[fourrobert13]

  OK thanx and what firmware should i use ?

I'd go with 2.1.  It's the latest one.

 

[cathare34]

Do i need a dedicated headphone amp (FIOO E12) to drive my grado sr325is gold ?

 

[cirodts]

  Do i need a dedicated headphone amp (FIOO E12) to drive my grado sr325is gold ?

I do not think we will need external amplifier for 325

 

[Faber65]

 
Do i need a dedicated headphone amp (FIOO E12) to drive my grado sr325is gold ?

I do not think we will need external amplifier for 325

I don't have the 325, but it works well with the 125.
Well, an external amp works well at home, but as a portable gear, in my opinion, the X5II has enough power for the Grado's.

 

[jschlarb]

  Do i need a dedicated headphone amp (FIOO E12) to drive my grado sr325is gold ?

 
Definitely no need for an external amp with 32 ohm headphones. The x5ii drives my HE-400s really well by itself, using high gain.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Do i need a dedicated headphone amp (FIOO E12) to drive my grado sr325is gold ?

 
Maybe Fiio E12A, but only to color the sound a bit. 
 
x5ii alone can drive Grado very well, loved the combination when I tested them. 

 

[cirodts]

   
Definitely no need for an external amp with 32 ohm headphones. The x5ii drives my HE-400s really well by itself, using high gain.

sorry but ... with 32 grado hom it is absolutely no need of external amplifier

 

[cirodts]

   
Maybe Fiio E12A, but only to color the sound a bit. 
 
x5ii alone can drive Grado very well, loved the combination when I tested them. 

Today I get the x5 and I will use sr225e and maybe let you know.

 

[cathare34]

  Today I get the x5 and I will use sr225e and maybe let you know.

Ok thanx that would be great i am still debating the X5ii or the Shanling M2 but the x5ii has double slots and can play ido files...so for the moment it's the fiio for me.

 

[jschlarb]

X5ii output power is 245mA into 32 ohms (http://m.fiio.net/en/products/41/parameters). I assume this is with Gain = High. The E12 (Mont Blanc) puts out 880mW into 32 ohms.

Since I'm listening to my X5ii with the volume at around 90 and with high gain, I'm near the top end of the output range. I wonder if there would be any benefit to using the E12, where I assume I'd be at around a quarter-turn of the volume knob. Do amps sound better near the lower end of their range?

[side note: I have the PA2V2 amp, and it only puts out 200mA]

 

[cirodts]

I will use x5ii without external amp, I did several tests with E11 and frankly I did not like with x1.
The sound was more powerful, but too bright and more congested, I preferred by far the fiio x1 senz external amp simply because it was more natural as sound..

 

[jschlarb]

This chart by JDSLabs is fantastic:
 
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1****TwWffXKld7PgHt5wZOP7KnBVO6SyvG9yZEJ-smI/edit#gid=1006269980
 
My HE-400s have a sensitivity of 92.5dB. The chart tells me that I can drive them at 115dB with only 200mW. No amp required.
 
OTOH, if I upgraded to the HE-6, with an sensitivity of 83.5dB, I would need something like 1300W. 
 
Here's the article the chart comes from: 
 
     http://blog.jdslabs.com/?p=1285

 

[cirodts]

Hello as Avatar, now I have your I finally my x5ii.
The sound is clean and full-bodied'm happy already, burn-in is expected to last 100 hours you have noticed changes and sound improvements after the burn-in

 

[jschlarb]

I thought it might be fun to speculate which Fiio amp's design was reused for the X5ii. I say this because if I was Fiio, I wouldn't invent a whole new amp for the X5ii...I'd reuse what I already had. 
 
The Fiio A3 has very similar specs: 270mW into 32 ohms (vs. 245 for the X5), and an output impedance under 0.2 ohms. I may buy one to use with my iPhone.
[EDIT: never mind...they use different chips for current drive]

 

[cathare34]

Hello have you allready listen with your grado's ? I am waiting fir your observations. I think i will order the X5ii tomorrow.