Does X3 needs amping? To put it short and sweet, no…well, mostly. There is very little to gain (and even positively lose) in sound quality by amping the X3. Unless we are talking the top of the line (ToTL) portable amps here, say O2, JDS Labs C5, FiiO own E12, UHA-4, etc , otherwise the benefit of amping is simply not there. The internal amp of X3 can rival the SQ of just about any mid to upper-mid range portable amp. The basic design of X3’s DAC and amp section come from E17 Alpen. But FiiO pumps the voltage up a little more on the X3 so the overall SQ is actually better than E17, most noticeably in overall dynamic and cleanness of the sound, given that X3 doesn’t have to deal with any possibility of USB noise, jitters, or ground loop. But even with the ToTL portable amps, the increase of SQ just isn’t night and day. So whether it is worth carrying another piece of gear is really a question of whether you will find the improvement substantial enough in your own rig. In my own opinion, X3 is already an excellent all-in-one solution.
