FiiO M3, Ultra-Portable|8G+64G|2.0" 320*240 TFT|50mW|FLAC/APE/AIFF|In line control|OGG, MP3, AAC, WMA |24 Hours|HiFi Earbuds
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TheoS53
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TheoS53
Headphoneus Supremus
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Yay! finally got the M3, here's my review.
Recently I started looking around for an "ultra portable" music setup to use primarily for when I go cycling. I was looking at geeing one of the Sansa Clips (it's the first one that came to mind, and I was curious to try Rockboxing it), and had completely forgotten about the M3. Actually, I can't remember how I stumbled upon the M3 again, but I'm really glad I did. I became a big Fiio fan ever since I got my first Fiio product, the E6. After that I progressed to the X5, which I later on paired up with an E12. I eventually sold that setup in favour of an E18+E12A setup to use with my phone (which is still my main portable rig). Unfortunately the Fiio distributor in the UAE had decided not to import the M3, and I searched all over the net for anyone else here that had it in stock, but to no avail. Eventually I had to order it from Amazon.com on the 14th of June, and today (a week later) I finally got my hands on it.
First Impressions & Design
Holy damn this thing is tiny, not exactly iPod Shuffle tiny, but tiny nonetheless. I think the closest "high end" competitor ,in terms of the design, to the M3 would be the iPod Nano. The Nano is roughly the same length and width as the M3, but almost half the thickness (5.4mm vs 9.1mm), and the Nano also weighs a bit less (31g vs 40g). The weird thing about the M3, however, is that it actually feels quite solid. So much so, that it almost "feels" heavier than what my brain expected 40g to feel like.
he Nano has double the storage capacity, lnger battery life, and a bigger screen, but both have roughly the same pixel density (albeit the Nano has a touch screen). The Nano does have a better quality screen though, as the M3's screen isn't exactly very nice to look at it, and pretty much useless in sunlight. This doesn't really bother me too much though, as I specifically got the M3 for when I go cycling, so the vast majority of the time the M3 is being used, I won't be looking at it anyways. The Nano is also better put together, but that's partly why the Nano costs nearly 2 TO 3 TIMES as much as the M3 ($105-149.99 vs $55). Speaking of how it's put together, something that really annoys me about the M3 (at least the one I received) is that the screen isn't straight and centred. You can actually see (rather easily) that the screen isn't in the centre, and that is sits at an ever so slight angle. The USB port too isn't quite straight. C'mon Fiio, better QC, please.
So on paper, yes, the Nano seems to be a better device (not taking price into account), and in some cases it is; but the M3 offers you something the Nano simply couldn't....FREEDOM. With any Apple device, you're locked down to the Apple system, but with the M3 you don't need to install an app on your PC to copy over music files to the DAP. And speaking of files, the M3 supports more formats than the Nano, namely FLAC.
The other thing I'm not so sure of is the glossy button panel. That thing is such a fingerprint magnet, and I feel it might have been better if this had a matte finish instead....but that's minor.
I guess my only real complaint in terms of the design itself is the screen and Fiio's QC; the rest of it I can easily accept due to the price of the unit.
Portability
There isn't much to say here to be honest. As I mentioned, this thing is tiny, and about as portable as it's gonna get. What I particularly like is the fact that it fits so nicely in the case along with my MEE M6 Pros (see pics at the end). I suppose the other thing to note would be the battery life. Fiio says it'll last for 24 hours...which for me is great, as it means that I wouldn't have to charge it more than perhaps 3 times a month.
User Interface
Oh dear. The UI is something that has always bugged me about Fiio's products. I have never used any of their devices and though to myself, "oh yeah, this is well thought-out and intuitive UI design". I do like the fact that Fiio will (apparently) offer a number of themes for the device, but as it stands right now Theme 1 is the only usable one in my opinion. The firmware version that my M3 came with is the latest version (1.7) which also has a 2nd theme. But I find this theme to be almost totally unusable (in comparison to Theme 1) due to the red text on the blue background on the Now Playing screen and some other menus. Actually, now that I think about it, Theme 2 has a bit of a Windows XP feel to it.
