FiiO M3K

General Information

The all-new M3K is a Hi-Res music player with long battery life at an affordable price. Come check out more info below.

The M3K features:
* Powered by the Ingenic X1000E processor
* Utilizes a proven and well-received AKM AK4376A DAC
* Up to 24 hours battery life and 38 days standby time
* High-fidelity recording functionality
* All-new AB functionality
* Supports various lossless audio formats with PCM up to 384kHz/32-bit
* Asynchronous USB DAC supports up to 192kHz/24 bit audio
* Rapid file transfers through OTG
* Refined and seamless aluminum body design
* Bright and attractive 2.0-inch IPS screen
* Capacitive buttons + touchpad for operation
* Thoroughly modern, cool UI
* Tailor your music with the graphic equalizer
* Up to 2TB of storage expansion
* Hi-Res Audio certified

You can learn more at: https://www.fiio.com/m3k

Latest reviews

Johnny Mac

New Head-Fier
Pros: Great clarity and balanced sound, responsive and lag-free UI, colored display, battery life, includes a silicon case out of the box, price
Cons: Constant display taps thinking it support touch controls
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It’s easy to say that most of us remember our 1st time moments, they only not help us have an emotional attachment to the moment but to the things involved in the moment as well. I could still remember when I was younger and joined some local audio meet and have a taste of what audiophile’s love and are passionate about. One of the 1st audiophile brands that I was able to encounter on the said meet was FiiO. A company based off CN that started in 2007 with an aspiration of raising the reputation of the often misunderstood “Made in China” statement.

It has been quite a while since I have used a FiiO music player, the last being the X1 1st gen and with the audiophile scene being too competitive as of date forced companies to follow the traditional smartphone trend of releasing different lines of products annually. One of these recent releases of FiiO is the M3K music player, sent in as a loaner review unit from Holysai Thailand (FiiO’s official distributor) in exchange for an honest review, there were no monetary factors involved. The FiiO M3K is priced at $70 worldwide and 2,490baht in Thailand. You can check it out off Holysai’s official website.

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The FiiO M3K’s tagline of “Affordable Musical Bliss” will be put to the test and will indeed answer some of our questions of how affordable is defined by FiiO standards and how far have they’ve come with regards to their aspiration of raising the reputation of “Made in China”.

Specifications and Packaging

FiiO M3k Spec sheet:
  • SoC (Main processor): Ingenic X1000E
  • DAC: AK4376A
  • Screen: 2.0 inch IPS display
  • Operation: touchpad + capacitive touch buttons
  • Dimensions: 90.8mm x 44.2mm x 12mm
  • Weight: 77.5g
  • Charging time: <2.5hours (DC5V/2A charger)
  • Battery life: >24hours
  • Standby time: >38days
  • Battery: 1100mAh lithium-ion polymer battery
  • Storage: micro-SD card (supports up to 2TB)
  • Power output: >25Mw (32
  • Frequency Response: 5Hz-90kHz (-3Db)
  • SNR: >117Db (A-weighted)
  • Output Impedance: <1 (32 load)
  • Recommended drive loads: 16-100
  • THD + N: 0.004%(1kHz/32)
  • Noise floor: <2uV
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The FiiO M3K came in a white cardboard box which features the M3K snapshot upfront and the Hi-Res certification, the minor product details and specifications. Inside this white cardboard box is a black cardboard box which when opened immediately shows the FiiO M3K which is protected by a clear plastic wrap while being housed in a black rubber silicon case. The accessory set is minimal here which is completed with a M3K manual, warranty card and charging/data transfer cable. The addition of a silicon case is commendable for a $70 music player, even the xDuoo x3ii for $120 didn’t come with one.

