I’ve participated in a couple of review tours for Aune products (the B1 portable headphone amplifier and the X1S desktop DAC) in the last several months, and really enjoy the clean, neutral Aune house sound (or at least what I believe to be their house sound, based on limited exposure).
 

 
In early October, having seen several posts and reports of the upcoming M2 DAP, I took a chance and asked if there was any chance of a review unit. As luck would have it, Aune was just wrapping up development of the hardware at that time, and they asked me if I’d like to help troubleshoot and beta test the software. I jumped at the chance, and a couple of weeks later was in possession of a lovely blue (BLUE!) pre-production base-model M2. A few weeks later I received a second M2 (pre-production Pro model this time) as a sample for a Head-Fi meet I organized in Calgary, and to send out on tour once firmware development nears completion.
 
There are three different versions of the M2, as follows:

1. M2 (US$349): The “standard” model, with 2x Japanese NDK 2520 ultra-low-jitter crystals.
2. M2 Pro (US$499): With 2x USA Crystek CCHD575 crystals, specially tuned OP-amp combination.
3. M2s (US$649): Upgrade of M2 Pro. Same spec as M2 Pro, but with different colors, and Satellite-level, Teflon PCB substrate.

 
Base model M2 (Blue) and M2 Pro (Black)
 

 
Over the course of the last couple of months I’ve listened to both M2 units quite a lot, and have seen the firmware go through around 10 iterations, with improvements each time. One thing that has remained constant it the sound quality of the device, which in my opinion is excellent.
 
Disclaimer: While I have assisted Aune in refining the M2 firmware, I am not affiliated with the company and have not benefitted monetarily from my participation in any way. This review represents my honest, independent opinions about the M2.
 
 
The Aune M2
 
Let’s dive into the review with physical attributes and specifications.
 
Unboxing & Design
 
The M2 comes in an understated yet sturdy dark blue cardboard box, similar to the one that for the B1 amp. That makes sense as the two have almost identical dimensions. The first M2 I received came sans accessories, and the second (the M2 Pro) came with a USB-micro USB cable for charging.
 
The M2 itself is a conservative looking digital player, with a chassis constructed from hollowed 6-axis aircraft aluminum. The anodized face-plate has a brushed metal look, with laser-engraved text, and other surfaces are a matte-finished metal. The first M2 I received has rather sharp edges (this one seemed more of a prototype) while the M2 Pro edges are less sharp (though I’d prefer a bit more curve).
 
     
 
Taking a tour of the M2 externals we find:
 

1. Front: As mentioned, a brushed metal surface with matte bevelled edges. At the top end of the unit the word “aune” is etched into the surface, and at the bottom “M2 32Bit DSD Music Player.” The 2.4” IPS display takes up most of the top half of the unit, and below the screen are three buttons: Back, Play/Pause/Select, and Forward.

 
          
 

1. Rear: The back of the M2 is flat, with a matte finish. There is no functionality here. The brand, model and serial number appear, and I would assume there will be additional standards information on production units.

 
          
 

1. Top End: Looked at from above, we see the power button on the left. A long push turns the unit on and off, while a short push turns the screen off and on during use.

 
          
 

1. Bottom end: Looked at from below, from left to right we have the 3.5mm headphone out jack, 3.5mm line-out jack, and micro-USB charging jack. This jack does not double as a sync port.

 
          
 

1. Left side: The left side has no controls or design elements.

 
          
 

1. Right side: Looked at from the right, we see from left to right a reset control opening (use pin or paper clip), TF slot (micro SD, 128 GB supported), jog dial for volume control (and back/forward control when screen locked), and a multi-function expansion port (with rubber port cover). The jog dial is etched with a grid pattern to provide texture and grip when turning; however, the etching is quite fine, so it’s easy to slip when adjusting the dial (I’d prefer a slightly coarser, rougher etching for better grip and sense of control). The multi-function, Mini HDMI expansion port doesn’t currently do anything; functionality will be added in future for both data transfer and digital output.

 
          
 
Selected Specifications:
 
 
* The pre-production unit I tested was rated at 6.5 hours battery life. I've been informed by Aune that this has been increased to 7.5 hours+ (Dec. 8, 2015)
 
My Experience with the M2
 
The M2 has what is (to me) an unusual arrangement of controls. I’m most familiar with the Fiio DAPs (X3ii and X5ii), which I find quite intuitive and easy to operate, and have also had experience with the Hidizs AP100 (controls sometimes screw with my head), Cayin N5 (intuitive), Shanling M2 (intuitive), and Cayin N6 (confusing physical user interface).
 
It didn’t take long to get used to the Aune M2 controls, and I found the uncomplicated system relatively easy to navigate. I find the UIs used by Fiio, Cayin and Shanling very similar, and indeed I’ve read that they share common base programming. The M2 software is clearly built from the ground up, and is also a work in progress. The system is common to the Aune desktop X5S and S18 audio transports, and I imagine as one item’s software evolves, so too will the others.
 
My only real issue with the UI was sometimes pushing a button or the dial (particularly the dial) a little longer than I should have for a short push, or a little shorter than required for a long one, and so making a move I hadn’t intended. The Quick Start graphic below explains pretty well the different button and dial controls and combinations for various functionality.
 

 
As mentioned, the M2 firmware is pretty basic. This makes it easy to navigate, but also means that features available with other players are not available (I’ll deal with that shortly). The home screen is laid out simply, with 4 icons showing the buckets of features as follows:
 

1. Songs: Play songs. All your songs. Set the player to random play and let rip.
2. Folders: As with most other players, folder browsing by Artist > Album > Song (or however the user has their folders laid out).
3. Playlists: Most Played (player defined) and Favorites (user defined).
4. Settings: Controls for start-up auto-play (on/off), play mode (folder, shuffle, repeat), filter mode (Sharp SD, Sharp LD, Slow SD, Slow LD), backlight brightness (1-7), auto power off timer, backlight timer, gapless play (on/off), operation tips (on for newbie, off once you’re a seasoned user and know the controls), language (Chinese, Simplified Chinese or English), settings restore, system upgrade (or update), system info and lock setting (control functions for buttons and jog dial when screen is locked).

 
          
 
In terms of features, the M2 is pretty bare-bones compared to some of the other digital audio players in the same price category (like the Fiio X5ii and Cayin N5). It seems Aune have decided to keep things clean and simple, and focus attention on audio quality. My observations on M2 functionality include:
 

1. Deep sleep/hibernation/deep standby mode: While there is no hibernation function, the M2 boots extremely quickly (due I’m sure to the very simple software). With a quick boot (less than a couple of seconds?) and starting up at the last song played before powering down, a deep sleep feature, though “missing,” is forgiveable.

 

1. Protective case: I think every DAP should come with some kind of case or pouch, especially when you get into the $250+ range. The M2 doesn’t have a case, which to me is a shame. Even a simple silicon slip-on cover would help protect one’s M2 investment from nicks and scratches.

 

1. USB connection to PC for data transfer: At the moment there is no way to connect the M2 to a PC to load music as the Micro USB port is only for charging and the expansion port is purely cosmetic (for now). Not a huge deal as I just removed the micro SD card whenever I wanted to load new music or make other library changes (this is how I do it even when USB data transfer IS possible as it’s faster).

 

1. External DAC: The M2 can’t be used as an external DAC. For a portable device, that’s a shame. When I’m on the road (which is frequently) I like to pack a portable DAC for use with my laptop for movies or Netflix, but I’d prefer not to have to pack two devices (DAP and DAC). I can imagine gamers might also appreciate being able to use the M2 as a DAC. Considering the quality of sound coming from the M2, it’s a real shame that DAC functionality isn’t included.

 

1. Coaxial Out: The M2 is clearly designed as a small-format, all-in-one audio device. There is currently no digital output with the M2. The product literature states, “With… multi-format support and superb reproduction of the original live event/recording sessions, the M2 is your mobile concert hall that liberates you from the large-size HiFi system.” For my purposes, the lack of Coax is not a huge deal as the quality of sound coming from the device is very good, and I’m quite happy to connect to an external amp (like the B1) via line out, if and when necessary. For anyone wanting to use the M2 purely as a transport and hook up digitally to a desktop DAC, that isn’t an option at the moment (though that will change when software is developed further and the expansion port goes live).  EDIT (Dec. 8, 2015) Aune are currently working on an external docking connect through the Mini HDMI port, which will bring digital output capabilities (Coax, AES, I2S, etc.) via a receiver module to high end DAC.

 
               
 

1. Playlists and browsing categories: As mentioned already, playlist support is limited to favorites (tracks can be added and deleted by the user), most played, and all tracks. There doesn’t appear to be support for multiple playlists, or for imported lists. Browse by artist, genre, composer, etc. is also not currently supported.

 

1. Album Cover Art: This is another feature that is not yet supported, and it’s not clear whether it will be at some point in the future. Would be nice to have, but as with other features may be a required sacrifice/compromise in the interest of sound quality.

 

1. Support for all music formats: Product literature lists most of the commonly supported music formats as supported. I used a variety of source files during my testing, and while most of them played fine, I did run into some issues. I had no problems with DSD and FLAC files, which sounded superb. I did have issues with AAC and ALAC files, however. With the latest firmware I tested (FW 1.10), both AAC (256 kbps and 320 kbps) and Apple Lossless tracks would only play if they were shorter than 7’30”. Longer tracks were skipped, which meant I was unable to listen to most classical and a lot of my jazz and ‘70s prog-rock tracks. For the tracks that did play, sound quality was excellent, but occasionally songs would stop playing midway through and the player would skip to the next song. For a Mac+iTunes user, this means some music will be unplayable, unless music files are converted to MP3 or FLAC, resulting in added complication of conversion tools, a non-iTunes media player, and otherwise unnecessary usage of hard drive space.

 

1. Gapless playback: This feature is listed in product literature as supported, but currently warrants an asterisk as it is limited to single-file albums with CUE. Most of my music consists of album folders containing individual files for each track, and in this set-up, gapless does not work. I am told that full gapless support is being worked on for future firmware releases, but for now this again means an added complication of file and format conversions.

 

1. Equalizer: There is no equalizer control available. I don’t as a rule use EQ, so for me this is not a big miss, but for those who do it could be a deal-breaker.

 

1. Battery: The M2 is rated at 6.5 hours of playing time, which is on the short side. I didn’t test this carefully, but I did feel the battery ran out rather quickly compared to my other DAPs. The M2 does get warm during extended use (though not overly so), so it’s clearly using some juice!  EDIT (Dec. 8, 2015) Aune states that the M2 is Class A music player, with voltage greater than 500MA, and that a compromise had to be made between a Class A/B device with 8 hours of playing time, and Class A with 6.5hours. The decision was made to sacrifice playing time for better sound quality. With daily charging, 6.5 hours battery life should be enough for regular use, and external power packs can be used to extend this if necessary. Several hours later I got another another update saying that the battery life on the production models has been upped to 7.5+ hours. Not clear yet if that's a FW tweak, or if they've done something with hardware.

 
The M2 Sound
 
If it seemed I was dissatisfied with the M2 as a product at this stage, I wouldn’t be surprised and you’d be forgiven for thinking so. While there are deficiencies in comparison to some other popular, more full-functioned DAPS, and I eagerly await introduction of and improvement on features listed as “supported,” I can say that I am willing to forgive some of my gripes purely on the basis of sound quality. I very much like the sound of the Aune M2 and that’s what I’ll look at next.
 

 
Overall I find the M2 has great balance, detail and texture. It’s sonically revealing and has a quite neutral character.
 

1. Bass: Bass goes low, has good slam and dynamics, nice reverb and ambience. Speed is excellent, as is bass definition. Sub-bass is present, but not as deep as some other DAPs.

 

1. Mids and Highs: Neither forward nor recessed, detailed and layered, clear, good extension and no issues with sibilance. Balance well with bass for even, natural presentation.

 

1. Vocals: As with mids and highs, M2 is revealing of texture in vocals. Micro detail of vocal signatures portrayed accurately and articulately. Both male and female vocals shone in their balance with rest of music.

 

1. Filters: The M2 has four DAC filter settings: Sharp SD (short decay), Sharp LD (long decay), Slow SD, and Slow LD. I didn’t play around with the filter settings too much, but was able to hear differences, particularly between Sharp SD (drier, more detailed) and Slow LD (warmer, fuller). Most of my listening and all of my comparisons to other DAPs was done with the Sharp SD filter engaged.

 

1. Detail: Definition of individual instruments and voices is excellent, with tight, textured detail and layering. Excellent clarity, no muddiness or bleed in complex, energetic pieces or passages. Transients are well defined from bass through treble, verging on dryness without being dry (with subtle warmth added with Slow LD filter).

 

1. Soundstage and Imaging: I find soundstage depends a lot on the headphones or IEMs used, but the M2 has a good sense of space and depth and accurate positioning. Switching filters allows for some control here, with Sharp SD filter giving a drier presentation with less ambience, and Slow LD warmer and more atmospheric.

 

1. Hiss: I didn’t notice any hiss with the IEMs I used. Background is nice and dark.

 

1. Power: When I first started playing with the M2, I was a bit concerned about its power handling capabilities as even with relatively sensitive IEMs I had the volume set to around half way (45-55/100 depending on IEM). You’ll notice in the spec’s that “gain adjust adapts to headphones/earphones used,” and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the M2 was able to drive quite powerful headphones with some authority. I tried the M2 out with my 470-ohm Audio Technica R70x and my AKG K7XX, in addition to loaner ZMF Omni I’ve been enjoying for a while, and with all three I got decent volume and sound quality (though the R70x sounded just a tad thin, and with all I had to push the volume up to 100/100). Adding and stacking with the very capable Aune B1 portable amp (see @nmatheis' excellent review of the updated 2016 edition here) took things to another level, and this is a combination I highly recommend.

 
               
 
Sound Comparisons with Other DAPs
 
I compared the M2 and M2 Pro to a number of players, from the affordable but capable Shanling M2 through mid-tier Fiio X5ii and Cayin N5, and on to higher end Fiio X7 and Cayin N6. Comparisons were performed using my handy Line5 headphone output switcher, which allows me to volume match, synchronize music on two DAPs, and then switch back and forth while playing without having to unplug and/or plug anything in. Instant switching while tracks continue to play allows easier identification of sound differences as there’s virtually no memory lag to deal with.
 

 
One of the things I’ve noticed as I experience a range of audio equipment is that sound differences between DAPs are far more subtle than between headphones and amplifiers, particularly within a given price tier. Quality across the board is becoming better and better, and often differences will only become apparent with focused listening.
 
Another note about sound comparisons described is that less or more of something isn’t necessarily a bad thing. DAP-A could have more or better sub-bass, for example, but that doesn't mean DAP-B’s sub-bass is poor. So take the comparisons with a grain of salt.
 

 
For non-sonic differences, all the DAPs I compared can be used as external DACs, have digital out, and offer gapless functionality and ALAC/AAC support. I won’t spend any more time on differences in feature sets, but sonically here’s a summary of how various models stacked up (detailed listening notes appear after the summaries):
 

1. Aune M2 (base model) vs. Aune M2 Pro: Both are engaging, with balance, detail, texture. Sonically revealing and neutral. The Pro has a hard-to-define, subtle lustre to its sound that is missing in the base model. Pro is very slightly bigger sounding, dynamic range and instrumental clarity just a hair enhanced, but other than that everything is the same.

 
          
 

1. Aune M2 (base model) vs. Cayin N5: I didn’t have a lot of time to compare these two as the M2 came in on the same day I shipped out the N5 to the next participant in that review tour. I found the M2 bass attack marginally quicker than N5, and sub-bass a touch deeper. Shorter decay in mids and highs gives better definition to notes and instruments. Vocals are cleaner, more textured and detailed With N5, bass softer-edged with longer decay, adding body and feeling of space. Longer decay in mids and highs adds ambience and contributes to warmer presentation.

 

1. Aune M2 Pro vs. FiiO X5ii: M2 transients quicker, leading and trailing edges of sounds clearer. Bass less prominent, mids and highs more forward. Vocals brighter, more detailed, layered and textured. X5ii bass rounder, deeper sub-bass, more reverb, more impactful than M2. Mids comparatively recessed. M2 better balanced across frequencies; with X5ii bass dominated overall presentation.

 
          
 

1. Aune M2 Pro vs. Cayin N6: M2 Pro is definitely at N6 level SQ-wise, though slightly warmer. Decay on bass and mids fractionally longer, giving fuller, more ambient atmosphere. N6 not dry, but drier. M2 Pro not warm, but warmer. Marginal differences. No real preference, but taking price into account have to say M2 Pro represents better value.

 

1. Aune M2 Pro vs. Shanling M2: Shanling M2 is lower key, shy but capable. Doesn’t draw attention, but neutral clarity and balance. Aune M2 Pro weightier and meatier, fuller. Bass tighter, deeper, greater impact… more present but not forward. More dynamic and extroverted, greater extension, warmer (but still not warm).

 

1. Aune M2 Pro vs. Fiio X7: M2 Pro subtly cleaner and more detailed. Bass depth similar to X7, but quicker, less reverb and more plucky entry. Mids and highs very similar to both in extension and detail. M2 Pro slightly less warm, tighter and more detailed in mids. Differences are quite minimal and, to me, focused on the bass end. While sonically similar, the X7 boasts numerous features not shared by the M2 in addition to the ones mentioned already, including touch screen, wireless and streaming (albeit at a higher price).

 
 
 
Conclusions
 
It should be clear by now that I really like the way the Aune M2 sounds (both base and Pro models, but particularly the Pro). I feel it outclasses most of the other DAPs I compared it to, particularly in speed (transients, in bass particularly but throughout the spectrum), and detail, texture and layering. I’d place the M2 (Pro anyways) at a similar level as the Cayin N6 in sound quality.
 

 
While there’s much to praise with the sound of the M2, I feel it’s very much still a work in progress. Some functions that are standard in most other DAPs have been left out, or are still under development. The main unresolved issues and missing features include:

1. ALAC and AAC playback not supported: Longer songs won’t play, and there can be random instances where a song just stops and the player skips to the next one (for some reasons, the M2 doesn’t like my ALAC rip of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”) To me, this makes the M2 an unsuitable DAP for anyone using iTunes as a primary music source (on PC or Mac) as converting song files to FLAC or MP3 is inconvenient and overly complicated. Aune tells me ALAC and AAC are being worked on, so this is an issue that may be resolved in future FW updates.
2. Limited gapless support: Gapless works a treat, IF you’re using CUE files with an entire album ripped to a single sound file. If, like me, you rip songs to individual files and place them in an album folder, gapless won’t work. I tested this with DSD, FLAC and ALAC, and all of them had gaps between songs. Word from Aune is that this issue will be addressed.
3. No digital in or out: If you’re looking to use the M2 as an external DAC, it can’t be done. If you want to use it as a digital transport hooked up to another DAC, you’re also out of luck (for now). The expansion Mini HDMI port was included to provide digital transfer capabilities in the future, via some sort of docking station or receiver module, but what that will be like is currently unclear.
4. Limited playlist support: Playlists are limited to favourites, most played, all songs, and albums (via folder browsing). Tagged browsing (by artist, composer, genre, etc.) is not supported, though could easily be implemented.

 
As it stands, the M2 represents a superb DAP for a user with these criteria: 1) All music is in DSD, FLAC or MP3 format, 2) gapless albums use CUE files, 3) uses folder browsing only, and 4) has no need to connect a DAP digitally to other equipment.
 

 
For anyone else, the M2 is a DAP to watch and consider as issues are resolved and functionality is added. I for one WILL be watching as I see the M2 as a DAP with huge potential, and will return to edit this review (hopefully with pluses) as the M2 develops and improves.
 
My thanks to Aune for the opportunity to try out the M2 (both base and “Pro” models), and provide input during pre-production development. Thanks for reading, and I hope my feedback has been helpful.

Little birds began twittering several months ago (early June, to be precise) about a possible little brother for the highly respected Cayin N6. Having just reviewed the N6 but not pulled the trigger on a purchase, the idea of a smaller, scaled-down, less expensive Cayin DAP excited me. I'm on the road a lot, so I'm always on the lookout for a truly portable, quality DAP (as opposed to TRANSportable, which is how I classify the N6).
 

 
With anticipation high, I started an N5 discussion thread, and quickly discovered that there were numerous other Head-Fi’ers who found the idea of a “baby N6” intriguing. Cayin was quick to jump in on the discussion as well, and was forthcoming with design and technical details about the N5 as these became available. As more and more details emerged, speculation on the N5 sound signature – clear and somewhat analytical like the N6, warm and engaging like the C5 and C5DAC, or somewhere in between – became one of the big themes, along with discussion around the balanced out capabilities and the somewhat steam punk inspired design.
 
In late August, Cayin announced an N5 review tour, and I was lucky to be chosen one of the lead-off reviewers. My review unit arrived in early October (round about the time that the N5 went on sale internationally), and I got to spend two weeks with it before forwarding on to the next participant on the tour. And that brings us to this review.
 

