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vivo X5Max

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RishiGuru, 18 Jan 2017Received a new "B_2.3.4" OTA update yesterday. :) Previo... moreI have updated but noticed no major changes.

    Received a new "B_2.3.4" OTA update yesterday. :)

    Previously I updated my Vivo X5Max to "B_2.3.3" MTP software update which requires visiting their service center. The new 2.3.4 is a 40 MB update which brings two new things on table:

    1) Optimized media library scanning
    2) Updated Android Security patch for March, 2016

    X5Max runs on Android KitKat, and this update drastically improves the security of the phone because it was already lagging a lot behind in terms of security updates. However I was expecting the Dec, 2016 security update. But it is good to see now Vivo is taking the security aspect of their phones quite seriously and providing updates. Chinese manufacturers are not not known for such acts. Also now we get the option to see the Android security patch installed which was previously missing.

    Go to:

    Settings -> More settings -> About phone -> Version

    You will now find an extra Android security patch level newly added to this view. Good to see the progress and transparency. Also now with better optimized media scanning capability X5Max has become slightly faster to scan and detect my 128 gigs of lossless audio FLAC file collection in memory card and internal memory. :)

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • gM%
      • 18 Jan 2017

      Received a new "B_2.3.4" OTA update yesterday. :)

      Previously I had updated my Vivo X5Max to "B_2.3.3" MTP software update which requires visiting their service center. The new 2.3.4 is a 40 MB update which brings two things in table:

      1) Optimize media library scanning
      2) Updated Android Security patch for March, 2016

      X5Max runs on Android KitKat, and this update drastically improves the security of the phone because it already lagging a lot behind in terms of security updates. However I was expecting the Dec, 2016 security update. But it is good to see Vivo is now taking the security of their phones quite seriously and providing updates. Chinese manufacturers are not generally not known for such acts. Also now we have the option to see the Android security patch installed which was previously missing.

      Go to:

      Settings -> More settings -> About phone -> Version

      You will now find an extra Android security patch level row newly added to this view. Good to see the progress and transparency. Also now with better optimized media scanning capability X5Max has become slightly faster to scan and detect my 128 gigs of lossless audio FLAC file collection in memory card and internal memory. :)

        AnonD-601935, 19 Dec 2016for all x5 max owners - i have the great news ! 1)First i ... moreGood to know that you finally found peace with Vivo X5Max. :-)

        The "B_2.3.3" MTP update is a must for all X5Max users as its not only gives you the full power over its internal memory but also the whole user experience gets slight improvement over the previous version. I fond the iMusic player app after upgrade to be more seamless as its database can now effortlessly keep track of my near 128 GB lossless audio FLAC file collection. Also options for USB connectivity with PC is improved, etc.

        Neutron is the most revered audiophile centric music app for Android. It uses its own audio software codec pack for superior audio just like Vivo's iMusic and does not rely on Android's audio codec. It is a bit clunky to operate in comparison to say the most popular Poweramp music palyer but nonetheless audiophiles take the pain for audio quality improvements. I have extensively compared Neutron vs iMusic over X5Max and to my ears both sound the same. Hence I have returned back to iMusic due to its simplicity and cohesiveness with Vivo's Funtouch OS. On the other hand I use both Neutron & Foobar2000 in my other audiophile centric phone Lenovo Vibe X3 as it does not ship with any audio player (other than Google Play music).

        Below are a list of audio related apps that can be Hi-Fi option enabled in Vivo X5Max:

        1) Youtube
        2) 4Shared Music
        3) MX Player
        4) Poweramp
        5) Google play music
        6) n7player
        7) tunein radio
        8) Neutron
        9) Mortplayer music
        10) KKBOX
        11) Spotify
        12) Musixmatch
        13) JOOX
        14) Shazam
        15) Music
        16) Gaana
        17) Saavn
        18) Hungama
        19) Raaga
        20) Music Player
        21) Stafaband
        22) Sound Hound
        23) Gudang Lagu
        24) LINE MUSIC,
        25) Music Player (Leopard V7)

        Hope this helps!!!

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          • AnonD-601935
          • XQB
          • 22 Dec 2016

          Hi
          After having solved my imusic [default app from vivo] issue , now next is the issue which is finding a portable headphone [open type] having the same sound stage as audio technica M50x and M40x [i have both] and yet portable - any suggestions please ?

          Currently using Sennheiser PX 100-II for taking to office and back but still the sound not as good as AT-m40x or M50x

          Any suggestions please ?

