Overview of player Fiio X5 third generation — per aspera ad astra

«Here, you know, you have to run just to stay in the same place, and in order to get somewhere else, you need to run twice as fast.» this quote is more suited to the modern world of portable audio, this time Fiio, the Charter to run in one place, doubled the speed and instead of the usual update your X5 was given, perhaps, a completely different player.

We have already got used to the lineup of players of all these wheels, a menu of 5 items, 4 buttons with the letter X on the front panel... Familiar, comfortable, boring. So Fiio decided the same way, and instead of another X5, but with touch wheel and Bluetooth have made a new player based on Android. To distance itself from the flagship, decided to leave it without a change of amps, but worked hard to design. Efforts were not in vain, for the appearance of a player received an iF Design Award in the respective category, the first time in several years, leaving without a reward, Astell&Kern.

Of Course, the filling is also upgraded. As DACs are now two AK4490 (sorry, I loved the sound of the PCM), fashionable and trendy. Adapted to amplify a couple of OPA1642 and a couple of customizable OPA426, making the power amplifier with balanced output. There was a place for two sets of generators, the 4-core CPU, gigabytes of RAM and 32 GB of flash. For those who places are always small, handy two slots for memory cards, still a proprietary feature of the model.

Update affected and softovoi part, now it's Android 5.1.1 that improves the situation with third-party applications, and wireless interfaces now, in addition to other things can boast the APT-X codec, which is quite justified in our age of wireless technology. There was time even for pleasant things of type of support QuickCharge, with a corresponding charger, the player can be recharged to 100% in less than 2 hours.

To slightly thicken the intrigue, I note that the sound is also radically changed, the flow player is not similar to any other Fiio model known to mankind.

The Price for this has remained at about the same level as for the previous model, the recommended price for 3 generations is 400 dollars, although we are at the start it will be a bit more expensive — the cost of taxes and everything else. However, it is unlikely this will affect the popularity of the player.

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specifications

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• Processor: 4-core RK3188 @ 1.4 GHz
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• RAM: 1 GB
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• ROM: 32 GB (available user ~26 GB)
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• memory Card: 2 x MicroSD
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• Screen: 3.97″ IPS TFT, 480 × 800
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• WiFi: 2.4 GHz IEEE802.11 b/g/n
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• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 with support for APT-X
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• OS: Android 5.1.1 + Pure Music Mode
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• Inputs: MicroUSB (charging, USB DAC, Mass Storage, dock), support QC3.0
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• Outputs: balanced 2.5 mm TRRS, naushnikov 3.5 mm TRS combo line/coaxial 3.5 mm TRS
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• Battery: Li-Ion, 3400 mAh
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• charging Time: up to 3 hours from a conventional memory, up to 2 hours with QC
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• hours on a single charge: >10 hours from a regular outlet, ≥8 h balanced
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• DAC: 2 × AK4490
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• OU: 2 × OPA1642 (LPF) + 2 × OPA426
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• Recommended load impedance: 16Ω – 150Ω
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• frequency Range: 5 Hz ~55 kHz (-3 dB)
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• Total harmonic distortion+noise: <0,003% @ 1kHz
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• output power: ≥250 mW @ 32Ω with the usual output, ≥240 mW @ 32Ω with balanced output
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• Output impedance: regular output <1Ω, balanced — <3Ω
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• channel Separation (@ 1kHz): regular output >73 dB, balanced — ≥98 dB
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• the Ratio signal/noise: regular output ≥115 dB, balanced ≥111 dB
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• Support lossy formats: MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG
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• Support lossless formats: FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, WMA, APE, DXD
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• DSD Support: ISO, DXF, DFF
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• Max resolution: up to 384 kHz/24-bit (depends on format)
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• Max resolution DSD: up to DSD128, DXD to 352, 8 thous K
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• Maximum resolution of the DAC mode: up to 192kHz/24-bit
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• Weight: 186g
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• Dimensions: 114 mm × 66 mm × 14,8 mm

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Packing and delivery

Don't know if I should even say that with the package everything is fine, but maybe there are people who like to read this section, so boxfiles talk a little about the box. Packing is traditionally a multi-layered, this season Fiio pleasing black-and-white palette and understated printing. Inside, everything is traditionally to yawn: the main box of black cardboard on top — the player, below accessories.