 
Disclaimer: The N5 I reviewed was a free loaner unit from Cayin, which will be returned to Cayin at the end of the review tour. I have not benefitted financially or materially from writing this review, with the tour unit provided in exchange for my true feeling and opinions towards the product. Cayin did not check review content prior to publication.
 
 
The Cayin N5
 
Let’s dive into the review with physical attributes and specifications.
 
Unboxing & Design
 
The N5 comes in an understated yet sturdy black cardboard box. The packaging is not to the standards or the N6, but at half the price, that is not unexpected. The lid fits snugly, and patience is required (hard when anticipation is high) as the package is eased open. On removing the lid, the N5 (with pre-installed screen protector) is revealed in all its glory, held tightly in a foam-board insert.
 

 
Removing the N5 and insert reveals another box of light cardboard containing accessories and instructions. Accessories include a 3.5mm to RCA female coaxial cable, a USB 3 charging/sync cable, an extra screen protector, and an instruction booklet. Accessories are sparse, but there isn’t much need for anything else (though a silicon protective case might be a nice touch).
 

 
The N5 itself is a unique looking digital player. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really like it. Design has a steam-punkish, retro feel, but is functional and build quality is excellent. The N5 is significantly smaller than the N6, but has a more satisfying heft that implies quality. The metal enclosure is a two-piece design, with one piece wrapping the front, top and bottom ends, and the other wrapping the rear and sides. Join tolerances are even and tight.
 

 
Taking a tour of the N5 externals we find:
 
Front:  The square display takes up most of the top half of the face of the player. The display is the same size as that on the N6, but seems more balanced in size on the smaller N5. To the left of the display are several indented channels, which create an interesting, retro design element. The bottom half of the front face is where the main controls are found, with a chunky, textured selector wheel on the right (with “enter” button in the centre), and three navigation buttons on the left (return button for menu navigation, forward/next button and reverse/previous button). The wheel is solid and relatively stiff, but responsive and accurate when selecting menus and folders; it takes some getting used to after babying other DAPs with flimsier control wheels, but I like the robust solidity.
 

 
Rear: Like the N6, the rear of the N5 has a glass fibre plate embedded in the slightly protruding surface. Unlike the N6, there are no sharp edges on the rear, which makes for a pleasant overall tactile experience.
 

 
Top End: From left to right, we find the power button, 3.5mm Coaxial Out jack, 3.5mm combination Headphone/Line Out jack, and 2.5mm Balanced Out jack. The N5 is turned on and off with a long press of the power button; a short press turns the screen on and off. The combined headphone and line out jack is an interesting compromise to allow for multiple outputs while keeping size down; for ear safety, the jack reverts to Headphone Out whenever a jack is unplugged (to avoid the potential ear-frying experience of plugging headphones in when Line Out was the last setting selected). At the moment this is a feature that can’t be over-ridden, and I’m pretty sure there will be users who’d like to be able to turn this setting off.
 

 
Bottom end: From left to right, we find the USB-3 port (10x faster than USB-2, for charging, syncing and signal input when using the N5 with PC as an external DAC), and two Micro-SD slots. These are protected by a single, plastic port cover, which connects on the right side and can be swivelled out of the way of the ports when access is needed. Above the ports in the centre is the reset button, which can be activated when required with a paper clip or pin of some sort.
 
   
 
Left side: From top to bottom, we find two volume buttons (volume up and down) and the “M” (menu) button. The menu gives quick access to a number of control settings, including switching gain up and down, adding tracks to the favourites playlist, and switching play modes.
 

 
Right side: Not much happening on the right (and that’s not a political statement). Just a clean, empty space.
 

 
Selected Specifications:
 
 
My Experience with the N5
 
As mentioned at the beginning of my write-up, I had the N5 for about two weeks, during which I used it as my primary DAP. The only time I really used anything else was while performing A/B comparisons. I have to say I really enjoyed using the N5, and honestly have very few complaints about it. I like the size and heft, think the ergonomics (placement of ports, jacks and controls) are excellent, and find the user interface intuitive and sensible. I don’t have any balanced headphones, so didn’t make use of this feature of the N5, and will not mention it again in my review.
 

 
Physical comparisons with other DAPs
 
Comparing the N5 to some other DAPs in my possession at the time of this review, my observations and feelings on physical, ergonomic and interface elements are as follows:
 
   
 
Cayin N6:

1. The N5 is about 20% smaller than the N6, which puts it firmly in the “pocketable” category of DAPs. The N6 is not what I’d call pocketable or portable; it’s just a bit too big and bulky.
2. The controls on the N5 are also better laid out and more intuitive than the N6; when I use the N6 I constantly find myself pressing the wrong buttons, but that didn’t happen when I used the N5.
3. The N6 has 8GB of internal memory (nice), but only one memory slot (not so nice). I much prefer the double-slot design of the N5.
4. The N6 has an easy-moving jog dial, while the N5 has a stiffer, firmer scroll wheel. I didn’t have issues with either, and think both solutions for navigating through folders and options work well.
5. The N6 gets quite warm when playing music and battery life is relatively short, while I didn’t notice overheating with the N5, and didn’t experience issues with battery drain, either.

 

 
Fiio X5ii

1. The X5ii is marginally smaller and lighter than the N5, but not to the extent where it makes much difference to pocketability or portability.
2. While the controls on the X5ii and N5 are laid out differently, both are intuitive and I don’t hold a preference for either.
3. Both N5 and X5ii have two memory slots and not internal memory, so no difference there.
4. I prefer the N5’s scroll wheel to the X5ii’s. Poor correlation between scroll wheel activity and movement within the graphical interface is a common complaint with the X5ii, for me included; with the N5 I had no issues to speak of, and found scroll wheel movement correlated pretty well with interface changes. The N5 wheel is stiff and requires firm finger/thumb control, but at no time did I feel that firmness was going to cause breakage, and with some mental adjustment I became quite comfortable using the N5 wheel.
5. An area I found I preferred with the X5ii over the N5 was the configuration of the audio out jacks. The N5 has a dedicated coaxial out and combination headphone/line out, while the X5ii has a dedicated headphone out and combination line/coaxial out. While I can understand why Cayin opted for the configuration they did, to me as a user I find the combined coax/line solution more user friendly as it’s less finicky for standard modes of operation.

 

 
Hidizs AP100

1. The AP100 is about the same size and weight as the X5ii, so marginally smaller and lighter than the N5. Differences are not enough for me to prefer one over the other.
2. The controls on the AP100 and N5 are laid out differently, but both are intuitive and I don’t hold a preference for either.
3. As with the N6, the AP100 has 8GB of internal memory (nice), but only one memory slot (not so nice). I far prefer the double-slot design of the N5.
4. The N5 (and N6 and X5ii) has a fixed line out. The AP100’s line out volume is adjustable, which is very nice when using an external amp with IEMs.

 

 
Other observations
 
Besides comparisons with other DAPs, both in the same family (N6) and in similar price range (X5ii and AP100), some other random, non-audio observations include:
 
Deep sleep/hibernation/deep standby mode: About ten days into my review period, Cayin released an update to the N5 firmware to version 2.0. The update included a deep standby mode, which increases standby battery life to 180 hours. This mode activates when the N5 has been inactive (not involved in some other operation, like playing music, formatting a TF card, in DAC mode, updating the song library) for 1 minute. This function is similar to the deep sleep mode of the Fiio X5ii, and it was something I missed in my first few days with the N5. The update was a welcome one; however, there is a bit of a lag on start from pause, which can have you imagining that your button press didn’t register, causing a second press of the enter button which in turn re-pauses music. This is something you get used to after a few times, but shorter lag on start would be welcome.
 
Protective case: There isn’t one. All my other DAPs (X5ii, X3ii and AP100) came with a case of some sort. With Fiio, it was a black silicon sleeve, and with Hidizs a leather-like billfold cover. I appreciate that Cayin are trying to keep costs down and are including some high-end functionality in a mid-tier price range, but some kind of protection – even a cloth pouch like with the C5 and C5DAC – would be nice. That said, I understand that an after-market leather or leather-like case is in development.
 
Bottom port cover: The port cover protects the memory slots and charging port from dust. While I love the idea of the port cover, two things about the cover on the N5 bothered me. First, the cover needs to be opened whenever you want to charge the device, use it as a DAC, or want to change memory cards, which means unnecessary wear and tear. This compounds the second issue with the cover, which is that it gets loose very quickly (within two weeks in my case) and doesn’t hold firmly when being used. I’d prefer separate covers for the USB port and the memory slots, made of rubber rather than plastic for better grip and hold within the port or slots they’re protecting. If and when I purchase an N5 (and I’m considering it), I’ll probably remove the protective cover altogether and get a case for the N5.
 
   
 
DAC Issues: N5 is plug-and-play with a Mac. It’s easy to hook up and use in this way. I did have a couple of issues while using the DAC feature. First, I couldn’t find a way to change the gain setting while connected (if I wanted to change headphones on the fly, for example); to adjust gain I had to unhook the N5, change settings and then re-connect.  Second, the N5 didn’t indicate the correct bitrate on screen for the files being played. 192 kHz/24 Bits PCM displayed on screen (perhaps the maximum quality possible when connected to MacBook Air?) when playing Redbook 44.1/16 music files in iTunes. Hopefully these are issues that can be corrected in a future firmware release.
 

 
The N5 Sound
 
One of the things I’m discovering more and more as I experience a range of audio equipment is that differences between DAPs are far more subtle than between headphones or amplifiers, particularly within a given price tier. Quality across the board is becoming better and better, and often differences will only become apparent with repeated, focused listening. This opinion (and it is just an opinion) was reinforced with the N5.
 

 
The N5 is a quality music player, with an engaging sound. Cayin seems to have paid attention to feedback about their more popular, existing portable equipment – N6, C5 and C5DAC – and incorporated this input in their design of the N5. Sonically, to me, the N5 falls somewhere in between the detailed, somewhat dry and analytical N6 and the warm and friendly C5 duo.
 

1. Bass: Bass is robust and goes deep, with good levels of sub-bass. Transients are little loose, with a soft leading edge and extended decay, but not blended or muddy. I wouldn’t call the bass flabby, but it’s not the tightest I’ve heard. The extension of bass sound gives a warm feel to the low end, and also a sense of space and ambience. Musical pieces with a prominent bass heartbeat are very satisfying.

 

1. Mids and Highs: There’s a good amount of dynamism to middle and upper frequencies. Textured instruments like sax and cello give a realistic sense of vibration, with layering and vibrancy, but with a roundness to the tail edge of notes that adds to the overall feeling of warmth. Guitars, piano and percussion (vibes, snares, high hats, cymbals) are bright and sparkling, with snap and shimmer to leading edges; that said, I didn’t notice any sibilance issues, and found the N5 sound non-fatiguing.

 

1. Vocals: Vocals have warmth and ambience, with good micro-detail, texture and layering. Details of interaction between tongue, teeth and lips came through clearly when part of the original recording, and vocal idiosyncracies (rasp, air, quavering delivery) are accurately delivered. I have to say I prefer female over male vocals for the amounts of detail and clarity; not to say male vocals are poor, but female were just that much more impactful to me.

 

1. Sonic Balance: My overall impression is of slight prominence to bass over other frequencies, but that is not to say other frequencies are overshadowed or deficient. Overall balance is good, with a warm, friendly feel overall (though not to the level of warmth offered by the C5 amps).

 

1. Detail: I was impressed with the level of detail offered by the N5, particularly in mids and highs. When listening to cello, I was able to hear and differentiate layers to vibrations of strings, the cello body and the texture of bow stroking strings. With sax I got both the reeds of the sax itself, and the breath of the player. Bass lacks tight focus focus, but is satisfying. My only issues with detail were with busy, energetic passages where some blending and loss of definition occurred.

 

1. Soundstage and Imaging: The N5 has slightly extended decay in bass and mids which helps create a sense of space and air. Soundstage has good width and height, but tends to be a bit shallow, which affects imaging accuracy as it compresses instrumental positioning from front to back.

 

1. Hiss: I didn’t notice any with any of the IEMs I used.

 
Sound Comparisons with Other DAPs
 
Overall I enjoy the engaging, warm yet detailed sound delivered by the N5. It’s an attractive DAP in many ways, and one I definitely wouldn’t mind adding to my growing collection. Since I have a couple of DAPs already, do I really need another though?
 

 
To help me decide, I did some comparison listening, using my handy Line5 headphone output switcher. The switcher allows me to volume match, synchronize music on two DAPs, and then switch back and forth without having to unplug and/or plug anything in. Instant switching helps to hear sound differences as there’s very little memory lag.
 
One thing to note about comparisons here is that less or more of something isn’t necessarily a bad thing. DAP-A could have better sub-bass, for example, but that doesn't mean DAP-B’s sub-bass is sub-standard. So take the comparisons with a grain of salt.
 

1. N5 vs. N6: N5 is easier going and warmer, and N6 more detailed with better transient energy and speed. N5 has longer sustain to notes (bass and mids especially) which creates a sense of ambience, but there is also has some looseness to bass. N6 bass is more realistic, better balanced across frequencies and better defined instrumentally, with more open soundstage.

 

1. N5 vs. X5ii: Found these very similar, and only really heard differences with concentrated listening. The N5 is a smidge more detailed in mids, but the X5ii has more robust and deeper quality to the bass. N5 mids more detailed and layered with more variation in tone than X5ii. N5 warmer with looser bass, while X5ii with tighter bass sounds cleaner. Someone with an X5ii already thinking the N5 will be an upgrade (unless planning to use the balanced out, which I didn’t try) may want to save their money.

 

1. N5 vs. AP100: N5 has a bigger, warmer, weightier ambience than the drier (by a touch) AP100. N5 presentation of mids and highs is better on micro-detail than the AP100, which is smoother and drier. N5 more dynamic with larger soundstage; AP100 feels a bit spatially constrained in comparison.

 
 
Conclusions
 
There’s a lot to like about the Cayin N5, and I think it’ll be a strong seller. The feature set at the $350 price point represents good value for money, providing a taste of what might be found in higher priced gear (like the balanced output). For me, N5 highlights are:

1. Engaging, warm, detailed and fatigue-free sound signature. While some might prefer slightly tighter bass, I found the low end atmospheric and inviting.
2. Attractive design and excellent build quality. I love the retro, steam-punk look and solid feel to the scroll wheel and buttons.
3. Double memory slots. Not much to add to that.
4. Hibernation function. Having had the X5ii for a while, I’ve become accustomed to instant start-up. This was a welcome addition with FW 2.0.
5. Solves issues many users found with the N6. I prefer the N5 to the N6, especially the more portable size, more logical user interface, better battery life, and friendlier sound signature.

 

 
While there’s much to praise with the N5, there are a few things I wish Cayin had done differently. To summarize:

1. I’m not a big fan of the single port cover on the bottom of the unit. I’d prefer to see separate covers for the USB port and the memory slots.
2. I’m not a fan of the combination HO/LO port. It’s finicky to have to engage Line Out every time for those that typically stack their DAC with an external amp. That said, I do appreciate Cayin’s safety measures to ensure against frying of ears by defaulting to HO when jacks are removed from the port.
3. I’d like to see a shorter lag when waking the player from hibernation.
4. A case of some sort would be nice.

 
My thanks to @Cayin for the opportunity to try out the N5, and @Andykong for organizing the tour. Thanks for reading, and I hope my impressions have been helpful.

The Fiio EX1 is the first Fiio-branded IEM. If it looks familiar, that’s because it is basically a re-tuned Dunu Titan 1 (a collaboration made obvious by the appearances of both the Fiio and Dunu names on various parts of the product).
 
The Titan has an excellent reputation within Head-Fi circles for spacious soundstage, capable bass, sparkling treble and revealing detail. Although curious for some time to try the Titan, I was held back from purchasing a set of my own by reports from some reviewers of poor isolation, edgy treble (tip dependent), shallow fit and cable-down design (I like over-ear).
 

 
With the release of the EX1, Fiio organized a world tour, and I saw my no-risk chance to try out the latest iteration of the Titan. I put my name forward, and luckily was selected to lead off one of the North American legs, which led to me having ten days with the EX1 in exchange for my unbiased impressions. There was no financial incentive for me in this review, and at the end of ten days the IEM was packed up and sent on to the next tour participant.
 
 
About the EX1
 
This is a summary of product information I found on Amazon: Each EX1 earpiece contains a nanotech titanium diaphragm dynamic driver within a CNC milled duralumin (back) and stainless steel (front) housing, with short nozzle for comfort. At the end of each nozzle are 7 tuning ports in a beehive pattern, sized and positioned for the desired sound properties. Housings are connected to grey kevlar-strengthened high-purity multi-strand (42 strands) OFC cables.
 
   
 
To add some of my own observations on receiving the EX1: The cable terminates at an L-shaped gold-plated plug. Strain reliefs are substantial, with black, soft rubberized material at the plug, an aluminium sheath at the y-split, and grey rubberized material at each housing. The housings are well vented (11 vents on the front, ear side and one on the back) so driver flex is not an issue. Cable is a bit springy, but not to the point of being a big issue. There is an aluminium cable cinch, which slides easily and locks securely; it inserts slightly into the recessed end of the y-split sheath when not in use.
 

 
Vital specifications:

1. Driver: 13mm dynamic driver (titanium)
2. Frequency Range: 20Hz – 30kHz
3. Impedance: 16 ohm
4. Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW

 
At the time of writing, the EX1 cost US$89.99 on Amazon.com.
 
EX1 Impressions
 
On receiving the EX1, I tried them out the way they’re designed, worn cable down and with stock tips. To tell the truth, I wasn’t happy with this set-up. I like a deep, secure insertion and the ear tips didn’t insert very far. The result was that I felt the earpieces were going to fall out or I would lose my seal if I moved my head too vigorously or quickly. The main culprits here were:

• short nozzles and short bore stock ear-tips, and
• the fact that I have rather prominent traguses (tragi?), both front and back, which caught on the strain relief and kept tip insertion shallow.

 
Feeling like maybe these weren’t for me , I decided to play around with different tips to see if I could get a more secure fit. I have Comply tips lying around, but I’m not the biggest fan of their sound, so I started with the Sony Isolation (foam-filled) Hybrids. I had success with these with the RHA MA750, which also fit insecurely with stock tips. With the EX1, if I really jammed them in as deep as they’d go, I got an okay fit, but it didn’t last long as the strain relief on the housing worked them out again. Same with other tips I tried.
 
So, I got a bit more drastic. The design looked like it would work cable up if I reversed ears (left earpiece in right ear and vice-versa… I know, sacrilege) so I gave it a try. The result? An excellent fit! I got much deeper insertion, everything felt secure, the earpieces didn’t work their way out, and I got a great seal. From there it was a matter of tip-rolling to find an ideal combination of comfort and sound quality.
 
   
 
I ended up settling on the Spinfits, with my top-three choices being: 1) Spinfit (best insertion, great bass and detailed highs, good soundstage, male vocals just a touch subdued at times), 2) Stock Silicon (bass fuller than Spinfits, highs and soundstage almost at Spinfit levels, but shallower insertion), and 3) Sony Isolation Hybrid (similar sound to Spinfit but warmer and smoother, insertion similar to stock silicon).
 
 
 
Sound Impressions
 
General sound signature: As mentioned at the beginning of the review, my sound expectations for the EX1 were a mix of good and bad: spacious soundstage, capable bass, sparkling treble and revealing detail, along with poor isolation and sometimes edgy treble. Once I dealt with my fit and insertion issues through tip choice and wearing the earpieces reversed and over the ears, fears were allayed and positive expectations met in spades.
 
   
 
I used the EX1s a lot in the 10 days I had them. Some of the time was spent listening objectively and taking notes for my review, but most of the time I enjoyed them while on the go or just listening for pure pleasure.
 

 
In addition to a lot of listening, for the first time I made use of some objective measurement for this review. Thanks to input from my Head-Fi pal @nmatheis, I recently purchased the Dayton iMM-6 Calibrated Measurement Microphone (pictured above, with tubing added so I get an air-tight sound chamber for accurate results), and used it with the iPhone AudioTools app (with calibration file installed) to create an FFT curve showing frequency response characteristics of the EX1 (see below). I won’t pretend the curves produced are 100% scientifically accurate, but from experimenting with a number of the IEMs I own, have found the sound signatures I hear match pretty well with the graphics produced. To avoid influencing my impressions, I performed measurements after several hours of listening.
 

