[seanwee]

Hi,
BIG YES.
I'm not a very big fan of the X10 and find the X20 way more exciting to listen too, there no treble roll off like with the X10 but it isn't too sharp sounding as well, X20 is very detailed with excellent imaging and dynamic range, sound is organic with some beautifull brillance (especially hearable with harpsichord or classical guitar) and decay, complete black background, its a very neutral sounding DAP but far from boring. As well....there ALOT more features than X10. Its smaller and lighter than X10 as well.

Those were almost exactly my thoughts when I moved from the X10 to the N5ii except for being smaller and lighter. The N5ii also has the deepest and most textured bass I have heard from any dap.

I wish I can have the chance to try both. Then we can see who has a superior implementation of the ess 9108k2m

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Those were almost exactly my thoughts when I moved from the X10 to the N5ii except for being smaller and lighter. The N5ii also has the deepest and most textured bass I have heard from any dap.

I wish I can have the chance to try both. Then we can see who has a superior implementation of the ess 9108k2m

Yeah, this fabulous DAC can be tweaked quite a lot, proof is the Ibasso DX90 that use a dual one did not sound the same at all, its way sharper in highs and little bassier.
Only things that X10 do slingly better is soundstage widness, but not deepness. I still like the X10, perhaps its the scrolling wheel that turn me off mustly in fact!

How is soundstage with N5ii?

And, we must underline that nice N5ii cost 130$ more, perhaps sound can compete, but features from Android touch screen is something else. Can't wait to see what android DAP Xduoo work on!

 

[seanwee]

Yeah, this fabulous DAC can be tweaked quite a lot, proof is the Ibasso DX90 that use a dual one did not sound the same at all, its way sharper in highs and little bassier.
Only things that X10 do slingly better is soundstage widness, but not deepness. I still like the X10, perhaps its the scrolling wheel that turn me off mustly in fact!

How is soundstage with N5ii?

And, we must underline that nice N5ii cost 130$ more, perhaps sound can compete, but features from Android touch screen is something else. Can't wait to see what android DAP Xduoo work on!

Have you heard the soundstage of the Opus 1 before? It's even bigger on the N5ii and what's more, the instrument separation is also clearer.

The X20 was one of my upgrade choices until I decided that i didn't want to risk it with all the issues so far with my X3 and X10. The X20 also only had a card slot while the N5ii had 2.

 

[seanwee]

Yeah, this fabulous DAC can be tweaked quite a lot, proof is the Ibasso DX90 that use a dual one did not sound the same at all, its way sharper in highs and little bassier.
Only things that X10 do slingly better is soundstage widness, but not deepness. I still like the X10, perhaps its the scrolling wheel that turn me off mustly in fact!

Hah, I've never used the loose piece of crap they call a scroll wheel. I've always used the buttons for navigation. Its Waaaay faster and more accurate.

The scroll wheel has even come off a few times before when I dropped the player. The player itself is built like a tank though. The only instance where it got dented was when I dropped it on the road.

 

[seanwee]

Yeah, this fabulous DAC can be tweaked quite a lot, proof is the Ibasso DX90 that use a dual one did not sound the same at all, its way sharper in highs and little bassier.
Only things that X10 do slingly better is soundstage widness, but not deepness.

Compared to the X20 or DX90?

 

[vloh]

Hi,
BIG YES.
I'm not a very big fan of the X10 and find the X20 way more exciting to listen too, there no treble roll off like with the X10 but it isn't too sharp sounding as well, X20 is very detailed with excellent imaging and dynamic range, sound is organic with some beautifull brillance (especially hearable with harpsichord or classical guitar) and decay, complete black background, its a very neutral sounding DAP but far from boring. As well....there ALOT more features than X10. Its smaller and lighter than X10 as well.

Big thank you!!! One X20 ordered and on the way.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Compared to the X20 or DX90?

Will do.....will do...already do a little, and as Ibasso DX90 cost 150$ more and have dual sabre DAC instead of one, soundstage is little wider with a little more air too, but its sharper as well and more touchy for good pairing, with birght iem or headphones DX90 have always be problematic, but not the X20 wich feel overall smoother and have nice brilliance that do not get harsh, both share a similar very clear and detailed soundsignature, but DX90 have a bass bump where the X20 is more flat, mids are better with X20 cause of this. DX90 have a little more amping (3 gain switch) but that about it for its features, EQ of DX90 is a real useless joke, EQ of X20 is incredible and work for real. Battery life is better with X20 but isn't changeable battery like DX90 (only exception in market with DX50). UI of DX90 is more intuitive (cause it have less features and less butons).
I think today if I have the choice I would have buy X20 cause of best overall value, but DX90 still is my all time favorite for sound even if sometime hes a grumpy friend that create sibilance with my IEM.