This time the marketing specialists of the company decided to treat the user. With player you will get the expected pile of papers, «skripochka» to retrieve the tray with memory cards, a MicroUSB cord, adapter for coaxial output and two case to choose from. First — made of silicone with an interesting dot pattern, it covers the sides and back panel, leaving the player open to the views of connoisseurs. The second — black leather with red stitching, just a nice look and feel. Progress compared with the previous generation X5, with its black rubber case, collecting the debris from the pockets is enormous.

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Design

The overall appearance of the player is clear in the photos but in particular, there is a lot of detail, which paid attention to the designers. Housing made of aluminium are available in two colors — black a La the first generation X5 and graphite grey in the style of the second generation. Also promised to radically variant red color, and if it will be buying as actively as it is important for the users of foreign forums in popularity it will surpass the other two colors together. Almost the entire front panel, of course, is the screen, the space has an interesting texture from the small pale dots, that looks good. The screen itself is of normal quality, of course it's not a modern phone-a flagship with a 4K screen, there is a simple 4″ and a resolution of 480 by 800 (would have told me 7 years ago that's low resolution, how I laughed), but pleasing color rendition and is quite responsive. It fades in the sun, but if you pick up the angle to control the player without problems. We can say that the player to the middle segment — it's all right.

The Back panel is also black, with a pattern of pale grey veins, but judging by the feel of plastic, which is logical, as there are antennas. As the screen, while the back side protected with protector from tempered glass, carefully glued at the factory. I have with these film the eternal problem, even at 320 Astell&Kern to glue them without bubbles, could not, therefore, in this case, thank you for your concern. These protectors collect fingerprints, but fortunately, easily rubbed. I would have mourned about the plastic on the back cover, but still the player is always the case, so what's the difference?

The shape of the player is made in the form of a completely flat parallelepiped, with the exception of the insertion in the left pane. This time in the body do not have any chamfers, radii and other ukrashalok, and it went to player benefit, it really looks original and a little brutal. For all the unusual appearance meets the insert with the controls on the left side, it is asymmetrical and angular, complementing the view of the player. Located on top of the single button play and pause. Below the scroll wheel for volume control, he has good speed with a clear fixation, but the steps are quite large, so accidentally either spin it and greatly change the volume will not work. Below is «rocker» navigation tracks. It is large, so sometimes, taking the player out of your pocket, you can accidentally grab the bottom button and press it. Basically, to combat this scourge, you can disable rewind, when the screen is locked (each of the four side buttons with menu setting separately), but I've gotten good at it to avoid accidental taps.

On the right side of the case off button, turn off and lock, inscribed in a red ring in the center of the button — the blue indicator of player performance. When you turn on the light immediately, so at first it may seem that the player is not involved. Below are placed two slots for MicroSD cards, they are made with «trays», so that the replacement cards will have to use the clip.

Traditionally, the Connectors are at the bottom, and all three outputs: normal, balanced and linear, according to tradition combined with a coaxial, and a MicroUSB input. It provides access to memory, the USB DAC and charging. Expected player is compatible with all accessories from the Fiio, so it can be used with a docking station, amplifier and remote control. It can also connect to a car stereo system using any wires, then the player will turn on together with the ignition. Announced and support an external DAC via USB OTG, but for now this function works bad, you have to wait for new firmware. Prospective purchasers should note that access memory cards via USB will be very slow, so the use of a card reader will allow you to save a lot of nerve cells.

Quick Charge actually works with the appropriate charger player spends 1 hour and 45 minutes on charge, 3 hours and 5 minutes. Working time on one battery charge in my standard test was 9 hours and 40 minutes, but actually working time on a single charge varies depending on use and screen background applications. I usually use Pure Music to reduce the influence from the OS.

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Operating system