[sharpex]

"Your rockbox ports are a lifesaver. But there is one issue I'd like to point out.
There is a noticable decrease in audio quality on the rb port. Stock firmware sounds more dynamic and cleaner. Also there is the issue of manually increasing the volume to 0db gain when used with line-out. The gritty sound becomes more apparent when I l/o to an amp. It would be excellent if you could look into these matters if you haven't already started working on a fix TIA vortex."


Hi bolmeteus,

test with these settings:

Filter roll-off: sharp

Oversampling DAC: 64x

Frequency: 44.1

 

[charleski]

  Your rockbox ports are a lifesaver. But there is one issue I'd like to point out.
There is a noticable decrease in audio quality on the rb port. Stock firmware sounds more dynamic and cleaner. Also there is the issue of manually increasing the volume to 0db gain when used with line-out. The gritty sound becomes more apparent when I l/o to an amp. It would be excellent if you could look into these matters if you haven't already started working on a fix TIA vortex.

 
The one thing you need to watch out for with Rockbox is that it's easy to send its DSP engine into clipping, which will produce exactly the 'gritty sound' you describe. The most common way of doing this is by applying a boost in the EQ without dialing in a corresponding precut. ReplayGain can be another culprit unless you check to ensure the 'prevent clipping' option is also enabled.
 
I really wouldn't worry about having it on 0dB for the line-out. Rockbox retains full 16-bit precision down to quite a low volume. In fact it's a good idea to keep the volume at a reasonably negative value (I try not to go beyond -10dB), as pushing it too high will reduce the amount of headroom available for the prescaler, which can again produce clipping.

 

[kalo86]

"Your rockbox ports are a lifesaver. But there is one issue I'd like to point out.
There is a noticable decrease in audio quality on the rb port. Stock firmware sounds more dynamic and cleaner. Also there is the issue of manually increasing the volume to 0db gain when used with line-out. The gritty sound becomes more apparent when I l/o to an amp. It would be excellent if you could look into these matters if you haven't already started working on a fix

TIA vortex."


Hi bolmeteus,

test with these settings:

Filter roll-off: sharp

Oversampling DAC: 64x

Frequency: 44.1

 
Hi Sharpex,
 
I have been for two times (in two different periods) a XDuoo X3 owner but I had to return both devices for the audio quality reason.
I will be more precise in my description.
The audio quality of XDuoo X3 is very good but the stock firmware has many issues, for example:
 
1. The first second of any track is not played;
2. Pitch error;
3. The company refuses to upgrade its own firmware in order to fix definitely the problems at point 1 and 2.
 
I'm also a great estimator of RockBox project (I had a Sansa Clip+ and I know the beauties of RockBox firmware) but I have to admit that the audio quality difference is appreciable and very clear to my ears. Details are like "lost" on RockBox when, on the stock firmware, details and powerful penetration of bass are amazing. This is no doubt on what I say since other users admit this. Please have a try with the same audio track played one time by the RockBox firmware and soon after by the stock one. You will notice a better detail, clarity and definition of sound on the time. It's very difficult to explain auditory emotions into words but one of the most appreciable differences is the intensity and duration of the bass (the same bass) executed by the previous firmwares.
 
That is to say that I really appreciate this device but I repute it not acceptable if you want to stay with the stock firmware.
With RockBox you will have a better user interface, thousands of available settings that you wont see in XDuoo firmware but the main reason (my reason) to justify a dedicated audio player (even if it could be considered among the portable audio sources) is that the audio quality is much better than the audio quality that today in 2017 a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and its Qualcomm Aqstic DAC is able to pull out from a smartphone. Of course this is my honest opinion and reasons that brought me to return two X3 units.
 
I hope to read your opinion between audio quality in both firmwares.
Regards,
 
kalo86

 

[sharpex]

Hi Sharpex,

I have been for two times (in two different periods) a XDuoo X3 owner but I had to return both devices for the audio quality reason.
I will be more precise in my description.
The audio quality of XDuoo X3 is very good but the stock firmware has many issues, for example:

1. The first second of any track is not played;
2. Pitch error;
3. The company refuses to upgrade its own firmware in order to fix definitely the problems at point 1 and 2.

I'm also a great estimator of RockBox project (I had a Sansa Clip+ and I know the beauties of RockBox firmware) but I have to admit that the audio quality difference is appreciable and very clear to my ears. Details are like "lost" on RockBox when, on the stock firmware, details and powerful penetration of bass are amazing. This is no doubt on what I say since other users admit this. Please have a try with the same audio track played one time by the RockBox firmware and soon after by the stock one. You will notice a better detail, clarity and definition of sound on the time. It's very difficult to explain auditory emotions into words but one of the most appreciable differences is the intensity and duration of the bass (the same bass) executed by the previous firmwares.

