[Sonic Defender]

  ...I decided to quench my thirst with Xanadu - Rush
 
 

Love it. I have been a Rush fans since the early 1980s (seen them at least 10 times in concert). My very favourite Xanadu has to be the live version from Exit Stage Left. I suspect you have heard that before, but if not it is well worth it mate. Exit Stage Left is a gem, the recording is quieter, but it is pretty clean sounding given that it was recorded in 1981. Cheers.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  FW 1.1.0 not playing nice with me  

 
You should write to FiiO support so they can sort things out 

 

  Seems like a crazy phone bill given that American's have cheaper cell phone service than Canadian's even. I never get data as free WiFi is everywhere or I use my home WiFi  so for me the need for data is pretty minimal. That said I don't know your needs, but unless it is business critical, data isn't a necessity and that is what is most expensive.
 

 
Romanian cell costs are high, but not that high either 

 

  I feel the pain, I still owe $550 for a G4, try that on for size! I would never get the flagship phones as for my needs you pay for a bunch of bells and whistles you can do without. It isn't like a cell phone for me is a critical business tool so a two year old model still has plenty of power and features for my needs. I guess I'm lucky in a sense to be getting a little older.
 

 
Quick advice: I got a Xiaomi mi max for 200$ or so. It is ideal for my needs and I don't have to deal with the headache of a contract phone anymore 

 

  Nobody is a strong word for assertion. Opus, being one of the best, if not THE best lossy codec for audio^[source] certainly gets its share of attention. There are 7 bilion people on the planet, I don't think it's just me. No other codec can get you that much subjective, artifact-free quality on low bitrates. Some consider even 80kbps transparent. I personally prefer 140kbps.
 
How is WavPack terrible for portable audio running on battery??
It's way more CPU efficient than APE, which is supported natively:
 
APE (lowest complexity):
  Run 1:
    Decoded length: 2:55.907
    Opening time: 0:00.000
    Decoding time: 0:03.025
    Speed (x realtime): 58.151
 
WavPack (lowest complexity):
  Run 1:
    Decoded length: 2:55.907
    Opening time: 0:00.001
    Decoding time: 0:01.121
    Speed (x realtime): 156.725
 
Better is relative. I managed to test lots of headphones in my time and those that I settled with I personally consider the best ones. In a few weeks, I'm about to put HD800 into test against K240DF among others. I'm fairly certain AKG won't be far behind. 

There are quite a few methods how to verify this "DAC sound" analogy. One of such being null-test, which unquestionably reveal any difference, if there is any to begin with.
 
 
 
Did I came out as unkind? That certainly wasn't my intention, nor does it appear in 2nd read.
 
 
Null-test, unlike method which cannot be discussed here, undeniably reveals any difference in sound between two or more devices, if there's any. The gist is subtracting one sound source from another, so you'll end up with just the difference. That's the safest, most accurate method of telling green apple from red one.
May I ask how did you perform this comparison? If the gap between changing sources is too wide, human auditory memory start to deteriorate just after 0.2 seconds.
Clip+ runs 15mW into 16Ohm load. That's not bad given its specs. Due to Clip+ size, one can't expect stunning crosstalk performance into low impedances, that's physical limitation which cannot be avoided other than making the DAP bigger. But even Clip's figure is good enough.
Last rockbox builds are capable of overdriving the amp into 1.1Vrms region, which is enough for casual listening in K240DF or K601.
 
 
 
OGG-Vorbis != OGG-Opus
WavPack != RIFF WAVE
 
Opus is quite different from Vorbis, and has much better efficiency, if not the best out of all lossy codecs.
WavPack, unlike FLAC, APE or Apple Lossless support both IEEE754 and in new iteration even DSD64.
 
As for X5-3 having Android, that I'd personally consider a disadvantage. Given how is recent Android limited (only MTP mode for USB access), how inefficient (at least 2GB of RAM needed vs. 2MB for Rockbox - that's one magnitude higher!) and unsuitable for audio overall (only 44.1k and 48k are supported natively).
 
My "new" setup running Clip+ into opamp-switched (TLE2062/OPA2277) Objective2 requires just 0.15W and last around 150 hours on single charge with target battery design. Without O2, Clip runs on 0.04W.
 
