CHORD HUGO2

As always a little something about me, I am 43 year old married man with teenage kids so when I need to "get away" I really enjoy listening to music. Im not so caught up in having the latest and greatest but just having something that I enjoy listening to, which generally comes with a higher price tag. I do not consider myself a an Audiophile in any sort of the word, but like I said someone who enjoys music.
When I first saw the Hugo2 come out after just borrowing a Hugo1 from a fellow headfier for about 3 months I was very excited to compare the two. I really enjoyed the Hugo1 with my Oppo PM3s a lot more than with my assorted IEMs that I have. So here is my simple mans review.



Boxing:
Not sure why everyone gets overall excited about the boxing, just something Apple started, but for me, as long as it secures everything during shipment Im happy. This was done nicely by Chord. All the basic accessories are included to get you up and started.



Build Quality:
The build quality seems really robust as it should for this price, however as seen in the picture below there is a gap in the middle but closed on the ends and I read that other had the same issue. Hopefully this is something they will address as this is not acceptable at this price point. Everything else seems great as for build, all the plugins seem tight and able to withstand years of plugging.



Sound Quality:
I used mainly my Oppo PM3s but also used My Alcair RSMs CIEMs and my new favorites the Isine20s which really do sound great with the HUGO2 as well and I breifly tried my DUNU DN2Kj.
Music was used a lot via Bluetooth from my LGV20 and Tidal Hifi, but also used my Onkyo DPX1 as a source for the HUGO2 as well. I like older rock but also listen to a lot of the newer stuff like Hollywood undead, Rage but also like a lot of country.

Here are some of the music I have listened to many times and my thoughts on it compared to other sources like my Mojo.
Metallica, Holier than thou- Ive heard this song a million times and know it really well, i thing I noticed right away was that there was noticeably more separation between instruments and I could really see where each instrument was. The detail was very precise with not going over board, which generally means that it would not be meant for long time listening.
Dave Matthews, Dont dring the water- Again very detailed. One thing I like about listening to Dave Matthews band is how well all of there songs are recorded, you cen tell it was done at a great studio with top of the line equipement.

Guns and Roses, November Rain- Very detailed and you can really hair the rain in the back ground which with some sources you have no idea that its even in the recording. Everything on the Hugo2 is very balanced and to me on the warm side of Nuetral ever so slightly. To some this will change as it also depends on the headphones and or IEMS you are using as there is such a thing as Synergy between all of the devices in the line.
As for the Filters, they are subtle but noticable, I used white the whole time as this was the one liked the most.

Bluetooth was really good, I could get about 30 feet which is acceptable.
As for sound comparisons I will do them if you ask but to me when you get up in the higher dollar amount everything sounds similar with certain flavors that appeal to your tastes. I could think a 100 DAP could sound better than this because of its sound sig only and thats why this is a wonderful hobby because it only matters what I think (or you, for your own personal opinion).
So if any has questions I will respond below, thanks for reading! for more inforamtional reviews there are plenty on here this is just my personal feeling on this device. If I have the extra money some day ( like after the kids get out) I would definetly buy this with some kick ass headphones to go with it.
Thanks for Reading,
Andy AKA Howdy.

                                                                                                          Cayin i5
                                         
 
 
I always start out with that Im a 43 year old man with average hearing loss for someone my age. I think Im still able to hear little subtle differences in sound. I was not able to spend a LOT of time with the device as I like many others here is married with kids and it can be hard at times to find time to myself to be able to quit listening. 
 
Thank you to @Andykong for organizing this tour and the Awesome support you give on the threads! Its still rare to see someone from a company to answer all of our questions.
 
Well lets get started, this will not be a lengthy review as I like to get to the point and never over exaggerate. 
 
                                                                                  
 
 
Boxing
 
Im not a big fan of boxes and how it comes to me as long as the unit is protected when in shipment. So here hold high regard to how well its packaged, I will say is there was time and thought put in to it and looks like most of the packaging that higher end DAPs come in. The unit came with everything you will need to get started.
 
Comparisons
 
I have a Onkyo DP-X1, Chord Mojo with FiiO X3ii and a Opus#1. Headphones used were Alclair RSM CIEMs, DUNU DN2000j and Oppo PM3 with a SE and Balanced connectors. It seems over the years my personal collection by far getting smaller compared to when I first stated this expensive hobby. So all listen and comparisons where done with  the aforementioned.
 