Pairing
The only headphones I'll be using with the M3 is the M6 Pro, and I'm happy to report that it makes for a wonderful listening experience. The M6 Pro has a very slight v-curve signature, but due to the rolloffs in the FR of the M3 you get a fairly balanced sound coming out of the M6 Pros. I can hear a little bit of hiss when music isn't playing, but really nothing worth protesting about.
Sound
This is definitely the saving grace for the M3. I've read and watched a number of reviews, but the M3's sound still surprised me. For such a tiny, inexpensive device, the sound is certainly better than what I expected. But heck, this is Fiio, they always do the most important thing well...not always brilliant, but never terrible or even mediocre. What I did find quite interesting is that the M3 sounded better, more balanced and detailed than my LG G3. It's obviously not as good as my E18+E12A setup, but I'm totally ok with that. Remember, I'm going to be using the M3 almost exclusively when I go cycling...hardly a critical listening session. So for my use, I honestly don't have a single complaint about the sound; for me it's perfect.
Accessories
The M3 does come with 2 extra screen protectors (one already installed) which I quite like. Also included is a grey linyard and some earbuds. I don't particularly care for the linyard or earbuds, so don't really have anything to say about those. I did, however, also order the armband at the same time, and I quite like it. There's nothing fancy about it, but it seems well constructed and fairly unobtrusive. Something I am unsure of, however, is how well the finish of the M3 will hold up from taking it in and out of the armband...but I guess only time will tell.
Conclusion
Overall the M3 is a device that holds fantastic value. Yes, I feel like Fiio compromised (and to some degree perhaps even overlooked) on a few things, but the portability and sonic performance totally makes up for. If you're in the market for an audio setup to use while doing exercise or pretty much any other kind of non-critical listening session, I highly recommend the M3. In fact, my entire "exercise setup" (DAP, armband, and headphones) comes to a grand total of $120, which to me is a superb bang-for-buck value setup.
Recently I started looking around for an "ultra portable" music setup to use primarily for when I go cycling. I was looking at geeing one of the Sansa Clips (it's the first one that came to mind, and I was curious to try Rockboxing it), and had completely forgotten about the M3. Actually, I can't remember how I stumbled upon the M3 again, but I'm really glad I did. I became a big Fiio fan ever since I got my first Fiio product, the E6. After that I progressed to the X5, which I later on paired up with an E12. I eventually sold that setup in favour of an E18+E12A setup to use with my phone (which is still my main portable rig). Unfortunately the Fiio distributor in the UAE had decided not to import the M3, and I searched all over the net for anyone else here that had it in stock, but to no avail. Eventually I had to order it from Amazon.com on the 14th of June, and today (a week later) I finally got my hands on it.
First Impressions & Design
Holy damn this thing is tiny, not exactly iPod Shuffle tiny, but tiny nonetheless. I think the closest "high end" competitor ,in terms of the design, to the M3 would be the iPod Nano. The Nano is roughly the same length and width as the M3, but almost half the thickness (5.4mm vs 9.1mm), and the Nano also weighs a bit less (31g vs 40g). The weird thing about the M3, however, is that it actually feels quite solid. So much so, that it almost "feels" heavier than what my brain expected 40g to feel like.
he Nano has double the storage capacity, lnger battery life, and a bigger screen, but both have roughly the same pixel density (albeit the Nano has a touch screen). The Nano does have a better quality screen though, as the M3's screen isn't exactly very nice to look at it, and pretty much useless in sunlight. This doesn't really bother me too much though, as I specifically got the M3 for when I go cycling, so the vast majority of the time the M3 is being used, I won't be looking at it anyways. The Nano is also better put together, but that's partly why the Nano costs nearly 2 TO 3 TIMES as much as the M3 ($105-149.99 vs $55). Speaking of how it's put together, something that really annoys me about the M3 (at least the one I received) is that the screen isn't straight and centred. You can actually see (rather easily) that the screen isn't in the centre, and that is sits at an ever so slight angle. The USB port too isn't quite straight. C'mon Fiio, better QC, please.
So on paper, yes, the Nano seems to be a better device (not taking price into account), and in some cases it is; but the M3 offers you something the Nano simply couldn't....FREEDOM. With any Apple device, you're locked down to the Apple system, but with the M3 you don't need to install an app on your PC to copy over music files to the DAP. And speaking of files, the M3 supports more formats than the Nano, namely FLAC.
