FiiO X7 | DXD | DSD | 384K/64B | ESS9018+ Android | WiFi | Bluetooth | 4 AMP modules | Balanced Out |

[Q Mass]

If it can stream spotify, I am interested. Yes I have my own collection that I like to play off of Sd cards but I'm also a premium member of Spotify and I use that even more. I'm amazed that no one has yet developed a good audio player that just runs Spotify and costs $100. I'd buy that. 320 ogg is nothing to laugh at, plus you have ability to download tons of fresh content very fast. The constant changing of SD cards or taking songs on or off a player gets really tiresome.

 
I too want Spotify.
I.m not bothered if the X7 streams it though, as I'm more interested in using it the same way I currently use my cell-phone, which I use to download playlists ( actually one huge playlist ) to save battery/cope with bad or missing cell service.
 
I currently have 2700 tracks at 'extreme' quality which take up nearly 30GB of my 64GB card, leaving over 30GB for hi-rez downloads.
 
Tidal and Quobuz are very tempting too.
 
If I could carry spare batteries for long trips like DX50/DX90 owners can, I'd be perfectly happy with 10 hours of battery life.

 

[Dobrescu George]

re designing x5 or x3 is not needed. they are fine the way they are... other devices would fit in other price category, and yet, x5 has the price just right! i love the new x5, with the latest firmware! right now, it is worth it's price to the fullest!
 
with new technology, new things will come anyways, but let us not rush the things while we can still enjoy what we already have! x1 x3 and x5 are wonderfull devices!
 
i just hope that x7 is going to be the absolute best of the best in players, and DACs..

 

[GregC]

I am a current X3 user and I have been very happy with it; however, I do not look forward to the day the battery dies and I need it replaced.  The periodic sales of the X3 for $129 make it more palatable to not have a user replaceable battery.  The X5 does not have a user replaceable battery, and is far less disposable at a $349 price point.  The wheel and UI complaints are another drawback that keeps me from upgrading to the X5.  I know this was discussed in this thread, but to come out with a new statement piece and not offer a user replaceable battery leaves me no option but to look for a different product. 

 

[spatzi]

How many recycle charges do you think you will get out of the X5 before you notice substantial battery drop?

 

[GregC]

Even if I get 1000 cycles and on the 1001st time the battery cannot take a charge, if the battery is replaceable I can put a new cell phone battery in the device (versus shipping it back to China to have the battery replaced and wait for its return).  Also, I can choose to have spare batteries so if the player runs out of juice I can swap in a fresh battery.

 

[audioxxx]

I agree it really needs a removable battery, (please reconsider this plan to install a fixed battery to save space) I think the engineers can organise it, many company's have and can do it in the smallest neatest manner a removable battery is a must do thing for me to buy it. And many others.
Especially using a known of the shelf cell, this is a brilliant idea.

Even if I get 1000 cycles and on the 1001st time the battery cannot take a charge, if the battery is replaceable I can put a new cell phone battery in the device (versus shipping it back to China to have the battery replaced and wait for its return).  Also, I can choose to have spare batteries so if the player runs out of juice I can swap in a fresh battery.

 

[olddude]

The X3 is in the $170-200 price range at this point.  The X1 is around $100, the X5 is $350+, and the X7 will be $700.  So I would expect, if Fiio continues the X3, that it would fall into that "around $200" range.  If they re-designed it, I would guess they would need to increase the price slightly.  That would begin to dig into the low end of the X5 sales.  I'm not sure they would want to take away from X5 sales.  I think if any performance enhancements are going to happen they will be firmware-based.  The X5's new firmware increases its value in my eyes quite a bit.  And it was already a very good-value device.  
 
As to the X7, it will need to be enough "better" than the X5 to justify the doubling of price.  Time will tell on that point.  Clearly they are positioning themselves by price point in the market.  

 

[headwhacker]

The way I see it the mark up on X7's price compared to X5 is in features/accessories and build. I doubt SQ will be much different. It could be different than X5 but not necessarily better. 

 

[OtakuShawn]

i'd pay +200 sgd more just for a good UI with similar SQ so i'm expected it to sound like its worth 550 usd where i'd be paying 150 usd for the ui and touch screen :3

If it sounds anything like the Glove A1, i'll gladly drop 550 usd on it, with a good ui and touchscreen the last 150 usd is where it matters now.

Important things to note about UI :

GIVE ME THE ALPHABET SCROLL SLIDER (I CAN'T EMPHASISE HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AFTER I USED THE DX50)

Smart Playlist Support is a plus ( not important but this will be a huge + )

Spotify type of UI is Of course the best imo but I'm not expecting it to happen - lol -

I love the UI of the x1 ( everything is in plain sight for the menus ! ) [ implementing same type of ui for "now playing page" can try Samsung Note "Edge" feel cept instead you might just make top right pull down for this options to pop down

i still have to scroll around the x5 to find the menu options on the main page. ( ! )

 

 

[olddude]

I love all of the Spotify stuff.  It's looking like Apple and Google are going to swoop in and render Spotify a niche option within a few years.  I was reading about Spotify recently and noticed that the Beatles aren't available on it.  If I were going to jump on the streaming bandwagon, that would be a non-starter for me.  

 

[headwhacker]

  I love all of the Spotify stuff.  It's looking like Apple and Google are going to swoop in and render Spotify a niche option within a few years.  I was reading about Spotify recently and noticed that the Beatles aren't available on it.  If I were going to jump on the streaming bandwagon, that would be a non-starter for me.  

+1 If I'm going to jump on the streaming bandwagon the complete Beatles catalog is a must or it's a bust for me.

 

[TomasGarsva]

Why no one is using a real EQ for volume, bass and treble? Most of the devices could get rid of the knob, improv EQ since it would be not in software and overall smoothen the shape of devices

 

[AudibleLegend]

X7 should play video. All open video formats, maybe even using the VLC player if necessary. That would take full advantage of the screen...imagine watching streaming videos (via Android apps) with premium sound! Or your own Blu-Ray rips with perfect audio and solid video quality!
 
It's time for FiiO to move beyond the niche market of audiophiles and into the bigger world of people that want to basically have an android phone with better sound. 
 
Also, games.
 
And if any of these suggestions end up meaning the loss of some features (such as high end DACs or the ability to play FLAC files), that's fine by me. It's literally impossible for the human ear to tell the difference between Hi-Res files and 128-quality MP3s. And I know this because I have excellent young ears that have been vetted as far above standard. 

 

[waynes world]

I disagree with everything you are saying (why are you not surprised lol), except that it would be nice to have streaming (aka spotify) capability (but only if it does NOT include the full beatles discography

 

[AudibleLegend]

Heh, I don't know why people always care about stuff like that...I mean, you have a plethora of other great ways to listen to The Beatles.
 
It's like when people saw the HBO announcement where their catalog programming was coming to Amazon Prime (for free) and there were a bunch of comments along the line of "No Game of Thrones? I'll pass."
 
Is it really that important for you to be able to stream a series you've already seen? And does that really negate or minimize the quality of some of the best television ever made? Same thing with The Beatles on Spotify...millions of great tracks aren't enough for you to use a free service because about 13 albums aren't on it?