Compare that to X3II which needs 0.78W into line-out and 0.9W into headphone out.
X5II needs 1.27W
Those are some significant differences.
 
 
 
EQ in Rockbox are miles more exhaustive than the "preset" stuff in Fiio DAPs.
Centre frequency can be individually adjusted for each separate band (out of 15). All those bands can go up or down by 6dB in 0.1dB steps.
Bell width (Q-parameter) is also freely adjustable.
All this is not possible in Fiio's FW. There are just 8 bands with preset frequencies and width. Furthermore by activating the EQ, the volume automatically shifts down by 6dB even if you're just using the EQ for attenuation.
 
I would strongly encourage you or anyone else to revisit the $20 - $40 Clip+ with your mind free of judgement or McGurk effect. If it's that bad, it wouldn't be popular in the first place. 

 
 

 
This is going to be long 

 
- Your posts are kind, don't worry about it, just didn't want my ones to be unkind 

 
- Clip can't drive either of my headphones even close to well. the sound is loose and bloated, I have it in my room and use it for tests. 
 
- Sorry, I had no idea about that OGG opus and vorbis differences, but I do like OGG as a format. One of the worst formats for portable, it requires more battery and effort to decode than FLAC or MP3... 
 
- Android on X5-3  is deeply customized, like it was on X7, you don't have to worry about any of the Android limitations. Don't let it scare you 

 
- You are running custom and modded setups, Clip+ is one of the poorest devices you can buy with money. Your unique customized unit might be a good one - but it's customized.
 
-  In Android X5-3, you can do anything you desire with the EQ function, since it is Android 

 
- Now this is the tricky part - I'm very salty about Clip+ because I paird 100$ for one. If it were a 20$-40$ device in Romania, things would have been different... But at 100$, it is so bad.Clip+ in Romania has the same price as a FiiO x`1ii, and X1ii is worlds apart in both sound and abilities, UI, has better battery, etc. (Compared to stock Clip+, not with a modded one)
 

  Exactly, yet different doesn't mean automatically better.
 
That remains to be tested/heard. To my knowledge, no-one directly compared DFs to HD800. From what I have heard personally, DFs against HD650 or against DT880-600 they always came out as winner in majority of aspects, subjectively speaking.
That's debatable. Well-known person, who shall not be named (

) compared Clip+ to iPod 6 and surprise, they weren't that far apart, with Clip+ coming out as winner in practical terms (lower output impedance, higher voltage, MSC mode, ...).
Once certain threshold is reached, all DAPs/DACs should be audibly transparent. The rest is McGurk and sighted listening doing its thing.
 

 
- ipod6 is a bad thing to compare with anything, it is low end at best.
 
To make you happy, you should test a highly acclaimed smooth / warm thing, like Chord Mojo. You might like smooth / warm signatures more thus you might dislike certain other things. Clip+ is fairly smooth / rolled off so this might suit your tastes better.
 
Nothing I say isn't offensive or something, it's just how you could enjoy this hobby better 

 
You shouldn't come to a thread of a product to shun DAPs in general (?)...
 

  Did you find the clip + to the sounding similar to the FiiO X3ii, X5ii? 
 

 
I had all of those in hands for extended periods of time. They are worlds apart in terms of sound, volume matched. 
 
 
 
P.S. - this is not sound science part of head-fi so let's keep things interesting.

 

[Karendar]

Anyone have a suggestion for stacking a fiio a5 to a fiio x5? I think I saw a velcro solution earlier but I can't find it.

 

[HisDudeness]

Anyone have a suggestion for stacking a fiio a5 to a fiio x5? I think I saw a velcro solution earlier but I can't find it.

