[zilch0md]

  I've just had my RMA accepted, so my X5 is going back too.  I was willing to wait for firmware updates, and then I started to experience pops and clicks during USB DAC usage, and when playing certain tracks from µSD in DAP mode.  I decided enough was enough.
 
It's actually a massive relief!  I don't think I ever bought a buggier product.

 
Uggh!  If it weren't for how easy it is to return items through Amazon, reading this is enough to scare me into cancelling my order.  
 

  I'm not suggesting that you don't have a bad unit..  but when reading your post the first thing that came to me was you don't know how to set up the player options for using the X5 as a USB DAC...     its not easy to get all the settings correct for perfect playback...
I'm hoping that Fiio moves their USB Driver to ASIO and it might get easier and better sounding...  

 
And therein lies the problem with every DAP, it seems - with the X5 being the least troublesome of them all.  The user has to accommodate the DAP's failings - enabling it to function sufficiently to meet lowered expectations.  
 
The wide variation in response to the X5 is partly due to the variations in how the product is deployed (some functions are buggier than others), but also due to extremes of willingness to adapt to disappointment.

 

[Age8E]

  The wide variation in response to the X5 is partly due to the variations in how the product is deployed (some functions are buggier than others), but also due to extremes of willingness to adapt to disappointment.

 
I suspect many of us aren't disappointed at all.
 
I did my homework, and understood before buying that this is a 1.0 version of a second attempt by a company relatively new to the DAP business. I understood that it wouldn't be a mature product on par UI-wise with an Apple device, that the firmware would be a work in progress, that some features I desired would not come until later, and that I would be buying it primarily for sound quality, for lossless file support, and for memory card capacity.
 
In short, I knew what I was getting into, and it's precisely what I've got.

 

[Muenchener]

   
 
 
Seriously, volume matching is everything when comparing DAPs.

This. When properly compared, my iPhone 5S with Neutron player is a very, very nice sounding DAP. X5 is better, but not for such difference as one may think before buying it.
I still love the X5 and its two mSD slots. That, and the easy line out, and a pretty good HP amp make me happy with the purchase.

 

[Muenchener]

Hi
i use the Fiio e11 amp with the B&W P7
If i will puchase the X5 will i feel a change in the sound signture (for good or bad) and if so then on what ? Bass mids and so ..

I would say you will lose amp power, but you will win SQ. The E11 has nothing on the amp section of the X5, except for raw power. Do not try to use the X5 with hard to drive HP expecting a full, loud sound. On the other hand, the P7 are portable HP, they should sound very nice plugged to the X5.

 

[weissshay]

Thank U
And between the X5 and AK100 who do u think will drive the P7 for the best sounding ?

 

[mordicai]

I suspect many of us aren't disappointed at all.

I did my homework, and understood before buying that this is a 1.0 version of a second attempt by a company relatively new to the DAP business. I understood that it wouldn't be a mature product on par UI-wise with an Apple device, that the firmware would be a work in progress, that some features I desired would not come until later, and that I would be buying it primarily for sound quality, for lossless file support, and for memory card capacity.

In short, I knew what I was getting into, and it's precisely what I've got.

Same here. The difference is that I didn't how set it up properly. My dissatisfaction with the x5 was my fault. Operator error. Once I put the effort into learning how to use the x5 I found I loved it. Sounds great,plays my high res files. I'm a happy camper.

 

[Muenchener]

Thank U
And between the X5 and AK100 who do u think will drive the P7 for the best sounding ?

Probably, the AK100, but it costs almost twice. And you lose the very important 2 mSD slots, that for high-res, portable audio is a huge difference.

The AK100 is a much nicer DAP in some ways, but the X5 is a better DAP for the money.

 

[Muenchener]

Same here. The difference is that I didn't how set it up properly. My dissatisfaction with the x5 was my fault. Operator error. Once I put the effort into learning how to use the x5 I found I loved it. Sounds great,plays my high res files. I'm a happy camper.

I beg to differ. If the set up is complicated and error-prone, and that results in unhappy experiences, it is not only the buyer's fault. Fiio is to blame as well. This is 2014, and a DAP should not be a complex device.

 

[CH23]

With respect to those who think this player is too bad to keep, i want to give a positive sound on my behalf:

Compared to the X3, the X5 is so much better. I've experienced one crash in over a month, sound quality is very good, as is build quality.

Furthermore the firmware is quite complete, updating library is very fast.


The only 2 downsides i could name are the loose scrollwheel, which skips or hangs on things sometimes, and the (for me) weird top menu/selection screen.

The latter i fixed with a firmware mod.

I'm very happy with the device. Worth the money.

 

[jeffhmason]

With respect to those who think this player is too bad to keep, i want to give a positive sound on my behalf:

Compared to the X3, the X5 is so much better. I've experienced one crash in over a month, sound quality is very good, as is build quality.

Furthermore the firmware is quite complete, updating library is very fast.


The only 2 downsides i could name are the loose scrollwheel, which skips or hangs on things sometimes, and the (for me) weird top menu/selection screen.

The latter i fixed with a firmware mod.

I'm very happy with the device. Worth the money.

 
I couldn't agree more.  I'm a bit amazed at the issues I've read about here as I've had none; no freezes, crashes, skips, noises, etc.  Paired with my PSB M4u1s, I think the sound quality is phenomenal.  I guess I'm more in the camp that tolerates a few bugs knowing a) how open and responsive (compared to other companies) Fiio has been with their customers and potential customers with this device b) that they continue to create firmware to improve the unit and c) that the firmware is modifiable so folks can tweak it somewhat to their liking.  I feel like I got a great DAP for the money (the latter part of this sentence is key).  I don't consider the unit to be inexpensive, but I definitely feel like I got my money's worth.  I'm hearing my music collection in a whole new way and enjoying a lot of high resolution content to boot!

