The FiiO X1 Discussion and Help and Support Thread |192K/24B|100mW | LO | inline remote

[fourrobert13]

Hi guys, im currently using sansa sports. Thought of upgrading to Fiio X1 after going through the review. But i came across some complain regarding the scrollwheel. Is the issue that bad? Kindly help me out guys...

It's not an issue IMO.  I used a Sansa Fuze for a long time and it had a scroll wheel, so I'm used to it.  I think you'll be very pleased with the X1.

 

[dby2011]

   
Just tested it with Pink Floyd's "the Wall".
 
Works perfectly with ALAC and FLAC.  With aac there is a micro gap - sounds like a stutter.  It's never bothered me - but if you're a little 'OCD" about perfect gapless, then you may find it annoying.

 
I've been trying to archive my CDs (500+) the last month.  After a lot of testing I also determined 256 aac to be the best codec for my ears too- I can't really tell the difference between 256 aac and FLAC.  I have been using dbpoweramp to rip my cds in FLAC and 256 aac (using the fdk-aac encoder). I am about half way there now and just noticed there is a small "tick" between tracks with aac on the X1 even with gapless turned on.  I did some testing with FLAC and mp3 and found FLAC has no "tick" but mp3 sometimes "ticks" between songs.  What I found out with mp3 is, if you play a song from the very start it usually transitions to the next with no "tick" noise, if you fast forward to the end of a mp3 track to see if it "ticks" before the next song it usually will.  That is with using the LAME mp3 encoder btw. Not sure what is going on there. Anyway, now I am not sure if I am going to keep using aac or just switch to mp3 once I am done because of this issue.  My goal is to store away all my CDs and just use DAPS with my home stereos.  The line out from the X1 seems to sound fantastic to me.  I have 2 stereos in the house and am trying to decide what to do.  Is getting something other than a X1 really going to sound that much better when you just want to use the line out?  I am not sure if I should just get a second X1 and another 128gb sd card or spring for a new X3 or X5.  I am thinking the X5 is kind of a waste unless I want to use FLAC (then I would need the 2 sdcard slots), but after my testing I am not sure I see the need to use FLAC for listening.   

 

[Brooko]

@dby2011 - unfortunately the answer I'll give you is probably not the one you'll want .....
 

• Does the X5 sound better than the X1 - yep, it pretty much does across the board.  If that is important to you, it'll be worth the extra. The differences aren't huge, but in my side-by-side testing it's there.  The other advantage is the 2nd micro SD-card - which means you could then switch to FLAC
• On the gapless - its only really going to affect gapless albums - so it depends on how many you have, and how important it is to you.  Its different for me - because I don't use any of my Fiios as the main players in my home system.  For that I use my PC > micro iDSD set-up.  On my home system, I think the gaps in lossless albums would become annoying after a while to me - if I was in your position.  They don't annoy me that much when I'm on the go - but that's a different environment.

 
So - what it comes down to is what is important to you.  If you are happy with the X1 (great little player), and can put up with the micro stutters in gapless with aac - then you're all set.
 
If the gaps get to you - you need another solution.  The two most obvious are:
 
* switch to FLAC and get youself an X5
* get an iPod classic and a LOD cable - so you can run lineout to your system of choice.

 

[castleofargh]

 

   
Just tested it with Pink Floyd's "the Wall".
 
Works perfectly with ALAC and FLAC.  With aac there is a micro gap - sounds like a stutter.  It's never bothered me - but if you're a little 'OCD" about perfect gapless, then you may find it annoying.

 
I've been trying to archive my CDs (500+) the last month.  After a lot of testing I also determined 256 aac to be the best codec for my ears too- I can't really tell the difference between 256 aac and FLAC.  I have been using dbpoweramp to rip my cds in FLAC and 256 aac (using the fdk-aac encoder). I am about half way there now and just noticed there is a small "tick" between tracks with aac on the X1 even with gapless turned on.  I did some testing with FLAC and mp3 and found FLAC has no "tick" but mp3 sometimes "ticks" between songs.  What I found out with mp3 is, if you play a song from the very start it usually transitions to the next with no "tick" noise, if you fast forward to the end of a mp3 track to see if it "ticks" before the next song it usually will.  That is with using the LAME mp3 encoder btw. Not sure what is going on there. Anyway, now I am not sure if I am going to keep using aac or just switch to mp3 once I am done because of this issue.  My goal is to store away all my CDs and just use DAPS with my home stereos.  The line out from the X1 seems to sound fantastic to me.  I have 2 stereos in the house and am trying to decide what to do.  Is getting something other than a X1 really going to sound that much better when you just want to use the line out?  I am not sure if I should just get a second X1 and another 128gb sd card or spring for a new X3 or X5.  I am thinking the X5 is kind of a waste unless I want to use FLAC (then I would need the 2 sdcard slots), but after my testing I am not sure I see the need to use FLAC for listening.   

mp3 is at fault, read about how it is with gapless in general and the reason why it's a problem. true gapless mp3 is a challenge and not everybody does it perfectly.
if you have live albums, or classical stuff, you take that and put it into FLAC. or if you really care about the storage space, you make 1 single mp3 file of those albums. you pick your poison. what do you need most?
me as I use several daps from several brands, I have been doing a little bit of both for years. to the point that I had to convert some tracks to test the gapless for my review of the X1 ^_^.

