FiiO X3 Mark III Portable High Definition Audio and MP3 Player 192Khz/32Bit Bluetooth 4.1 Satnav Wheel

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Note: Rather than the FW1.44beta, the new firmware FW1.6 is upgraded based on the official FW1.4. Compared to the FW1.4, the main changes on the FW1.6 just include 2 points: 1.Be compatible with the new DAC driver and 2.Disabling the OTG function. So some new functions on the FW1.44beta are not available on FW1.6. The dual PCM5242 on the X3iii should offer a little bit better dynamic range capability than the previous single implementation. However, the numbers are not a significant step up on the CS4398 with similar decoding capability limited to 192kHz/24bit as it was in the X2ii. The DSD max decoding rate has also dropped from a previous DSD128 to DSD64. I’d naturally expect the treble at this point to feel a stark contrast to the rest of the response of the product. But, I was pleasantly surprised to hear yet another softer approach on the treble end. Even with an elevated treble response in the custom EQ window. I don’t consider the player overly soft feeling, I do consider it relaxing. Custom Art Music One: The X3 exerts good control of the Music One for tight, well defined bass and a cleaner sound across the spectrum than the Clip+. Reverberant bass comes across as more prominent from the Clip+ since the control isn’t as good, and the driver keeps moving where the X3 keeps the presentation cleaner. The X3 is slightly smoother than the DX50, but less revealing and with less bass. Bass quality between the X3 and DX50 is similar. 6/10 It also marked a new stage in their own in-house R&D capability with the expansion of their proprietary Linux OS where once HiBy Music reigned supreme. Previously the OS was used in a gingerly fashion with the X1 2nd Gen. Mixed results ensued.

The amping on the X3 Gen 2 has also had a change from the original X1. Specs-wise, the X3 2G is now positioned more for higher sensitivity headsets and earphones than the older X1 with a slight decrease in proportional gain for specific loads. Gone now is the 16-300ohm rating and in comes now 16-150 ohm rating with an increased SNR to 114db from the older 104db. Budget tier portable music sources seem a dime a dozen, don’t they? With so many options in the Asian Market to choose from, how are we supposed to know which ones are actually good? I always found the X3ii to be the drier and the more neutral of the two with a balanced, lean and clean presentation though with a bit more single-ended power. The X3iii is a fuller, rich sounding presentation with a more planted low end and a stronger even harmonic bias in its timbre. Simply put it is much smoother but more dynamic sounding than the older X3ii.The FiiO X3 III is a good lower-midrange device which offers reasonable functionality and good sound quality at a reasonable price. Its value-price ratio is not extreme, but it’s high enough for it to be a serious competitor for the Aune M1s, Shanling M2s and the other similarly-priced DAPs. hours is about what I am getting. This is of course not exact, full brightness is used as well. If there is huge interest in getting an exact number, I may do a full day test. But for now, what is on paper is pretty accurate. FiiO recommends using a power bank on the go. Like the previous generation X3 the new X3 Mark III does not have any onboard memory. Instead, you have a single micro SD slot to the left side panel for cards up to 256Gb official. The X3 3rd Gen is part of that Infinity sound pitch of summer 2017. Alongside the F5 and the Q1 Mark II everything was about enhanced portability and the inclusion of a balanced output or cable capability. The X3 Mark III is no different in that respect with a balanced output to match up with the F5, F9 or F9 Pro. FiiO is pitching the balanced output as enhancing the X3 Mark III staging and detail performance over the unbalanced output. Dual DAC My HD600 plugged into the headphone out of my old Aiwa midi-component is very pleasing to my ears as it is. Classical music comprises 80% of my listening habit; The rest is divided more or less equally by Jazz fusion, R&B and vocals.

This review was written about two months after first receiving the X3. I was supposed to take only a month. If you hear nothing more out of me, Oyaide have probably... Little hi-res players like the FiiO X3 I am reviewing here aren’t so common as yet but they’re an intriguing proposition for any hi-fi enthusiast. Aimed at headphone users and the portable market, they also have a Line output to drive a hi-fi. You can think of them as a high-quality ‘CD player’ then, a portable one. ProGuard P2+1: The X3 is a bit warmer than the Nova 3 and iPhone, but with better clarity and a presentation that has better instrument separation, which results in conveying more detail. Bass is also more powerful and the overall presentation is smoother and more refined. 7/10 Of course, it is a complete redesign compared to the original X3 but not so much of an evolution when compared to the X1 and X5 which now pretty much sets the bar or road map for the type of design FiiO is after.The X3 is perfectly balanced. At first blush it might sound ‘dark’. It isn’t. It renders a flat, full-figured signal. Low/high balance at the frequency and stereo levels is exemplary. Ditto distortion.