[dbdynsty25]

Scroll wheels.  Ugh.
 
I've had one X1, two X3IIs and two X5IIs.
 
The X1 was the smoothest of the bunch with the least amount of feel of the indentations.  This is what I found most accurate and it's definitely the one I liked the best.  Very smooth, very little feel of the indentations and tight build quality (no wobble).
 
The two X3IIs were more singificant when it came to the indentations which I didn't like...the first was the absolute most obvious and the second a little less.  Neither was 1:1 scrolling in lists...nor was the X1 for that matter (but it was less noticeable).  So this is my least favorite implementation.
 
My first X5II was wobbly, offcenter and just a mess.  I chalked that up to first batch issues.  My second, which was first batch as well (since I believe we're all using first batch devices, just no pre production demo ones) is much better.  A little less indent on the wheel clicks but everything is flush and fluid.  It sits closer to the X3II than the X1 as far as the indents go so I still prefer the X1, but this one is decent.  
 
Still not 1:1 so that's an issue...and it'll never get fixed.  We're on year two/three of these scroll wheels and clearly they don't care about the scrolling accuracy or it would be fixed by now.
 
I'm cool w/ it though because it sounds so damn good.

 

[Wokei]

Me just wanna say....got no problem and happy with me scroll wheel .....woot woot

 

[wilman0527]

  I cannot for the life of me make a decision. This is what head.Fi has done to me!! Trouble is I have to buy this stuff without auditioning. Going to have to take that drive down to Chatswood and visit minidisc and audition this gear. I'd feel guilty though using their gear and then buying it cheaper elsewhere though. The DX90 @minidisc is $639.00 as opposed to MP4nation  $439.00 + free Brainwavz S5.

 
I am in the same situation but i bit the bullet on the x5 gen 2 while owning the dx90, I have the dx90 with a 4400 mah battery and get 15 hours playback uninterrupted If you have 1sd card worth of music with lots of space to spare I would go that option. I opted for the x5 soley because it can hold 2 sd cards and my one 128gb is getting pretty full. If you have the time to wait I will post my results or pm you which one I like best sq wise using dt770,hd598 and ldc-xc.
 
Will

 

[H20Fidelity]

Me just wanna say....got no problem and happy with me scroll wheel .....woot woot

 
I just don't (personally) detect a real problem with it, no intention towards anyone. Maybe because I don't hard drive my FiiO units on a day to day basis either, they're used for an hour or two at a time, switch to something else. But I've never felt frustrated or over cumbered by them. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe James did say somewhere many months ago 'maybe we will change the wheel all together in the future" 
 
I do however feel an ease of use in comparison when switching to the iBasso touch screens.

 

[Wokei]

I just don't (personally) detect a real problem with it, no intention towards anyone. Maybe because I don't hard drive my FiiO units on a day to day basis either, they're used for an hour or two at a time, switch to something else. But I've never felt frustrated or over cumbered by them. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe James did say somewhere many months ago 'maybe we will change the wheel all together in the future" 

I do however feel an ease of use in comparison when switching to the iBasso touch screens.

Early adapter of X3 and also have X5....Me believe in Fiio products and have been happy with them....they get me vote for value and quality...woot woot

 

[oldmate]

Early adapter of X3 and also have X5....Me believe in Fiio products and have been happy with them....they get me vote for value and quality...woot woot

Mate @Wokei you really want that free X3 II - I think you deserve it!! Best AK I've seen in a while!!

 

 

[oldmate]

   
I am in the same situation but i bit the bullet on the x5 gen 2 while owning the dx90, I have the dx90 with a 4400 mah battery and get 15 hours playback uninterrupted If you have 1sd card worth of music with lots of space to spare I would go that option. I opted for the x5 soley because it can hold 2 sd cards and my one 128gb is getting pretty full. If you have the time to wait I will post my results or pm you which one I like best sq wise using dt770,hd598 and ldc-xc.
 
