[Ultrainferno]

LCD2 on low gain. Very interesting. They really must have upped the ante on the amp section. Are they driven well, or just loud?

 
No it's not just loudness. Sure they don't sound like on my 300B or V281, but quite good for a DAP.
 

 
Have you altered your initial impressions since the Munich show post on the AK380 thread?  I gathered from the show that you weren't really taken with it.

 
I'm a bit confused here. I wasn't at the show and can't remember having posted in the AK380 tread (oh dear). I think I've only done a post or two on the X5SG right here. Care to elaborate?
Sound wise I've been positively impressed with the X5SG since the beginning, the only problem I have with it is that the UI is slow and loading album art takes ages. When switching tracks in shuffle mode you easily have to wait 1-2 seconds for the next song to show up on the screen, playback starts immediately though.
 

   
Impressive! 

 
It is rather impressive indeed, volume wasn't even maxed out at all. An external amp or desktop amp will of course make it sound better but the X5SG does a pretty good job

 

[DarKu]

  For the first time with the Fiio DAPs I feel there's enough emotion in the music, it's more musical. At the same time the detail level is higher too.
I'm exagerating here of course but until now I found they had a flatter sound, the X5II is somehow more dimensional. If that makes sence 

 
Let the yelling at me begin

You are spot on!
I feel almost exactly the same.
 
Like there is more room between notes to breathe, also everything is less artificial sounding and has more body, more flesh on the bone. It's just slightly warmer than X5, yet it sounds quite different, for now it's difficult explaining by words. I hear a better depth and like all the notes have a different shape/intensity, hard to explain for now
I never felt that first X5 was artificial and maybe slightly metallic sounding, but comparing it to the second gen X5 I now feel that first X5 sound a bit artificial.
To me second gen X5 is like i connect my headphones to a much better headphone amplifier, everything sounds more effortless and alive.

 

[x RELIC x]

Some great impressions coming in!

 

[Tobias89]

Sorry for the delay

The hardwarezone thread was indeed deleted

But they've opened application threads in two other places, hope one works for you (and hope applications are still open)

http://forums.vr-zone.com/audiophile-s-htpc-corner/3247851-fiio-x5-second-generation-audition-tour-singapore.html#post14768945

http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=203295.0

Best regards,
Joe

Edit: checked the threads, seems like they would have done better to let us handle the applications here

well, go get 'em

 
Thanks! posted on the vr-zone thread. Any idea if we can ask for a standardized 10 day tour instead of the 3 days they stated?
 
We wouldn't even have the chance to have any in depth listening before we have to return them especially for those of us who have to work

 

[RedTwilight]

   
Thanks! posted on the vr-zone thread. Any idea if we can ask for a standardized 10 day tour instead of the 3 days they stated?
 
We wouldn't even have the chance to have any in depth listening before we have to return them especially for those of us who have to work

 
Yes please. I've also asked but they're more likely to listen to you guys i think. @ojy89 It will be epic if we end up being the only 2 who have applied on VRZone lol.

 

[headwhacker]

  I've had the X5II for a while now and to me it's the best Fiio DAP so far. I never was too impressed with the other models (X3II was the best so far), but the X5II could maybe kick the DX90 of its throne. I said maybe

 
It's driving my LCD2 now in low gain without any issues.

 
 

 
Just taking a quick listen. Surprisingly, X3ii drives the HD650 pretty well. Volume is almost maxed at 115/120 on high gain. Listening to Sade's "Bullet Proof Soul." Great track for testing bass response (track has a very prominent bass heartbeat), along with vocals (of course). Both come through very well, along with other instruments (piano, snare, sax, male backing vocal) all clear, though subdued (as they should be, since they're only back-up). Well impressed.

 
For me, this is the biggest improvement/advantage of X5ii against X5 or any other DAPs out there. The ability to drive low impedance orthos and high impedance dynamic driver cans in a smaller package. This is a winner. It's just like shrinking DX100 into something smaller and cheaper. 

 

 

[mdiogofs]

Just had acknowledge of this. Is it a Cayin N6 killer?

 

[dogmusic]

 
Just taking a quick listen. Surprisingly, X3ii drives the HD650 pretty well. Volume is almost maxed at 115/120 on high gain. Listening to Sade's "Bullet Proof Soul." Great track for testing bass response (track has a very prominent bass heartbeat), along with vocals (of course). Both come through very well, along with other instruments (piano, snare, sax, male backing vocal) all clear, though subdued (as they should be, since they're only back-up). Well impressed.

Thanks for that comparison. Would you say that the X5ii at 90/120 and the X3ii at 115/120 have the same playback level driving the HD650? Also, is the SQ of the X3ii similar to the X5ii?

 

[willyvlyminck]

I am more intrested in how it performs with IEM' s for taking in it on the road. With sensitive ones like the Grado GR10 and Senn's IE80 you probably don't need an extra amp anymore, I guess?

 

[Dobrescu George]

I am more intrested in how it performs with IEM' s for taking in it on the road. With sensitive ones like the Grado GR10 and Senn's IE80 you probably don't need an extra amp anymore, I guess?

I hope that this will be the case..
 
Carrying an amp portable is a bother, though I would still use my E12A inside the house.

 

[originalsnuffy]

   
 
 
For me, this is the biggest improvement/advantage of X5ii against X5 or any other DAPs out there. The ability to drive low impedance orthos and high impedance dynamic driver cans in a smaller package. This is a winner. It's just like shrinking DX100 into something smaller and cheaper. 

 

 
For testing purposes I do not have any cans nearly as demanding as some fellow head-fi members in terms of required impedance loads or being inefficient. 
 
My sense is that the new X5 has plenty of amplification power for most scenarios. It sure powers my most inefficient IEM units nicely, but then again my X3 could do that also.  For me those are the Audeo Phonac units.
 
My guess is that much of the extra dimensions for this unit compared with the X3 series relates to amplification and batteries.

 

[willyvlyminck]

Fiio sure does count with the possibility to use it with the E12a, just look at the color

 

[hakushondaimao]

Fiio sure does count with the possibility to use it with the E12a, just look at the color

 

[willyvlyminck]

Has the E12a still the better amp, compared to the X5II ? Well if the word better is the right one to use? Could maybe differ in sound signature?

 

[hakushondaimao]

Has the E12a still the better amp, compared to the X5II ? Well if the word better is the right one to use? Could maybe differ in sound signature?

Haven't had a chance to compare SQ, but E12A is certainly more powerful than X5ii.