xDuoo NANO D3

The speed of the ui is slow, when ever you go to switch tracks, or simply going thru the menu it lags, there been times where I press the back button to go back up but because I pressed it more then once I’d end up going back to the main menu. Not to mention if you don’t press the buttons hard enough the device wont pick up the press. The display is nice and bright, easy to read.

Some times when the display is asleep trying to change the track will cause the same one to play again, til you awake the display and try it again. I had it happen often but not every time when display goes to sleep.

While the D3 nano does come with 8GB of built in storage, it supports up to 256GB in micro SD. The read speed of the built in storage is fast, but for some reason external micro-SD storage is slow, even if the micro-SD in question is actually fast in other devices. The nano will take it’s time scanning for tracks.


I wasn’t able to try the Line out port on my unit as the port did not work so it seem to be some QC issues, unless I’m just missing something. When I used the D3 headphone out I didn’t have any issues and it paired very well it with my Sound magic P30s, CCA CRA, ATH-CLR100ISBK and the ER2Se. The HP port supplies 250mW @ 32ohms, not enough for my sundara when I tried, I had to set the volume settings high and even then I didn’t sound right to my ears.

The gain setting is set to 3+ with no way to lower it, While I don’t use EQ my self, it did give one the option to change their sound profile with the EQ presets as well had an option to create your own eq settings.


Battery life I found to be very good, better then the 2-3ish time of my old Ipod nano 7th. With the D3 having 20 hours of play back time, but the time it takes to charge is around 3 hours using a 5V 1A charger. But the positive is you only need to charge it once a week which is good.


In my hands The D3 nano feels durability and I been carrying around in my pocket without it being a problem to the D3. No issues or problem, The included screen protectors is a nice addition for this. The buttons could be better due to the issues I mention.

Every song that I tried with the D3 nano sounded very good to my ears, Better then my iPod nano 7th gen. Which was one of the main reasons aside from improved battery life ipod and removable micro SD which the ipod doesn’t have.

But sadly the issues the D3 nano has hurts it’s, when I bought mine it came with 1.6v firmware, even so I thought it would at-least help with the issues, I saw other users mention, sadly it did not. If the issues was some how fixed and the D3 UI was improved, then this little device would be worth recommending.

Today we're checking out the XDuoo Nano D3.

After some great experiences with the XDuoo X3, I was looking forward to the Nano D3. Small in size with better battery life and a more modern UI. What could go wrong? Read on...


Disclaimer:

Thanks to Penon Audio for arranging and providing a sample of the Nano D3 for review. The thoughts within this review are my own and do not represent Penon, XDuoo, or any other entity. No financial incentive was provided.

At the time of this review the Nano D3 could be purchased for 79.00 USD: https://penonaudio.com/xduoo-nano-d3.html

What I'm looking for:

When it comes to portable amps and DAPS I take a pretty casual approach. If you're looking for an in-depth look at this thing with measurement graphs going over THD, sinewaves, etc. you'll want to look elsewhere. None of that matters to me, nor do the compenents inside that make the device tick. All I really care about is ease of use, how well it can drive my headphones and earphones, and if they still sound good to me plugged into it. Great battery life is a bonus. This review will be mainly my subjective experiences with the Nano D3 and how it has served me over the last few months.

Specifications:

From XDuoo's site. I'm not typing all this out.


**Note that the battery is actually 950mAh, not 900 as shown in the image, and on the packaging for that matter. I opened mine up to check after finding out the Auglamour GR-1's battery was smaller than advertised.**

Packaging and Accessories:

The front of the Nano D3's packaging contains an image of the device and some features set on top of a blurred out image of a woman wearing headphones. On the rear is an extensive list of features and specifications along with some contact information for XDuoo.

Inside is a dense black cardboard box emblazoned with the XDuoo branding. Lifting the lid sees the Nano D3 securely set within a foam insert. Underneath is a which cardboard box containing the accessories. In all you get:

• Nano D3
• Screen protector x2
• Micro USB cable
• Warranty card
• Instruction manual

Overall a barren kit, but this is a budget player so I'm not expecting XDuoo to bundle in a ton of stuff. That they even bothered including some screen protectors is greatly appreciated.


Build:

The Nano D3's shell and buttons are constructed out of CNC machined aluminum. Fit and finish is quite good with all the ports lining up properly, and the back plate fitting with only a slight gap to one side, not large enough to squeeze a finger nail in. It feels durable enough, being metal and all, but squeezing the sizes and pushing on the back you can see and feel the flex. I'm sure it'll hold up fine to abuse, but it lacks the same sense of quality that you get from other players like the XDuoo X3, F.Audio S1, and even the plastic HiFiMan MegaMini. Labeling seems to be lazer etched into the aluminum which is great because you won't have to worry about it rubbing off over time. The screen is vibrant and clear, and quite bright. Really bright actually. You can't adjust it. Enjoy blinding yourself and everyone around you should you choose to use it at night.

