The Fiio X5 Thread

[Mython]

   
You can actually buy it now from aliexpress.com.
 
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=fiio+x5&catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20140131121538

 
Yeah, if you don't mind paying $ 470 bucks!

 

[twister6]

I will be writing my X5 review soon (I write a lot of review in android communities, index of my work: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192333).  For now I thought you might enjoy pictures I took of this AMAZING DAP.  As they say: A picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy the visual  
 
Unfortunately, picture can't describe the sound, but take my word for it, for the last few days after receiving my X5 and RC-SE1 cables (as a replacement for W40 and UE900), I wasn't able to put this audio player down and still having a hard time wiping a smile off my face.  Honestly, I was a bit skeptical because I have a number of audiophile headphones, my music library loaded on my Galaxy Note 2, and also FiiO E18 to go along with it.  I think a lot of people are in the same boat since we all have our favorite smartphone and many head-fiers got portable amps.  So I was thinking, do I really need a dedicated DAP just to listen to music?
 
Not until you get X5 in your hands, until you feel its weight and solid built, until you touch the mechanical control wheel like a DJ spinning a vinyl, until you realize the convenience of those 4 corner buttons and 1 center button, until you look at its gorgeous display, until you start listening to your music from a flash card or streamed from you computer - then you are going to realize the added value of this unique dedicated audio player.  On the go - I got my Note 2 and E18 combo.  But when I want to sit down, relax, and enjoy my music without being bothered with email notification, app updates, and every other distraction from my smartphone, I turn the outside world off and dive into the pure quality sound coming from X5!!!
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DMinor]

   
Yeah, if you don't mind paying $ 470 bucks!

 
The 100 bucks extra will fix your anxiety disorder. Well worth it in my opinion.

 

[Mython]

  I was considering getting a E18, but if the X5 is a better USB DAC and it's a DAP too...
Does it charge through USB while it's being used as a dac on your computer?

 
 
 
 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/661411/fiio-x5-thread-info-updated-on-jan-17th-2014/3855#post_10215001:
 

Originally Posted by JamesFiiO /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

   
Hi James,
 
Will it work the same way as E18 where you can play media from your smartphone through X5?  For example, if I can use micro-usb to micro-usb OTG cable that came with E18 and connect my Galaxy Note 2 to X5 to use as external DAC for my smartphone?  Would have been great to be able to play media from smartphone through X5 (like watching or streaming movies, YT, playing games, etc.).

 
 
1, X5 is not designed to work as DAC for smartphone because the power supply issues. 

 
 
 
Also see twister6's remarks about X5 vs E18:
 

  I will be writing my X5 review soon (I write a lot of review in android communities, index of my work: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192333).  For now I thought you might enjoy pictures I took of this AMAZING DAP.  As they say: A picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy the visual  
 
Unfortunately, picture can't describe the sound, but take my word for it, for the last few days after receiving my X5 and RC-SE1 cables (as a replacement for W40 and UE900), I wasn't able to put this audio player down and still having a hard time wiping a smile off my face.  Honestly, I was a bit skeptical because I have a number of audiophile headphones, my music library loaded on my Galaxy Note 2, and also FiiO E18 to go along with it.  I think a lot of people are in the same boat since we all have our favorite smartphone and many head-fiers got portable amps.  So I was thinking, do I really need a dedicated DAP just to listen to music?
 
Not until you get X5 in your hands, until you feel its weight and solid built, until you touch the mechanical control wheel like a DJ spinning a vinyl, until you realize the convenience of those 4 corner buttons and 1 center button, until you look at its gorgeous display, until you start listening to your music from a flash card or streamed from you computer - then you are going to realize the added value of this unique dedicated audio player.  On the go - I got my Note 2 and E18 combo.  But when I want to sit down, relax, and enjoy my music without being bothered with email notification, app updates, and every other distraction from my smartphone, I turn the outside world off and dive into the pure quality sound coming from X5!!!
 

 

[Mython]

   
The 100 bucks extra will fix your anxiety disorder. Well worth it in my opinion.

 
 
 
I disagree - the whole point of the X5 is that it provides audiophile SQ for an amazingly good value price - so why line a 3rd-party seller's pockets with $100 bucks?
 
I'll spend my money with Fiio, who deserve it for their hard work, and I won't throw away a $100 to a greedy seller who did almost nothing to earn it.
 
 
'YMMV'

 

[fleasbaby]

LMAO...for a teeny-tiny premium

 

[DMinor]

   
 
 
I disagree - the whole point of the X5 is that it provides audiophile SQ for an amazingly good value price - so why line a 3rd-party seller's pockets with $100 bucks?
 
I'll spend my money with Fiio, who deserve it for their hard work, and I won't throw away a $100 to a greedy seller who did almost nothing to earn it.
 
 
'YMMV'

 
I thought the audiophile term YMMV only applies to sound quality.
 
Here is what the X5 is worth. X5 sounds 90% of hm-901 according to a head-fi'er. 90% x $1000 = $900. So even at $470, it's still a steal at almost 50% discount of true value. Even if X5 sounds only 74.9% of the HM901 it's still a great value.

 

[Mython]

X5 is great value.
 
$100 for some muppet to sell it to me is not good value.
 
