Can anyone tell me if X5 2nd gen sounds much better than the original X5 ?

 

[Spadge]

Hi all,

I don't have time to read this whole thread.

Can anyone tell me if X5 2nd gen sounds much better than the original X5 ?

To my (old, non-golden) ears there is a subtle improvement. Not mind blowing

The ergonomics and usability on th other hand is much better on the new unit, IMO.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Yes. It's the weakest part of FiiO DAPs. I just get over it, but it drives others up the wall. The original X5 had barely noticble indents in the wheel motion (or none at all on some units) and I much prefer that - combined with a little more resistance to the turning motion like the X5ii and the wheel would be perfect. Oh well.

Yeah, my X5 Classic is a late model, with very smooth, fluid turning. I love its wheel compared to the X3ii. I also love its sound and look more.

 

[Luvdac]

Folks, this a short review/opinion I posted on Amazon. Its quite critical, so be warned!
 

 Background not completely "Black", July 17, 2015

By 
Luvdac

 

This review is from: FiiO X5 (2nd Generation) High Resolution Music Player (Titanium) 2015 NEWEST MODEL (Electronics)

Twister6 has written a great in depth review of the x5 II here and on headfi so I wont go into too many details here. The one thing I found was that the Fiio does benefit from a prolonged burn in (120 hrs or so) Out of the box the highs are rough, the bass thin and the vocals have an uncomfortable sibilance to them. Around the 40 hr burn in mark everything begins to settle down nicely. Double that and the bass starts to come thru and at around 120 everything is just optimum.
So why the three stars? Because what I find absolutely unforgivable is the high noise floor I'm experiencing through the headphone out.. Its a bit better through the line out, but there i have no control over the volume. My headphones are NAD Hp 50's and Stax portables and 90% of my music files are 24 bit or Dsd.
When connected through the coaxial out to the ami ds5, the sound is simply exceptional. way better than what my laptop running Jriver and fidelizer is capable of. One downside is that Dsd streams are converted to Pcm via the coaxial, while it does offer up native Dsd via the HP out and Line out. So as a stand alone unit feeding a good external DAC you cant go wrong. Dsd converted to 24/44 still sounds superb through the ami ds5.
Yes, as a portable device it does beat the likes of apple but that high noise floor is simply unforgivable. This is a high resolution portable player and I'm looking for that blacker than black background. Its not enough that it decodes hi res and dsd files. it needs to deliver them in audiophile quality as well. Like I said, it does whip your apple and generic music player but its not blowing my auditory mind. Yes, the highs are there, the bass is there, depth and soundstage are all there but that grey background (not black) ruins it for me. so now I'm listening to x5 ii exclusiively through the outboard Dac at home, and yes, its thoroughly enjoyable. As a portable device I would give it 2 stars, as a stand alone source, 4.
i know my views may rub fanboys the wrong way but I stand by my findings. Maybe I have high expectations, but for 349$ I'm not prepared to lower them.
Would I use it as a portable? Yes I will,l But at home the outboard DAC is the the way for me.

 

[good sound]

  Folks, this a short review/opinion I posted on Amazon. Its quite critical, so be warned!
 

 Background not completely "Black", July 17, 2015

By 
Luvdac

 

This review is from: FiiO X5 (2nd Generation) High Resolution Music Player (Titanium) 2015 NEWEST MODEL (Electronics)

Twister6 has written a great in depth review of the x5 II here and on headfi so I wont go into too many details here. The one thing I found was that the Fiio does benefit from a prolonged burn in (120 hrs or so) Out of the box the highs are rough, the bass thin and the vocals have an uncomfortable sibilance to them. Around the 40 hr burn in mark everything begins to settle down nicely. Double that and the bass starts to come thru and at around 120 everything is just optimum.
So why the three stars? Because what I find absolutely unforgivable is the high noise floor I'm experiencing through the headphone out.. Its a bit better through the line out, but there i have no control over the volume. My headphones are NAD Hp 50's and Stax portables and 90% of my music files are 24 bit or Dsd.
When connected through the coaxial out to the ami ds5, the sound is simply exceptional. way better than what my laptop running Jriver and fidelizer is capable of. One downside is that Dsd streams are converted to Pcm via the coaxial, while it does offer up native Dsd via the HP out and Line out. So as a stand alone unit feeding a good external DAC you cant go wrong. Dsd converted to 24/44 still sounds superb through the ami ds5.
Yes, as a portable device it does beat the likes of apple but that high noise floor is simply unforgivable. This is a high resolution portable player and I'm looking for that blacker than black background. Its not enough that it decodes hi res and dsd files. it needs to deliver them in audiophile quality as well. Like I said, it does whip your apple and generic music player but its not blowing my auditory mind. Yes, the highs are there, the bass is there, depth and soundstage are all there but that grey background (not black) ruins it for me. so now I'm listening to x5 ii exclusiively through the outboard Dac at home, and yes, its thoroughly enjoyable. As a portable device I would give it 2 stars, as a stand alone source, 4.
i know my views may rub fanboys the wrong way but I stand by my findings. Maybe I have high expectations, but for 349$ I'm not prepared to lower them.
Would I use it as a portable? Yes I will,l But at home the outboard DAC is the the way for me.

Is it possible for you to listen to another unit. i am wondering if the  X5ii you have might have an issue. So many of the other reviews mention how low the noise floor is from the HO on the X5ii.