The other thing I'm not so sure of is the glossy button panel. That thing is such a fingerprint magnet, and I feel it might have been better if this had a matte finish instead....but that's minor.
I guess my only real complaint in terms of the design itself is the screen and Fiio's QC; the rest of it I can easily accept due to the price of the unit.
Portability
There isn't much to say here to be honest. As I mentioned, this thing is tiny, and about as portable as it's gonna get. What I particularly like is the fact that it fits so nicely in the case along with my MEE M6 Pros (see pics at the end). I suppose the other thing to note would be the battery life. Fiio says it'll last for 24 hours...which for me is great, as it means that I wouldn't have to charge it more than perhaps 3 times a month.
User Interface
Oh dear. The UI is something that has always bugged me about Fiio's products. I have never used any of their devices and though to myself, "oh yeah, this is well thought-out and intuitive UI design". I do like the fact that Fiio will (apparently) offer a number of themes for the device, but as it stands right now Theme 1 is the only usable one in my opinion. The firmware version that my M3 came with is the latest version (1.7) which also has a 2nd theme. But I find this theme to be almost totally unusable (in comparison to Theme 1) due to the red text on the blue background on the Now Playing screen and some other menus. Actually, now that I think about it, Theme 2 has a bit of a Windows XP feel to it.
Pairing
The only headphones I'll be using with the M3 is the M6 Pro, and I'm happy to report that it makes for a wonderful listening experience. The M6 Pro has a very slight v-curve signature, but due to the rolloffs in the FR of the M3 you get a fairly balanced sound coming out of the M6 Pros. I can hear a little bit of hiss when music isn't playing, but really nothing worth protesting about.
Sound
This is definitely the saving grace for the M3. I've read and watched a number of reviews, but the M3's sound still surprised me. For such a tiny, inexpensive device, the sound is certainly better than what I expected. But heck, this is Fiio, they always do the most important thing well...not always brilliant, but never terrible or even mediocre. What I did find quite interesting is that the M3 sounded better, more balanced and detailed than my LG G3. It's obviously not as good as my E18+E12A setup, but I'm totally ok with that. Remember, I'm going to be using the M3 almost exclusively when I go cycling...hardly a critical listening session. So for my use, I honestly don't have a single complaint about the sound; for me it's perfect.
Accessories
The M3 does come with 2 extra screen protectors (one already installed) which I quite like. Also included is a grey linyard and some earbuds. I don't particularly care for the linyard or earbuds, so don't really have anything to say about those. I did, however, also order the armband at the same time, and I quite like it. There's nothing fancy about it, but it seems well constructed and fairly unobtrusive. Something I am unsure of, however, is how well the finish of the M3 will hold up from taking it in and out of the armband...but I guess only time will tell.
Conclusion
Overall the M3 is a device that holds fantastic value. Yes, I feel like Fiio compromised (and to some degree perhaps even overlooked) on a few things, but the portability and sonic performance totally makes up for. If you're in the market for an audio setup to use while doing exercise or pretty much any other kind of non-critical listening session, I highly recommend the M3. In fact, my entire "exercise setup" (DAP, armband, and headphones) comes to a grand total of $120, which to me is a superb bang-for-buck value setup.
fish1050
Headphoneus Supremus
@JamesFiiO
I got upset when I found out you were not going to make the M5. I have calmed down and I understand that the production of the M5 depended on the success of the M3. But I truly believe at least for the North American and probably European markets that a more capable version of the M3 could sell very well. I think you need to raise the price point and use a better SOC that doesn't have the 4000 song limit. Have it support a 128 GB microsd card and perhaps most importantly have bluetooth and perhaps a waterproof case. The fitness market is huge between the gym users, runners and cyclists among others. Bluetooth allows the freedom of not having to worry about an iem or earbud cable getting in the way. Waterproof it and it can be used in any kind of weather. When people use it to work out it is less about sound quality and more about portability and freedom.
