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Fiio D3
Jul 5, 2013 at 5:37 PM Post #166 of 234
Finally got my D03K.  Must say... I wasn't expecting this level of build quality.  I could have sworn it was plastic, but here I am marveling at the metal casing.  Can't say I hear much of a difference between this and my EF2A, but that is just fine to my ears.  For the price... a damn good buy. 
 
EDIT: Only bit of annoyance is switching between the coax and optical.  Switch could be a bit easier to access. 
 
Jul 14, 2013 at 4:33 AM Post #167 of 234
Quote:
nullptr said:
 
I recently bought a FiiO D3, not knowing about the revision 2 issues.  The output was unlistenable, with distorted bass and mids and non-existent highs.  If you can't guarantee that you're not getting a D3MO2 variant (see http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/inside-fiio-d3/), you're better off avoiding the D3 all-together.
Click to expand...

 
Not necessarily true. My Fiio D3 DAC has a PCB that says D3M02 yet it has the silver RCA's, Wolfson WM8805 SPDIF receiver, TI LMV358 opamp, and  Cirrus Logic 4344 DAC. And the PCB is not missing any components like the half-assed D3M02's shown on that website.
 
Here is mine.
 
FiioD3M02_zpsef9808de.jpg

 
Aug 12, 2013 at 5:15 PM Post #169 of 234
Got it today.  It's the newer D03K model.  Mine came with a scratch-off online verification sticker on the box with a link to Fiio's website.  Guess they must have picked up on the knock-offs that were going around.  Mine was verified as genuine. The unit is very nicely built of metal, from outward appearance this could easily have cost way more than $30.
 
My impression after 2 hours of listening is that it doesn't sound that great.  I would describe it as thin, somewhat harsh, and definitely fatiguing.  I could see how some would prefer it's sound though, it is possibly more detailed, but in a way that is sort of digital sounding... There is no shortage of bass, that's not the problem.  The problem is with the mids, the DAC has that V-shape sound where the mids are sucked out.  There's a gloss on the top end but without nice mids it sounds harsh to me.
 
 Maybe it will grow on me, but for now I actually prefer the audio out from my on-board sound (Realtek ALC898).  For what it's worth, the ALC898 is "supposed" to be one of the better audio chips you can get on a motherboard, so compared to a $30 unit, it is not necessarily "supposed" to sound worse.  Still, I expected the D3 to be a significant improvement, and overall, I would say that it is a disappointment so far.
 
 
EDIT
Have had a entire evening now with this DAC and I have to say my initial impressions still stand... it just is too shrill for extended listening.  I have to say Yo-yo Ma sounded pretty good though.  It seems to be best suited for classical or instrumental music.  But it doesn't do vocals or rock well.  It sounds like an EQ with a big peak at ~6-10khz is being applied, with the 500hz - 1khz region being sucked out.  If I had to describe it in one word, it's be the opposite of "liquid", maybe sandy or grainy?  This will be going back to Amazon.  
 
Sep 16, 2013 at 3:36 PM Post #170 of 234
Maybe somebody can help me; I'm at my wit's end.  I have two FIIO D3's (Taishan).  Since I have a crummy TV with only a coax digital audio out to send to my stereo, I've been using a D3, which has worked fine, except for a couple of incidents in the past 8 or 9 months when it would emit a blast of white noise on power on.  But no matter, it worked well enough for TV usage.  I just finished constructing a new amp, a Pass DIY ACA with a pair of laptop power supplies to provide the necessary 20V.  Works great--I love the sound of single-ended class A.  Tuner and CD player have never sounded better in my system.
 
But now my TV audio has a sharp "snap crackle pop" and other distorted audio.  Both D3's exhibit the same behavior.  My first thought was that I'm getting RFI/EMI from the outboard power supplies of the amp.  I re-routed them, and voila!, success--for about ten minutes anyway.  The random popping noises came back.  They sound somewhat like popping cords of wood on a fire, by the way, or perhaps like loud "ticks".  Dropouts or interference?  I dunno.
 
Also my Apple TV2 won't connect to the D3 via optical for some reason (blue "lock" light never comes on), and I've gone through the TV's and the Apple's menus (16 bit, PCM, etc., nothing unusual, and I've tried other settings to test other possibilities).  I use an analog preamp and the aforementioned amp.  When my Classe amp was inserted into the system, I didn't have the problem I'm experiencing now.  But I prefer the sound of the new amp, so . . . 
 
Any ideas?  Thanks.
 
