[Dobrescu George]

  Has anyone got the X5 2nd gen that came with the clear plastic case? I figure if I order one now that it will likely come with the platic one and not the silicone case. I'm just wondering how well the plastic case fits and protects. I'll likely get a Dignis case for it anyway.

I got the plastic case, after I changed my first X5II. \
 
The plastic case is great, it jut does not cover the microsd slots. 
 
Another thing worthy of consideration is that the plastic case makes the device easier to handle, the grip is better, the back of the case is not glossy, but matte, yet it does not look very matte. This means, that you can still see the beauty of the back of the device, but it does not scratch easily. 
 
side buttons are totally fine, even better than with the rubber case, and the best part is that you get to touch the fine metal on the surface every time. 
 
after stopping from concerning myself with scratching, I must say, touching the metal finish instead of rubber is a sweet thing. 
 
All in all, the back case is great. 

 

[bruce1967]

  I got the plastic case, after I changed my first X5II. \
 
The plastic case is great, it jut does not cover the microsd slots. 
 
Another thing worthy of consideration is that the plastic case makes the device easier to handle, the grip is better, the back of the case is not glossy, but matte, yet it does not look very matte. This means, that you can still see the beauty of the back of the device, but it does not scratch easily. 
 
side buttons are totally fine, even better than with the rubber case, and the best part is that you get to touch the fine metal on the surface every time. 
 
after stopping from concerning myself with scratching, I must say, touching the metal finish instead of rubber is a sweet thing. 
 
All in all, the back case is great. 

Great! Sounds like an improvement then over the silicone case. I thought it was a shame they weren't using the silicone cases anymore but the plastic sounds better. I'll see how it is to me and maybe I will get a dignis case and maybe note. Thanks very much for your reply!

 

[KLJTech]

I haven't had a chance to try one of the plastic cases (my X5 II came with silicone), but I can tell you that the Dignis case makes any FiiO DAP feel like a million bucks in your hand. My hats off to FiiO for doing such a great job on the second generation of their DAPs. Last night a sat down in my den after everyone had gone to bed, just to listen to a bit of the Whiplash Soundtrack with the X5 II and AQ Nighthawks and I ended up listening to the entire album and about half of another...it simply pulls you in and you lose track of time.  

 

[bruce1967]

  I haven't had a chance to try one of the plastic cases (my X5 II came with silicone), but I can tell you that the Dignis case makes any FiiO DAP feel like a million bucks in your hand. My hats off to FiiO for doing such a great job on the second generation of their DAPs. Last night a sat down in my den after everyone had gone to bed, just to listen to a bit of the Whiplash Soundtrack with the X5 II and AQ Nighthawks and I ended up listening to the entire album and about half of another...it simply pulls you in and you lose track of time.  

I have a Dignis case for my Fiio X3ii so I know how good those cases are. I don't know how much better the X5ii will be over the X3ii but it does have 2 slots and from what I've read a better screen...

 

[KLJTech]

I've never heard the X3 II, but I'm sure that it's about as good as it gets at its price point. It is nice having the ability to use two MicroSD cards...but frankly I'm sure no matter how much storage you have you'll always feel like you could use more. The screen on the X5 II does look stellar. 

 

[bruce1967]

  I've never heard the X3 II, but I'm sure that it's about as good as it gets at its price point. It is nice having the ability to use two MicroSD cards...but frankly I'm sure no matter how much storage you have you'll always feel like you could use more. The screen on the X5 II does look stellar. 

The X3ii does sound very good so I wonder how much better can the X5ii be...some people have said there is a dramatic difference in favor of the X5ii and some say not much difference at all or not enough to upgrade anyway unless you're looking for the extra storage space. Yes I probably will be always looking for more storage with my music collection growing and the larger flac and the even large hi res files...

 

[Dobrescu George]

  The X3ii does sound very good so I wonder how much better can the X5ii be...some people have said there is a dramatic difference in favor of the X5ii and some say not much difference at all or not enough to upgrade anyway unless you're looking for the extra storage space. Yes I probably will be always looking for more storage with my music collection growing and the larger flac and the even large hi res files...

I heared X3II, and X5II is better. How much, is very hard to tell, as people hear differently, and we might not define sound with the same terms. 

 

[bruce1967]

  I heared X3II, and X5II is better. How much, is very hard to tell, as people hear differently, and we might not define sound with the same terms. 

It seems that most people who have upgraded seem to prefer the sound of the X5II so if it sounds better to me it will be a bonus with the extra card slots and the improved display. The X7 will be too expensive but I prefer the buttons and scroll wheel anyways. it seems like it will be a worthwhile upgrade but I will keep my X3II anyway.