Even if an M series player ends up being fairly close in price to the X1 they are for different markets. I for one would not take an X1 to go running but I would take something like the M3 provided it was small light, and supported bluetooth headphones and was waterproof or at least came with a waterproof carrying case. You talked about the possibility of an even cheaper M1 but I think that would be a mistake. I think features are more important than price, fitness nuts will pay more for higher quality products if it fits their need. I think if you upgraded the M3 and marketed it towards people who like to exercise you could do very well. I worked in the retail audio market in Canada for several years and I have seen that with the right marketing strategy you can target different consumers effectively.
I can see someone buying both an X1 S2 and a more capable version of the M3 including myself as they really are for two different uses. The X1 for times when I want better sound quality and more serious listening, and the M3 when I want portability. If you have an M3 with bluetooth then I don't think you would need bluetooth on the X series until the audio quality improves. You mentioned the relatively poor sound quality of bluetooth. I have the Sony A17 with LDAC bluetooth and a Sony receiver with LDAC as well and on LDAC (Sound Quality) setting I get a 909 kbps transfer rate, and on the more reliable LDAC (Standard) option I get over 600 kbps, more than enough to stream CD quality sound. LDAC is Sony's proprietary technology but Sony has shown that high quality audio is possible over bluetooth. I have to believe that a more open version of something like LDAC can't be to far away and may be worth implementing once it becomes available.
I think that if Fiio wants to continue to grow in the western markets like Europe and North America you have to start penetrating more categories and the fitness category is a very big one.
I got upset when I found out you were not going to make the M5. I have calmed down and I understand that the production of the M5 depended on the success of the M3. But I truly believe at least for the North American and probably European markets that a more capable version of the M3 could sell very well. I think you need to raise the price point and use a better SOC that doesn't have the 4000 song limit. Have it support a 128 GB microsd card and perhaps most importantly have bluetooth and perhaps a waterproof case. The fitness market is huge between the gym users, runners and cyclists among others. Bluetooth allows the freedom of not having to worry about an iem or earbud cable getting in the way. Waterproof it and it can be used in any kind of weather. When people use it to work out it is less about sound quality and more about portability and freedom.
Even if an M series player ends up being fairly close in price to the X1 they are for different markets. I for one would not take an X1 to go running but I would take something like the M3 provided it was small light, and supported bluetooth headphones and was waterproof or at least came with a waterproof carrying case. You talked about the possibility of an even cheaper M1 but I think that would be a mistake. I think features are more important than price, fitness nuts will pay more for higher quality products if it fits their need. I think if you upgraded the M3 and marketed it towards people who like to exercise you could do very well. I worked in the retail audio market in Canada for several years and I have seen that with the right marketing strategy you can target different consumers effectively.
I can see someone buying both an X1 S2 and a more capable version of the M3 including myself as they really are for two different uses. The X1 for times when I want better sound quality and more serious listening, and the M3 when I want portability. If you have an M3 with bluetooth then I don't think you would need bluetooth on the X series until the audio quality improves. You mentioned the relatively poor sound quality of bluetooth. I have the Sony A17 with LDAC bluetooth and a Sony receiver with LDAC as well and on LDAC (Sound Quality) setting I get a 909 kbps transfer rate, and on the more reliable LDAC (Standard) option I get over 600 kbps, more than enough to stream CD quality sound. LDAC is Sony's proprietary technology but Sony has shown that high quality audio is possible over bluetooth. I have to believe that a more open version of something like LDAC can't be to far away and may be worth implementing once it becomes available.
I think that if Fiio wants to continue to grow in the western markets like Europe and North America you have to start penetrating more categories and the fitness category is a very big one.
thanks, I got your point but we are quite busy right now . also we need more time to check out what should we do in the future. includes we should find out who are the customer of M3, I heard some feedback that customer think the M3 is too expensive , but for audiophile , it looks not like a DAP but just a so so MP3.
tonehk
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thanks, I got your point but we are quite busy right now . also we need more time to check out what should we do in the future. includes we should find out who are the customer of M3, I heard some feedback that customer think the M3 is too expensive , but for audiophile , it looks not like a DAP but just a so so MP3.
Hi, do you have any plan to do something with bluetooth? can be just like M3 but with wireless option. would be great for exercising/jogging? would be a great substitute for the ipod nano which is quite overpriced.
we are focus on X series now, but bluetooth will be a must be features in our new products.
