[Brooko]

There is amounting point for a lanyard - and also they include one in the accessories.
 
This might also help : http://www.headfonia.com/review-fiio-m3-ultra-portable-audio/
 
At some stage I'll repost the review on Head-Fi as well (Fiio have asked me to) - there are more pics with UI explanation.  But I have to be fair to Headfonia who initially organised the review.

 

[JK1]

 
Thanks JK1....you have helped me out a great deal. I will probably eliminate the M3 from consideration as a result of your reply. As I stated, i am looking for for a quality player. The problem is that generally as quality increases, so does size. Since size is priority #1, I am trying to find the "best" small player. My Clips were good not only because of their size, but also because of their convenient clip. My Sony's are a little larger, but still small enough for me.........I use a lanyard around my neck with them. If the new player had a way to attach a lanyard, that would be a plus (it would be acceptable even if I could buy a case through which a lanyard could be attached). The Xduoo X2 has a nice size......I'm also considering the Xduoo X3, only because it appears to be a better player than the X2. However, it may be a little too large (10.5 x 4.5 x 1.4 cm compared to 7 x 4 x 1 cm for the Xduoo X2). I am willing to buy a player a little larger, only if its a significantly better player.  My ideal player would best be described as a tiny jewel.......I'm not sure if there is such a player.

The Fiio M3 is likely to be much better after they improve the firmware. Unfortunately the buttons and how they are placed is so poor. Otherwise though it is a nice player with great sound quality and a convenient size and weight. Battery life is listed as 24 hours.
 
The Xduoo X2 browses only by folders. Battery life is only around 10 hours. The Xduoo X3 is heavy at around 3.5 ounces. With its current firmware it has a pitch error of 0.83% playing 44.1 files. This is likely fixable with a firmware update. The question is when it will occur. Battery life for the Xduoo X3 is listed as 8 hours.If you aren't in a big rush for a new player, then it seem worthwhile to wait and see when the Xdoo X3 and Fiio M3 firmwares are fixed. 

 

[trellus]

I have the Fiio X1, fiio M3, and the Sandisk Clip+(Rockboxed), Sandisk Clip zip(Rockboxed) and Sandisk Sport. If you care about size and weight, and especially if you plan to keep the player in a shirt pocket, the Fiio X1 is likely to be uncomfortably large and heavy for you. My Fiio X1 stays at home. The Fiio M3 is likely to be better suited for you as it is much smaller and lighter than the X1, and has much longer battery life. Having said that though, the firmware for the M3 still has glitches, such as occasional stuttering noises, and often not playing tracks in order based on track numbers. There are some other firmware glitches as well. For now I stopped using my M3 until the firmware is updated and these issues are fixed. The last firmware update decreased the frequency of the stuttering, but didn't solve it completely. The buttons on the the M3 are also annoying though. What don't you like about the Clips? If it is the power output, the Fiio M3 will play much louder. The screen on the Fiio M3 is much larger. The M3 is listed as having 24 hours of battery life vs just 11 hours for the X1. I haven't tested the battery life on these.


Read my Fiio M3 review. 

http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-m3-digital-portable-music-player/reviews/14785

What kind of files are stuttering? Any pattern, perhaps? The only thing I've noticed perhaps related is there is at least one AAC file it won't play (track 1 of an album, the rest of which it plays fine), but that the X1 and my iPhone handle fine, and not only will it fail to play, it forces me to reboot / power cycle it. I wonder if the stuttering is a similar bug..,

But so far, it's only been one song, though I've probably listened to only about 100 songs out of the 5,000 I've loaded on there so far..

I do find the buttons not well placed and not friendly to use, but other than that (!) I like it plenty; I use the lanyard holes to attach my neck lanyard and I use it at the gym hanging around my neck. It is super convenient and less of a hassle than my large iPhone 6S Plus.

 

[trellus]

There is amounting point for a lanyard - and also they include one in the accessories.

This might also help : http://www.headfonia.com/review-fiio-m3-ultra-portable-audio/

At some stage I'll repost the review on Head-Fi as well (Fiio have asked me to) - there are more pics with UI explanation.  But I have to be fair to Headfonia who initially organised the review.

