[zunehdrocks]

My vote is for an ipod touch! Say what you want, but you can hook up an external/dac amp to it, stay in the same price range, get better SQ and you'll have a far better OS. comparing the Dx90 OS to iOS7 is like comparing a thread to a pair of pants.

Ipod touch s do have a really good dac. Idk if its better than the rest but its good.
I would say that most of them are pretty neutral as well
You could just take a line out and attach a C&C bh2.

 

[JoeDoe]

 
Ipods do have a really good dac. Idk if its better than the rest but its good. You could just take a line out and attach a C&C bh2.

Correction: Some Ipods have a good dac. The most popular is probably the 5.5 Generation iPod Video. Those since then seem a little more congested and unrefined to these ears. 

 

[zunehdrocks]

  Correction: Some Ipods have a good dac. The most popular is probably the 5.5 Generation iPod Video. Those since then seem a little more congested and unrefined to these ears. 

By "ipods" I meant Ipod touch s
 I have tried the third, fourth, and fifth gen
I'll just edit that post

 

[390571]

 My friend let me try her iPod with 160 gigs of memory and I plugged some cheap headphones from radio shack in and the sound I got could be compared to my current setup with my fiio e18 and dt770s but I don't use apples music format files. I use 320 kbps 16bit and 24bit music in mp3  so that would be a problem buying an iPod to use.

 

[Hapster]

All apple products support 320kbps O_o and it's really easy to convert it to ALAC.

 

[390571]

That would take too long, I have more than 1000 songs and I'm also leaning towards the x5 because I've read it's more neutral compared the the dx90. And I kinda dislike apple for being too proprietary and limiting.

 

[BucketInABucket]

X5 is definitely more coloured compared to the DX90 and I have personal experience with this too, unless that guy thinks neutral = warmer and thicker.

 

[390571]

I've listened to the sennheiser hd600 and hd650 and the k701 so I know what warm sound is like. Those three are very laid back and warm sounding with the k701 being brighter and thicker in the midrange and treble. So if the dx90 is more neutral then that is the DAP I'll go with. I personally don't like warm sound signatures if the x5 is like that.

 

[JoeDoe]

I've listened to the sennheiser hd600 and hd650 and the k701 so I know what warm sound is like. Those three are very laid back and warm sounding with the k701 being brighter and thicker in the midrange and treble. So if the dx90 is more neutral then that is the DAP I'll go with. I personally don't like warm sound signatures if the x5 is like that.

I'd hardly call the X5 warm. It's a touch richer in presentation with blacker blacks while the 90 presents more air and separation.

 

[BucketInABucket]

I'd hardly call the X5 warm. It's a touch richer in presentation with blacker blacks while the 90 presents more air and separation.

Its definitely warmer than the DX90 from what I heard. Whether its actually warm or just warmer in comparison is debatable but the guy's going for neutrality at all cost so the DX90 is probably a better choice in this situation. The DX90 is $419 compared to the $350 price tag of the X5 (depends on region really so I just used MSRPs) so whether or not that change in sound signature is worth it or not is up to him.
 
EDIT: Only if you're willing to stretch your budget a bit. Otherwise if its a strict budget, the X5 is the best option if you're willing to sacrifice a bit of neutrality for a small boost in SQ (when compared to the DX50).

 

[Barra]

 

I've listened to the sennheiser hd600 and hd650 and the k701 so I know what warm sound is like. Those three are very laid back and warm sounding with the k701 being brighter and thicker in the midrange and treble. So if the dx90 is more neutral then that is the DAP I'll go with. I personally don't like warm sound signatures if the x5 is like that.

I'd hardly call the X5 warm. It's a touch richer in presentation with blacker blacks while the 90 presents more air and separation.

Having both the DX90 and the X5 and having sold the DX50, I agree 100 percent with JoeDoe. Plus I would add that the X5 puts you closer to the instruments for a more intimate presentation with textures that you can feel where the DX90 puts you further back into the audience. I also find that I have to turn the DX90 up pretty loud to get it to perform to my standards while the X5 is full and rich even at lower volumes. Believe it or not, I even find the X5 UI easier to use and appreciate the additional MicroSD card slot. For my taste, I find that I always reach for the X5 so I may end up selling my DX90.

 

[BucketInABucket]

  Having both the DX90 and the X5 and having sold the DX50, I agree 100 percent with JoeDoe. Plus I would add that the X5 puts you closer to the instruments for a more intimate presentation with textures that you can feel where the DX90 puts you further back into the audience. I also find that I have to turn the DX90 up pretty loud to get it to perform to my standards while the X5 is full and rich even at lower volumes. Believe it or not, I even find the X5 UI easier to use and appreciate the additional MicroSD card slot. For my taste, I find that I always reach for the X5 so I may end up selling my DX90.

That's true. Conversely, the DX90 sound is more detailed than the X5 sound and is far more revealing (ruthlessly I would say) of bad source files or bad headphones. If you have badly-recorded music the DX90 will really let you know that you need to improve your music library. The DX90 in general is extremely clear, neutral and accurate to the source of music while the X5 is slightly warmer, has a more forgiving and less fatiguing presentation that's better for longer-term listening but also less detailed and somewhat muted compared to the DX90. Some may say that the X5 presentation is more natural than the DX90 presentation and on the other hand the DX90 is more accurate than the X5. It's a complete toss-up between which sound signature you go for. 

 

[390571]

OK so the x5 sounds like it will be more fun while the dx90 will be more resolving. I listen to dubstep and classical music and a little rock here and there so the reason why I want a neutral DAP is because I don't want the songs to sound completely different from each other. I listen to almost every single genre out there so I need less coloration with my music so the dx90 might be a better choice but I also want some fun in my music so it won't sound boring. Maybe I will just get the x5 and later try out the dx90 when I can afford to. But if the dx90 has a larger soundstage that's a plus for me. I'm focusing on detail, soundstage, and imaging with a neutral response.

 

[BucketInABucket]

  OK so the x5 sounds like it will be more fun while the dx90 will be more resolving. I listen to dubstep and classical music and a little rock here and there so the reason why I want a neutral DAP is because I don't want the songs to sound completely different from each other. I listen to almost every single genre out there so I need less coloration with my music so the dx90 might be a better choice but I also want some fun in my music so it won't sound boring. Maybe I will just get the x5 and later try out the dx90 when I can afford to. But if the dx90 has a larger soundstage that's a plus for me. I'm focusing on detail, soundstage, and imaging with a neutral response.

If you're focusing on the bolded words then the DX90 is your best choice. The DX90 definitely isn't a DAP with a fun sound signature though, it's cold, clear and accurate to the source rather like holding a microscope to your music files.

 

[390571]

So the x5 sounds like a better choice for me, considering that my dt770 are easy to listen to and rich in bass. Like I said i listen to everything so a smoother presentation will go well with the x5. And it's a better choice for my wallet The last thing I want is my music being boring