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

Aug 29, 2015 at 4:56 PM Post #4,666 of 18,020
You did mention that you were hard-pressed to locate any easily discernible differences between the X5II and iPhone 6. I believe goldendarko was being entirely honest with his reply - it has become exceedingly rare in this hobby to be satisfied with one component of your audio system. In this instance, I think it's a very good thing to hear that you're entirely happy with your iPhone 6 as a source.


It's probably rare for me too - I'm not entirely happy with an iPhone as a source. The iPhone is big and bulky and has limited storage. (I have a big collection of lossless music.) But I'm also - as I'm sure most folks on this site are - curious when I read comments of how a certain DAP improves on the SQ of a smartphone. I hear huge differences between headphones, yet minimal-to-no differences between the various DAPs I've owned thus far. Maybe the X7 will change that? Is there anything in the specs to suggest it might?
 
Aug 29, 2015 at 5:30 PM Post #4,667 of 18,020
And.... here we go with the less-than-helpful replies.

 
You're positing something for which there are really no answers.  There’s a conundrum discussing subjective opinions about the arts.  The idiosyncratic nature of creative endeavors and our personal reactions to them help define us, including the respective passions people feel both pro and con for something, but when you start graphing scientific jargon onto these respective aesthetics, then you fall prey to the same faulty research that predicted audiences wouldn’t embrace Mr. Spock and that “Starman” would make more money than “E.T.”
 
If someone looks at a Magritte painting and doesn’t care for it, why would anyone waste energy trying to convince them otherwise? The same applies to the epicurean world.  One person could eat a bowl of colcannon and think it’s the best dish ever.  Another could sample that very same concoction and proclaim “what’s so special about mashed potatoes with kale mixed in, huh?”  Neither person is right or wrong, nor is there any point in them debating about their interpretations as it’s not going to change anything.  An entire audience can howl with laughter at “A Night at the Opera” while one person might sit there in stony silence, unamused.  The majority of opinions deem the film a Marx Brothers masterpiece, yet that won’t change the estimation of someone that didn’t like it.  That subjective, respective opinion is also their right to have.
 
What actor portrayed the greatest Hamlet?  The answer… the one you saw and enjoyed the most.
 
Some people hear distinct differences between vinyl and digital, favoring one over the other.  There are listeners who can articulately delineate what they hear differently while listening to the same tracks on Astell & Kern, FiiO, Hifiman, iBasso, Lotoo, Shanling and Hidizs.  There are others that feel some of these brands sound identical.  How will throwing technical data at them change their respective attitudes?  Scientific evidence and personal preference are two different things.
 
If you find something satisfying, then that should suffice, lest you get into the shambling response of the Emperor to Mozart:  “It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Cut a few and it will be perfect.”
 
If you hear no difference between music played on a phone versus a certain DAP, then you don’t require owning that DAP or any other standalone player if you’re fully satisfied and complacent.  If not, then keep seeking alternatives.  I can’t imagine what could be said to change a purely subjective opinion, no matter what the mechanical statistics assert.
 
Aug 29, 2015 at 5:34 PM Post #4,668 of 18,020
It's probably rare for me too - I'm not entirely happy with an iPhone as a source. The iPhone is big and bulky and has limited storage. (I have a big collection of lossless music.) But I'm also - as I'm sure most folks on this site are - curious when I read comments of how a certain DAP improves on the SQ of a smartphone. I hear huge differences between headphones, yet minimal-to-no differences between the various DAPs I've owned thus far. Maybe the X7 will change that? Is there anything in the specs to suggest it might?

 
I recommend reading the thread devoted to the QP1 and QP1R.
 
Aug 29, 2015 at 7:00 PM Post #4,669 of 18,020
   
I recommend reading the thread devoted to the QP1 and QP1R.


Thanks for the heads-up on these.  I've read up on these before, but am not clear where you'd buy them. Are they only available direct from Questyle?
 
I take your point with your (many) analogies from your previous post, but am going to have to respectfully disagree. ABX testing could potentially show that nobody can distinguish Hamlet actor A from B, or Mozart concerto A from B. When SQ differences become that small, preferences based on product features make sense; preferences based on placebo don't (IMHO).
 
Aug 29, 2015 at 7:56 PM Post #4,670 of 18,020
  I take your point with your (many) analogies from your previous post, but am going to have to respectfully disagree. ABX testing could potentially show that nobody can distinguish Hamlet actor A from B, or Mozart concerto A from B. When SQ differences become that small, preferences based on product features make sense; preferences based on placebo don't (IMHO).

 
There was a demonstration with three trained audio expects using ABX testing to describe the differences between an unmodified signal and one processed through a DAC being reviewed.  They were only able to delineate between the two only by verbally asking for switching from the controller, then describing afterwards what they heard.  Without that identification, just listening to the same track being played with the mixer in the booth switching back and forth, one of them misidentified what they thought was the processed signal, claiming the guitar riffs were clearer and the bass was tighter.  Fallibility is a hallmark of the human race and I consider even the most trained ear to be no different, despite what the hard data conveys.
 
