[Muenchener]

 
you can't compare the X3 to the x5...  the X3 volume goes to 60 and the X5 goes to 120...    so a x3 -30 is about the same as a x5 - 60....

Even changing the scales, he's listening the X5 at 75/95, about 30-50% louder that the equivalent on the X3.

 

[tjm6983]

you can't compare the X3 to the x5...  the X3 volume goes to 60 and the X5 goes to 120...    so a x3 -30 is about the same as a x5 - 60....

That was the point. With the X3 50% of max was good. With the X5 it's more like 75-80% of max. Just doesn't seem right.

 

[Dixter]

the X3 has more power and it also has a hot line out compared to the X5.... 

 

[Age8E]

  I'm sure James@Fiio will be delighted if all buyers whom are not happy about something just return the units by the hundreds. Thanks for the insightful and helpful advice.

 
Well, it's just that you've complained about this multiple times already, and there's nothing FiiO or anyone else can do about it. They can't boost the power of the amp that's built in. You're using high impedance headphones, and the X5 is never going to drive those without some compromise in volume (or an external amp). And the problem doesn't even seem to be that the X5 doesn't get loud enough for you to listen, but that you dislike how high you have to turn it up.
 
So all there seems to be left for you to do is to decide whether or not this issue is a dealbreaker for you. No? Just because it's a hard-line observation doesn't make it unhelpful.

 

[Muenchener]

   
Well, it's just that you've complained about this multiple times already, and there's nothing FiiO or anyone else can do about it. They can't boost the power of the amp that's built in. You're using high impedance headphones, and the X5 is never going to drive those without some compromise in volume (or an external amp). And the problem doesn't even seem to be that the X5 doesn't get loud enough for you to listen, but that you dislike how high you have to turn it up.
 
So all there seems to be left for you to do is to decide whether or not this issue is a dealbreaker for you. No? Just because it's a hard-line observation doesn't make it unhelpful.

Thanks for a much more useful response.

I'm not complaining per se, but joining quite a few more people with the same questioning about the X5 ability to drive different headphones. These discussions are what the forums are all about. The feedback, problems, issues, questions, etc. will help Fiio fix the X5 and bring us a better X7. 

I do not have only high impedance headphones. In fact, the ones that I have, the X5 can't properly drive them at all. I'm not even insisting on the X5 driving a 250 ohms headphone. The issue is with IEMs.
And Fiio MAY do something about it, like NOT lowering the volume by 6db only because I feel like doing some small EQ adjustment, for instance. And, perhaps, there is something else that can be done in order no to be using the 80% of the total power to drive some IEMs?

Today, I used my Beyers DT 1350, and had to max out the volume, and those are not high impedance headphones; It's not right to need to add a Fiio E12 in order to drive them...
 

 

[Age8E]

  I do not have only high impedance headphones. In fact, the ones that I have, the X5 can't properly drive them at all. I'm not even insisting on the X5 driving a 250 ohms headphone. The issue is with IEMs.
And Fiio MAY do something about it, like NOT lowering the volume by 6db only because I feel like doing some small EQ adjustment, for instance. And, perhaps, there is something else that can be done in order no to be using the 80% of the total power to drive some IEMs?

Today, I used my Beyers DT 1350, and had to max out the volume, and those are not high impedance headphones; It's not right to need to add a Fiio E12 in order to drive them...
 

 
They're not going to remove the EQ headroom. That would result in clipping at the high end, as others here have explained, and that's not a desirable outcome.
 
As for having to put the volume at 80% to drive a pair of IEMs... all I can do is go back to the "You may have a bad unit" possibility. I've used my own unit with Grado SR325i, Senn HD-580, and ATH-CKS99 earbuds, and I've never gone above 70 out of 120 on the thing to achieve what I consider a fairly loud volume. And even 70 was mainly to compensate for tracks that were quieter than average (another reason to vote for ReplayGain on Bugzilla). That's on high gain, mind, but even on low gain, the equivalent number wouldn't reach 80%.
 
Look around here: a couple other people have reported dissatisfaction with the volume level, but it's not a widely reported issue at all. So maybe there are just a few duds out there. Why not get in touch with FiiO directly?

 

[Muenchener]

   
They're not going to remove the EQ headroom. That would result in clipping at the high end, as others here have explained, and that's not a desirable outcome.
 
As for having to put the volume at 80% to drive a pair of IEMs... all I can do is go back to the "You may have a bad unit" possibility. I've used my own unit with Grado SR325i, Senn HD-580, and ATH-CKS99 earbuds, and I've never gone above 70 out of 120 on the thing to achieve what I consider a fairly loud volume. And even 70 was mainly to compensate for tracks that were quieter than average (another reason to vote for ReplayGain on Bugzilla). That's on high gain, mind, but even on low gain, the equivalent number wouldn't reach 80%.
 
Look around here: a couple other people have reported dissatisfaction with the volume level, but it's not a widely reported issue at all. So maybe there are just a few duds out there. Why not get in touch with FiiO directly?

I'm pretty sure that the ones that are questioning the volume levels of the X5 do not have duds. It would be very unlikely to have amp sections that because of malfunctioning provide a few db less of SPL. Perhaps a pre-amp problem?