Battery:

At 20 hours the Nano D3's 950 mAh battery life is pretty good, though 3 hours of charging is a little long when the F.Audio S1 charge in 2-2.5 hours despite a 1,300 mAh battery. As long as you're not a power user, you should be good to charge the Nano D3 once a week as the standby time also seems pretty decent. It is at the very least miles better than what you from a device like the Walnut V2S which has an abysmally short standby.


Using the Nano D3:

The firmware out of the box is hilariously laggy, taking about a second to register any button press. Upgrading the v1.3, while it worked, shortened that delay significantly, though it was still slightly laggy and plenty unresponsive. You need to really hammer on the buttons to get them to register a press, even though you're getting audible feedback via a satisfying “snick”.

The menu layouts, minus the annoying grid-based home layout that you can only cycle through left to right, are logical and clear. Some features like screen brightness and gapless playback are missing, but in general you've got everything you'll want and need in a budget DAP.

How does it sound. Meh? I found it to be a fairly lean sounding player with lots of roll off in the bass. Treble is nicely extended and quite detailed, though that's partly due to the thin note presentation. Mids are again nice and clear but are a touch bright and tend to exaggerate sibilance. Not a device you want to be pairing with bright earphones or headphones, like the Echobox Finder X1 or HiFiMan HE-350. Sound stage is good though. The lean presentation allows for lots of air between instruments and effects. Pair it with an earphone that already had good staging and you're in for a treat.

It also has plenty of driving power, able to push somewhat demanding earphones like the Havi B3 Pro I and II, and the KEF M200 to listening volumes without much hassle. For headphones like the thinksound On2 and Campfire Audio Cascade, I found an amp was beneficial adding a little more umph to the presentation and improving bass control.

Bugs and Quirks:

Messing around with the EQ, I found that if you maxed it out in either direction, it would reset to 0 despite showing at +6. Not a huge concern because I found the effect it had on the overall sound was surprisingly minimal. The various presets which I find terrible on any device that has them, no exception here, are going to be more useful I suspect.

Changing between songs resulted in a massive and unsettling pop. That seems to have gone away over time and instead you're just left with an annoying background hiss. Lovely.

After updating to the most recent firmware found on Xduoo's site, v1.3, I ran into a pretty nasty bug. Turn on the player and you'll see the screen light up, but no picture. If you plug in a pair of headphones you'll hear music playing and you can navigate the menus (hopefully you've got them memorized...), but you can't see jack. So yeah, it's been relegated to essentially a featureless, screenless player that cycles through whatever is on the SD card in shuffle.

I'm sure there are more but the device was pretty much useless following the update to v1.3 so my notes and testing ended there.

Final Thoughts:

Nope. Not a fan. I like the looks and the build (mostly) and the mid-range and up is quality stuff, as it the soundstage, but the bass roll off really saps all power from the presentation. The laggy UI and unresponsive buttons make interacting with the Nano D3 a exercise in patience, of which I have little when it comes to electronics. The screen looks great but the lack of adjustable brightness is a pretty silly oversight. Lastly, don't update to firmware v1.3 unless you want to risk watching your snazzy player become virtually unusable. POn the bright side, at least we got some pretty pictures out of it.

Thanks for stopping by.

- B9Scrambler

Overview

The Nano D3, one of the last audio players from xDuoo. With a RKNanoD chip from Rockchip (and thus the model name), it goes back to the more compact design for best portable use, close to what the first X2 model was like. Keeping the a good quality screen like the X10 model, a much easier and simple interface, and while it skips some cool features it compensates with the best battery performance among all the xDuoo players products up to date. Solid build quality too with good sound quality for something priced just around the $80.

Nano D3 page


Specifications



Price (msrp): $80. Or $75 (and sometimes lower) from Gearbest

Like all the xDuoo products, the Nano D3 arrives in a simple cardboard box; soft outer box and more solid inner box, and thanks to the small player design the box is also smaller and lighter (and easier to overlook by customs).

Inside you’ll find the Nano player itself and a small white box beneath with a manual, extra screen protector and USB-to-MicroUSB cable.


Design and Interface

While the Nano D3 takes the name of the chip inside, it also is ‘nano’ with its compact and most portable design. It goes back to the X2 small design, but just a bit larger and pays off with more comfortable interface, better color screen and overall build quality. The whole body is made of thick CNC aluminum material, very well finished and smooth to the touch without any sharp ends. The buttons both on the front panel and right side are well assembled with no rattling sound, and they of the same CNC material too.