 

[dbdynsty25]

I've been using my X1 quite often of late, plugged in via Line Out to my Oppo HA-2 and listening w/ the Oppo PM-3s.  I find the combo of the three to be quite good overall.  I've been trying to decide if I wanted to keep my DX90 I like this combo so much and sure enough, last night I came to the conclusion, I like the X1s/HA2 combo better than the DX90 alone.  So the DX90 is up for sale.  
 
I guess I just prefer the FIIO house sound even though I'm well aware that the DX90 is a better sounding device overall.  I just don't think it's worth 300 dollars more.  Plus, the X1 is quite a bit smaller so I can use it with my GR07s to take to the gym.  The size and weight of the DX90 makes that prohibitive IMO.
 
So yeah...another fantastic FIIO product that keeps getting better w/ firmware updates.  Now I gotta decide if I want to audition my buddies X3ii.  Haha.  Addiction.
 

 

[warrior1975]

Just dusted the lil guy off, been a while. Battery still strong. Hooked my Fostex TH900 to it. Have to say it sounds incredible.

Going to use the line out and hook it up to my woo wa6 out of curiosity. Plenty of power already.

I could see myself grabbing this over my AK240 with the Fostex contingent upon my mood. Bass is thumping... Awesome synergy for sure.

 

[riposte]

It's hard to describe for me, there is something with X1 sound quality, now I'm prefer listening to X1 over to E10K

 

[OctroN]

Hello guys
 
I know my question will sound a bit noobish, but i`m new in this field.
 
I just purchased my first lossless player ( x1 ), which was an upgrade from an ipod nano, and i paired it with my Pistons 2.0 IEM`s.
 
The sound is pretty good, my only problem with it is that on some tracks i can hear some rustling noise, like you would hear on the old vinyls. At first i thought it was the player or the headphones but the sound is only present on some of the tracks.
 
What is there to be done so i can get a clear sound ?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hello guys
 
I know my question will sound a bit noobish, but i`m new in this field.
 
I just purchased my first lossless player ( x1 ), which was an upgrade from an ipod nano, and i paired it with my Pistons 2.0 IEM`s.
 
The sound is pretty good, my only problem with it is that on some tracks i can hear some rustling noise, like you would hear on the old vinyls. At first i thought it was the player or the headphones but the sound is only present on some of the tracks.
 
What is there to be done so i can get a clear sound ?

 
If it's only there on some tracks then the problem is in the recording, in which case, the only solution will be to buy better copies of those recordings if there are any. Where did you get those tracks from? If you got them from torrents then that's easily suspect.

 

[OctroN]

   
If it's only there on some tracks then the problem is in the recording, in which case, the only solution will be to buy better copies of those recordings if there are any. Where did you get those tracks from? If you got them from torrents then that's easily suspect.

 
You suspected right
 
Well then i need to change my flac "dealer".

 

[x RELIC x]

Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[Rocko1]

Just got the X1 and had two questions. At times, just before a track starts, there will be a couple of clicks, or short static sounds. Doesn't happen all the time, usually when going into another folder. Is this normal?
 
Also, the scroll wheel seems to miss a step every so often, more so when scrolling slow. Fiio said this is normal. Seems strange.
 
Other than that I love the sound, great little dap.

 

[dbdynsty25]

  Also, the scroll wheel seems to miss a step every so often, more so when scrolling slow. Fiio said this is normal. Seems strange.
 
Other than that I love the sound, great little dap.

 
Biggest complaint most people have is the scroll wheel's accuracy.  It's even worse on my X3II which I find amazing since it was released after the X1.  Wonder if I've just got a bad unit.  I don't hear any of the clicking or static.

 

[Rocko1]

   
Biggest complaint most people have is the scroll wheel's accuracy.  It's even worse on my X3II which I find amazing since it was released after the X1.  Wonder if I've just got a bad unit.  I don't hear any of the clicking or static.

Thanks.
 
The clicking happens when switching tracks that have different formats and or bit rates. Going from .mp3 to 24/192 .flac will produce 2 or 3 fast little click sounds before the track begins.

 

[fourrobert13]

 
Thanks.
 
The clicking happens when switching tracks that have different formats and or bit rates. Going from .mp3 to 24/192 .flac will produce 2 or 3 fast little click sounds before the track begins.

Check and make sure you have gapless playback turned on.  Most folks have reported the clicking with MP3's, so that could be your issue since you are going back and forth between formats.  If you search this thread, you'll see this has come up before.