Here are a couple of pics demonstrating using that mounting point for lanyard... I use my M3 at the gym because of its barely-there mass.

 

[JK1]

What kind of files are stuttering? Any pattern, perhaps? The only thing I've noticed perhaps related is there is at least one AAC file it won't play (track 1 of an album, the rest of which it plays fine), but that the X1 and my iPhone handle fine, and not only will it fail to play, it forces me to reboot / power cycle it. I wonder if the stuttering is a similar bug..,

But so far, it's only been one song, though I've probably listened to only about 100 songs out of the 5,000 I've loaded on there so far..

I do find the buttons not well placed and not friendly to use, but other than that (!) I like it plenty; I use the lanyard holes to attach my neck lanyard and I use it at the gym hanging around my neck. It is super convenient and less of a hassle than my large iPhone 6S Plus.

320kbps mp3 files sometimes stutter. It is much less with the 1.5 firmware.

 

[rtar]

The fact that the M3 can be used with a lanyard is very appealing to me........the size is also perfect. However the stuttering and/or hissing could be a deal breaker (will a filmware update fix this?). Does anyone know if the M3 is a step up from the Clip+?
 
I just noticed that the Xduoo X2 may also have a hissing problem....more complications.

 

[E8ArmyDiver]

  320kbps mp3 files sometimes stutter. It is much less with the 1.5 firmware.

Latest update is 1.6,maybe that will help...

 

[Brooko]

Hasn't ever stuttered for me.

 

[trellus]

Latest update is 1.6,maybe that will help...

I see 1.5 as the latest for M3, 1.6 for X1:

http://www.fiio.me/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=39932

 

[bruce1967]

  Latest update is 1.6,maybe that will help...

I use MP3s sometimes and never get any stuttering but I haven't used any fw older than 1.6. As soon as I got my X1 I upgraded it to 1.6 to improve the scroll wheel performance. Everything has been great with mine so far..how about yours?

 

[seanwee]

Any news on 1.7?

 

[bruce1967]

  Any news on 1.7?

Nothing I've heard about 1.7...I don't even know if a new fw is in the works.

 

[JK1]

  Latest update is 1.6,maybe that will help...

1.6? That is for the X1. I was talking about the M3.

 

[JK1]

  The fact that the M3 can be used with a lanyard is very appealing to me........the size is also perfect. However the stuttering and/or hissing could be a deal breaker (will a filmware update fix this?). Does anyone know if the M3 is a step up from the Clip+?
 
I just noticed that the Xduoo X2 may also have a hissing problem....more complications.

The M3 is not a step up from a Rockboxed Clip+ as far as features are concerned. As far as sound quality though, the M3 does have much better sound quality and much higher power output than my Rockboxed Clip+. The Clip+ has a built in clip and FM radio which the M3 lacks. Imo no player being made now is close to being ideal. They all have their issues and annoyances. For the expensive boutique players high prices, short battery life, heavy weigh and large size are the problems. 

 

[rtar]

Sorry castleofargh, I just read your post asking about my IEMs  (I was reading and answering the comments that I got an email for....i guess those are only the ones that quoted me). I will only use IEMs for this player. Also when I'm riding or running, I basically turn it on and let it play....the only adjustments that I make are an occasional skip a song, or repeat a song.....usually nothing else. As I mentioned before, when i turn the player on the next day, I want it to return to where it left off. I have an assortment of IEMs, including:   sony xba-3, fidue a71, monster turbine, shure scl3,  klipsch image X10, klipsch image X5, ttpod T1, velodyne vPulse, mee A161P, audeo pfe 112, westone adventure alpha, sennheiser mx580, vmoda remix, soundmagic e30, sony mdr-nc020
I'm a bargain hunter. Most of these IEMs were bought because they seemed to get good reviews and were a bargain price at the time. I hope that I can find that, at least one of these, will perform well with whichever player I end up buying.
 
JK1, I would like to make a purchase in time to get the player by about April......that's when I'll start using it....so, I have a little time to decide. