*I just copied my review from another site, so excuse any weird phrasing.

I have owned the first gen X1 for over two years, and it has yet to let me down. I like new technology, and my scroll wheel was starting to get finicky, so I thought I would give the "next gen" x1 a go. For $100, I was intrigued. Sadly, the cosmetic changes and bluetooth are not enough to make me give up my first gen. I will be returning this. Even if you are a newcomer, the slow track change may be enough to turn you away. I won't comment on sound quality since nothing is noticeably different.

*Now that the gen1 X1 is only $80, you can just get a bluetooth transmitter to make it the same price as the new x1. So that does not have to be a major decider if you don't mind a small doggle on the device.

THE IMPROVED

Cosmetic design: The 2nd gen looks much better. The glossy, rounded metal is a massive improvement over the squared 1st gen. However, I keep the included rubber case on my gen1, and have dropped it while running on the treadmill numerous times and with no problems. No rubber case included with the gen2, but a clear hard plastic one. The raised buttons also have a better feel to them. The look and feel of the black metal has a very premium feel.

The UI is pretty much the same, but has different icons on the home screen? OK

Scroll wheel acceleration is also a nice improvement if you have many artists to scroll through. But it can be hard to control. I like to avoid this problem altogether by grouping my music into folders to avoid massive lists of artists.

THE BAD

SLOW: I will start with my biggest complaint and the main reason I am returning this. Boot up time is about the same, but it takes at least 3 seconds from the time to select a song to the time you hear music. Even when you click next track. On the gen1, it is instantaneous. I timed with my phone and it took around 3 1/4 seconds for a song change. That doesn't seem like much, but if you are jumping around or just want to skip a track, it definitely stands out enough to rub you the wrong way. And since the scroll does not stop on the far left or right end of the icons on the main home screen, you have to fiddle with it to get it to stop perfectly on one side or the other. I wish them would just stop when you scroll all the way to the left or all the way to the right. Again, something that could have easily been updated on this new model.

I am using a brand new 128 GB SanDisk Ultra 128GB SD card, so I thought maybe this was due to the larger sd card size. I just use a 64 gb on the gen1. So I switched them, and the problem remained. Gen1 track change remained instantaneous with the 128 GB card. Gen 2 still took 3+ seconds to change songs.

And if you leave bluetooth on, this process takes even longer! The bluetooth seems to work, but that is not a huge concern of mine since the device has line out and I prefer a direct connection. The process of just turning on the bluetooth took nearly 35 seconds!!!! Then another 20 to find my device two feet away. If you are a patient person, I guess this is not a big deal. But if you are used to your phone connecting in seconds, this is a drag.

THE WHEEL: I hoped the touch wheel would be an improvement over the mechanical one of my gen1, which started to sort of stick after I got pop or something spilled on it (yet it still works!).

Sadly, the weird sensitivity makes it difficult to accurately control. I put the plastic included cover on at first, and the thing barely moved. Taking off the cover helped, but still hard to control. And there is no sensitivity option to scale up or down!!! That is a major downfall for a user. Thankfully the clicky sound can also be turned off. Who wants to hear that when listening to msuic

DESIGN: A minor complaint, but now the headphone jack is on the BOTTOM of the device, unlike the top of the gen1. I use sennheiser momentum 2.0, which have a right angle cord, so this is not a big deal. But if you have a straight cable, when you rest the device on the desk or on your chest when lying down, the cable will bend and can develop a short that way.

TL;DR: CONCLUSION: The gen2 looks better, but the slowed-down track selection is a major disappointment. The bluetooth works, but is that enough to deal with the slow speeds? The touch wheel is a great concept in theory, but the lack of tactile response and no sensitivity control makes it hardly an upgrade and IMO worse than the gen1 wheel.

Remember, the gen1 is now $80, and bluetooth transmitter dongles can be found for around $20.