[Brooko]

I use EQ to drop the volume on Line Out, since my Alo Rx's gain is too high. Dropping all the EQ sliders to the bottom reduces volume a lot.

 
Fantastic idea - thanks.  Should also work when I'm testing amps that have the gain set too high & still want to use the Fiio to perform DAP function in reviews.

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

^^ lol (at the animated gif)

AsianInvasion
You might be better off with an inline volume pot than digital attenuation. Maybe a Schiit sys?

 

[Brooko]

<wierd gif> *snipped*

 
What was wrong with AI's idea?  I thought it was a very creative way of lowering the volume on the line-out.

 

[Brooko]

^^ lol

@AsianInvasion
You might be better off with an inline volume pot than digital attenuation.

 
Why?

 

[nmatheis]

I use EQ to drop the volume on Line Out, since my Alo Rx's gain is too high. Dropping all the EQ sliders to the bottom reduces volume a lot.

Fantastic idea - thanks.  Should also work when I'm testing amps that have the gain set too high & still want to use the Fiio to perform DAP function in reviews.

So, from what I remember when measurements were taken with all sliders down, the FR creeps up to 0dB on either end. So you get more sub-bass and bat-treble with EQ sliders down. Pretty sure the opposite happens with sliders all the way up - roll off.

This is all just from memory, so take it with a grain of salt and remeasure as needed...

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Digital errors/bit reduction, although if the x5 is a 32bit float it technically shouldn't effect sound quality..


Oh and I was laughing at the animated gif, not your post

Why?

 

[Brooko]

Digital errors/bit reduction, although if the x5 is a 32bit float it technically shouldn't effect sound quality..

Oh and I was laughing at the animated gif, not your post

 
Thanks  I'll measure it later. Might as well since I have the ability now.

 

[Brooko]

Aaaaand - back to the drawing board.
 
Can hook the X5 up as DAC and easily measure it.  But when I apply the EQ - it doesn't register when used as a DAC. So I tried using a recorded piece of pink noise, and that doesn't seem to play nicely with ARTA (which wants it's own generated signal).
 
Still playing around - but this might take me a little longer until I nut it out ....

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

If you can measure the eq on with band lines centered on the headphones out, line out, and coax out that would be good info for the long run.

Can't you create a file that sweeps and see how it measures? (Load the file as music onto the x5 and play from it)

 

[Brooko]

Yep - that's what I'm trying to do. Also just found out that my soundcard has a very small roll-off from 100 Hz down (0.5 dB total between 20-100 Hz), and a gradual rise (again less than 0.5 dB) around 15 kHz.  So I'm trying to null that before I go any further.

 

[ai03]

^^ lol (at the animated gif)

AsianInvasion
You might be better off with an inline volume pot than digital attenuation. Maybe a Schiit sys?

I would prefer a non-digital form of attenuation, but I didn't want to make the DAC-Amp stack any larger than it already was.

 

[Brooko]

Fixed the roll off - but yet to find a white or pink noise file that ARTA will recognise and give me a nice output signal on.  Frustrating.  If the X5 had an actual input - then it would be easy.

 

[reihead]

I'm using the X5 as dac with my laptop and an E12, thinking of getting a schiit dac, magni2.

Is the magni2 better than the X5 as a dac?

 

[514077]

  I had a couple of 'miscues' with the player recently.
 
1. the player froze and I couldn't turn it off. I had to do a quick internet search and figure out how to reboot.
 
2. I couldn't figure out why the sound quality was so muffled during a recent listen. It turns out that the EQ was turned on to the 'custom' setting. I probably just activated the EQ while scrolling through. Anyway, I de-activated the EQ and now the player sounds just as sweet as ever.
 
Seriously, the X5 just sounds so wrong with EQ activated. 

Can't tell you how many times I did that, and thought my rig sounded funny for a while.  Usually, it was because I thought I was starting my song-searching from the wrong place in the menu chain.
I just figured out from using my new DAP, that I could've saved a lot of time by hitting the top left button first.
Headslap!

 

[AndrewH13]

Fixed that for you.

The X5 original was released late 2013, so it is now almost 2 years old.  Back then, it was revolutionary in the features and SQ you got for the price.  I still regard it is very good value for money - even today.  And then when you look at what you can pick it up for - especially second hand now that newer models are out - let me just say that I disagree with you.

Name another 3-4 players with similar sonics and features, at X5 price or better.  And please take everything into account - including amplification, storage capacity, supported formats, battery life, form factor, inputs and outputs, EQ, ability to be used line-out, digital out, isolate DAC only etc.

It just struck me, that I'm not sure the original short statement without any explanation, deserved such a sensible reply!