Saoshyant
Headphoneus Supremus
@JamesFiiO For me, the reason to buy the M3 was as a portable alternative to the Rockboxed Sansa Clip+ and Clip Zip. It's something very portable with the capability of playing a wide variety of file types and can power most earbuds and IEMs. There are times where my 1st Gen Fiio X5 is just too big for me to want to carry around, as well as the cost difference in case something happens. There are rather few options for the really small daps, so I was happy to see the M3 when it came along. If I need a little more power, I can strap a small amp to the back of it without increasing the size by much. I'd be interested to see a higher end M model that keeps the same size, and if you managed to get it even smaller I'd be quite delighted.
TheoS53
Headphoneus Supremus
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@JamesFiiO, personally I don't think the M3 is overpriced per se....but I do think you guys often end up shooting yourselves in the foot in terms of design and UI. I think you guys are doing a damn good job in terms of tech specs...but the devices feel like they are created by engineers, not designers. Apple's iDevices are not the best out there in terms of specs, yet they have a massive userbase..this simply comes down to the design of the devices and the UI. In saying this, I don't mean that you guys should make compromises by trading the engineering side in favour of design; but instead to spend a little more time on the design and UI. Heck, let's take the M3's design as an example. Instead of sharp corners and edges, if it was a little more rounded it would already look and feel better designed. QC too is exceptionally important. As noted in my reviews, the screen and USB port on my M3 aren't quite straight.
The UI of a device has a massive impact on how a person perceives the value of a product. As I design websites, I know first hand that how the user interacts with the site has a massive impact on how often they'd end up using it. A perfectly functional site (or any kind of UI) that makes for a confusing or frustrating user experience simply degrades the value of the overall product.
The UI of a device has a massive impact on how a person perceives the value of a product. As I design websites, I know first hand that how the user interacts with the site has a massive impact on how often they'd end up using it. A perfectly functional site (or any kind of UI) that makes for a confusing or frustrating user experience simply degrades the value of the overall product.
sorry, the Soc limited the UI and features, it is not the fales of engineer/UI/UE designer. of course, we can develop our Soc if we are Apple
TheoS53
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sorry, the Soc limited the UI and features, it is not the fales of engineer/UI/UE designer. of course, we can develop our Soc if we are Apple. anyway, you can check the new sansa cause the only Soc they can buy for portable mp3 is the same as our.
Hehe.. Well I'm very glad that you guys aren't like Apple, otherwise I wouldn't own any of your devices :-D
But surely, as far as the UI design is concerned, the way you guys have done it isn't the only possible way of doing it. Would there be any chance that you guys could give us the tools needed to change the look and feel of the UI as you did with the X series?
Please don't get me wrong... I know I'm often very vocal with my criticism towards Fiio, but I have nothing but love for you guys, I simply criticise because I want you guys to become better. And heck, if my criticism leads to a positive change, that's a pretty damn cool thought.
magicalmouse
500+ Head-Fier
thanks, I got your point but we are quite busy right now . also we need more time to check out what should we do in the future. includes we should find out who are the customer of M3, I heard some feedback that customer think the M3 is too expensive , but for audiophile , it looks not like a DAP but just a so so MP3.
hi James, i bought the M3 as i wanted an excellent sounding highly portable player to carry around, i am using it with rha t20 and the combination is excellent, not anything like as good as my x7/am2/se535 but then this setup is not portable in the sense of carrying it around in a pocket when walking etc.
I tend to use it with 320k mp3 files - i would have liked it to accept apple lossless which would have saved the conversion of the files purely for this device.
It was also cheap with long battery life and superb buy for non-critical listening on the move or out and about (great for carrying around while my wife shops!)
d
sorry the firmware was not developed by other company and they can't provide the tool now.
thanks for your support and glad to see you enjoy it. anyway, it is not as good as we hope but it is also not bad. we will see what will happen in the future .
magicalmouse
500+ Head-Fier
I wonder why you think it is not as good as you hoped, i know the UI and screen are not exactly wonderful or easy to use but the sound (which is why people buy fiio) is very good for the size/price, i read all the (english language) reviews before buying and they are uniformally good as far as SQ is concerned (obviously it is not as detailed/airy etc. as the x7 but it is enjoyable and as one reviewer said it has an organic musical SQ which makes music very listenable),
d
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