 

[x RELIC x]

I've just had my RMA accepted, so my X5 is going back too.  I was willing to wait for firmware updates, and then I started to experience pops and clicks during USB DAC usage, and when playing certain tracks from µSD in DAP mode.  I decided enough was enough.

It's actually a massive relief!  I don't think I ever bought a buggier product.

I completely respect a users threshold for accepting a device and it's quirks.

I'd like to point out though that when listening to my iPhone 5S while charging, plugged in to my work computer, I hear an unacceptable number of pops and clicks. Some computers simply suck with their USB ports. Other computers have "clean" USB ports and "dirty" USB ports. Not sure why you heard it through the micro SD slots though, electrical interference maybe? Or perhaps the X5 is struggling to decode a file or two? Was the X5 charging while in DAP (storage/player) mode? Just spitballing here, as all electronic devices in the chain have their quirks.

zilch0md too bad you cancelled. I believe it would have been a nice player for you.

I'd just like to point out that most issues I've seen in this thread were either due to not formatting cards with the X5 or buggered up cards or buggered up source files. Other than that, and the user acceptance of the interface, the X5 is one of the more stable, speedy, and user friendly high resolution, multi format devices I've tried at this price.

 

[mordicai]

  I beg to differ. If the set up is complicated and error-prone, and that results in unhappy experiences, it is not only the buyer's fault. Fiio is to blame as well. This is 2014, and a DAP should not be a complex device.

Muenchener, We all interact in a different way to things. For me I did a lousy job up the learning curve but I think I finally am getting there. For me.......The unit is a good job by Fiio and for me...I'm enjoying it. Do you really want to spoil it for me by telling me my player is a hunk of junco opt am I just pissing up a rope even writing to you.

 

[pe3ucTop]

   
Uggh!  If it weren't for how easy it is to return items through Amazon, reading this is enough to scare me into cancelling my order.  
 
 
And therein lies the problem with every DAP, it seems - with the X5 being the least troublesome of them all.  The user has to accommodate the DAP's failings - enabling it to function sufficiently to meet lowered expectations.  
 
The wide variation in response to the X5 is partly due to the variations in how the product is deployed (some functions are buggier than others), but also due to extremes of willingness to adapt to disappointment.

I suspect the difference in user's expectation is not enough to explain the completely different experiences a very small minority of people have with the X5. I personally haven't had any major issues with it and I've had fewer crashes with it than with my iphone for the same time period - I've just had 2 crashes with X5 with firmware 1.2 and NONE after that. I had some issues with the responsiveness of the firmware when skipping tracks with firmware 1.2 and NONE after that. I haven't heard any pops or noises when using it as a DAC at all - it has a completely black background.
 
Pretty much the only complaint I can have right now with the X5 is reversing the next and previous track button in lockscreen mode, as well as remembering position in the folder tree when jumping to the main menu, so I wouldn't have to navigate to the album/folder again all over again every time i decide to go to the main menu. I am pretty happy with everything else, especially if they are already working on playlist support, as James and Joe have hinted here.
 
So my guess is that most of the problems of people around here come either because of faulty units, or because of "problems with the operator"(as someone else called it) - i.e. not formatting the sd cards in the recommended format, having files with screwed up tags, having a bad usb hub on your computer(I've had one and I know how much of a difference with respect to pops and noises it makes) when using a USB DAC, etc.. Other than that, the user interface is the way it is - it is simplified and pretty intuitive, it is not the best in the world, there are few things I'd like changed, but I definitely feel like it is at a very acceptable level, especially with the mods the good people of the head-fi community have been making to accommodate the quirks and preferences of different people.

 

[zilch0md]

I completely respect a users threshold for accepting a device and it's quirks.

I'd like to point out though that when listening to my iPhone 5S while charging, plugged in to my work computer, I hear an unacceptable number of pops and clicks. Some computers simply suck with their USB ports. Other computers have "clean" USB ports and "dirty" USB ports. Not sure why you heard it through the micro SD slots though, electrical interference maybe? Or perhaps the X5 is struggling to decode a file or two? Was the X5 charging while in DAP (storage/player) mode? Just spitballing here, as all electronic devices in the chain have their quirks.

@zilch0md too bad you cancelled. I believe it would have been a nice player for you.

I'd just like to point out that most issues I've seen in this thread were either due to not formatting cards with the X5 or buggered up cards or buggered up source files. Other than that, and the user acceptance of the interface, the X5 is one of the more stable, speedy, and user friendly high resolution, multi format devices I've tried at this price.

 
I haven't cancelled my X5 order - I placed it this morning and I'm expecting it to arrive on Friday.
 
I'm just apprehensive...
 

 

[Muenchener]

  Muenchener, We all interact in a different way to things. For me I did a lousy job up the learning curve but I think I finally am getting there. For me.......The unit is a good job by Fiio and for me...I'm enjoying it. Do you really want to spoil it for me by telling me my player is a hunk of junco opt am I just pissing up a rope even writing to you.

All I'm saying is that the user should not have to figure things out of thin air and online research. If you feel you are guilty of having done a lousy job with the learning curve that should not exist in the first place, be my guest. I respect whatever feelings you may have about it. I don't want to spoil anything for you, believe me.

If the X5 have some very specific settings than can go wrong if not followed, Fiio is responsible for making those requisites very clear to the end user. They didn't.

And the X5 is a very nice DAP, I've said it like twenty times already.