[seanwee]

Well, also, the NW-A45 has aptX while the NW-A35 does not (unfortunately, that's the model I have. )

I wonder if the A35 can be flashed with A45 firmware to unlock that capability.

USB DAC would most likely be unable to work since most implementations seem to need a separate chip.

 

[fish1050]

Yes but the matter of the fact is there are other options out there, better options. I'll wholeheartedly recommend the M7 or R3 (when it retails) over the A45.

I know, nobody has made impressions of the M7 yet but I really doubt it will be worse than the X1ii which the A45 is.

Edit : If there is a significant advantage the Sony A series has, it would be its battery life. Contrary to what Sony claims, it only lasts about exactly 24 hours when playing 44.1/16 FLAC files, not 35 like they claim. Still, it's incredibly long compared to most players which last an average of 9 hours.

Clearly you are anti Sony, given that the Fiio M7 will sell for around the same price as the A45 in Canada it would not be a consideration. I have had my Sony A17 for almost 4 years and never had an issue. Whereas every Fiio DAP I have owned was returned because of bugs and constant firmware updates. Given the M7 and A45 have all the same features but the A45 adds 16 GB of memory onboard vs what 2 GB available on the M7 and the A45 offers better battery life the M7 is simply lacking by comparison. I can't imagine the M7 sounding any better than the A45 and I have yet to see how well the M7 works with Samsung chip and less than 1 GB of RAM.

 

[seanwee]

Clearly you are anti Sony, given that the Fiio M7 will sell for around the same price as the A45 in Canada it would not be a consideration. I have had my Sony A17 for almost 4 years and never had an issue. Whereas every Fiio DAP I have owned was returned because of bugs and constant firmware updates. Given the M7 and A45 have all the same features but the A45 adds 16 GB of memory onboard vs what 2 GB available on the M7 and the A45 offers better battery life the M7 is simply lacking by comparison. I can't imagine the M7 sounding any better than the A45 and I have yet to see how well the M7 works with Samsung chip and less than 1 GB of RAM.

On the contrary, I actually quite like Sony (I'm using a Sony TV, home theatre system, and BT speaker), just not their A35/45 series DAPs (never heard the preceding A series Daps).

Ok, for starters, how many DAPs have you tried before? Maybe it's not obvious right off the bat but if you have heard at least a few decent DAPs, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's just too plain sounding. It doesn't have the dynamics, tonality, or anything to warrant it being a standalone dap.

The A35/45 is pretty much the worst option as a DAP in its price segment. Not because its bad in any absolute terms but its just too mediocre. You don't get more power compared to your smartphone, it doesn't sound any better and now that LDAC is not Sony exclusive, there even less reason to get it.

You may argue that it has better interface than most players in its price range, it has a touch screen, it has stable firmware etc but it underperforms in the most important aspect why people buy daps instead of simply using their phones, to get better sound quality.

Enough said.

 

[Sven2015]

Now, I've ordered a black model.

I hope the LDAC mode is working fine with my Sony ANC 1000 headphones.

... but I read now, GAPLESS is not working with BT? Is that true? Not for FLAC?
If YES, I will reject my order....

ALL my players are working fine with a BT connection and gapless playback.

In German from the german page
Frage: Warum funktioniert die Gapless-Wiedergabe nicht über Bluetooth?
Antwort: Bei der Bluetooth-Übertragung an einen Kopfhörer oder sonstige Bluetooth-Empfänger wird das empfindliche Musiksignal nicht ins Analoge gewandelt, sondern in der ursprünglichen Qualität übertragen.

Für die Gapless-Wiedergabe ist allerdings die analoge Schaltung im Player verantwortlich, die bei Bluetooth umgangen wird.

 

[fish1050]

On the contrary, I actually quite like Sony (I'm using a Sony TV, home theatre system, and BT speaker), just not their A35/45 series DAPs (never heard the preceding A series Daps).

Ok, for starters, how many DAPs have you tried before? Maybe it's not obvious right off the bat but if you have heard at least a few decent DAPs, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's just too plain sounding. It doesn't have the dynamics, tonality, or anything to warrant it being a standalone dap.

The A35/45 is pretty much the worst option as a DAP in its price segment. Not because its bad in any absolute terms but its just too mediocre. You don't get more power compared to your smartphone, it doesn't sound any better and now that LDAC is not Sony exclusive, there even less reason to get it.

You may argue that it has better interface than most players in its price range, it has a touch screen, it has stable firmware etc but it underperforms in the most important aspect why people buy daps instead of simply using their phones, to get better sound quality.

Enough said.