And with that preamble out of the way, my impressions:
 

1. Bass: Just the way I like it. Not boomy, but very good in quantity and quality. On tracks with a lot of bass, you can feel the sub-bass in the pit of your stomach. On non-bassy tracks, there is a warmth from the low end that adds to ambience nicely. Bass doesn’t bleed or overpower other frequencies, and has good speed and snap.
2. Mids: Texture of mids is excellent, with lots of micro-detail and realism to brass and toms. Lower mids can be subdued when competing with bass and treble in busy passages, but on their own sound lovely.
3. Highs: Upper end is bright, detailed and clear. High hats, cymbals, guitar and piano shimmer and sparkle beautifully. Extension (at least to my aging ears) is good. At no point in my listening did I feel highs were harsh or sibilant; perhaps this is due to tip choice, or maybe the retune of the Titan has made a difference in this area.
4. Female vocals: To be brief, the EX1 is wonderful with female voices. It’s revealing, detailed and honest. With smooth singers (Norah Jones, Lana Del Rey, Elizabeth Shepherd, Sade and the like), voices translate beautifully, with air and space, while those who’re more raw and edgy (Björk, Beth Hart, Joss Stone) deliver wonderful texture.
5. Male vocals: If there’s a shortcoming with the EX1, this is it for me. Vocal detail and texture are good, but the slight veiling of lower mids is to me very evident in tracks or passages with a lot going on. Characterful singers like Geddy Lee, Eddie Vedder and Mark Knopfler have great quality during quiet passages, but when their bands get going and there’s a lot of energy, the low end of their vocals drops out noticeably.
6. Balance: As mentioned already, bass and treble both have excellent quality, and some veiling is evident in the lower mids (note the dip between 500 Hz and 1.5 kHz in the FFT graph). I would call the EX1 mildly v-shaped, but not significantly so as neither bass not treble are over-emphasized.
7. Soundstage: Very good sense of space and atmospherics, and very definitely takes your music outside your head. Positioning is accurate, with width, height and depth. Side-to-side fades and stereo effects have impact.

 
 
 
Comparisons
 
While I had the EX1, I preformed several comparisons with other IEMs of similar class and price. I could have compared against higher-priced hybrids (Dunu DN2000J, Fidue A73, Altone 2000, Trinity Delta), but felt it unfair to pit a budget single dynamic against competition like that. Instead, I chose to compare with several popular IEMs in similar technology (single driver) and price (sub $100) ranges.
 
   
 

1. RHA MA750: I really like the MA750, and it’s been one of my go-to IEMs for running about due to it’s rugged construction and cable and good sound quality. I was thus surprised at how much more I liked the EX1, which has more substantial bass, dynamic, revealing mids and highs, and warmer presentation overall. In comparison I found the MA750 rather flat and thunky.
2. Trinity Hyperion: The Hyperion is tiny compared to the EX1, and cheaper by half, so perhaps this comparison is also a bit unfair. That said, it’s very listenable. Compared to the EX1, it lacks sub-bass, is more v-shaped (more recessed mids), and overall a bit dry and analytical. EX1 is fuller and deeper, with more warmth and airy, spacious soundstage.
3. Havi B3 Pro 1: The Havi is a double-dynamic IEM known for excellence with vocals and stellar soundstage. It lacks a bit in the low end, and I prefer the sub- and mid-bass quality of the EX1. Havi is more mid-forward than EX1, so vocals (especially male) sounded more natural and balanced, while treble quality was similar. Soundstage with both was very good, with EX1 a touch smaller. Overall the bass presence makes the EX1 sound fuller and warmer, and if I have to chose between the two on sound alone, I give the edge to the EX1. The EX1 is significantly easier to drive (Havi requires a fair bit of power), so for portable use without an external amp, the EX1 wins, too.

 
 
 
Conclusion
 
I’m glad I got to try the EX1 as it certainly lives up the Titan hype. For $89 I didn’t expect to find this quality of bass married to revealing highs and excellent soundstage. Overall sound is natural and warm, with very good levels of detail, and other than the slightly recessed lower mids, I find little to fault here.
 

 
Having spent some time with the EX1, I now regret not having gone in on the Titan 1 when it was first released. From what I’ve read, the EX1 is a retune of, but not that different from, the Titan. Lucky for me the EX1 is more reasonable price-wise, so this is a purchase I’ll definitely be making in the near future. Now if only it came with a detachable cable so I didn’t have to reverse left and right channels!
 
Many thanks to @Joe Bloggs of Fiio for coordinating this review tour.

Back in July, Lucas (@LucasCL) of Creative put out a call on Head-Fi for reviewers for three Sound Blaster products: the Roar 2 portable wireless speaker, the Aurvana In-Ear3 Plus IEM, and the Sound Blaster E5 portable headphone amplifier. I was lucky to be selected to review the E5 amplifier.
 

 
Disclaimer: Creative sent me the E5 at no charge in exchange for an unbiased review and permission to use my feedback on their media channels, if Creative desires. I do not need to return the review unit, but was encouraged to allow other Head-Fi’ers to try it on completion of my review. This I intend to do.
 
E5 Overview
 
The E5 is more than just a portable headphone amplifier. Much more. It’s like the Swiss Army Knife… nay, the McGyver… of portable headphone amplifiers. It is an amplifier. It is a 24-bit/192kHz high resolution USB DAC. It connects to music and smart devices by Bluetooth. It connects to iDevices directly, without need for the Camera Connection Kit. WITHOUT THE CCK! It connects to game consoles. It has its own App. It has dual headphone out jacks, for when you and your honey (or non-honey) want to listen together. It is rated to drive 600-ohm headphones. It has software (CrystalVoice) to enhance voice quality when used for phone calls or Skype sessions. In addition to the typical line-in of a portable amp, it has line out, and optical in and out for connecting to a variety of analogue and digital audio devices. All it needs is to slice, dice and make Julienne fries, and you could survive on a desert island with it.
 

 
Some Reviewer Context
 
I’m 50 verging on 51, and I have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which I guess is pretty good for someone of my vintage but not perfect). My hearing sensitivity is pretty low, and so I listen at higher volume than the average bear. I listen to a variety of genres, in particular, Classical (mostly chamber), Jazz (‘50s to 70’s), ‘70s Rock, ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). I like good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, relatively linear, detailed mids and highs, lush and rich with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, and am not a fan of anything boomy. I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am relatively new to Head-Fi (bought my first over-ear headphones in November 2014). I am not an expert in electronics or musical terminology. I spend a lot of time on Head-Fi, know what has been useful to me in reviews, and try to give useful insights to help others make decisions about items they are thinking about trying or buying.
 
Build, Ergonomics and Accessories
 
Unboxing: The Sound Blaster E5 comes packaged with: Micro USB cable, desk stand, 2x rubber bands, and mini TOSLINK cable. There’s no Lightning to USB cable, but most people with iDevices will probably already have multiple cables; still, a short cable for on the go would be nice.
 
   
 
The E5 has about the same footprint as the Fiio X5ii, Hidizs AP100 and Cayin N5 DAPs, which makes it a suitable size for stacking. That said, it is quite thick, so any stack you end up with is definitely more “baggable” than “pocketable.” The E5 is extraordinarily light though (plastic casing), so weight will not be an issue, whether stacking or using on its own.
 
   
 
The top of the unit is uncluttered, with matte finish and brushed metal strip down the middle.
 

 
The front of the unit is also quite minimalist, with a recessed volume pot and two headphone out jacks. The Volume pot is smooth and stiff enough that inadvertent volume changes when pocketed or in a bag are unlikely, but smooth enough that it’s easy to turn and adjust volume when desired. When connected to PC or smart device, volume can be controlled from the E5 or from your device (whether connected remotely by Bluetooth or physically by cable) and pressing the volume pot pauses and starts music play.
 
The E5 is unusual in that there is no “0-point” or “max-volume” on the pot – it can be turned infinitely in either direction – but this makes sense when considering the ability to control an iPhone from the E5 and vice-versa.
 

 
The right side of the unit has all the remaining on-board controls, which are, from left to right: 1) Combination power/Bluetooth activation button, 2) SBX (bass enhancement) button, 3) Gain switch, and 4) 3-LED battery indicator.
 

 
One long press of the power button turns the unit on. A second long press turns on Bluetooth. Once Bluetooth is turned on, the unit is searchable from your device; just select the Sound Blaster, and you’re ready to go.
 
Bass enhancement is turned on with a long press of the SBX button. SBX can be adjusted almost infinitely using the Sound Blaster “Central” app. I’m not a big EQ or bass boost guy, so I didn’t really use this feature.
 
The gain switch is a simple Low-High selector. Low gain is suggested for IEMs and headphones rated at 32-150 ohms, and high gain for 150-600 ohms.
 
The back end of the unit has all the non-headphone jacks and plugs. From left to right one finds: 1) 3.5mm Line/Mic/Optical In jack, 2) 3.5mm Line/Optical Out jack, 3) USB Host (for charging and connecting portable smart devices) and 4) Micro USB (for connecting Mac/PC and other devices).
 

 
The left side (which becomes the base of the unit when using the supplied stand) has no controls, buttons, jacks or plugs.
 
   
 
One nice design feature is that the bottom of the unit is rubberized, making it convenient to stand on a desk, or stack your DAP directly without requiring rubberized or cloth feet or pads to protect either unit from scratches.
 

 
Features, Usage and Sound
 
On learning I’d be getting an E5 to try out, I had a few questions I wanted answered, and these formed the main basis for my listening and observations:

• How will the E5 work with my iPhone? How easily will it connect? How much will it improve sound quality? Will there be issues with EMI?
• How much will it improve the sound of my MacBook?
• How well will it function as an external headphone amp with a DAP?
• How capably will it drive power-hungry headphones and IEMs?

 
While I was impressed with the advertised versatility of the E5, there are a number of features I really won’t ever use. I’m not a gamer, don’t use headphones or amps when talking on the phone, rarely make use of EQ or bass boost, and don’t feel the need in the real world to chain together multiple-unit DAC/Amp combinations. Features I wouldn’t use I’ve thus left for other reviewers to assess in their coverage of the E5.
 
So, how about the answers to my questions coming in?
 
How will the E5 work with my iPhone? How easily will it connect? How much will it improve sound quality? Will there be issues with EMI?
 
I usually only use my iPhone for music when I head out for a run, at which point “audiophile” is not my main concern. I would probably use my phone as a music source more often (particularly when travelling) if I had an amp that could take over DAC functions from the phone, and that was easy and elegant connect. Oh, wait… now I do have such a device. It’s the E5!
 
Bluetooth: Hooking up an iDevice (in my case, iPhone 5S) and E5 is simple and quick. To connect via Bluetooth, turn on the E5 (LED surrounding the Power button turns white) and engage Bluetooth with a long push of the Power button (LED flashes, alternating between white and blue). In the Bluetooth settings on your phone, select Sound Blaster E5. Once the connection is established, the LED around the power button on the E5 turns blue.
 
   
 
Lightning: To connect physically via Lightning-USB cable, just plug the Lightning connector into your iDevice and the USB connector into the “USB Host” jack on the E5, and you’re good to go. I have a short (6-inch) cable for synching my iPhone and MacBook, which works perfectly as an interconnect with the E5, and is so much less cumbersome than using the Apple Camera Connection Kit (CCK) that most other DACs require.
 
EMI: While using the E5 together with my iPhone, I listened for interference and didn’t notice any. I browsed websites, checked apps, responded to emails and texts, and didn’t hear any crackles, static or other auditory break-ups.
 

 
One thing I like about using the E5 with the iPhone is that volume controls lock in between the two devices, so you can control volume from either one, and when controlling volume using the E5, the iPhone displays the change on screen. This feature is great when one of your devices is in a bag and the other in a pocket as you can change volume using whichever device is most easy to reach. I also like that the E5 volume pot can be used as a remote pause button.
 
For those wanting to use the bass (or sound) enhancing SBX features on the E5, there is an app (Creative Central) that allows you to manipulate various facets of sound output (almost like a combination bass boost and EQ). I didn’t really use this feature much (as mentioned), but the few times I did I found I lost the ability to control volume from my phone. This I’m guessing is a deficiency in the Central app, which I imagine will be remedied in future updates.
 
I know from previous experience with portable and desktop DACs that sound improves when bypassing the iPhone DAC, and the E5 is no exception. On its own, the iPhone 5S is dry with a lack of bass and body, a thunky, wooden feel, and some smearing of details. Soundstage is a bit closed in and boxy. With the E5 connected by Bluetooth, overall presentation is fuller, with better sub-bass, improved texture and definition, and enhanced snap to transients. Soundstage is more open and spacious. Substituting Lightning for Bluetooth, definition and detail improve further and music is more cohesive. So, definite advantages to be had using the E5 with a phone or tablet.
 
 
 
How much will the E5 improve the sound of my MacBook?
 
I don’t listen to my MacBook through headphones very much, and when I do it’s more often than not via a desktop set-up. When I’m on the road (which I am a fair bit for my job), I will occasionally use my MacBook as an audio source on inter-city buses, in coffee shops, and in my hotel room.
 
Connecting the E5 with MacBook is similar to the iPhone, using Bluetooth or USB-Micro USB cable. Volume can be controlled from either device, and there is a Creative app (or control panel) available for download from the Creative website. I did not use this app (I may download it in future) as connection and playback functionality were adequate for me with just iTunes.
 

 
As with the iPhone, the benefits of an external DAC were clearly illustrated with the E5. Without the E5, sound quality from the MacBook is good, but bass is rolled off and overall presentation is dry. Adding the E5 fills out sub- and mid-bass considerably, adds ambience and body to mids and highs, and gives more integrated musicality.
 
 
 
How well will it function as an external headphone amp with a DAP?
 
Most of the time when running about town, I use IEMs with whichever DAP I’m using, and forego stacking with an external amp. While I may lose a smidgeon in sound quality (not enough to be noticeable), pocketability and convenience are my priorities. When travelling for work, an external amp becomes more desirable. Sat on an inter-city express bus for 3-4 hours, I want to maximize sound quality and am not worried about the bulk of a stack. If I’m away for several days, I’ll take along a pair of over-ear headphones for listening in my hotel room, and again an amp of some sort is handy.
 
A portable amp I reviewed recently was the Cayin C5DAC, which has some similarities to the E5:  DAC and amp combined, compatible with laptops and smartphones, excellent sound quality whether used as DAC or straight amp, and good portable power. The main differences are that the C5DAC lacks Bluetooth, and requires the Apple CCK for connecting to an iPhone. For my travel needs (bus and hotel, and a possible movie viewed on my MacBook), the C5DAC is another good option though, so a comparison of sound quality here is not out of place.
 
   
 
In comparison to the E5, the C5DAC has punch and dynamics down low and oodles of detail in mids and highs. Soundstage is club like, with a welcoming, cozy room feel. E5 also sounds good, though the impression is more of a studio setting, with sound absorbed rather than reflected back to the listener. Overall sound is drier, less gut-busting in the bass, smoother in the mids and highs, and less prone to sibilance (though bass can be EQ’ed using the SBX features). I like both amps, and would go with the E5 for a long, fatigue-free listening session (bus trip?) and C5DAC for a single-album, detail focused sit-down (brief hotel-room respite?)
 
 
 
How capably will it drive power-hungry headphones and IEMs?
 
In the C5DAC comparison, I used the AKG K7XX, which are known to require gobs of power, even though only rated at 62 ohms resistance. The E5 had no trouble driving these to very satisfying levels. Another hard driving headphone (IEM actually) is the Havi B3 Pro 1. Similar to the K7XX, many owners of the Havi complain of underwhelming bass presence; many newer DAPs have the power to drive these fairly well, but I’ve read in several threads and reviews that they scale up well with more powerful amps, and since the E5 is rated to drive cans up to 600 ohms, I thought I’d see how they fared with the B3P1s.
 
   
 
The Havi is known for detailed mids and highs, excellent vocals (male and female), and outstanding soundstage for an IEM, but relatively thin bass. Tip rolling can enhance the bass and really bring out the best in this IEM, and I recently discovered that the KZ eartips (available for next to nothing on AliExpress) do a wonderful job of this, similar to JVC Spiral Dots but with less seal issues. So that’s the set-up I used here.
 
Driving the B3P1 with the Fiio X5ii yields a very satisfying presentation, with tight sub- and mid-bass, detailed and snappy mids and highs, lovely vocals and accurate imaging; overall feel is a little dry and thin, however. Adding the E5 to the mix adds body and impact across the spectrum, with physicality to sub-bass and warmer, lush mids and highs. The added power from the E5 definitely helps drive the Havi to its full potential (so much so that this recently neglected IEM is now going to return to my in-ear rotation).
 
 
 
Conclusions
 
As an Apple guy, the E5 does a lot and does it well, and I don’t consider it a “Swiss Army Knife” portable amp for nothing. The ability to connect the E5 seamlessly with Apple devices, particularly iPhone and iPad, and have two-way control is a big advantage over other portable DACs. While I had some niggles with the Creative Central app, these were minor as I found functionality excellent without it.
 
If you’re not in the Apple ecosystem, some of these connection advantages disappear as other DACs can also be connected directly by USB, but the E5 is still a very capable and versatile addition to your set-up. It drives both IEMs and power-hungry cans very well, has good sound quality, connects via Bluetooth, can be daisy-chained via coax in/out with other digital devices, and has dual headphone out jacks for shared listening. It would be nice if the E5 were a bit more compact, and the lack of volume indication on the pot is unusual, but these are minor foibles on an otherwise well thought out piece of kit.
 
Thanks to Creative and @LucasCL for the opportunity to try out the E5.

 
Have you ever seen one of those videos on Facebook where they show a deaf kid or baby with a new cochlear implant who hears sound for the first time? I’ve seen a few of them, and the script is always the same:

• Faffing around getting things hooked up, checking everything is in working order. Baby or kid looks nonchalant, or uncomfortable with all the activity and attention and wires and stuff.
• Sound is turned on. Doctor and parent(s) look on expectantly. Little person looks confused, perplexed, uncertain of what’s happening as this new sensation registers.
• Something clicks that what is happening is a good thing… a very good thing. Smile gradually takes hold, first with a mild upturn at the edges of the lips, and then taking over the whole mouth, eyes, face, until joy radiates in unfettered abundance.
• Fade out… feeling warm and fuzzy… The End.

 
Something like this scenario happened to me this weekend. Well, steps 1-3 anyway; there was no fade out. Was I deaf and did I get a cochlear implant? No… nothing like that, but I did get to experience the X1S DAC/Amp from Aune Audio, and I was left with a grin from ear to ear. Okay, the experience wasn’t as extreme as hearing for the first time, but I will say I was blown away by the sonic performance of this rather small, inexpensive piece of desktop audio gear.
 
Now I’ve had several days to enjoy the X1S, I’m still very impressed with the sound it pumps out, and how well it plays with every headphone and IEM I’ve thrown at it. And that leads us to this review.
 

 
Disclaimer: I applied for and was selected by Aune to be part of their worldwide review tour. Five reviewers will receive a free X1S, but it is unclear at the time of writing whether this will be decided based on review quality (however that might be perceived) or as a random draw; that said, I pride myself on honesty, and would not write a positive review in the hopes of receiving an item I didn’t like at no charge.
 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little about me. I’m 50 verging on 51, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which I guess is pretty good for someone of my vintage but not perfect). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high-end equipment (yet), and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insights to help others make decisions about items they are thinking about trying or buying.
 

 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (‘50s to 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
I have limited experience with desktop audio equipment, having only recently purchased my first desktop DAC/Amp (the Audio-GD NFB-15). In addition I have had a brief time with a couple of DACs from Yulong and Matrix. The bulk of my headphone music listening has been with portable equipment, and I certainly don’t consider myself in any way expert in DAC performance or the various DAC chips currently available.
 
About the X1S
 
The X1S is an attractive and relatively small piece of equipment. It comes in black or silver, and I received a black unit for review. Build quality is solid and to high tolerances; everything fits together very well, there are no unsightly gaps or mismatched joints or edges, and no give or rattle to control elements.
 

 
The front of the unit is simply laid out, with input selector (for USB, optical, coaxial or line) on the left, 6.5mm headphone jack in the centre, and volume pot on the right. The input selector button is firm, with no looseness. The selector doubles as a filter switch, with long touches switching modes between fast roll-off, slow roll-off and minimum phase filter modes. I used the fast roll-off setting throughout my listening tests. The volume pot is large and moves smoothly, offering good resistance but still easy to adjust.
 

 
The rear of the unit is relatively busy due to the X1S’ small size. There are a lot of inputs and outputs to accommodate, but layout makes sense and is well labelled. From left to right one finds power input, RCA audio in (left and right), RCA audio out (left and right), RCA coaxial in and out, optical in, and USB in with power switch directly above.
 

 
The top of the unit is very slightly curved so not really suitable for stacking anything on, though with the X1S’ small size, the unit is likely to be top of anything it might be stacked with. If using a portable DAP as source, curvature isn’t a problem as it is only very slight. Sides are grooved in a modern make-over that pays homage to the shape of earlier “X” models but puts the X1S firmly in 2015 from a design standpoint.
 