X5iii? 3m Dual Lock has been mentioned.
Otherwise use the thick rubber bands packaged with the A5 and place them around the very top and bottom edgs of the DAP

 

[Dobrescu George]

X5iii? 3m Dual Lock has been mentioned.
Otherwise use the thick rubber bands packaged with the A5 and place them around the very top and bottom edgs of the DAP

 
Dual Lock is amazing if you can find it where you live 

 
I used to use the rubber bands with my past DAPs, they make a fine soltion as they are, but the stack looks like a bomb and you do get a few weird looks when you pul it out of your pocket 

 

[HisDudeness]

Dual Lock is amazing if you can find it where you live 

I used to use the rubber bands with my past DAPs, they make a fine soltion as they are, but the stack looks like a bomb and you do get a few weird looks when you pul it out of your pocket :eek:

I am nervous about taking my stack through airport security

Wish Fiio would juse make an official stacking kit like they have done before (X7 excluded for obvious reasons)

 

[Dobrescu George]

I am nervous about taking my stack through airport security

Wish Fiio would juse make an official stacking kit like they have done before (X7 excluded for obvious reasons)

 
I would advice against taking audiophile gear in general through airport securities 

 

[Tom Blake]

Anyone have any recommendations for the best place to order the X5 III in the US? Thanks!

 

[fourrobert13]

  Anyone have any recommendations for the best place to order the X5 III in the US? Thanks!

You'd have to order from overseas because it's not available in the US yet.  I think FiiO said it would be available the end of this month globally.  With that said, I'm not sure which international seller would be the best and you may still be waiting for it when it's released globally depending on shipping times.

 

[Tom Blake]

  You'd have to order from overseas because it's not available in the US yet.  I think FiiO said it would be available the end of this month globally.  With that said, I'm not sure which international seller would be the best and you may still be waiting for it when it's released globally depending on shipping times.

OK thanks. I see Adorama has it on preorder. Probably the best place to get it if I want to wait for a US vendor?

 

[dsrk]

Hi All,
I have been reading this thread from the beginning and I have just registered to post a message.
 
I had Fiio X7 for a few months but sold it because I couldn't bear the unstable firmware, I like the sound though. My present audio setup is Cowon Z2 + Fiio A3 (I used to own E07k, E17k and E12), Asus Xonar U7 for my PC and the headphones are HD598, Momentum and Ultrasone HFI 580. My IEMs are Monster Turbines, ATH CKS77, Klipsch Image S4i however, I stopped using them after I got my Momentum and HD598.
 
The X7 (with default AM1) sounded better to me than my Cowon Z2 but I simply love the Jet effects and the ability to customize to your liking. On X7 I did not like the stock player and I was using Player Pro most of the time which sounded fine for my taste.
 
I listen all kinds of music and I am looking to upgrade my setup. I am thinking of getting X5 3d (I am hearing good things about Opus#1 for it's sound stage) Gen and HD650 or HE400i. Please suggest.
 
I started as a bass head but now I don't even use the bass boost on the Fiio A3.
 
I am fairly new to posting in forums, please bear with me. I have so many questions in my mind right now.
 
Most of my collection is in 16bit FLAC, MP3 320Kbps and lower....

 

[Riley Beale]

   
 
 
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if there was a Hardware/Firmware feature that made you choose one over the other. So, it was a matter of financial situation. I hope the year improves for you and the other farmers in Northern Cal. Good luck!

You are welcome.  Money is too tight with my phone bill skyrocketing.  I guess Verizon is doing it because I had an extended warranty on my Samsung Galaxy S6 and had to send it in too many times for replacement.  They sent me several bad refurbished phones between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They were not very happy so they decided to jack up my bill and also not allow me to have a warranty with Verizon.  I am not sure I can even afford an X5 3 at this point.  It might be next year before I make any new audio purchases the way things are going.
 
Thank you my friend
 
Riley

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Hi All,
I have been reading this thread from the beginning and I have just registered to post a message.
 
I had Fiio X7 for a few months but sold it because I couldn't bear the unstable firmware, I like the sound though. My present audio setup is Cowon Z2 + Fiio A3 (I used to own E07k, E17k and E12), Asus Xonar U7 for my PC and the headphones are HD598, Momentum and Ultrasone HFI 580. My IEMs are Monster Turbines, ATH CKS77, Klipsch Image S4i however, I stopped using them after I got my Momentum and HD598.
 
The X7 (with default AM1) sounded better to me than my Cowon Z2 but I simply love the Jet effects and the ability to customize to your liking. On X7 I did not like the stock player and I was using Player Pro most of the time which sounded fine for my taste.
 