Sound and DAP
 
                                                                                                        
 
 
 
I have read other reviews and have read the thread quite a bit but did not contribute much as for questions and or adding but had always kept in touch with the thread, In real life Im generally a man of few words as I like to get to the point. I had read a some say that the DAP has some UI issues and I do agree a bit but, for the most part the unit worked flawless for me and always did what I wanted sometimes it could be a bit slow to respond but I really liked the way everything was laid out and how to just overall nevigate. I also like the main page where you could see what drive you where listening to and that you could click from there. I am a subscriber to Tidal Hifi and unfortunately did not use this feature, I wish I had as that is one main source I like to use a lot, but I do have 3TBs of my own music but Im lazy and hardly switch my music around. This would be a great reason that Cayin (and ALL other manufactures) should have 2 or more mSD cards so that we can just put all of our music on there.
 
My main music that I listen to is classic rock, Zepplin, Floyd,Rush and Eric Clapton but also, Pantera, Hollywood Undead and everything in between. I also like BB king and some blues.
With all that said, I think being that the i5 tilts on the warmer side compared to my sources mentioned the i5 excels with older rock, blues and brass. This does not mean that it wouldn't work for all genres as it definitely will. I have rigs that I like to keep paired up and thats how they stay (maybe a OCD) but the Mojo/X3ii are used with my CIEMs and the Opus is used DUNU, I use the DP-X1 with my CIEMs to. 
 
The i5 is a DAP that you could load up with some of your favorite rock find a spot on the couch with the fire on and just veg out for hours! It is non-fatiguing and is easily listenable for hours on end.  DAPS that accentuate detail are generally hard on the ears and can get tiring within short periods is no fun for longer periods of listening.
 
                                                                                                     
 
 
 
 
 
During my many short periods of listening and comparing I enjoyed the i5 more with my CIEM then my other IEMs and I did use my PM3s quite a few times. With my CIEMs which are fairly neutral they seemed to balance each other while listen to some Eric Clapton and the Eagles and all though the i5 is on the warmer side it does have really good detail and does not get over powered by the warmth. My DP-X1 has some really good detail in just about all genres but would not be classified as fun like I would consider the i5 to be. My Opus and Mojo have great detail and can be listened to for a long periods of time but it would not be as fun as the i5 if that makes sense. This might not be as much as some would hope for in a definition of what the player can do but, it heads you in the right direction. Its a great player, and I think its only downfall may only be the battery life seems a bit short but to be fair I was playing around a lot with it while the screen was on and Im one who usually pushes play-shuffle and sticks it in my pocket to enjoy what a DAPs main function is and that is to enjoy the music!
 
I do wish that I had more time with these Tour units, sometimes a week to 10 days is never enough time to do a great review, I wish that I was able to pair this up with my Mojo as now Im looking for a better Android based device that can utilize Tidal. I think the next iteration of the i5 should be similiar to what it has now but with 2 or even better 4 mSD or a dual SDHC so that it would be able to hold 1 TB of music. All these DAPs that are meant to utilze offline music storage need to have dual slots as 1 card needs to be allocated to your Tidal Spotify or what ever you are using, also, Im sure no one likes swapping cards in and out all of the time.
 
This review might be a little over the place but you get my drift, if you are thinking about getting this player do not heitate, it is a great player and Cayin thanks for letting me try out your device.

This will be a short review as there are a few other reviews that go into great depth listing all of the specs. I mainly joined this tour to basically get another chance at the X7 and try the amp modules. When I first joined the tour for the X7 when it first came out I did not have a great experience as the UI still was not stable. Now, the UI seems a lot better which also translates to a better user experience. The sound with the AM1 was ok it was a bit sterile with my setup and did not really compare the two. I used the AM2 the majority of these tour and absolutely fell in love with the sound. I really could not put this down and used it a lot. I mainly was comparing this to my Onkyo DP-X1, I downloaded Tidal HIFI and loaded all of my songs on to the player mainly using my Alclair RSM CIEM.
The X7/AM2 is a bit more musical then the DP-X1 and is easily enjoyable for hours on in. There is great bass and clarity at the same time never overpower nor bleeding into the highs. I actually considered buying this with the AM2 skipping buying the AM1 as that sound sig was not to my liking. What more is there to say, great buy to change the X7 for the better.
 
The X7 with AM2 is a great buy, I wish it had 2 mSD slots (wishful thinking for the X7-2) as you can never have to much memory. 