Build quality, User Interface and Handling
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With an all-aluminum body and tempered glass combo, the FiiO M3K right off the bat makes its owner engage a premium feel for just $70. The curved sides also aids for easier handling along with a the silicon case which I preferred to use rather than a bare M3K as it still retains some sharp edges along the top and bottom sides. The front of the M3K is where the tempered glass takes its abode which supports the 5 touch pad controls which has white backlights (next/previous track, confirmation, back, and menu keys). Underneath the tempered glass front too is the 2 inch IPS display which gets bright (10 levels) enough when I used it outdoors, there were some struggle with it however it was when the sun is fully out which is where the alternate capacitive touch buttons (lock/unlock, volume up/down and pause/play) plays it role. The decision to place all the capacitive touch buttons on the left side of the M3K worked great for a right handed guy like me and I hope it would work well with a left-handed individual as well.
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The M3K’s UI is straightforward and simple with absolutely zero learning curve unless you haven’t used any sort of music player, dedicated or even an app on your mobile device. There are 5 main categories (Browse Files, Categories, Recording, Play Settings and System Settings) to navigate. One thing I immediately noticed when using the M3K was it didn’t automatically update its music library when I plugged in SD card even after checking that the “auto-update library” was turned on so I had to do it manually (FW1.3.0). The ability to do audio recording was a nice feature as well with the microphone on the M3K strategically placed on the top portion of the sides with discreet grill cutouts which the black silicon case also emphasized, the recording is decent at best even when using the High option, but the functionality is there. The presence of custom EQ’s are also present and can be user modified based on preference and since yours truly isn’t a fan of EQ (for now) then we’ll leave it at that.
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Day to day usage of the M3K has been great personally as it fits easily on any portable space that I usually have and I was a fan of the black silicon case that was included with its exceptional job of keeping the M3K well protected and avoid the usual slippery effect on most all metal devices except when showing off which renders the case, disposable. The capacitive touch buttons had great tactile feedback when pressed and easy to be added on your daily muscle memory routine. The touchpad was where it got tricky for me as I often find myself using the IPS display itself completely forgetting it isn’t a touch display, the touch display controls were reliable though and had on point response, users with bigger hands might struggle, and that’s given though with the M3K’s small footprint.

Stability and Connectivity
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There were zero instances of UI freezes, sudden shutdown, track stoppage encountered with the M3K when I had it with me which is praiseworthy enough and hits that “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations that FiiO has, it’s still possible though that minor UI stability issues will occur which all electronic device eventually encounter every now and then. The stability aspect of the M3K gets an excellent thumbs up for me.
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The FiiO M3K sports the already outdated Micro USB-B for its charging, data transfer and external DAC (192 kHz/24bit) functions which for $70 is really not a downside, what more if they made this Type-C. Beside this charging port is the dedicated Micro SD-card slot which supports up to 2TB of storage expansion as well as OTG support for Android devices. Completing the trio of ports on the bottom of the M3K is the 3.5mm audio jack and has a gold-plated metal reinforcement which once again a nod to that “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations. The connectivity options that the FiiO M3K offers almost made me check the Bluetooth function which seemed natural to be featured in a device this well-built until I realized this thing is just $70.

Sound Quality and Battery Life
The FiiO M3K supports almost all the lossless formats such as APE, AIFF, FLAC, WAV, MP3, OGG, M4A, ALAC, ISO, DFF and DSF. It also made the move to get Hi-Res certification for the user’s peace of mind and for what’s worth, that’s cool. With all the formalities out of the way, the FiiO M3K sounded clean and almost clinical for the duration that I had it me, the clarity of delivery for each frequency is rendered exceptionally with no noticeable changes in tonality. If your mobile phone (assuming the $70 target market) is heavily leaning towards either the warm or bright signature, the FiiO M3K indeed offers a fresh musical experience than you are used to. I wouldn’t recommend the M3K for those looking for specific sonic changes in either the low end, midrange or high frequencies. A different story altogether if you are looking for an affordable clarity-based music player.

With an advertised battery life of 24 hours, FiiO indeed meant business with the M3K. For the full month that I had the M3K, I was only able to charge it 3 times! 1 tried pushing the M3K to its limits by charging it at 100% and by playing a 16/44 track until either reaching a battery drain or getting it to warm, getting too warm came 1st at almost 8 hour non-stop audio playback and still managed to clock in at 34% battery status. That’s already an impressive showing although I still believe battery life is still relative to the user’s musical preference and usage behavior. How the M3K performed without issues from its UI flow and battery life performance further reinforces the fact the FiiO is indeed going the right way.