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            • AnonD-601935
            • g3r
            • 19 Dec 2016

            1)i got the update : PD1408F_EX_B_2.3.3 from the service center and it fixed the storage issue - thanks RishiGuru

            2) Sadly the i music issue which i started my posts from , did not get resolved by mtp update but by another application - NEUTRON From Neutron code limited
            it supports HI-FI option [settings->sounds->hifi-> enable neutron] also samba sharing is supported [poweramp does not support samba as the option will not be visible when choosing the file and doing "open as audio" in es file explorer]
            So my issue is resolved for the i music app - infact Neutron [i have full paid version which is the default for both local and samba shares]

            Hope this helps

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              • AnonD-601935
              • g3r
              • 19 Dec 2016

              for all x5 max owners - i have the great news !
              1)First i went to the service center and got the mtp update :PD140BF_EX_B_2.3.3 which has resolved the storage issue [used space 5,26gb and available space 10.74 gb]

              2) my issue with i music app which was closing when trying to select a new song in es file explorer [ samba sharing ] is resolved also
              Not by the mtp update but by this great app [Neutron from Neutron code limited] which has the hi-fi option enabled [SETTINGS->SOUNDS->HIFI -> ENABLED NEUTRON] now and also it's my default app for choosing the song from my networked windows pc [samba sharing THRU ES FILE EXPLORER] and also for the music stored on local storage

              SOMETHING WHICH EVEN THE POWERAMP FAILED TO DO DESPITE BEING HIFI ENABLED AS WELL[poweramp will work for local storage of music only (no samba sharing)- will not be visible in the app menu of es file explorer when you choose the file and do "open as audio" [poweramp being missing in the list of apps] ]

              3)for battery issue - just get a power bank and this will fix the battery issue to enjoy this phone for hours on end .

              Now my x5Max is ALIVE AND KICKASS - an true Audiophile phone NOW!
              Hope this helps the owners of x5Max and very special thanks to RishiGuru
              God Bless You all !

                RishiGuru, 12 Jul 2016"Lossless" is a relative term used by phone manufacturers t... moreNice definition of Hifi. I have bought two x5max as it is a true hifi phone. I never believed phones can produce high quality audio but X5Max is an exception. This phone has become a collectors item for me just for its audio quality. Believe me guys when i say this phone is an audiophiles dream.

                  RishiGuru, 07 Jul 2016When I first laid hands on my Vivo X5Max, I could feel this... moreTruly revealing and detailed technical analysis of Vivo X5max. Great work rishiguru. You are truly knowledge when it comes to mobile technology and especially audio.

                    AnonD-614611, 02 Dec 2016Rishiguru, as X5Max is no longer available in the market I ... moreYour requirement is not clear to me? You have already have a Vivo V3Max, a great phone for its price. Is V3Max able to show FLAC metadata like name of the song, album, artist and album art in the default player while playing?

                    I don't know Vivo have either solved this issue with their recent updates, as I simply don't care. When you own the best audiophile centric smartphone Vivo X5Max you don't listen to other phones as you ears gets habituated to the supreme audio quality of X5Max.

                    I own a Lenovo Vibe X3 and my honest opinion, don't buy that phone. Vibe X3 have good specs and great audio but the software is buggiest of all. I have stopped using my Vibe X3 after its buggy Android 6.0 update. As for ZTE Axon 7, I have experienced it for a day and it is a superb device. It's an all-rounder just like V3Max, just more powerful and more expensive. Axon 7 is a notch above V3Max.

                    Sound quality wise, objectively & subjectively X5Max is still the best. Next in the line comes Vibe X3 (Lollipop version), then Axon 7 closely followed by V3Max. X5Max & Vibe X3 comes with more expensive & performance oriented ESS Sabre audio DACs & Texas Instruments headphone amplifiers in discrete configuration. Where as Axon 7 & V3Max uses cheaper integrated audio solution provided by AKM.

                    In the end for a casual smartphone user habituated in listening songs on Samsung Galaxy S7 or LG G5 will find both Axon 7 & V3Max sound quality over headphones to be heavenly. To an audiophile though X5Max is the one to have.

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                      • AnonD-614611
                      • XQ7
                      • 02 Dec 2016

                      Rishiguru, as X5Max is no longer available in the market I bought a V3Max which I consider also is a super hit model. Even this model is becoming rare due to the depleting stock of V3Max and further to that sales persons wearing blue Vivo T-shirts pushing their new bride V5. They surreptitiously avoid performance based queries regarding V5. Now what I wanted to know is, my V3Max is able to play all my FLAC collection through the default player. I can not afford LG V20. Now I have 2 choices to fulfil my requirement either I go far Lenovo Vibe X3 or to wait until 15 December when ZTE is launching its flagship Axon 7 in India. Please share your opinion which according to me would be a better option.

                        AnonD-611069, 17 Nov 2016Lol buddy, not everything in a phone is based on audio qual... moreThis phone is not for all, especially spec crazy people like you. This phone is built for audiophiles. I was in lookout for this phone for well over a decade, finally i have a phone which does justice to my earphones.

