[MalVeauX]

Well, I retired my old portable setup (Fuse!) and moved to the M3 now that it's plenty mature. I picked it up for $40 on Amazon. Inexpensive and good quality is hard to find these days, but Fiio just keeps pushing out great stuff. I'm not a total stickler when it comes to a portable device because I don't expect my environment to be silent and my headphones, even IEMs, do not block enough environmental noise for me to feel like it's worth pushing for top quality in a portable, since you won't really be able to appreciate it unless you're in a silent room or silent ambient surrounding. But, that's another topic. I'm using my M3 mostly with my Denon D5000's. No EQ, no anything, stock M3. It's lovely to say the least. Great pairing. Silent noise floor, good response, siblance is tame, sub bass pumps, it's just great. I'm actually not put off by the playlist and stucture of the M3. I came from a rockboxed Fuse, and really I'm not too worried about the changes. I just put a bunch of folders of FLAC music on my SD card and put it in there, and it's in the order I copied it to the SD card. Even if it wasn't, no big deal, I'm not walking around with 1,000 folders. I generally keep 15~20 albums with me, full albums, and I know them by name. Doesn't bother me if they're not in alphabetical order, since I know their names, and with 15~20 albums, you find what you want rather fast just fine. I also use this to have music in my vehicle, I just plug it into the AUX input and go.
 
Very best,

 

[Intensecure]

I can't say that I wasn't warned, There are over 120 pages of information, good and bad, positive and negative, here to wade through on the M3. And mine arrived this morning. Why? Well.....
My primary player is an iPod 7th gen, which I really like. Although I hate everything about iTunes except genius mixes - which are a cool way to shuffle IMHO, but battery heavy, and indeed my 5 year old pod is suffering from an ageing battery (as am I..). I also don't like carrying it round the gym, where I spend a lot of time, because I've dropped it once too often for comfort and I probably won't refurbish it when it dies. So I needed compact, good sq, good battery life, inexpensive. M3 it was, after declining the X1; if I enjoy the Fiio experience I may well get the new X1mk2 when it arrives in Malaysia.
So, quite pleased to get a fair price on an ivory M3, my preferred black not being available. First impressions; light yet sufficiently dense. Fast to charge. Easy firmware upgrade. Slightly glitchy transferring files - sometimes lost connection. One reset once the internal memory and 32GB card were full.
Then sound: it sounds like my iPod! This is good because I like my 7th gen very much. I don't know if them both having Cirrus Logic DACs is a coincidence, or a "family sound". Either wait is way better than my android phone, and drives my iems and cans at 30-35/60, when my iPod would need 70-80/100. So that's all good stuff.
I was always wondering if these Fiio players would exceed the sq of a good iPod always playing lossless, and the answer seems to be "not so much" for the average listener. But at least not worse, and with more volume. So I will definitely be looking to get an upgraded model for main use when my iPod dies, or when I'm feeling indulgent.
Nice Fiio, you have a new customer.
Cheers! Edit after a few days use...repeated lock-ups when transferring music, need to use a card reader to put tunes on the SD card. Not a deal-breaker but an annoyance. Hopefully the only one I will find, because this thing feels very fragile, and I'm not full of confidence.

 

[mtc777]

Our engineers are working on the new FW version of M3 now. 
 

 
What changes can we expect ?

 

[iancraig10]

A bigger font would be nice. I have to put glasses on to read it!!

Or maybe something more contrasty......

 

[Wokei]

A bigger font would be nice. I have to put glasses on to read it!!

Or maybe something more contrasty......

 

 
Glasses too with M3 ..yes please bigger font !

 

[Sp12er3]

One thing....

drives my iems and cans at 30-35/60,

That's loud! Average around 20-24, Never exceed 27 on my IEMs (on loud places) and the only time I need to go beyond 35 is for R70x.

 

[rdr123]

A bigger font would be nice. I have to put glasses on to read it!!

Or maybe something more contrasty......

This! Even just making the text bold would be great.
 
Also, where is the "rich set of themes" to "satisfy my aesthetics"? 

 

[Intensecure]

That's loud! Average around 20-24, Never exceed 27 on my IEMs (on loud places) and the only time I need to go beyond 35 is for R70x.

PARDON ME?... Hehehe, yup me old, me going deaf - I've revised that after a few days use to 25-30, but I have to admit to a tendency to enjoy a bit of volume.

 

[Intensecure]

where is the "rich set of themes" to "satisfy my aesthetics"? 

yes, this ^^

 

[BlackDiamond]

  This! Even just making the text bold would be great.
 
Also, where is the "rich set of themes" to "satisfy my aesthetics"? 

