With the advent of smartphones, many devices went out of reckoning. And the good old MP3 player was one of them. However, just as you would turn on the radio the moment you get inside a car, despite owning probably an iPod, some MP3 players have carved out a niche for themselves. That's where the FiiO X1, an MP3 player for audiophiles, comes in.
FiiO is known for its high res audio equipments ranging from headphone amplifiers, Digital to Analog Converters (DACs), and desktop amplifiers amongst others. Back in 2015, the firm ventured into manufacturing MP3 players with X1, which was quite well received. The firm has now come up with a second generation to the X1 and here's our detailed review of the device.
Design and Ergonomics:
The second generation X1 looks a lot better than its predecessor, moving into a much more distinct design. We received the Silver-coloured variant which sports a black panel. On its sides, the second generation X1 carried a coating of aluminium that rounded off into a flat back. However, the Black-coloured variant comes across as a sleeker model.
The touch dial and buttons out front are clad in aluminium as well, almost identical to mini-CD's. On the front, a 2-inch colour display carries a touch wheel marked by a simple circle. The Menu, Back, and song control buttons are placed around the wheel - a design similar to the classic iPod. In order to play/pause music, a user is required to tap the center of this wheel. While the UI is easy to understand and navigate, the player is quite comfortable to hold.
When it comes to listening to music, the second generation FiiO X1 is loaded with features. Inside the device, there's a Texas Instruments CM5242 DAC chip with a dedicated Texas Instruments OPA2322 low noise amplifier, and an Intersil ISL28291 amplifier for low distortion and a decent sound quality. As a result, it doesn't drain out much of the device's 1,800mAh battery capacity which otherwise lasts for up to 12 hours.
On 'deep sleep' mode, it can go up to 15 days without a charge as per the company. To power the device a JZ4760B system which is placed on a chip, is used. For those with wireless headphones, the second generation X1 has a dual mode Bluetooth 4.0 support. The memory is expandable to 256GB with the help of a microSD card.
The headphone jack has an impedance rating of 80 to 100 ohms at a frequency response rate of 5 Hz~60 kHz (-3dB) with High-Res audio support. Headphones with a yellow High Res logo are therefore compatible with the second generation X1. In order to connect the device to an amplifier, one can switch the headphone jack into the line out mode. The device is capable of playing several file formats including FLAC's at 192 kHz/24 bit rates.
We tested the second generation X1 on the Brainwavz Delta and HyperX Cloud 2 stereo headphones, a pair of vintage 1984 Bose speakers with a Yamaha amplifier, and MPOW Swift Bluetooth headphones with apt-X support over Bluetooth. The results were definitely good, especially on the Brainwavz Delta. The Bluetooth audio was decent as well with no discernible differences. Along with these, since there was no distortion, the second generation X1 gives you another reason to buy an MP3 player.
Conclusion:
If you have a good pair of headphones, then you will love the X1 second generation. Sure you may argue that having another device to charge is bothersome. However, if you love to carry your music around with you, this device is a decent buy. The second generation X1 is priced at Rs 7,499, which is quite reasonable. The only factor you need to watch out for is to ensure that you have the correct brand of headphones to compliment and amplify its audio.
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