The buttons layout and all the connection ports are well distributed. On the upper side there are the MicroSD slot and the MicroUSB port.


The Nano D3 only supports one micro card, unlike the X3 and X10 which had 2 slots, probably trying to save in space; not a major disadvantage, as it is the first player from the company that has an inner storage of 8GB.

On the lower side, there are the two output options, headphone jack and LineOut, both for normal or mic’ 3.5mm plugs, and do accept TRRS balanced plugs (despite not having a real balanced output).


Note on the LineOut port: while it’s meant to be used for extra amplification, it doesn’t function as with the X3 or X10 that simply set the volume to the max 100 step. Instead, the D3 keeps the same current volume and needs to be adjusted manually, but drops a large amount of dB in the volume level. It takes around half the volume down that using fairly easy to drive sets like the Monk Plus/Lite (64/40ohms) or some less sensitive IEMs the volume can reach the 100 range and still sound safe enough. However, the volume does not go down back to the ‘Phone’ level, so you’d take care when plugging the headphones back to that port as it gets really loud.

On the right side are 3 common buttons, power button that acts for screen on/off too and volume, and also the ‘reset’ slot.


On the front panel are 4 more buttons for playback and navigation. In the middle there’s the play/pause/enter larger button, a back button on the left that also works to return to the main screen when held for a few seconds and back to the playing screen, and the up/down for both navigation through menus and music playback.


The screen occupies around 60~70% of the front panel and it is actually of fairly good quality for a small 2” display. Very similar to the X10, and for half or less of the price it has good resolution, depth, color and brightness. The brightness level is fixed, but has a wide angle view.

Battery is rated up to 20hrs of continuous use. I cannot confirm the exact time, but it certainly reaches at least the 15hrs, which is a record time for any xDuoo and good enough for many small players. Charging time does take close to the stated 3hrs.

I won’t be covering the whole navigation and system options on the Nano D3, mainly because the included manual is very well written and despite the language barrier it explains in details each of the menus and different options. On the main screen there 6 tiles for the common music, folder and different music and system settings.

I will still say the D3 player is the easiest and most logic to use of all the xDuoo devices and also among the so random Chinese players. The X10 was a high step over the X3, and I find this one even much comfortable to use. It drops the unnecessary wheel of the X10 and while is missing the hold option that even the X3 had, it is possible to lock the whole player when screen off. On the settings options it is possible to set up the screen off usage, locking all, partial or none of the buttons. The screen returns to the same screen it was left and not to the playback.

The buttons are not easily pressed, and do require just a tiny bit strength to respond. Not a real deal.

However, not everything is positive on the Nano D3. The system response is rather slow both on the buttons and when navigating from the different menus. The player sometimes also skips the very first seconds on each track; an issue that was present on the X3 as well, and does not want to be fixed by the xDuoo team for whatever reason. Moreover, the CUE support possible but is not as smooth as with the X3 (see the manual). The system is fairly stable, but did suffer from some crashes when updating the files list. And, needless to say that the firmware update is not well taken care of by the xDuoo team side.


Sound impressions

Best way to describe the sound out of the Nano D3 should be linear, a bit flat, and mostly colorless. For the small size it is quite a powerful device for the more portable earphones/headphones sets and able to drive even 150ohm earbuds like the VE or TY Hi-Z options to a very good degree. From warm or bass focused up to more treble and detailed earphone sets, the player doesn’t seem to emphasize any certain part, but it doesn’t try to improve a certain area either.

Extension on both ends is limited. There’s not much depth on the low bass, and with a rather neutral response there isn’t much rumble either. Speed is average, but fairly good for the price. The lack of warmth means there’s a clean transition from the upper bass to the midrange, though with the limited dynamics range there isn’t much separation from sub to mid bass. For instance, it pairs well with the Falcon-C, if having a very slight extra emphasis on the mid-bass, but it gets too congested with the much bassier Kaleido hybrid; not because it adds quantity but because not being able to separate among much the low frequencies.

The mids are pretty neutral and linear. Not as transparent as with the X3 but they sound a bit more forward, musical and fuller than the thin/leaner X3. The X10 was more colored and warmer, while the D3 is ‘safer’ and moderated in tonality. The midrange gets a rather smooth response with a little bit sparkle on the upper mids where female singers can sound a bit more sibilant from brighter earphones. For example with the Tin Audio T2, Falcon-C or GR07 the mids have good presence and body, but a bit raw texture and lacking emotion.

The instrument separation is decent without much air or large stage dimensions. Resolution is decent too, and good for its sub $100 tag. There is some extra sparkle on the highs and they do not sound as synthetic as could be expected; in fact, the D3 sounds much natural and well controlled than other similar or lower prices players, like the Clip Sport, IQQ C16, Nintaus X10, and a couple of Benjie options., and the overall control is quite good actually.

