[Sonic Defender]

  Received the X7 again to update my initial review and I must say I am impressed. Many of my listed shortcomings or requested changes have not only been updated, but in some cases have had even more done than what many of us originally requested. For example, the light bar can now be turned off completely, but they also allow brightness on it to be changed too!

It is awesome that FiiO is so responsive to the community. I'm confident that as 2016 rolls on the X7 will really hit full stride. The AM2 sounds stellar from the impressions I read. Well done FiiO, keep improving things!

 

[Dobrescu George]

  My impressions of the AMP2 module:
 
I received this a few weeks ago as a review sample and while appreciating the abilities of the X7, I was not overwhelmed by the sound. With the AMP1 module it is smooth but lacks some dynamics, transparency and bass control. Knowing what the Sabre chip the X7 uses can do, the sound, which for me with this chip means transparency, dynamics, and a very good soundstage, I felt that more was to come. With the AMP2 module this comes to light. 
 
The sound with the newest module opens up. The transparency, space and air surrounding instruments and voices, becomes more involving. The dynamics improves to a level that for me, I enjoy it even more than the K5 docking station. On the K5, I think it a very capable and great buy so it is not something I would pass by because it offers so many conveniences. 
 
I notice that with the AMP2 module that cymbals have a brassier and longer hang in the air sound and when enjoying jazz this is important to me. Also on well recorded rock, again the cymbal sound is clean and right. With regards to rock there is nice slam with the module and importantly with increased dynamics, as volume increases the sound field does not collapse, which can destroy the enjoyment and illusion of the sound presentation. Layering is better with the AMP2 and in general you gain a more coherent and cohesive sound. 
 
Many of these attributes of course go to the X7, because if it were not capable, then it wouldn’t matter what the AMP2 does but the combination with many headphones and with IEM’s works extremely well. 

 
 
Thanks a lot for this. 
 
IT motivates me again to get an X7. I was kinda loosing motivation over the time, and AM2 is not within Romania yet. 

 

[M-13]

  My impressions of the AMP2 module:
 
I received this a few weeks ago as a review sample and while appreciating the abilities of the X7, I was not overwhelmed by the sound. With the AMP1 module it is smooth but lacks some dynamics, transparency and bass control. Knowing what the Sabre chip the X7 uses can do, the sound, which for me with this chip means transparency, dynamics, and a very good soundstage, I felt that more was to come. With the AMP2 module this comes to light. 
 
The sound with the newest module opens up. The transparency, space and air surrounding instruments and voices, becomes more involving. The dynamics improves to a level that for me, I enjoy it even more than the K5 docking station. On the K5, I think it a very capable and great buy so it is not something I would pass by because it offers so many conveniences. 
 
I notice that with the AMP2 module that cymbals have a brassier and longer hang in the air sound and when enjoying jazz this is important to me. Also on well recorded rock, again the cymbal sound is clean and right. With regards to rock there is nice slam with the module and importantly with increased dynamics, as volume increases the sound field does not collapse, which can destroy the enjoyment and illusion of the sound presentation. Layering is better with the AMP2 and in general you gain a more coherent and cohesive sound. 
 
Many of these attributes of course go to the X7, because if it were not capable, then it wouldn’t matter what the AMP2 does but the combination with many headphones and with IEM’s works extremely well. 

Awesome impressions. How is the X7/AM2 compared against the Mojo and AK100ii? Does it take the X7 above them?

 

[kdub]

My impressions of the AMP2 module:

I received this a few weeks ago as a review sample and while appreciating the abilities of the X7, I was not overwhelmed by the sound. With the AMP1 module it is smooth but lacks some dynamics, transparency and bass control. Knowing what the Sabre chip the X7 uses can do, the sound, which for me with this chip means transparency, dynamics, and a very good soundstage, I felt that more was to come. With the AMP2 module this comes to light. 
 


The sound with the newest module opens up. The transparency, space and air surrounding instruments and voices, becomes more involving. The dynamics improves to a level that for me, I enjoy it even more than the K5 docking station. On the K5, I think it a very capable and great buy so it is not something I would pass by because it offers so many conveniences. 
 


I notice that with the AMP2 module that cymbals have a brassier and longer hang in the air sound and when enjoying jazz this is important to me. Also on well recorded rock, again the cymbal sound is clean and right. With regards to rock there is nice slam with the module and importantly with increased dynamics, as volume increases the sound field does not collapse, which can destroy the enjoyment and illusion of the sound presentation. Layering is better with the AMP2 and in general you gain a more coherent and cohesive sound. 
 


Many of these attributes of course go to the X7, because if it were not capable, then it wouldn’t matter what the AMP2 does but the combination with many headphones and with IEM’s works extremely well. 

Thanks for this insightful review. I was on the fence to get K5 or AM2 module or wait all modules are out before deciding on the best one.

Could you also comment what headphones you tested with. My headphones (NAD HP50) are easy to drive so trying to figure out if I would experience the same sonic improvements.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Some news about the DAC functionality on Windows PCs:

We have made a major upgrade to the Windows DAC drivers--from the ancient v1.61 to the shiniest latest v3.34! Thank you Thesycon for working with us to work out the licensing plan for their latest and greatest!

