[BobSmith8901]

I will try this weekend using UAPP and see what connects and what I did to get them to. Again, I just have the stock V 1.25 FW and vanilla X5III not upgraded with any custom firmware/software.

 

[BobSmith8901]

I have checked 3 portable external DACs (Hidiz Sonata s9+, Cayin Ru6, Megatron) on X5 (vanilla firmare) NO LUCK

I have successfully installed custom firmware 3.41.

Is it possible to use external DACs with this or do I even bother to try it?

Is there any chance that in a future firmware it will be possible?

It would be wonderful!

Thanks in advance

The only DAC that I've got that relies on the power from X5III is my Meridian Explorer2 (ME2). This is a full MQA hardware decoder. I had it working pretty much from the get go after it was connected. I was streaming Benjamin Lackner's new album "Last Decade" on Tidal. It's MQA 24/88.2.

Here's how I connected it:

1. With UAPP still not open in the DAP, connected X5III to the ME2 via USB. Immediately got the "USB Audio Device Initialized" message. The connection was OTG cable (micro B to USB A female) from X5III, connected to a USB A male to mini B cable into the ME2.

2. UAPP player reflecting that a USB DAC is connected.

3. Started the song. Result: Green light reflecting MQA on the ME2 and song playing fine. UAPP player showing ME2 was decoding 88.2 kHz. Volume ctl on the X5III.

I had similar success with an iFi Nano iDSD BL Amp/DAC (has internal battery), Topping NX4DSD Amp/DAC (internal battery) and Schiit Modi2 Uber DAC (powered).

I wonder if your issue might be the X5III not supplying enough power to those particular DACs.

 

[yonnon]

New attempt made but without success.
More dongle cheched USB-C Apple dongle, Terratec Sonata Pro, Terratec Sonata E44, ibasso Dc3

The only DAC that I've got that relies on the power from X5III is my Meridian Explorer2 (ME2). This is a full MQA hardware decoder. I had it working pretty much from the get go after it was connected. I was streaming Benjamin Lackner's new album "Last Decade" on Tidal. It's MQA 24/88.2.

Here's how I connected it:

1. With UAPP still not open in the DAP, connected X5III to the ME2 via USB. Immediately got the "USB Audio Device Initialized" message. The connection was OTG cable (micro B to USB A female) from X5III, connected to a USB A male to mini B cable into the ME2.

2. UAPP player reflecting that a USB DAC is connected.

3. Started the song. Result: Green light reflecting MQA on the ME2 and song playing fine. UAPP player showing ME2 was decoding 88.2 kHz. Volume ctl on the X5III.

I had similar success with an iFi Nano iDSD BL Amp/DAC (has internal battery), Topping NX4DSD Amp/DAC (internal battery) and Schiit Modi2 Uber DAC (powered).

I wonder if your issue might be the X5III not supplying enough power to those particular DACs.

Never appears: "USB Audio Device Initialized" message with none of the DACs
Cables used are OK (OTG verified with another hardware) . I don't think it's a power problem since they are portable DACs (low consuption)

I use custom firmware 3.41. Maybe I need to "reconfigure" the custom firmware?

What vanilla firmware are you using?

thanks in advance

 

[WitzyZed]

Custom kernel version is 3.4.1, your firmware version is likely 1.2.3 or 1.2.5... (i recommend stock fw over any fidelizer roms)

 

[yonnon]

Custom kernel version is 3.4.1, your firmware version is likely 1.2.3 or 1.2.5... (i recommend stock fw over any fidelizer roms)

Sorry. Yes. correct. I use Fidelizer Rom 1.2.5 (from your instruccions) and kernel 3.4.1 (from your instructions, too)

Maybe this Fidelizer ROM is the problem of "no external DAC suported"?

I think that to reinstall the official roms it is enough to use the Fiio firmware upgrade tools 1.2.1 or 1.2.3. it's correct?

 

[BobSmith8901]

New attempt made but without success.
More dongle cheched USB-C Apple dongle, Terratec Sonata Pro, Terratec Sonata E44, ibasso Dc3


Never appears: "USB Audio Device Initialized" message with none of the DACs
Cables used are OK (OTG verified with another hardware) . I don't think it's a power problem since they are portable DACs (low consuption)

I use custom firmware 3.41. Maybe I need to "reconfigure" the custom firmware?

What vanilla firmware are you using?

thanks in advance

I'm using firmware 1.25 and USB Audio Player Pro v. 6.0.8.9., totally stock/vanilla X5III. I wonder if the directionality of the USB cables might be an issue ? Did you try reversing them ? (if both sides are Micro-B). Are you connecting to a DAC with other than micro-B interfaces?, as maybe the X5 doesn't acknowledge the other interface. My ME2 DAC has mini-B (not micro) on its end and X5 does see it. There may be some kind of interface incompatibility issue along with just the possibility X5 is not getting enough power to the dongles and of course maybe it just needs to have the stock firmware. I think you can add in external USB power to dongles but I haven't looked into that area in a while. Do you have a powered DAC you could try?

