[Riley Beale]

I really don't know which module amp is for me. I use iems and Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones both quite frequently and don't really want to change modules all of the time. I plan on one day getting a Mr. Speakers Aeon as well as an Audioquest Nightowl. I also would like to get some more iems namely Sennheiser IE800S and Audeze Isine 20's. If somebody could give me a specific direction to go for an amp that would be great. Like I said as well earlier I am going to wait several months to purchase the X7 2 so I can see more reviews that aren't a result of new toy syndrome and see if any bugs appear and get ironed out.

thanks

Riley

 

[Marvellous_DAP]

I only play music from micro sd cards single ended so this sounds Pretty likely to be a great dap for me. I usually like to wait a few months until for reviews after new toy syndrome has worn off for people to post any bugs or annoyances or quirks. Seems like that was kind of common with the X5 3 to some extent. I am going to buy an Opus 1 Metal and then this next year probably around Summer when i have more work.

Thanks

Riley

Sounds like my previous path. However, I sold my Opus#1 standard and Opus#1 Metal after owning it for a short while when I was pairing with my JH Layla 2. Using with black dragon balanced cable. A bit dry sounding for me. Can't listen for a longer period of time. I have tried a few other DAPs too in the past few years (not in the right sequence, e.g. QP1R, Calyx M, ZX2, X5III, AK Jr, AK300 and now X7II). Pairing with your iEM is quite important and whether the DAP sounds "best" for you, will depend on the type of music you listen to.

So I would suggest that as far as possible (if you have a good audio store nearby), do a proper audition with your own IEM with the same favourite songs that you listen and decide what you like.

 

[Riley Beale]

Sounds like my previous path. However, I sold my Opus#1 standard and Opus#1 Metal after owning it for a short while when I was pairing with my JH Layla 2. Using with black dragon balanced cable. A bit dry sounding for me. Can't listen for a longer period of time. I have tried a few other DAPs too in the past few years (not in the right sequence, e.g. QP1R, Calyx M, ZX2, X5III, AK Jr, AK300 and now X7II). Pairing with your iEM is quite important and whether the DAP sounds "best" for you, will depend on the type of music you listen to.

So I would suggest that as far as possible (if you have a good audio store nearby), do a proper audition with your own IEM with the same favourite songs that you listen and decide what you like.

i do not have any audio stores within a few hundred miles or a day one way away. There is San Fransisco, but they don't have, but 2 stores neither of which I care for and they do not sell daps other than AK stuff which i am not in the tax bracket nor do they meet my needs. Thanks

Riley

 

[Marvellous_DAP]

i do not have any audio stores within a few hundred miles or a day one way away. There is San Fransisco, but they don't have, but 2 stores neither of which I care for and they do not sell daps other than AK stuff which i am not in the tax bracket nor do they meet my needs. Thanks

Riley

No choice I guess, but for you to "try-out" through a buy-sell process, or just taking clues from some of the standard reviews, which will be biased to user's preference.

What type of music do you listen to? What headphones or IEMs are you pairing with?

 

[jmills8]

Sounds like my previous path. However, I sold my Opus#1 standard and Opus#1 Metal after owning it for a short while when I was pairing with my JH Layla 2. Using with black dragon balanced cable. A bit dry sounding for me. Can't listen for a longer period of time. I have tried a few other DAPs too in the past few years (not in the right sequence, e.g. QP1R, Calyx M, ZX2, X5III, AK Jr, AK300 and now X7II). Pairing with your iEM is quite important and whether the DAP sounds "best" for you, will depend on the type of music you listen to.

So I would suggest that as far as possible (if you have a good audio store nearby), do a proper audition with your own IEM with the same favourite songs that you listen and decide what you like.

Merry Go Round with daps.

 

[Riley Beale]

No choice I guess, but for you to "try-out" through a buy-sell process, or just taking clues from some of the standard reviews, which will be biased to user's preference.

What type of music do you listen to? What headphones or IEMs are you pairing with?

I am currently listening to Shure SE846 iems for mostly for iems and Audeze EL8 Titanium over ear headphones. I listen to a lot of different music. Mostly classic hard rock and metal from all periods as well as a wee bit of techno and a lot of industrial and darkwave like Collide and The Birthday Massacre. Some of the metal I listen to is extreme and some not so much. A lot of progressive rock and metal. A lot of Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Sammy Hagar, Chickenfoot, Van Halen, Montrose, Night Ranger, Journey, Foreigner, Bad Company, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Sour, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Nickelback, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, Testament, Porcupine Tree, Jason Aldean, Three Days Grace, Oranssi Pazuzu, 3 Teeth, How To Destroy Angels, Amaranthe, Nightwish, Delain, Epica, Within Temptation, Meshuggah, Primus, Helloween, Sirenia, Edguy, Blind Guardian, AC/DC, Fear Factory, Prong, Chevelle, Helmet, Children Of Bodom, King Crimson, Trivium, Rammstein, The Showdown, All That Remains, Motionless In White, Ember Sea, Lacuna Coil, Katatonia, Garth Brooks, Black Label Society, Kyuss, Pigmy Love Circus, Saint Asonia, the Pretty Reckless, Halestorm, Collen Green, Billy Talent, Sum 41 Blink 182, Bad Religion, The offspring, Social Distortion, AFI, Rise Against, Authority Zero, Sublime, Long Beach Dub All Stars, Slightly Stoopid, Kottonmouth Kings, Lost City Angels, Dead Sara, Tiger Army, Deap Vally, Sybreed, Deftones Filter.