Conclusion

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FiiO has had a lot of audiophile products released and discontinued from the time that I 1st encountered their philosophy and while I was busy with my own audio journey, it’s nice to see FiiO still going strong all the while as well. The FiiO M3K didn’t only deliver to their “Affordable Musical Bliss” promise for the M3K but it also gave nod to their “raising the reputation of Made in China” aspirations. It delivers a clean and straightforward sound approach on a sturdy build with a reliable and stable UI and impressive battery life for a price that is well, affordable.

Dobrescu George

Reviewer: AudiophileHeaven
Pros: + Metallic build quality, with a glass front
+ Buttons on the side for easy blind navigation and volume control
+ Accessible price
+ Small form design, yet easy to navigate and browse
+ Clear, puncy sound with excellent transparecy
+ Excellent price to performance ratio
+ Outstanding battery blife
Cons: - No Balanced Output
- Not a lot of driving power, best for 64OHM or less IEMs / Headphones
- EQ isn't effective as it doesn't allow for custom profiles
Sleek Performer - FiiO M3K Ultraportable Player Review



FiiO M3K is the most affordable entry from their new M series, and it is surely pretty interesting, with a good battery life, full metallic build quality, and a warm price point of just 70 USD.


Introduction

I think everyone has heard at least once about FiiO, and I need to do a little bit on this part for every review, so this time I'm going to tell you something you probably haven't heard about before. Besides being some of the best in terms of providing warranty, and helping their customers, FiiO have been one of the first audiophile portable companies to get popular in Romania. Back when they began gaining traction around here, there were very few companies that provided the kind of quality FiiO did, and I'm happy to see they are still doing now, being one of the most popular brand audiophiles here own.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with FiiO, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by FiiO or anyone else. I'd like to thank FiiO for providing the sample for the review. The sample was provided along with FiiO's request for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal experience with FiiO M3K. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in FiiO M3K find their next music companion.



About me

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:













FiiO M3K comes with a black rubber case, and a USB cable. For 70 USD, I have no complaints, and given its inputs, outputs and overall design, there's not much else I could have wished for, like it was with K3.



What to look in when purchasing an entry-level DAP

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html



Technical Specifications

FiiO is always plentiful with offering Technical Specifications, and I'm happy for it.








Build Quality/Aesthetics/UI/Firmware

FiiO M3K is a fully metallic device, with a glass front, and a larger vertical touch bar in the middle.

There are play, volume, and power buttons on the left side of the device, and there is a 3.5mm Single Ended Headphone Output at the bottom, next to a microSD card reader, and a microUSB USB Port.







The overall aesthetic is pretty basic, and I'm okay with that, for a 70 USD DAP, this is absolutely okay. The main touch feature works really well with my hands, and the display is both bright enough and readable enough for daylight usage. Since it is a mini-DAP (ultraportable), it doesn't have a large display, but that is all the better, since they managed to keep its size down.

The EQ is very basic, and it won't be useful for most people, since it doesn't offer custom profiles. There are Forward, Backward, Menu and back buttons next to the larger touch bar, and all of those are capacitive touch buttons as well, so nothing to press, just touch.


I love the way the headphone output looks very serious, and as a device, M3K has excellent handing, it isn't too light, it doesn't feel uneasy, it has rounded edges, and quite honestly, it is excellent. Taking the friendly price point into account makes me think that FiiO did a good amount of market study before releasing M3K.

There is not much fluff besides the main music playing ability, but I can say that browsing music on M3K has got to be one of the most natural experiences I have ever had, on a non-touch screen player. It most certainly beats ultraportables with touch, where the display was too small and my fingers couldn't control them.

Having the volume buttons on the site is a great idea, like this I'm not afraid of breaking a volume wheel, and I can throw M3K in a bag, or in a pocket while doing some jogging. Furthermore, having the silicone case included in the package helps as well.




The battery life of M3K is not to be underestimated, this is one of the best battery standby lives I've seen in a Player, being able to stay alive for almost a week in stand-by. The play time is close to 12 hours with loud volumes and FLAC files, so amazing overall design. You won't be hindered by M3K if you want to go on a mountain trip and have some music with you.