 

[yonnon]

I wonder if the directionality of the USB cables might be an issue ? Did you try reversing them ? (if both sides are Micro-B). Are you connecting to a DAC with other than micro-B interfaces?, as maybe the X5 doesn't acknowledge the other interface. My ME2 DAC has mini-B (not micro) on its end and X5 does see it.

I use various microUSB to USB-C cables, and various microUSB male to USB-c female adapter + USB-C cables. All combis recognize Fiio X5 mk3 from PC (can read/transfer files charge FIIO) .

There may be some kind of interface incompatibility issue along with just the possibility X5 is not getting enough power to the dongles and of course maybe it just needs to have the stock firmware. I think you can add in external USB power to dongles but I haven't looked into that area in a while. Do you have a powered DAC you could try?

The Megatron can be used powered. Checked but non luck. I have a Topping D10. Still not checked.

The only difference is that I use custom kernel and of course other DACs.


We will keep trying

 

[yonnon]

Como se dice en España. Mi gozo en un pozo.

Reinstalled vanilla 1.2.5. Android 5.1.1. Kernel 3.0.101+

First attemp: Powered DAC Megatron: not detected

 

[BobSmith8901]

Como se dice en España. Mi gozo en un pozo.

Reinstalled vanilla 1.2.5. Android 5.1.1. Kernel 3.0.101+

First attemp: Powered DAC Megatron: not detected

From
https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/05/review-venture-electronics-megatron/

"Connecting a power source to the CHARGE port while the Megatron is connected to my iPhone X, causes my phone to disconnect. YMMV."

That DAC seems to have a somewhat unconventional powering design. It's possible that the X5III may be responding like that iPhone. I wonder, do you just have a regular amp/DAC with an internal battery, or one with a plug-in power/standard AC adaptor that you could try?

 

[yonnon]

From
https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/05/review-venture-electronics-megatron/

"Connecting a power source to the CHARGE port while the Megatron is connected to my iPhone X, causes my phone to disconnect. YMMV."

That DAC seems to have a somewhat unconventional powering design. It's possible that the X5III may be responding like that iPhone. I wonder, do you just have a regular amp/DAC with an internal battery, or one with a plug-in power/standard AC adaptor that you could try?

I know that problem. Thanks.

It depends on the manufacturer's software implementation when the mobile is in charge: Some manufactureres disable OTG function (The samre problem witrh some Google mobiles)

No problem with my Oppo and LG G7: Megatron battery conected (and not connected, only feed by mobile USB-c conection) and no problem (and the mobiles are at the same time charging with Megatron battery conected).

I only have portable DACs (none with internal battery or AC adaptor). Checked another time with 1.2.5 vanilla and not luck.

It's not a serious problem either, but it pisses me off not knowing why this happens.

I'm not a excesively purist and the FIIO internal dac doesn't sound bad, especially because of the balanced output.

 

[altharic]

I have had success with attaching dongles to the X5 iii I have attached a Hiby FC3, a Hidiz S3 Pro and a Jcally Mqa dongle all of which went purple on MQA decode I had to use many combos of cable before it worked its very picky on what it will accept I have had to buy loads of cables to get it to work they have to support OTG I find a regular usb c to mini for data will not work.

 

[yonnon]

I have had success with attaching dongles to the X5 iii I have attached a Hiby FC3, a Hidiz S3 Pro and a Jcally Mqa dongle all of which went purple on MQA decode I had to use many combos of cable before it worked its very picky on what it will accept I have had to buy loads of cables to get it to work they have to support OTG I find a regular usb c to mini for data will not work.

Many of the portable DACS I have use a USB-c. I have checked a lot of microUSBtoUSB-C adapters but with none the DACs work.. The other option is for the DACs that use a USB-c-to-USB-c cable is replace this for a microUSB-to-USB-c OTG cable. I have checked too a lot of diferent cables but...

 

[yonnon]

Finaly, Succes!!!!

Hidiz Sonata S10+ and Cayin Ru6 recognized by UAPP on Fiio X5 iii But only when open UAPP, not when conecting them. Finally I think is a question of cable compatibility.



Now the problem is knowing where to really buy this cable to find a spare part.


edit: This (at least to use it instead of the original cable of the Cayin and Sonata S9+):

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005...5ae63634f3d97d32acdebbafa2c&afSmartRedirect=y

 

[yonnon]

A simple question: is there a fully charged indicator for the X5 iii?

Maybe the Charge Icon "Full white" and "not animated"?

 

[WitzyZed]

A simple question: is there a fully charged indicator for the X5 iii?

Maybe the Charge Icon "Full white" and "not animated"?

From powered down state and charging, full white battery icon can mean just a few ticks under 100%, it's not the most precise indicator.