[runssical]

I will keep searching for oem, if not, I will definitely upload the results, but it won't be too soon, specially if I order it

Let me know what you turn up. I might buy one of these old A5s if they turn up on the used market for an inexpensive price and then refresh it with a new battery.

I find it odd that the A5 is rarity on the used market. It was a mass produced item sold worldwide. Could be the case that most people just chuck it when the battery dies assuming it's broken. Either that or they just get tossed in a drawer and forgotten about.

 

[F700]

What country are you in?

Switzerland

 

[Themilkman46290]

Let me know what you turn up. I might buy one of these old A5s if they turn up on the used market for an inexpensive price and then refresh it with a new battery.

I find it odd that the A5 is rarity on the used market. It was a mass produced item sold worldwide. Could be the case that most people just chuck it when the battery dies assuming it's broken. Either that or they just get tossed in a drawer and forgotten about.

Or like many other decent products of yesterday, they may have been bought up by people like me in developing countries...... We do have crap tons of engineers, specialist, architects, scientists
But atleast here in eastern Europe, we have tons of trained professionals that unfortunately don't have much work, and can't move up in life, it's kind of like being black, from a ghetto in America after reaganomics (I was raised in the ghettos of D.C.)
if you use translate, look up the Russian audiophile sights, be amazed what these guys do with old gear, old I river daps still sell gold (very popular modding platform, more then a few years old)

 

[runssical]

Or like many other decent products of yesterday, they may have been bought up by people like me in developing countries...... We do have crap tons of engineers, specialist, architects, scientists
But atleast here in eastern Europe, we have tons of trained professionals that unfortunately don't have much work, and can't move up in life, it's kind of like being black, from a ghetto in America after reaganomics (I was raised in the ghettos of D.C.)
if you use translate, look up the Russian audiophile sights, be amazed what these guys do with old gear, old I river daps still sell gold (very popular modding platform, more then a few years old)

That's a fair point. Although Americans tend to treat most products as disposable.

I was meandering through Head-fi boards this morning and one comment took me to the website of an obscure German manufacturer of portable amplifiers, Vorzuge. I scrolled through the manual for one of their amps and found the following paragraph warning and advising users to replace the internal rechargeable Li Ion batteries every 5-6 months. Vorzuge stats that the batteries will age and diminish audio performance and even risk damaging the amp.

https://vorzuge.com/product/vorzampduo/

I can't speak to the validity of these statements. Perhaps they sell replacement batteries to their amp customers and this is profit motivated fear mongering, eh?

But I do wonder how an aging battery affects an amp once it's a year or 2 old. When my LG V20 phone LiPo battery packs get old the phone's stability and performance is compromised. When one of my battery packs is nearing EoL I start to notice the phone behaving erratically when the battery level drops below 30%. Newer packs perform evenly all the way to 5%.

So I do think there's a possibility that the same phenomenon could affect portable amps. Voltage or current flow could waiver or fluctuate. Perhaps the capacitors help mask this or perhaps not. All the more reason to seek out replacement cells for the A5 or any other portable.

 

[Slater]

Well, after a bit of trying, I have realized that the bass switch is glued, used a small electronics repair flat head, after a few trys it popped out, the knob, was a bit harder, it was also glued, I used my heat gun (removed the o-ring first)

Not at all difficult to disassembe, but the bass switch is much easier if you use a very small flat head, using th case for leverage and pop it out, it's impossible to do with fingers unless glue is not holding, and it doesn't smm like removing the pot know really helps
Thanks Slater, as always, you are pretty damned knowledgeable.

Glad you got it off. The glue must be stronger or weaker on some vs others. Mine came off without the need for heating. The volume knob was a fairly tight friction fit, but it did come off after working it off a little at a time.

 

[Themilkman46290]

That's a fair point. Although Americans tend to treat most products as disposable.