It's not about the $100, it's about the principle. It's insulting to customers and it's insulting to James and his team who have worked their arses off to produce an awesome DAP within a very tight budget of $350, and then someone creams a $100 for doing sweet FA.
 
If you want to give some muppet a $100 then be my guest.
 
I won't be.
 
 
 
I'm done discussing this.

 

[DMinor]

@Mython ,  I enjoyed the discussions with you.

 

[goldendarko]

Twister, thanks for the nice hi-res pics, this is one sweet looking DAP, I almost can't believe it's going to retail for only $350. I think it looks nicer than the AK240 personally which wants to slaughter wallets at $2500+

 

[Dixter]

Reading through all of the posts here, there is one question that does not seem to have been asked yet... 
 
Can anyone tell us how the X5 sounds with playback of DSD files versus FLAC files....   is there a difference in sound between the two ??   I would think with the extra power the X5 has the
DSD files should be great....
 
thanks in advance for any info on this subject...

 

[ClieOS]

   
Both iBasso and Fiio has published the power rating of their DAP, but the information are not presented in the same manner, I tried to work out the numbers for both sides based on the formula: W= V^2 / R
 

 
I have highlighted the figures collected from official specification in blue, and the calculated figures in yellow.  I hope the numbers are correct, feel free to correct me if anyone spotted any mistake.

PS. I agree that X5 has more control and better authority even when the rating is slightly lower, and I am interested to find out the story behind too.

 
Okay, re-did the measurement on a lower load (previously 47ohm, now half at 23.5ohm), noticed a huge drop in voltage in the same setting to suggest obvious clipping / limiting. So I lower the volume from max and confirm the voltage drop is gone which leads to two immediate observations: 1) recalculated the output impedance to around 0.4ohm under a smaller volume, which is more inline with what iBasso has claimed. The previous number is higher due to bigger voltage drop between load and no-load under max volume condition, where in both cases iBasso DX50 fails to reach the claimed 3.1V(rms?). It managed only 2.55Vrms @ 47ohm and 1.66Vrms @ 23.5ohm. Current output for DX50 dropped slightly to around 73mA (at max volume). Same 23.5ohm test to X5: voltage is holding at 2.98Vrms (from previous 3Vrms) and current output drops a bit to 288mA (from 300mA). So to the same 23.5ohm load, X5 is driving 7 times more power than DX50 (from the previous 4x @ 47ohm). There is so much power in X5's output that the dummy load actually got warmer during testing, which means X5 is capable of blowing out your headphone in the maxed-out setting, not that I'll suggest you should ever try.
 
Anyway, despite the claimed number I think it is obvious DX50 doesn't quite deliver those number under actual test. X5 on the other hand does (and quite nicely so). Your calculated number is right but those would only be true in theoretical or very ideal condition, such as a very high impedance load which will be much easy for DX50 to drive. With real world 16ohm / 32ohm headphone, it can never achieve those calculated spec. Just go to show that you can't always trust what manufacturer have said (or not said, in this case). 

 

[ClieOS]

  Can anyone tell us how the X5 sounds with playback of DSD files versus FLAC files....   is there a difference in sound between the two ??   I would think with the extra power the X5 has the
DSD files should be great....
 

 
That's because DSD decoding will only be added to X5 in March, IIRC.

 

[musicheaven]

I will be writing my X5 review soon (I write a lot of review in android communities, index of my work: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2192333).  For now I thought you might enjoy pictures I took of this AMAZING DAP.  As they say: A picture is worth a thousand words, so enjoy the visual  

Unfortunately, picture can't describe the sound, but take my word for it, for the last few days after receiving my X5 and RC-SE1 cables (as a replacement for W40 and UE900), I wasn't able to put this audio player down and still having a hard time wiping a smile off my face.  Honestly, I was a bit skeptical because I have a number of audiophile headphones, my music library loaded on my Galaxy Note 2, and also FiiO E18 to go along with it.  I think a lot of people are in the same boat since we all have our favorite smartphone and many head-fiers got portable amps.  So I was thinking, do I really need a dedicated DAP just to listen to music?

Not until you get X5 in your hands, until you feel its weight and solid built, until you touch the mechanical control wheel like a DJ spinning a vinyl, until you realize the convenience of those 4 corner buttons and 1 center button, until you look at its gorgeous display, until you start listening to your music from a flash card or streamed from you computer - then you are going to realize the added value of this unique dedicated audio player.  On the go - I got my Note 2 and E18 combo.  But when I want to sit down, relax, and enjoy my music without being bothered with email notification, app updates, and every other distraction from my smartphone, I turn the outside world off and dive into the pure quality sound coming from X5!!!

Gorgeous photos btw, even though you have not started your review yet, you are already providing a very good picture of how I felt when I first received my eval, an ever surprising and enjoyable discovery.

Can't wait to see your review, in the meantime have an amazing music journey!

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

  Anyway, despite the claimed number I think it is obvious DX50 doesn't quite deliver those number under actual test. X5 on the other hand does (and quite nicely so). Your calculated number is right but those would only be true in theoretical or very ideal condition, such as a very high impedance load which will be much easy for DX50 to drive. With real world 16ohm / 32ohm headphone, it can never achieve those calculated spec. Just go to show that you can't always trust what manufacturer have said (or not said, in this case). 

I am a little disappointed how ibasso published their specs...
 
or is it a normal marketing tactics?