[ClieOS]

Quote:

ClieOS,
 
Thanks for all your help on this thread here.
Can you comment on the noise floor of X3?
How "black" is the background when using low impedance BA IEMs?  AK100's are known for how silent they are, and was wondering if X3 achieves a similar level of low noise floor.  

 
I know for a fact that AK100 is extremely clean in noise floor, but the trick they did is not to implement any actual gain stage (or amp stage in the matter) as you would do in a typical DAP. It is a claver way around the problem but also has problem of its own (lack of power, for an example).
 
Anyway, I should begin to gather all my thought / previous impression and hopefully the review will be posted by weekend.

 

[gopanthersgo1]

Can you put it in your $200 portable amps show case, as it is under $200?

 

[gopanthersgo1]

Can you put it in your $200 portable amps show case, as it is under $200?

 

[AmberOzL]

James, I have a small question, if you can say a word or two, I would appreciate that.
 
So you guys stated that X3 is not the state of the art, the build quality is not the top level esp. compared to your E12 port. amp. Well I was about to buy E12 but then I saw this thread and learned the power of the X3 and decided it would be more than enough.
 
What I see from the photos and what people say, the build quality seems already very good. If it is not your 'top level' build quality, can we say that X5 as you stated FiiO's Reference DAP will have much better build quality compared to X3? Where would you put it compared to E12 for example?
 
If it is an early question since X5 is kind of secret for the moment, I would understand and apologize for being impatient.
 
Cheers

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

James, I have a small question, if you can say a word or two, I would appreciate that.
 
So you guys stated that X3 is not the state of the art, the build quality is not the top level esp. compared to your E12 port. amp. Well I was about to buy E12 but then I saw this thread and learned the power of the X3 and decided it would be more than enough.
 
What I see from the photos and what people say, the build quality seems already very good. If it is not your 'top level' build quality, can we say that X5 as you stated FiiO's Reference DAP will have much better build quality compared to X3? Where would you put it compared to E12 for example?
 
If it is an early question since X5 is kind of secret for the moment, I would understand and apologize for being impatient.
 
Cheers

 
yes, X5 will be the best build quality and ID design in our line up, but the price also the most expensive one. lol

 

[AmberOzL]

Quote:

 
yes, X5 will be the best build quality and ID design in our line up, but the price also the most expensive one. lol

For the right features and SQ, you have all my wallet James 

 As a music lover and somebody who can't live without listening to music, as long as I have money to pay I really don't care how much it costs. The only important thing is the device should satisfy my ears 

 
Well, you brought some good news to me and my day started nice. Thank you for your kind answer.

 

[fp581]

any idea on the ETA of the x5? or how much it's gonna be?
my player is dead and i'm going nuts without my music... 
 
if its in the long distance i'll just buy the 2 of them lol

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

 
I know for a fact that AK100 is extremely clean in noise floor, but the trick they did is not to implement any actual gain stage (or amp stage in the matter) as you would do in a typical DAP. It is a claver way around the problem but also has problem of its own (lack of power, for an example).
 
Anyway, I should begin to gather all my thought / previous impression and hopefully the review will be posted by weekend.

 
the build in output resistor ( 22 ohms ) also help to decrease the noise, if you connect a 32 ohms headphones to AK100, the headphones only get 2/3 noise.

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

any idea on the ETA of the x5? or how much it's gonna be?
my player is dead and i'm going nuts without my music... 
 
if its in the long distance i'll just buy the 2 of them lol

 
 
our plan is release X5 before the end of 2013, so far it is too early to decide the price, but it should about $400.

 

[fp581]

so its in the far distance, well i will just buy the x3 and then upgrade it to the x5 in 2014  
 
p.s 
i have a low ohms IE will the noise be really bad or its just gonna be on the background? 

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

so its in the far distance, well i will just buy the x3 and then upgrade it to the x5 in 2014  
 
p.s 
i have a low ohms IE will the noise be really bad or its just gonna be on the background? 

 
the noise is very low, better than the PO of iPhone/iPC, ClieOS also test it with SE435 which is called noise detector so don't worry about it.

 

[fp581]

cool, so just 1 more month with a crappy mp3 player

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Can you put it in your $200 portable amps show case, as it is under $200?

This isn't an amp....

 
Quote:

What I see from the photos and what people say, the build quality seems already very good. If it is not your 'top level' build quality, can we say that X5 as you stated FiiO's Reference DAP will have much better build quality compared to X3? Where would you put it compared to E12 for example?

 
FiiO is aiming for iPhone-like build quality so anything lesser is deemed as not being the top. Aiming high is good but at this stage, I think there is nothing to really complain about the build quality of the player.

 

[AmberOzL]

Quote:

 
the build in output resistor ( 22 ohms ) also help to decrease the noise, if you connect a 32 ohms headphones to AK100, the headphones only get 2/3 noise.

James, will you keep the low output impedance in X5 too? I always use over ear headphones but their lack of portability pushes me towards to IEM and CIEM, in that case I will need something like less than 1 or 2 output impedance in the DAP I think. AK100 got a lot of complaints about that. On the other hand DX100 made everyone happy with its low output impedance from iem to full sized cans users.

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

James, will you keep the low output impedance in X5 too? I always use over ear headphones but their lack of portability pushes me towards to IEM and CIEM, in that case I will need something like less than 1 or 2 output impedance in the DAP I think. AK100 got a lot of complaints about that. On the other hand DX100 made everyone happy with its low output impedance from iem to full sized cans users.

 
of course!