[LightBlue77]

Abandoning ship. It was fun, but i really feel FIIO is neglecting us. DX150 here I go, anyone interested on a X5iii, please PM me, will be posting soon on the sell forum, but I want to hit here first.@FIIO, you have lost a fanboy.

I was never a fanboy of Fiio. On numerous ocasions i stated i really liked original X3 dap, ~10 years ago or so. But how much Fiio's work degraded since then... And i will openly say that fanboys are guilty too for this, not only Fiio. Because despite the numerous problems, they repeatedly praised their products.
Nevertheless these days i was thinking of trying the X7ii because it has the top 9028pro Sabre dac only surpassed by a single Ess model used by desktop devices. The only problem is the 5.1 Android version and battery usage. But i have UAPP so if it works i don't care about Fiio's software.

 

[LightBlue77]

Sorry, double post.

 

[javre76]

I was never a fanboy of Fiio. On numerous ocasions i stated i really liked original X3 dap, ~10 years ago or so. But how much Fiio's work degraded since then... And i will openly say that fanboys are guilty too for this, not only Fiio. Because despite the numerous problems, they repeatedly praised their products.
Nevertheless these days i was thinking of trying the X7ii because it has the top 9028pro Sabre dac only surpassed by a single Ess model used by desktop devices. The only problem is the 5.1 Android version and battery usage. But i have UAPP so if it works i don't care about Fiio's software.

I really do not mind how old is the implemented Android, my gripes are mostly with instability... it is bad. Just for you to know, I do not use streaming at all, that is another bag of hurt. Playing a song and suddenly stops for example, that should not happen... the lagging of the whole system (despite the great kernel developed by jkbuha) it is not really acceptable. The sound is good, no questions about it, but what is a good sound if you cannot enjoy it?

This whole experience has been like breaking up with a Girlfriend

 

[jkbuha]

(offtopic) - Ok so asking the pros then - given that the love has left the room... what's the next best upgrade?
Keen to get my hands on a new toy to mod and create a custom kernel for over the festive season. Looking at the A&K Kann but it's got the same DSP tbh so feel a bit cheated.

 

[LightBlue77]

i also checked this A&K player but it doesn't have Tidal, streaming, android.
@javre76 i prefer Tidal because i have hundreds of cds bought through the years and they are hard to manage and more expensive. Fortunately we have good and cheap mobile internet access in Romania. Nevertheless, i once listened to one of my own ripped to flac (with EAC) cds and found it slightly better than Tidal hifi version. So i wonder...
But all in all i find ~8 euros/month cheaper than buying only one good cd for about the same amount of money or more.
i guess next best thing should be Fiio's X7ii. My LG V20 has ES9218 hifi dac, i like how it sounds. X7ii is equipped with ESS Sabre 9028 PRO desktop version so it is better.
If no streaming, android is needed, there are plenty of options. A&K, Sony players, ...

 

[BobSmith8901]

I really do not mind how old is the implemented Android, my gripes are mostly with instability... it is bad. Just for you to know, I do not use streaming at all, that is another bag of hurt. Playing a song and suddenly stops for example, that should not happen... the lagging of the whole system (despite the great kernel developed by jkbuha) it is not really acceptable. The sound is good, no questions about it, but what is a good sound if you cannot enjoy it?

This whole experience has been like breaking up with a Girlfriend

I just wish they would open up the teensy 2GB install-able partition another 2GB like X7II's Japanese 1.07FW. When you can't even update a program without getting the "what would you like to uninstall first" nag screen (and there isn't much installed there in the first place) something is very wrong.

 

[ElKabong]

I was walking on my treadmill this morning listening to my fiio x5ii with the fiio music app, twice the song skipped and just before i was done, the app shut down completely. So yes this unit has software problems, you would think by now this far into the development, things should have squared themselves away, the pity is i like the fiio music app in conjunction with viper effects. I'm also running fidelizer with the custom kernal.
I also use jet audio, but half the time it's like it doesn't remember where it left off when i'm done listening to music.
I guess i revert to my cowon PR for stability and good sound.

If their next update doesn't vastly improve, it'll be on the shelf, can't sell it, who would want it?

 

[javre76]

(offtopic) - Ok so asking the pros then - given that the love has left the room... what's the next best upgrade?
Keen to get my hands on a new toy to mod and create a custom kernel for over the festive season. Looking at the A&K Kann but it's got the same DSP tbh so feel a bit cheated.

Well, I do not know if an upgrade, but I pulled the trigger on an iBasso DX150. On paper looks good (the way that the X5iii looked before). I will test it over the Holiday break... if I see anything that I do not like, I will return it, I have no patience anymore. My understanding is that there is a custom firmware that makes the system very stable.

 

[ElKabong]

I believe ibasso units use Mango as it's software, can't say how stable it will be or is, look forward to your impressions.

 

[javre76]

I believe ibasso units use Mango as it's software, can't say how stable it will be or is, look forward to your impressions.

OOT: The OS base is Android, Mango is a "custom face" (Android specialists, apologies, did not remember the proper term). Definitively about the impressions, maybe not here, I will send you a PM and will let you know..

 

[mandello]

Hi, do someone knows if the sound is better from the direct line output or trough the DK1 docking station!??!?!?

 

[spanner43]

Hi, do someone knows if the sound is better from the direct line output or trough the DK1 docking station!??!?!?

I use it daily with a DK1 docking station into a schiit loki then into a asquard 2 amp. I have also used it line out and coaxial out to a schiit modi then the asquard 2. I listen with hifiman 400I and/or masdrop 6xx. I have not tried a/b switching but as hard as i tried i could notice no difference when using the x5III as the dac or not. It all sounds pretty darn good.

 

[mandello]

I use it daily with a DK1 docking station into a schiit loki then into a asquard 2 amp. I have also used it line out and coaxial out to a schiit modi then the asquard 2. I listen with hifiman 400I and/or masdrop 6xx. I have not tried a/b switching but as hard as i tried i could notice no difference when using the x5III as the dac or not. It all sounds pretty darn good.

Thanks to share yor experience, i listen with he400i too, could you please try an a/b test limited to the line out with no external dac?!?

 

[fokta]

Just drop by, X5 3rd with UAPP and MQA installed is a good pairing with compensation of disable of play/stop, Fwd/rwd physical button in the left. not compatible.

Sound wise, it can play Solaris with almost no Hiss....
Different story if u use spotify...

Can't stack with AMP (LO or usb) due to UAPP only do the software thing through Jack output (3.5 mm), sorry I don't have 2.5mm cable. so I don't know if work in 2.5mm. And I read using 2.5mm will increase the Noise

 

[aangen]

I recently found one of these on eBay used for just under $1400. What a steal! You can almost ignore the crack in the screen.
I loaded it up with high quality DeathPolka songs. Most are high quality mp3s at 64k but some are up to 128k!!
Using earbuds I found on the floor of a plane I recently cleaned (I let them dry first) I find that I can't really hear a difference between this setup and a chainsaw ripping through my skull. Not much bass but a lot less bleeding.

Do you think energy drinks would help?
I am thinking Blue Powerade with the pink marshmallow tweak.

Merry Christmas all.