                                                                                           iFi Micro DSD
 
 
First a little boring stuff about me. I am a 42 year old man with average hearing loss for someone my age. I like to think I take good care of my ears and I’m able to pick up subtle differences in the music I listen to. I will state right away as well that I am not an Audiophile but rather someone who really enjoys listening to most genres of music.
I will also state that I am in no way affiliated with iFi, just simply doing a review of this wonderful AMP/DAC. I only do reviews on something I like and for the most part I do not do a lot of reviews. I was supplied this device from an iFi distributor.
 

Boxing
The Box is nicely made and reminds me of Apple in how it was designed. To me I could care less about packaging as long as it protects the merchandise. Some here like a well made box so here is a few pictures of the box and its contents.
 
 
Source used

I only paired this with my DX90 (with a SanDisk 128gb Class 10), as this is a great match. The DX90 is easy to operate without looking at it and fits nicely on top of the Micro. This is hooked up via the Coax that came with my DX90. Update: And now with a DX80 and 2 128gb cards. Half of the review was with the DX90 and I recently bought a DX80 to go with it. I should also mention that half way through this review I ended up buying my own Micro as I just fell in love with the sound and I returned the review unit. 
 
 
Headphone/IEMs used

Thus far used ENIGMAcoustics Dharma 1000 (Dharma), Oppo PM3, VMODA M100 and Alclair RSM Customs.
 


 
 
 
Sound

Now, to me, the most important part is the sound. This is all in MY opinion as they are my ears!
To me the sound is absolutely to my sound signature which is clean, clear and crisp. I have heard a lot of great sounding rigs and this to me is one of the best I’ve heard. I recently had the Mojo (Tour Unit), and I’m not going to say anything bad about the Mojo as I loved that as well but to tell you the truth I very much prefer this awesome rig. There are so many options; from using very sensitive IEMs to your desk speakers this thing can power them all. So with all of that said, I will start with the Dharmas. The Dharmas are a great sounding Headphone and at $1200.00 dollars it should be, but paired with the Micro DSD for the first time I was blown away ( I always try and look for the immediate WOW factor) with the sound. I felt like I was there and really got emotionally involved with the music I was listening to. I was hearing subtle differences in songs I have listened to a million times before. 
 

The Bass is very impactful and not even the slightest bit Boomy or distorted, it is very controlled. The Highs are perfect and not overly done, I can listen to the Micro for hours with any headphone with no fatigue, it is that well done. The Mids are present and just where I like them. Soundstage is good, (this is where the MoJo excels) it’s not too far out, but really properly placed. There is a “3D” switch to make it wider and I have used it a few times but actually prefer it the way it is (off). There is also a Bass boost, I have used it a few times to try it out and it has a slight bump, it is smooth and not over powering, but again, I like it the way it is. 
 

The iDSD Micro is like a Swiss army knife of features, with all the varying combinations, there is setting for anyone. There is an IEM switch for varying sensitivity levels of IEMs so that you will not get hiss, which I had none with my Alclair CIEMs. For gain there is ECO which is like low gain, there is a standard which is like a medium to high gain and there is a turbo (10.0V/4,000 mW @ 16 Ohm), this is if you want to melt your brain. The turbo mode for most headphones is way too powerful, but, is there if you need it. This would be for the really hard to drive headphones or speakers. There are a few more switches like Polarity so you can switch your polarity. Filter switch, which has bit perfect so it can play your music like it was intended. 
My favorite setting right now and while doing this review is IEMatch set to off the Filter is on Bit Perfect, Polarity set to + and the power mode is on standard/ECO.  
I won’t get into the semantics as there are some very detailed reviews on there like @twister6. I just wanted to give my brief feeling on this great device, this is definitely a keeper as I have been trying to whittle down my collection to a couple of good rigs and just enjoy what I have!
 

 
Thanks for reading!

 
Here is my perspective on the Chord Mojo. First I will tell you a little about me. I am a 42 year old male with average hearing loss for someone my age, I work in a fairly quite atmosphere so I would like to think I can hear pretty well except when the wife is talking (selective hearing).I am by no means an Audiophile in any aspect but rather someone who enjoys listening to high quality music.
But seriously though, everything you read below is my opinion and how I perceive the Chord MoJo, I’m not a writer or a grammar scholar by any means, and this will more than likely be a short review   as I like to get straight to the point.
 