I sold high end audio gear for 15 years and have heard DAP's from most major manufacturers including Fiio, Sony, Cayin, Shanlling and A&K all DAP's I can audition in Canada. For the most part I hear very little difference between any of the DAP's in the $200 to $300 price range. So for me the onboard memory and better battery life of the A45 and Sony's rock solid UI and firmware make it the best choice as far as I am concerned. The M7 needs to be a major improvement over Fiio's previous buggy and firmware circus DAP's. Sound quality is objective so speak for yourself and let the rest of us make up our own minds. Just because the M7 has LDAC support doesn't mean the implementation is good, the X1-II has terrible bluetooth support so why would we expect Fiio to implement LDAC proficiently? Until you can show me a full blown review of the M7 covering bluetooth, LDAC and all the other features it won't be on my radar ever.

You also are leaving out the most important element in any portable rig and that is the headphones. With my headphones of choice the B&W P5S2's I find they sound very good with the Sony A45 and it has more than enough power to drive my headphones. While I haven't had a chance to try out the M7 yet I can't see it being a better option than the A45 at the same price. All my years of experience tells me that headphones are the most important part when it comes to sound quality not the DAP. Any reasonably priced DAP can sound good with the right headphones.

 

[seanwee]

I sold high end audio gear for 15 years and have heard DAP's from most major manufacturers including Fiio, Sony, Cayin, Shanlling and A&K all DAP's I can audition in Canada. For the most part I hear very little difference between any of the DAP's in the $200 to $300 price range. So for me the onboard memory and better battery life of the A45 and Sony's rock solid UI and firmware make it the best choice as far as I am concerned. The M7 needs to be a major improvement over Fiio's previous buggy and firmware circus DAP's. Sound quality is objective so speak for yourself and let the rest of us make up our own minds. Just because the M7 has LDAC support doesn't mean the implementation is good, the X1-II has terrible bluetooth support so why would we expect Fiio to implement LDAC proficiently? Until you can show me a full blown review of the M7 covering bluetooth, LDAC and all the other features it won't be on my radar ever.

You also are leaving out the most important element in any portable rig and that is the headphones. With my headphones of choice the B&W P5S2's I find they sound very good with the Sony A45 and it has more than enough power to drive my headphones. While I haven't had a chance to try out the M7 yet I can't see it being a better option than the A45 at the same price. All my years of experience tells me that headphones are the most important part when it comes to sound quality not the DAP. Any reasonably priced DAP can sound good with the right headphones.

I agree 100% that the gear one uses is very important and will play the biggest part. No DAP can make a pair of crap headphones sound good.

Perhaps that's where our perceptions branch. I for one enjoy gear that can discern the most minute detail and nuance in music. I also like to use more demanding pieces of music to test audio gear so maybe that's why I hear more of a difference than you do.

Personal preference and priorities will also play a part. I'll always put audio quality first in any audio product. As long as the UI isnt too bad, it will do (I agree the X1ii was pretty bad with the lag and all).Your priority seems to be more towards user friendlyness and better usage experience which is fair.

Basically, if the M7 sounds better than the A45 and if doesn't have any glaring bugs in use, I would gladly pick it over the A45.

Honestly speaking though the 2gb vs 16gb internal storage capacity is a moot point as long as there is a micro SD card slot.

 

[seanwee]

Basically, if the M7 sounds better than the A45 and if doesn't have any glaring bugs in use, I would gladly pick it over the A45.

That said, If I was looking for the best SQ for the price (with ok firmware), I doubt the M7 would be able to beat more audio quality focused devices in the same price range.

 

[Palash]

http://fiio.cn/newsinfo/49733.html
http://fiio.cn/newsinfo/48683.html

This two reviews just broke my heart. Use Google translate to read.

 

[seanwee]

http://fiio.cn/newsinfo/49733.html
http://fiio.cn/newsinfo/48683.html

This two reviews just broke my heart. Use Google translate to read.

Basically, the sound is very consumer based. The standard warm entry level sound I reckon. Both say that the low frequency region lacks texture and detail though so that's a bummer. The first post says that the pairing with the FiiO FH1 is good but it pairs poorly with the Andromeda.

The second post compared the M7 and X3iii and said that the M7 isn't as good sounding as the X3iii.

 

[fish1050]

I agree 100% that the gear one uses is very important and will play the biggest part. No DAP can make a pair of crap headphones sound good.

Perhaps that's where our perceptions branch. I for one enjoy gear that can discern the most minute detail and nuance in music. I also like to use more demanding pieces of music to test audio gear so maybe that's why I hear more of a difference than you do.