 

[seanwee]

Will do.....will do...already do a little, and as Ibasso DX90 cost 150$ more and have dual sabre DAC instead of one, soundstage is little wider with a little more air too, but its sharper as well and more touchy for good pairing, with birght iem or headphones DX90 have always be problematic, but not the X20 wich feel overall smoother and have nice brilliance that do not get harsh, both share a similar very clear and detailed soundsignature, but DX90 have a bass bump where the X20 is more flat, mids are better with X20 cause of this. DX90 have a little more amping (3 gain switch) but that about it for its features, EQ of DX90 is a real useless joke, EQ of X20 is incredible and work for real. Battery life is better with X20 but isn't changeable battery like DX90 (only exception in market with DX50). UI of DX90 is more intuitive (cause it have less features and less butons).
I think today if I have the choice I would have buy X20 cause of best overall value, but DX90 still is my all time favorite for sound even if sometime hes a grumpy friend that create sibilance with my IEM.

I was a bit sleepy when I read you post so that's why I asked. Didnt read it properly haha.

Anyways, thanks for the comparison. I have used the DX90 before and I think that even though the Cayin N5ii is only using one dac instead if 2, it still sounds superior overall compared to the DX90.

The Cayin N5ii sounds just as detailed as the DX90 but with a slightly thicker sound. Soundstage on the N5ii is most definitely bigger as it is the biggest soundstage I have heard under the 500 dollar price range. I can't really remember how exactly the bass bump on the DX90 sounds like but I remember that both the DX90 and N5ii have amazing bass response. The extension of the bass goes really really low and has a very textured rumble unlike any other Dap I have tried. The sub bass on the N5ii may be a little more textured but I cant say that with 100% certainty.

The Cayin N5ii doesn't have the typical harshness of sabre dacs so the sibilance with brighter iems is tamed down. How the guys at Cayin managed to do that without sacrificing detail I have no idea.

From your impressions I think that the N5ii would generally sound like a X20 but with superior UI and functions, deeper extending bass and bigger soundstage.

 

[cleg]

my take on X20

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

And now my headfi review is complete....was long, but really, it make my love story even more intimate. Yep, I adore the X20.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/xduoo-x20.22868/reviews#review-19957

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

my take on X20

Hey man....hehe, I follow you on youtube and respect your view (Lucas Cranach is my pseudo on YT).
I just check your video, and think like you on must part, like that mid are more present than rest of spectrum and soundsignature isn't too sharp (i repeat it like 5 times in the review).
I don't feel its a dark DAP tough, little on the warm side but details retrieval is on par of what we could wish from a ES9018 dac, its like Xduoo find how to make it less peaky and too analytical.

Can I know what IEM you use for the review????????????????????????????

 

[seanwee]

Hey man....hehe, I follow you on youtube and respect your view (Lucas Cranach is my pseudo on YT).
I just check your video, and think like you on must part, like that mid are more present than rest of spectrum and soundsignature isn't too sharp (i repeat it like 5 times in the review).
I don't feel its a dark DAP tough, little on the warm side but details retrieval is on par of what we could wish from a ES9018 dac, its like Xduoo find how to make it less peaky and too analytical.

Can I know what IEM you use for the review????????????????????????????

Warm and dark sounding sabre chip? Thats odd.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Warm and dark sounding sabre chip? Thats odd.

I don't consider it as dark at all....and to be more precise I would say its ''kind of warm'' for a sabre based DAP. Smooth is more appropriate I think....its really because I compare it to Ibasso DX90 bright and sharp sound.
Warmish dude, warmish
Its sure is brighter than X10.

 

[bsoplinger]

I thought that the X10 lacks gapless playback. I was just looking through the comparison to other DAPs section.

 

[cleg]

I don't feel its a dark DAP tough, little on the warm side but details retrieval is on par of what we could wish from a ES9018 dac

sure, almost all modern DAPs are pretty "neutral", so reading sound description of sources, we should consider that all this "accents" and "colorations" are relatively minor and every single headphones changes sound much more

Can I know what IEM you use for the review?

usually it's CA Andromeda (Pacific Blue), Noble Kaiser Encore and Hum Pristine as "TOTL", this I'm using for critical listening
and some mid-tier models too, but those can vary from Periodic Audio Be to Dunu 3001. This are to "catch the spirit" of DAP, try to find it's "mood", e.g. subjective part

Warm and dark sounding sabre chip? Thats odd.

with proper amplification everything is possible just cut treble accurately, and you'll get pretty warm sound. to improve effect you can also smooth mids and you'll get something really close to "warm tube sound"
my fellow DIYer once constructed such amp (but for speakers) and in blind listening he managed to "cheat" about 10 of audiophiles