Will

Cheers mate. I have plenty of time - not rushing into anything at this stage. Have to be careful with my hard earned cash. User replaceable battery has gotta be a big plus.

 

[JaZZ]

The wheel design is interesting to me. My original X5 has a loose wheel. It did from launch but it's never over shot or been a hassle. Reliability has been solid.

The X5 II unit I'm testing has more stiffness to it and the indents are much more noticable. Too much and I feel that they actually interfere with navigation. There are multiple times I'm trying to navigate or adjust in small increments, like using EQ or adjusting volume, and the wheel seems to have a mind of its own. I notice it when I'm at the cusp of one of indents. Too bad they focused on noticble indents, which are useless IMO.

 
That's my experience, too, with the final product. I already have got used to the wheel behavior, but wouldn't call it ideal (the clicks), it's not really better than with the original X5. I still prefer it to a touchscreen, though.
 
Now to the sound. To my ears it's not just a slight, but a substantial improvement. Clarity and transparency are increased to a degree that makes the original X5 sound downright muddy now, particularly in the bass.
 

  I'm comparing the X3II and X5 now. As I have said before, I am a bit disappointed with the X3II sound quality--perhaps I am not volume matching properly? I use exactly the same setup otherwise: same headphones, same amp, same files. I am actually using the same sd card as well (not that that would make a difference). 
 
The HO on the X3II has soft treble: reminiscent of the sansa clip, although not quite that "bad."
 
Some are suggesting I'm not volume matching, so perhaps that is a factor. I read a review on headfonia or headfonics which made this same point, however. 
 
I am either selling or returning the X3II. Very nice design, great portability, but it is a noticeable dropoff from the X5 where it matters most: SQ.

 
To me the X3 II's sound quality is on a similar level as the X5 II's, which means I rate it higher than the X5's. Again it's the clarity and cleanness which makes the difference. I do notice a slightly lower treble intensity compared to both X5 models, but it's minimal and doesn't even speak against it. I even like the hinted midrange emphasis it creates. It's easily equalizable, which can't be said for the X5's «muddiness».

 

[Spadge]

Me just wanna say....got no problem and happy with me scroll wheel .....woot woot

Me neither. Works very well for me.

 

[Wokei]

Mate @Wokei
 you really want that free X3 II - I think you deserve it!! Best AK I've seen in a while!!:atsmile:  

Yup..really want it..woot woot

 

[hyperflight]

  Greetings! New member here, and a new X5ii owner. My purchase was partly guided by the excellent reviews I read here.  Big thanks to @Brooko, @hakushondaimao, @fnkcow, @twister6, @AndrewH13, @nmatheis, @Barra, @originalsnuffy, @semaj8james, and @Koolpep for writing reviews (hope I didn't miss anyone), and to everyone else for contributing to a great source of information.
 
Cheers!
art

I've been planning to say exactly the same thing, but hadn't had the chance to collate all the review authours' names yet! A big thanks from me, and to @-art- as well Very much enjoying this community so far.

 

[HK_sends]

  I certainly hope so but only time will tell. I have to wait now until the production model has been in the hands of many and not just headfier's because of the bias I have seen here over the years.
 
Yes, as it turns out my original X5 was faulty. I did not know it at the time but well that's ancient history now. Time well tell if they have sorted the issues and believe me if they have I'm in like Flynn buddy. I want one. I've got the cash put aside for a new dap but the last thing I want to do is rage quit whilst selecting an album or options on my dap and believe me that X5 of mine nearly went into the wall many times. 
 
So, to sum up, I'm waiting on more feedback re the wheel and if I see any drama's it's off the list and hello DX90.

It sounds like the bias isn't only on the other side of the screen. 

  Some people (Head-Fi'ers) are actually happy with the stuff they get.  Automatically assuming everyone is overly-biased or a "kiss-ass" is a disservice to those who truly feel they are reporting their honest impressions.  Anywhere you have have a large group of people spending lots of money, bias tends to exist in some form (just ask the Ford vs Chevy or BMW vs Mercedes crowd).  I will grant there is some "new-toy" excitement that tends to make the newest thing seem like it's the ultimate but it does tend to even out over time.
 