The player doesn’t have a best synergy with very sensitive IEMs as it may have too much power even at lower volumes and lose in control and accuracy, and there’s also some noise and hiss. Adding some impedance can help here.

Overall, the xDuoo Nano D3 is a very nice and comfortable player for best portable use. Despite some complains on the slow system response and certain bugs or missing features, it has a quite good sound quality and worth a try at the $80 or possible lower price.

I'm sorry if my english is bad, since i'm still learning
This is a review from a general consumer, i'm don't really know about many terms of audio words, but here it goes.
I've been a LG V20 user from April 2017 and really loving the phone because of its audio quality for playback and also recording(Amazing audio recording compare to other phones).
Since my V20 consume a lot of power when the Quad DAC+AMP combo is on while using it and also my memory is getting cramped up with my FLAC, Document, Camera files and videos. And i've been reading Nymphonomaniac's review about the D3 and it fits my budget, and i have decided that i will give it a try.

My audio files mainly consist of FLAC from Ripping CD (I don't really trust flac files on the internet, sometimes it's just an mp3 that's been converted to flac. Compressed audio but large file size).


and for the headgear that i use for comparing those 2 are Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (really loving this flat tuning headphones) and the stock headphones that comes with the V20 (Not the B&O H3 but the earphones that LG said been tuned by B&O, still it sounds good for my ears).


To my ears the LG V20 and the D3 is almost similar in sound, if not the D3 is slightly brigther more fun sounding. The Bass is there but not overwhelming (Though the D3's is slightly bassier, just a slight), the vocals are clean, the instruments really sounds wonderful and the drum's snare is really crisp for all types of genre. Both of them could really drive my 64ohm sennheiser to it's fullest, nice instrument separation and deafening volume. I have tested the audio volume using an android application called the sound meter (i know this isn't really accurate, but hey it works), both the V20 and D3 reaches the 84dB. The earphones also produces same great sound from both of the device (Can't really tell the difference).

So, if many reviewer including Juan Bagnell from pocketnow said that V20 is a great digital audio player, they should also say that the Nano D3 is a great digital player too. So kudos for Xduoo for creating a budget DAP with a integrated SOC DAP (Rockchip NanoD) + TI PCM 5102 Amp that matches the ESS Sabre Quad DAC + Amp Combo inside the V20.

The thing that i want to complain is the screen brightness that i can't really set, the screen is so bright that i blinds my eyes when i'm using it in the dark. And the UI is sluggish, sometimes when i wake it up the screen is still black but with the backlight on so i have to lock the screen and unlock it again to navigate. But since Xduoo have updated the firmware to 1.3 on February i have to believe that the engineer is working on fixing the issue. Everybody gotta believe in something ey i guess



So that's it for my review, in conclusion this is a great budget DAP that really matches my V20 for the sound quality. For my next upgrade i'm thinking about getting an external amp to take advantage of the D3's line out, i got my eye on you FiiO A3 .

XDUOO NANO D3 REVIEW:

SOUND VALUE: 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
UI & DESIGN: 7/10



So after listening to more than 100H of music with Xduoo D3, I can confirm i'm still very entertain by its musical presentation impressively layered, little mid bass bump, vast sound stage and quite good deep too. Its hard to beleive this little beast can push that much power and drive without struggling the Takstar PRO82 headphones (32ohm with 96db sp) wich even X3 struggle a little (I use external amp with X3 but not D3). I waited for second firmware to come out to write this review because first one was having issues and now that must of them are all gone I feel more confident to give credit about sound value that do not receive punishment because of UI bugs that can't be fixed by consumer.

I see the D3 as the successor of Xduoo X2. Take the X2, put a screen on it, make it able to read high quality Flac as well as DSD and all type of High resolution files, try to make his sound and amping section even more capable, as well as its battery life, and your not far from having a D3 in hand. As an addict to different soundsignature that audio source can give ,I'm quite a DAP collector, and my epicurism is Sound always Sound, quality, quantity, beauty, musicality, and how it will pair with my iem, earbuds and ''portable'' Headphones. Praticality is another important aspect, but here I talk more about compact design and sturdiness of the DAP as well as battery life (and durability), not the ''fancy sexy look'' or supreme all-in-one ''workstation'' about superficial aspect of his appearance cause to be honnest, the less I have to take out a DAP from my pocket and the better it is (it mean I listen to music non-stop and can change track blindly). D3 is ultra compact, ultra sturdy, have a very long battery life and we can press buttons trough our pockets quite easily to change tracks or play with volume etc. But, more importantly it sound very good for his price range, giving lot of dynamic, soundstage and details for such a tiny player, his soundsignature is very addictive and a good all-arounder with a above average soundstage, good layering, fast dynamic punchy sound, warm mids and overall very entertaining and musical presentation that never bore and isn't trying to sound too neutral, analytical or neutral. Here Xduoo touch a sweet musical spot that I find adddictive with all sort of music, from the begining I did not need adjustement from my ears and it did not sonically disapointed me like it can happen with too bright or dark or cold sounding DAP, I wasn't supremely ''wowed'' neither, but yes, impressed by how my music sound naturally good with this DAP, its lush, musical and engaging.