Thank you

Riley

 

[ShadyBee]

Kept the ex1000 in my ear and played "On the Run" through both FiiO's and the width of stage and clarity of the minutia in that track were notably superior on X7ii. not close really.

I sold my X5iii, I sold my DX200, I sold my PHA-3.

I decided the X7ii balanced was clear clean detailed without a overly neutral dry sound. Had better detail retrieval and stage than the gear I sold.

If I was being clever and thinking about the folks that listen to me or FiiO I would have not made that vid and said what i said. I simply do not give a shiiiii what you folks think. i don't even know you. I like the X7ii, think it is clearly the superior device for balanced and acted like a person who thought that.

Hi

Did you volume match the X7ii and X5iii when you compared them. X7ii is higher output on balanced, and the X5iii is lower output on balanced vs SE?

Running thru balanced:

32Ω X7ii- 400mW vs X5iii- 240mW

300Ω X7ii- 63mW vs X5ii- 26mW


SE the X5iii is generally more powerful

32Ω X7ii- 150mW vs X5iii- 250mW

300Ω X7ii- 17mW vs X5iii- 28mW


I have balanced AKT5p and regular T5p Gen2, and trying various combinations, to my ears X5iii sounds better than the X7ii. There isn't a lot in it that I can tell. Also T5p Gen2 seems a better phone than the AKT5p when both run SE, but again not by a massive margin.

Battery life seems a lot better on X5iii, and I prefer the form factor too. I'll charge them both and leave them both playing overnight to see for sure.

X7ii has double the internal storage, and double the RAM, and has 5GHz WiFi.

My X7ii has a bug where when unplugging and reinserting phones sometimes results in no audio. I was rebooting to cure it, but switching from Pure Audio to Android mode, or vice versa gets the audio back. Probably just a FW issue.

I only got the X7ii yesterday, and my hearing is a bit off right now, but I'm leaning more towards the X5iii right now. I also prefer black over titanium.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I have sensitive iems. So a dap that doesn't hiss or doesn't hiss much at all and has Tidal (wifi) is what I need signature doesn't matter much as my IEMs will do the coloring.
I'll play around with different FWs... I know the game.... Just been out of the loop and now just needing Tidal and no hiss

Oh, I see!

X7mkii shouldn't have any hiss, Opus #3 doesn't have any hiss, and DX200 shouldn't have any hiss. I will receive X7mkii and DX200 soon and will be able to confirm for sure, but for now I can already confirm that Opus #3 doesn't have any hiss.

All of the above should work with Tidal just fine, but I should make an account to confirm for sure.

 

[Zike]

Is there a comparison between the AM3 and AM3A ? (not a spec comparison but a listening comparison)

 

[Hawaiibadboy]

Is there a comparison between the AM3 and AM3A ? (not a spec comparison but a listening comparison)

Not yet.

You can try and PM Brooko and see if he shares his thoughts on that or makes you wait for the review. he will no doubt touch on that question since it has been asked so much

 

[se7en7]

I am currently listening to Shure SE846 iems for mostly for iems and Audeze EL8 Titanium over ear headphones. I listen to a lot of different music. Mostly classic hard rock and metal from all periods as well as a wee bit of techno and a lot of industrial and darkwave like Collide and The Birthday Massacre. Some of the metal I listen to is extreme and some not so much. A lot of progressive rock and metal. A lot of Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Sammy Hagar, Chickenfoot, Van Halen, Montrose, Night Ranger, Journey, Foreigner, Bad Company, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Sour, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Nickelback, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, Testament, Porcupine Tree, Jason Aldean, Three Days Grace, Oranssi Pazuzu, 3 Teeth, How To Destroy Angels, Amaranthe, Nightwish, Delain, Epica, Within Temptation, Meshuggah, Primus, Helloween, Sirenia, Edguy, Blind Guardian, AC/DC, Fear Factory, Prong, Chevelle, Helmet, Children Of Bodom, King Crimson, Trivium, Rammstein, The Showdown, All That Remains, Motionless In White, Ember Sea, Lacuna Coil, Katatonia, Garth Brooks, Black Label Society, Kyuss, Pigmy Love Circus, Saint Asonia, the Pretty Reckless, Halestorm, Collen Green, Billy Talent, Sum 41 Blink 182, Bad Religion, The offspring, Social Distortion, AFI, Rise Against, Authority Zero, Sublime, Long Beach Dub All Stars, Slightly Stoopid, Kottonmouth Kings, Lost City Angels, Dead Sara, Tiger Army, Deap Vally, Sybreed, Deftones Filter.

