[WayTooCrazy]

Truth is, most anything can sound fairly decent when only doing casual listening. It is during critical listening with sensitive headphones/IEMs/ear buds that we pick up on nuances of the music that another player may lack. I had the LG V20 with sounded amazing to me, and almost caused me to return my Chord Mojo when I first got it. Then I did more A/B against each other and realized that the V20 wasn't nearly as good as I thought it was. Casual listening would never reveal that. Then I got the X5iii and liked the smoother sound to the Mojo, so. I sold off the Mojo and gave my V20 to my son (and picked up the S8+). Still like the sound of the X5iii, but miss my V20. Very interested in how the X7ii compares to X5iii.

 

[Brooko]

For the most part i agree with you. However i really dont see the point of comparing an iphone with a DAP. Honestly, Brooko if there was not a substantial difference, you and i both would be cribbing over at apples forums for native flac support. Or weeping before Vox devs to include a particular DAC. The difference may not be night and day, certainly not. However the difference is enough for me to never want to pick up my phone to listen to music. I can really only talk about what i hear and feel. It should never be a general remark.

EDIT: you cant give up reviewing ever!!!!!!!!!

Well I guess thats where I'm in the minority on this forum.

1. The transducers are always going to make more difference than the DAP does - and by an order of magnitude.
2. If you're listening portably (which is the idea for a DAP) then the perceived SQ differences are not going to show up with background noise a lot of the time anyway.
3. For me, as long as it sounds good, the features are probably more important.
4. I'll never be asking Apple for FLAC support. They have ALAC (which is the same PCM stream at the end of the day), and because I've measured my own limitations properly, I know that aac256 is transparent (to me). I'll buy DSD of higher res FLAC if its the mastering I want. But then the first thing I do for my portable is to re-encode to aac256. It sounds the same to me - its easier to manage, and I can get more on a device. I think if people were to measure the differences properly (blind and volume matched), 90%+ of people on this forum might have an epiphany (they'd need to turn in their "audiophile card" though - and simply become music lovers like me

At the end of the day its what makes you happy - and ignore everything else though.

I do think my new signature quote is very apt.

 

[jmills8]

Truth is, most anything can sound fairly decent when only doing casual listening. It is during critical listening with sensitive headphones/IEMs/ear buds that we pick up on nuances of the music that another player may lack. I had the LG V20 with sounded amazing to me, and almost caused me to return my Chord Mojo when I first got it. Then I did more A/B against each other and realized that the V20 wasn't nearly as good as I thought it was. Casual listening would never reveal that. Then I got the X5iii and liked the smoother sound to the Mojo, so. I sold off the Mojo and gave my V20 to my son (and picked up the S8+). Still like the sound of the X5iii, but miss my V20. Very interested in how the X7ii compares to X5iii.

Critical listening ? As if you testing something for work ? Come on this is for fun nothing serious or life changing.

 

[superuser1]

Well I guess thats where I'm in the minority on this forum.

1. The transducers are always going to make more difference than the DAP does - and by an order of magnitude.
2. If you're listening portably (which is the idea for a DAP) then the perceived SQ differences are not going to show up with background noise a lot of the time anyway.
3. For me, as long as it sounds good, the features are probably more important.
4. I'll never be asking Apple for FLAC support. They have ALAC (which is the same PCM stream at the end of the day), and because I've measured my own limitations properly, I know that aac256 is transparent (to me). I'll buy DSD of higher res FLAC if its the mastering I want. But then the first thing I do for my portable is to re-encode to aac256. It sounds the same to me - its easier to manage, and I can get more on a device. I think if people were to measure the differences properly (blind and volume matched), 90%+ of people on this forum might have an epiphany (they'd need to turn in their "audiophile card" though - and simply become music lovers like me

At the end of the day its what makes you happy - and ignore everything else though.

I do think my new signature quote is very apt.

You are right and i really can't argue with any of your points. Let's just say i simply don't like apple after having used it for 4 years.
Love the quote!