I was meandering through Head-fi boards this morning and one comment took me to the website of an obscure German manufacturer of portable amplifiers, Vorzuge. I scrolled through the manual for one of their amps and found the following paragraph warning and advising users to replace the internal rechargeable Li Ion batteries every 5-6 months. Vorzuge stats that the batteries will age and diminish audio performance and even risk damaging the amp.

https://vorzuge.com/product/vorzampduo/



I can't speak to the validity of these statements. Perhaps they sell replacement batteries to their amp customers and this is profit motivated fear mongering, eh?

But I do wonder how an aging battery affects an amp once it's a year or 2 old. When my LG V20 phone LiPo battery packs get old the phone's stability and performance is compromised. When one of my battery packs is nearing EoL I start to notice the phone behaving erratically when the battery level drops below 30%. Newer packs perform evenly all the way to 5%.

So I do think there's a possibility that the same phenomenon could affect portable amps. Voltage or current flow could waiver or fluctuate. Perhaps the capacitors help mask this or perhaps not. All the more reason to seek out replacement cells for the A5 or any other portable.

Yep, your right in your thinking, after 6 months of use, batteries do not give the same power, they can drop a bit this can effect the whole circuit, I have read it could even cause shorts, issues in some relays, lost of errors

This is why I hope to change it in the next month or 2, I hope to have this little amp for a while, even though it is fairly dark and not as open sounding as my dx120, it does push something extra out of me hifiman and e-mu purple hearts

 

[Vannak]

Yep, your right in your thinking, after 6 months of use, batteries do not give the same power, they can drop a bit this can effect the whole circuit, I have read it could even cause shorts, issues in some relays, lost of errors

This is why I hope to change it in the next month or 2, I hope to have this little amp for a while, even though it is fairly dark and not as open sounding as my dx120, it does push something extra out of me hifiman and e-mu purple hearts

About the fiio A5 battery
Have you guys tried buying directly from fiio?

 

[Themilkman46290]

About the fiio A5 battery
Have you guys tried buying directly from fiio?

I haven't tried yet, but after all the crap I had with fiio over the x1, I don't think I will bother, honestly I felt there customer care sucked, it took them 3 months to get back to me, and instead of any actual support, they just told me that support may come in the future, then a month later the x1 was discontinued, not one update, I got angry and decided to not bother with fiio, I would rather not buy anything of them new, I will try to find a way around, and if I do come up with a diy solution, I will share it on here, atleast that way they lose a little money over poor support and greedy business tactics.
I won't buy anything fiio new
I did buy an ibasso dx120 last week, I decided to get it new, with warranty, seeing as how even though I bought a second hand dx50 (after selling the x1) and to my surprise, even though it's very old DAP, they still supported it, I talk to an ibasso rep and he was quick to respond.
So fiio barely supports there devices for longer then a few months.
Ibasso supports devices even a few years after the are introduced.
Fiio took 3 months to respond with a lie.
Ibasso responded in less then a half hour.

So I don't mind a used fiio amp, but I don't want to send fiio a single dollar more.....
"Once bitten, twice shy"
It's a real pity I couldn't get a ibasso pb2

 

[runssical]

Yep, your right in your thinking, after 6 months of use, batteries do not give the same power, they can drop a bit this can effect the whole circuit, I have read it could even cause shorts, issues in some relays, lost of errors

This is why I hope to change it in the next month or 2, I hope to have this little amp for a while, even though it is fairly dark and not as open sounding as my dx120, it does push something extra out of me hifiman and e-mu purple hearts

Ah, reading that makes me reminiscence. I really enjoyed using that little bugger with my Z7. I just shakemyhead that FiiO discontinued this product. When I purchased mine two years ago for a mere $70 little did I know that it was the end of an era. Unbeknownst to me at the time FiiO had decided to ax it. No announcement. Retailers just dropped the price from $130 to $70. During my pre-purchase research I learned that the A5 was actually the third product in a venerated series that began with the E12. I took it for granted that a replacement would always be available when mine crapped out. Three generations and loads of positive feedback and reviews and they decide to memory hole the series

 

[Themilkman46290]

