[Levanter]

And it has arrived!!
The best looking case for Sony IMO, but the price + shipping makes it not really worthwhile considering the AKs have much more leather for around the same price.
 
Quality is good as expected of Dignis, however an advice would be to put on the ring holder first before slipping in the case. Super tight/hard to take it off without the ring.
 
p.s - poor quality pics as it was taken at night inside a poorly lit room with a phone 

 
   
 
   
 

 

[Scorpion667]

  again, it's warm to you because you're using the 846. I guess my previous explanation wasn't super clear ^_^.  someone else with some other multi BA IEM might very well find it colder than another source. in fact with my JH13 I have slightly less bass than on some other DAPs. but I have a few IEMs that don't care for impedance and they indeed sound pretty flat on the sony.
 
so it's really a matter of impedance, and with 4ohm on the sony, the SE846 fluctuating between 15 and 5ohm certainly wouldn't me my first recommendation for ideal impedance bridging.

Edited post for clarification. 
 
It's true as when I did A17 headphone out to a sub 1ohm OI amp (CP Picollo), the sound became neutral. 
 
I will probably buy the player again if I ever switch to a 25+ohm IEM. As it stands I am using my SE846 exclusively, love these things!

 

[gerelmx1986]

how will the A10-series handle the XBA-H3 (40 ohm)? with all this ongoing discussion fo the ohmnage and blah blah 

 

[Retrias]

   
Is your amp receiving an analog signal from the headphone out, from a WMport Line Out cable, or from an external DAC via the WMport USB out cable?
 
Thanks!
 
Mike

the NX1 is amp only iirc , it have no DAC section, so its analog only

 

[Scorpion667]

  how will the A10-series handle the XBA-H3 (40 ohm)? with all this ongoing discussion fo the ohmnage and blah blah 

The rule of thumb is to use a source with output impedance 1/8 or less of your headphone/IEM impedance.
For you, A17 would be 1/10 of the XBA-H3(40ohm) so you should be good I believe. Let's see what others have to say

 

[TiborM]

I am using my PHA-3 to take advantage of the digital output.  I have also tried RSA SR71B (Picture) and Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Duet, both with excellent results.  The LO of the WM port is volume-challenged but clean, and as such, works well with powerful amps like the SR71B and the Duet.  I still prefer the PHA-3 setup since I get to use the better DAC on the PHA-3 and achieve digital->balanced output, instead of the "simulated" balanced setup (i.e. single end input to balanced output) on the SR71B and the Duet.  For all the amps I use, footprint is an issue.  I think the new ALO National+ may be the closest thing in terms of footprint ([COLOR=333333]1.7" x 4.3" for A17 and 1.8" x 3.37" for the National+).  I am waiting for it to come out in Japan so that I can audition it first before I purchase, as noise floor has been an issue for me with some of the ALO amps in the past.[/COLOR]

Hey what brand is that line out cable? And it's digital or analog? Thx!

 

[Tokyolifer]

Hey what brand is that line out cable? And it's digital or analog? Thx!

 
The cable is a DIY analog cable bought on an auction site in Japan.  You can always get the FiiO cable, or this:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281118806230?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[spatzi]

So what's the consensus on this? Is SQ better than the X1, as good as the X3, close to the X5? I have an X5 but this thing is just too heavy for me to carry around all the time. I also can't stand the short battery life, the inaccurate scroll wheel, or the fiio UI. I've got an a17 on reserve at the Sony store and I'm going to go check it out now. Hopefully they have a trial period of at least a week or two so I can compare to the X5. I hope it's not going to be a major difference in quality from my x5. I'm not expecting it to be as loud but I'm using koss KSC 35 earphones for this which need very little power. I haven't bought a Sony unit since 1980 Walkman.

 

[Tokyolifer]

So what's the consensus on this? Is SQ better than the X1, as good as the X3, close to the X5? I have an X5 but this thing is just too heavy for me to carry around all the time. I also can't stand the short battery life, the inaccurate scroll wheel, or the fiio UI. I've got an a17 on reserve at the Sony store and I'm going to go check it out now. Hopefully they have a trial period of at least a week or two so I can compare to the X5. I hope it's not going to be a major difference in quality from my x5. I'm not expecting it to be as loud but I'm using koss KSC 35 earphones for this which need very little power. I haven't bought a Sony unit since 1980 Walkman.

 
It really is a function of your earphones and what you prioritize (portability, UI, etc.)...If you find the X5 to be too heavy, and start playing around with the A17, I bet you would get hooked...No more scrolling endlessly to get to a song.  The weight, battery life and the UI actually do make a huge difference for most people.
 
Standalone SQ-wise (unamped), I prefer the X3 and the X5.  Even with my sensitive CIEMs, the amp sections of the FiiO players deliver better overall dynamics/sound stage.  If you like the FiiO sound, then you may find the A17 sound a little on the "thin" side, for lack of better words.  Never tried the X1, so cannot comment on that.   I usually amp my A17, and in that role, it is a fine source, especially with the superior UI (dare I say the very best UI on a DAP!) and clean signal out of its WM port, both analog and digital.  Nothing wrong with it sonically as a standalone source, but it is just that my listening style just requires a bit more juice...