What I am trying to answer/discover is if there might be more than one type of amp section used in the X5, and some of us got the quieter one. There is a huge margin between your fairly-loud-70-volume-level and my barely-adequate-110, all the rest being almost equal (high gain, no EQ, pretty similar IEMs and full size headphones, etc.).

Another possibility is that just some people have a much better (or sensitive) hearing that others. This might be the answer to this obvious volume inconsistencies using similar headphones.

My 32 ohms Beyers 770 sound just right (exquisitely right, BTW) using high gain and volume at 120. Something must be wrong with that, and it can only be either the X5 or my hearing ability (that otherwise is OK with an iPhone at 50% volume).

I think that doing this debate in public is much more useful than just sending a support ticket. This is the way many, many things get discovered, fixed and improved.

 

[ClieOS]

  Thanks for a much more useful response.

I'm not complaining per se, but joining quite a few more people with the same questioning about the X5 ability to drive different headphones. These discussions are what the forums are all about. The feedback, problems, issues, questions, etc. will help Fiio fix the X5 and bring us a better X7. 

I do not have only high impedance headphones. In fact, the ones that I have, the X5 can't properly drive them at all. I'm not even insisting on the X5 driving a 250 ohms headphone. The issue is with IEMs.
And Fiio MAY do something about it, like NOT lowering the volume by 6db only because I feel like doing some small EQ adjustment, for instance. And, perhaps, there is something else that can be done in order no to be using the 80% of the total power to drive some IEMs?

Today, I used my Beyers DT 1350, and had to max out the volume, and those are not high impedance headphones; It's not right to need to add a Fiio E12 in order to drive them...
 

 
I have a DT1350 as well, and really can't listen to it with X5's volume passing 80/120 (in low gain) unless I want to damage my hearing. 60/120  is more like the normal volume I'll use with DT1350.
 
Given the situation you have, I'll say something must not be right with your X5. I'll suggest you do a simple test - find yourself a multimeter that can measure AC (or AC volt meter), load your X5 with a 1kHz pure tone (you can generate a wav file using Audacity), play it back with maximum volume and measure the output on both the headphone out and line-out (use a short 3.5mm interconnect cable if you must), then report back. The number you should get is around 1.5~1.6Vrms (or ~4.5Vpp) in low gain.

 

[Age8E]

  I'm pretty sure that the ones that are questioning the volume levels of the X5 do not have duds. It would be very unlikely to have amp sections that because of malfunctioning provide a few db less of SPL. Perhaps a pre-amp problem?

What I am trying to answer/discover is if there might be more than one type of amp section used in the X5, and some of us got the quieter one. There is a huge margin between your fairly-loud-70-volume-level and my barely-adequate-110, all the rest being almost equal (high gain, no EQ, pretty similar IEMs and full size headphones, etc.).

Another possibility is that just some people have a much better (or sensitive) hearing that others. This might be the answer to this obvious volume inconsistencies using similar headphones.

My 32 ohms Beyers 770 sound just right (exquisitely right, BTW) using high gain and volume at 120. Something must be wrong with that, and it can only be either the X5 or my hearing ability (that otherwise is OK with an iPhone at 50% volume).

I think that doing this debate in public is much more useful than just sending a support ticket. This is the way many, many things get discovered, fixed and improved.

 
32 Ohms is what most of my headphones are at. A lack of hearing sensitivity on your end is explained away by the fact that you don't have an issue with your iPhone. So unless you've got a defective unit or a somehow different unit, I'm not sure what other explanation there is. And both of those, again, are issues you'd really be best consulting FiiO directly about. All Joe and James can really do is have you contact support.
 
What's your result when you have EQ turned off? Does it affect the volume dramatically, or just a little?

 

[lee730]

Does anyone know which was the original firmware that shipped with the demo units? I want to try revert to that firmware. I don't like when adjusting the volume it skips to a new track. Also curious if the signature of the original firmware was more to my liking or not.
 
Lol my unit smells toxic. Smells of melted plastic .

 

[ClieOS]

v1.0 I believe, or at least that's the one I have on my first batch X5.

 

[lee730]

Is there a link to it? I'd like to try test it out and see if I prefer it or not.

 

[ClieOS]

Don't think they ever released v1.0, since it is coming with every new X5 then. However, V1.1 can be found here: http://dl.vmall.com/c0wa28ham9
 
Note that all the pre-2.0 come with the older audio engine, and you might suffer a loss of SQ.

 

[lee730]

Thanks ClieOS. I'll give it a try and decide if I like it better or not. Kinda wished to try the 1.00 firmware though .

 

[pe3ucTop]

  Does anyone know which was the original firmware that shipped with the demo units? I want to try revert to that firmware. I don't like when adjusting the volume it skips to a new track. Also curious if the signature of the original firmware was more to my liking or not.
 
Lol my unit smells toxic. Smells of melted plastic .

Mine came with 1.20. Adjusting the volume skips to a new track in all editions of the firmware when in lockscreen, as far as I know. This is only in lock screen, and only if you hold the volume buttons. If you are not in lock screen the volume buttons act as you would expect - adjusting the volume, and when in lock screen mode the volume buttons act as volume buttons if you tap on the buttons(quickly press and release, then repeat, etc. until you get the desired volume).