[Bovice]

Ok, so when I first purchased my amplifier last year, I got an L1.  It worked for me for about 6 or 7 months.  I ride my bicycle around a lot so the amp/lod are always in my pocket during the time.
 
It came to the point where i'd have to wiggle it to get it to work and if the positioning changed too much, it'd only work in one headphone.
 
That being said, I bought another one, which only lasted a month and a half, tops.
 

I was looking at getting an l3 in it's place this time.  I haven't used an LOD in a couple of months now, leaving the good sounding quality to my laptop (usb connection) and just using my Ipod regularly.  Is the l3 more durable than the l1?  i don't want to buy another one, only to have it crap out on me again in such a short amount of time.
 
 
Edit: oh and if anyone knows a dealer w/ a decent price but a better warranty than amazon (30 days -.-) please let me know.

 

[radonsg]

I don't have a L1 but using my L3 for about 1 year, still working fine. Mine also in my pocket during daily transit to work.

 

[highonsound]

you can try wraping electric tape around the ends of the cables to make them more solid

 

[jononku]

Yes, my first LOD was a FIIO L1, but it only lasted me about 3 months before one of the connections became flaky.  Mind you, my cable gets twisted around quite a bit as it usually rides in my backpack on the bus while connected to my headphone amp.  Anyway, I picked up an L3 over a year ago and have not had a single problem with it yet, and it gets used every single day.  The difference in build quality vs. the L1 was obvious when I first got it.

 

[scootermafia]

I have an L3 and it seems much tougher than a hand-made LOD.  All of its parts are molded, you can't get more durable than that.  Also, at $12, you could purchase ten of them for the price of a lot of the LODs out there.  

 

[AfxTwn]

I have an L3 (having previously had the L1) and use it daily with my E5 headphone amp and have to say that the actual dock connection to my iPod's line out isn't great (nor was it on the L1). The two little prongs that stick out on each side and then clasp on to the inside of the iPod make no difference at all and my L3 is constantly coming loose. The two squeeze buttons on either side of the dock which you use to to attach/detach it are pointless as the dock just slides on and off effortlessly.
 
I used to carry my iPod and E5/L3 in my pocket but I got sick of stopping every couple of minutes to reconnect the dock and so instead I have had to buy a silicone case with two slits on the back (normally used to attach to a belt) and then rig-up some glasses string (the one's that help your glasses from falling/losing them) so I can dangle the iPod with the E5 clipped to the back of the case with the L3 attached, around my neck like a lanyard. This has alleviated the problem somewhat but I still have to readjust the L3 from time to time. I can't understand why it doesn't latch on strongly so that it doesn't come loose.

 

[agogo]

del

 

[agogo]

I've just had my first encounter with the L3, E7 and E9 yesterday.  Wiithin 10 mins of solid playing, the connection started to drop out on me indicating something is lose or not a good fit.  At first I thought it was the E7 then it occurred to me it could be also the L3 as each time I nudge it even just  a little, the sound falls back to a hollow distant (worse than mono) crap decibel.  This is meant to be a portable device and should not be so portable or not.  Same thing happened with the E9 when I finally unboxed it last night.  Either the Line out holes are too big or I am thinking there is something wrong with the L3 I received.
 
You guys are so forgiving.  Isn't this a portable device?  And you're havng to duck tape things together for them to work?

 

[agogo]

del

 

[agogo]

deleted

 

[AfxTwn]

I've just had my first encounter with the L3, E7 and E9 yesterday.  Wiithin 10 mins of solid playing, the connection started to drop out on me indicating something is lose or not a good fit.  At first I thought it was the E7 then it occurred to me it could be also the L3 as each time I nudge it even just  a little, the sound falls back to a hollow distant (worse than mono) crap decibel.  This is meant to be a portable device and should not be so portable or not.  Same thing happened with the E9 when I finally unboxed it last night.  Either the Line out holes are too big or I am thinking there is something wrong with the L3 I received.
 
You guys are so forgiving.  Isn't this a portable device?  And you're havng to duck tape things together for them to work?

I agree with you agogo about the poor fit of the L3, as I said in my earlier post I've also had an L1 and that had an equally poor fit for the 2nd gen iPod Touch (I don't know if the fit is any better or later models such as 3rd/4th Gen). You only have to move it a slight amount and it becomes loose, usually at one end causing the mono-sound you mentioned. I'm not particularly forgiving about it but there just isn't anything else out there that I've seen that is any better than the L3 as far as line out docks go.

I wish I could find a line out dock that fit correctly and doesn't come loose every 30 seconds. As I said, perhaps it fits better on later models and this is just an issue with 2nd and 1st gen Touch's but I can't afford a new iPod and it seems a bit of an extreme to go to seeing as the L3 says it fits any model. The USB line out docks I use to charge my iPod with fit perfectly and lock onto the iPod's dock and don't come loose at all unless with a good tug so I can't understand why the L3 and similar line out dock's can't do the same thing.

 

[bcasey25raptor]

sorry to highjack this thread but does the fiio l3 lod work with rockbox?

 

[twiz 8]

 
 
My L3 has been a champ however it has not been tested to the fullist and i have had it under a month.  what do you think of the wire shorting, it looks like it would take some time and money but the l3 should last a lot longer without the extra wire (usuming it is done right).
Here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2W2jxDAaOQ
 

 

[mohinder]

My l3 has been truly reliable.  No problems over a year.

 

[gee money]

Long time lurker...first time posting.
 
Agogo, I had the same problem as you with the L3 cable. At first I thought it was a bad cable. So I bought a second L3 and the same thing started to happen . I barely touched the cable and I get the echo effect you're talking about. At that point I threw the L3 cable in the trash and started to look for alternatives. I bought a white cables-to-go LOD cable from amazon. When I received the new cable, I thought that this would solve my problems. I was wrong. Turns out it was the iPod itself. The 30 pin input seems to have a short in it. I recently bought a new iPod and used my current LOD cable with it and had no problems. So I went and bought the L9 Fiio cable and it works like a champ. No problems so far.
 
So check you iPod. That maybe the weak link in the chain.
 
Good luck!