 
So, I like many others saw Head-fi blew up when the MoJo was introduced so I had to see what it was all about and started to read the thread a lot and this seemed like something I would like. I asked “OK-GUY” (who works at Chord)if I could try it out and he replied that I could so he got me in contact with the Tour Guides here in the states and like a week later I had one in my hands.
 
 
 
 
Packaging-
This was a plain white box, there was nothing special about. I’m one that could care less about how nice it comes packaged as long as it is good for shipping purposes. I care more about what is in the box. Contents where the Mojo and a cable for charging, pretty much all you need. It would have been nice if there were some sort of binders to strap it to your source but if you have been doing this hobby for a while I’m sure everyone has their own way of doing it and a million extra binders from previous sources.
 
 
                                                                                                         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Build Quality-
This thing is built like a tank, feels very solid and well-constructed when you have it in your hand. When you graze it with your finger nail you will notice that it will leave a mark but all you have to do is rub it with a clean soft cloth and it will go away. This will last a long time, not sure about the “balls” but as long as you don’t abuse them (No pun intended) I don’t see this being an issue.
 
 
 
 
What I used with the Mojo-
 
Sources: FiiO X5i iBasso DX90
Headphones/IEMs: Oppo PM3, VMODA M100, Alclair RSM CIEM and JVC HA-FX850
 
 
 
 
                                                                                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First I tried it with the DX90 via coax, it sounded really great I have never heard anything from Chord so I was not familiar with their “house sound” but I’m a big fan. I have the AK Jr, and I think their sound sigs share a lot of similarities. One thing I noticed right away with My M100s was the sound stage was night and day bigger. I was amazed it could do that. It made my M100s sound like a headphone in a higher class, the bass was tighter, mids where more present and the highs had more clarity. To me the best synergy was with my Alclair RSM customs, this was an amazing match.  Most of the listening of the Mojo was with my RSMs.
 
 
I noticed that when listening to the Mojo with my DX90 that when switching songs that there was a loud popping sound that was very irritating so I then switched to the X5 and there was no more of this. Not sure of the reason with the DX90, but the rest of the review is with the Mojo/X5. I have over 5800 songs of various ratings,( it is cool to see the Power ball change colors to what khz is playing, this would be one reason to keep the box as it shows what the khz rating is.) To me switching between devices did not really change the sound as the Mojo is the final output to your headphones. Your headphones are where you will have to play around with to find your favorite synergy.
 
I brought this to a headfi meet the day after receiving it and those who were interested in portable devices thought it was great and sounded amazing. One thing I should note is that I was doing a lot of comparing to my Oppo HA2 with iPod touch streaming Tidal HIFI. Most at the head-fi meet had not heard either device and did like both. One of the head-fi-ers had actually bought a Mojo prior but is waiting to get it so he got a chance to hear it before receiving it.
 
As far comparisons go between the HA2 and the Mojo besides the price being double of the HA2, they definitely both have their pros and cons like the HA2 is almost a third the width but the HA2 is double the length of the Mojo. However they are both built very robust and should last a long time.
As for sound differences between the two they both have excellent separation but the Mojo has excellent soundstage and the highs are amazing coming from the RSMs, there is no real ear fatigue and you can listen to the Mojo for hours easily. I think the bass coming from either one is amazing. I will not be selling my HA2 after reviewing the Mojo as it seems many have, I really like my HA2. If the Mojo comes down in price or I have an extra 600.00 sitting around I would absolutely buy one though.
 
I think the Mojo is fairly neutral overall and this would always be based on listening with a neutral headphone or IEM. My RSMs and PM3s are for the most part neutral. I think the Mojo really excels with live and acoustic music; it is some of the best I have ever heard. You can hear where each instrument is the separation as I said above is the best I heard and the one thing that I was most impressed with. All sources when you get in to the few hundred dollars plus category have a great clarity when paired with the correct headphone so I always look for each new device strong suit, in this case the separation. If anyone has a headphone that you like but is a bit narrow the Mojo would greatly help. As for overall sound quality, it was very crisp. I love when a source has that “crisp” presentation. My definition of crisp would be, Bass being tight and not bloated or exaggerated at all, Mids being present but not to forward and most importantly the highs, usually when you have great separation the highs can be a bit shrill and very fatiguing, but for the Mojo they are pleasant and you could listen to this for hours with no ear fatigue.
 
 
So, for me, the Mojo/X5 with my RSMs where an absolutely amazing combo. I listened to this combo for many hours and did not really even bother with my other gear. I know that I’m all over on this review but you get the point.
 