M3K sports a very strong CPU inside, and its entire operation is lightning fast, and a pleasure really.

The powr abilities of M3K are extremely low, 42mW on high gain, basically being able to power a 64 OHM headphone at most, my recommendation being to try to use it mostly with 32OHM or less headphones for best results, if you like to listen really loud.



Sound Quality

The sound of M3K is one of those really neutral and reference sounds, but with a really sweet and musical gently bright treble, neutral and quick bass with a very solid hit, and a very neutral and natural midrange.



The bass can reach very low, and it has a very solid hit, being one of the more punchy types of sounds. It is able to keep up with death metal when using IEMs, like FiiO F9Pro.

The midrange is sweet and also very neutral, and what's best, it has a really good way of portraying the soundstage exactly as it was recorded, when a song was recorded in an intimate setting, M3K plays it that way, while when a song was recorded in a grand location, M3K is very capable of playing a wide sound. The details are simply unbelievable for a 70 USD Player, and of course, as other reviews have pointed out, M3K is a more neutral type of device, not overly smooth, which really helps with rendering fine details better.

The treble is a sweet glazing for the whole sound, finely bright, but not shouty, nor rolled off. Basically, a neutral kind of treble, but which has a sweet tinge to it, everything being sweet and airy, instead of hot or metallic, or rolled off and too smooth to be neutral.

Overall, I find the signature of M3K to be perfect for someone who wants a transparent DAP that acts as a clear window to your music, and which can give you countless pairing options, with IEMs with any sonic style.



Portable Usage

The small shape, low weight, and great battery life all make M3K an excellent portable player. Furthermore, it is able to drive most IEMs with an impedance lower than 64OHM, and this includes some heavy weight ones, like HIFIMAN RE800 Silver.



Furthermore, M3K is both light, can be used in direct sunlight, and also has an ergonomic shape, making it very simple to take with, especially when going out and about. You can throw it in a bag, and nothing will happen to it.

Taking into account how quick the CPU inside is, and the fact that I haven't run into any issue with it while using it, I can recommend it as a trusty portable device.




Select Pairings

Given its really friendly price, I tried finding a few more pocket-friendly IEMs to pair with M3K. FiiO F9Pro, Shozy CP, and FiiO FH5 are the IEMs of choice for this review.

FiiO M3K + FiiO F9Pro - FiiO F9Pro was already a fairly neutral IEM, and M3K is fairly neutral as well, resulting in a very reference and neutral sound, which is very revealing, very clear, crisp, punchy and quick, with good impact. The dynamics aren't its forte, but the detail and textures are. The bass is quick, but reaches low, and the soundstage is wide. The treble is fairly sweet and not fatiguing, yet has enough sparkle to be fun and engaging.

FiiO M3K + Shozy CP - Shozy CP is a mid-forward IEM, which pairs quite well with M3K, as M3K is able to highlight its true beauty, CP being a really sweet IEM in the mids, and M3K bringing that to an even better level. The bass is low in quantity, and M3K respects Shozy CP's original signature and tuning. The treble, pretty smooth and non fatiguing, keeps some of M3K's sweet character making this pairing very easy to recommend for those in love with a more forward midrange.


FiiO M3K + FiiO FH5 - FiiO FH5 is quite a bit more expensive than M3K, but M3K is still very capable of driving it, and to give very good results with it. FH5 is known for a larger and slower bass, and this is where M3K comes in handy, as it speeds up FH5's bass a bit, makes it a bit smaller in comparison to the midrange, and makes the whole signature more balanced. Furthermore, the treble gets more even, as FH5 is known to have a bit of an upper midrange / lower treble emphasis, and M3K helps with that as well. The soundstage also gets a touch wider, which complements FH5's more intimate signature well to create a more natural and even experience for the listener.



Comparisons

Given its price point and design, M3K mainly competes with Ultraportables, like Shanling M0, Shanling M2s and HIFIMAN Megamini.



FiiO M3K vs Shanling M0 - Shanling M0 is quite different from M3k, as it has a touch screen, comes with cases, and is smaller physically. This being said, M3K has a larger battery life. M0 has more functions and features. In terms of sound, M0 is much smoother, M3K has better detail, quicker overall speed to its entire sound, a more solid bass, and a brighter treble, where M0 is considerably smoother and has less treble bite. They both can drive pretty much the same IEMs, and you should make your decision based on which you want more, a touch screen ultra portable, or a more classical one, and also on whether you want a more reference and neutral DAP, like M3K, or a smoother, warmer one like M0.

FiiO M3K vs HIFIMAN Megamini - HIFIMAN Megamini is still very interesting, especially now that it often goes on sale. Megamini is more minimalistic, and honestly, harder to browse and use in practice, but the sound is considerably better than M3K, better driving power, more vivid, more forward, more aggressive, more detailed and more clear overall sound. This being said, M3K has the sweeter treble, more natural, more gentle, yet more airy treble. Megamini feels very wide, but not overly deep, where M3K is both wide and deep when the music has the soundstage cues inside. Between Megamini and M3K, your decision should be made based on whether you want a warmer, smoother in the treble DAP, like Megamini, which can be very minimalistic, and a bit harder to browse through, or a much easier to browse through DAP, with a more natural sound, like M3K.


FiiO M3K vs Shanling M2s - Shanling M2s is an older model from Shanling, now to be replaced by M2X soon. The price of M2s is a touch higher than M3K, but either way, many people consider M2s or M3k, since they are similar in shape and design. Now, both are fully metallic device, but M2s uses a little volume wheel for browsing, where M3K has that middle touch stripe. M2s from Shanling has Hiby Link and a few features that M3K doesn't. Both devices handle well in practice, but I feel more secure with the touch strip of M3K in the long run, as the wheel of M2s can be broken while in a backpack. The sound is much smoother on M2s, with less refinement and detail, M2s is more wooly, and has a much thicker sound, has a deeper sound, with more weight and impact, can be considered more musical, and has much less fatigue. M3K feels much much more neutral, has a much better overall detail revealing ability, is quicker, punchier, more nimble, and has a much better treble extension with a more sweet and clean treble.



Value and Conclusion

I spoiled the surprise about the price from the beginning of this review, but man, it is refreshing to see a DAP (Digital Audio Player) in the 70USD price point do so much for the listener. Of course, with M3K, I'm not talking about features and fluff, but rather about a pure listening experience, tuned and tailored for the purist.



Starting with the package, you get a rubber case and a USB cable, but that's more than enough for the price point, and the rubber case may actually come in handy for an ultra-portable.

The build quality is still excellent, a full metallic body, a good CPU underneath, and an excellent battery in the house. Furthermore, the touch operation is pretty flawless, and I found M3K to be very natural in navigation.

The sound is very neutral and clear, clean, and transparent, yet the treble somehow manages to be very sweet, the bass is very solid and punchy, while the midrange is really well fit in its place, making M3K a truly magic experience, especially for a budget DAP.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a clean and clear ultra-portable, with a neutral tuning, clear sound, good detail revealing abilities, excellent battery life, and an ergonomic, metallic build, then you should totally check out M3K, an outstanding budget ultraportable DAP.



Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date

Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U &amp; Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares


I hope my review is helpful to you!

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Reactions: volly and Zelda
M
msvrthexkid
Hi, can you please tell some trusted source for lossless music format!?
Dobrescu George
Dobrescu George
Tidal is one of them, if you don't want to purchase CDs and rip them personally. Otherwise, you can always purchase from HDTracks, and from Bandcamp, all of those being some of my main and favorite sources.

Zelda

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Build quality; Compact and comfortable design
Easy UI; Stable firmware; Battery; DAC support
Neutral and smooth overall sound, with nice midrange
Price
Cons: No Bluetooth support (nothing serious for the price)
REVIEW - Fiio M3K

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Website - Fiio


Official M3K info

Specifications

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Design & Build Quality

The new Fiio M3K surely classifies as a very portable player, and close to fit the ultra portable category if it wasn't for the so compact previous M3 model, the ongoing Sandisk Clip options or more advanced Shanling M0 (and would include the Lotoo Pico too), and still compares well against some xDuoo smaller players (X3 or D3). Super compact players are cool but of course present some limitations. The M3K is just right with the longer design and the usual convenient physical buttons, not to mention the internal room for a better processor and battery.


