[JamesFiiO]

  I believe I saw that there would be no analog volume controller due to size.  

 
 
yes, the analog volume controller will have problem in L/R balance and easy have quality issues. 

 

[Lurker0]

  yes, the analog volume controller will have problem in L/R balance and easy have quality issues. 

An analog volume control does not have to be a potentiometer. It can be TI PGA2311 or similar.

 

[castleofargh]

 

  yes, the analog volume controller will have problem in L/R balance and easy have quality issues. 

An analog volume control does not have to be a potentiometer. It can be TI PGA2311 or similar.

most people call that digital volume I think and mix it with real digital volume setting. for example a lot of portable amps will show digital volume control in the specs when obviously it is a control of the analog signal.
 
 I don't know if it's really better than using the 32bit of the DAC to get room for volume. even more so if we end up with a few gain settings to increase the amplitude of volume control. (damn now I'm curious about all this ^_^)

 

[Bellyworshipper]

  An analog volume control does not have to be a potentiometer. It can be TI PGA2311 or similar.

Exactly Obviously, the volume control of X7 will be implemented using TI PGA2311 or similar solution. It seems that the manufacturer has applied the same volume control implementation method for Cayin N6. If it is so for X7, then it will have 128-step volume control, which is sufficient. At least, for me

 

[chrismckay]

Sorry Guys, I havent read all this thread ,but....is the X7 just a concept or if not when is it likely to happen???.  m on the look out for a new DAP!!!

 

[warrior1975]

It's happening... Sometime in 2015.

 

[kdub]

It's happening... Sometime in 2015.

What's the most recent update on the release date? Local headphone audio store here in Vancouver, Canada seems to think Jan 2015? I hope that's true but didn't someone mentioned in an older post that its not until late spring 2015?  

Also if the X7 is going to be priced at a hefty $700 dollars it better be that much better than the X5! I mean without golden ears to hear a night and day difference.  $500 would be a better price entry point.

 

[chrismckay]

 
What's the most recent update on the release date? Local headphone audio store here in Vancouver, Canada seems to think Jan 2015? I hope that's true but didn't someone mentioned in an older post that its not until late spring 2015?  

Also if the X7 is going to be priced at a hefty $700 dollars it better be that much better than the X5! I mean without golden ears to hear a night and day difference.  $500 would be a better price entry point.

Im also keen to hear information on a forecast for the release date. I am comparing DAP's at the moment in preparation for an upgrade and would love to be able to consider the X7.
 
My opinion is that the price should reflect the performance, so if it is going to be a £1000 DAP then tha is fine, FIIO im sure for that money would put together an amazing player.
 
If you are of the opinion that it should be around the £400-£500 point then stick with the X5 as this seemsthe price range where the X5 competes against.
 
I am wanting something from FIIO to challenge the AK120 and I am willing to pay for it.
 
Also I would rather the money spent creating it was largely spent on sound quality.....if you desire touchscreens and fancy firmware buy yourself a smartphone, for me spend the money where it matters.....for me that is in the quest to get the human emotions engaged and moved by the sound and feeling of your chosen music.
 
Chris...

 

[chrismckay]

 
What's the most recent update on the release date? Local headphone audio store here in Vancouver, Canada seems to think Jan 2015? I hope that's true but didn't someone mentioned in an older post that its not until late spring 2015?  

Also if the X7 is going to be priced at a hefty $700 dollars it better be that much better than the X5! I mean without golden ears to hear a night and day difference.  $500 would be a better price entry point.

Without the "golden ears"....why would you consider a high end DAP?

 

[x RELIC x]

What's the most recent update on the release date? Local headphone audio store here in Vancouver, Canada seems to think Jan 2015? I hope that's true but didn't someone mentioned in an older post that its not until late spring 2015?  


Also if the X7 is going to be priced at a hefty $700 dollars it better be that much better than the X5! I mean without golden ears to hear a night and day difference.  $500 would be a better price entry point.

The problem is the law of diminishing returns. You won't get more than twice the audio quality for more than twice the price. It's like this with all audio gear including full size amps and headphones etc.. My LCD-2 is not half as good as my LCD-XC although they cost half as much. Once you cross a certain line it becomes more and more difficult to get better quality, and some are willing to pay the price for that seemingly unattainable goal of perfect audio reproduction. Quite often a 5-10% improvement increases price significantly because it's that much harder to attain. It all depends on what your value system is and if the improvements are worth it to you.