BTW, my scroll wheel does move one for one 95% of the time and then it occasionally requires two detentes to move the cursor once.  Is it perfect?  No.  But it's a d**n sight better than my original X5.  YMMV.  That's just the way it is.  If it were Apple or Sony (or I was paying $1k+), I'd be pitching a fit...a small company like FiiO...I'm willing to make some slight concessions.  The question is, are you?

Yes its a proprietary pin configuration and it's been found that a regular mono plug doesn't work with the X5 II. The pins don't line up for coaxial.

Actually, it is a TRRS connector.  Not proprietary, but not commonly used (based on how few I can find on-line), especially for coaxial digital. (Sorry, not enough caffeine this morning...you said pin configuration)  Most of the 3.5mm TRRS connector cables are terminated on the other side with three RCA connectors (two for audio and one for video).  It's a common plug for small video players.  Hope that helps.
Cheers and all the best!

-HK sends
 
PS- I'll give up my X5ii when they pry my cold... 

 
PPS - Yes, that was a joke...

 

 

[Koolpep]

  It sounds like the bias isn't only on the other side of the screen. 

  Some people (Head-Fi'ers) are actually happy with the stuff they get.  Automatically assuming everyone is overly-biased or a "kiss-ass" is a disservice to those who truly feel they are reporting their honest impressions.  Anywhere you have have a large group of people spending lots of money, bias tends to exist in some form (just ask the Ford vs Chevy or BMW vs Mercedes crowd).  I will grant there is some "new-toy" excitement that tends to make the newest thing seem like it's the ultimate but it does tend to even out over time.
 
BTW, my scroll wheel does move one for one 95% of the time and then it occasionally requires two detentes to move the cursor once.  Is it perfect?  No.  But it's a d**n sight better than my original X5.  YMMV.  That's just the way it is.  If it were Apple or Sony (or I was paying $1k+), I'd be pitching a fit...a small company like FiiO...I'm willing to make some slight concessions.  The question is, are you?
Actually, it is a TRRS connector.  Not proprietary, but not commonly used (based on how few I can find on-line), especially for coaxial digital.  Most of the 3.5mm TRRS connector cables are terminated on the other side with three RCA connectors (two for audio and one for video).  It's a common plug for small video players.  Hope that helps.
Cheers and all the best!

-HK sends
 
PS- I'll give up my X5ii when they pry my cold... 

 
PPS - Yes, that was a joke...

 

 
 
Hi!
 
Well, sorry but It is proprietary in regards to the plug sections and distances between them hence the COAX TRRS cable for the X5 is not anymore working with the X5iii since they changed the distances on the plug. So, now I have to use the supplied connector and the RCA cable while before I could use just a single cable for the X3ii, X5 and X3. Also, TRRS COAX for iBasso doesn't work with Fiio and now not even within the Fiio range the cables are interchangeable. It's a bit of a mess, I think, with everyone creating their own TRRS plugs for COAX (I believe there is no standard - hence, they are all proprietary).
 
Hope that helps too  

 
Cheers,
K

 

[514077]

I get the Moon Audio newsletter, and I recall them promoting a coax cable for different FiiOs and some other DAPs.  They have a '4-pole 3.5  connector they recommend for the X3II.  Shouldn't that possibly work for the X5II as well?

 

[Koolpep]

  I get the Moon Audio newsletter, and I recall them promoting a coax cable for different FiiOs and some other DAPs.  They have a '4-pole 3.5  connector they recommend for the X3II.  Shouldn't that possibly work for the X5II as well?

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Premium-SPDIF-Digital-Coaxial/dp/B00V436UQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435325697&sr=8-1&keywords=micca+coax+cable
 
this is the cable I use with my X5, worked well with the X3ii does NOT work with X5ii....
 
Would be good to know if the Moon audio cable does indeed work with both X3ii and X5ii....I would like that.
 
Cheers,
K