 
Specifications (from PDF manual included with device):

1. USB: Supports 32BIT/384K DSD128
2. Coaxial and optical: Supports 24Bit/192K
3. Digital coaxial out: Supports 24Bit/192K
4. Output voltage (@ 0dB): 2.1 Vrms
5. Frequency response (from 20 Hz to 20 kHz): ±0.1dB
6. Dynamic range: 126dB
7. THD+N @ 1KHz: -110dB
8. IMD+N @ 19KHz & 20KHz: -110dB
9. Stereo crosstalk: -112dB
10. Headphone output: 300 ohm/80MW
11. Size of product: 145mm x 45mm x 190mm (including volume pot and rear RCA inputs)
12. Net Weight: 2kg
13. Components: X1s, Power adapter, Manual (on USB stick), USB cable, 6.5mm to 3.5mm headphone adapter

 

 
The Aune X1S Sound
 
Listening was performed with a variety of headphones, both over ear (R70x, K7XX, HD598, and MSR7) and IEM (Noble 6 and Heaven VII). For source during general listening I used my MacBook Air with iTunes via USB. Comparisons were done with the Audio-GD NFB-15 and Yulong D200, using Aune S18 Digital Transport via optical as source. All music files were Redbook quality ALAC, ripped from CDs.
 

 
Tracks used:

1. alt-J – Ms (from An Awesome Wave) for male vocals and instrumental balance.
2. Al Di Meola – Mediterranean Sundance (from Elegant Gypsy) for soundstage and detail.
3. Albeniz – Iberia (Alicia De Larrocha) for detail.
4. Cannonball Adderley – One For Daddy-O (from Somethin’ Else) for comparisons with D200.
5. Dire Straits – Communiqué (from Communiqué) for mids and highs.
6. Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 “From The New World” (Carlo Maria Giulini, Philharmonia Orchestra) for detail and soundstage.
7. Massive Attack – Weather Storm (from Protection) for sub-bass.
8. Pearl Jam – Jeremy (from Ten) for detail and balance, and vocals.
9. Sade - Bullet Proof Soul (from Love Deluxe) for sub-bass and female vocals.
10. Simply Red – Sad Old Red (from Picture Book) for vocals, and mids and highs.
11. Steve Winwood – Spanish Dancer (from Arc Of A Diver) for detail.
12. Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen (from Gaucho) for comparison with NFB-15.
13. Other tracks also used, though not referred to in the review.

 

 
General Impressions
 
Bass: Bass goes low and has good crunch to it, with satisfying, visceral quality, and sub-bass felt in the pit of the stomach. Speed and transients are delivered honestly, with quick attack and natural decay.
 
Mids and Highs: Clarity and detail are the name of the game. Piano, sax, guitar and toms sound clean and realistic, both in their lower and upper registers. High hats and cymbals have good shimmer to them. Transients are quick, clear and lively. Definition and articulation in middle and upper registers is excellent.
 
Vocals: Male and female vocals are gorgeous.  They are neither dominated by nor dominating of instruments and other musical elements. Voices are clear, pure and true to the recording, and sibilance is curtailed. Sade, Norah Jones, Beth Hart, Stevie Nicks, Mick Hucknall, Eddie Vedder, Mark Knopfler… whoever the singer, whether vocally textured, smooth, rough or clear, they sound natural and real, like who they are.
 
Sonic Balance: With every track and every headphone, balance was natural and realistic. There were very few points where I felt any instrument or frequency was over-emphasized or subdued, and I’d venture those times were due not to the X1S but to the nature of the headphone used. If it’s in the track and the headphone is capable of playing it, you’ll hear it.
 
Detail: To me this is an area where the X1S excels. Each sound is delivered cleanly and clearly, with great texture. Solo guitars and solo piano are delivered with clear realism and a strong sense of sting contact and vibration. Complex pieces – rock, jazz and classical – come through cleanly and clearly, with sparkle on high and thump down low.
 
Soundstage and Imaging: Sense of space and air is impressive, with X1S pushing headphones to their limits with all genres of music. With classical, in quiet passages the vastness of the hall and distance of the players can be felt, with a sense of blackness and emptiness pierced intimately by the instruments. In louder, more energetic passages, intimacy is replaced with dynamic energy; the players are no longer distant, but space – depth, width and height – remains. Instrument position is accurate, both left-right and front-back.
 
Hiss: The X1S is dark. No hiss at all with any of the cans or IEMs I tried. Just a vacuum of deep-space silence.
 
Comparisons
 
Since I have a couple of other desktop DACs on hand, I decided to pit them against each other. I find comparisons help me pick out finer details of sound delivery as differences are easier to discern then sonic nuances in absolute terms.
 
X1S vs. NFB-15: The X1S has no gain, so what you get on the volume pot is what you get on the volume pot. Even though only rated at 300 Ohms, X1S drives the R70x (470 Ohm) emphatically and robustly at around half-past-one on the pot (just over half volume; pot zeroes at 8 o’clock and reaches max at 6 o’clock). For equivalent volume, NFB-15 on High Gain is at 10 o’clock on a pot that goes from 6 o’clock to about four-thirty. Both seem to have ample power to drive more power-hungry cans. Both units sound excellent, and very close in sound signature, with natural, realistic presentation. X1S is slightly leaner and cleaner, and NFB-15 fuller. NFB bass is slightly rounder and smoother, and mids very slightly more strident and forward, with a harder attacking edge. Overall X1S is more laid back and NFB more dynamic, but the difference is minimal and only really evident after repeated switching back-and-forth.
 
X1S vs. D200: Similar to the NFB-15, I found the D200 just a bit fuller and more dynamic, and X1S leaner and cleaner. Differences were subtle.
 
 
Conclusions
 
The X1S is an attractive, sleek little box that carries a big punch. It’s easy to use, with almost no learning curve at all. I was very impressed with its sound quality and sound stage. I don’t have a lot of desk room so space-saving is key, and I’d love to pair it with the X5 Mk. II DSD Player for a beautiful desktop set-up with small footprint.
 

 
I found sound output dependent on cans or IEMs used, in that the X1S drives headphones to their full potential without adding colour or falling short sonically; if it’s in the music and the headphone is capable of producing it, the X1S will bring the sounds out.
 
At a retail price of around US$290, I think the X1S is a steal, and well worth considering if you’re looking for a design-conscious, compact DAC/Amp that delivers clean, clear, detailed, natural sound together with great soundstage. I’m certainly very tempted to purchase one myself!

 
I first joined Head-Fi in November of 2014. At the time I owned a couple of pairs of IEM’s, and had just purchased my first DAP (Fiio X3) and over ear headphones (Sennheiser HD598). I really liked the X3 with my IEMs, but found something missing with the HD598s, especially in the bass and body. I started researching portable headphone amps – even starting a thread asking for suggestions – and had several names put forward, which through further research I whittled down to the Fiio E12A and Cayin C5.
 
Not having any place in Calgary to try out either amp, I chose the E12A based partly on its suitability for IEMs and full-sized cans, and partly on aesthetics (I found the C5 looked a little “off” with the clear plastic end cap). While I was very happy with the E12A, I remained curious about the C5, and was impressed with the ongoing positive feedback the product received in discussion threads.
 

 
Fast forward a half-year, and I got the opportunity to demo the C5 at the Calgary Head-Fi meet, courtesy of Jeremy (@EmpJ) at CTC Audio. I was very impressed with the sound quality, especially with hard-driving cans like the ATH-R70x and the K7XX, and came close to purchasing one, but already had 4 other headphone amps and decided to hold off. Fast forward another couple of months, and I got the opportunity to try the “Son of C5” in the form of the C5DAC “Spark”, courtesy of a Cayin-sponsored product tour. And that brings us to the present, and this review.
 
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Cayin, and have not benefitted from this review opportunity (other than having the opportunity to try out an excellent piece of equipment). I was provided with the C5DAC for a limited time in exchange for my unbiased opinions.
 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little about me. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is pretty good, I guess, for someone of my vintage). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high-end equipment (yet), and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insights to help others make decisions about items they are thinking about trying or buying.
 

 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (‘50s to 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
The Review: Design and Build Quality
 
So, without further ado, let’s dive into my impressions. The C5DAC shares the look and feel of the C5 Portable Headphone Amplifier; in fact, the two are identical in almost every way, except for the back plates (colour and plug configurations) and lettering inside the plastic front cover. The main casing of both pieces of equipment is an elegant, champagne-coloured, satin-finished metal (they now also come in black… pretty Stealthy), with plastic end pieces on the front and back with various plug-ins and switches. The metal casing envelopes top and bottom, and wraps around the sides, with a gap running down the left and right sealed in a dark, opaque plastic. The unit is surprisingly light (I measured it at 181 grams); I expected it to be heavier when I first looked at it.
 

 
Looking at the six sides of the C5DAC we have:

1. Top: Clean finish in champagne gold, with 3-light battery charge indicator on the back end, and the cursive word “Cayin” imprinted near the front.
2. Bottom: Similar to the top, without the battery indicator. Item information is included, and access to the reset button is situated near the back end piece. The C5DAC comes with four silicon buttons attached; these can be used as feet, or for resting a larger DAP to avoid direct contact and scratches when stacking (Fiio X5ii and Hidizs AP100 fit very well, but Fiio X3ii was too small to stack using the feet).
3. Left side: Small, triangular plastic Bass Boost and Gain switches. These jut out very slightly, are easy to manipulate and seem quite sturdy; however they appear a bit cheap and detract from an otherwise quite solid design.
4. Right side: Nothing, just the plastic bar running from front to back separating the top and bottom metal sheets.
5. Front: Uniquely shaped end piece with recessed volume control, all covered with a semi-opaque brown plastic cap. On the left part of the cap there are two plug-in points for Line In and Headphone Out (HO), and on the right there are openings on top and bottom access to the volume pot (which has ridges for easy grip). Power is controlled by the volume pot, which clicks solidly between the on and off positions. When on, a small orange light turns on next to the volume pot. The volume pot is relatively stiff, but turns smoothly; being mostly covered by the end cap, it is well protected from inadvertent turning when in a pocket or bag.
6. Back: Here is the other business end of the unit, in black plastic (this differentiates the C5DAC from the C5 as the C5 end piece is champagne-coloured plastic).  Looking at the back end directly, from left to right we have Coax Out (for connecting to an external amp), micro USB port for DAC input from phone/laptop or charging an external device, a small switch for controlling the USB DAC/charging function, and another micro USB port for charging the C5DAC.

 

 
Overall I like the look of the C5DAC, but I’m not a big fan of the plastic front end-cap, or of the bass boost and gain switches. Personally I think the end cap is a bit ugly, and it seems flimsy; I was able to pop it off quite easily (though I’d prefer to keep it on as without it the end is even uglier), and I can imagine it cracking or breaking if the unit is dropped on a hard surface. As mentioned already, the bass and gain switches appear cheap and detract from an otherwise quite solid design.
 

 
Out of the box, the C5DAC comes with almost all the cables and accessories required for pretty much any set-up. There’s a grey cloth drawstring protective bag (protection from scratches, but not so much from dings or drops) and two bright blue stacking bands (why blue I’m not sure, but they certainly are distinctive). Cables include:

1. USB to micro USB cable (for charging, and for hooking up to a laptop)
2. Short micro USB to micro USB OTG cable (for hooking up and Android phone)
3. Short 3.5mm to RCA Coax adaptor
4. Short 3.5mm to 3.5mm interconnect cable

 
The only thing missing for my usage preferences is the Lightning Camera Connection Kit (CCK) cable, but I know Apple is finicky about patents and who can do what with what, so this is not a huge issue. It would be nice if the protective bag was more case-like and sturdy, but it’s not such a concern that it would deter me from adding the C5DAC to my collection. And the blue bands… I’d prefer something that matches better (brown or grey), but this is not a deal breaker either.
 
The Review: Listening Impressions
 
And now we get to the meat and potatoes of the review. As mentioned, there are things I like and things I’m not so fond of with the design of the Spark, so this bit is ultra-important. If the sound blows me away, I’ll forgive any aesthetic or design issues.
 

 
As a relative neophyte in the reviewing game, I’m still not the greatest at describing what I hear in absolute terms. I’m still learning about humps, peaks and dips in frequency response and what exactly qualifies as sub- and mid-bass or lower- and upper-mids. What I am able to do more confidently is compare what I hear from two different sources, so that’s where I’ve focused my observations.
 

1. Macbook Air with and without C5DAC: I don’t listen to my MacBook through headphones very much, and when I do it’s usually via a desktop set-up, so this test was interesting for me.  Benefits of an external DAC were clearly illustrated by the Spark. I listened to a number of tracks here, and I’d say my MacBook on it’s lonesome was at various times hollow, one-dimensional, syrupy, lacking texture and impact, polite, bleedy and lacking atmospherics. Adding the C5DAC transformed the quality of output, with sparkle, transients, twang, clarity, warmth, emotion, and expanded soundstage. I don’t think I’ll listen to music straight out of my laptop ever again!

 

1. iPhone 5S with and without C5DAC: I only use my iPhone for music when I head out for a run, at which point “audiophile” is not my main concern. This comparison and analysis of the iPhone’s sound capabilities was thus also an interesting one for me. Hooking up this combination was a bit of a nightmare ergonomics-wise as the lightning CCK and USB interconnect was unwieldy and inelegant. If you’re looking for a pocketable (big pocket) stack, this is not it. If you’re thinking of switching phones (iPhone to Android or vice-versa), this is definitely a point in Android’s favour. That said, I found the Spark benefitted sound quality in similar fashion to what it did with my MacBook, with improved detail and dynamics, and expanded soundstage. If I’m ever forced to give up my DAPs, I’ll definitely be looking to a C5DAC (or other portable DAC) to keep my musical enjoyment levels up.

 

1. C5DAC vs. C5: Both pieces have a very similar sound presentation, which I’ve described already as warm, dynamic and detailed, with excellent soundstage. In general listening I found little to distinguish between the two. When A/B testing, I found subtle differences, with the C5 marginally more detailed and clear and C5DAC smoother. The C5 is also very slightly more powerful than the C5DAC, though both have power to burn and drive the 470 Ohm ATH-R70x easily with room to spare. Hard to say which I prefer, so it comes down to whether or not you need a portable DAC in your rig; if your music source is a phone, I’d choose the Spark, and if a DAP, the straight C5 Amp. YMMV.

 

1. C5DAC vs. E17K (as DAC): On Low Gain, E17K is more clear and dry up high with good micro-detail, but a touch lacking in bass, life and joy. Female vocal is thin. Soundstage has breadth, but lacks depth. C5DAC is its usual warm self, with thump, punch and energy. Female vocal has soul, rising up from the depths of the chest. Soundstage closer in, but with depth and an enveloping, cozy feel. Switching the E17K to High Gain resulted in better balance than in Low, with more punch to the low end and roundness to mids and highs, though less alive and inviting than C5DAC overall.

 

1. C5DAC vs. Soundblaster E5 (as Amp): I could have compared these two on the DAC side of things, but wanted to play with the Spark as amp only, hence this set-up. In comparison to the E5, the Spark has punch and dynamics down low and oodles of detail in mids and highs. Soundstage here is club like, with welcoming, cozy room feel. E5 also sounds very good, though the feeling is more of a studio setting, with sound absorbed by walls rather than bounced back to the listener. Overall sound is drier, less gut-busting in the bass and smoother in the mids and highs. I liked both amps in this pairing, and would go with the E5 for a long, fatigue-free listening session, and Spark for a single-album, detail focused sit-down.

 
In my listening I found that the Spark’s warmth matches very well with dry, more analytical headphones. I really enjoyed the combination of C5DAC with the ATH-MSR7, and with the AKG K7XX. The Spark added richness and life, especially in the low end and mids, while the MSR7 and K7XX really showed off the C5DAC’s potential in the treble.
 

 
If I were to pick out the main qualities of the C5DAC, I’d say it’s warm (welcoming, enveloping), dynamic (energetic, strong sense of mood, with balance across frequencies from low to high end), detailed (nice texture, good instrumental definition), and powerful (drives even power-hungry, full sized cans), with excellent soundstage (wonderful sense of air and space, and precise positioning).
 
 
​
Conclusions
 

 
If it isn’t clear by now, I really like the Spark. If you’ve tried the C5 amp and fallen in love with the warm, detailed, dynamic and welcoming Cayin “house sound,” you’ll be equally enamoured with its DAC-wielding offspring. While I have minor issues with some of the aesthetic choices taken by Cayin (Johnny Ive look away now) and would prefer more play in volume control for IEMs and less cable clutter with iDevices, I find the sound signature addictive and love Spark’s versatility. I definitely give the Cayin C5DAC two thumbs up!

A few weeks ago, my great Head-Fi pal @nmatheis contacted me and asked if I’d like to coordinate a Canadian tour of a new IEM from Lend Me UR Ears (herein known as LMUE). I knew of the company from their online store, but wasn’t aware they’d decided to try their hand at designing and manufacturing their own product. Initial information on the Alpha & Delta AD01 was that it seemed like a solid product with good build quality and a consumer-friendly sound signature. I’m always up for trying a new piece of kit, so jumped at the chance and said yes.
 

 
I am not affiliated with LMUE in any way, and was sent a sample the AD01 in order to try out the product, write an unbiased review, and coordinate the Canadian review tour. I have not derived any benefit as a result.
 
About the AD01
 
The AD01 is a dual dynamic driver (9.8 mm and 6.0 mm) IEM with solidly built metal housing (silver or black) and detachable cable. Cable connector is a 2.0 mm DC plug that fits snugly and seems very robust and durable. The 2 mm connector is shorter than that used on some other IEMs (like the newer T-Peos Altone series), which allows for both a sturdy connection and a reasonable housing cylinder length.
 

 

 
The cable seems very well made, with plentiful strain relief on connectors and the L-shaped plug, and at the y-split. There is a cinch for securing the cable when worn up around the ears. The cable has some spring to it, so the cinch is a necessity.
 
Product specifications include:

1. Rated Impedance: 9 Ohm
2. Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
3. Frequency response: 10Hz- 25KHz
4. Rated power: 10 mW
5. Maximum input power: 30 mW
6. Plug: 3.5mm dual-channel L-shaped plug
7. Cable: 1.30 mm 18N OFC cable (black casing)

 
Standard accessories include:

1. 1 pair of foam tips
2. 3 pairs of bi-flange tips
3. 6 pairs of silicon tips of various sizes
4. 1 hard case

 

 
In addition to the standard black cable, the tour unit also came with an upgrade cable with a clear casing. I’m not 100% sure of how the cable differs from the stock black cable, but I did find the upgrade cable slightly less springy so used it exclusively in my listening.
 
Unboxing images:
 

 

 

 

 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little about me. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is actually pretty good for someone of my vintage). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high-end equipment, and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insights to help others make decisions about items they might want to try, buy or avoid.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
The Review
 
Without further ado, here are my impressions of the AD01. As I usually do, I’ve divided my observations into two sections: first straight listening for general AD01-specific sound characteristics, and second comparisons with what I consider to be comparable products. Before doing any critical listening, I used the AD01 as my sole IEM for a few days to adjust my ears and brain to the sound signature. General listening was done using my Hidizs AP100, and comparisons using the Fiio X3ii. Both DAPs are powerful enough to drive the IEMs used, so I didn’t bother with additional, external amplification.
 

 
General Listening
 
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977): Usually when I do listening evaluations of DAPs or headphones, I pick one song from a variety of albums, with each chosen to showcase different elements of audio performance. I was going to choose a Fleetwood Mac track, but wasn’t set on which and had to do some dishes, so I decided to just listen to Rumours from start to finish and figure out a review track as I went along. About three songs in it came to me that this is perhaps the perfect review album as it has a mix of vocal styles, great instrumental variety and detail, and energy levels ranging from slow ballads to energetic, more rocking numbers.
 
Have to say it’s been a while since I enjoyed this album as much as through the AD01s. Bass is punchy, with excellent quality in both sub- and mid-bass. Kick drum and bass have good rumble and attack, and although bass is somewhat emphasized, there’s no bleed or impact on quality of mids and highs. “The Chain”, with thumping kick drum and energetic bass line is a revelation. Mids are a touch on the dry side and very slightly recessed, and highs have a nice sparkle and clarity without being harsh or fatiguing. Stevie Nicks’ vocal tracks sound wonderful, with her raspy, throaty voice beautifully clear and detailed on “Dreams” and “Gold Dust Woman.” Christine McVie’s smooth, silky voice is airy and intimate, with hushed stillness to the softer sections on “Songbird”, and energy and dynamism when she pushes a bit harder on “You Make Loving Fun” and “Oh Daddy.” Lindsey Buckingham’s vocals are a bit subdued on tracks like “Don’t Stop” and “Go Your Own Way”, but still have nice tone and detail. Highlight for me throughout the album is the guitars; both electric and acoustic have a glittering presence, with super clarity and detail. “Never Going Back” with its picked guitar is a lovely listen, with nice left-right separation, while the sharp electric guitar solos in “Go Your Own Way” have energy and a piercing quality, though without harshness. And again on “The Chain,” the dobro and piercing electric solo all have wonderful quality and definition. Throughout the album, guitars, high hat, snare and other higher frequency sounds have a crispness that gives an almost holographic feel to the music and impression of soundstage.
 
Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978): So, figured I’d do a play-through of another favourite album. Again, guitars rule! “Water Of Love” opens, and features thoughout, some gorgeously picked guitar, and this is clear and crisp, but not jarring. Mark Knopfler’s vocals are detailed and textured, but a touch subdued and lacking impact; there’s that mid dryness again. Bass and kick drum are lively and prominent without taking over, with the bass opening to “Six Blade Knife” really thumping, driving and energetic, while guitar wails and sings sweetly and clearly up on high. High hat on “Setting Me Up” is brilliant, tap-tap-tapping along to good effect. “Sultans Of Swing” swings, as it should, and again it’s the bass chugging along providing a pulsing heartbeat, and guitars glistening up high that really shine. Again, as with Rumours, I’m impressed with the sound coming from the AD01, and thoroughly enjoying the listening experience.
 
Comparison Listening
 
Bass Presence: Sade – Bullet Proof Soul (from Love Deluxe, 1992): I had several questions on the dedicated AD01 forum thread around bassiness in relation to other in-ears in my possession, in particular the RHA MA750 and the Brainwavs S0 (little sister to the S5), so decided to include a comparison in the review. I chose this Sade track as it’s my go-to bass-heavy track. Switched AD01 stock silicon tips to Spinfits as I didn’t want tip variation to be a difference maker in the sound comparison (I thus used Spinfits on MA750 and S0 as well).

1. AD01: Bass is full and crunching. Strong rumble and reverb in sub bass, which slightly dominates the track. Snare drum is clear, nicely defined and textured, but not dry. Sax (lower notes), piano (mostly left-handed chords) and male backing vocal are slightly recessed (somewhat expected from the sound signature noted in previous listening observations). Sade’s vocal is ever so slightly smoothed and lacking in the air I usually associate with her singing (her voice is quite low, so the recessed mids seem to be playing into that).
2. MA750: Bass is less round and prominent than AD01, particularly in sub-bass rumble. Tighter, less reverb, drier quality. Wouldn’t say it’s absent or lacking, but more balanced, and doesn’t dominate the track as much, if at all. Snare drier and less prominent. Sax, piano and male vocal nice and clear with good brightness and texture. Interplay of male and female backing vocals and Sade’s lead more noticeable and effective. Overall much more linear, natural presentation.
3. S0: Bass more focused on mid- than sub-bass compared to AD01 and MA750. Warm, mid-forward, somewhat muffled sound signature. Snares a bit hollow and recessed. Sade’s vocal nicely textured, and interplay with background singers more noticeable than AD01, but less than MA750. Sax and piano have a warm, smoothed-over quality, lacking detail and clarity. Soundstage closed in, with sound very much inside the head.
4. AD01 again, with stock tips: Just out of interest, I decided to give the same track a listen using stock tips as I hadn’t noticed the bass emphasis to the extent I hear with the Spinfits. Stock tips really tone down the bass, not that they make the bass disappear, but they reduce the crunching prominence and allow the mids to come through a bit better. Sade’s airy quality returns, and the interplay with backing vocals is more noticeable. Snare still clear and well resolved, and sax and piano are less veiled. Sound here is not as balanced as the MA750, and mids are still somewhat recessed, but difference with MA750 is less evident, and sound signature is more in line with what I heard in my earlier critical listening.
5. Verdict: This one is close between the MA750 with Spinfits, and the AD01 with stock tips. Both setups gave a really nice listening experience, and were I not A/B listening, would have satisfied me completely. That said, this one goes to the MA750 for the balance between bass, mids and highs, and overall natural presentation.

 

 
Bass and Treble Quality: Cat Power – Silver Stallion (from Jukebox, 2008): My earlier observations of the AD01’s bass emphasis and treble clarity made me curious about how this IEM compares to the T-Peos Altone 200. The Altone is a triple hybrid, with single dynamic and dual BA drivers, but it also has a good bass presence and what some would call sparkling highs. Having noted the difference in sound with the AD01 and different tips, I decided this time to just go with the tips that I enjoy most on each IEM, so the stock tips with the AD01, and Sony Foam-filled Hybrids on the Altones.

1. AD01 + Stock Tips: This is a simple song, with just Cat’s vocal and double guitar accompaniment (steel and orthodox acoustic). Slidy steel and acoustic guitars to start have a warm timbre, with sparkle in the high notes. Cat’s vocal has an intimate, simultaneously smooth and textured tone. Steel guitar drops to the background once the intro is done, becoming more of a backing instrument. Acoustic is the lead, and dominates the song somewhat, with prominent reverb in the low notes colouring the overall sound. Cat’s voice is quite low for a female, and it is ever-so-slightly veiled, and overpowered by the lead acoustic guitar.
2. Altone 200 + Sony Tips: Low end of guitars is less prominent and more controlled. It’s quicker, with less reverb, and doesn’t dominate Cat’s vocal the way the AD01 did. Guitar is not so focused on warm bass and clear highs; now the notes in the middle come alive, and guitar parts become more articulate and cohesive. The vocal loses it’s veiled quality, and integrates with the instrumental accompaniment in a more musical way. Cat’s voice is drier, and details of mouth movement and vocal control become audible. Overall presentation is not as warm here, but more musical, natural and balanced.
3. Verdict: Preferred the Altone 200 for it’s more balanced, cohesive presentation. AD01 was a pleasant listen as well, but overall presentation was a touch warm and vocal overwhelmed by instruments.

 
Soundstage and Speed: Al Di Meola – Mediterranean Sundance (from Elegant Gypsy, 1977): Another area of curiosity when I first heard about the AD01s was how they, as a dual dynamic IEM, would stack up against the venerable Havi B3 Pro 1. The Pro 1s are not known for their bass, but have a great reputation for vocals and soundstage. So another test pairing was born. Mediterranean Sundance features no vocal, but I find it a wonderful test of soundstage; two flamenco guitars, duelling it out rapid-fire in what comes through, with the right headphones, as a lovely open recording space. This piece is also a good test of driver speed and transients. Again I went with my preferred tip matches here: stock for the AD01, and Spinfits for the Havi (many prefer the JVC Spiral Dots with the Havi, but I find they de-emphasize bass, even if they do enhance soundstage).

1. Havi + Spinfit Tips: Guitar clarity across the frequency spectrum is gorgeously bright and open. Strummed lower notes and plucked highs have a glistening quickness to them, with slight prominence of highs, and roll-off in the bass. Midway through the song there is a drum-like effect created by knocking knuckles on the guitar body, and this has a dynamic, realistic woody quality. Sound here is very much outside the head, with a sense that the two players are sat a few feet in front of the listener, and a few feet apart on either side. There is a spacious feel, as if in a large room, possibly a stone church, with high ceilings. Sound wafts, though not in an echo-y way.
2. AD01 + Stock Tips: For the first time really, I sense the AD01 having difficulty keeping up. This piece involves some speedy, intricate passages, and here the AD01 falls a bit short. The opening of the song, which is relatively slow and subdued, has good detail and clarity, with warmer, bassier undertones than the Havi. Once the piece picks up and the duel begins, highs sound fine, with good detail and clarity, but the low end comes unstuck, with some sound lag and bleed, and an overall muddled sound. Our guitar-body drum-knocks are evident, but less woody, less dynamic, and hollower sounding (not hollow as in guitar-body hollow, but less lively and lacking quality). The sense of space created by the Havi is not evident with the AD01; sound is more inside the head than outside.
3. Verdict: Preferred the Havi for detail, speed and soundstage. The AD01 had a hard time with this piece, being overwhelmed by the speed and detail, and unable to create a feeling of atmosphere or space.

 
Vocal Quality: Norah Jones – Shoot The Moon (from Come Away With Me, 2002): If we’re going to listen for a comparison of vocal quality, what better than a little Norah Jones? As noted, the B3 Pro 1 has a reputation as a vocal powerhouse, so this is a good chance to see what the AD01 is made of.

1. AD01 + Stock Tips: Opening guitar is clear and bright as is accompanying piano (though piano is a touch subdued). Norah’s voice is its usual airy, textured self. Snare and guitar dance playfully, with occasional upper register piano notes for good measure, and low piano and bass – while obviously playing a backing role only – are evident throughout, adding a touch of warmth to the piece. Lower piano notes are veiled, but can still be heard. Overall presentation has a warm, pleasant feel, if slightly coloured; Norah doesn’t dominate, but isn’t overwhelmed either.
2. Havi + Spinfit Tips: Overall dry, detailed presentation. Opening guitar is bright, plucky, and impactful. Piano clarity is excellent, and the two instruments balance each other nicely before Norah joins in. Bass is rolled off, but still evident in the background. Snare is dry, yet lively. Norah’s vocal is forward, detailed and textured, with an intimate, lyrical quality. She is the star of this show! Overall emphasis on mids and highs here, with neutral sound signature that lacks just a bit on the warmth side.
3. Verdict: Preferred the AD01 overall as the blend of instruments and vocal presented as a unified whole, while the Havi lacked in the low end and came across a touch cold and dry. Norah’s vocal was more prominent with the Havi, but overall balance was missing.

 
Conclusions
 
I have to admit I found the AD01 fun to listen to, most of the time. My impression on first hearing them (and I quote from the tour thread) was: “Sounding pretty good so far; bass-forward but no bass bleed, and pretty good detail in mids and highs. I'd call these fun with a capital ‘F.’” I did find the mids ever so slightly lacking, and hoped they would fill out with some playing time.
 
Brain burn and further listening did little to change my first impressions. In my general listening, I found bass, especially sub-bass, to be powerful, with crisp and clear highs. Mids were a bit recessed. Female vocals reproduced well, but male vocals were somewhat veiled and lacked impact. Instrumentally, I really liked the portrayal of guitars and piano with the AD01, and the punch and energy of bass guitar.
 

 
Fit- and comfort-wise, the AD01 earpieces have a solid heft to them. They feel like… quality. The tapered, cylindrical earpieces are narrow enough for deep insertion, with good length so the cable can be comfortably worn down or up. I prefer up and around the ear, and the cable cinch allows for a secure, comfortable fit, even with a slightly springy cable. With cable up, I did not notice any microphonics.
 
Admittedly much of my listening was done with older albums, and others who’ve tried the AD01 mentioned that they are perfectly suited to relatively bass-light recordings from the 60s, 70s and 80s, before the “loudness wars” kicked in. I would agree that the AD01s enhanced the low end of these recordings while still allowing the upper end to sing. What issues I had with the AD01 reared themselves during my comparison listening. With bass-heavy songs, the low end could be overpowering and unnatural. If that low end was also high tempo, the AD01 could have trouble keeping up, with articulation, resolution and soundstage negatively affected.
 

 
While they may not be the most “audiophile” of IEMs, and displayed some minor issues with certain kinds of music, I really enjoyed the experience of listening to the AD01. They’re comfortable and robust, deliver a fun sound, and work really well with many of my preferred music genres. Given the opportunity, I’d be happy to make these part of my permanent IEM collection.
 
Thanks to @TEOSJ for making the tour units available, and @nmatheis for making me his tour lieutenant.

 
About ESS
 
Up until receiving a review sample of the RLM-713, I had never heard of ESS. I posted some pictures on various threads on Head-Fi and on Instagram, and no-one who commented seemed to have heard of them either. When I mentioned they used to make speakers, I got a few comments along the lines of, “Oh, Electro-Static Sound!” but nothing else. So, with that muted response, I decided to do a little research.
 
Information about ESS was pretty hard to find, but it seems the company has been around in one form or another since the early 1970s. It would appear the company went into hiatus around 2008 or 2009, and was recently resurrected under new ownership.
 
From Wikipedia: “ESS (Electro-Static Sound) was a company that was based in Sacramento, California. Their original speaker designs were a hybrid of conventional woofers, passive radiators, and electrostatic tweeters in bookshelf and tower configurations. They were one of the only manufacturers of the patented Air Motion Transformer (AMT) speakers designed by Oskar Heil.”
 

 
From an apparently official ESS website: “The Heil Air-Motion transformer uses revolutionary, and unique, technology that remains unsurpassed and is state-of-the art. The key to the system is the design of its patented, double-sided diaphragm and its magnetic components that concentrate the sound unknown in conventional transducers. The sound signal moves five times faster than the air-motion of a conventional cone driver.” In addition, “The Heil Air-Motion Transformer has set the industry standard, and continues to do so. ESS has made significant technological improvements. The system delivers ‘SOUND AS CLEAR AS LIGHT.’”
 
Disclaimer
 
I received a sample of the RLM-713 from Grant Fidelity, an online, North-America-wide distributor based in Airdrie, Alberta. They provided the sample unit along with some other equipment for the Calgary Head-Fi meet in late May, and allowed me to hold onto it for some time after the meet in exchange for my unbiased review. At the time of this review, the RLM-713 is available at an introductory sale price of US$249 through Grant Fidelity. I am not affiliated with Grant Fidelity, and that plug earns me nothing.
 
About Me
 
Before getting into the nitty gritty, a little about me. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is actually pretty good for someone of my vintage). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high-end equipment, and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insights to help others make decisions about items they might want to try or buy.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
Design, Tech Specs, Build Quality and Ergonomics
 
The ESS RLM-713 is a hybrid Heil AMT/dynamic driver headphone.
 
Edited June 29th, 2015: When I initially wrote this review, I was under the impression - based on the few reviews I had been able to find on the RLM-713 - that this was a hybrid headphone with an AMT driver. After receiving a number of questions in the review comments and on the RLM-713 discussion thread, I contacted Rick, the head designer at ESS, directly to find out more about the driver technology. Based on my discussions with him, this is what I discovered:

1. The RLM-713 is a dynamic driver headphone. It does not contain a Heil AMT driver, but has been designed and tuned to mimic the ESS sound. Rick began working on these headphones 3 years ago, and it took him 2 years to get the sound the way he wanted.
2. The casing and headband looks the same as some other woodie headphones currently available online (ESmooth and Meze), but the inside of the wooden chamber and the drivers are different. The wooden case is designed to be like a ported wooden box, with larger than normal chamber. The drivers were designed in the USA by ESS, and the headphones were built overseas. 
3. Earpads have a specially formulated, high density foam for natural noise cancelling and more impactful bass.
4. Rick has asked the sites that claim the RLM-713 to be a hybrid headphone to change their stories, but this has not yet occurred. He is currently working on a Heil AMT headphone that will contain ONLY an Air Motion Transformer. He is hoping to have prototypes ready late in the summer, and planning a release for fall (October/November).

 
On learning that my original description of this headphone was incorrect, I briefly considered deleting this review entirely; however, the remaining product details and my sound impressions remain unchanged and valid, so I've decided to keep the review up, with this edited information included. I can only apologize for any misinformation given.
 
And now back to the review, as originally written:
 
Features (copied from the sturdy box they came in) include:

1. Ebony wood casing for superior acoustic reproduction and natural sound environment.
2. Outstanding bass response, wider sound domain (?) and subtle music details.
3. Lightweight headband for reduced pressure on top of head.
4. 180-degree rotatable, high protein ear pads with soft cushion for comfort.
5. Detachable, durable audio cord with TPE coating and OFC wires, and gold-plated jack.
6. 100% acoustic-electronic test to ensure balanced sound.
7. Passive noise cancellation technology.

 

 
Tech specs:

1. Speaker size: 50mm
2. Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
3. Impedance: 40 ohm
4. Sensitivity: 113 +/- 3dB @ 1kHz 1mW
5. Rated/Max. input power: 30mW/50mW

 

 
As described, the RLM-713 headphones are very light and sit comfortably on the head with minimal pressure. The headband consists of two rigid-yet-flexible, rubber-covered metal wires, connected to plastic housings that hold the ebony speaker cups. Rather than a full, padded band, two spring-loaded, padded wings provide comfort and stable fitment. The ear pads, while not overly thick, are soft and comfortable. Seal is pretty good for an on-ear phone; I didn’t notice much external noise getting in, and my wife didn’t comment on sound escaping. The ebony speaker cups are beautiful, and lend a highly visible element of style and sophistication.
 

 

 

 
The only issue I had with comfort (and this a general issue for me with on-ears) was that after some time listening (an extended session of around 2 hours while preparing my listening notes) I started feeling some sensitivity where my ears were clamped between the headphones and the hockey sticks of my glasses. Usually when I listen and focus on the music I take my glasses off, and I only really experienced this issue as I needed my glasses to see my laptop display while I typed; if you wear glasses and listen to music for extended periods, you’ll want to be aware of this.
 

 
The rotating ear pads sit flat for storage and travel, and a cloth pouch is supplied to protect the phones from scuffs and scratches. The cable connects to the left ear cup via a standard 3.5mm jack, so finding replacement cables should be pretty simple. I used a 1.2m cable purchased on EBay for my Philips SHP9500 (the supplied 2m cable is a bit long in my opinion, especially if you’re listening while moving about).
 
Sound
 
In my review I did comparisons with the other closed headphones at my disposal (Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 and Brainwavs HM-5), along with the open Audio Technica ATH-R70x (which I chose due to perceived similarities, namely strong bass presence combined with natural mids and highs). I also did extensive general listening to multiple tracks from various genres.
 
For the purpose of this review, all listening was done using Amarra on my MacBook Air 13” (Mid 2012 model) and Matrix Mini-i Pro DAC/Headphone Amp (I added the Cayin C5 to the chain for the comparison with the R70x as the Matrix on its own lacked the power to drive that particular headphone well).
 

 
Detailed listening notes appear in the “spoiler” tags after the listening summary. If you want the detailed notes, click on the tags. If the summary is enough, go ahead and skip to the conclusions that follow.
 
Listening Summary
 
If I were asked to sum up the sound of the RLM-713 in 10 words or less, I would have to say, “Prominent, quick bass with balanced, detailed, natural mids and highs.” Whew! 10 words exactly… If I could add an 11^th, it would be “lush.”
 
Bass is quick, with good attack and decay on the primary level. Drums and bass have excellent transient speed, with a well-defined leading edge and natural fade out. There is an accompanying, secondary reverb effect, with sound lingering and resonating, creating an impression of acoustics and vertical space. While bass is powerful, I didn’t find it boomy, and didn’t sense it impacting the quality of middle frequencies or treble.
 
Mids and treble I’ll treat together. I found both to be articulate and nicely balanced. Both male and female vocals were clear, with excellent detail and nice texture. Guitar, piano, snares and toms, brass, winds, strings, and other instruments presented naturally, with good discrimination and separation (I could shift attention from one instrument to another without difficulty).
 
As for soundstage, I had a good impression of depth and layering, in addition to height. I could place instruments behind and in front of each other, and had a sense of being in a room with high ceilings. Sound was comparatively narrow; while I could tell if instruments were placed left, right or centre on the stage, I didn’t have the feeling of great width in sound presentation.
 

 
In reviewing the RLM-713 I listened to a variety of musical genres, including classical (both orchestral and chamber), jazz (instrumental and vocal), rock, pop and indie. All were handled with aplomb. As mentioned, vocals were nicely detailed with good texture, and this went for all genres I played. For small groups (jazz, rock, pop, indie), instruments had natural tonality and excellent definition.
 
Before my review listening, I was a bit concerned about how classical (particularly orchestral) would present with the 713s, and I was pleasantly surprised. With less bass from source than with other genres, bass produced was less prominent, but still present, adding dynamics and atmosphere to performances. This was also true of some of the big band accompaniment with the Billie Holiday track described in my detailed listening notes; there was an almost holographic presentation with large ensemble pieces.
 
General Listening Notes
 
 
Comparison Notes
 
 
​​Conclusions
 
I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time with the RLM-713. They are fun headphones with a lush, dynamic sound. I was impressed with the combination of lively bass and detailed, natural mids and highs, and happily surprised how the two complemented each other (rather than one cancelling the other out). While bass is prominent, I don’t consider these bass cannons; that said, users who prefer a bass-light sound signature may not enjoy the 713.
 

 
Build quality and general comfort are good, and these make a good portable headphone solution; they isolate well, and pack away flat for easy backpack or suitcase transportation. As mentioned, my only concern personally with the 713 came from pressure on the ears for glasses wearers, especially for extended listening sessions.
 
If you’re in the market for a portable, on-ear headphone and like a full, lush sound, you could do a lot worse than the RLM-713. I hope this review was helpful. I welcome questions and feedback in the comments below.

 
Disclaimer
 
I received a sample unit of the B1 portable amplifier from Aune Audio as part of a worldwide review tour. I was able to keep the unit for 10 days, during which I used it extensively. I did not have to pay for the unit; only for postage at the end of its tenure with me. The only expectation of tour participants was an unbiased review once we had given the B1 enough time for a fair evaluation. I am not affiliated with Aune in any way.
 