 
                                                                                                
 
 
 
 

Summary:

As part of the pre-release tour, these observations are based on a relatively short experience with the X5, but I think that I got a good impression of what it offers. The X5 is a solid DAP. If you like the Fiio house sound, the X5 will delight you. It has some great features like dual mSD slots and a good UI. The Texas Instruments DAC provides great instrument placement on the sound stage too. The onboard amp didn’t wow me. It is solid and certainly acceptable, but it seemed too warm for me, with some bass bleeding into the low mids. Overall, it’s a good DAP, but I prefer a different sound sig from me equipment.
My context: I use my DAP’s primarily at work, or while working around the house. I want a DAP that’s small enough to comfortably fit in my pocket, and is easy to use without looking at (mostly meaning change the song, pause, and adjust volume while its in my pocket). Up to this point I have been using the iBasso DX50 with a C&C BH2 into Vmoda M100’s.
My Music: I did the testing with about 60% FLAC, 30% 320 mp3’s and 10% 128-256 mp3’s. I included the low rez files because I have some legacy music that I cant/don’t want to pay to replace and was interested how it would do with low bitrate files, but these were not factored into how I think the X5 sounds. I only tested one 24/96 album and no 24/192, as I hear no improvement from super hi-rez music.
Ergonomics:
Looks: Personally, I think this thing is ugly. I heard someone compare it to a 90’s Aiwa CD player, and I totally agree. I guess they were going for a turn table appearance, but it doesn’t really work for me. This is fairly unimportant though. Also, for those of you that are going to rubber band an amp to it, there is very little room between the screen and the wheel for the rubber band, and it gets in the way a little bit. You may be better off cutting out a square from the back of the silicone case and Velcro-ing your amp to it.
The Wheel: Personally, I am not a big fan of the wheel for navigation. The wheel seems solid enough, but I have concerns that small particulates (sand/lint/grit) could possibly become wedged between the wheel and casing, or possibly get underneath it since the wheel physically spins, unlike an Ipod which is stationary. I work in a machine shop where micro sized metal chips are common. I could see one getting wedged in the wheel at some point, although this was not an issue at all on my unit. I’m just thinking if you’re taking this around to less clean environments, it may be an issue. Other than the wheel itself, I thought it took a long time to scroll through long lists. I only have around 50 albums on my SD card, but it took quite a while to get to the bottom, so those of you with large directory lists will get a good thumb workout.
UI: I’ve been spoiled by a touchscreen for a while now, and going back to the wheel took some getting used to. Navigating the UI will get easier with time I’m sure, but I was not a big fan of it. It is fairly slow to get back to the Now Playing screen to change the song when you’re in the menu. Using the EQ with the scroll wheel is also somewhat tedious, but once it’s set you don’t really adjust it much, so I don’t foresee this as a big issue. Besides the interface, I like all the options included in the UI. It had some handy ones that the DX50 does not, like “power on volume”, left/right balance, and an integrated instruction manual. These are all great features.
Another big plus for the X5 is a properly working random play, meaning; Next Track button plays a random song, Previous Track plays the last track that was played. On the DX50, the Last Track button goes to the song immediately behind the current file in the directory, not the last track played. This drives me nuts! Another feature I like more than the DX50 is the FF/RW function. It skips ahead at a good rate with minimal delay. The DX50 FF/RW is overly slow, and its much more useful just to poke at the progress bar until you get the time in the song you’re looking for.
Timeout: The X5 only has a 8 minute maximum time out/shutoff which I thought was too short. I commonly get interrupted at work for more than 8 minutes, but less than 15 or 20. I have my Dx50 set to timeout after 20 mins, and don’t have to turn it back on frequently. With the 8 minute limit on the X5, I was turning it back on frequently, which was kinda annoying.
Silicone case: If you change cards a lot you’ll want to note: the silicone case covers the card slots, so you’ll either be taking the case on and off a lot, or you’ll want to cut out slots for the cards. Also, if you’re going to use it Amped all the time, the silicone case has 2 little tabs that cover the LO and Coax out which kinda get in the way. I would cut them off and just buy the silicone 3.5mm plugs to cover the unused HO/LO/Coax ports.
Play: there is a couple second pause between pushing the play/pause button and the player responding. Its about the same as on the DX50. The power up is slightly faster than the DX50 though. I like the menu option that allows you to choose how/if it resumes play where you left off.
