Stefan Wood Posted December 19, 2014 Report Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) I've ordered the Fiio X1 player. Can do FLAC and a variety of other formats. What sealed the deal for me were two things -- a very good DAC, and the ability to swap cards (up to 128 GB). I give a brief user review once I receive it. Edited December 19, 2014 by Stefan Wood Quote
Stefan Wood Posted December 23, 2014 Report Posted December 23, 2014 (edited) Got it in the mail yesterday -- gave it a test run this morning on the morning commute. All I can say is -- wow Very quiet sound stage, very musical and not clinical. Plays FLACs with ease, and even 320 Mp3s sound pretty damn nice. Edited December 23, 2014 by Stefan Wood Quote
Scott Dolan Posted December 23, 2014 Report Posted December 23, 2014 Sounds great, Stefan. It looks really nice, too. Looks like it has some heft to it. Quote
Stefan Wood Posted December 23, 2014 Report Posted December 23, 2014 It is solid, but light. Like a pack of cigarettes. Interface is easy to use -- an old style click wheel, a center button and four control buttons surrounding it. Headphone out can be switched to a more powerful line out to connect to an amp or stereo. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted December 23, 2014 Report Posted December 23, 2014 Wow, that's far lighter than it looks! Enjoy. Quote
Stefan Wood Posted January 13, 2015 Report Posted January 13, 2015 Just a follow up: for anyone looking for an affordable high quality music player, this Fiio X1 does the trick. The sound is excellent, and the flexibility of swapping micro sd cards is a plus. It is a bit more hands on when coming to creating playlists -- essentially you have to create a folder on your computer and add the files yourself (a known issue that will be apparently addressed in a future firmware upgrade). The operating system is smooth and you can easily put this in your shirt pocket. I am running 24/192 flacs and it is flawless. Mp3s sound very fine as well. Quote
Jay Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 I missed this series of posts before. I bought an X5 in July. A wonderful player. I love the GUI on the iPod (my classic is still kickin), which really cannot be beat, but as I mostly play albums all through (and really dig hi rez), I am very very happy and worth every penny. Quote
romualdo Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 Wow! the X3 & X5 look impressive - It appears you can directly connect the larger headphones to these without a preamp (X3 & X5 or just X5) - I have Grados (SR 325) -> will they work? Something I can't do with an iPod - I have a 10yo 4th gen iPod (40gb) - were they called classics then? - still running fine but maybe an upgrade to Fiio is on the cards I presume they don't sync with iTunes? What computer interface is used & are they Mac friendly? Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 Huh? You can't connect your Grados to your iPod without a preamp?! Sure you can. You can connect any headphones to an iPod. If they have a 1/4" plug, you just need a 1/8" adapter. You don't need preamps for any portable devices. Quote
Jay Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 He is talking about matching impedance. Do a google search. Quote
Jay Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 Wow! the X3 & X5 look impressive - It appears you can directly connect the larger headphones to these without a preamp (X3 & X5 or just X5) - I have Grados (SR 325) -> will they work? Something I can't do with an iPod - I have a 10yo 4th gen iPod (40gb) - were they called classics then? - still running fine but maybe an upgrade to Fiio is on the cards I presume they don't sync with iTunes? What computer interface is used & are they Mac friendly? I have thrown about five different headphones at it and they all played fine. The headfi'ers claim that you can obtain better results with an amp but for my purposes, I have been mightily impressed with such a high value for a lower cost (I am not about to buy an A&K player). It also can be used as a DAC (like the Audioquest Dragonfly). No iTunes (and who needs it - all of the "upgrades" have made it a very disorganized mess). I cannot speak to Macs because I use Windows but you might want to head over to HeadFi. There is A LOT if discussion over there about this player. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) He is talking about matching impedance. Do a google search. ? The Grados are 32 ohm headphones, as are my PSB Speakers M4U1's. My iPod Touch (4th Gen) powers them just fine (not to the same level as my Headroom Micro Amp, nor should it…). Makes me wonder if he doesn't have a separate issue going on. An amp should always provide improvements, but the cheapest Walmart special MP3 player should have no problem driving 32 ohm headphones. Let alone an iPod. I'd hate to see him spend hundreds of dollars on a new portable player only to find he's experiencing the same problems with his cans. Edited January 15, 2015 by Scott Dolan Quote
Stefan Wood Posted January 14, 2015 Report Posted January 14, 2015 They are not compatible with itunes. But you can drag and drop folders directly into the flash card via connecting the player to the computer through a micro usb cable. I picked the 1 over the 3 & 5 because of the improved physical user interface. Quote
