[Oldandcurious]

I have never ventured into a DAP world, only used my Samsung Galaxy S5 and other mobiles for my music but desparate to try and improve any quality I can. I listen to audio on the go and at home so I can't decide X3 or X1. I have a sennheiser IE80, is the X1 going to work okay with these? At home I have a fairly old creative soundworks thnx system which i'd like my DAP to also be used for

Here in the UK the X1 is about $140 and the X3 is $250 so it's close to double in price. Is it worth 2x the cost?

I also have a Fiio E06, will this do anything for my sound?

My X3 sounds "better" than my X1, but not "twice as good" Still, my X3 as DAC to my JDS Labs O2 sounds better (without the quotations). Both the X1 and the X3 are very good DAPs.

I would have settled with my EO9K+EO7K and my X1 had I never owned the X3. So, unless you want the DAC in X3, you may likely enjoy what the X1 has to offer.

 

[greenkomodo1]

Umm why doesn't the volume change!? I almost deafened myself. I turned it to 5 and pressed play but it blasted! I tried changing volume to custom but nothing. Can't currently use it as it's too loud!

 

[riposte]

Umm why doesn't the volume change!? I almost deafened myself. I turned it to 5 and pressed play but it blasted! I tried changing volume to custom but nothing. Can't currently use it as it's too loud!

 
Change at setting from line out to headphone out
use line out if you want pair it with amp

 

[clee290]

Umm why doesn't the volume change!? I almost deafened myself. I turned it to 5 and pressed play but it blasted! I tried changing volume to custom but nothing. Can't currently use it as it's too loud!

You probably have it set to line out mode. Go through the settings and look for play mode or something like that.

 

[greenkomodo1]

Thanks for that..

So some background info..I've been on a quest to improve my audio. Been through about 5 headphones and settled with Sennheiser IE80s and all I have used is mobile phones as players. I currently use my samsung galaxy s5.
 
My biggest issue was I couldn't listen to music loud (I ride the tube etc everyday) as the sound would just become muddy and i'd get horrible harshness, this is the story of my audio life so I thought it was file format... nope...headphones... nope...so my final go was a DAP..

My first album test was Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium. In FLAC of course.
 
I honestly am not blown away, I was expecting a bit more. Things sound clearer but I can thankfully listen to music louder without getting muddiness or harshness, I will say though a slight bit creeps in as the volume goes up and a slight bit of clarity goes. Will that E11k amp everyone goes on about help with this I wonder?? I think my ears are just sensitive to high frequencies or something, I've been to a lot of gigs and i've had this issue too and maybe my ears are ****ed due to the number of shows I've been too. I do notice this too at live shows if it's too loud I just can't pick out any clarity, everything blurs and sounds bad.

If anyone can offer advice which columns in the EQ I should adjust to get rid of harshness (it only occurs on very high pitches singing or high guitar sounds).

I really do wonder what an X3 and X5 would sound like.

I'm happy I can listen louder, I think I need to retrain my brain as I feel like i can sense when I'm going to get some harshness but then it doesn't really happen.
 
I actually love how light it is and its pretty easy to use. It's also nice actually having a separate device just for audio as my headphones cable is short so it's a pain if I wanted to use my phone out beforehand, and also the cable would actually work on my touchscreen so the cable would skip tracks etc so this doesn't happen on a non touch screen.
 
Anyway I'm rambling, I will test it out further.

 

[castleofargh]

  Thanks for that..

So some background info..I've been on a quest to improve my audio. Been through about 5 headphones and settled with Sennheiser IE80s and all I have used is mobile phones as players. I currently use my samsung galaxy s5.
 
My biggest issue was I couldn't listen to music loud (I ride the tube etc everyday) as the sound would just become muddy and i'd get horrible harshness, this is the story of my audio life so I thought it was file format... nope...headphones... nope...so my final go was a DAP..

My first album test was Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium. In FLAC of course.
 
I honestly am not blown away, I was expecting a bit more. Things sound clearer but I can thankfully listen to music louder without getting muddiness or harshness, I will say though a slight bit creeps in as the volume goes up and a slight bit of clarity goes. Will that E11k amp everyone goes on about help with this I wonder?? I think my ears are just sensitive to high frequencies or something, I've been to a lot of gigs and i've had this issue too and maybe my ears are ****ed due to the number of shows I've been too. I do notice this too at live shows if it's too loud I just can't pick out any clarity, everything blurs and sounds bad.