I listen all kinds of music and I am looking to upgrade my setup. I am thinking of getting X5 3d (I am hearing good things about Opus#1 for it's sound stage) Gen and HD650 or HE400i. Please suggest.
 
I started as a bass head but now I don't even use the bass boost on the Fiio A3.
 
I am fairly new to posting in forums, please bear with me. I have so many questions in my mind right now.
 
Most of my collection is in 16bit FLAC, MP3 320Kbps and lower....

 
Advice: Try to rip your CDs in FLAC or OGG -10 for best quality. Mp3 at 320 is cited as enough or many though. MP3 at less than 320 is audibly poor though. 
 
If you live HD598, you will most probably love HD650 a lot. 
 
X5-3 should be an upgrade considering your actual setup 

 
 
Since Cowon Z2 should sound somewhere close to my Cowon J3, I can only say that even the first FiiO X5 was worlds apart in terms of SQ from Cowon J3 - much better with no EQ engaged vs a J3 even if the J3 would have all it's enhacements turned on. X5 was just that good. X5ii only made things better! Now waiting to hear an X5-3, but many have said that X5-3 is even better.

 

[fourrobert13]

  Hi All,
I have been reading this thread from the beginning and I have just registered to post a message.
 
I had Fiio X7 for a few months but sold it because I couldn't bear the unstable firmware, I like the sound though. My present audio setup is Cowon Z2 + Fiio A3 (I used to own E07k, E17k and E12), Asus Xonar U7 for my PC and the headphones are HD598, Momentum and Ultrasone HFI 580. My IEMs are Monster Turbines, ATH CKS77, Klipsch Image S4i however, I stopped using them after I got my Momentum and HD598.
 
The X7 (with default AM1) sounded better to me than my Cowon Z2 but I simply love the Jet effects and the ability to customize to your liking. On X7 I did not like the stock player and I was using Player Pro most of the time which sounded fine for my taste.
 
I listen all kinds of music and I am looking to upgrade my setup. I am thinking of getting X5 3d (I am hearing good things about Opus#1 for it's sound stage) Gen and HD650 or HE400i. Please suggest.
 
I started as a bass head but now I don't even use the bass boost on the Fiio A3.
 
I am fairly new to posting in forums, please bear with me. I have so many questions in my mind right now.
 
Most of my collection is in 16bit FLAC, MP3 320Kbps and lower....

This is just me and how I do things...
 
I quit buying mp3's.  I'll buy flac or buy the CD and rip to flac.  I'll then convert them to 320 bit mp3 and that's what I put on my DAPs.  I'll listen to the flac files when sitting at my desktop.  Get foobar2000 (free media manager) and use it to rip CDs and convert your files.  It's easy to use and has lots of tools and supports just about every format out there.

 

[chowmein83]

  Hi All,
I have been reading this thread from the beginning and I have just registered to post a message.
 
I had Fiio X7 for a few months but sold it because I couldn't bear the unstable firmware, I like the sound though. My present audio setup is Cowon Z2 + Fiio A3 (I used to own E07k, E17k and E12), Asus Xonar U7 for my PC and the headphones are HD598, Momentum and Ultrasone HFI 580. My IEMs are Monster Turbines, ATH CKS77, Klipsch Image S4i however, I stopped using them after I got my Momentum and HD598.
 
I listen all kinds of music and I am looking to upgrade my setup. I am thinking of getting X5 3d (I am hearing good things about Opus#1 for it's sound stage) Gen and HD650 or HE400i. Please suggest.

 
Hey there dsrk, I have the 400i and I own an X7, and am currently borrowing an X5 3rd gen from FiiO. I can say that both the X5 3rd gen and the X7 sound very similar on the 400i - I still think the X7 still has a slight edge, but the difference isn't very big. Also, the X5 3rd gen sounds very slightly warmer - but again, the difference isn't that big. For reference, I'm speaking about the X7 with the AM3 or AM5 amp modules (I didn't like the AM1 nearly as much as these two).
 
As for unstable firmware, the X5 3rd gen and the X7 now pretty much share the same firmware (they're both on Android 5.1). I've found that the firmware is mostly stable unless you use the FiiO music app.