romualdo Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 He is talking about matching impedance. Do a google search. ? The Grados are 32 ohm headphones, as are my PSB Speakers M4U1's. My iPod Touch (4th Gen) powers them just fine (not to the same level as my Headroom Micro Amp, nor should it…). Makes me wonder if he doesn't have a separate issue going on. An amp should always provide improvements, but the cheapest Walmart special MP3 player should have no problem driving 32 ohm headphones. Let alone an iPod. I'd hate to see him spend hundreds of dollars on a new portable player only to find he's experiencing the same problems with his cans. thanks for the info I need to qualify what I mentioned above - my Grados do run on the iPod unassisted but the SQ isn't that good (much better if you use a preamp - sorry to be misleading) I use a Griffin Powerwave or a Nuforce DAC to get better sound I presume the Fiio's will lead to better SQ (than iPod) without the use of a preamp/DAC Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) Ah, that makes sense. I guess your usage of the term preamp added to the confusion. You're actually talking about an amp. In your chain, the iPod is essentially the preamp, the Powerwave is the amp. I'd say the Fiio is definitely worth checking out if you're not happy with the sound quality of the iPod. My iPod lives in my car's glove compartment, and since car stereos aren't exactly the highest quality, the sound quality doesn't bother me. And I usually only listen to podcasts on my iPhone at work, so sound quality is of no consequence there either. But, when I listen to music at home through my PSBs, they're always running through my Headroom Micro amp. Unless I'm moving about doing housework. I'm not sure I'd ever be content driving them with any portable device for serious listening, but Stefan seems pretty damned pleased with his Fiio, so perhaps I'd be pleasantly surprised. If you take the plunge, make sure you pop back in and give us your impressions! BTW, you said: "I use a Griffin Powerwave or a Nuforce DAC to get better sound". How do you use a DAC with an iPod? Edited January 15, 2015 by Scott Dolan Quote
Stefan Wood Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 I did get the Fiio X11K, which complements the X1. It's an amp, and I got it for the purpose of eventually connecting it to my stereo, as well as for the NVX XPT100 headphones I ordered. Basically for late night set up to deal with baby crankiness. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Hmmm, I had never even heard of those cans before. How do you like them? Quote
Stefan Wood Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 The cans should be coming in today. It is a type of headphone that has had many iterations. It is also known as the Brainwave HM5, I believe, but much cheaper, and reports from other users have been the comfort level is excellent. You can swap out the ear cups from flat to angled. The headphone wire can be removed and upgraded, if need be. The band itself is very flexible. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Nice. My son wanted headphones for Christmas, so I went straight to Headroom since in my experience they never peddle crap. I knew I'd pay, but wanted his first set of cans to at least be acceptable. Saw these Superlux HD681s for $40, and almost lost faith in the website. But, I did quite a bit of research on them and they were getting glowing "bang for the buck" reviews. I fear $40 cans, but those suckers are mind boggling for the price! They don't compete with the big boys, but absolutely bury any of the Beats I've auditioned while bored at Best Buy. There are hidden gems out there. That's why I'm interested in your thoughts. Please give your impressions once you've broken them in! Quote
Stefan Wood Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) I'll let you know. Right now I am using for the commute the Amazon Basics headphones, a surprisingly excellent $25 headset that is light, comfortable, and decent but not high end sound. But let's face it, when I am on the subway I'm not gonna need all that range. What it does have is excellent clarity. Edited January 15, 2015 by Stefan Wood Quote
mjzee Posted June 14, 2015 Report Posted June 14, 2015 Is Apple planning to kill the iPod? - NY Post Quote
JSngry Posted June 14, 2015 Report Posted June 14, 2015 Apple could be grooming the Apple Watch as a kind of replacement for the iPod I do not wear a watch, have not worn a watch since 1974, don't even own one now, and can still find a way to know what time it is when it matters. And if I ever do buy a watch, it's not gonna be from Apple You know what else goes on your wrists? Handcuffs. Speaking of which, I don't wear a wedding ring either, and have remained faithful for every day - and night - of my marriage. So when Apple comes out with their iCockring, I'll not be getting that either. Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted June 14, 2015 Author Report Posted June 14, 2015 Apple could be grooming the Apple Watch as a kind of replacement for the iPod, according to AppleInsider.com, which first reported on the iPod name being removed from Apple’s menu lineup. I'll buy an Apple Watch when my heli-pack arrives. I wonder if this is also linked into the streaming service. Cut us off from our iPods so we subscribe there. Quote
Scott Dolan Posted June 14, 2015 Report Posted June 14, 2015 Apple could be grooming the Apple Watch as a kind of replacement for the iPod I do not wear a watch, have not worn a watch since 1974, don't even own one now, and can still find a way to know what time it is when it matters. And if I ever do buy a watch, it's not gonna be from Apple You know what else goes on your wrists? Handcuffs. Speaking of which, I don't wear a wedding ring either, and have remained faithful for every day - and night - of my marriage. So when Apple comes out with their iCockring, I'll not be getting that either. I can't imagine the Apple Watch being anything but a complete bust. Like you, I never wear a watch. Last time I did was when I worked in Ophthalmology and used it to do work ups on patients. But, I also wore a long sleeve dress shirt. It might just be me, but I've never liked the look of a watch when wearing short sleeve shirts. All that said, if I ever got back into a line of work that involved dress wear, I would likely get another watch. BUT, it sure as hell wouldn't be the Apple Watch. $350 for the cheap, plastic-y looking one?! Pass... Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted June 14, 2015 Author Report Posted June 14, 2015 My watch (Casio) costs about £8. It will break sometime in the next couple of years (usually when I break the seal replacing the battery and then moisture leaks in). At that point I'll buy another one...probably for £9. The watch is essential in my day job...timing things within a lesson is vital. On the few occasions that I've been without it's been like having my legs chopped off. Quote
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