INFO & SPECIFICATIONS:
DSD 256 Native replay Direct decoding

• Support DSD256 lossless format music playback, the signal directly through the master control, skip the Dop, significantly reduce the sound quality loss, to achieve the real soundtrack playback

Master tape level sound quality, 4K HDR vivid music experience

• Professional audio chip only for the music signal height reduction.
• As the 4K HD picture compare with 720p picture, 4K is just more clear and complete.
• Enjoy the extraordinary experience that the crystal music brings you. Feel the true sound of master tape music.

Dynamic, lyrical, intense ,There are always a variety of sound effects for you

• Heavy bass, Metal, Pop, Jazz and Unique five kinds of common sound effects for your choice, 5 sections of custom EQ adjustment, allowing you to fine-tune the various bands to balance headphones frequency response, Makes the music more balanced, the background music no longer covers the singer’s voice.

Support a variety of mainstream music formats, create a hundred dollars level HIFI player

• The player supports the common DFF, DSF, WAV, FLAC, APE, MP3 and other audio formats, Maximum support PCM 24Bit/193K, DSD256 HD Lossless music.

Can storage massive lossless resources, Start a happy journey in 6400 songs

• Built-in 8GB storage capacity
• In addition, you can also expand the storage space through the TF memory card, maximum support 256GB TF/ Micro SD card
• Can store about 6400 lossless songs, and you can enjoy 1600 minutes of music without repeating any.
• Enjoy the wonderful FEELINGs of music.
• Support capacity up to 256GB

CUE track format playback

• Support CUE file, show the whole album file songs one by one and select to play

Song & Shocking Power

• Back-end amplifier circuit from the Tl’s rail-to-rail current-mode op amps chip, strong power, can easily drive all kinds of HiFi headphones.
• Breakpoint memory playback, album cover display
• Recording the progress of music playback, can continue the playback the next time, can automatically display the lyrics Album cover (max 640*640)

IPS high-definition full-angle display, innovative UI design

• Using 2.0-inch IPS high-definition full-angle display, clear and delicate picture quality, enhance the visual experience. Intuitive and simple UI interface, user-friendly operation, can display the album cover and lyrics, allows you to see rich song information clearly.

Small and exquisite, can wear it while exercising

• Relaxing or travelling
• Only the size of the business card
• 70g of light weight
• So easy to carry without burden

Enjoy the music

• Aluminum alloy shell, sandblasting body surface
• Fell fine and smooth, fingerprints proof.
• Charge 3 hours for a week use
• Charge once a week, no need to worry about electricity in a long journey
• With 20 hours of continuous playing time, you can enjoy music and the good scene all along.

CNC Aluminum alloy, one molding

• Aluminum alloy die-casting in one molding, with five-axis CNC technology, anodizing process details, to ensure a delicate grip

Specifications

• Battery: 900mAh 3.7V lithium polymer battery
• Display: 2.0 inch IPS HD full view, resolution 240*320
• Body material: CNC aluminum alloy one molding, sandblasting surface treatment
• Memory: Built-in 8GB storage space
• Extended memory: Support TF card (micro SD card), maximum support 256GB
• Size/Weight: 83×45×10mm / 70g

Support formats

AAC /OGG/ MP3 / WMA

DSD: DSD64-DSD256 (.DSF&DFF)

APF: 16-24Bit/44.1K-96KHz

FLAC: 16-24Bit/44.1K-192KHz

WAV: 16-24Bit/44.1K-192KHz

• Output: 250mW (32Ω)
• Frequency: 10Hz~100KHz (±0.5d)
• Gain: +3db
• Distortion: 0.005%(1KHz)
• S/N: 107dB
• Impedance: 8Ω~150Ω
• Battery life: >20h
• Charging time: <3H (Using 5V / 1A charger)

PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES:



As seen, DAP & accessories are all hide in a beautifull black box that feel good in hands. There not alot there, just enough to be happy: 2 screen protectors, 1 usb cable for charging and the D3. A protective case would have been nice but still nothing to complaint really!




