FiiO X1 II DAP Review
The X1 II is a fine little DAP, with an inherently smooth sound, perfect for those wanting a player that is powerful and easy to use.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Powerful headphone output
- Form factor
Cons:
- Lacking in detail
- Slight hiss with sensitive IEM’s
Aesthetics and User Interface
The little X1 II is styled like the iPods of old, with a small screen and scroll wheel, where it differs is the scroll wheel is surrounded by 4 buttons (menu, back, FF, RW). The edges of the player are rounded, making it comfortable to hold, and you will find the volume and power buttons on the side of the player. On the bottom you will find the MicroSD card slot, along with the USB port and the headphone jack.
This DAP feels solid in your hand, the buttons all feel solid and the headphone jack is tight. I have no issues with the build or the look of this player.
The FiiO X1 II is quite a simple DAP to get set up, once you put your MicroSD card with music in the player you will need to go to the system settings and scan the media on the card. This takes a little while, but once done the music should all be easy to find by the normal tags (artist, album, genre etc…).
The main now playing screen shows the album art, along with the band and track playing, if you press on the top left button you will get options to add the track to a playlist, or add it as a favourite. Also in this small menu are options to change the playback mode from shuffle to repeat to normal.
Going back to the main menu you have a folder view along with a category view, now playing, play settings and regular settings.
In the sound settings, you can toggle gapless playback on/off, change the playing order, resume mode, max volume, default volume, EQ, line-out and L/R balance.
In the system settings you have the update library option, Bluetooth, key-lock settings, screen timeout, brightness, idle standby (and timer), sleep, sleep timer, output select (headphones or line-out), USB mode (storage / in-vehicle), USB charge, font size and more.
Getting used to the X1 II won’t take long, it isn’t the snappiest player out there, but for the price it is perfectly functional. The battery life is around 10hrs of continuous playback, perfect for long commutes.
Sound Quality
The FiiO X1 II leans towards Fiios house sound, erring on the side of warmth and smoothness over absolute detail and clarity. This means it is quite an easy listen and you can click play and forget. There is a small amount of hiss in the background when using it with very sensitive IEM’s. The sound has an underlying warmth to it, with a little added body and weight to the low end, but without masking the midrange. The treble is well extended, but it is never bright, there is good detail retrieval but sometimes the smoothness makes the X1 II come across a little too safe.
What Fiio have created with the X1 II is a player for those not wanting the last word in detail, a player for the masses who want good sound at a low price, and in this respect it delivers. It still sounds a fair bit better than your average smartphone, with a full, impactful, but inherently smooth sound that is just easy to listen to. There is nothing missing from the core sound of the X1 II, it has excellent extension on both ends, with a wide soundstage and good layering, all delivered in smooth, harsh free listening experience.
The X1 II is powerful, it can drive IEM’s and portable headphones with ease, it even drives a lot of full-size headphones with authority.
Conclusion
For the price, and size the FiiO X1 II is a great little DAP, it will serve you well on your daily commute or when out and about. It has a smooth, easy to listen to sound that is about enjoyment over ultimate detail.