Personal preference and priorities will also play a part. I'll always put audio quality first in any audio product. As long as the UI isnt too bad, it will do (I agree the X1ii was pretty bad with the lag and all).Your priority seems to be more towards user friendlyness and better usage experience which is fair.

Basically, if the M7 sounds better than the A45 and if doesn't have any glaring bugs in use, I would gladly pick it over the A45.

Honestly speaking though the 2gb vs 16gb internal storage capacity is a moot point as long as there is a micro SD card slot.

I also like the best sound quality I can get and I have that in my home system. But for portable use I am looking at using it outdoors or on public transit and these aren't the best listening environments anyway. Also you are comparing a couple of $250.00 DAP's so I doubt you will get the minute detail and nuance from either of these DAP's. For the same price the A45 offers more bang for the buck than the M7 and I would be shocked if the M7 sounds any better than the A45. None of Fiio's recent DAP's are getting rave reviews for sound quality. It seems Fiio is leaning toward features vs sound quality with their new DAP's.

As for the internal memory why not take it if you can get it? We don't yet know how well the M7 can handle 400 GB plus cards with the less than stellar hardware inside. The processor is meant for a smartwatch for god sake so how powerful can it be? I will be happy to eat my words if the M7 is a homerun but based on Fiio's recent DAP's I am betting it will be another strike out like the X1-II given its target market and price point.

 

[seanwee]

I also like the best sound quality I can get and I have that in my home system. But for portable use I am looking at using it outdoors or on public transit and these aren't the best listening environments anyway. Also you are comparing a couple of $250.00 DAP's so I doubt you will get the minute detail and nuance from either of these DAP's. For the same price the A45 offers more bang for the buck than the M7 and I would be shocked if the M7 sounds any better than the A45. None of Fiio's recent DAP's are getting rave reviews for sound quality. It seems Fiio is leaning toward features vs sound quality with their new DAP's.

As for the internal memory why not take it if you can get it? We don't yet know how well the M7 can handle 400 GB plus cards with the less than stellar hardware inside. The processor is meant for a smartwatch for god sake so how powerful can it be? I will be happy to eat my words if the M7 is a homerun but based on Fiio's recent DAP's I am betting it will be another strike out like the X1-II given its target market and price point.

Haha that's exactly what I thought too. They seem to have shifted their priorities too much to marketing. Their "infinity sound" gimmick. I'd rather they focus on their SE output rather than make two mediocre outputs.

I have heard every one if their Daps and only the X7ii is still performing in its price range. The X1ii, X3iii, and X5iii are all beaten by their similarly priced competitors.

 

[Palash]

Haha that's exactly what I thought too. They seem to have shifted their priorities too much to marketing. Their "infinity sound" gimmick. I'd rather they focus on their SE output rather than make two mediocre outputs.

I have heard every one if their Daps and only the X7ii is still performing in its price range. The X1ii, X3iii, and X5iii are all beaten by their similarly priced competitors.

Sorry X1 ii is pretty good sound wise, UI is laggy but the sound quality is too good. Even it can beat my Cayin N3 and Sony NW-a46. X3iii and X5iii is not so good.

 

[fish1050]

Haha that's exactly what I thought too. They seem to have shifted their priorities too much to marketing. Their "infinity sound" gimmick. I'd rather they focus on their SE output rather than make two mediocre outputs.

I have heard every one if their Daps and only the X7ii is still performing in its price range. The X1ii, X3iii, and X5iii are all beaten by their similarly priced competitors.

I think that Fiio has realized they don't have the audio pedigree that Sony, Cayin and Shanling do as they were making quality home audio gear long before Fiio got into the portable audio business. I have had a chance to check out some Shanling and Cayin home audio products and they make some really nice sounding gear. Perhaps Fiio is trying to be the new Apple of the portable audio industry pushing flash over substance

 

[seanwee]

I think that Fiio has realized they don't have the audio pedigree that Sony, Cayin and Shanling do as they were making quality home audio gear long before Fiio got into the portable audio business. I have had a chance to check out some Shanling and Cayin home audio products and they make some really nice sounding gear. Perhaps Fiio is trying to be the new Apple of the portable audio industry pushing flash over substance

Cayin and Shanling players are actually the ones that I said outperform the X3iii and X5iii lol.

 

[seanwee]

Perhaps Fiio is trying to be the new Apple of the portable audio industry pushing flash over substance

That's a pretty scary though. I think FiiO really needs to look back towards their roots and go back to making products that gained them the brand recognition they have today. Making quality audio products that set the bar for sound quality at a given price point.