About Me
 
To begin, here's a little context. I’m 50 years old, and am pretty sure I have deficiencies in my hearing. In a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is actually pretty good for someone of my vintage. I also like to crank things more than the average bear to get the volumes I desire.
 
I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high-end equipment, and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insight to help others make decisions about items they might want to try or buy, or avoid.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
Unboxing and First Impressions
 
As usually happens when I receive a new piece of equipment, I was excited to get the Aune B1. The unit arrived by courier from Hong Kong, so first order of business was to get the protective packaging off. Thankfully, not a big job, and in a couple of minutes I had box and protective material removed.
 

 
The B1 comes packaged in a solidly constructed, textured black cardboard box. Even before lifting the lid, one has the impression of quality and pride in this product.
 

 

 
Opening the box reveals two compartments within an intricately cut and folded corrugated cardboard inlay. In the large compartment one finds the B1 amplifier, within a thin, semi-opaque plastic sheath, and in the other, smaller compartment are the Micro USB charging cable and 20cm-long 3.5mm-to-3.5mm interconnect. Under the B1 there is a basic, folded instruction sheet, with Chinese information on one side and English on the other.
 

 
The B1 unit has a good heft to it. It has similar length and width dimensions to the Cayin C5 and Fiio E12A, but is a bit thicker (E12A = 14mm, C5= 15mm, B1 = 17mm). It is available in Black with black trim, or silver with red trim. I received a black B1.
 

 
The front of the B1 is gorgeous! Two glass windows reveal a circuit board with various chips and resistors. The effect is both hi-tech and artistic, and gives a highly unique feel. The only thing on the right side of the unit is the battery level indicator; press the button and a small light blinks: 5 times for full battery, 4 for 80%, 3 for 60%, 2 for 20% and 1 for 10%).
 

 
When the power is turned on, a small green light turns on in each window, giving off a tube-like glow. When ambient light is low, the glow from the B1 is quite mesmerizing and moody.
 

 
The back of the B1 is flat with nothing but the brand name and model number, and two strips of what looks like textured leather. The leather is slightly raised, providing a soft surface for resting the unit, or for mounting a DAP when stacking (the leather helps avoid scratching). The leather doesn’t grip too well though, so a stacked DAP will tend to slip and slide unless using double bands to hold units together.
 

 
At the top of the unit you find the volume pot, and headphone-out and line-in jacks. The volume pot is metal, with ridges for grip, sits flush (not much to catch on things in a pocket) and feels tight and solid. Turning is not difficult, but it does offer good resistance to inadvertent adjustment while on the go.
 

 
On the left side you find the power control, Class A current adjuster (20MA or 40MA), and gain switch (low gain is +5dB, high gain is +15dB).
 

 
On the bottom is the Micro USB charging plug-in.
 

 

 
The silver version of the B1 is quite attractive. The red leather back is quite striking in contrast to the silver aluminium chassis. Both colours of B1 are attractive and have a quality feel about them.
 
Listening
 
In my review I did some general listening using the Fiio X3ii as source, using a variety of over-ear headphones (Sennheiser HD650, Audio Technica ATH-R70x, and AKG K7XX). I also performed several comparisons to other portable headphone amps (Fiio X3 2^nd generation’s internal amp, Cayin C5 and Fiio E12A), using a variety of IEMs (Noble 6, T-Peos Altone 200, and Havi B3 Pro 1). Some of the equipment I used in my reviews was my own, and some was provided by 3^rd parties for review purposes.
 
General Listening
 
Listening 1: Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
ALAC > Fiio X3ii > Aune B1 > Sennheiser HD650 (Low Gain, Volume 6/10)
 

1. The B1 is rated at 16-300 ohms, and the HD650 is a 300-ohm headphone. As such, one would naturally expect this combination to be at the limit of the B1’s capabilities. At 6/10 and on low gain, volume was right where I like it (I like my Vs) and detail excellent.
2. In “Come Away With Me,” there is a lovely sound of brushed snare throughout that I find beautifully soothing; this was clear and textured. There is also a lovely, low-key guitar solo half-way through the song; this was atmospheric and high notes sparkled. Norah’s voice was full, with her characteristic airy, textured tone. The B1 dealt with both song and headphone very well. Very enjoyable.

 
Listening 2: Sade – Bullet Proof Soul (from Love Deluxe)
ALAC > Fiio X3ii > Aune B1 > Audio Technica ATH-R70x (High Gain, Volume 6/10)
 

1. The R70x is rated at 470 ohms. Of all the headphones I own, this was always going to be the ultimate test for the B1. Perhaps it was unfair to even attempt this one based on power ratings, but some manufacturers under-rate their amps so I figured I’d give it a try (as an example, the Fiio E12A is designed for IEMs and rated at 16-300 Ohms – same as the B1 – but it drives the R70x exceedingly well).
2. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know that this is my favourite song for sub-bass, and I just love the combination of Sade’s vocal with those of her back-up singers (depending on equipment, these backing vocals sometimes don’t come through very well). The B1 dealt with all challenges very well. Volume reached more than satisfactory levels at 9/10 on low gain, and 6/10 on high (high gain sounded better; on low gain I felt there was just a touch of distortion). R70x test passed!
3. My initial listen to this track was done on the low current setting. Curious about the Class A current adjustment (have never played with any Class A equipment before), I did a little reading and learned that with high powered phones or speakers, higher current beefs up bass and extends treble. Decided to give Sade a listen again on the high setting, and found this to be the case with the B1; the effect was subtle, but highs and lows had just a bit more authority.

 
Listening 3: Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges – Beale Street Blues (from Back To Back)
ALAC > Fiio X3ii > Aune B1 > AKG K7XX (High Gain, Volume 5/10)
 

 

1. Even though only rated at 62 ohms, the K7XX is known to have low sensitivity and is notorious for being hard to drive and requiring amplification. This track is a lolloping blues number, with sultry sax, piercing trumpet, lively backing piano, and some fun, low-key guitar and drum riffs. The K7XX is beautifully driven by the B1. All instruments are presented clearly, with great texture, balance and detail. Stereo imaging and soundstage are excellent, with good space and instrumental placement. A very pleasant listen!
2. After running the B1 on high gain for around an hour through the 3 general listening stages of this analysis, I noticed the B1 getting rather warm. I wouldn’t say it was uncomfortably hot or anything, but it was warm enough that you might notice it in a pocket. Not a bad thing in winter, but perhaps not the greatest in summer.

 
Comparisons
 
Comparison 1: Beethoven – Cello Sonata No. 3 (played by Timora Rosler and Klara Würtz)
320 kbps AAC > X3ii > Aune B1 > Noble 6 (Low Gain, Volume 2.5-3/10)
320 kbps AAC > X3ii > Noble 6 (Low Gain, Volume 65/120)
 

1. This is another favourite track for testing, with the interplay of rich tonality and range of the cello with energy and sparkle of the piano. The Noble 6 is a linear, neutral IEM, and I’ve found it doesn’t pair particularly well with overly analytical sources.
2. With the X3ii+B1 combination, this piece sounded marvellous. Sound was rich, with great body, richness and texture from the cello, and a lively, realistic tone from both left and right hands of the piano. Range on the volume pot was limited at a low volume setting of around 2.5-3/10, with little room for fine-tuning of volume.
3. With the X3ii un-amped, I had more range to play with and much finer control over volume settings. That said, sound quality at equivalent volume was less satisfying than with the B1 combination. On it’s own, the X3ii produced a less lively, less nuanced, more veiled performance. Cello was smoothed, and the piano was a bit one-dimensional. There were also touches of harshness in the treble that I could see being fatiguing in a more extended listening session.

 
Comparison 2: Steely Dan – Gaucho (from Gaucho)
ALAC > X3ii > Aune B1 > T-Peos Altone 200 (Low Gain, Volume 2.5/10)
ALAC > X3ii > Fiio E12A > T-Peos Altone 200 (Low Gain, Bass Boost off, Volume 4.5/10)
 

 

1. Another favourite test track for atmospherics and micro detail, both vocal and instrumental. The Altone 200 is often described as bright (I don’t find it overly so), and delivers good, strong bass.
2. These two amps had quite different characters. E12A had great bass quality (sub and mid), along with excellent detail and texture in mids and highs. Texture and detail of snare drum, bass, guitar, and sax were excellent. Sound stage was open and had depth.
3. B1 was more mid-forward, with more subdued bass and highs. Bass isn’t as much rolled off as recessed, while there was some roll-off in trebles. Texture of main and backing vocals, and body of sax (though a bit smoothed), were more satisfying with the B1. That said, stage seemed a bit more constricted.
4. While I enjoyed the music from both amps here, I found the E12A more extended in high and low frequencies, and B1 more mid forward. I liked the range in the volume pot for an with the E12A; this was again a bit limited with the B1, which I feel may be better suited to more demanding IEMs and cans.

 
Comparison 3: Pearl Jam – Jeremy (from Ten)
ALAC > X3ii > Aune B1 > Havi B3 Pro 1 (Low Gain, Volume 5/10)
ALAC > X3ii > Cayin C5 > Havi B3 Pro 1 (Low Gain, Bass Boost off, Volume 4/10)
 

 

1. This is a great track for comparisons, especially of male vocals and energy. The dual-dynamic Havi has an almost cult following. It is known to have a wide open sound stage relative to other budget IEMs, with good texture and extension, especially in treble (some find the bass a bit on the dry side).
2. The Cayin C5 sounded fantastic, with lovely tonality of bass, “school bell” and drums in the opening of the song. Eddy Vedder’s vocal texture was clear and throaty, dry and rasping. Electric guitars were full of energy, clear, with no muddiness. High-end was a touch harsh and fatiguing. Space and good instrumental definition in performance, staging was open and wide.
3. With the B1 bass was less prevalent, again with a more mid-forward presence. Gong sounds fuller than with C5. Vedder’s vocal, guitars and drums were clean, warmer, smoother than the C5. High end less harsh, less fatiguing than from C5. Soundstage smaller.

 
Conclusions
 
There’s a lot to like about the Aune B1. It drives powerful headphones with authority, and has a lovely mid-forward sound that is easy on the ears and suitable for long, fatigue-free listening sessions. Design is phenomenal, with great looks and a quality build and feel. If I had the power to improve anything about the B1, it would be 1) greater range on the pot for fine volume control, and 2) slightly more extension of bass and treble.
 

 
In comparisons with other popular portable amplifiers, I’d equate the B1 to the Sennheiser HD650 (contolled bass, mid-forward, clean, easy on the ears) and the Fiio E12A and Cayin C5 to the Audio Technica ATH-R70x (more natural extension of bass and treble). If you’re an HD650 type, you will really like the sound signature of the B1. If you’re more into the R70x, you’ll still enjoy it, especially for longer listening sessions.

Before I start my X5 2nd Generation review, I should state that I received a pre-production review unit from Fiio as part of their pre-release “World Tour.” I got to keep the unit for 10 days, during which I used it extensively, before sending it on to the next reviewer on the Canadian tour. I did not have to pay for the unit (only to forward it to the next reviewer), and unfortunately do not get to keep it. Because I was reviewing a pre-production unit running beta firmware, it is possible that release models will feature changes and/or improvements to hardware and firmware over what is reflected here.
 

 
In my review I did comparisons using a number of DAPs (Fiio X3 2nd generation, Hidizs AP100, Cayin N6) and headphones (Sennheiser HD650, ESS RLM-713, T-Peos Altone 200, Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 and AKG K7XX). I also did extensive general listening using the previously listed headphones in addition to the Noble 6 and Havi B3 Pro 1. Some of the equipment I used in my reviews was my own, and some was provided by producers and distributors for review purposes.
 
As of the release earlier this year of the 2nd generation X3, Fiio’s naming conventions changed, and updates to existing models will stay the same and have the term “Xth Generation” to set them apart from previous iterations. For the sake of my fingers, I’ll call the “X5 2nd Generation” the  “X5ii” in this review, and the recently released X3 update the “X3ii.”
 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little background and context. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is actually pretty good for someone of my vintage). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high end equipment, and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insight to help others make decisions about items they might want to try or buy.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
Unboxing and First Impressions
 

 
The box I received containing the X5ii was obviously a pre-production design as it had no artwork or information on it. It was a simple black box with “X5” in large letters, some Chinese text, and then in smaller letters it said “Portable High Resolution Music Player.” That’s it. The box size is similar to the box I received my X3ii in a couple of months ago, so I assume this will stay the same when production units start being delivered.
 

 
Stuff that came with the review unit: USB cable, coaxial adaptor, 2 spare screen protectors in addition to one pre-installed, 3 sets of "body armour" stickers, and a rubberized protective case.
 

 
The unit itself: The X5ii has a gorgeous finish! Full metal jacket, good heft and nicely finished all over. Feels high-end. Horizontal screen, mechanical scroll wheel with select button in centre, menu button top-left, back button top-right, and track forward/backward at bottom of scroll wheel. Layout is very sensible and intuitive.
 

 
Top Side: Headphone Out jack and switchable Line Out/Coax. These are in opposite positions to the X3ii, so I got caught a couple of times almost exploding my eardrums when I plugged headphones into the Line Out instead of the Headphone Out jacks! Careful!
 

 
Left Side: Power button and volume controls. Power button is recessed and volume buttons slightly raised, so identifying buttons blind when the unit is in your pocket is easy. The power button doesn’t actually turn music on and off; it controls display power, so if you DO accidently push it, your music won’t stop inadvertently. Volume can also be controlled during playback using the scroll wheel by pressing and holding the select button in the middle.
 

 
Right Side: Nothing to see here!. Move along...
 

 
Bottom: Two Micro SD slots (the unit is officially compatible with 128 GB slots, so supports 256 GB of storage). Micro USB, for charging and DAC usage.
 

 
Back: Nothing special to report. On my X3ii, I used the provided Carbon Fiber sticker on the back and it looks really sharp!
 

 
X5ii and Fiio E12A portable amp side-by-side: Size and materials are similar, making for an attractive stacking combination. The X5ii has enough driving power that an external amp is, in most cases, unnecessary, particularly for portable use.
 
Other impressions:

1. Scroll Wheel: As a long-time iPod user and now X3ii owner, the scroll wheel is simple and intuitive. I actually prefer the Fiio mechanical scroll wheel over the old iPod tactile wheel. The X5ii scroll wheel is more responsive and accurate than that on the X3ii.
2. Deep Sleep feature: Once the X5ii has been powered on and booted up for the first time, the power button acts like a sleep/wake switch, with "instant-on" feature a massive improvement over having to wait through a full boot-up cycle every time you wake the device.
3. Size: The X5ii is a bit bigger than the X3ii. I have never actually seen or held a 1st generation X5, but photographs indicate that the new X5 is smaller than it’s predecessor.
4. The X5ii lacks internal memory: This is one of only three faults I could find with the new X5. I have two 64 GB micro SD cards at the moment, one with Classical music, and one with Jazz, Rock, Pop, Funk, etc. These I switch back-and-forth between several DAPs, and I have on occasion picked up a DAP on my way out somewhere not realizing my SD cards were in other players; with on-board memory, I could have a few favorite, heavy rotation albums at my finger tips at all times without having to switch out SD cards. This is a relatively minor quibble, but a quibble nonetheless.
5. Protective silicon case: The X5ii black silicon case is sturdy and appears to protect the unit well from bumps and scratches. That said, the case attracts lint. Again, a minor annoyance, but an annoyance.
6. Display and user interface: I love the user interface introduced with the X3ii, and the X5ii UI is the same. Something I discovered after purchasing the X3ii is that the display contents are hard to see outdoors in bright light; happily, the X5ii display is much brighter, so this should not be a problem.

 
     
 
Using our ears
 
So far I’ve discussed the look and feel of the X5 2nd generation, but what really matters to me and you is how it sounds, so let’s plug in some headphones and get to listening.
 
I divided my listening into comparisons (looking for differences between the X5ii and other music players) and general listening (choosing a song and listening through it several times and trying to pick out details in the music that indicate a quality or deficiency in the player). All comparisons utilized a Line5 switcher unit, allowing for auditory (though non-scientific) volume matching, and fast switching between DAPs (which reduces the effect of memory and bias in detecting subtle differences). I didn't test using any amps; all comparisons were done using Headphone Out.
 

 
I didn’t test the DAC features of the X5ii as it’s not what I typically us a DAP for, and didn’t perform any measurements of inputs or outputs. Again, not my thing. I can almost guarantee that more technically-minded reviewers will provide all the details you might want, in due course.
 
Listening Comparisons
 
1) X5ii vs. Cayin N6
 
Al Di Meola – Mediterranean Sundance (flamenco style acoustic guitar duet with Paco De Lucia, from Elegant Gypsy)
ALAC > X5ii > Sennheiser HD650 (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 110/120)
ALAC > N6 > Sennheiser HD650 (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 65/100)
 

1. X5ii: Warm, full, great body to overall sound. Energetic and sweet tonality. Guitar strings ever so slightly flabby (soft entry to pluck/strum, decay a bit slow)… sustained vibration means a very slight bleed of notes into each other. Sound is lively. Bass is not overpowering (in fact not really a highlight of the recording), but there is a floor of bass activity low down that adds life to the other frequencies. A feature of this piece is the use of the guitar body as a drum, and this knocking has a nice thump and resonance to it. Mids are well presented, with good texture to the two guitars, though notes are not as “plucky” as I might like. Highs are a touch rolled off, which may explain the feeling of constrained roundness to the higher guitar notes.
2. N6: Differences between these two were minimal. The N6 is ever so slightly better defined, with faster attack and decay on guitar notes. This gives a slightly cooler feel to the music, and a sense of being in a bigger room (so bigger sound stage). Otherwise, no real difference.
3. Just out of interest, switched to the AKG K7XX and the upper end of this piece came alive. Suddenly the high end became livelier, with notes no longer rounded off as before. Texture improved, with nice graininess and sense of the left hand manipulating individual strings. At the same time the low end almost disappeared, and the knock knock drumming lost its impact. Differences between X5ii and N6 were again minor, with X5ii slightly warmer and bleedy and N6 a touch clearer and better defined.

 
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams (from Rumours)
ALAC > X5ii > ESS RLM-713 (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 110/120)
ALAC > N6 > ESS RLM-713 (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 65/100)
 

1. The ESS RLM-713 is a bass-heavy on-ear headphone with Ebony encased drivers. Mids and highs are nicely balanced. That sound signature translated well to both DAPs here. This is a very familiar track to many Head-Fi listeners, so I won’t go into the details too much. As with the Al Di Meola track, there was very little between the two DAPs on this track. Differences if any were subtle. Bass through the N6 was quicker and clearer, while X5ii had very slight bleed. High hat, snare and acoustic guitar were better defined from the N6. Stevie Nicks’ voice had her typical rasp and textured throatiness, but both hers and Lindsey Buckinham’s vocals were subtly smoothed over by the X5ii.

 

 
Verdict: While the N6 did sound very slightly better than the X5ii, we have to remember that we’re comparing a $600 DAP to an item that is set to cost around $350 on its release in mid-June. The N6 is significantly bigger than the X5ii as well; although it seems significantly more able to drive power-hungry cans. In reviewing and reading about the N6 and X5ii, indications are that the X5ii has better battery life. If you’re looking for a truly portable DAP on a budget, the X5ii will be a solid purchase.
 
2) X5ii vs. Hidizs AP100
 
Dire Straits – Private Investigations (from Love Over Gold)
256 kbps AAC > X5ii > T-Peos Altone 200 (Low gain, EQ off, Volume = 86/120)
256 kbps AAC > AP100 > T-Peos Altone 200 (EQ off, Volume = 46/80)
 

1. The Altone 200 his known to be a “bright” IEM, with solid highs. Some users find them harsh, but I really like them. Perhaps my old ears appreciate the help they give in distinguishing highs. As with the X5ii vs. N6 earlier, with volumes matched these two DAPs were almost indistinguishable. Part way through the 3rd play through of the song, I started to notice subtle differences though. X5ii was clearer, more detailed on plucked solo guitar and piano, while on AP100 those same instruments were ever so slightly subdued by the bass. Knopfler’s vocal was drier and more textured from the X5ii than AP100, which smoothed his voice out just a tad. Otherwise the two sounded very similar.

 

 
Verdict: The Hidizs has a reputation for sounding fantastic (main complaints have been around user interface, which was improved with a firmware update in February). Price-wise these two are close (the Hidizs runs around $300), and they are similar sized as well.  Sound-wise the X5ii just outshone the AP100 in my opinion, which – if reputation is to be believed – means the X5ii is a mighty fine sounding DAP.
 