Ah, reading that makes me reminiscence. I really enjoyed using that little bugger with my Z7. I just shakemyhead that FiiO discontinued this product. When I purchased mine two years ago for a mere $70 little did I know that it was the end of an era. Unbeknownst to me at the time FiiO had decided to ax it. No announcement. Retailers just dropped the price from $130 to $70. During my pre-purchase research I learned that the A5 was actually the third product in a venerated series that began with the E12. I took it for granted that a replacement would always be available when mine crapped out. Three generations and loads of positive feedback and reviews and they decide to memory hole the series

Well I am sure they will bring back different powerful portable amp, different name, probably a bit stronger, but for no less then 600 bucks.
Seems all companies are axing there good crap, simply to come back with something similar but 3 times the price
Cayin had the c5, it was very strong, it was a few hundred bucks, it's been killed a little while back, now they are bringing the c9, for like 5 or 10 thousand dollars.....
All companies doing the same, apple has revolutionized our industry once again....
But sheeple will buy there crap faithfully, without questioning
Actually started a while back when Iriver decided to change its name and up the prices by more then triple
And it worked, I have met a few people that beleive nothing can beat an astel&kernn, but anyone who has tried ibasso or cayin higher end knows its just marketing
I was actually asked to leave a local audio store because I tested astell against ibasso and cayin, but didn't buy anything except for a 2.5mmbalanced plug
The dude turned red in the face
He thought he was about to earn a rent payment.
What can I say, the store charges 250 for a pair of m50x, almost 300 for Beyer dt770 pro and 200 for mdr7506

I know most audiophile are audio fools but the prices they have are nuts.

 

[runssical]

Well I am sure they will bring back different powerful portable amp, different name, probably a bit stronger, but for no less then 600 bucks.
Seems all companies are axing there good crap, simply to come back with something similar but 3 times the price
Cayin had the c5, it was very strong, it was a few hundred bucks, it's been killed a little while back, now they are bringing the c9, for like 5 or 10 thousand dollars.....
All companies doing the same, apple has revolutionized our industry once again....
But sheeple will buy there crap faithfully, without questioning
Actually started a while back when Iriver decided to change its name and up the prices by more then triple
And it worked, I have met a few people that believe nothing can beat an astel&kernn, but anyone who has tried ibasso or cayin higher end knows its just marketing
I was actually asked to leave a local audio store because I tested astell against ibasso and cayin, but didn't buy anything except for a 2.5mmbalanced plug
The dude turned red in the face
He thought he was about to earn a rent payment.
What can I say, the store charges 250 for a pair of m50x, almost 300 for Beyer dt770 pro and 200 for mdr7506

I know most audiophile are audio fools but the prices they have are nuts.

I doubt we'll see a new amp-only portable from FiiO. I reached out to the company a couple months ago and the representative explained to me that they don't see a market for portable amps anymore. I don't think we can lay all the blame on these companies. The major smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are killing off the headphone/aux jacks on their phones. They're in affect setting the tone downstream for these audio companies and the focus has shifted to AIO products that can recieve a digital signal over USB. Bluetooth headphones have also improved in the past 4-5 years which undoubtedly puts a dent in sales demand for mobile separates.

I would grab myself an iFi xCan if it weren't for it's fragile 2.5mm jack. Looks like a significant step up from the A5.

 

[Themilkman46290]

I doubt we'll see a new amp-only portable from FiiO. I reached out to the company a couple months ago and the representative explained to me that they don't see a market for portable amps anymore. I don't think we can lay all the blame on these companies. The major smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are killing off the headphone/aux jacks on their phones. They're in affect setting the tone downstream for these audio companies and the focus has shifted to AIO products that can recieve a digital signal over USB. Bluetooth headphones have also improved in the past 4-5 years which undoubtedly puts a dent in sales demand for mobile separates.

I would grab myself an iFi xCan if it weren't for it's fragile 2.5mm jack. Looks like a significant step up from the A5.

