[zeissiez]

  Vince and Alex both have one.  If you really want to "knock your socks off", see if you can also get time with the LP5. It drives full sized headphones incredibly well.  I took my review unit to the NZ Meet, and there were a few guys tried it on their HD800s.  The looks on their faces was priceless.  One guy commented that it sounded better than his home set-up.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/luxury-precision-lp5-32bit-dsd-portable-lossless-music-player/reviews/13030

 
Yes, I tried the LP5 silver with a pair of HE-560, which is known as a current hungry headphone, and the sound was unbelievable

 

[JaviAl]

I will try with an X7 this weekend in a show and test some things.
 
1. I'm suprise that X7 recognize my 1 TB. Kingston Pendrive via USB OTG and i can ear songs stored in this drive. This solves my storage problem and limitation. But i see only one important problem. I can only navigate with this device through libraries. When I try to navigate through folders i only see "Internal Storage" and "SD Card". I not see "External Storage", "USB", "OTG" or something like. I'm sure that this limitation will be fixed in the final version.
 
@James Can this be fixed in the final version the ability to navigate through folders in any USB OTG device?
 
2. I'm surprise too that the EQ runs with any file at high sampling rates like 192KHz or DSD files. EQ is not limited and runs with any kind of file without limitations on formats or high sampling rates, DSD, etc. That's is very good and very surprised with this. EQ runs with Hi-Res files.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7mderxnmcjwfqtq/X7_v5_20151028-ota-update.zip?dl=0
Have some new firmware... beta of 28 October

Also, here's ready links to most of the whitelisted stuff you guys may want to check out.

Hiby is compatible with the bit-perfect output of the X7 and provides an alternate browsing experience to your local music
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbo8lcqr9sd4pwc/com.hiby.music-2.apk?dl=0

Spotify
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wrsmd7o2j8mkfns/com.spotify.music-1.apk?dl=0

Tidal
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9la50c0nv7dsakk/com.aspiro.tidal-1.apk?dl=0

I THINK this is the right download for Neutron, however there may be no way to authenticate a purchase of this on the X7 atm
http://neutronmp.com/downloads/file/2-neutronmpapkneon.html

 

[twister6]

Guys, how do you find X7 battery after a few recharge cycles?  Seems that now battery % is more accurate, but with nothing running in the background, just idling with screen off, it's draining at a typical android phone rate.  In the last 12hrs without any use, wifi and bt off, idle with screen off - it went down about 35%.
 
Obviously, a lot of work will need to be done to optimize the firware/android setting, and I really hope FiiO will implement some deep-sleep mode to suspend MOST of the Android system activities.

 

[dbruno]

...
Also, here's ready links to most of the whitelisted stuff you guys may want to check out.

...

 
Hi Joe do you plan to add DS Audio to the white list ? Your player can play music from NAS, so It could be cool to have the Synology player among the whitelist.
 
Thx for the response

 

[golov17]

It's not a smartphone, lol. Why keep it Power On? Just turn it Off, when we do not listen to music, IMHO

 

[jamor]

Google Music is a must imo.  50,000 uploadable songs @ 320kbps in the cloud for free.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I'm glad we are getting more impressions, especially about hardware buttons.  This is a very subjective matter, and it's hard to judge or to form an opinion based on experience of just a few people.

I have a feeling in future updates light will be optional, but personally I really like it.  It's a very soft blue light, more intense in the middle where led is and fading to the sides through a lightpipe.  While X7 is powered on, light stays on.  When you are charging X7 - light is blinking.  I would go as far as saying, I wish it would be multicolor (wonder if it's RGB leds that could be adjusted?) where for example it's blue when idling, green when music is playing, and maybe red when battery crosses 20% threshold.  As Tamal mentioned, makes a nice soft night light too.

Here is my opinion about the buttons (keep in mind, MY PERSONAL opinion).  I'm a diehard Galaxy phone user, Volume buttons on the left side, Power button on the right side, and my phone gets a lot of mileage throughout a day.  When I use AK120ii, transport buttons on the left side, when I use L5 Pro - transport buttons on the right side.  When I use Cayin N6 - volume buttons on the right side, playback wheel-click on the left side, and with N5 - volume on the left side, playback with screen off underneath.  With FiiO DAPs you have volume on the left side, and power above it.  If you use one device for awhile, you get used to it and operation becomes a second nature.  With X7, my brain goes into smartphone mode where volume is on the left side and power is on the.. ergh, the same side, not the opposite side like in every Galaxy phone used in my household.

