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Post by timjthomas on Sept 18, 2016 20:13:00 GMT
Has anyone compared the iPod Classic with the FIIO X3 of X5? Just curious on impression of sound, easy of use, etc.
I have an iPod classic that is beginning to have battery issues (won't hold a charge), so will be looking for a replacement in the next several months. Having a DAP that accepts MicroSD is a definite want.
Thanks in advance,
-Tim
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Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 18, 2016 20:30:08 GMT
I loved the Classic, Tim. Had two of them.
I gave up on them, not due to the quality of the sound, but blasted ITunes. I have a huge collection of music and having it on ITunes was a complete pain because it slows down dramatically when you have a large library.
Also, when your computer plays up, you need to reinstall ITunes and re read the library. For me, that meant a locked up computer for 24 hours while it read my library!!! (Or more) Also having music in Apple format was a pain.
The convenience of putting files onto a card far outweighs ITunes.
As far as sound goes, I liked the Classics in particular but the Fiios, although they have a much cruder interface they have a brilliant sound and deal with a very wide variation of file types.
It took me a while to accept the interface of the Fiios. However, time saved manipulating files was enormous. There is also no disc to break should you drop them.
I think the Classic may have had its day with the new breed of high resolution players working direct from sd cards. Memory is basically unlimited and the price of both memory and the players has dropped.
I love the x5 but that's expensive. X3 is a lovely player and a lot simpler to use. X1 is a bargain as long as you don't delve into really high res stuff. It does play FLAC and IMO, is the best buy.
If you want higher res FLAC, then the x3 is a great buy.
If you want to go mad and play up to dsd, then the x5, but you are paying for that.
The Classic is an excellent player, but the whizzing disc (and associated noise) has become a thing of the past IMO.
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Post by timjthomas on Sept 19, 2016 1:18:09 GMT
Thanks Ian. I just saw on Head-fi that FIIO is releasing the 2nd Gen X1 - fiio.net/en/products/57. This looks to be a winner - at least from the specs.
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Post by Mr Trev on Sept 19, 2016 1:19:28 GMT
Just want to point out that you can now mod the iClassics to use 2 SD cards - the full size ones not msd. That means now if you're will to spend the cash you can have an ipod with up to a 1tb library (but I shudder to think how bloody slow the thing will be with that much music, even with rockbox)
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Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 19, 2016 6:01:56 GMT
Absolutely. It'll possibly sit around for ages before it does anything with that much memory!!
With the Fiio x1, you get a surprisingly robust package for the money and it plays a wide variety of files. You miss out on high red though, but for many, that's not a problem at all. It will play Flac though so it is by no means a poor player. The wheel is cruder than the Classic, being a physical wheel but you lose your iTunes library.
Apple gets a grasp of your system in this respect and takes total control of your music. Fiios don't,
Once your list of albums becomes large, you have to become a meticulous librarian or else you start to lose stuff.
Also, keep backups of big cards!!! It's so much easier if one goes missing or fails. I replaced 256gb of music last night in 4 hours. I reloaded two cards. Backups are a saviour but seem so unnecessary when you don't need them!!
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Post by timjthomas on Sept 19, 2016 9:05:11 GMT
Thanks! As a Mac user, iTunes has never really been an issue. Other than loosing artwork once or twice (actually not lost, just not being displayed in iTunes), I've never had an issue with iTunes. Most of my music is lossless and I convert to 256k aac for the iPod, However, with 2-3 cards, I'll be able to play around with lossless.
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Rabbit
Administrator
Posts: 7,087
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Post by Rabbit on Sept 19, 2016 10:04:33 GMT
Maybe ITunes works better on a Mac. When you have to change it might show what a pain ITunes can be. Awful on Windows..
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