 

[Dobrescu George]

I did a side-by-side comparison X5iii and X7 1st balanced, both playing same tracks on same second, matched volume by listening, EQ off (never use it). Switching my Angies II from one to another, the difference was so notorious, soundstage, clarity and separation... that's when I decided to wait for X7ii. I don't expect X7 Mk2 to be better (for my taste) than X7 Mk1 balanced, which is already fantastic - jumped mostly because of convenience, double cards, volume wheel, etc. - but if it is and I can hear it, then great, I'll be even happier!

My 2 cents

I really hope that X7mkii will bring you even more happiness than X7 did!

Critical listening ? As if you testing something for work ? Come on this is for fun nothing serious or life changing.

I do this critical listening for my work actually, it inspires me, gives me more than you'd imagine

You are right and i really can't argue with any of your points. Let's just say i simply don't like apple after having used it for 4 years.
Love the quote!

I've never owned Apple devices but still don't like them personally, I need me a Windows PC with Windows apps to run Windows and games and software and such. Development is either done on windows or Linux, even developing games for iOS is done on windows or Linux because it is hassle-free.

 

[jmills8]

I really hope that X7mkii will bring you even more happiness than X7 did!



I do this critical listening for my work actually, it inspires me, gives me more than you'd imagine



I've never owned Apple devices but still don't like them personally, I need me a Windows PC with Windows apps to run Windows and games and software and such. Development is either done on windows or Linux, even developing games for iOS is done on windows or Linux because it is hassle-free.

How much do you get paid to look for faults?

 

[Dobrescu George]

How much do you get paid to look for faults?

It is the other way around - I enjoy hearing what most people call faults.

I love having absolute detail, I don't listen for smoothness as I listen for cymbals, for energy, for explosion, for life.

Where most people want friendly presentation, I want a neutral one, I want to hear the live power and life flowing within the music. I want to hear something that truly dazzels and stuns me, not something that relaxes me.

This inspires me, gives me motivation and ultimately enjoyment

For me, there is no fault in music. That cymbal that is maybe too harsh for some, that is what I enjoy. Those few symbols that might be abbrassive, I enjoy them. That voice that is hoarse, I enjoy it. I want to hear things as they sounded there, not a relaxed interpretation that is made to please. This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate musicality or such, just saying, critical listening is a thing that some do enjoy, it is not always about enjoying what sounds nice as much as what sounds real. I've been in a band before, I know how bad live can sound, but even for a moment, I want to live how music actually feels right next to the bands I'm listening

 

[jmills8]

It is the other way around - I enjoy hearing what most people call faults.

I love having absolute detail, I don't listen for smoothness as I listen for cymbals, for energy, for explosion, for life.

Where most people want friendly presentation, I want a neutral one, I want to hear the live power and life flowing within the music. I want to hear something that truly dazzels and stuns me, not something that relaxes me.

This inspires me, gives me motivation and ultimately enjoyment

For me, there is no fault in music. That cymbal that is maybe too harsh for some, that is what I enjoy. Those few symbols that might be abbrassive, I enjoy them. That voice that is hoarse, I enjoy it. I want to hear things as they sounded there, not a relaxed interpretation that is made to please. This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate musicality or such, just saying, critical listening is a thing that some do enjoy, it is not always about enjoying what sounds nice as much as what sounds real. I've been in a band before, I know how bad live can sound, but even for a moment, I want to live how music actually feels right next to the bands I'm listening

Great writing but if you looking for plusses you are also finding faults. No positives without negatives.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Critical listening ? As if you testing something for work ? Come on this is for fun nothing serious or life changing.

Nah, sometimes I just want to just relax and enjoy the music... so I'll listen to Pop on one of my VE Monks or regular earbuds/IEMs. Then when I feel like I want to fully enjoy the music, I use my Balanced XLR cable on the X5iii and plug that into my RA2B and play classical, Metal, Folk, etc. Then I reach for my better 'buds/cans and listen for the texture of the instruments, bass, etc. That is more involving and ultimately more enjoyable for me, but sometimes can be more draining as you're trying to hear all the nuances of the song and fully engaging yourself.