If anyone can offer advice which columns in the EQ I should adjust to get rid of harshness (it only occurs on very high pitches singing or high guitar sounds).

I really do wonder what an X3 and X5 would sound like.

I'm happy I can listen louder, I think I need to retrain my brain as I feel like i can sense when I'm going to get some harshness but then it doesn't really happen.
 
I actually love how light it is and its pretty easy to use. It's also nice actually having a separate device just for audio as my headphones cable is short so it's a pain if I wanted to use my phone out beforehand, and also the cable would actually work on my touchscreen so the cable would skip tracks etc so this doesn't happen on a non touch screen.
 
Anyway I'm rambling, I will test it out further.

I would advise you to get yourself an IEM with better isolation. that would first improve the sound by removing the outside noises a little more, secondly you would have to push the sound a little less. so it would be good for your hearing, and it might avoid whatever distortion you get when going too loud.
if you're not afraid to try a legendary earprobe with no bass(at least compared to the IE80), you could make a cheap attempt with the cheapest etymotics (mc3, mc5 or something like that for 50$). signature wise they are an anti IE80 and you can't ever hope to EQ them to sound like an IE80. so I'm warning you, if you love V shaped signature don't waste 50$.
 
anyway, when commuting I find the IE80 to let too much of the outside noise get in, so you might want to think about a better isolation somehow.

 

[greenkomodo1]

 
I would advise you to get yourself an IEM with better isolation. that would first improve the sound by removing the outside noises a little more, secondly you would have to push the sound a little less. so it would be good for your hearing, and it might avoid whatever distortion you get when going too loud.
if you're not afraid to try a legendary earprobe with no bass(at least compared to the IE80), you could make a cheap attempt with the cheapest etymotics (mc3, mc5 or something like that for 50$). signature wise they are an anti IE80 and you can't ever hope to EQ them to sound like an IE80. so I'm warning you, if you love V shaped signature don't waste 50$.
 
anyway, when commuting I find the IE80 to let too much of the outside noise get in, so you might want to think about a better isolation somehow.

I have UM Pro 10, Shure 325, and Etymotic E4rs and they all are horrible. Shure is okay but aren't that uncomfortable and that cable is a pain.

I just spent £90 on a dedicated DAP, why can't listening above 45 be a pleasant experience..

 

[Mr Trev]

@olddude   So you have a X1 & X5. When are you going to pick up a X3? Complete the family.

 

[castleofargh]

 

 
I would advise you to get yourself an IEM with better isolation. that would first improve the sound by removing the outside noises a little more, secondly you would have to push the sound a little less. so it would be good for your hearing, and it might avoid whatever distortion you get when going too loud.
if you're not afraid to try a legendary earprobe with no bass(at least compared to the IE80), you could make a cheap attempt with the cheapest etymotics (mc3, mc5 or something like that for 50$). signature wise they are an anti IE80 and you can't ever hope to EQ them to sound like an IE80. so I'm warning you, if you love V shaped signature don't waste 50$.
 
anyway, when commuting I find the IE80 to let too much of the outside noise get in, so you might want to think about a better isolation somehow.

I have UM Pro 10, Shure 325, and Etymotic E4rs and they all are horrible. Shure is okay but aren't that uncomfortable and that cable is a pain.

I just spent £90 on a dedicated DAP, why can't listening above 45 be a pleasant experience..

just tried 45 with the IE80, it's loud. I never ever listen that loud.
so I went "little scientist" again, measured the line out with my uncalibrated stuff, measured volume at 45, marked the difference(because the difference is pretty reliable apparently), clieos wrote the line out to be 1.46v, looked at the IE80 specs and hocus pocus: volume 45 on the IE80 should be around 102db.
so if I didn't mess up, I'm not sure it is recommended to wish to go higher than that. (now it's 2AM for me so I would bet my life that I did it all correctly^_^).

 

[olddude]

  @olddude   So you have a X1 & X5. When are you going to pick up a X3? Complete the family.

Nope.  My bases are covered.  

    

 

[Mr Trev]

 
Nope.  My bases are covered.  

    

C'mon, you know you want to. All the cool kids have one.

 

[olddude]

No, the cool kids have the X5.  The moms that don't know what cool is gave their kids the X3 and thought it was cool.  

 

[Mr Trev]

Ouch.

 

[Wokei]

Me X3 owner = not cool...double ouch

 

[olddude]