X5 USER! Line out or Headphone out -->Amp??

[B-side J]

For all you X5/X5L users out there: Do you use your headphone out when patching to an amp or do you use the line out via subpack? Or maybe a custom Dock?

I'm having a hard time deciding what is better

I'm getting a custom line out dock made up to see if that tips the ballance...

I just wanted to find out what the general concensus is.

Thanks

JB

 

[dwc]

Headphone out - volume at 40 - all effects off.
There are threads out there somewhere showing square-wave tests, and that the headphone out is actually a better line-out then the line-out is.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwc Headphone out - volume at 40 - all effects off. There are threads out there somewhere showing square-wave tests, and that the headphone out is actually a better line-out then the line-out is.

Exactly what I do. To my ears, the head-out to an amp is far superior soundwise than the line-out (and more handy as well)...even though it defies the normal school of thought.

 

[$qwuzzy]

i tried using a custom line out cable (made following the tutorial on iaudiophile.net) and wasn't impressed - the headphone out still sounded alot better.

 

[B-side J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by $qwuzzy i tried using a custom line out cable (made following the tutorial on iaudiophile.net) and wasn't impressed - the headphone out still sounded alot better.

What quality of cable did you use though? Was the lack of bass the biggest down fall or was it the SQ in general?

Wouldn't maxing out the volume drain the battery faster and defeat the purpose of using an amp ( in tearms of SQ). Say for example you are using phone that are easy to drive straight out of the DAP, but you wasnt to use an amp for better SQ, wouldn't using the HPO just be pointless..."Crap in+Crap out" Just wondering, not trying to start a debate, but that is wht I have gathered up till now.

Thanks,

JB

 

[dwc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J Wouldn't maxing out the volume drain the battery faster and defeat the purpose of using an amp ( in tearms of SQ)... JB

JB i'm not an EE, but I'll stab at this.

First off - faster than what? Faster than using the line-out?

First off I believe the biggest battery drain is the hard drive and not the output volume. Thus from that standpoint alone the choice of line-out or phone-out may be insignificant in terms of the amount of time a given charge lasts.

Second, I believe the load presented is also a factor, not just how loud you have the volume set. A pair of headphones presents a given load, and a pocket amplifier line-in presents a different load. The amplifier load at volume 40 may be less of a drain (current draw) than headphones at volume 20.

The whole "in terms of SQ" is was a suprise to everyone. Everyone excpected the line-out to sound better, but in fact the headphone output does a better job at driving line-inputs.

-Dan

 

[bangraman]

It seems to be that the Line Out subpack circuit board uses the wrong value coupling capacitors for the line out signal. The same seems to go for the Line In, which seems to be one of the reasons why it produces inferior recordings to even the iRiver.


The Headphone Out seems to be effectively a digitally attenuated, correctly laid out version of the Line Out.

 

[B-side J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman It seems to be that the Line Out subpack circuit board uses the wrong value coupling capacitors for the line out signal. The same seems to go for the Line In, which seems to be one of the reasons why it produces inferior recordings to even the iRiver. The Headphone Out seems to be effectively a digitally attenuated, correctly laid out version of the Line Out.

Would you say then that if one was to buypass the subpack and use a 22 pin dock that you would gain back the correct values?

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J Would you say then that if one was to buypass the subpack and use a 22 pin dock that you would gain back the correct values?

No. If anything you'd make it worse.

 

[B-side J]

I have read on iaudiophile.net that those who have used the DIY dock found the same result as the subpack. Thu leading me to belive that the problem is within the DAP it's self rather than the subpack. I have taken my subpack apart and as far as I can tell there are no resistors or capasitors in it.

I dont understand Cowan's logic behind the line out other that is was convinient to add on since they were putting in a line in anyhow. From what I have read it is almost useless, and I'm thinking that my $ could have been better spent rather than ordering a custom made Dock...

 

[$qwuzzy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J What quality of cable did you use though? Was the lack of bass the biggest down fall or was it the SQ in general?

i used a spare cardas mini to mini cable.

bass? i don't remember mentioning any bass... but is was a general SQ thing. the line out cable sounds dead, small, cluttered while the HPO out sounds airy, expansive, and full. night and day style difference.

admittedly i am now using the cable pro earcandy mini to mini cable (which costs 6x as much as the cardas cable) but the cardas was the cable i used up until i recieved my earcandy (with my HF-1s from TTVJ

). out of the HPO (with cardas) it was prety good. not the lifeless clutter that emerges from the custom line out i made.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J I have read on iaudiophile.net that those who have used the DIY dock found the same result as the subpack. Thu leading me to belive that the problem is within the DAP it's self rather than the subpack. I have taken my subpack apart and as far as I can tell there are no resistors or capasitors in it. I dont understand Cowan's logic behind the line out other that is was convinient to add on since they were putting in a line in anyhow. From what I have read it is almost useless, and I'm thinking that my $ could have been better spent rather than ordering a custom made Dock...

The little rectangular things located close to the jacks are capacitors.

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J I have read on iaudiophile.net that those who have used the DIY dock found the same result as the subpack. Thu leading me to belive that the problem is within the DAP it's self rather than the subpack.

From what I've read on iaudiophile, every iteration of getting the line-out signal has resulted in the inferior sound quality issue. The belief is pretty strong right now that the problem is in the DAP.

 

[B-side J]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfen68 From what I've read on iaudiophile, every iteration of getting the line-out signal has resulted in the inferior sound quality issue. The belief is pretty strong right now that the problem is in the DAP.

Do you think it could be a firmware issue?

 

[XxATOLxX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-side J Do you think it could be a firmware issue?

I doubt it... The headphone out is great for amping so there isn't much of a problem.