On the build quality, the M3K is quite great with the all aluminum body and tempered glass at the whole front panel. The device is made by a single metal piece in a completely smooth finish and rounded sides. Moreover, Fiio gave the M3K a more modern look, similar to the X1-ii version (with some hints of the upper Sony players too). The player weight is also very optimal of just ~70g and quite pocket friendly as well.

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The button and connections are well arranged. On the left side there are four physical buttons, upper one for power on/off which also works for turn screen on/off, below the volume up and down long button, and then the play/pause button. The play button can be also set for A-B repeat function (if anyone ever cares about that feature). Worth noting that the volume and playback buttons also work when the screen is off and won't turn it on unless the upper button is pressed. However, it is not possible to lock any of them, at least on the current firmware version.

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At the bottom, the micro-USB slot for charging and data management, and also to use the M3K as external DAC. In the middle, the micro SD card slot and the 3.5mm headphone jack nicely covered by gold colored ring. At the top there is just the microphone small dot as the player supports voice recording. There is no internal storage on the player, so the recording will be saved to the micro SD memory.


The rectangular front panel is divided for the screen and sensor touch pad which consists of a vertical sliding bar and one touch button on each corner.

User Interface & Software

Apart from the four buttons at left side of the player, all the navigation and settings adjustment is done by the touch pad, and feels very intuitive. A full implemented touch screen would be asking too much, especially a good quality one. Instead, the touch controls are more inspired on the X1 ii and X3 iii designs. In the middle, a vertical sliding touch bar for fast menu and folder scrolling, similar to the touch wheel on the above X1 and X3 versions. Single touch on the bar is for play/pause or confirm.

The display is just of 2" with 240x320 of resolution. Angle view is decent and the colors are enough for the simple album art when available.


There is one touch button on each of the four corners. Lower left and right are used for previous and next, and rewind and fast forward on the playback screen, and can be also used for up and down navigation. Upper left icon is for shortcuts menu, if applied on the current screen, while the upper right icon is the back button or return to the home main screen if held a few seconds. The touch pad brightness may be also set on the settings options.

Getting used to the different interface may take some time, but the response is fairly accurate and relatively fast. If anything, navigating through long file lists can be annoying with the short vertical bar, less convenient than when using the touch wheel.

On the current firmware the system is very stable, way better than many other Chinese portable players at this price point, with no bugs to mention so far. The boot takes a few seconds to finish, but it shuts down much faster. Overall, everything looks simple and easy to use.
Battery

Very good, indeed. Rated to work to 24 hrs, and in practice it is around 20 hrs or more. The battery indicator bar is not the most accurate with just 5 bars, but the M3K can be easily used continuously for some days without caring about recharging it.


"SQ" icon is shown on high quality files (Flac, Wave, etc.)


Sound Quality

Overall the M3K has a rather neutral sound presentation in a very smooth and linear way. It is not a warm sounding DAP but there's a faint sense of musicality and hint of sweetness that goes on the midrange with some emphasis on vocals, and little bit elevation on the lower treble.

Bass is very neutral and linear with decent grade of resolution for the price. Quantity wise, it is small with not much impact and attack power, easily perceived with dark or warmer earphones; a good thing as it doesn't add color to the sound, but does limit the fun factor. As for quality, it has very good control and flat texture, average layering with no much dynamics. The speed is normal with quick decay, but not to be paired with fast balanced armature drivers or higher end stuff. The extension is decent without much rumble. Overall it is clean and detailed bass response.

The midrange is probably the most favorable part out the M3K. Well balanced on the whole from low to upper mids, mostly neutral if just a little bit north of. Clean thanks to the softer bass emphasis, fairly natural in timbre and very smooth. Clarity is good, not missing much of micro detail considering the price; not cold or leaner type of tonality, with a bit of musicality flavor. Separation is decent, nothing outstanding but fair enough, though instruments can sound too soft and light. On the other hand, the M3K adds some delicate hint of sweetness to vocals; not too thick with more mid-centered sets and yet less distant with more v-shaped options. More enjoyable, nonetheless, especially with female singers, and good for modern pop or rock, if less favorable for classic or orchestral pieces.