But this is all part of a brain burn in, I can get over it.  Symmetrical location of the buttons is where the problem due to my grip of X7 (I don't have big hands, and this is hefty devices, so I exercise a stronger grip when handling X7) which results in me pushing buttons symmetrically on both sides.  So I have to remember to take my index finger off track skip buttons when I'm adjusting the volume, and vise versa.  The same when turning the screen off with a power button or pushing play/pause.  I don't expect everybody to experience the same problem, and clearly a number of people already expressed it's not an issue for them, but it is for me.  That is a reason why I'm looking forward to a case where perhaps there going to be a cutout for buttons making them slightly recessed which should mitigate this problem for me.

Furthermore, hopefully in a future fw upgrade, they will implement support for in-line remote control.  Right now you can't change the volume or play/pause tracks with in-line remote control (using Android specific cables).  Also, when paired up with bluetooth headphones, you can only change the volume remotely, but can't play/pause remotely yet.  I'm sure it's a limitation of the current firmware and will be fixed in the future.  Being able to control the playback remotely will eliminate a need for hardware transport buttons when you are using headphones with in-line remote or wireless.

As far as I know in line remote control should be supported in the future. Also it was planned to have the user be able to map the volume and track change buttons to whichever side they desire--but this hasn't been implemented yet as of the current firmware.

Having 3 buttons on each side, I'd think would take some getting used to regardless of whether they are symmetrical or not

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Back to the X7, definitely the power button of my review unit is not as clicky as the others and its a bit more difficult to press. I understand these units are not production ones.

At risk of being repetitive, for me the buttons are not great. Better buttons and the use of different texture would make a difference.

Maybe buttons will be improved in the production X7s? Joe Bloggs

I would say your test production X7 appears to have a dud power button--it's certainly not intentional for it to be less clicky than the other buttons

 

[Steven R. Rochli]

I would trust the manufacturer pricing over any other information regarding pricing. X7 is slated to be $649 USD.

 
It will be $649.99, just spoke with Fiio @ TAVES... review forthcoming

 

[twister6]

 

As far as I know in line remote control should be supported in the future. Also it was planned to have the user be able to map the volume and track change buttons to whichever side they desire--but this hasn't been implemented yet as of the current firmware.

Having 3 buttons on each side, I'd think would take some getting used to regardless of whether they are symmetrical or not

 
A cleverly designed case can kill two birds at the same time.  Give you a screen protection and enhance the grip, and add textured buttons with +/- indicator for a quick id of volume and directional arrows for transport control

 

 

[twister6]

It's not a smartphone, lol. Why keep it Power On? Just turn it Off, when we do not listen to music, IMHO

 
With my X7 unit off, I need to hold power button for 9 seconds before DAP turns on and then another 19 seconds for Android OS to load, and afterwards I have to start music app.  This is not your typical SoC OS.
 
....  I think X7 needs a deep sleep mode where after some idling time-out they disable internal DAC to save battery.  I have a feeling it's a source of a drain.

 

[Lurker0]

2. I'm surprise too that the EQ runs with any file at high sampling rates like 192KHz or DSD files.

No direct DSD then? I wonder if it plays DSD directly ever, or only with EQ turned off!

 

[x RELIC x]

With my X7 unit off, I need to hold power button for 9 seconds before DAP turns on and then another 19 seconds for Android OS to load, and afterwards I have to start music app.  This is not your typical SoC OS.

....  I think X7 needs a deep sleep mode where after some idling time-out they disable internal DAC to save battery.  I have a feeling it's a source of a drain.

I initially thought I had to actually hold the button for that long but in reality you only need to hold it for two seconds. Sure, the welcome screen takes nine seconds to appear but you can save your grip waiting for it.

 

[jamato8]

How do you do the FW update on the X7?