It feels like they had big ideas but the sales weren't as great as they anticipated... Feels like the M3 has been put to the back of their minds whilst they concentrate on EVERYTHING else they're doing. It's a shame because it's putting me off buying any more Fiio products and I've been with them since the E3, through the first X3 etc.

 

[rdr123]

Well they did release some upgrades to the firmware and they said there's more to come, honestly I'm very pleased with it so far, been using it for a week, battery is great, sound quality is better than my phone, plays lossless and it has plenty of memory. Didn't expect more of it at this price; from where I'm from, the alternatives were slightly more expensive players limited to 4GB or 8GB, such as Philips gogear vibe or Sony's E393 which I'm sure would've had a better UI, but after all, it's a device that I hit play on and let it do its stuff for an hour or two and I really need the extra space. There was also the alternative of the Sandisk Clip Sport for me, but from what I could gather from the internet reviews, the M3 has better sound. I guess people have different expectations from a music player, totally understandable, you might've wanted a cleaner UI, the fact that it doesn't return to the folder it's playing from while "now playing" is a bit annoying. Hopefully there will be a new update soon and we'll see these things fixed, maybe then they would sell more as you said, somehow, the software feels like it's still in beta. 

 

[BlackDiamond]

I love it, I really do. I just feel that it's been pushed to the back of the queue in favour of new releases.

 

[TheoS53]

Agreed with the above. 

While we all know the M3 isn't Fiio's bread and butter, it is still rather disappointing to see a company release a product, only to then seem to just sweep it under the rug. The fact is, we paid for the product, irrespective of how much, and as such we shouldn't expect anything less than Fiio doing their utmost to correct bugs and/or improve the product..or at the very least to fulfill their initial statement that the device would have multiple themes etc.

I can't help but feel that (after their statement about the M3 not meeting their own expectations) they've lost all interest in the device, regardless of whether or not people have paid for it. Personally I don't quite see how a company can release a product when they aren't satisfied with it. I've said it before, one would think that they'd take pride in their work, to build confidence with their customers, to not plunge the customers in a pool of doubt and uncertainty with regards to whether or not the product will soon just be forgotten. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, I just expect anyone and everyone (including companies) to stick to their word.
So far I've owned 7 Fiio products...it would be nice if my loyalty and support (as with any other customer) was met with the same sense of loyalty and willingness to improve their products. The last update was 7 months ago, which is pretty darn appalling. But heck, I'm not a business owner, so perhaps my outlook is wrong. 
I'm strongly considering getting the new X1...but I'm starting to see a trend here, which makes me worry about whether or not it too might suffer the same fate as the M3

 

[Intensecure]

I'm strongly considering getting the new X1...but I'm starting to see a trend here, which makes me worry about whether or not it too might suffer the same fate as the M3

Obviously I know no more than you do as to Fiio's intentions, but I think we will be safe with the whole X range. Firmware updates were pretty continuous for the current X1 for the whole of its life. And only stopped when the new model was imminent.
Reading between the lines and surmising quite a bit I see it thusly: the X range is aimed at audiophiles, and Fiios presence and engagement on this site and the audiophile community attest to that. They have stated that all their efforts will be going into the X range and that there will be no M3 revision or future M model (pls correct me if I read incorrectly) and, yes, as you state, the M3 has not lived up to expectations.. Why is this?
Well, look at the way the M3 is sold - a hanging consumer package, complete mp3 player (let's ignore the high-res aspect for now) with headphones, built-in memory, basically a complete stocking filler, easy quick gift, simple (in theory) music player to go for the iPod nano/shuffle market. Not so much aimed at audiophiles or enthusiasts. It has attracted enthusiasts by brand association, head-fi reviews and some level of marketing, but I think the target market wasn't you or maybe me.
As an iPod market target it has surely failed - poor UI, limited and dated facilities - screen, connectivity etc. It seems to be stuck with numerous limitations caused by it's SoC and frankly only hardcore audiophiles or geeks are prepared to work with it to get the best from it.
I think it's an awesome little tool in the right hands, and yes some new firmware and attention to making it as good as it can be will be nice. I'm sure when time permits some of these things will be done. But I am also convinced that this was a pretty big fail, not necessarily financially but in terms of time and effort, and something that Fiio will probably look back on as an error of judgement. In saying that they only "owe" us to get the best left available from this little device, and anything else is just "it is what it is". I don't feel that buyers have been let down, but that we have taken part in an experiment, at relatively little cost.
All just based on discussion with family and friends in business - "would you buy one of these and why (not)?" And IMHO.

 

[BlackDiamond]

My issue with this though is that they advertised lots of themes which I (naively) expected out of the box. We've had one since then and it's nearly a year old. I'm used to being a beta tester for Fiio (that's what it feels like) but I've paid for this and feel let down by the company's (lack of) support