The improvements are too many to list right now (but we'd do our best to list them all anyway in the coming official announcement )--right now you may just download it and see for yourself. One major point that should be obvious to any Windows 8 and 10 user--it comes with a brand-spanking new fully working Windows signature certificate! Hallelujah

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqz14rnt6at8q1o/FiiO%20USB%20DAC%20Driver%20v3.34.0.zip?dl=0

 

[ClassicGOD]

Some news about the DAC functionality on Windows PCs:

We have made a major upgrade to the Windows DAC drivers--from the ancient v1.61 to the shiniest latest v3.34! Thank you Thesycon for working with us to work out the licensing plan for their latest and greatest!

The improvements are too many to list right now (but we'd do our best to list them all anyway in the coming official announcement

)--right now you may just download it and see for yourself. One major point that should be obvious to any Windows 8 and 10 user--it comes with a brand-spanking new fully working Windows signature certificate! Hallelujah

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqz14rnt6at8q1o/FiiO%20USB%20DAC%20Driver%20v3.34.0.zip?dl=0

That is screwING amazing

 

[Unfie]

Some news about the DAC functionality on Windows PCs:

We have made a major upgrade to the Windows DAC drivers--from the ancient v1.61 to the shiniest latest v3.34! Thank you Thesycon for working with us to work out the licensing plan for their latest and greatest!

The improvements are too many to list right now (but we'd do our best to list them all anyway in the coming official announcement

)--right now you may just download it and see for yourself. One major point that should be obvious to any Windows 8 and 10 user--it comes with a brand-spanking new fully working Windows signature certificate! Hallelujah

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqz14rnt6at8q1o/FiiO%20USB%20DAC%20Driver%20v3.34.0.zip?dl=0

 
I just installed this on my Windows 10 partition. I'm still getting noticeable latency. Was this supposed to be fixed?

 

[ClassicGOD]

   
I just installed this on my Windows 10 partition. I'm still getting noticeable latency. Was this supposed to be fixed?

It is probably firmware issue not a driver one.
 
Also, reboot, replug the X7 and make sure it's set to 24/192 in windows with all effects disabled.

 

[Unfie]

  It is probably firmware issue not a driver one.
 
Also, reboot, replug the X7 and make sure it's set to 24/192 in windows with all effects disabled.

 
Okay, the 24/192 fixed it....I think. Maybe it was also that I thought I had uninstalled the old version, but I didn't. Either way, the latency appears to be gone now. Yay! I didn't have this issue with OSX, but I gotta have a Windows 10 partition for when I play games.

 

[jfs95]

Apologies for the dumb question, but what spec tells you the output power of the amp? I have a pair of JH Roxanne CIEMS, and I get the impression that my Fiio X7 doesn't have enough power to drive them with the AM1 amp module. (At least, when I connected a Fiio Mont-Blanc E12, things really seemed to open up...)
 
I see specs like "output power" listed in mW, Vrms, and then things like "output impedance", "output voltage", and "output current". Which should I look at to determine whether an amp has enough juice to power my IEMs/headphones?
 
Oh, and is there ever a downside to using an amp that's has more than enough power to drive the phones? I get the impression that since the AM1 module is advertised as being for IEMs that it should be able to power my JH Roxannes -- but is there a downside in buying the AM2 (or even the high-power AM5 module when it becomes available) and using that? Volume levels being held constant, would the highest power amp sound the best?
 
Thanks guys!

 

[georgelai57]

Headfonia seems pretty enamored of Fiio's foray beyond the budget arena.
http://www.headfonia.com/review-fiio-x7-fiios-number-one/

 

[cav1sa]

Is anyone having trouble with certain songs being erroneously grouped into two albums, one capitalized and one with normal case as shown below?
 

 

 

 
 
There are no tag-related discrepancies that I can see, foobar2000 correctly displays it as one album. I'm running 1.8 Firmware and did factory reset. 

 

[JHutchins]

Headfonia seems pretty enamored of Fiio's foray beyond the budget arena.
http://www.headfonia.com/review-fiio-x7-fiios-number-one/

The problem I'm having is that CDs purchased from Amazon and ripped to the external SD card are also automatically included in the Amazon Music library and hence when creating a library double entries are created despite using the manual setting and only selecting the external SD card.

 

[Sonic Defender]

The problem I'm having is that CDs purchased from Amazon and ripped to the external SD card are also automatically included in the Amazon Music library and hence when creating a library double entries are created despite using the manual setting and only selecting the external SD card.

It might be more work, but can't you rip to the library, browse there, cut the files, paste them somewhere else, then from that location move them to the SD card? At least that way the doubles can be avoided. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another fix right on the X7, but at least that dirty fix would prevent the issue unless I'm missing something.

 

[Paulo Abreu]

  Is anyone having trouble with certain songs being erroneously grouped into two albums, one capitalized and one with normal case as shown below?
...
 
There are no tag-related discrepancies that I can see, foobar2000 correctly displays it as one album. I'm running 1.8 Firmware and did factory reset. 

Yes, I guess I saw in FiiO fórum someone posting it was a bug to be corrected in future Firmwares.
 
I also used mp3tag to reset and re-tag all tracks, edited .cue, etc., nothing referred the artista/álbum name in capitals, couldn't fix. maybe someone here has a simple fix or is something we are missing, but that's annoying...
 
Regards