Colorfly C3 Discussion Thread

[ilmothedude]

Meelectronics M-Duo sounds really nice with C3. I'm no expert with IEMs though. Really love the bass of M-Duos, they're clear and detailed with fine treble and I find normal setting to sound great. Build quality is awesome. But fit isn't too good compared to my previous Sennheiser CX-300 II, maybe I should try some foam tips. Also, I don't like y cord at all, I prefer j cord.

 

[taffy2207]

I've received my Fiio E11K Kilimanjaro & L17 & the SD Card but forgot to order the Sound Garden case and a SD Card reader so I've just ordered those. I'll get a Mico Pelican case eventually but I'm not in a hurry for that. I love the E11K, it's added just what I needed.
 
Strangely, I didn't need to turn the bass or the gain on at all. I listen to the C3 on Normal (Flat) and the boost just straight from the E11K is just what I needed. I've only been listening to to it for about an hour but it seems perfect as it is. I'm probably going to get some new headphones, I may get the AKG 551's, just seen them new for £100 (Approx $150 USD) which seem like a steal, from a trusty supplier I've used before. True, I'll look like a cyberman but I don't care.  

 What they lack in bass the E11K should add.
 
 
This is how it starts, I remember now. I started with a £500 separates Hi-fi system 20 years ago and ended up with a  system costing £6000. Damn you head fi-ers, damn you all to hell 

 
Seriously though, the E11K is a nice little match for those wanting just a little more from their C3 

 

 

[eyefloater]

i bought the c3 a few days ago and i don't like it. looks great and feels nice in the hand too, but the sound is rubbish imo.
i was expecting this amazing sound but never heard it.
i knew there was no custom eq but still thought it must be great as so many people gush over it.
where is the bass? hard rock sounds tinny to say the least, and there is far too much treble for me. i'll stick with my clip+ which is bassy and warm sounding.
i coupled it with a fiio e5, and listened to flac and mp3 files.
 
the bass setting is shocking, who would listen in that mode? its dead and dull sounding.

 

[ilmothedude]

Before Colorfly I always used some kind of bass boost, never listened at flat setting. Colorfly changed that habit though. It took time to get used to Colorflys sound as it did felt like there's no bass at all. I started to listen at normal setting because there wasn't anything that would sound INSTANTLY great and which didn't require BURN-IN. Now I think Colorfly does have plenty of bass, it's nice and punchy and in great balance with rest of sound. I've come to realize that good quality music is about detailed, crisp and clear, still nice and warm yet musical sound which makes you respect how music was mixed and it was intended to sound by professionals. I seldom use any bass boost nowadays in my headphone music listening and now I think I can really enjoy music more than ever before.

 

[taffy2207]

Yeah, I agree. I use it in flat most of the time. I use the bass boost very occasionally when I need a kick (mainly with metal). IMHO There's plenty to criticise about the C3 but I find it very hard to criticize the sound. It takes a while for 'head burn in' to occur and get used to the sound of the C3, but it's worth it.
 
The major flaw was that Colorfly didn't back the C3 with software updates. It's just stupid business, if they had supported it as it should have been supported, it probably would have been a huge success, eventually. Every fault I can find would have been wiped out with better software. They even spelled 'Internal' wrong in the directory, it just looks bad. Even now, if they rectified the software, I think the C3 would get a second wind in terms of sales.
 
I'm really happy with the sound but I just hope that the other flaws don't wear me out long term and push me to sell it. I love the basic design, the build quality and the battery life, but the truth is most people will hate it rather than love it, I'm guessing.
 
If you're all about the sound, you'll love it. If you want functionality, forget the C3. The sad truth is the C3 has had it's day with better all round options available. Some Head Fi'ers told me that when I bought it and they were right for most people, but, meh, I still love it. It's always a talking point when I'm commuting and the sound is pure bliss for 99% of what I've thrown at it.
 
It would probably would have been a different story if they had backed it up in the software department. If they had invested in the software I think they would have got their money back in spades.
 
I don't think I'd buy another Colorfly product due to the software issues, even if they sort it out. There's always going to be that nagging doubt in the back of my mind now, shame, because I really love the look of the C4.

