The FiiO X3 Thread UPDATE: Project Back On! Read the First Post for Information. - Page 229  

Just to put this straight - we are not talking about the same X3 as this thread was started 2 years ago. The original X3 project was scrapped because the SoC supplier couldn't keep their promise to deliver in time. The current X3 is pretty much a new project with another SoC suppler, but keeping the same name.

the only part of the first project that I wish was still here was the ability to interface with the E9 i.e. the bottom connector.

Any recent pictures on X3? 

 

@feiao, please release some pictures as a teaser....

I'm not sure what is the final features in X3 (2013 vesrion).

However, I feel below features are important:

 

1) Provide true digital lineout (LO)

2) Support 64G Micro SD

3) USB-OTG (so that X3 can play the music files directly from tumb drive or external HD)

4) Long battery life at least 12hrs playback for flac.

 

For me point 2 and 4 seems to be worthy

 

I am not sure if it will be useful if they give digial lineout (optical/spdif) as X3 itself has very good DAC and adding additional DAC/AMP will make the setup more bulky. Just X3 with good IEM is perfect combo for me

You should read ClieOS's post about USB-OTG not being realistic for the price tag.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/528916/the-fiio-x3-thread-update-project-back-on-read-the-first-post-for-information/3360#post_9092808

 

Other features seem implemented or close enough.

Right now it's too late to ask for more features that may involve hardware changes.

 

I second that, Let them continue with their design and focus more on sound quality and reliability

 

I hope X3 won't face quality issues as E17

James (feiao) should be now off for the long Chinese Lunar New Year holidays (~10 days).

 

Happy Lunar New Year, James.

I dont really know the true reason why Fiio omitted OTG from X3 but for sure it was not due to cost factor.
In fact OTG can be found in MP3/4 players such as Teclast C430+ that only costs less than $70.00
http://www.teclast.com/zhuanti/c430plus

not exactly necessary stuff ? addding on production cost for not really an often asked feature especially after they put in external storage

Well it adds to cost

And they also have an E18 comming out.

FiiO likes option classes. You want bass? E11

You want smartphone control? E02i.

You want DAP? X3

You want streamer ? W1

You want dac and hp amp? Andes and alpen.
-some stuff i named is not out yet-
They could improve and add other features of others to a single product but that is up to them. May raise costs and lose profits as people dont need otg support if theh have iphone and dont want to payfor it

Well OTG is a Android/unix feature.  If the X3 is not a android/unix based then all of the USB features have to created from scratch.

All of the things you mention have been disc used in this thread, possibly try reading or searching within this thread I think you will find you answers rather quickly.

Most probably Fiio is not so strong in firmware/software design.

Anyhow I still feel OTG is very useful especially if you have a huge collection of songs stored on portable HD (1 Tera)  without having to transfer to MicroSD but just plug and play directly on X3 if it has the OTG.

 

That's because Teclast (and many Chinese tablet maker) adopts common SoC design. Those platforms are mostly, well, sub-par, to say it politely. Sure FiiO can cheap out and use one of those, but early in the R&D FiiO has decided to do it properly because they will get almost no real firmware support from those SoC maker. I have played with enough Chinese tablets myself and they are generally terrible when it comes to firmware and general support. Even iBasso has taken a lot of effort to make its Android run correctly on its $800 DX100 (the SoC is from Rockchip, one of the biggest SoC maker in China), and they are still tuning it now. Do you think FiiO can just run out and get some SoC and somehow won't run into the same problem that plagued iBasso in the first place? Getting the right SoC with the right features in order to have all the function FiiO wants in X3 isn't nearly as easy as you might think it is.