CONSTRUCTION :

Xduoo company is always above average when it come to construction and D3 isn’t an exception here as zero plastic is used for the all metal body that feel ultra sturdy in hand as any of there product. It is a little taller and wider than the X2 (8.3x4.5 vs 7x4cm for X2), with more butons and same type of invincible metal body. All butons feel durable, it do not click like an old rusted device, X2 have 5 butons and D3 have 7, i’m not sure more butons equal better intuitive navigation but all in all, we talk about a very small DAP here wich is a must for some situation. Screen is very clear and bright and feel it will not break at first drop. Another very interesting aspect is how easy it is to open the device, 2 screw to unscrew and there you go, you can change the battery once it die of age, this aspect is a big deal for people that are looking for long term durability and not trashable DAP, I really respect that and wish more DAP go for this ‘’I don’t take you for a dumb consumer’’ ideology. So, this DAP in term of constuction is a killer that cannot be killed, and I project a very long life for it due to his muscular and wise constitution.



(it take me less than a minute to open this up and confirm the battery can be easily change. Inner construction is very well made and inspire trust.)

UI, navigation & firmware update :

I must admit i’m not very demanding about UI in general, but one thing that is very important is stability of the firmware, if it create bugs or freeze or take too much time to navigate this is where I became mad and can even impulsively throw a DAP on a wall (it happen with ONN X5 one time). The Xduoo D3 unfortunately do not have the best UI out there, not the worst neither, but even if not always working on Slow motion, its not far from it, especially when using microSD folder. Near every operation about choosing and playing music will take about 3-10 secondes of your time, once music begin and you let it go, it do not have waiting time between tracks, but if you want to go back from the Playing screen to navigate in your different files, you will have to wait 10 secondes, when you choose the files to play, wait another 5-10 secondes, this is a drawback yes, but only if your somebody that navigate alot. Anyway, I understand that this slow processing can annoy users, and even if Xduoo surprisingly already share an update for firmware that solve lot of issues, this processing problem look like to be unsolvable for now. This slow processing can be experienced in other way, like when opening sleeping screen it can stay dark and you have to open it back again, or when opening screen you see the image of albums slowly appearing, but this is little details compared to proper navigation constraint. Another slow aspect is Updating (scanning) microsd card, for that you must be patient too, especially for 64g cards. But, and this is where its even more confusing, when you read music from internal memory….no waiting time (1 seconds), All is 5 times faster this way and I wish it could be the same for external memory as well.


(Line out fonction work perfectly and send a clean signal that you amp will certainly take advantage off!)

Fonction are somewhat basic, and similar to what we are use too with must entry level DAP, it can play song by artist or albums, you can add favorite, and for a Xduoo DAP, we now find very welcom EQ preset. About setting, Sleep timer is a nice option as well as Auto-power off. It do not have option for power out gain or DAC filter. Line out is not volume fixed so you can still use volume control with it. About butons design, i’m neither impress or disapointed, but the On/off buton is place just above the 2 volume control butons and it happen couple of time in the begining that I shut down the D3 instead of pressin up the volume, wich, yes, can be frustrating as this buton is used to refresh screen too and you only need to press it like 1 full second to close the device, its kind of too touchy I think and should be at leat 2 seconds holding to avoid unwanted action. Front panel have 4 butons, one for backward operation, the bigger in the middle is to play and pause wich can be done without opening screen just by pressing it one time, thanks for this responsive action that Xduoo X3 cannot give and was sometime a source of frustration too because you needed to press it 2 times for play or pause.




SOUND :

As I will talk alot about sound in comparaison and pairing, I will try to be minimalist and spot on here. It make more than 100H of listening and I still want to listen more to the D3, I think just this fact talk by himself : D3 sound very good if not, perhap, excellent. The soundsignature is ultra lively and dynamic, it have a wide immersive soundstage and a very engaging musicality, it isn’t too analytical and even less too dark, it push lot of power for its size and really want your attention so it can please you. D3 have been tested with a wide range of headphones, IEM and earbuds and rarely fail with any of them, and I can’t even say that for above 200$ DAP in term of versatility. In other words : D3 sound REALLY impress me for its price and size, even if my attempt was quite high. With this music player i’m back in the days where listening music was a easy going joy, but this joy is now more detailed, have more layer, more details and bigger soundstage. It isn’t exactly a neutral DAP, but not far from it, bass is slightly pushed but not to the point of making bassy IEM sounding boomy (wich is a big aspect as near every DAP tend to play with bass rendering even Ibasso DX90 is more bassy and lets not talk about smartphone here). Vocal are clear and fowards, not too grainy or textured, just proudly in the right front seat. Highs are there as well, but especially in a dynamic exciting way, as it never feel harsh or artificial. This soundsignature is even more extasic with bright IEM, it can literally save them from being too violent. This DAP is warm in a good mature way, without any negative aspect of it, it have enough details and detailed imaging to wow music enthusiast and audiophile, but it isn’t ultra clinical or razor clear, here, musicality is the goal and D3 is a maestro of musicality, he have dynamic, impact, soundstage, body and thickness and enough texture to make music shine in any genre and for me that listen to ultra wide range of music (classical, jazz, rock, electro, world, folk, rap, r&b, experimental, ambient) its a real joy to have this type of ultra portable tool that I know will always play music in an enjoyable way. Hey, I’m not hysterically positive here! Sound is THE first quality of this entry level player, because it do not give an entry level sound!