The treble continues the neutral formula, not as reserved as the bass, but overall smooth and safe. Limited on the upper extension, yet keeps good level of resolution. Balanced giving a slight brightness to the lower treble region. The control is surprisingly good; not missing the attack and bite when paired with brighter earphones but retains the overall musicality.

Sound stage is about average, which is fine for a budget player. Not my option for open headphones or mid-level IEMs, but okay for closed sets and many IEMs on the $200 and below. With the bit of forward midrange the presentation is more intimate; again, great match for vocal oriented music. Nevertheless, the overall natural timbre and delicate sense of musicality make a good deal out of the M3K.

Driving power is good for anything that's easy to drive. The specs are more 'honest' with the recommended impedance going just up to ~100 ohm, not overrating the player capabilities. The M3K can get loud enough with most of the IEMs I could try (some listed above) with just 20 volume steps. With larger headphones like the Meze 99 had to raise the volume to around 35~40, and still didn't reach half of full volume steps. The differences from one to step to another are easy noticed, and with more sensitive IEMs it may be either a bit too loud or too low, but apart from that it's comfortable with most gears used on the go.
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Zelda
Zelda
Yes. The volume + and - can be used as next/previous if held a few seconds. however, it only works when screen is off
ArlakTheRecluse
ArlakTheRecluse
Thanks, you've sold me on this DAP now lol. That functionality is exactly what I needed to have to get this to work for me.
ArlakTheRecluse
ArlakTheRecluse
Actually bought it now, I'll post my opinion on it when I break it in.

Comments

JK1

Headphoneus Supremus
The M3K does seem like a very nice player, however I wish there would be a player based on the m3K platform that is a clip on player, and has FM radio(HD radio greatly preferred). Hopefully such a player would also have at least 24 hours of battery life.
 

chowmein83

500+ Head-Fier
The M3K does seem like a very nice player, however I wish there would be a player based on the m3K platform that is a clip on player, and has FM radio(HD radio greatly preferred). Hopefully such a player would also have at least 24 hours of battery life.
Maybe you could take a look at the Fiio M7? It has a claimed 20 hours of battery life (not quite hitting 24 hours but close) and has FM radio too. The only thing is that it isn't a clip on player, though the M7 isn't that much bigger than the M3K, just being somewhat taller.
 

JK1

Headphoneus Supremus
The M3K does seem like a very nice player, however I wish there would be a player based on the m3K platform that is a clip on player, and has FM radio(HD radio greatly preferred). Hopefully such a player would also have at least 24 hours of battery life.
I am looking for something better to replace my Sandisk Clip players. The Clip players have FM radio and a built in clip. What I don't like about the Clip Sport is the 2,000 song limit for each database, the card database, and the database for the built in memory. The original Fiio M3 has better sound quality than the Clip Sport and Clip Zip(and Clip+ and Clip Jam), and the Fiio players also put out much more power than the Sandisk players.

The Fiio M7 is 53% larger, 50% heavier, and around triple the price of the M3K. It even has less battery life than the M3K. Having 24 hr battery life is the absolute minimum I would accept now, however ideally I want 40 hours or more in a small lightweight inexpensive player. I don't like the idea of spending over $100 for a player, especially one that doesn't use a common easily swappable battery. Having said that, if the M7 had HD radio, 40 hours of battery life, and was priced at $150, I guess I might have splurged on it.

My issue with battery life is that it decreases over time and with use, so if it is 24 hours initially, after a few years it may be 12 hours or less. If it starts out at 40 hours, then it will still be over 20 hours for quite a while.

I already have several players, the original Fiio X1, which I keep at home due to its size, bulk, and short battery life, the original Fiio M3,
and Sandisk Clip Zip and Clip Sport players. I also have two Sandisk Clip+ players that need to be used with an external usb battery pack as their batteries no longer hold much power.

Even though the M3K isn't perfect, it looks like a nice improvement over the original M3, and I will probably buy one.
 
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