Thank you

Riley

You missed out Sepultura oh and Biohazard only joking good list

 

[mrmoto050]

Oh, I see!

X7mkii shouldn't have any hiss, Opus #3 doesn't have any hiss, and DX200 shouldn't have any hiss. I will receive X7mkii and DX200 soon and will be able to confirm for sure, but for now I can already confirm that Opus #3 doesn't have any hiss.

All of the above should work with Tidal just fine, but I should make an account to confirm for sure.

The DX200 will not do Tidal with the Ibasso F/W, you need to use a third party like Lurker. I have the DX200 and love it, but it will not run Playstore without 3rd party F/W. Heck, I can't even run a Seagate WiFi drive because it verifies against Playstore. So esentially WiFi is useless without 3rd party F/W. So esentially I am stuck, because I don't run 3rd party F/W.

 

[KC33]

I really don't know which module amp is for me. I use iems and Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones both quite frequently and don't really want to change modules all of the time. I plan on one day getting a Mr. Speakers Aeon as well as an Audioquest Nightowl. I also would like to get some more iems namely Sennheiser IE800S and Audeze Isine 20's. If somebody could give me a specific direction to go for an amp that would be great. Like I said as well earlier I am going to wait several months to purchase the X7 2 so I can see more reviews that aren't a result of new toy syndrome and see if any bugs appear and get ironed out.

thanks

Riley

Audeze sells a balanced cable you can use with your EL-8. I use it with my X71-AM3 and it gives the EL8 OB a punchier sound.

 

[XP_98]

About the X7ii

Reading the compares to the X5iii are kind of blowing my mind.





I listen balanced and my compare was balanced but in that one area they sounded very un alike , like say...one had a chip with velvet sound embedded in it ( (Ak chip) and the warm smooth, too much for some delivery that implies)...and the other is a ess chip with no embedded velvet sound and a clarity via balanced not attainable by the X5iii. It sounded so obvious I am kinda bummed. I get the differing opinions. I get the diff from X5iii and DX200. it is obvious. Warm smooth v.s. detailed analytical. Cannot be more opposite.

I hate the DX but sold it yesterday and stayed out of the thread because my view was clear and stated. Not gonna beat a dead horse, not gonna do another vid with it.

Kept the ex1000 in my ear and played "On the Run" through both FiiO's and the width of stage and clarity of the minutia in that track were notably superior on X7ii. not close really.

Whipped up a vid knowing many watchers may have bought X5iii based of my rec. Now I am telling them to sell and get an X7ii.
That will not fly well with many
That is total bull**** for som

About the X7ii

Reading the compares to the X5iii are kind of blowing my mind.

I listen balanced and my compare was balanced but in that one area they sounded very un alike , like say...one had a chip with velvet sound embedded in it ( (Ak chip) and the warm smooth, too much for some delivery that implies)...and the other is a ess chip with no embedded velvet sound and a clarity via balanced not attainable by the X5iii. It sounded so obvious I am kinda bummed. I get the differing opinions. I get the diff from X5iii and DX200. it is obvious. Warm smooth v.s. detailed analytical. Cannot be more opposite.

I hate the DX but sold it yesterday and stayed out of the thread because my view was clear and stated. Not gonna beat a dead horse, not gonna do another vid with it.

Kept the ex1000 in my ear and played "On the Run" through both FiiO's and the width of stage and clarity of the minutia in that track were notably superior on X7ii. not close really.

Whipped up a vid knowing many watchers may have bought X5iii based of my rec. Now I am telling them to sell and get an X7ii.
That will not fly well with many
That is total bull**** for some
What bro??<<<legit feeling
That is telling folks to sell a FiiO and as often happens they will go in another direction not named X7ii
That is not what fiiO wants to hear "Sell your Fiio" ....again, they might do it and then move to another maker for change of pace etc
That is not what a X5iii owner wants to hear

I sold my X5iii, I sold my DX200, I sold my PHA-3.


I decided the X7ii balanced was clear clean detailed without a overly neutral dry sound. Had better detail retrieval and stage than the gear I sold.

If I was being clever and thinking about the folks that listen to me or FiiO I would have not made that vid and said what i said. I simply do not give a shiiiii what you folks think. i don't even know you. I like the X7ii, think it is clearly the superior device for balanced and acted like a person who thought that.

And so am I... Happy with my X5 III, especially since I bought a BTG Starlight balanced cable, but now I want to go further.
X7II could be that further, but I'm also looking at some competitors : Onkyo DP X1, Cowon Plenu QP2R (but seems to have hiss with the Fitear Togo334).
Could someone compare the X7II with the DPX1 or Plenue 2 ?

 

[akhliber]

The X7MKII is now available on Amazon! This first batch is of limited quantity, so don't wait! Also if you could spend a while to fill out a questionnaire, our reseller will have a small gift for you~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743H8SX1

I'm coming out of lurker mode to ask, how does one access the questionnaire? I ordered from this first batch and have received my player (just now breaking into it but loving it) but haven't received any questionnaire or mention of one outside of here yet. Thanks!