[lynx121]

  It's convenient but hardly a deal breaker.

Maybe not for you, but for people who wants all of their music in a portable dap without using otg, it will help with their decision a lot more than you think.

 

[headwhacker]

You can still have the music you want without going the otg route.

 

[Gibalok]

I value transparency without the sound being analytical.  Beautiful midrange over strong bass.  Maybe I should go with whichever one is the best deal?

Im a bass head and using Westone 50 Pro with my Fiio x5. The bass is punchy, soundstage is wide and a lot of details.

The bass is the same like im using HD650 or Denon 7100 with my main headphone system. Bass which you can feel.

I didn't hear Ibasso dx90 with uM 50 Pro. Im just satisfied with x5.

 

[Schro Dinger]

DX90 is better according to the numerical parameters.
 
And it has dual ES9018K2M!

 

[headwhacker]

  DX90 is better according to the numerical parameters.
 
And it has dual ES9018K2M!

 
Which doesn't tell anything about how it will sound like.

 

[Schro Dinger]

Exactly.
 
So you need more detailed specification like FFT chart and Output Impedance v.s. Frequency graph.
 
Personally I prefer DX90 for its clearer and neutral sound. Plus there is some problem on the sound-staging and orientation of X5.

 

[x RELIC x]

Exactly.

So you need more detailed specification like FFT chart and Output Impedance v.s. Frequency graph.

Personally I prefer DX90 for its clearer and neutral sound. Plus there is some problem on the sound-staging and orientation of X5.

I've never had an issue with sound staging or orientation with my X5, and this is in direct comparison to my full size Oppo HA-1 which uses the technically superior ESS9018 32 over the dual ESS9018M2K.

 

[howdy]

I think they both have there pro and cons. one thing for sure is they both sound awesome and i will keep them both!

 

[xriddler]

Subbed!!!! im in the same boat i guess on deciding which one. I am more for SQ. I could care less on storage and what not. I tend to only play a select playlist and switch out so I don't really carry a full library. I wonder which or these players would pair better with my B&W p7s. Anyone have any experience with this pairing? I'm not a basshead but i really like the P7 Sound signature and of course the leather XD

 

[headwhacker]

  Exactly.
 
So you need more detailed specification like FFT chart and Output Impedance v.s. Frequency graph.
 
Personally I prefer DX90 for its clearer and neutral sound. Plus there is some problem on the sound-staging and orientation of X5.

 
To be honest I find X5 more neutral than DX90. DX90 has a bit of boosted bass in comparison. 
 
 

 

[McCol]

I had both for a while and did intend to keep both however I ended up selling the Fiio.  
 
Overall I just prefer the DX90, I found the sound on both excellent but for me the DX was a bit more detailed with more soundstage. 
 
TBH though I dont think you can go wrong with either.

 

[shane55]

I've never owned the X5... but having had the DX90 for the last month or so... listening every day to very well-known music, I can only say that the unit is neutral. Very neutral.
I can't find any specific bias whatsoever. No bass boost, no recessed mids, nada. Just seems to be dead-line flat.
 
Just my $.02

 

[headwhacker]

  I've never owned the X5... but having had the DX90 for the last month or so... listening every day to very well-known music, I can only say that the unit is neutral. Very neutral.
I can't find any specific bias whatsoever. No bass boost, no recessed mids, nada. Just seems to be dead-line flat.
 
Just my $.02

 
The only way you can find out is to try both. DX90 was my reference neutral to me until I tried X5. The difference is obvious on bass boosted phones. I have JH16 and Roxanne.
 
I seldom use JH16 with DX90 because the bass is sometimes too much for me for bass heavy tracks. On Roxanne, I can't set the bass attenuator pass 12 o'clock (approximately 50 Ohms). But on X5, 2 o'clock ( 25 ohms) is still fine.

 

[SilverEars]

   
The only way you can find out is to try both. DX90 was my reference neutral to me until I tried X5. The difference is obvious on bass boosted phones. I have JH16 and Roxanne.
 
I seldom use JH16 with DX90 because the bass is sometimes too much for me for bass heavy tracks. On Roxanne, I can't set the bass attenuator pass 12 o'clock (approximately 50 Ohms). But on X5, 2 o'clock ( 25 ohms) is still fine.

I found the DX90 to output elevated bass, but the quality of the bass I was hearing wasn't great.  It lacked definition that I hear with better DAPs. The issue I find with most portable devices is that they tend to lack bass definition, and details be smoothed out a bit. Treble sounded thick, and therefore not as resolving as other DAPs I've tried. X5 did sound a bit more resolving, but I didn't find it to sound accurate tonally either.  The X5 sounds clearer, but still there are other sources that sound more resolving and clear with better transparency and tonal accuracy.  
 
My preferred source for my CIEM outputs details better with good tonal accuracy.  I don't find DX90 to be a transparent sounding player to recordings as I have heard other sources that you can distinguish better recordings from worse.  
 
I've compared both out of my NT-6 which has a quick response with short decay so I find that it to be transparent to the signal fed to it from the DAP.  I find sources to change my NT-6's output characteristics.
 
If two were my only choices, I would go with X5. 

 

[xriddler]

Out of curiousity are these two DAPs the only ones in this price and category? Is there any other DAPS i should look at as well?