 

[superuser1]

You gotta love this!

 

[vaibhavp]

I don't see why not. I use my iPhone SE around 40% of the time for my listening. It is linear, clean, easy to use, and more importantly always with me. I've see a lot of references to "night and day" over the last few pages. I wonder if anyone stops to really think what the phrase means. It's like black vs white, dark vs night - and I practically guarantee that the differences people are talking about would not fall into the category of day and night difference. The problem is that most of the time (when comparing) - people don't use the same track, same volume (matched properly - and not by ear), and they definitely don't do it blind. Yes there will be differences - but I do find it comical that there have been the odd reference to people's hearing - when in reality it could be the "brain filter" we put over everything.

If absolute hearing excellence was a pre-requisite for reviewing, I'd imagine quite a few reviewers would have to give up (and I would be one of them)

Then what inspires you to write long reviews on daps?

Disclaimer: i think both x5 and x7 have enough difference to justify price difference. So yes big difference in my books. X7 is expensive piece of kit. I wouldnt recommend it lightly for purchase if it werent worth it.

 

[NaiveSound]

How is the hiss on x7ii, with sensitive iems

 

[Brooko]

Then what inspires you to write long reviews on daps?

Disclaimer: i think both x5 and x7 have enough difference to justify price difference. So yes big difference in my books. X7 is expensive piece of kit. I wouldnt recommend it lightly for purchase if it werent worth it.

Read my reviews - very little about sound, a lot about features, power output etc. Here in NZ, an X7ii would set you back about NZD800+. An iPhone will run you same money. But they are different tools for different jobs. An iPhone doesn't have the dedicated hardware, can't be used as DAC, doesn't have additional storage, can't handle the various formats, and has limited audio tool kit.

I'm just suggesting that those talking about night and day differences are likely never to have performed a volume matched double blind test with exactly same tracks when comparing. There will be differences, but they are more subtle than most people think. For purely music listening with a variety of earphones/headphones, a dedicated DAP will win most of the time. But lets not kid ourselves that an iPhone sounds horrible in comparison. So far I really like what the X7ii can do. Its what I default to when I get home. But again, a lot of my music listening during the day is with the phone - and its actually pretty good

 

[ShadyBee]

Read my reviews - very little about sound, a lot about features, power output etc. Here in NZ, an X7ii would set you back about NZD800+. An iPhone will run you same money. But they are different tools for different jobs. An iPhone doesn't have the dedicated hardware, can't be used as DAC, doesn't have additional storage, can't handle the various formats, and has limited audio tool kit.

I'm just suggesting that those talking about night and day differences are likely never to have performed a volume matched double blind test with exactly same tracks when comparing. There will be differences, but they are more subtle than most people think. For purely music listening with a variety of earphones/headphones, a dedicated DAP will win most of the time. But lets not kid ourselves that an iPhone sounds horrible in comparison. So far I really like what the X7ii can do. Its what I default to when I get home. But again, a lot of my music listening during the day is with the phone - and its actually pretty good

When I said "night and day" it was within the context of the discussion of comparing the X5iii to the X7ii. To my ears there is negligible difference in SQ between the two Fiio DAP's, but in comparison to a smartphone, for me the DAP is significantly better. I guess this is mainly due to the power output of the DAP being able to drive a much larger volume from the headphones than my Note4 can.

Like I said, I was perfectly happy with a smartphone as a source, until I decided to get a DAP.

"Night and Day" is what I would use to describe "significant", but in reality it is probably more accurate to describe it as the difference between about 8am and 12pm... Kinda the same, just a bit brighter and clearer.

 

[Signal2Noise]

... Honestly, Brooko if there was not a substantial difference, you and i both would be cribbing over at apples forums for native flac support. ...

Ahem!....no need to do that now...
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/06/09/ios-11-brings-lossless-flac-audio-to-iphone-and-ipad/

But still...iOS. :/

And now back to the regularly scheduled program...