[jbr1971]

Can't take 5 steps with this player in my pocket without repeated skips and replays. Impossible to walk with it, just the pressure of my fleece shifting when I move pushes the buttons. I hope FiiO reconsiders adjusting the lockscreens.

After reading about all of the issues with carrying the X5 in pockets I picked up a mobile phone belt clip case to put it in. So far it works great. Granted I can only access the volume buttons depending on how the player is inserted in the case, but it beats skips, etc.
 
I got the Rocketfish Mobile Leather Hip Case for larger sized phones (model: RF-UL2BL) from Best Buy for $10 on clearance.
It holds 5" phones so it is plenty big for the player, & fits with my IEMs connected.

 

[Mike46]

Hey you guys!!!
Just a question, if any of you are running the x5 with HD 598 with or with the fiio e12
And how are finding sound differance, with the Gain high or low?

 

[bdub77]

Anybody getting random player freezes at the end of tracks? Happens on mine every 5-10 tracks. The only way I can unfreeze it is by shutting it down or unplugging the headphones. Firmware 1.23 and mostly 320 mp3.

 

[gandt10]

Hey Graham,
A nice review!
Good to hear some alternate viewpoints on the UI.
Interesting observations on the bitrates of the files, mate!
One little nitpick, I think you are referring to the whole recording/mixing/mastering process when you refer to the well mastered recordings.

Yes that's fair comment I guess I mean everything that makes up the quality of the file that is outside the scope of the particular player especially initial recording quality.

 

[zilch0md]

I full formatted (as opposed to quick format) my cards in PC. Then formatted again in X5.
X5 renamed my card as TF-1 or something like that (I don't recall exactly).
Took the card out & popped it back into my PC. Renamed the card to my preferred name.
Voila! Done. This doesn't affect how the X5 interacts with the card, but is extremely helpful in identifying the cards when swapping on PC.
Hope this helps.

 
Brilliant!  

 

[Feedbacker]

   
b) A well mastered recording can sound utterly astonishing - amazing levels of detail, tonal accuracy and a lack of congestion even on the nosiest stuff. (WARNING PROG ROCK REFERENCE One particular favourite is Pawn Hearts - for the handful of people who might know what I talking about I can hear everything that's going on in even the most psychotic parts of "plague of lighthouse keepers" and for the first time ever I have heard Robert Fripp's guitar parts)
 
FWIW
 
 
Graham

My hero!!! Best band ever!

 

[akhliber]

 
Looks like we should vote on the bug to show it's a wanted "improvement" i did it already you should do the same as well as everyone who has this problem...

 
 
I just voted on this one myself (button remapping.)  I have to say though, the X5 may have a few quirks I need to get used to, but I am blown away by the sound on this thing.  I'm using mine with beyerdynamic DT 880's (250 ohms.)  I've got a FiiO e17, but haven't tried it with the X5 yet.  I plan to try that tonight, but I see so many folks discussing the e12 being a great match for the X5...
Has anyone tried the X5 + e17 combo? 
 
I have to say that I personally love the UI setup.  It would be nice to be able to remap the buttons, but I prefer this UI over my old iPod Classic any day.  I do hope the 5800 file limit issue is addressed in a future firmware update, but I have to say that I don't mind using the file browser at all.  I'm sure I'll prefer "browse by category" once the file limit isn't an issue, but I don't find folder browsing to be annoying.  I was preparing myself to be disappointed in the UI, but I find it pretty intuitive.  The button mapping, not so much, but all things considered, I'm in love with this thing.
 
Also, I wouldn't claim to be an audiophile, just a picky listener, but it seems to me that the X5 is definitely superior to the e17 as a DAC.  Thoughts on this?  I don't trust that my ears are on par with the majority of the folks here. 

 

[Loquah]

Hey you guys!!!
Just a question, if any of you are running the x5 with HD 598 with or with the fiio e12
And how are finding sound differance, with the Gain high or low?

 
Hi Mike,
 
I'm using E12DIY, but not HD598s. Not sure if you're asking about gain on the amp or the X5, but would suggest that either low or high would both likely work with the 598s on either device. The only difference will be how high you turn up the volume.
 
Just in case you're not aware, the X5 gain setting doesn't change the line out.

 

[gandt10]

  My hero!!! Best band ever!

Well then find the Japanese SHM version of the remaster and enjoy - the looks I got singing along whilst walking the dog across Sudbury meadows ...I hope that I'm not DAMMMNNNNED...

 

[LimeCoke]

  I found a playback bug with wave+cue format.
 
Let's say the whole track last 10 mins, so the cue file will be sth like this
 
Track 1 0:00-0:59
Track 2 1:00-1:59
Track 3 2:00-2:59
Track 4 3:00-3:59
etc.....
 
Let's say I want to keep repeating Track 3, when the X5 repeat the track, instead of playback from 2:00-2:59, it playback 2:01-3:00.
 
So what you listen is the beginning of the track is skipped, but the last thing u hear is the beginning of Track 4.
 
However, you fast forward to the end of the Track, X5 will not have this problem. So to test the bug, you have to let X5 play the whole track.

I'm having the same problem. Hope this will be fixed in the next firmware update.

 

[iscorpio71]

Hi everyone...
 
Got the X5 a couple of days now and compared to any portable I've used is the best sounding., of course it is on another league with my other portables. I'm very impressed.
I have not use it with an amp yet (although I have E11 and a couple more) got it in high gain and it sounds very good that I've not even tried it with an amp, as I just mentioned. But I'm reading that a lot are coupling it with the E12? is it that much of a difference.
 
What I've noticed is if I long press the volume key it jumps to the next song!? guess is a bug that has to be fixed...
 
Njoy the X5!

 

[Loquah]

The biggest difference I find with E12 is a deeper, darker (as in black) stage so all the instruments are even more defined and present.

As for the volume thing, I think it's a deliberate feature to help skip tracks when it's in your bag or pocket. I love it for that purpose so hope it was deliberate and that it stays.

 

[goldendarko]

Depends on what headphones you are pairing it with, the X5 is great by itself with my SE846's, but doesn't have enough juice to drive my LCD-2's to their potential. Paired with the E12 it's almost as good as my desktop setup.

 

[Loquah]

  Depends on what headphones you are pairing it with, the X5 is great by itself with my SE846's, but doesn't have enough juice to drive my LCD-2's to their potential. Paired with the E12 it's almost as good as my desktop setup.

 
+1 to outstanding, near-desktop-quality sound when paired with E12

 

[ClassicalViola]

So if the X5 sounds outstanding with the E12, would it sound even more so with the E12DIY (for fair comparison let's use it with the OPA1611 + LME49600 combo inside)? Has anyone tried pairing the two?