3) X5ii vs. X3ii
 
Blue Mitchell – Graffiti Blues (from Graffiti Blues)
320 kbps AAC > X5ii > ATH-MSR7 (Low gain, EQ off, Volume = 84/120)
320 kbps AAC > X3ii > ATH-MSR7 (Low gain, EQ off, Volume = 88/120)
 

1. The MSR7 is a clean, quite linear closed headphone. It has a lovely natural tone that pairs well with the Fiio line of DAPs. This track is from Blue Mitchell’s foray into a more funky blues sound in the mid ‘70s. To me this is the most successful of several similar albums made by him around this time. The track is incredibly funky with a hypnotizing bass line overlaid with energetic, piercing trumpet and soulful blues guitar, with harmonica, drums and rhythm guitar in the background. X5 and X3 both allowed this song to shine, and again I found it hard to tell the difference right off the bat. With a few repeated listenings, I noticed nuances that separated the two. Bass is tighter and quicker from the X5, but still very acceptable from the X3. Mids from the X5 are clearer and more textured; trumpet and sax shone brighter, but I noticed the mid difference most in the lead and backing guitars and high hat, which were all a shade more laid back on the X3.

 
Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 2 (Emil Gilels, Chicago Symphony, Fritz Reiner)
320 kbps AAC > X5ii > AKG K7XX (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 104/120)
320 kbps AAC > X3ii > AKG K7XX (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 108/120)
 

1. The K7XX is a tough-to-drive open headphone. In past tests with the X3ii, I’ve found the little DAP struggles to drive it adequately, so I usually pair it with a portable amp when using the AKG. With this dynamic concerto, I was able to get the music to a good volume without an amp but sound quality suffered, with the X3ii showing some distortion and lack of body and clarity as it chugged along at close to maximum volume. The X5ii faired better; while volume setting on the two DAPs was almost the same, body and clarity were more natural and the music more enjoyable from the X5ii.

 

 
Verdict: I was surprised how well the X3ii performed against its newer, larger sibling. The X5ii wins on tightness and control of bass, and clarity and texture of mids and highs.  Differences in sound quality are not huge though. The other advantage of the X5ii is power; it is more capable of driving high impedance, low sensitivity phones than the X3ii. Which is better is up to you, but both represent solid value.
 
General Listening
 
Cannonball Adderley – One For Daddy-O (from Somethin’ Else)
ALAC > X5ii > Noble 6 IEM (Low gain, EQ off, Volume = 65/120)
 

1. Sound is beautifully balanced. There is warmth and body without being colored. Tonality of piano is bright without being too sparkly. Sax has a lovely, full tone, with nice sense of reediness. No bloat or syrup at all. Trumpet is bright and smooth, some rasp in the attack of each note. High notes exquisitely piercing but musical. Bass soft but nice and plucky. Snare, toms and high hat have life and clarity. Hear every crackle from original recording. Not sitting amongst the players, but front row seat?
2. Combination of detail and body, lovely acoustics. Every frequency is present, very balanced and none overly emphasized. Warmth of the X5ii pairs well with the relatively analytic/linear Noble 6.

 

 
Sade – Bullet Proof Soul (from Love Deluxe)
ALAC > X5ii > Havi B3 Pro 1 (High gain, EQ off, Volume = 90/120)
 

1. Wide open presentation! First impression is just masses of space… This is what the Havi is known for. Bass is tight and punchy, but not as full as I’ve heard with other phones; that said, it has great quality and doesn’t overpower the rest of the instruments. Snare, toms, sax and piano are clear and bright… very fresh sounding. Sade’s vocal is lush and airy, good texture and slight graininess to her voice. Backing vocals (male/female) clearly presented in the background. Definition, detail and texture are excellent.
2. Havi is also known to be a hard IEM to drive (almost like an over-ear headphone). The X5ii drove them fine, with room to spare on the volume. This is another lovely combination.

 
Conclusions
 
When I reviewed the 2nd generation X3 a couple of months ago as part of that World Tour, I gushed and bought one as soon as they were released. This time around, with the X5ii, Fiio have hit it out of the park again. Not having used the original X5, I can’t really comment on improvements or differences between it and the updated version, but I can say I’ve really enjoyed listening to it over the last week and a bit, will be sad to part with it later this week as it goes to the next reviewer, and will strongly consider picking one up on release later this month.
 
Thanks to Fiio for the opportunity to participate in the tour, and I hope this review was useful. I welcome feedback, questions and comments below.

 
Before I get into my review, some disclosure: I received a free loaner unit as part of a mini North American tour, set up and sponsored by @EmpJ of CTC Audio. I got to keep the unit for a week, during which I used it fairly extensively, before sending it on to the next tour member. I am not personally affiliated with CTC Audio, I did not have to pay for the loaner unit (only to forward it to the next reviewer), and unfortunately I was not able to to keep it long term.
 
In my review I did comparisons using the X3 2nd generation (referred to as X3ii in this review), with and without the JDS Labs O2 headphone amplifier. Headphones used included several IEMs (Havi B3 Pro 1, Noble 6 and the new T-Peos Altone 350) and over-ear cans (Sennheiser HD650 and Audio Technica ATH-R70x). All of the above equipment is my own, paid for by me (with the exception of the Altone 350, which was provided as part of the N6 tour, and the HD650 which is also a loaner).
 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little about me. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz, which is actually pretty good for someone of my vintage). I’ve been a music lover for decades, but am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game; I haven’t listened to a lot of high end equipment, and am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site; as such I know what has been helpful to me in reviews and endeavor to provide what I consider useful insight to help others make decisions about items they might want to try or buy.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
The Review
 
Look and Feel
 
The N6 is a unique looking DAP. One friend said it made him think of a Phaser or some other instrument from Star Trek. Someone else said it reminded them of the movie Gattaca. Personally I think it’s a little bit Gattaca, a little bit Star Trek, a little bit 2001, and a little bit front-loading washing machine. That said, I love the look!
 
The unibody metal design is gorgeous, with great detail and precision in placement and alignment of all buttons and plugs. The glass-covered, carbon fibre back has a very refined, classy look. The unit is not heavy, but it has good heft and feels solid and robust. The N6 is large for a portable DAP, and not exactly what I would call “pocket-friendly.”
 

 
Presentation box.
 

 
What's in the box? SPDIF RCA Coax adaptor, Micro USB card, key chain, USB Micro SD adaptor, the N6.
 

 
View from bottom: MicroSD card slot, reset button, USB. Main buttons on face of unit are back button on left, play/pause on right, and rewind/ffwd top and bottom.
 

 
Jog dial and select on the left side of the unit.
 

 
Power button, coax out, headphone out and line out across the top of the unit.
 

 
Volume control on right side.
 

 
Do I look like a washing machine in this case?
 

 
Silicon back is pure class.
 

 
Should you wish to stack (and why would you for portable use?), this is how the N6 compares in size to the Fiio E12A.
 

 
The N6 fits perfectly in a Pelican Micro 1020 case.
 

 
Display: With the large, washing-machine-window look, one might expect an equally vast display; however, it is a smallish square that doesn’t even touch the edges of the circular display area (see above). Display quality is quite good, with album art clear and colour representation quite accurate, if a little subdued.
 
UI and ergonomics: The UI takes a little getting used to, but is easy once you know what is in which menus and how to navigate them back and forth. I found everything pretty intuitive to pick up, but changing settings on the EQ was confusing, and I’m still not 100% sure what I did to make adjustments (though I did muddle through).
 
Jog wheel, buttons: The jog wheel works extremely well, with for the most part one click on the wheel resulting in one move on display menus and adjustments. The only issue I had was a lag between some jog movements or button presses and the expected result on the player. Something to adjust to, I suppose.
 
Battery: I never ran the battery down, but also never used it that long between charges. My longest listening session was about 3.5 hours, with some stopping and starting and using up power via the display. In that time I ran the N6 down to 54% remaining on the battery, so my estimate tells me we’re looking at around 7 hours for a full charge. Not awful, but nothing stellar, either.
 
Heat: After playing music on the N6 for some time in an extended listening session, it gets quite warm. Not burn-your-fingers hot, but warm. That might be nice if carrying the N6 in a jacket pocket in winter, but not so great in warmer seasons. Then again, I can't really see pocketing the N6 with summer clothing as the unit is not really sized appropriately. Anyway, we digress. Just know that the N6 gets warm.
 
Listening Tests
 
I divided my listening into comparisons (looking for differences between the N6 and another piece or pieces of equipment) and general listening (choosing a song and listening through it several times and trying to pick out details in the music that indicate a quality or deficiency in the player). I realize that comparing the N6 to the Fiio X3ii is a bit like comparing apples to oranges as the N6 is almost three times the price of the X3ii. That said, if someone with an X3 is thinking of upgrading to something more expensive, they’ll want to know what they’re getting, so maybe the comparison isn’t so wacky after all.
 
I didn’t test the DAC features of the N6 as it’s not what I typically use a DAP for, and didn’t perform any measurements of inputs or outputs. Again, not my thing.
 
Comparison 1: Fiio X3ii vs. Cayin N6, with Havi B3 Pro 1 (Spinfit ear tips)
X3ii (High Gain, EQ off, Volume 110/120)
N6 (Low Gain, EQ off, Volume 64/100)
Track: Beethoven – Cello Sonata No. 3 (played by Timora Rosler and Klara Würtz)
 

1. N6: Cello sonatas are my favourite chamber music. I feel they are a great test of sonic qualities as one can focus on an instrument at a time. With the N6, the cello is divinely textured, with full rumbling and resonant bass and sweet, textured mids and highs. In parts of this piece the cello is plucked, with quick attack and controlled decay. The piano is a touch subdued compared to the cello, when the two are playing together. When the cello rests, notes on both the right and left hands of the piano are well defined, with no bleed even within faster passages. In energetic passages involving both cello and piano, there is some blending of notes in the upper mids. Overall the tone is neither full nor dry, but body is lovely. Sound comes from both the strings, and the bodies of the instruments, so it’s a bit like hearing 4 players rather than just two. Staging is spacious, which the Havi is known for. Instrument positioning is good with cello front left and piano behind and slightly right.
2. X3ii: I volume-matched by ear, going back and forth using my testing switcher until sound difference was indiscernible between the two players. For equivalent body and loudness, X3ii is pushed to almost max volume, while N6 pootles along happily on low gain. X3 puts out a nice sound here, but there is comparatively little body to the music, and those 3rd and 4th “instruments” are missing. The players feel further away, and sound is veiled. Clarity and detail are still good, but the piece lacks energy, and that feeling of being absorbed in the music is missing.
3. The N6 and Havis (which are very tough IEMs to drive well) sounded wonderful together. A hit!

 

 
Comparison 2: Fiio X3ii + JDS Labs O2 vs. Cayin N6, with Sennheiser HD650
X3ii via Line Out to O2 Amp (High Gain, Volume 3.5/10)
N6 (Low Gain, EQ off, Volume 64/100)
Track: Duke Jordan – Deacon Joe (from Flight to Jordan)
 

1. X3ii+O2 vs. N6: No comparison really required. These two sound virtually identical, so I won’t regale you with how beautifully sweet and textured Dizzy Reece’s trumpet and Stanley Turrentine’s sax are. I won’t tell you about Duke’s soft touch on the piano, and the lovely tones he produces with his right hand. Won’t even go into the quality of the background bass and drums, subdued but ever-present. No, the take-away here is that there’s virtually nothing to discern these two source/amp combinations. As in, I could not pick out ONE clear or not so clear difference between any of the instruments, in tone, texture, timbre. Nothing. The ONLY thing that MIGHT be there is a hint, ever so subtle, of very slightly less overall body with the N6… and by slightly less I mean miniscule. Oh, and perhaps… just perhaps… the bass in the background is a shade more resonant with the X3ii/O2 combo. So, what this tells me is the N6 has the equivalent of an O2 amp in it, which my experience tells me is a very good amp, both for sound and power. Interesting. Very interesting.
2. One thing that is clear (to me anyway) is that the HD650 and N6 are a match made in heaven. They work well together, the N6 seeming to boost the treble end of the 650, and the Senn livening up the bass and mids for the Cayin. The pairing is a definite hit!

 
General Listening
 
Listening 1: Cayin N6 with Audio Technica ATH-R70x (High Gain, EQ off, Volume 60/100)
Track: Blue Mitchell – Graffiti Blues (from Grafitti Blues)
 

1. This track is from Blue Mitchell’s foray into a more funky blues sound in the mid 70s. To me this is the most successful of several similar albums made around this time. Trumpet beautifully detailed and smooth, with a good lilting, rhythmic quality. Bass goes deep and is relatively controlled, though could stand to be a bit more punchy. Electric guitar is sparkly without being piercing, with good quality of tone, and so non-fatiguing. Harmonica has lots of funky detail and some texture (ever so slightly smoothed over). Rhythm guitar and piano in the background (recessed, part of soundstage in recording, I assume). Instrument placement from left to right easily discernible, and have a sense of front to back as well.
2. R70x with good bass presence and natural sound across frequencies seems a good match for the more analytical N6. The two sound signatures temper each other, resulting in a very pleasant, detailed, laid back presentation. The N6 had no trouble driving this 470 ohm headphone, with bags of room so spare for someone who wants to completely fry their ears. This pairing is a hit!

 
Listening 2: Cayin N6 with Noble 6 IEM (Low Gain, EQ off, Volume 30/100)
Track: Talk Talk – Life’s What You Make It (from The Colour of Spring)
 

1. A good, solid mid-80s electro-Brit-pop album.  Rich and lush soundscape, with good energy and bass and clearly defined instruments. With the Noble, the track is a bit subdued. Bass attack is good, with fast decay, but extension is poor with bass and kick drums being a bit wooden. Mark Hollis’ vocal is clean and smooth, but something is missing. Toms, guitars and piano are overly dry, and lacking nuance and sparkle.
2. The Noble 6 seems not the greatest match for the N6. Both DAP and IEM are on the analytical, linear side, so both match better either way with a partner that has some warmth, natural acoustics and punch. This time the pairing is a miss.

 

 
Listening 3: Fiio X3ii vs. Cayin N6, with T-Peos Altone 350 (with Spinfit tips) 
N6 (Low Gain, EQ on “Custom” setting with bass dialed down, Volume 50/100)
Track: Steely Dan – Gaucho (from Gaucho)
 

1. From previous listening, I know the Altone 350 is a quite boomy headphone, but with good detail through mids and treble. With EQ off, boominess was too much, so I turned on EQ, set it to “Custom,” and dialled down the bass at 31 Hz (3 dB), 63 Hz (2 dB) and 125 Hz (1 dB). This gave a much more balanced sound than with EQ off, but still with a lovely combination of warmth and detail. Bass presence is good with nice attack and controlled decay. Quality of mids is fantastic for the most part. Sax has great texture and great plaintiveness. Snare and toms have a nice crash to them. Fagen’s vocal is airy and throaty and back-up singers also come through nicely. Treble extension is lovely with good micro detail. The only real issue I found was that there was some bleed between the different mid sources when they are in unison in the later, more energetic parts of the song.
2. For all that the Altone tends to be boomy, it pairs well with the dryness of the N6 when controlled with EQ. For some, EQ is bothersome, and others feel EQ alters the way the music was “intended,” and is thus to be avoided. Listeners in either of those camps might want to avoid this combination, but for those who’re happy to use EQ to control the sound sig, this combination works. A qualified hit.

 

 
Conclusions
 
Based purely on sound, I’d rather have the N6 than the X3ii. There’s a clean-ness, clarity and realism about the sound and expansiveness of sound stage that surpasses the X3ii hands down. Also, the N6 has significantly more and higher quality amplification, making it more versatile as a stand-alone unit with power-hungry headphones. That said, other elements weigh in the X3ii’s favour, particularly size and, in my opinion anyway, user interface and navigation.
 
Another consideration with the N6 is what you pair it with, as my limited experience with the player tells me it is finicky about phones. Team it with a warmer, fuller sounding headphone or IEM and you'll have a great listening experience; choose something less vibrant and you may not enjoy yourself so much.
 
Would I purchase an N6? I’m still on the fence. It really is a lovely piece of kit, and I could definitely see having one as my DAP/source for home and/or office. At the same time I’m trying to decide whether the increased quality is worth the three-fold price. Would I recommend an N6? Certainly, if affordability is not an issue, or you have a more seasoned, audiophile ear (and aren’t concerned about size or battery life), I would whole-heartedly encourage you to add this one to your collection. I leave that up to you.

This is a review in two parts, with an initial, excited set of unboxing and listening impressions, followed up several days later with more considered comparisons to other headphones, requested by other Head-Fi’ers in various forum threads.
 
Introduction (May 24, 2015)
 
My wife returned from two weeks in Japan today. While I was glad to see her after time apart, and excited to have her back, a part of me was more excited about what she had brought with her: my Audio Technica ATH-R70x! I’ve been drooling over and dreaming about this headphone since reading very early reviews, and finally, here it was!
 

 
About Me
 
Before getting into the review, a little about me. I’m 50 years old, and so probably have deficiencies in my hearing (in a recent, entirely non-scientific test I discovered I can’t really hear anything over about 15 kHz, with roll-of starting around 12 or 13 kHz). While I’ve been a music lover for decades, I am still relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game, and only bought my first over-ear headphones in November of 2014. I haven’t listened to a lot of different equipment (certainly nothing in the high price, TOTL realm), and I’m not really an expert on the technical aspects of electronics or musical terminology. I have read a lot of reviews and threads on Head-Fi, and spend a lot of time on the site, but this should be considered a review by a relative newbie, for the benefit of other newbies and more experienced listeners.
 
I listen to a variety of music genres, in particular, Classical (mostly mid 1700s to mid/late 1800s), Jazz (late ‘50s to early 70’s), Rock and some Prog-Rock (‘70s), ‘80s New Wave/Electro, and Trip Hop/Acid Jazz (90’s into 00’s). My preferred sound signature would be characterized by a good sub-bass presence, tight mid bass, and relatively linear, detailed mids and highs. I like my music quite lush and rich, but with a good level of detail. I’m not a bass-head, am not a big fan of anything too boomy, and don’t like highs that are too intense or harsh.
 
Review
 
In the two stages of my review I listened to a number of tracks from several albums in my collection (from CD, Apple-Lossless AAC and 256 kHz AAC), using home Hi-Fi (Marantz NR1501 receiver and BD5004), portable rig (Fiio X3ii and E12A or JDS Labs O2) and laptop (MacBook Air and Matrix Mini-i Pro DAC). Using various equipment combinations, I also compared the R70x with the Sennheiser HD650 and the AKG K7XX First Edition. All equipment is my own, with the exception of the Matrix DAC and HD650, which are currently being loaned to me. Initial listening impressions come after unboxing info, followed by the headphone comparisons.
 
Unboxing, Look and Feel (May 24, 2015)
 
Well, I was almost trembling opening this up. The R70x comes in a large, rigid black cardboard box inside a white sleeve with graphics and product information. I had some trouble getting the sleeve off (it’s pretty tight, and I was impatient), but once removed and the box opened, there were my lovely new headphones cradled in egg-carton styled foam.
 

 

 

 
Lifting them from the box, I was amazed at how light they are. The main material for everything is high quality carbon composite resin, which seems quite strong without adding weight. The driver housing is a distinctive, attractive honeycomb aluminium, designed for acoustic transparency. Ear pads are a velour-like fabric, and 3-D wing supports on the headband provide comfort while keeping weight down.
 

 

 
Under the foam headphone cradle is light cardboard sleeve containing the detachable cable (3m long, obviously designed for home use – there is no short cable), velour cloth pouch (no hard case), and miscellaneous warranty and item information.
 

 
The dual-sided locking headphone cable is L/R signal independent, meaning you don’t have to worry about which cup you attach each end to. This is a good thing as there are no markings on the headphones to indicate which side is left and which is right. I discovered that it’s not difficult to tell which side is which based on a slight slant to the ear pads – the thin side goes to the front and the thick to the back. Not actually that difficult.
 

 
First Impressions (May 24, 2015)
 
I couldn’t wait for burn in or diaphragm loosening or whatever break-in certain people believe in, so threw them on for a quick listen. I planned to give the R70x just a few minutes on my head so I could say I’d listened to them, but… wow… right out of the box I felt these were ready to go.
 
So straight into playing music, with Norah Jones up first with Come Away With Me on my home stereo (Marantz NR1501/BD5004). Incredibly clean and natural. Articulate, with beautiful vocal and instrumental texture and presence. Norah’s voice shone, with no artefact, colour or echo… just Norah. Instruments beautifully balanced. No boominess to the bass, but bass is there, nice and tight. No sibilance, but highs are very present, detailed but not jarring in any way. And Norah… voice of an angel…
 
Jumped to my portable set-up. First Fiio X3ii and some Pearl Jam (Ten). Maxed the X3ii volume, and set to high gain, but body and loudness were severely lacking. Added my Fiio E12A to the mix. Was worried the E12A (being built for IEM’s and rated to 150 ohms) would struggle with the 470 ohm R70x, but no. With E12A at high gain and with bass boost off, sound is fantastic! Eddie Vedder’s vocals nicely articulated, though perhaps with his gravelly throatiness a touch smoothed over. Grungy lows a touch muddy and acoustic guitar slightly recessed on some louder tracks (but that’s the recording more than the phones, I think). On softer tunes, kick drums, electric guitar and bass are detailed and clear. Overall impression is power and energy, with no irritation. With bass boost on for a few songs, sub-bass certainly enhanced, and overall sound a bit warmer.
 
