Fiio X5 gen III

amazon Fiio X5 gen III reviews

Design

A long time ago, Fiio used the iPod classic inspired control loop design, but after the X7, they switched to a touch screen to support more intuitive controls. The X5 gene III was completely redesigned to use this feature. The front of the machine is a capacitive touch screen of 4 inches resolution 480 x 800px, this resolution is not enough to display clearly in strong lighting environment. At the bottom of the screen is a Hi-res logo – Sony certified audio quality standards. The whole body of the machine is made of metal so it is quite sturdy and feels like a palm.

The left side of the X5 Gen III has a power button and two microSD card slots. The machine has 32GB of internal memory, two 256GB memory card slots bringing the total capacity up to 544GB. These slots must use accessories to open, but not directly intervene by hand. The right side has a play / pause button, a volume wheel, and two transfer keys. The bottom edge contains all connectivity ports, including 3.5mm, 2.5 Balanced, MicroUSB and Line Out connectors. The back of the machine is made of glass with simple but elegant motifs. The X5 Gen III has an angled, high-end design that is as good as its predecessor.

Specifications

+ DAC: Double AK4490 DAC

+ Amp: OPA426

+ Microprocessor: RK3188 4 cores

+ RAM: 1GB

+ Memory: 32GB with 2 micro SD slots, total capacity up to 544GB

+ Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, Wifi 2.4GHz

+ Display: 4.0 inches 480 x 800px

Experience

User interface

After using the software for a while, Fiio switched to the Android platform to easily integrate touch-based controls. The machine is running Android 5.1.1 with the original interface. Because of the simple interface, without many effects, the machine runs smoothly. The low resolution low-resolution screen is overcome by Fiio icons and large font sizes on menus, options, images and display information.

It supports Wifi and Bluetooth connections so it’s easy to interface with music players such as Spotify, Pandora … and wireless headsets. Fiio also does not delete CHplay, so downloading apps is not restricted.

Instead of using the default music player on Android, Fiio installed their own app. This software has tools designed to display clearly, simply and visually, but not as beautiful as Astell & Kern’s music player, namely the new AK70 models. In general, the user interface of the X5 gene III is nothing outstanding, it’s simple and easy to control and fast enough. However, because running on the Android platform so users can customize it to beautiful, but of course will slow down the machine.

The ability to combine headphones

Fiio and iBasso are the two manufacturers that own powerful portable music players, and they are even less powerful than the midrange desktop amp. The X5 gene III is such a compact, yet compact headset that has the ability to combine a wide range of headphones. In the settings menu of the machine is adjustable Gain 2 steps are Low and High. When combined with inner ear can use Gain Low to avoid hiss. Most in-ear test heads are comfortable to play at a volume level of 60-80 / 120.

When switched to Gain High, the volume is higher, and can even be played with some full-size hard-drive heads. When connecting to the AKG K612 pro pair, the player is capable of playing at 80/120 Gain High. It is worth mentioning that while other players are just trying to make the pair play enough volume, the X5 gen III can make them play enough or the bass strings are not completely lost and the sound field is wide open. This is a music player that can be combined with a variety of headphones with good traction.

Sound quality

The X5 Gen III’s DAC AK4490 has the ability to decode 32-bit / 786Khz music and DSD directly on the machine. This is a very impressive performance level, but not many people use this type of music files, as they are heavy and take up a lot of memory space. But to try the sound quality, we will use DSD music to verify the strength of the product.

In general, the X5 gene III provides a fairly balanced sound with clear strips. The overall sound is not dark, so the background is quite clear, the sound field is wide enough in the direction. When playing Dave Bruback Quartet’s Take Five, X5 gen III is enough to put the instruments in place, especially the Hihat behind the ears. The high stripe is also the X5’s luminosity, both literally and glossy. The amount of treble makes this jazz song perform very well. High notes are played light, tan not too fast and very honest. To be fair, with the strength of treble, if the X5 gene III combination and the pair of earbuds are bright or dazzling, the results will deteriorate as the sibalance effect becomes stronger.

The midrange of the X5 gene III is sweet and inspirational, quite upwardly. Accordingly, the mid-high range is played lighter than the lower part, well controlled so it does not create sibalance. When listening to J’ai dex amours by Chantal Chamberland, Fiio can not refine X5 gene III in a neutral direction – balanced with a slightly soothing, smooth, easy listening. In this track, the singer’s voice is dark, sweet and slightly above average. The midrange of the X5 gene III is a bit dark, not as sharp as the X7, but impressive, comfortable and more realistic.

In the bass, X5 gene III treats the depth of the drum quite well. The volume of bass is moderate, but the strong force should give the drum tension, strong. The mid-bass is rounded, giving good punches to the ears. Because of its balance in volume, the bass of the X5 gen III is not accompanied by the bloat effect, the droplets are controlled well and do not leave many tails, causing discomfort. The sub-bass of the X5 gene III is fairly deep and of moderate thickness, so it’s pretty easy to pair the headphones. The bass strings are a bit stiffer and have not yet attained Astor & Kern’s AK100 earphones. In return, the overall bass range of the X5 gene III performs at a better rate, giving a more dynamic, neat feel.

where can you get a Fiio X5 gen III online

FiiO X5 Mark III Hi-Res Certified Lossless Music Player with Touch Screen Android OS and 32GB Storage (3rd Gen, Black): Buy it now

FiiO “X5 3 rd gen” High resolution audio player (BLACK) [Parallel import goods]: Buy it now

General assessment

The X5 Gen III has many worthwhile upgrades in terms of quality and form compared to its predecessor. The highlight of the new version is its friendly touch screen interface, high performance dual-band DACs, powerful “drag” power, Robust cable structure and crisp finish quality are also attractive visual features. However, the disadvantages on the product is also easy to see, such as low resolution screen or hand grip feel uncomfort.

Advantage

+ Sturdy design

+ User-friendly interface

+ Two high capacity memory card slots

+ The ability to combine handsets well

+ Sound detail

Disadvantages

+ Low resolution screen