[Dkhand]

  .... But I still question how they dealt with this update.

The best they can?
 
As for the bug fixes, I'm sure they will get to it.  As long as they are aware of them.  Maybe they will come out alongside the new firmware release.  I know it has been a while since the last release of an update.  I would say, lets not pull out pitchforks and shovel just yet until then.  Personally, I am worry about the new interface a little for the EQ part of it. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of enabling to customize the mix a bit more as I am a sound tech at my church.  But after hearing the X5 and the built-in safety dB drop from the flat normal setting to custom or even the preset, I am not a big fan of that feature as I think I am smart enough know if my music is clipping and hitting the ceiling of the audio headroom.  Anyways, lets see if our patients for the update will payoff.

 

[steelglam]

  The best they can?
 
As for the bug fixes, I'm sure they will get to it.  As long as they are aware of them.  Maybe they will come out alongside the new firmware release.  I know it has been a while since the last release of an update.  I would say, lets not pull out pitchforks and shovel just yet until then.

I guess I personally just don't see fixing problems with advertised functionality (they are aware of all of the problems that I mentioned...they are in the bug report, and they have known about each of these problems since at least the fall of last year) and adding new functions/interface not advertised with the player as of equivalent importance. So, therefore I guess I don't think they handled the update as best as they could.  It should have been phased.
 
I like my X3 player.  I plan on keeping my X3, hopefully for a long time as long as they are able to fix the problems with advertised functionality. But why is it that one cannot be critical of something they like without being accused of being unreasonable or "pulling out the pitchforks and shovel?"  This thread isn't entitled "X3 appreciation/praise-only thread," and therefore I think reasonable criticism has its place.  I've seen others get jumped on in this thread for making reasonable critiques as well.  It's disturbing.

 

[Dkhand]

  I guess I personally just don't see fixing problems with advertised functionality (they are aware of all of the problems that I mentioned...they are in the bug report) and adding new functions/interface not advertised with the player as of equivalent importance. So, therefore I guess I don't think they handled the update as best as they could.  It should have been phased.
 
I like my X3 player.  I plan on keeping my X3, hopefully for a long time as long as they are able to fix the problems with advertised functionality. But why is it that one cannot be critical of something they like without being accused of being unreasonable or "pulling out the pitchforks and shovel?"  This thread isn't entitled "X3 appreciation/praise-only thread," and therefore I think reasonable criticism has its place.  I've seen others get jumped on in this thread for making reasonable critiques as well.  It's disturbing.

Oh, don't get me wrong! I never said criticism is wrong or unreasonable. It's just seems pre-mature if the update is imminent within a few weeks.  I know there are bugs and little things that the X3 does annoys me once in a while.  I guess for me, it is fewer and further in between then some of you are experiencing.  I am just thinking along the line that, it takes months for large cooperations like Microsoft, Apple, Autodesk, Google,..... etc (this list goes on) with thousands of stuff working on all the bugs and stuff and push them out to users. What do you think a staff of just mere ~100 staff can do if that bug list is big enough for a staff of 500+.  Chinese are one of the few hardest and most demanding people to on earth; I should know, cuz I am one.  Regardless, they are still human.  Bug fixing and testing takes time and money to do, and design a release planning is no small tasks. Especially now they have 2 DAPs now and a 3rd on the way. 
 
You know what?  IF they don't fix any bugs and adding features that makes things worse for us users to use the X3, I'll jump aboard and criticize them with you.  Like orange is cool and all but do they want to burn a orange glow into my eyeballs? 

 

 

[ClieOS]

  So where's the firmware update that was promised to be released by end of March, beginning of April?
 
I'm waiting for 4 months for this!

 

 
I have posted this a few times - there is a complete rewrite of firmware in the next release, so it is not just an mere update and therefore it will take a bit of time. The plan is to adopt the new firmware core from X5 (which has proven to be more stable and better audio performance no less) and also a revamp the whole X3's UI at the same time. So the current plan for FiiO is to fix as much bugs on the X5's firmware and as fast as they can, release a stable firmware, then migrate the new firmware to X3. Since the old X3 firmware is destined to be replaced, I don't think they are spending much time to fix its bugs just to release some minor intermediate bugfix that will take their time away from getting a stable X5 firmware first. Instead, they are gunning for the big fix. FiiO has chosen to do it this way as, in the long run, it means both X3 and X5 user will receive the same bugfix and firmware improvement in relatively shorter time frame in the future instead of having the same software team working on two different firmwares at the same time which will take longer time for everyone. I know there is no comfort in saying this, but until we see the next release on X5 firmware, we probably won't have the next X3 firmware. The good news is, the X5 firmware seems to be almost ready.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I think FiiO is still working on it so it will be a few months.

New firmware will be available in the first half of May.

 

[Smugsie]

New firmware will be available in the first half of May.

While we have your attention, will this User Interface be open sourced? I love the way the layout is and I have an idea for customization!

 

[meat01]

While we have your attention, will this User Interface be open sourced? I love the way the layout is and I have an idea for customization!

 


Even I can answer that one. No. It has been asked multiple times if Fiio DAPs would be able to be Rockboxed and the answer every time is no, because a third party handles the firmware for Fiio and their contract does not allow them to be open source.