Moved on to Talk Talk’s Colour Of Spring album. Love this album as it’s very atmospheric, with rich, lush sound.  Almost Roxy Music-ish, but with more trebly vocal (Mark Hollis is no Bryan Ferry). With bass boost off, sound is beautifully balanced across the whole spectrum. Vocals are clear and neither prominent nor withdrawn. Bass, left hand of piano, drums are full, textured and dynamic, but not overpowering. Highs again are clear and detailed, with no harshness. R70x seems like it will be completely non-fatiguing, but still detailed and musical.
 

 
Final stop on the initial impressions tour? A little Steely Dan, of course. Aja or Gaucho? I chose Aja. This was a revelation. Perhaps two hours of burn in had helped? Who can tell…? To me, Steely Dan are all about atmosphere, lushness, and little sonic details sprinkled all over. Sound here is authoritative, with great attack on bass, real depth to bass drums, and super clear snare, hard hat, piano and electric guitar. Sax has lovely texture, piercing but not overly penetrating. Donald Fagen’s vocals are lively and atmospheric, rich and also textured (he has an airy throatiness that comes through nicely here). An engaging, absorbing listen!
 
So, my overall sonic impressions? I’m not an expert on V-shaped or U-shaped or flat sound signatures, but to me the balance of tonality and emphasis from low to high is very linear. Male and female vocals sing, bass presence is just how I like it – tight but not boomy (bass-heads need not apply, this is not a headphone for you). Highs are nice and detailed without harshness.  I can see these being great for long listening sessions, with no danger of ear fatigue.
 
I’m also no expert on soundstage, but the feeling I get listening to the R70x is open and spacious, and with eyes closed I can picture approximate location of instruments and vocals, and I feel distance (not too much) between me and the “stage” they’re playing from.
 
Comparisons to Other Headphones (June 1, 2015)
 
When I wrote my initial impressions, I knew that I would soon be receiving an HD650 on loan, which is one reason I held off on any comparisons on Day-1 (it’s easier to add a whole section to a review than jury-rigging in bits and pieces here and there). Since my initial impressions were based primarily on more popular music genres, I tried to add some variety with the inclusion of some classical and instrumental jazz.
 
Dire Straits – Love Over Gold (from Love Over Gold)
256 kHz AAC > Amarra 3.0.3 on MacBook Air > Yulong CU2 SPC USB cable > Matrix Mini-i Pro > Headphone
 
The song is characterized by a delicate piano and acoustic guitar opening, low bass heartbeat, intimate vocal from Knopfler with great vocal texture, an interlude of dynamic electric guitar and drums towards the middle of the song, and quietening to an intimate solo marimba fade out.
Rather than focus on all the details of each instrument with each headphone, I’ll just pick out some elements I noticed. Comparing the three headphones, HD650 mid-focused with tight bass, rolled off treble and fast decay (notes less sustained). K7XX upper-mid and treble focused, with rolled off bass; notes more sustained. R70x more bass-prominent but not bloated, with detailed mids and treble, and less texture.
 
Quality of strings on acoustic guitar very different between three: K7XX strings sounded like a rough, natural gut (dry, delicately plecked… sense left hand manipulating strings for effect), HD650 like synthetic gut, and R70x more steel-like. Piano on HD650 lovely; can almost feel the pianist caressing the keys. Knopfler’s vocal textured and nuanced with HD650 and K7XX, slightly less so with R70x (though still well detailed). Bass hummed with life with R70x; could feel it physically! HD650 had good, tight quality, but felt like coming from the basement so less impact. Through middle of song, snares, toms, marimba well presented with all headphones.
 
Let album play through to “It Never Rains” (next track) several times (lost while typing notes…). Roused partially each time by organ, and then jolted at around 2:45 as song picks up to a bit of a crescendo with wall of energetic drums, electric guitar, organ and Knopfler picking up the volume. K7XX on the harsh side, HD650 less harsh, more controlled at the upper end, and R70x more pronounced treble than HD650, but less harshness than K7XX.
 
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 "From The New World" (Philharmonia Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini)
ALAC > Amarra 3.0.3 on MacBook Air > Yulong CU2 SPC USB cable > Matrix Mini-i Pro > Headphone
 

1. K7XX: Dry, textured great instrumental definition. Spacious soundstage with good instrument placement. Bass recessed, but present. Strings are stringy. Brass is brassy. Drums are drummy. Etcetera. Good detail. Bit harsh with noisier passages involving prominent brass.
2. HD650: Lush mids. Slightly less airy presence than the AKG, with staging a little more congested. Great body, texture and definition of each note. Overall impression is of more body and energy than the AKG, and less harshness in the trebles due to some roll-off. Brass texture comes through without being irritating.
3. R70x: Lush, smooth and natural overall, but not syrupy. Excellent instrumental definition. Noticed lovely tone to reeds. Sound stage more open than Senn’s, not as big as AKG. Great body and overall acoustics. Handles loud passages very well, without low-end muddiness or high-end harshness. Has the bass that the K7XX lacks, and the treble detail missing from the HD650.

 

 
Miles Davis – Blue In Green (from Kind Of Blue)
ALAC > Fiio X3ii Line Out > JDS Labs O2 (High Gain) > Headphone
 

1. K7XX: Bass a dry and recessed. Piano clear, though left hand a bit soft. Snare rustling pleasantly throughout song. Lovely, nuanced tone on trumpet; beautiful raspiness. Reed of the sax is textured and detailed nicely. Can pick out location of instruments easily. Intimate delivery.
2. HD650: Bass punchy but tight. Piano full and nuanced in left and right hand. Snare rustle less prominent, less dry. Trumpet and sax brighter and rounder, still nicely textured. I LOVED Coltrane’s little sax solo through this phone, and just wish it was longer! Beautifully resonant and warm. Again, instrument placement nicely defined, though performance less intimate, more friendly.
3. R70x: Bass less punchy (less quick?) but more prominent than HD650. Right hand of piano sparkled more than AKG or Senn; clean and delicate. Trumpet sweet, less full than HD650 but rounder than K7XX. Missing some of the textured quiver of the mute, though it can still be heard. Sax also less textured (though not smoothed out completely), warmer sound.

 

 
Overall comparison summary
 
I’ve tried to summarize as best I can my impressions of the three headphones tested below. As already mentioned, I’m no sonic expert, and I have some rather particular sound preferences, so you may disagree with my judgments, and that’s fine with me. In my opinion, this is how the three headphones stacked up in some of the more commonly discussed sonic areas:
 

1. Bass (Quantity): R70x > HD650 > K7XX
2. Bass (Quality): R70x > HD650 > K7XX
3. Mids (Quantity): HD650 > R70x > K7XX
4. Mids (Quality): HD650 > R70x > K7XX
5. Treble (Quantity): K7XX > R70x > HD650
6. Treble (Quality): R70x > K7XX > HD650
7. Texture: HD650 > K7XX > R70x
8. Details: HD650 > R70x > K7XX
9. Balance: R70x > HD650 > K7XX
10. Sustain: R70x > K7XX > HD650
11. Body/Envelopment: R70x > HD650 > K7XX
12. Stage breadth/space: K7XX > R70x > HD650

 
Initial Conclusions (May 24, 2015)
 
In case it isn’t totally obvious, I LOVE this headphone. When I read early reviews, I was pretty sure I was going to like it as those reviews were hitting all my sonic pressure (pleasure?) points: natural, clarity and detail, balance throughout sound spectrum, open sound stage. Now that I have a pair of my own, I am overjoyed.
 
I was pretty sure coming in that my Fiio X3ii wouldn’t be able to handle the R70x on it’s own, and wondered whether 470 ohms would require a desktop amp, out decided to hold off on such a purchase until after having a chance to try it with my portable amps. Happily, my E12A handles them beautifully at 6/10 volume setting (so room to spare still if I really want to crank things to ear-splitting levels).
 
Yes, I’m sure there is an element of “new toy syndrome” happening, but I am very happy with this purchase, and can with 100% certainty say the R70x is, for me, an absolute keeper. YMMV, but I doubt it!
 
Addendum (June 1, 2015)
 
Yesterday in Calgary we held a Head-Fi meet, and afterwards three of us retired for a beer or two, and listened to and compared more music and headphones. Our opinions varied widely on the R70x and the HD650, and I fully understand their conclusions based on their preferences, but haven’t changed my opinion on which headphone I prefer.
 

 
My two friends both love texture and micro detail, and both preferred the HD650 on everything we listened to (jazz, female vocal pop, acid jazz, funk, you name it). They found the quick decay on the HD650 (especially in the bass) more to their liking, and were satisfied with its treble even though they both admitted it was more subdued. For them it was all about the little things revealed by the HD650, and they found the R70x too “polite,” as one of them put it.
 
I on the other hand like the detail and linearity of the R70x. As other reviewers have also mentioned, it’s a very natural headphone. I like to think of it as very democratic; while some phones focus the listener on a certain frequency zone of the music, to the detriment of others, The R70x handles bass, mid and treble beautifully, and highlights everything and nothing at the same time; I found it really easy to shift my attention from one instrument to another as nothing was too prominent or assertive. Yes, I may lose a little on the texture side, but I’m okay with that as I find the R70x thoroughly engaging and enveloping.
 
Hope this review was helpful. Feel free to comment or ask questions below.

Before I get into my review, I should state that I received a pre-production unit from Fiio as part of their pre-release “World Tour.” I got to keep the unit for 10 days, during which I used it extensively, before sending it on to the next reviewer on the Canadian tour. I did not have to pay for the unit (only to forward it to the next reviewer), and unfortunately do not get to keep it. Because I was reviewing a pre-production unit running beta firmware, it is quite possible that release models will feature changes and/or improvements to hardware and firmware over what is reflected here.
 
In my review I did comparisons using the X3 1^st generation, Fiio E12A and Cypher Labs Picollo amps, and Sennheiser HD598 and Sony XBA-H1 headphones. I also did extensive general listening using the previously listed headphones in addition to the RHA MA750 and Audio Technica ATH CKX9. All of the above equipment is my own, paid for by me.
 
Early news of the X3 update had it called a number of things, including X3K and X3ii. The literature that came with my review unit explained that Fiio’s naming conventions are changing, and that the update will be sold as the X3 on release, with the term “2^nd Generation” to set it apart from the original. For the sake of my fingers, I’ll call the new model “2G” in this review, and the original “1G.”
 
While I’ve been a music lover for decades, I am relatively new to the MidFi/HiFi/Head-Fi game, especially high quality portable audio equipment, and this is my first review. I haven’t listened to a lot of different equipment (certainly nothing in the high price, TOTL realm), so this is very much a review by a newbie, for other newbies.
 
Unboxing and First Impressions:
 
Box and notes from Fiio about the review process. Box still says X3K, but, as noted, the production model will be X3 (2nd Generation), and will simply say “X3” on the packaging.
 

 
Stuff that came with the review unit: USB cable, coaxial adaptor, 2 spare screen protectors in addition to one pre-installed, 3 sets of "body armour" stickers, and a rubberized protective case. The case is thicker and more substantial than the one that came with the 1G. Not 100% sure if this is what will come with the production models.
 

 
The unit itself: The 2G has a gorgeous finish! Full metal jacket, good heft and nicely finished all over. Feels significantly more high-end than the 1G. Horizontal screen, mechanical scroll wheel with select button in centre, menu button top-left, back button top-right, and track forward/backward at bottom of scroll wheel. Layout very sensible and intuitive.
 

 
Top Side: Headphone Out jack and switchable Line Out/Coax
 

 
Left Side: Power button and volume controls. Volume can also be controlled during playback using the scroll wheel by pressing and holding the select button in the middle.
 

 
Right Side: Micro SD slot. That is all.
 

 
Bottom: Micro USB, for charging and DAC usage. Little LED below the scroll wheel glows blue when X3 is powered on, red when charging and green when charging is complete.
 

 
2G, E12A and 1G side-by-side. In my opinion, the 2G’s colour is a better match with the E12A than the 1G.
 

 
2G and 1G are about the same thickness. 2G is about 1 mm wider than 1G (2 mm when in their cases). 2G is significantly shorter, and has a really nice hand-feel (fitting perfectly in the palm). I never was a big fan of the 1G’s elongated shape.
 

 
Other impressions:

1. As a long-time iPod user, the scroll wheel is so much more intuitive than the 1G’s diagonally arranged buttons. I’ve gotten used to the 1G over time, but it still feels clunky. I actually prefer the Fiio mechanical scroll wheel over the old iPod tactile wheel.
2. The 2G’s micro SD slot is recessed (as in, the card doesn’t stick out at all). This is an improvement over the 1G in my mind, where the SD card stuck out just a smidgeon.
3. The 2G lacks internal memory: This is one of only two faults I could find with the new X3. I have two 64 GB micro SD cards at the moment, one with Classical music, and one with Jazz, Rock, Pop, Funk, etc. With the 1G’s 8GB of on-board memory, I could have a few favourite, heavy rotation albums at my finger tips at all times without having to switch out SD cards. This is a relatively minor quibble, but a quibble nonetheless.
4. Protective silicon case: The 2G’s black silicon case is sturdier and more attractive than the 1G’s rather flimsy clear case. That said, the 2G case attracts lint lie a magnet. Again, a minor annoyance, but an annoyance.
5. User interface: I far prefer the horizontal display and user interface of the 2G over the vertical display and zig-zaggy arrangement of the icons and options on the 1G. The 2G is far more intuitive.  I won’t go into detail about the UI as Brooko and twister6 do a great job of this in their extensive reviews.
6. Deep Sleep feature: Once the 2G has been powered on and booted up for the first time, the power button acts like a sleep/wake switch, with "instant-on" feature a massive improvement over having to wait through the 1G's full boot-up cycle every time you wake the device.

 
Comparative Listening Tests:
 
As an owner of an X3 1^st generation that I rarely use without either the Fiio E12A or Cypher Labs Picollo, my interest in comparing revolved around these three pieces of equipment. Even without having heard other DAPs (besides iDevices) before this review, I found the 1G to have shortcomings in sound quality, and so used it with an amp to improve sound quality and staging. Because I travel a fair bit for work and am also a runner, it would be nice to have a DAP that doesn’t require stacking with an amp when on the go, and my comparative tests were done with that in mind.
 
Test 1: X3 2^nd generation (FW0.22Beta) vs. X3 1^st generation (FW3.3)
 
Low Gain, EQ off, Sennheiser HD598. Tracks: Supertramp – Give A Little Bit (Even In The Quietest Moments), Joni Mitchell – Carey (Blue)
 

 
I found the 2G very slightly quieter at the same volume settings, but more balanced from low to high than the 1G. The 1G was more mid-forward with occasional sibilance in treble, some bass bleed into mids, and overall a bit muffled. The 2G mids were less prominent, with treble clearer and bass tighter and no bleed into mids. There was greater clarity and texture, and I could hear vocals and each instrument distinctly.
 
The 2G had wider soundstage and depth, with an airy freshness. Even listening un-amped, the SQ was rich and sonorous. The 1G felt like listening inside a cardboard box in comparison; sound didn’t “travel” anywhere. I stress "even listening un-amped" as I have always amped when using the HD598s with the 1G as the SQ is too restricted without. The sound quality and staging using the 2G unaided was thus a hugely pleasant surprise.
 
Test 2: 2G un-amped vs. 2G + E12A
 
Un-amped: Low Gain, EQ off, Sony XBA-H1. Amped: LO, Low Gain, EQ off, Bass Boost off, Sony XBA-H1. Track: Miles Davis – Blue In Green (Kind Of Blue)
 

 
I was surprised at how little difference I noticed between un-amped and amped. I found very slightly more instrumental separation and texture using the 2G with the E12A, but minimally so. What differences existed were certainly subtle. Trumpet and sax were perhaps a little clearer and brighter in the upper registers with the E12A. Piano was very slightly recessed through just the 2G un-amped, and cleaner and more prominent when combined with E12A.
 
I found that the 2G’s sound quality fell somewhere between the two E12A Bass Boost settings. The 2G alone was a touch more bass-forward than with the E12A and Bass Boost off, while the 2G + E12A combination was noticeably more bassy with boost on.
 
I also found soundstage differences minimal with the 2G un-amped and amped. Amping gave slightly more depth, but not to the level that I felt something was missing when listening to the 2G on its own. As mentioned already, this was a pleasant surprise as it means portability isn’t limited by the need to stack with an external amp.
 
Test 3: 2G un-amped vs. 2G + Cypher Labs Picollo
 
Un-amped: Low Gain, EQ off, Sennheiser HD598. Amped: LO, Low Gain, EQ off, Sennheiser HD598. Track: Wilhelm Kempff, Henryk Szeryng & Pierre Fournier – Beethoven Piano Trio No. 2
 
     
 
As with E12A, I didn’t find a huge difference with or without the Picollo. Kempff’s piano was ever so slightly more nuanced with the Picollo, but Szeryng’s violin was pretty much the same either way. Fournier’s cello was more textured (less buttery) without the amp in this case. The Picollo is described as a “warm” sounding amp, and that colouring came through compared to the 2G on its own, but not in a way that made me prefer one set-up over the other.
 
Conclusions of my A/B tests: First, the 2G is a significants step up on the 1G. Second, I felt less need to use an amp with the 2G compared to the 1G. I can happily use my IEMs and HD598s with just the 2G and not feel like I’m “missing out” on anything. Am less willing to use the 1G un-amped as sound quality and staging suffer. I realise that my headphones are all pretty easy to drive, so your mileage may (and probably will) vary if you’re using more power-hungry cans.
 
General, everyday listening:
 
In his review of the Pono music player on the InnerFidelity site (which I read a few days into my time with the new X3), Tyll Herstsens wrote, “Blind testing back and forth between gear may give me the opportunity to hear the differences between products, but it's difficult because most gear is only subtly different. But when it comes to long-term listening, those subtle differences can mean the large difference between an irritated or ecstatic experience.”
 
I have not listened to the Pono, and this is not a review of the Pono. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, I am relatively new to the audiophile world, and so my experience of DAPs up to now has been limited to iDevices and the X3 1^st generation, sometimes on their own but usually in concert with one of my portable headphone amps (E12A, Picollo and Meier Porta Corda III). But that thought from the Pono review stuck with me with regards to my listening for this one.
 
     
 
I listened to the X3 2^nd generation DAP a LOT in my 10 days with the unit, and found myself lost in my music – in listening ecstasy – over and over. Myaskovsky Cello Sonatas, Dusty Springfield, Miles Davis, Roxy Music, Gaelle, Thad Jones, Daft Punk, Beethoven Piano Trios, Rush, Doris Monteiro, Jean Michel Jarre, Al Di Meola, Rickie Lee Jones, Brahms Symphonies, Rodriguez, Supertramp, Billie Holiday, Pink Floyd, New Order, Haydn String Quartets, Fleetwood Mac, Etta James, Zero 7… I could go on (and already have a bit). In all the myriad musical styles and artistic stylings, I heard things and noticed nuances and sounds in songs and albums that I hadn’t heard or noticed previously with my other equipment.
 

 
While I did perform some A/B tests, and did find subtle and not-so-subtle differences in those tests, for me the experience in my everyday listening is what set the X3 2^nd generation apart. Immersing myself in the listening experience, letting it take me away, and suddenly realizing the quality of a horn passage, a thumping bass, an exquisite electric guitar riff, a textured cello, a swirling synthesizer, a syncopated drum rhythm, a soaring vocal, a wailing sax solo, a strummed acoustic guitar, or an intimate piano run… album after album, song after song, I had moments of connection with my music that raised goose-bumps. I listened a lot, and loved every minute of it, and my ears were never fatigued – never irritated. In a nutshell, my general listening experience made me feel the X3 2^nd generation is a special music player.
 
Conclusions:
 
If it isn’t obvious already, I seriously loved having the opportunity to play with the X3 2^nd generation. I really was disappointed when I had to send “my” unit on to the next reviewer. I’m sure there is a lot of equipment out there that is “better” than the 2G (for the prices charged for some of the more popular equipment I see hailed in audio forums and on Hi-Fi websites, I certainly hope they’re better), but I can’t imagine you’ll find more bang for your buck right now. For someone just entering the head-fi audio game, I truly believe you can’t go wrong with the X3 2^nd generation, and for those who’re already in it waist-deep, the 2G makes a strong case for consideration as your next addition to the DAP collection.
 
Thanks to Fiio for the opportunity to participate in the tour, and I hope this review was useful. If you have a question or comment, please leave feedback in the comments below.

I always loved the iPod Mini. Had a blue one 8 or 9 years ago, and was heartbroken when the disk drive failed. Delighted to find several flash-modded models on eBay recently, so decided to pick up a 32 GB version. Love the form factor, and the high capacity storage.