 

[piotrekfronc]

Another massive comparison:
 
- Display: mono - same as in sansa clip+ (looks awesome)
- Same buttons and rockbox on the board
- Duald dacs: I think actually pcm1704 is better than es9018 (after all tests it is, still could be replaceable)
- replaceable amp
- replaceable battery
- magnesium build (tough head knocking)
 
In general look at clip+ its so impressive device. Just better dac + batter plus amp and nothing else is needed.
 
Believe it or not, sansa clip+ can compete with DX100 and HM901 if you use sensitive iems!

 

[Alje]

Why is everybody convinced that high sq MUST equal high price?
How about Fiio make a DAP that ticks all the right boxes and gets it just right at a reasonable price.

 

[Retrias]

Not everyone does ,good quality product takes more money compared to a bad one though, or at least easier to do witth more budget

 

[Dobrescu George]

Why is everybody convinced that high sq MUST equal high price?
How about Fiio make a DAP that ticks all the right boxes and gets it just right at a reasonable price.

look at x5.. how much do you think it would cost you to build it from the ground up?... i say that it is over 200$ to build it, not considering the work done by people which costs, only materials as display, the wheel and every component... consider how much the systems for making a cuircuit cost, and how much the rest cost...
 
Building an iphone costs less than 100$ and it costs over 1000$, [iphone 6 being 2000$ at the moment]
 
if x7 is stated at 700$, it is a must see thing.
 
Also, about analog volume, it would actually be bad to have an analog wheel for volume. That one creates a bad situation,.. or analog potentiometre...
 
as for UI and the rest, the ui doesn't have to be fancy... but you should be able to live with it... i really do mean it... if it is so bad "hifiman bad" you will not get a product because of it... build quality, the same "hifiman again"... they have some of the best possible sound quality, but the ui and the build quality, and battery life, and space for keeping files are awful.... but hifiman is one of the best as far as sound quality goes... 
 
ak240 is the best all around player at the moment, but it costs way too much for a DAP... exactly like hugo chord. they are way too expensive at least for what they do...  for the price of hugo cord or ak 240 you get a gaming laptop [say asus g750jm], a DAP-DAC[x5] and a gret pair of headphones [say, i think that at 2500$ you can enter hd650 from sennheiser or ultrasone signature and if not ultrasone pro900].... so... why again does one have to pay that much for either hugo chord or ak240?.. simple, because they cost very much to develop, they have very good build quality, sound quality, battery life, and etc.
 
Of course i want the x7 to sound better than ak240 or chord hugo, but, i want it to be usable in every day life, and i want to be able to hold 2 cards, or have a LOT of battery, or other features that make a DAP so much better... 
 
EDIT::: fiio cleared all the boxes in x5... x7 is more of an upgrade, as it will cost double than the actual price of x5, it is not going to sound 2X better, as it is not possible, [you really think that ak240 or chord hugo sounds 2X better?... they are like 15% or at most 20% better than x5... there is a limit where sound just cannot get better].. so x7 can be at most a 15-20% better sq than x5, but it can be way better at UI, battery, space, touch screen, everything it is going to be.
 
[My ultrasone dj one pro... I want to get hd800, at price point of 2000$ in my country vs 300$ for ultrasone. The difference is not bigger than 25% for hd800+sennheiser dedicated amp for them....] but i still want to get hd800.. 
 
EDIT 2::: this things do not respect math... this doesn mean that chord hugo + amp +hd800 is going to be 50% better than my x5 + ultrasone dj one pro... they are going to be in that range of 25% better...just to make myself clear... and i really listened to those things....

 

[originalsnuffy]

This is a funny thread. How do you satisfy those who want more than a X5 ? It really comes down to features in my view. The X1, X3, and X5 already sound great and for most people have good amplification.

Personally I think the machine must have a lot of built in storage, as it appears that Fiio is committed to microSD and those do not go above 128gb. I also think wireless would be important as no other Fiio machines have that. Bluetooth etc.