[goodyfresh]

So hey, I though you all might perhaps be interested to know, I managed to do a frequency-response test on my Fiio X3ii.  My setup was FAR from ideal, sure, but this is what I did, and the results were remarkable:
 
I took the USB cable for the X3ii and plugged it into my computer to use the X3ii in DAC mode (which of course gives the same frequency-response as the X3ii on its own, as long as it's getting bit-perfect input from the computer, and I used the ASIO drivers to make sure that it was), then took a 3.5-to-3.5 cable and plugged the output from the X3ii into the line-in on a Creative Sound Blaster 1095 external sound-card my friend had been lending me, which I had plugged in to another USB on the computer.  Then, I ran the RightMark Audio Analyzer Benchmarking program with output from the Fiio X3ii via ASIO, input from the line-in on the Sound Blaster, and the frequency response graph I ended up getting was REMARKABLE.  Namely, in the entirety of the audible frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz, the variation in response never varied by more than 1.2 decibels, and that was only at the extreme ends of hte spectrum. . .between 25hz and 15khz, the variation was less than 0.4db!  This is opposed to the response from the Sound Blaster itself, which varied by about 2.5 decibels (still very good, mind you ), and the one from my computer's onboard Realtek sound, which was AWFUL and varied by about 10 decibels or more in some parts of the treble and bass ranges!  Keep in mind that my computer has built-in Beats Audio (UGH, seriously), but that I de-activated the Beats Audio in the control-panel for the test I did of the onboard sound.  I also did another test of the on-board, this time having it use ASIO4ALL, and it was much better. . .no more than 4.5db variation, the VAST majority of which was now almost entirely in the low-bass between 20 and 28hz, and the extremely high treble between 17kHz and 20kHz.

There was one interesting part, though.  Namely, the DYNAMIC RANGE of the response from the X3ii was vastly INFERIOR to that from the Sound Blaster or from onboard sound when using ASIO4ALL.  The onboard with ASIO had about 80db dynamic-range, and the Sound Blaster gave about 88db, while the X3ii gave about 62db.  But I have a theory that this may be an inaccurate result. . .namely, the fact that the test of the X3ii, with the non-ideal setup I had to use, required me to "double-up" USB ports. . .one for output, then another separate USB for the input back into the computer.  I think this may have compounded the noise-floor in the signal from teh X3ii, especially with the addition of whatever noise was being produced by the signal passing-through the Sound Blaster card.
 
Anyway, there's a caveat on this.  I am an idiot, and forgot to save all the graphs which were produced during the tests >_<  I could re-do the test, if it weren't for the fact that the Sound Blaster 1095 crapped-out!  I think the internal wiring is pretty flimsy, and keep in mind my friend who lent it to me had been using it for gaming and such for over a year at this point.

 

[jimmers]

  So hey, I though you all might perhaps be interested to know, I managed to do a frequency-response test on my Fiio X3ii.  My setup was FAR from ideal, sure, but this is what I did, and the results were remarkable:

There was a "professional" review with test results in September Hi Fi World magazine. They were very impressed.

 

[goodyfresh]

  There was a "professional" review with test results in September Hi Fi World magazine. They were very impressed.

Neat!  Any idea where I can find the results they got, here on the interwebz?

Edit: NVM, found it!  ANd it looks like I was right that it was me doubling-up the USB ports that muddled the dynamic-range results severely by increasing the noise-floor of the measurements.  In terms of frequency-response, though, the graph I got was almost identical to Hi Fi World's.

For everyone's reference, here's the link: http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.php/internet-audio/638-fiio-x3-portable-digital-audio-player.html?start=5

NEWER edit:  Hold on, that's for the OLD X3!  Crap!  Lol.  In a way that makes this MORE impressive though, since there is no doubt whatsoever that the X3ii is better than the original X3.

 

[jimmers]

 
Neat!  Any idea where I can find the results they got, here on the interwebz?
 

Only illegal torrents (?), I have a digital subsciption.
 
Frequency response (-1dB): 4Hz-45kHz
Distortion (24bit) 0dB: 0.003%
            -60dB: 0.03%
Separation:  88dB
Noise (IEC A) : -114dB
Dynamic Range: 115dB
Output: 2.66V
 
"The new FiiO X3 2nd gen is a frighteningly good player for £150. Almost unbelievable in fact! "

 

[goodyfresh]

  Only illegal torrents (?), I have a digital subsciption.
 
Frequency response (-1dB): 4Hz-45kHz
Distortion (24bit) 0dB: 0.003%
            -60dB: 0.03%
Separation:  88dB
Noise (IEC A) : -114dB
Dynamic Range: 115dB
Output: 2.66V
 
"The new FiiO X3 2nd gen is a frighteningly good player for £150. Almost unbelievable in fact! "

WOOOH damn, those are CRAZY-good measurements.  Also interesting to note that they match-up with the specs Fiio claimed in advertising the product, that it is supposed to have <=.003% THD.  It's nice to know that Fiio is so honest   With measurements like that, you can honestly say that in terms of frequency-response, distortion, dynamic range, and noise-floor, it will do as well as ANY other player (even waaay more expensive ones) as far as any actual human's ears would be able to discern.  Really, the only way things can do better than the Fiio X3ii, then, is in things like soundstage, transient-response and timing, detail separation, and imaging. . .oh, adn the ability to drive higher-impedance HP's. . .interesting indeed!

One question for ya.  What exactly does the 88dB separation measurement mean?  I know how to interpret the meaning of all the others, but not that one.

 

[jimmers]

  One question for ya.  What exactly does the 88dB separation measurement mean?  I know how to interpret the meaning of all the others, but not that one.

Stereo separation, how much of one channel is present in the other (aka crosstalk), that's 0.004%
 
edit: I was going to post the info about Hi-Fi World on the X3 2nd gen thread, but I see you are active there so maybe you will?

 

[goodyfresh]

  Stereo separation, how much of one channel is present in the other (aka crosstalk), that's 0.004%
 
edit: I was going to post the info about Hi-Fi World on the X3 2nd gen thread, but I see you are active there so maybe you will?

As a matter of principle I think that since you're the one with the digital subscription to Hi-Fi World, and thus the one with actual legal access to their articles, you should be the one to post their measurement results and such in the thread   Sorry, but I really feel that way, haha.  Obviously it's jsut a matter of principle for me, I could certainly quite easily just copy-and-paste it all. . .

And thanks for the info.  So that's what they meant.  I'd heard of crosstalk before, didn't know this was the same thing!  Okay then, so 88dB separation is the same as -88dB crosstalk, right?  Wow, that's a SUPREMELY nice measurement!  Come to think of it, one of the biggest differences I've noticed between the sound of my X3ii, and the onboard sound of my laptop or the sound of something like a smartphone playing music, is how clearly it separates the left and right channels to create proper imaging. . .this must be why!