COMPARAISON WITH XDUOO X1:

Must admit i'm quite a Xduoo fan if not a plain groupie by having all there DAP in my possession, this story begin with the X2 that I find utterly impressive at the time where FLAC player was rare to find, and still now find super good sounding, after I buy the X1 just for fun on ebay at a bargain price and was even more impress to hear a very musical device with lot of amping as well as a gain buton (wich was quite revolutionary for the year of making) and even if its a 8G internal memory DAP without screen I find myself using it extremely often with my earbuds and headphones, still can compete with 100$ DAP in term of sound after more than 5 year on the market, and saying that this DAP is underated is an understatement. Now, compared to D3 we have very different soundsignature, and thanks Xduoo for giving new sound experience with every DAP-I love this, so, let's say D3 is the warmer one, but without any background hiss, wich, in term of sound is the only drawback of X1, but a very small one as the hissing is very subtle and can only be heard with Gain at high volume. X1 have a wider soundstage and more air between instruments, as well a a harsher and brighter sound signature that is very punchy and engaging. D3 have more bass that go lower too, sound is more muscular and notes have more thickness compared to the sharpest ones of X1, so again, genre of music will inflict on final enjoying, but still, I find the D3 more accomplished in term of tonality, as the X1 can feel a little think compared to it, even if with complex instrumental pieces it will give a better resolution. Both have great amping force for such a small size, but X1 being a little bigger its perhaps less impressive, anyway, strangely D3 do not have gain mode wich would have been nice, really. Battery life toughs, is way longer with D3, about the double of X1 with his 15H of autonomy. And let's not talk about all other features that X1 do not have, it will put him to shame, and it do not deserved this, X1 is perhaps anachronical now, but still sound excellent okay! Who I prefer? As i'm all about sound and none sound bad, I can't say really, for punchy music like rock, some jazz and some classical, its X1 perhaps, for more modern music like electronic, Indie, Rap, pop, krautrock and R&B and digital beat based music, its D3 -no doubt.



COMPARAISON WITH XDUOO X3:

Compared to Xduoo X3, the D3 have a wider soundstage and more air between instruments, but it have a little less details and even if overall warmer in soundsignature cause of a bigger amount of bass, high can be more hissy or splashy, but just rarely, like with cymbalss splash, not with vocal at all. SO more highs sparkle too perhaps and bigger dynamic impact. X3 is overall more bright and ‘’dryish’’ but in a good way, as it give incredible imaging and very clear and tigh sound presentation, wich D3 is more loose about, yes, sound of D3 move more air but not always at his benifit, it depend complexity of music, for example X3 will render different bass line playing togheter in a more separate and textured way, while the D3 will play it muscular to a point it will be harder discerning them in a ‘’HD’’ way like the X3. With X3 using Line Out can solve the sound pressure ‘’problem’’ and give more air and omph to soundsignature while the D3 will still sound the same or even became too warmer sounding with external amp. Using a more bassy earphone like the superb sounding Zhiyin Z5000, D3 became ultra bassy and ultra wide sounding (Z5000 have wide soundstage) but clearly feel less tigh and detailed than the X3 wich complement Z5000 exquisitely, sub will not kill you like with D3 but high can became a little harsh listening to very agressive electronic like Jlin (Guantanamo track), still, it give to kicks and sub very good texture and body and mid frequencies seem more fowards as well, making more fast and exciting the listening. Now if I compare both with Folk signer, vocal are a little more foward with X3 as well as detailed, with warm IEM its a big win for X3, but with more harsh or neutral sounding one like PMV A01MK2, less so, it can stole some musicality that wide laidback sound of D3 give, cause it do not feel that it lack details with the D3, you need to compare it with more fowards audio source to feel this and as D3 is a little dark and have more air, X3 with this folk track have better details and guitar sound well too, as well as drum texture, but the vocal became hissy and lack musical smoothness, while with D3 its appart from instrumental and float beautifull on it, even if instrumental isnt as detailed it is nicer to listen a signer this way. So, here we have a hard conclusion, because some will prefer D3 and other X3, if you have bright IEM go for D3, if they are warm go for X3, no compromise possible here and this is why I can’t have just one DAP (or just one pair of IEM).