Yeah, you are right, but I can't say I completely agree, seems the majority want Bluetooth (doesn't really make sense, it's still not at all on the same level) WiFi, android, playstore.........
Honestly, I don't get it, like let's pay 300-700 dollar player, with a dac chip capable of native dsd Decoding, but then we put android that will reduce sound quality, stream through tidal, then listen to it on Bluetooth...........

But I guess if your listening to horribly mastered noise that was compressed into MP3 files before being released (death grips) or music with no dynamic range (pretty much everything made after the 90's) then it doesn't matter
And once again, the apple crowd has spoke, bunch of sheeple, everytime those asses at apple figure out how to screw you over, all there overly narcissistic fans race to buy it, causing the industry to shift into a crappy direction.

So they make a phone without removable battery, then kill the headphone jack, the battery in there devices tend to be smaller then most, so you will need to charge atleast everyday, if you listen to music, you will need to charge twice a day, most iPhone lovers keep a power bank........

So one of my apple loving friends tells me I should get rid of all the wired headphones because its very inconvenient, he carries his airpods, a power bank, USB cable and phone, I charges it constantly.

I carry a pair of wired earbuds and my ibasso, and a phone...
My phones battery last all day, and so does my player, and I don't have a power bank..
Not to mention that battery only has 500 cycles so if you charge twice a day x 365 days = dying battery
So now iPhone sheeple need a new $1.500 phone every year because apples marketing is geared towards people who mainly either have an inferiority complex (constant need to show they have nice things, wanting to be part of a group of "elites" , judging people based on material things) or they are teenage girls (according to statistics, around 70% of there customer base)

It wouldn't be that bad, but I was recently banned from this no bull budget audiophile group because it seems apples pr & marketing had paid for some promotion, so when they were pushing apples new headphones saying that these headphones are true audiophile quality, and that these headphones had closed the gap between wired and Bluetooth, I called bull, they tried to argue, I stated that 700 dollar disposable apple headphones made by beats are not budget headphones nor are they audiophile and I was banned, with there last comment being that these are budget because the headphones are the best Bluetooth headphones ever made.......

So I realised soon there won't be good wired gear, or strong amps, so I decided to by an old a5, fix it up, drop a new battery in it and change out the muses for something more transparent

 

[runssical]

Well I am sure they will bring back different powerful portable amp, different name, probably a bit stronger, but for no less then 600 bucks.
Seems all companies are axing there good crap, simply to come back with something similar but 3 times the price
Cayin had the c5, it was very strong, it was a few hundred bucks, it's been killed a little while back, now they are bringing the c9, for like 5 or 10 thousand dollars.....
All companies doing the same, apple has revolutionized our industry once again....
But sheeple will buy there crap faithfully, without questioning
Actually started a while back when Iriver decided to change its name and up the prices by more then triple
And it worked, I have met a few people that beleive nothing can beat an astel&kernn, but anyone who has tried ibasso or cayin higher end knows its just marketing
I was actually asked to leave a local audio store because I tested astell against ibasso and cayin, but didn't buy anything except for a 2.5mmbalanced plug
The dude turned red in the face
He thought he was about to earn a rent payment.
What can I say, the store charges 250 for a pair of m50x, almost 300 for Beyer dt770 pro and 200 for mdr7506

I know most audiophile are audio fools but the prices they have are nuts.

Never been an audio store. Thanks for the amusing story.

 

[runssical]

@Themilkman46290
I think I found the battery:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PL514746P-...-/363217403200?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I misplaced my A5 battery. You'll have to check yours to confirm it matches the specs and dimensions.

 

[Themilkman46290]

@Themilkman46290
I think I found the battery:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PL514746P-...-/363217403200?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

I misplaced my A5 battery. You'll have to check yours to confirm it matches the specs and dimensions.

Similar size but it's the wrong voltage, if it was 3.5mm thick it would be slim enough to stack 3 and get 11.1v .
I am pretty sure it will need to be made, not a big deal, but we will have to find where to get batteries custom made.
I remember some sellers on AE that will do custom betteries, but will have to figure out which one sells the best quality goods.

I know that I could get it locally but it will be the same quality and 3 times the price