That is to say that I really appreciate this device but I repute it not acceptable if you want to stay with the stock firmware.
With RockBox you will have a better user interface, thousands of available settings that you wont see in XDuoo firmware but the main reason (my reason) to justify a dedicated audio player (even if it could be considered among the portable audio sources) is that the audio quality is much better than the audio quality that today in 2017 a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and its Qualcomm Aqstic DAC is able to pull out from a smartphone. Of course this is my honest opinion and reasons that brought me to return two X3 units.

I hope to read your opinion between audio quality in both firmwares.
Regards,

kalo86

Hi kalo86, with the setting found here :
http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showpost.php?p=44291927&postcount=152
i solved the problems you mentioned.
With equalizer then it's easy to have a sound even better then the original sw.
Try to do it and then tell me.
Buy now another X3 on ebay at 71 euro, fast like the wind!!
...regards...

 

[jeromeaparis]

Hi kalo86, with the setting found here :
http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showpost.php?p=44291927&postcount=152
i solved the problems you mentioned.

Hi, thanks for the tip,
could you please translate in english the main settings, cause cannot understand italian.

 

[lotech]

Google translate is your friend. paste the URL into it and specify Italian to English and bob's your uncle it's readable.

 

[AudiophileDuhan]

I can't find which settings mentioned in that thread, can someone simplify and write?

 

[jeromeaparis]

after google translate, I think his settings:
 
Dac oversampling 64x
Frequency = 44,1 khz
Frame = no
 
 
Roll off = hard
gain + 6db

 

[AudiophileDuhan]

  Frame = no

Can't find a setting like this. Others are fine.

 

[Daveydguk]

I read it as
Turn Off Dither

Set Oversampling to 64x

Set Sampling rate to 44.1 KHz.

Roll-off filter set with the FAST

 

[AudiophileDuhan]

Original firmware
44100 Hertz (and multipliers) => Playing slow
48000 Hertz (and multipliers) => Fine

Rockbox
44100 Hertz (and multipliers) => Almost fine
48000 Hertz (and multipliers) => Reduced detail?

Why? Also,

Original firmware => Distorted headphone out at higher than 98% volume, which could mean locked line-out @100% volume is also distorted according to this video.
Rockbox => Line-out volume level can be reduced. +No high resolution output?

This is the latest state of the device.

 

[sharpex]

Hi guys,
there is a guy who has found hand charts, the best settings to match rockbox to the original software, you can find it here in italian:

http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showthread.php?t=2761501&page=8

Whose summary is:
 
Filter roll-off: sharp
Oversampling DAC: 64x
Frequency: 44.1
 
It would be interesting to know if there are any real improvements, or if according to you, rockbox sounds so good.
Your opinion is very interesting.
Thanks and sorry for the mistakes 

 

[Slater]

Folks, regarding dithering, you want to keep dithering ON when using high-resolution files (higher than 16-bit), or when you have sound effects enabled like EQ & crossfeed.
 
Here's why, right from the words of a Rockbox developer:
 
"Dithering has nothing to do with resampling, it has to do with converting from one bit depth to another. Most of our lossy codecs decode to a bit depth that's significantly higher than the 16 bits that are used for output. For example, MP3 is decoded to 29 bits and Ogg Vorbis to 25 bits. When converting this to 16 bits for output, one can just throw away the lower bits, which is default behaviour, or dither. Just throwing away the samples will yield quantisation noise, which is perceived as distortion that changes character with the sound, and can be quite annoying. With dithering enabled, this noise will take the form of uniform background noise, comparable to noise heard in good old-fashioned analogue recordings. Most people will find this noise much more comfortable...
 
...Applying dithering for lossless codecs don't necessarily make sense unless the files have more bits per sample than 16. However, the moment you apply any effects like crossfeed and EQ, dithering will make sense even for files at 16 bits, since these effects operate at a higher precision."
 
Links that explain in more detail:
 
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=7179.0
https://www.rockbox.org/mail/archive/rockbox-archive-2006-11/0312.shtml

 

[Poleepkwa]

I opened my X3 too check the battery. It's unmarked, so I would assume it is the 1500mah? Also noticed the reset button is totally broken off. Any thoughts how to reset it it now?

 

[Slater]

I opened my X3 too check the battery. It's unmarked, so I would assume it is the 1500mah? Also noticed the reset button is totally broken off. Any thoughts how to reset it it now?

 
They mount them all with the specs facing down for some reason. So to check the capacity you have to peel away the tape, like in this photo:
 

 
Yes, I know it's a 2000mAh battery, but they mount all of them face down like that.
 
As far as the button, it's just a momentary switch. Anything that shunt the terminals together momentarily would work.
 
The right way to fix it would be to solder a replacement switch in place of the broken one. If you look back a number of pages in this thread, I posted the correct replacement switches. They cost a few cents each.