PAIRING:



With Takstar PRO82:

The PRO82 are easy to drive headphone with a neutral, detailed and fast sound and somewhat low soundstage with still good imaging. This Headphone even if easy to drive will benifit of some amping to get better dynamic, bass impact and soundstage. Taking in account the little size of D3 it is quite surprising that the Takstar do so well with such audio dwarf, but strangely this is a very nice pairing that do not lack dynamic as with other DAP including X3. The PRO82 sound very lively with D3 and feel less agressive sounding even if attack is still very rapid and bass still punchy, while bass can be more immense with other DAP like Ibasso DX90, it do not sound grainy like it can be with more analytical audio source and keep a high lever of details that make listening very exciting. Vocal feel less hollow than with other DAP and it give a welcome hint of warmness that never feel bloat or lacking air about imaging. Its still a very clear listen and even if layering isnt chirurgical or particularly sparkly, it have a nice musicality that became addictive. All in all, a very convaincing pairing that will impress by the high value it give in term of sound.

With ZS5 V1:

D3 pair well with ZS5, wich isn't always the case, has it can sound to harsh and peaky with too highly resolving or brigh source like with the Ibasso DX90. Here, with D3, ZS5 feel all in all well rounded, with less harsh treble and well extended soundstage, treble is smoother but keep good details and excellent imaging, bass is not bloated and feel very authoritative and textured, layering isn't the must airy or cleaner but have a dynamic feel to it. Background hiss are keep to their minimal but not complete black, wich ZS5 never give anyway IMO ZS5 still isn't ultra smooth or organic and keep a little grainy touch to it, that give more textured and definition to whole sound. This pairing is detailed, fowards, exciting, with excellent imaging and soundstage and among my favorite with the D3.

With Koss Porta pro:

Oh, the Porta love the D3 too! Airy at its paroxysm, soundstage float around you in a gentle non agressive way, vocal are ultra enveloping and naturally fowards, sound is now warmer than with Ibasso DX90 or Xduoo X3 amped, but vocal are strangely more engaging. Instrument separation is smoothly made and precise, all about this pairing exceed my expectation as this headphones are 64ohm and D3 do not struggle to amp them well, bass go deep and have a little extra thickness and impact to it wich make the Koss really enjoyable evne for electro! Well, even if not ultra detailed, this pairing is a keeper.

With Macaw GT600S:

These IEM have a particular soundsignature leaning towards neutral-dry with impressive but smooth details rendering, with the D3 another time the average soundstage of GT600S became a little bigger, imaging is darkish but very spot on and we find lot of easy going details layered in background without problem. Thanks to excellent D3 dynamic and impact, Macaw have more personality and authority in bass region and can show different bass line playing togheter greatly. Vocal are still a little recessed between highs and bass, as its presentation is clean, but perhaps too much textured with bright audio source, with the D3 it became more musical and I enjoy this alot. GT600S show that D3 have plenty of detailds to share and will not sound artificial or thin at all, as this IEM is quite severe sounding and benifit from a very musical DAP.

With Tinaudio T2:

Extra large and airy soundstage, bass impact became better with the D3 than with more neutral audio source and imagin is extremely well rendered, thanks to this T2 highlight. T2 feel a little darker but not to the cost of loosing too much details. Dynamic and impact are okay, not particularly impressive. For T2 I prefer a DAP with more clarity than D3.

With Tennmak Pro:

These pair particularly well with the Xduoo B3 because the Pro can be a little brigthish with too neutral or agressive DAP. With the D3 soundstage is ultra wide with excellent imagin, dynamic is fast and punchy and bass impact is more weighty than with all my other DAP. Sound is enough detailed without being overly analytical and musicality is especially well rendered, perhaps I would have like a little more texture in mid frequencies because the Pro lack in this region. As the sound is a little warm, it stole some air between instrument but give more an easy going listening, without feeling it lack highs at all. Layering in another hand is extremely well made as well as deepness. Another winner pairing here.

CONCLUSION :

Xduoo D3 is a winner in all aspect but UI due to a rather slow CPU that do not make navigation very intuitively, it sound similar than the X2 but with an upgrade in all frequencies range, we find more details, bass go deeper, soundstage is clearer and wider. In term of sound value for the price, it’s really an excellent competitor with an agile dynamic and fun soundsignature, taking the aspect it give lot of amping for it’s size I think at 80$ it’s a good value but it would have been nice to have Bluetooth and a faster firmware if possible. Anyway, as i’m not very demanding about anything but stability of firmware and quality of sound, I think this music player with its long battery life and excellent sound should be on the list of music enthusiast that need a tiny DAP that can deliver Big sound and play any music format without strugling. Even if its not my favorite DAP from Xduoo, it sure is a keeper that I will use daily and keep it secret, but I personally find the sound more engaging than the big boy Xduoo X10, but it’s a secret, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.