 

[castleofargh]

  how will the A10-series handle the XBA-H3 (40 ohm)? with all this ongoing discussion fo the ohmnage and blah blah 

if you trust those guys measurements  http://en.goldenears.net/26285
then the xba-h3 is 30ohm or more at all frequencies, so it's very ok. in fact looking at the FR and impedance curve, all the 4ohm of the sony will do is slightly reduce some dips like at 7khz.
FR is as always a matter of tastes, but objectively it might actually make the signature better(in a very small and subtle way).
 

So what's the consensus on this? Is SQ better than the X1, as good as the X3, close to the X5? I have an X5 but this thing is just too heavy for me to carry around all the time. I also can't stand the short battery life, the inaccurate scroll wheel, or the fiio UI. I've got an a17 on reserve at the Sony store and I'm going to go check it out now. Hopefully they have a trial period of at least a week or two so I can compare to the X5. I hope it's not going to be a major difference in quality from my x5. I'm not expecting it to be as loud but I'm using koss KSC 35 earphones for this which need very little power. I haven't bought a Sony unit since 1980 Walkman.

from the range of headphones it can drive, even the X1 is superior to the sony. the X3 being the power house, the X5 being the best in SQ while also having lot of power.
so in sound/$ FIIO is the best you can get. I do believe that.
now using a FIIO and using a sony are 2 very different experiences. and unless you have a very clean library with the proper tagging, FIIO can be a real bother.
the UI isn't even a fair contest as sony has always been at the top with apple.
battery life on this sony is great.
of course the size. get out with the X5, the next day get out with the sony and tell me you don't get the difference in your pocket ^_^. (oh and don't forget to stick a calling phone next to both and enjoy the silence from the sony).
 
if you look at the happy owners of this dap in the topic, you will notice that a few of us have had or still have some nice sources, be it DAPs or portable DAC/AMPs, we kind of know what "portable" has to offer when it comes to sound quality. still we use the sony because at some point having a massive brick, crappy UI and 6hours of battery can really ruin your experience of music. the A10 talks to us in that respect. it's just convenience in a small DAP. and don't be fooled you're paying for that, not for some proprietary DAC chipset with uber sound. that part is marketing, a DAC is a DAC.
 
so it's really a matter of knowing if you and only you, would pay about half of the price only for UI, battery, and size?
but if you seek sound fidelity at any price, low noise floor, and great power output, then this sony is a clear mistake. you can get better for less with other brands.

 

[Scorpion667]

Having owned the X5 and tested the X3 and A17 together a few days ago, I have to say I completely agree with castleofargh's comparison of the 3.
 
X5 takes the cake for sound quality. It's neutral, analytical with imaging and detailing which kicks WAY above it's price range. I literally only sold it because it's interface is the worst of any electronic device I have ever owned. The scroll wheel skips one notch on every full rotation so any muscle memory you think you've acquired after two weeks with the player goes out the window. All of them do that, not just some. Bottom buttons would sometimes get pressed in my pocket. It's very picky with tagging as mentioned. 
 
If I could get X5 sound quality and output impedance with A17 interface in a device the size of the X3, I would pay over $1000 for this player. 

 

[spiritcrusher]

Any European owners have any comments on the volume cap and how significant it affects the player? I was all set to import one of these from accessoryjack when a deal on a local Irish site appeared for €180 which seems too good really to splash out on a customs hit of potentially an extra €50 just for the extra volume and an awkward warranty.

 

[spatzi]

I just bought the a17 and will try it out. I was really surprised that the Sony store didn't even sell a case for it! I've never seen that with an expensive device like this. Why? I told them it's a portable device and is going to get scratched easily, and they gave me these stupid reasons why there isnt a case, like "this player is really new."

I have briefly tried it out at home and love the size, the UI. Here's the shocker: this A17 powers my beyerdynamic t 90's with room to spare. I expected 'quiet' and got quite a bit of volume, more than I need. There is an annoying short beep every time I play a song. Can that be turned off?

How it sounds compared to the x5 I have to try yet. But even if there is a difference, I can already imagine how much more pleasant carrying the Sony around is going to be.

How does bluetooth work on this? Is it for streaming songs from the player to a receiver with bluetooth? Or the other way around?

 

[ClieOS]

Sony does have really good flip case made for the A10 series, but they didn't bother to bring it outside of Japan. That's pretty typical of Sony, where only Japanese are getting all the good stuff. You can buy the case off eBay, but they are not cheap and can go up to $50 with shipping.
 
Yes, the BT works just like any BT source and you can stream song from your A17 to any BT receiver, preferably one with aptX supported. The DAP itself can't be streamed music to. You can however send files from another BT devices.

 

[audioxxx]

I goto grab a case as well, it's so small it's easy to drop, mine fell and has a micro ding right on the edge , I had an Oh sh-t moment there, but got over it. These daps should come with a screen protector and a basic case, I would pay a little more.
I just bought a fiio line out plug, and looking forward to hearing it on my e12-diy (if it ever gets back from repair, sent back to fiio, it's been a month).
Also a great idea is to cut a screen protector out from an old phone one, to save the screen from scuffs.