Sep 19, 2013 at 10:02 PM Post #175 of 234
I received my D3 in the mail yesterday.  Micca store had "open box" units with a 6' optical cable for about $19.00.  I've owned a few of these in the past and thought they sounded a bit thin.  However, this time around, I'm running the optical cable from my Asus Xonar DX to the D3.  from there, I'm running the RCA outputs to the Little Dot I+ amplifier.  I'm driving a pair of Grado RS1i headphones and really can't hear any short-comings.  Many might scoff at the price of this little gem, but I'll have to admit, it is certainly fitting my needs for the moment.  In fact, I also have 3 Squeezebox players. My Squeezbox touch, which is known to have a pretty good DAC on it, sounded a bit shrill though the Little Dot I+ and my Grados.  But, for some reason the D3 and indicated connection string that I'm using it in is very smooth with great instrument separation and great frequency balance.  
 
Sep 21, 2013 at 5:04 AM Post #177 of 234
dizzyorange said:
  Got it today.  It's the newer D03K model.  Mine came with a scratch-off online verification sticker on the box with a link to Fiio's website.  Guess they must have picked up on the knock-offs that were going around.  Mine was verified as genuine. The unit is very nicely built of metal, from outward appearance this could easily have cost way more than $30.
 
My impression after 2 hours of listening is that it doesn't sound that great.  I would describe it as thin, somewhat harsh, and definitely fatiguing.  I could see how some would prefer it's sound though, it is possibly more detailed, but in a way that is sort of digital sounding... There is no shortage of bass, that's not the problem.  The problem is with the mids, the DAC has that V-shape sound where the mids are sucked out.  There's a gloss on the top end but without nice mids it sounds harsh to me.
 
 Maybe it will grow on me, but for now I actually prefer the audio out from my on-board sound (Realtek ALC898).  For what it's worth, the ALC898 is "supposed" to be one of the better audio chips you can get on a motherboard, so compared to a $30 unit, it is not necessarily "supposed" to sound worse.  Still, I expected the D3 to be a significant improvement, and overall, I would say that it is a disappointment so far.
 
 
EDIT
Have had a entire evening now with this DAC and I have to say my initial impressions still stand... it just is too shrill for extended listening.  I have to say Yo-yo Ma sounded pretty good though.  It seems to be best suited for classical or instrumental music.  But it doesn't do vocals or rock well.  It sounds like an EQ with a big peak at ~6-10khz is being applied, with the 500hz - 1khz region being sucked out.  If I had to describe it in one word, it's be the opposite of "liquid", maybe sandy or grainy?  This will be going back to Amazon.  
Click to expand...

 
My experience about 6 months ago with the D3 was similar to yours.  At the time, though, I was using the D3 with the Schiit Magna and driving my HifiMans.  All I could determine at the time was that Fiio built their components around the Wolfson DAC to a different flavor than what I had heard of the DAC in previous other configurations.  At the time, I also had the Muse Mini USB DAC which was built around a Burr-Brown chip set.  I remember being a bit more pleased with the performance of the Muse over the D3.  I'm not sure why the D3 is a better match this time around, though, other than the fact I'm using it with a Little Dot I+ amp.
 
Edit: A small correction.  Apparently, the D3 uses the Cirrus-Logic CS4344 for the DAC, and Wolfson for the SPDIF conversion.  Sorry to confuse.
 
I have the Fiio E10 here also.  I'm swapping back and forth.  It seems the E10 is a little lighter on the lower end (not much, but just enough) and does retain some of the mid-range qualities that one would expect a typical DAC to provide.
 
Ahh ... the world of pulling your hair out to decide which method of converting digital to analog ... yet keeping within a certain price level.  At the $19.00 or so that I paid for the D3 with the 6' optical, I don't think I'll return it at all.  Should always be a need for it at my place.  Then again, I should put the Squeezebox Classic v.3 back into the chain as it has the Burr-Brown based DAC and I'd love to see how it compares.  My wife just loves me when I'm doing major gear swaps as I test and there are cables strung all over the desk.  
basshead.gif
 
 
Sep 22, 2013 at 2:30 AM Post #178 of 234
Just got the d3.
 
To anyone thinking of doing the opamp mod + Cap mod.  Pani FR, opa2209
 
Honestly don't bother. I hear ZERO difference, side by side, I bought 2,  one for downstairs computer, one for upstairs.
 
Sep 23, 2013 at 5:02 PM Post #179 of 234
I want the older version of the D3 with the silver plugs.  It has the Wolfson DAC in it.  I had two of them, but sold them about a year ago.  I found them on Craigslist for $15.00, each.  I guess I'm not as impressed with the newer Cirrus chip-based D3.
 
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