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                          • AnonD-557636
                          • 9Lp
                          • 18 Nov 2016

                          AnonD-611069, 17 Nov 2016Lol buddy, not everything in a phone is based on audio qual... morei understand your frustrations of not owning a vivo x5max, bcoz if you owned this gem, you would not have said so. my dad owns this phone and i rate it's user experence even better than my vivo v3max. many phones now have audio dacs but all dacs are not same. both v3max & x5max have dedicated dacs, but listened to both and you can feel the difference in quality. lastly x5max have respectable battery backup, read the review here and you will understand. for my dad the phone easily lasts for a day.

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                            • AnonD-611069
                            • XQt
                            • 17 Nov 2016

                            Anonymous, 15 Oct 2016Thanks. Is it worth buying. How is screen quality. Volte. I... moreLol buddy, not everything in a phone is based on audio quality. No point harping over it again and again. A poor phone with poor battery life, poorly optimized OS software that leaks battery every 2 minutes, with maximum playback time of 3 hours with getting quite heated. This phone is not something you should recommend even to those looking forward to buy audiophile grade phones. Functionally, this phone is a cripple. The only saving grace is audio quality, which if listened over poor shoddy headphones, will sound worse as usual.

                            There are much better all round options available - Vibe X3, Mi Note, Le Eco Max, Mi 5, and some other phones with dedicated DAC that offer a much better value compared to this grandpa.

                              AnonD-601935, 29 Oct 2016thank you Sir for your esteemed knowledge ! Can you please ... moreYou can go for Sennheiser Momentum Wireless headphones to achive good sound. Read some reviews of this headphone and if it suits your taste buy one. Personally I an not a great fan of Bluetooth headphones.

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                                • AnonD-601935
                                • vbA
                                • 31 Oct 2016

                                sagunthala, 30 Oct 2016can it be upgraded to marshmallow ? i do not think so bacoz of license issue as i music can play flac and all formats with license issue but then the higher android OS have license issues for playing flac/ape etc

                                So my view - it will never get updated to latest android OS

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                                  • sagunthala
                                  • KZ8
                                  • 30 Oct 2016

                                  can it be upgraded to marshmallow ?

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                                    • AnonD-601935
                                    • gNV
                                    • 29 Oct 2016

                                    RishiGuru, 29 Oct 2016After reading your post I do feel you have some misconcepti... morethank you Sir for your esteemed knowledge ! Can you please tell me - how to get the same pristine sound on top end bluetooth headphone

                                    True - ATH-M50x MG that i have - first time i got this and paired it with x5max and the effect is heavenly ! to say the least but the wires still bother me

                                    1) Can i go for hi-res bluetooth headphone to pair it with x5max - since the chipset of this phone is advanced i guess the digital signal [HQ] will be interpretted by the hi res circuit of the bluetooth headphone to get me the same sound as this wired combo of x5max+ath-m50x MG ?

                                    2)OR Can i go in for mobile phones with 'Hi-res audio' support which can feed the sound to the compatible hi res bluetooth headphones ? money is not an issue here - i need the true pristine sound wthout the wires - please guide me

                                      AnonD-601935, 29 Oct 2016thanks for the suggestion - i tried that also making the po... moreAfter reading your post I do feel you have some misconceptions about the word HiFi (High Fidelity).

                                      Here are my two cents:

                                      1) HiFi is no effect, it denotes music in it's truest form without any added effects. The aim here is to reproduce music as recorded in the studio.

                                      2) By adding equalisers while listening music is adding additional effects to the orginal music, as it is allowing you to add more bass or treble effect, taking you further away from HiFi.

                                      3) HiFi in any audio centric smartphone denotes the hardware (DAC + op-amps + headphone amplifiers) that converts the digital audio signal from your phone chipset (Snapdragon 615 here) to analog signal through 3.5 mm audio jack. Hence when you use this jack HiFi can be enabled. But when you are using a Bluetooth headset, digital audio is directly broadcasted from phone to you headset, and now the DAC + Headphone Amplifier of your Bluetooth headset is in charge. Hence as you are not using the high-end audio hardware of X5Max while using a Bluetooth headset, HiFi is not visible in display and the audio quality is completely under control of your headset.

                                      Hope this clears some of your doubts.:)

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                                        • AnonD-601935
                                        • vbA
                                        • 29 Oct 2016

                                        RishiGuru, 26 Oct 2016Though I admire your love for music and to a certain extent... morethanks for the suggestion - i tried that also making the poweramp the default one just like you mentioned but it did not work as es file explorer popped open the "choose app to open with" windows still . Now currently i have made VLC as the default from with in es file explorer's "choose app to open with" windows dialog box - but i am not happy that x5max being the great music phone does not have full imusic app with in built equalizer support !

                                        Btw - VLC has the network browser built in but i like es file explorer

                                        Lastly - the hifi effect cannot be accessed with bluetooth headphones - that's another -ve for this phone ! , it works only on 'wired' headphones'
                                        Currently i am using ath-m50x at home , but when i travel i use bluetooth headphones still great sound if the bluetooth headphone is good enough .....

                                        thank you all for the valuable suggestions
                                        Hope my observation helps all

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