[CH23]

Given I actually know about the cost of X3, lowering the price will mean little to no real profit out of the whole project. That's how low FiiO is pricing the X3 now.

I find this very courageous of them.
Let's hope it'll be a succes!

-CH23

 

[JakeJack_2008]

Quote:

Firmware has been updated to 0.98beta last week with a lot of small bug fixes. The official v1 firmware will be out probably the time the 2nd batch is ready to be released.

Probably I'll wait for the third, or fourth or ... batch, sometime in September?
 
I am very interested in the X3.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Probably I'll wait for the third, or fourth or ... batch, sometime in September?
 
I am very interested in the X3.

 
Third batch is only a month after the 2nd batch, In late June or early July. Unless there is some serious bug needed to be fixed, the 2nd batch should start shipping in a week or so.

 

[kkcc]

Thanks ClieOS for the review and constant updates of this project.


Finally able to demo a production unit today and I am blown away. Sound wise it is at least on par with AK100 and with more power - drive my ER4S at 65% volume vs over 85% of Ak100. Very high level of detail retrieval and clean sound. Separation and imaging is slightly better than AK100. FR is quite flat more akin to dx100 but very slightly warmer. Wasn't able to a/b with AK100 or Dx100 as I was listening to my AK120 when I ran into the demo unit. This made me even more impressed as the X3 is not dwarfed by the way more expensive counterpart on sound. AK120 is definitively better, but most won't find the price difference reflect the improvement of the sound itself.

Big thumbs up to the Fiio team in delivering superb but affordable sound.

 

[JamesFiiO]

Quote:

Thanks ClieOS for the review and constant updates of this project.


Finally able to demo a production unit today and I am blown away. Sound wise it is at least on par with AK100 and with more power - drive my ER4S at 65% volume vs over 85% of Ak100. Very high level of detail retrieval and clean sound. Separation and imaging is slightly better than AK100. FR is quite flat more akin to dx100 but very slightly warmer. Wasn't able to a/b with AK100 or Dx100 as I was listening to my AK120 when I ran into the demo unit. This made me even more impressed as the X3 is not dwarfed by the way more expensive counterpart on sound. AK120 is definitively better, but most won't find the price difference reflect the improvement of the sound itself.

Big thumbs up to the Fiio team in delivering superb but affordable sound.

 
yes, that is what we trying to do , good stuff but affordable price

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

... Sound wise it is at least on par with AK100 and with more power - drive my ER4S at 65% volume vs over 85% of Ak100. Very high level of detail retrieval and clean sound. Separation and imaging is slightly better than AK100. FR is quite flat more akin to dx100 but very slightly warmer

 
Yep, that reaffirms my overall impression on X3 against AK100 and DX100 as well.

 

[jaycee1]

What will the street price be in the US?

 

[kkcc]

What will the street price be in the US?

I believe the msrp is usd200 while current preorder street price is closer to $235 to $250

 

[Antony L]

Ive got one of the very first sflo2s just wondering how the x3s line out compares and if as the sflo uses twin dacs exactly the same if it would be a downgrade ?
Have a neco v2 driving d2000s via line out 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Ive got one of the very first sflo2s just wondering how the x3s line out compares and if as the sflo uses twin dacs exactly the same if it would be a downgrade ?
Have a neco v2 driving d2000s via line out 

 
Because implementation is as, if not more important than how many chips you have. If both are used as a line-out source, I reckon the result should be almost on par. T51 will be limited to 16/48 of course and a slightly cleaner sounding but not as good on separation and depth. On headphone-out however, there is no doubt X3 will win over T51 easily. X3 is also much easier to use with a much more responsive UI.

 

[musicday]

Quote:

Quote:

Thanks ClieOS for the review and constant updates of this project.


Finally able to demo a production unit today and I am blown away. Sound wise it is at least on par with AK100 and with more power - drive my ER4S at 65% volume vs over 85% of Ak100. Very high level of detail retrieval and clean sound. Separation and imaging is slightly better than AK100. FR is quite flat more akin to dx100 but very slightly warmer. Wasn't able to a/b with AK100 or Dx100 as I was listening to my AK120 when I ran into the demo unit. This made me even more impressed as the X3 is not dwarfed by the way more expensive counterpart on sound. AK120 is definitively better, but most won't find the price difference reflect the improvement of the sound itself.

Big thumbs up to the Fiio team in delivering superb but affordable sound.

 
yes, that is what we trying to do , good stuff but affordable price

I wish X3 could be used as a USB DAC but I guess I am asking too much at this price.
Will a firmware update allow that in the future?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

I wish X3 could be used as a USB DAC but I guess I am asking too much at this price.
Will a firmware update allow that in the future?

 
Very much doubt that can be done over firmware.

 

[jaycee1]

Quote:

I believe the msrp is usd200 while current preorder street price is closer to $235 to $250

OK, there were varying guesstimates on prices before; I thought the street price point would be closer to 150 after release. There's no way I would buy at that pre-order price, but I'll take a look again once it dips below 2 bills. 

 

[JamesFiiO]

About the MSRP, it will be around us$200 in U.S. but it depended on our agents, and for other regions, it will be more  expensive because the VAT and import duty are higher than in U.S. it is not the fault of FiiO or our agents and everyone known 
 
the reason. 
 
 
About the USB decoder function, consider the cost, size and battery life, all our DAPs will not support USB decode function and we have more option for the customers.

 

[kkcc]

OK, there were varying guesstimates on prices before; I thought the street price point would be closer to 150 after release. There's no way I would buy at that pre-order price, but I'll take a look again once it dips below 2 bills.

Yes Jaycee I fully expect the street price will be within 2 benjamins once the initial demand had been fulfilled. Price:sound ratio will be the key selling point for X3. As it's stand now, it's uniquely positioned without a true direct competition at the msrp price point so you may need to wait a while though for prices to start coming down.