Weight/size: noticeably heaver than the DX50. Not massive by any means, but its substantial. Its boarder line of too big, but hasn’t quite crossed into that territory yet. Without an amp, its fine; with an amp, its pretty big and no longer portable IMO. It becomes closer to a portable desktop rig.
Volume/Power: I used my M100’s for most of the testing, but also used Phillips Stretch headphones for a small comparison. I used High gain at around 35-50 volume. 40-45 was loud but comfortable. The M100’s are exceptionally easy to drive, so I cant really comment about the X5’s ability to drive 250-300 ohm headphones. One thing I like a lot more on the DX50 is that the Volume + and – buttons are separated by a quarter inch. On the X5 they are each half of “1” long button. I like the DX50’s 2 distinct buttons because they are easier to feel through your pants and easier to adjust without looking at the player.
Now, on the the important part: The Sound.
Do not have a large palette of high end DAPs to compare this to, mostly just the DX50, but have used Ipods, Sansa Clip+, Creative Zen, Zune, and the X3. For my comparison, I did No EQing to best compare one to the other (I mean, EQ off).
First off, I think the Texas Instruments DAC does a good job of imaging and instrument separation. Most of the time I thought this was a plus, but in some recordings, it made the sound stage too wide or localized. I specifically thought that the guitar and drums on Dave Matthew’s Lie in our Graves were almost too localized.
To me, the general signature of this DAP seems to be strong lows and mids, laid back highs. By that I mean the bass and mids stand out, with the treble taking a back seat. Sub bass ( <40hz) wasn’t as strong either.
To my ears, the Lows on the X5 are boosted. They seem more present than on my DX50. This really comes through with things like a bass guitar, and the lower notes metal guitars with distortion. I think I heard the upper lows bleeding into the lower mids on a lot of rock songs like Godsmack’s Bad Religion, Weezer’s Pork and Beans, and Disturbed’s Voices.
The Mid’s also seem very prominent to me. The vocals come across very nicely in general with a good, natural sound. Once thing I noticed: there is a certain frequency in some rock songs, a medium-high guitar note, that really pierces and seems overly loud. I noticed this in some of the rock songs mentioned above, and specifically in Korn’s Reclaim My Place.
The Highs could use a little EQing up in my opinion, but I think this about most setups. I did about the same boost with my DX50 and got both players to sound about the same.
I did some testing with the C&C BH2 and the Fiio E12 via the LO too. I thought both the E12 and BH2 provided a better (to my ears) sound sig than the onboard amp. It seemed flatter/more neutral in general. The prominent lows and mids via the HO seemed to be more even via the LO to either amp. Comparing the LO of the DX50 to the X5, I highly doubt I would be able to tell one from the other in a blind test. 1 thing I do like about the DX50, is that the LO volume is variable. I know people go both ways on this, but I personally like it because I have sensitive headphones. With the X5, I could only use around ¼ to 1/3 of the volume knob before it became too loud, and when in a very quiet environment, I only needed 1/6 to 1/8 volume. On the DX50, I set my LO volume to 230/255 and then I can use ¾ of the volume knob. I know that technically you want the highest source voltage and lowest amp gain for the best THD ratio, but I still cant hear distortion using it like this. If you have higher impedance headphones, this wont be an issue, as you need more power to achieve the same volume. Overall the LO on the X5 is very good and clean. It will be a great source for any amp you strap on it.
Final thoughts: The X5 is a solid player. Personally, I like my DX50/BH2 combo better at the same price point. I think the X5 has the “Fiio house sound”, and the people who like that will love the X5. I chose the DX50 after my co worker had me listen to the X3 and DX50. I instantly liked the DX50 more and have been in the iBasso camp ever since. I know lots of people like the Fiio sound though, so if you have liked their players in the past, im sure you’ll love the X5, especially if you’re coming from an X3. All in all, Im glad that I got to hear the X5, but it didn’t sway my love for the DX50.
 
 
I will be adding some pictures soon, my camera needs some updating so they are not the greatest but there are plenty on Head-fi for you to view.
Thanks for reading,Andy (Aka Howdy)


Edit:
After all that was said above I ended up selling all of my ibasso products bought the X5 and became a FiiO fan boy. The sound of the X5 is by far superior to the DX50, I think there have been something wrong with my tour unit but the new one I have now is great, no issues what so ever. I'm excited for the upcoming X7!

Just figured I would update this review and tell my new thoughts for the X5.