 

[huckfinn]

...probably the biggest shortcoming of Fiio daps......

 

[ClieOS]

 

 
While we have your attention, will this User Interface be open sourced? I love the way the layout is and I have an idea for customization!

Even I can answer that one. No. It has been asked multiple times if Fiio DAPs would be able to be Rockboxed and the answer every time is no, because a third party handles the firmware for Fiio and their contract does not allow them to be open source.

 
Not exactly because of 'a third party handles the firmware for Fiio' that it can't be open sourced. It is because the contract between the SoC (=CPU) supplier and FiiO that stops FiiO from making the code available as open source.
 
The UI however is another matter. It can be user customizable right now and it will probably be so on the new firmware. There is also talk about releasing a few different UI so people can customize them differently. There are already a few Chinese 'hacker' actively changing the firmware themselves, from as basic as color to swapping out different fonts.

 

[reihead]

   
I have posted this a few times - there is a complete rewrite of firmware in the next release, so it is not just an mere update and therefore it will take a bit of time. The plan is to adopt the new firmware core from X5 (which has proven to be more stable and better audio performance no less) and also a revamp the whole X3's UI at the same time. So the current plan for FiiO is to fix as much bugs on the X5's firmware and as fast as they can, release a stable firmware, then migrate the new firmware to X3. Since the old X3 firmware is destined to be replaced, I don't think they are spending much time to fix its bugs just to release some minor intermediate bugfix that will take their time away from getting a stable X5 firmware first. Instead, they are gunning for the big fix. FiiO has chosen to do it this way as, in the long run, it means both X3 and X5 user will receive the same bugfix and firmware improvement in relatively shorter time frame in the future instead of having the same software team working on two different firmwares at the same time which will take longer time for everyone. I know there is no comfort in saying this, but until we see the next release on X5 firmware, we probably won't have the next X3 firmware. The good news is, the X5 firmware seems to be almost ready.

 
I understand the frustration of many users.
 
As ClieOS explained, they are changing the whole code for the X3 firmware, based on the firmware for the X5. I would think this is the main reason why is taking so long.
 
Now, even when I'm aware of this, the frustration of many is totally acceptable. X3 has been out for a while now and that (proper mp3 decoding, gapless and others) basic functions don't work properly is hard to believe. Fiio should have fixed a few bugs and then work in the new firmware. Last firmware update for the X3 is from Nov 2013, let's say that by end of December a list of well known bug was available, to make users wait almost 4 months to fix basic functions is something shouldn't be overlooked.
 
I love my X3 and a X5 is on preorder, I really like Fiio and I have no doubt they are working hard (you can see the progress on the X5 firmware), but this situation with the X3 is certainly a bad note.

 

[Smugsie]

Quote:

 

 
While we have your attention, will this User Interface be open sourced? I love the way the layout is and I have an idea for customization!

Even I can answer that one. No. It has been asked multiple times if Fiio DAPs would be able to be Rockboxed and the answer every time is no, because a third party handles the firmware for Fiio and their contract does not allow them to be open source.

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif
   
Not exactly because of 'a third party handles the firmware for Fiio' that it can't be open sourced. It is because the contract between the SoC (=CPU) supplier and FiiO that stops FiiO from making the code available as open source.
 
The UI however is another matter. It can be user customizable right now and it will probably be so on the new firmware. There is also talk about releasing a few different UI so people can customize them differently. There are already a few Chinese 'hacker' actively changing the firmware themselves, from as basic as color to swapping out different fonts.

 
I apologize if I meant open code source, I meant a firmware editing tool like this one over here.
The link to the firmware tool isn't available anymore, but I still have a copy of it and I'm having quite the fun editing the user interface
http://www.head-fi.org/t/684793/diy-your-own-theme-for-your-lovely-x3

 

[hellwood2]

I am currently running the 2.1 firmware, and the only problem I am having is when I try to use the x3 as a dac . Regardless of the bit rate of the files  24/96 or 24/192 it always shows 24/44 on the x3 in dac mode.

 

[Dkhand]

  I am currently running the 2.1 firmware, and the only problem I am having is when I try to use the x3 as a dac . Regardless of the bit rate of the files  24/96 or 24/192 it always shows 24/44 on the x3 in dac mode.

 
I think you change that on the X3 itself when you put it on DAC mode after you plug it into your computer.
 
Edit: Nevermind, I was wrong, I was thinking about something else.  But have installed the driver on your computer?  Because you can set it to 24/192 in the Window's Sound properties section.  It will reflect the change once you start streaming audio to the X3.

 

[stephanemtl]

My X3 units keeps freezing. Once a day, for no apparent reason, the buttons stop responding.... while the song keeps playing.
 
Only solution: use a toothpick and press reset. This is ridiculous. I have to keep a toothpick on me at all times!!!!
 
I bought my unit one month ago. It runs the latest firmware.
 
HELP!!!

 

[Dkhand]

  My X3 units keeps freezing. Once a day, for no apparent reason, the buttons stop responding.... while the song keeps playing.
 
Only solution: use a toothpick and press reset. This is ridiculous. I have to keep a toothpick on me at all times!!!!
 
I bought my unit one month ago. It runs the latest firmware.
 
HELP!!!

 
Have you tried a system restore?