FIIO X7 Mk2

_CreeD_

So, since most of the threads are questions, and rightly so for a generic forum I though I might add a review of something newish (so declarative vs. queritive )

I used to travel a lot for work, many years ago, when my on-arm was 128MB and my long-term listening was 20GB (a creative labs monster with a true HDD actually that was year 2000...Y2Kbaybee ). And as a music lover i've always strived for excellence with a balance to budget. I've been an early adopter of IEMs, portable electrostatics (portable units broke within 1 month, the cable just wasn't built for mobility). But in the last decade priorities changed as they do, the end result is I lagged behind a bit on all audio domains, my target of High end dropped a bit to 'decent;. I started to turn that backaround a few years back when I invested in a primary of Stax SR-007 MK1/SR-323/Matrix X-Sabre/, not super high end but my reference set and still indescribable beauty in every moment. I also bought an iBasso DX50, again a big step up from other portables I'd owned. In the meantime I grew to finally accept and eventualluy love Spotify...yes lossy and all I love your fkn correlation and suggestions you grimey beautiful bastard...ahem. So it was a toss up, accurate but sometimes cold representation on the iBasso or convenient but less accurate use of the iPhone. The latter won tbh for the commute.
So, the point, I decided to finally upgrade an bought the FIIO X7 MkII . All the benefits, none of the limitations. I compared it to the iBasso DX200 and while every review agrees the latter does sound slightly better it's negligible. Also the X7-MkII has native Market access and 2x the SD slots. I could afford the iBasso (barely) but went with the FIIO for those reasons - twice the library at 99% quality > half with .1% better, let alone the simpliciiy of direct app addition ( yes I know how to sideload).

The DAP is only half the solution.
My commute cans are Heir Audio 4.ais, great units with fantastic isolation.
My get-there-and-relax set is Audeze iSine 10s, overall SQ is really subjective (some love, some hate) .
ON the iBassi DX50 not a huge difference between the 2. some more air on the iSines, but better bass on the Heir.

On the new FIIO X7 MK2 - Jesus...The Heirs are close to the same as on the iBasso. The iSine 10s'? They were built for this DAP....okay not really since Audeze have published their preferred EQ (used on their own lightning+DAC cable) and I've tried it on this DAP with Neutron set to the highest quality and I really don't like it. Native though? Stunning. Beautiful air an space, accuracy, depth etc. I compose music sometimes (I am NOT very good) but the only 2 earphones I've used that sound as I intended my own pieces to be are the Stax chain and the FIIO-X7-Mk2/iSine10 combos.

Take that as you will.

TL;DR a fantastic featured and souding DAP.