Personally, I feel I can hear the difference between lossless files and compressed, but there is plenty of available evidence claiming I technically cannot.  What will telling me I’m wrong accomplish? That won’t change my stance and those people seeking to counter my claim are free to go argue with Neil Young.  The aphorism about requiring “burn in" periods are accepted by a great majority, but I don’t subscribe to that theorem myself.  I also see no point debating the topic; any more than trying to convince someone Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” is the greatest recording of all time.  Some of this falls within the ear of the beholder.
 
You may hear no difference using ABX testing, but there are others that could disagree.  I’ve read reviews from professionals that take both sides as far as DAPS versus current phones, but all that matters to me is what I personally enjoy.  It’s easier to change a tire than someone’s mind.  If there were spare minds lying around, that would certainly help.
 
I prefer DAPs for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they can drive power hungry headphones I own.  I’ve gotten away from using external amps as they defeat my primary agenda for portable audio.
 
Aug 30, 2015 at 12:46 AM Post #4,671 of 18,020
And.... here we go with the less-than-helpful replies.

 
Actually I thought that was a very fair reply.  The iphone or Android family can be a fairly enjoyable music playback system.  You do not have to have a hearing issue to decide that you can't find a major upgrade path to the FIIO units.  
 
I personally think that this is a hobby, and if you find that these units do not float your boat then it is fine to decide not to go on a boat ride with them.
 
I do wonder why you would have purchased not one but two FIIO units if you have come to that conclusion. 
 
I will get some rotten tomatoes for this, but I really loved my two X3 units (both first and second generation); and thought the X5 Gen II that I reviewed was very good but not hugely better than the X3 Gen II.  But (you knew there was going to be a but did you not?) I think my iphone was as enjoyable or even more enjoyable than my X1.  As you can well guess, I sold the X1 to pay in part for the X3 Gen II.
 
My primary question at this juncture is....why would you want to test the X7?  If you like your smartphone  more than your X5 Gen II I would sincerely doubt you will like the X7 any more. 
 
So not, I do not think saying it is OK to enjoy your smart phone more than your FIIO units is a disrespectful comment.  In fact, the response to your first post respects your hearing and musical sensibilities. in a very nice way.
 
Aug 30, 2015 at 2:39 PM Post #4,673 of 18,020
My primary question at this juncture is....why would you want to test the X7?


Great question. The fact is, that excluding one or two hiccups like the UE900, each and every one of my successive headphone purchases has given me a distinct improvement in some aspect of the sound. The fact that I've not noticed this with my DAPs may simply be because I haven't spent enough money on them yet ;-)
 
Aug 30, 2015 at 3:18 PM Post #4,674 of 18,020
The fact is, that excluding one or two hiccups like the UE900, each and every one of my successive headphone purchases has given me a distinct improvement in some aspect of the sound. The fact that I've not noticed this with my DAPs may simply be because I haven't spent enough money on them yet ;-)

 
Or have unrealistic expectations about what are merely portable devices.  Headphones and DAPS have made remarkable strides, but I’ve yet to experience anything to replace a multi-speaker system tonally balanced for a room with no windows and acoustic wall panels.
 
As previously mentioned, check out Questyle as their patented current mode amplification certainly enabled me to achieve greater purity of audio without distortion.  Their amp changed the tenor of my headphones.
 
That aside, on the subject of money spent, I give FiiO a lot for credit for their X1.  For ninety nine dollars that little DAP is quite a bargain.  I also don't sweat taking such a small investment out of the house versus the higher priced players.
 
Aug 30, 2015 at 5:24 PM Post #4,676 of 18,020
Back to the subject at hand, the attribute I’m most excited about for the X7 are the use of interchangeable amps.  The amp cards are perhaps the most interesting facet of the Hifiman 901s, switching between the MiniBox and Balanced amplifier is a unique listening experience.  I'll be curious what amps the new FiiO offering shall utilize.
 
Aug 31, 2015 at 2:21 PM Post #4,677 of 18,020
 
Thanks for the heads-up on these.  I've read up on these before, but am not clear where you'd buy them. Are they only available direct from Questyle?
 
I take your point with your (many) analogies from your previous post, but am going to have to respectfully disagree. ABX testing could potentially show that nobody can distinguish Hamlet actor A from B, or Mozart concerto A from B. When SQ differences become that small, preferences based on product features make sense; preferences based on placebo don't (IMHO).

Contact info@questyleaudio.com for dealer information outside of North America. Contact info@audiopathways.com for dealer information in Canada, and info_usa@questyleaudio.com or questyleusa@gmail.com for the rest of North America
 
Sep 1, 2015 at 5:03 AM Post #4,678 of 18,020
Can the Equalizer in the X7 runs with high res audio 192 kHz and DSD files?
 
Thanks!
 
Sep 1, 2015 at 5:40 AM Post #4,679 of 18,020
Can the Equalizer in the X7 runs with high res audio 192 kHz and DSD files?

Thanks!


DSD=no EQ

Yet another reason I think it's a worthless format.
 
Sep 1, 2015 at 9:33 AM Post #4,680 of 18,020


 

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