[saratoga]

  I have a question. When using lineout (rockbox) with volume -5 to 0, the song suddenly stops when there's loud sounds or heavy bass. But when I lower the volume to -6 or below, it plays fine. I tried to play the same songs using the stock firmware and it plays smooth. With the headphone jack, no problem at all.
 
 

 
That kind of sounds like the overcurrent limit kicking in.  What are you driving?  Maybe the input impedance is too low for line out?

 

[hakuzen]

@saratoga is right: don't plug IEMs nor low impedance headphones to line-out in x3. line-out is intended for amplifiers or similar stuff (high impedance).
 
check what it does with a low impedance high sensitive IEM:
 

 
even if you don't blow up your IEM, it will sound awful. output impedance of x3 line-out is high.

 

[jaxz]

  @saratoga is right: don't plug IEMs nor low impedance headphones to line-out in x3. line-out is intended for amplifiers or similar stuff (high impedance).
 
check what it does with a low impedance high sensitive IEM:
 

 
even if you don't blow up your IEM, it will sound awful. output impedance of x3 line-out is high.

 

 
I'm connecting the line out to an amp. Tried a couple of different cables but the issue persist. With the volume set to -3db its ok but from there to 0db the player pauses itself. I think the line-out is broken because besides the pause issue the sound coming from there is distorted, its like listening to a bad recording at 128mbps mp3, full of artifacts.
 
PD: Definitely is a issue with rockbox. Booted with stock firmware and the line-out working flawless. 

 

[ameliavega27]

  Try reset, if it doesn`t help reinstall RB on SD card.

Reinstalling RB fixed the issue. 
 
A quick question in installing RB. What's the difference of "rockbox-full-***.zip" under initial setup to "rockbox-update-***.zip" under system update. Is there any difference with the sound quality?

 

[ameliavega27]

   
That kind of sounds like the overcurrent limit kicking in.  What are you driving?  Maybe the input impedance is too low for line out?

I'm driving Q Acoustics 3020. 
 
The issue was fixed by reinstalling rockbox.

 

[Level]

   
I agree. The stock firmware utilizes the full bit depth and bit rate of the hardware and does sound airier and generally better, potentially, but it's ruined by the lethargic feel to everything it plays due to the clock error. Rockbox clocks at bang on the correct rate but down samples and truncates hi-def files making everything sound like the lowest quality files in your collection.
 
I can't understand the people who say they don't notice it. This is the one forum on the internet where I'd expect people to have good 'ears'. It seems not. Perhaps it's just a rent-a-mob, after all.

Let me get this straight. The stock X3 plays slow but handles 24/96 files. RockBox plays in real time but is limted to 16/48 and cannot playback 24/96 files.
Is this correct? Because if it is I'm going to refuse delivery of my X3.....due any day.
 
If true, is there some liklihood RockBox firmware will be updated to handle 24/96 files?

 

[SalfordBoys]

I'm not an expert, so please indulge me.

It will play v-0 vbr OK?
320kbps cbr OK?
It will play flac OK?

I'm really confused by the seemingly everywhere now bit depth (is it that metric) of 16 48 44.1 etc etc etc

Could somebody please give a super brief explanation, and how the X3 fits with that because placebo being what it is I'm now left wondering about the quality of what I'm listening to (generally the 3 bit rates above)

Thank you.

 

[johnbthetenth]

From what I understood from the rockbox devs, hires is regarded as waste of  card/disk space (which I share) and nobody is working on 24bit output etc.
Rockbox on the X3 DOES play 24 bit, 192kHz flac (I just verified), but does downsample AFAIK.

 

[Level]

I'm sick of Xduoo surprises. The X2 I've had for a week constantly freezes with any type of music file and Aliexpress (newfrogdotcom) only wants to give me a credit. Now I hear the X3 is a bit of a flee bitten dog as well......clock lag timing, no hi res with RockBox etc. etc.
Enough of this crap.
I ordered a Lotoo Paw 5000 and will be refusing the X3 parcel when it arrives. The X2 can kiss my heels as well.
Yeesh, what a ride.

 

[dw1narso]

  I'm sick of Xduoo surprises. The X2 I've had for a week constantly freezes with any type of music file and Aliexpress (newfrogdotcom) only wants to give me a credit. Now I hear the X3 is a bit of a flee bitten dog as well......clock lag timing, no hi res with RockBox etc. etc.
Enough of this crap.
I ordered a Lotoo Paw 5000 and will be refusing the X3 parcel when it arrives. The X2 can kiss my heels as well.
Yeesh, what a ride.

 
hmm... Xduuo X3 has been around for more than 1 year... the issue with clock has been there since the first time... if you have a chance to hear rockboxed X3, you will understand why a lot of people still love it... It is audiophiles on budget, it's a player to carry around without afraid of loosing it...
No... It won't surpass higher caliber players... but don't be surprised once you compare it with higher caliber player and the difference is not night and day...
 
Downsampling is almost as sinful with other player that upsample the material by default... So... in reality it is not important... as long as it sounds good...
 
PS. my friend that just bought Fiio X1ii was disappointed after hearing my Xduuo X3... and now want to sell his X1ii...

 

[SalfordBoys]

Found a YT explanation.

 

[SalfordBoys]

OK, last question. So bit depth etc pertains to how the music was recorded?

 

[dw1narso]

OK, last question. So bit depth etc pertains to how the music was recorded?

 
this has been discussed somewhere on head-fi... bit depth only relate with the dynamic headroom above the noise floor... 16 bit is more than enough for reproduction (play)... even some older DAC on 1980-2000s can not really deliver 16 bits sounding fine... dynamic head room that is provided by 16 bits is more than human hearing capability...
 
24 bits and higher only useful for studio that need to play with the mixing process and adjusting the whole music (read: multiple channels) with the digital volume control in granular...
 
what dictate the sound is the mastering quality... 24 bits of bad mastered song would not sound as good as excellently mastered 16 bit song...
 
similarly... 24 bits of bad mastered song in FLAC (lossless) would not sound as good as excellently mastered 16 bit song in MP3 (256Kbps and above)..

 

[Level]

   
hmm... Xduuo X3 has been around for more than 1 year... the issue with clock has been there since the first time... if you have a chance to hear rockboxed X3, you will understand why a lot of people still love it... It is audiophiles on budget, it's a player to carry around without afraid of loosing it...
No... It won't surpass higher caliber players... but don't be surprised once you compare it with higher caliber player and the difference is not night and day...
 
Downsampling is almost as sinful with other player that upsample the material by default... So... in reality it is not important... as long as it sounds good...
 
PS. my friend that just bought Fiio X1ii was disappointed after hearing my Xduuo X3... and now want to sell his X1ii...

Yes, too much information floating around to find all the facts up front. It might be helpful if the various X3 reviewers amended their reports to reflect the fact this is a hobbled model. My point is that Xduoo snuck this one into the market without being up front on its obvious failings, not a great way to build a customer base.
 
If I wanted something less than audiophile I wouldn't have looked at the X3 to begin with. For point of reference, the X2 was reported to have very good sound but I find it crappy and that does not instill faith in the X3. Time for me to move on. I'm officially ex duo.

 

[SalfordBoys]

Thank you, im getting towards comprehension now.
 
But in terms of the process bit depth etc comes before the final flac/whatever ripping method?
 
Because obviously mastering is done in studio and ,to an extent, isnt an issue for me as the end listener.  Am i correct in saying that a very skilled/analytical listener would struggle to hear the difference between 16bit and 24 bit (all other variables being equal)