[asdfg]

Selling my zx2, wondering if i should get a 2nd gen x5.

 

[x RELIC x]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

And it's here...

Sounds beautiful with the ATH-IM04. Not too dark at all.

Nice theme. :wink_face:

 

[x RELIC x]

Selling my zx2, wondering if i should get a 2nd gen x5.

Why are you selling the ZX2?

 

[nmatheis]

Mine too. Had lunch at the pizza place with it and the PM-3's, Lots of slam! Sounds great, and I can find no downside in SQ. It does feel like a little brick in my pocket.

That's one helluva messy pizza place :wink_face:

 

[PinkyPowers]

Nice theme. :wink_face:

You did a lovely job on it. Makes me feel all Steam Punk.

 

[Mr.Tom]

Selling my zx2, wondering if i should get a 2nd gen x5.

Let me guess, it won't drive some of your headphones? I had a ZX1 for a couple of days. I sold it because of the pathetic 10mw output. Imo, Sony has too large of a legal department to ever make a high end portable audio player.
 
I think it was the early 90's that they put a cap on output, as to avoid hearing loss lawsuits.

 

[Mr.Tom]

That's one helluva messy pizza place

My mind is clean, and thats whats important(imo).

 

[PinkyPowers]

My first impression, upon taking the X5 out of the box, was that it was smaller than I'd imagined. Everyone goes on about its size, and they look menacing in all the photographs. Sure, it's bigger than my X3ii, but it's tiny next to my Galaxy S4.
 
I will need more time with her, listen to more music, perform some A/B testing, but presently I feel the X5 is smoother, more analogue-sounding than the X3ii, and with a wider soundstage. I spent all day with the X3 at work, so my memory is fairly fresh.
 
It's been quite a few days since I listened to the Dragonfly. A comparison there is not possible until I refresh myself on its virtues.

 

[Mr.Tom]

  My first impression, upon taking the X5 out of the box, was that it was smaller than I'd imagined. Everyone goes on about its size, and they look menacing in all the photographs. Sure, it's bigger than my X3ii, but it's tiny next to my Galaxy S4.
 
I will need more time with her, listen to more music, perform some A/B testing, but presently I feel the X5 is smoother, more analogue-sounding than the X3ii, and with a wider soundstage. I spent all day with the X3 at work, so my memory is fairly fresh.
 
It's been quite a few days since I listened to the Dragonfly. A comparison there is not possible until I refresh myself on its virtues.

I don't think you'll like the X5! will you take $175.??

 

[PinkyPowers]

That'd be a $20 loss. NO WAY.
 
I think I'm going to love this device. 

 

 

[danmlr]

  My first impression, upon taking the X5 out of the box, was that it was smaller than I'd imagined. Everyone goes on about its size, and they look menacing in all the photographs. Sure, it's bigger than my X3ii, but it's tiny next to my Galaxy S4.
 
I will need more time with her, listen to more music, perform some A/B testing, but presently I feel the X5 is smoother, more analogue-sounding than the X3ii, and with a wider soundstage. I spent all day with the X3 at work, so my memory is fairly fresh.
 
It's been quite a few days since I listened to the Dragonfly. A comparison there is not possible until I refresh myself on its virtues.

 
I was underwhelmed with the X3II's sound quality. 
 
Some claim the X5 and X3II are close in SQ, but I didn't find that to be the case at all. The  X3II HO in particular is noticeably inferior to the X5. 

 

[PinkyPowers]

To these ears they are not very far apart. I just did some A/B'ing to The Beatles' Dear Prudence, 24Bit FLAC. The X5 was the clear winner. Yet the X3ii lagged not far behind. 
 
There is scarcely a soundstand to the X3ii at all. It's more of a sound box. Somehow, though, it overcomes that claustrophobic sense lesser devices illicit. Instead of the the music remaining trapped inside the box, it spills freely out. The stage is still small, but not closed off. Combine that with the clear, detailed rendering, and the X3ii makes for a marvelous budget audio player.
 
The X5 Classic has a better soundstage. Not grand or enormous, but wide enough to move through. Instrument separation is quite nice. There's a clarity and transparency which simply outdoes the X3ii... but not by a grievous margin.
 
I bought the my X3ii secondhand from a Head-fi'er at $165. I stumbled upon the X5 at the miracle price of $195 on eBay.
 
Now that I've heard the difference, do I consider the X5 worth the price at $349? Possibly. But it's not an easy Yes. I'm keeping my X3ii as a backup unit. I can gladly say, my ears won't feel cheated if I have to go back to it. 

 

[nmatheis]

Perhaps danmlr is a bat :wink_face:

I had X5 and X3ii in my possession and while the X5 was better, it wasn't a night & day by any stretch of the imagination...

 

[Koolpep]

Perhaps danmlr is a bat :wink_face:

I had X5 and X3ii in my possession and while the X5 was better, it wasn't a night & day by any stretch of the imagination...

Am with you guys here as well and as inhave written in my review, they are very close.

Cheers,
K

 

[Brooko]

Concensus reached then
 
danmlr never did say whether he eventually managed to volume match properly when he was testing