 

[waynes world]

  If you're all about the sound, you'll love it. If you want functionality, forget the C3. The sad truth is the C3 has had it's day with better all round options available. Some Head Fi'ers told me that when I bought it and they were right for most people, but, meh, I still love it. It's always a talking point when I'm commuting and the sound is pure bliss for 99% of what I've thrown at it.
 
It would probably would have been a different story if they had backed it up in the software department. If they had invested in the software I think they would have got their money back in spades.
 
I don't think I'd buy another Colorfly product due to the software issues, even if they sort it out. There's always going to be that nagging doubt in the back of my mind now, shame, because I really love the look of the C4.

 
Good post. I can live with basic functionality, but the C3 took that to a whole new level lol. Two things that I found I could not live without: (1) auto shutoff after a set period of time; (2) auto resume. If the C3 had those two features, I probably wouldn't have ended up getting another dap.

 

[ilmothedude]

It's such a pity that Colorfly hasn't developed firmware anymore. I can live without auto-shut off feature but lack of auto-resume is really annoying. Haven't bought another DAP though.

 

[waynes world]

  It's such a pity that Colorfly hasn't developed firmware anymore. I can live without auto-shut off feature but lack of auto-resume is really annoying. Haven't bought another DAP though.

 
I ended up getting the ifihi 770. It also has somewhat limited functionality, but at least it has the coveted auto-resume feature lol. Other benefits are that it sounds very good (especially for the price), and also has enough power that I don't feel the desire to stack an amp with it (I was always stacking the BH amp with the C3).

 

[Nomarkeu]

How does the ihifi 770 compare with c3 wrt sound? I almost decided to buy the c3 but now im not sure after reading about the 770.

 

[jdog]

How does the ihifi 770 compare with c3 wrt sound? I almost decided to buy the c3 but now im not sure after reading about the 770.

In my opinion, both the Xuelin 770C and 770 are better than the Colorfly C3 in regards to sound quality.  The 770C and 770 have virtually the same sound quality, I can't tell any difference between the two...

 

[Nomarkeu]

Thanks. could you explain it in a bit more detail? Like better in what ways.

 

[jdog]

Here is an earlier post of mine re:  770 vs Colorfly C3.
 
Let me just start by saying I like the sound quality from both the Colorfly C3 and the iHiFi 770.  As we all know, sound preference is going to be a very individual thing...  But the biggest difference between the IHiFi 770 and the Colorfly C3 combo has to do with background noise.  The 770 has absolutely no background noise, so you don't hear any pops/clicks between songs.  The black background (at least to me) gives the songs on the 770 a more isolated, more clear sound.  The issue re: warmth and bass will vary depending on which headphone port you use on the 770 and which output port you use on the Colorfly combo.  For instance, when I use headphone B on the 770 and compare this to output 1 on the combo using the Zero Audio Tenores, the Colorfly comes across with a bit more warmth and bass than the 770.  On the 770, the vocals seem to placed a little more forward.  As I said earlier, the sound from each headphone port is different enough that one will have to figure out which earphone/headphone to match with each port.  I like the sound I get from headphone port B with the Tenores.  On the other hand, I prefer to use the Ostry KC06 or Westone 2s with headphone port A.  I'm convinced people will find their own preferences when they individually test their own earphones with the 770.  I recognize that with all the DAPs available that some people will/do not appreciate the sound signature of the Xuelin players.  I do really like the sound quality I get from these players, so I guess much of it is going to come down to your own preference.  Although I've indicated I prefer the 770 over the Colorfly combo, I'm sure there are others who will prefer the Colorfly combo.  Outside of sound quality, I did also want a player that did not need to be combined with an amp to sound good.  This is another area (again IMO) where the 770 bests the Colorfly.   

 

[TrollDragon]

With the FiiO X1 at $99 these days I can't see why anyone would even consider the C3 or the 770.

 

[jdog]

I personally would consider the Xuelin 770C to be a better value than the 770 or the C3.  It also sells for ~$100 and has the same functions and sound quality of the 770.  I have not listened to the FiiO X1, but from I can tell, not everyone prefers the FiiO sound quality.  I know for me that I prefer the sound quality of the Xuelin 800 over the new FiiO X3 2nd generation.  Even though the FiiO players have a lot to offer in terms of file format support and firmware development, the sound quality (in my opinion) is not necessarily the best...

 

[kova4a]

  With the FiiO X1 at $99 these days I can't see why anyone would even consider the C3 or the 770.

I would