 

[mosshorn]

Whew, this one took longer than expected to get around to but it is finally done! Thanks to Fiio for including me on the X5ii tour! (I will have pictures up later tonight)
 
 
I'm going to skip all details of this DAP with exception of build quality, UI, and SQ. Even though most of this has been covered ad nauseum, those three parts are subjective.
 
 
Build Quality
The build quality of the X5ii is superb. The player feels solid in the hand, but not overly weighty as the first gen did. I personally enjoy the button layout, and all had a very good feel to them, with little to no squishiness. While the scroll wheel on the demo wheel has been said to need some work, I didn't find it too much different from the production X3ii. The display is BEAUTIFUL. I didn't think I would want a big display for a DAP until I tried it. Wow.
 
UI
The UI is snappy and for the most part intuitive. If you've browsed on any trackwheel based Fiio, you know what to expect. One thing I would like to see would be more minimal theme options, or at least more polished ones. This is obviously a minor nitpick and doesn't affect the usability of this player.
 
SQ
For reference, I didn't care for the first gen X5 (albeit I had different headphones at the time) or the X3ii. They were by no means bad, just not quite there for me. I will take a player with slightly less resolution if it has a tone I like. The DIYmods come to mind: they sound dated, but have a certain sweetness that I always found appealing.
 
The X5ii is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable DAPs I have experienced. The soundstage when using my UERMs was astounding, and combined with the ALO RX IEM amp was nothing short of stellar. The detail is there, but not so much that you lose the overall flow of the music. I still can't get over the soundstage. A particular album to reference is “Benji” by Sun Kil Moon. The player is very close to a true “natural” sound to me. If I had to find something truly wrong, it would be that it is almost too natural. Even though this is against my goals of a neutral sound, sometimes I like a little more coloration. While the EQ is an improvement from the last generation of Fiio players, I still feel like the EQ changes the feel of the player rather than simply sculpting it.
 
 
Conclusion
This is probably the best DAP for your money. It is a jack of all trades, and master of many. The sound signature will work well with several different headphones and IEMs. The USB DAC implementation was flawless across Windows AND Linux. If you can live with the form factor, I would say that you could buy this and leave Head-fi. Leave this forum of constant upgrades, and enjoy the quality that Fiio has produced in the X5ii.

 

[erictioh]

do you guys noticed x5ii wheel is loose and inaccurate ? its sucks basically and not sensitive at all, sometimes i scrool forward and it will go backward 1 time. sometimes scroll 3 times only move one. super unpredictable. i rather use the 2 button below to scroll which is accurate and fast. now i missed my diagonal x3 so much...

 

[Dobrescu George]

do you guys noticed x5ii wheel is loose and inaccurate ? its sucks basically and not sensitive at all, sometimes i scrool forward and it will go backward 1 time. sometimes scroll 3 times only move one. super unpredictable. i rather use the 2 button below to scroll which is accurate and fast. now i missed my diagonal x3 so much...

It happens from time to time, based on how much pressure you apply. 
\
no complaints here, original x3 scrolling was not faster for big libraries. 

 

[JimmyTryhard]

although my unit has only had a couple of weeks of use so far, it is worth noting that right now my scroll wheel never goes in the reverse direction; it only occasionally takes up to 2 extra clicks to move one bar.

In its current state, it's quite nice and very usable.

 

[koan1011]

I think scroll wheels are over rated, I would prefer something less inclined to go wrong for navigating around the menus and folders.
 
Thankfully the buttons work for most if not all the functions the wheel does.

 

[ASpencer]

I was waiting in line at a coffee joint, listening to the X5 II ensconced in a nice leather case, and someone behind me scoffed and remarked: “That’s old school.”  I suppose he mistook it for an iPod.  I told him about the lossless files within, as well as the considerable storage, and that quelled his derision.
 
Nevertheless, it seemed to underscore that when most people see a scrolling wheel… they quickly deem a device antediluvian.  The upcoming X7 will be able to masquerade as a phone to the world at large.

 

[JimmyTryhard]

Thankfully the buttons work for most if not all the functions the wheel does.

OH MY GOD

YOU ARE NOT JOKING

YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE THE PREVIOUS/NEXT BUTTONS AS UP/DOWN THROUGH THE MENUS

I only just found that out after reading your post...

Jesus what else do I not know about on this thing

The scroll wheel complaints are all now practically void; you don't even have to use the darn thing if you don't like it...

FiiO please write a new manual with all button functions... I wonder how many people don't even know you can hold down the volume buttons to skip track etc... or maybe I just didn't properly read the manual...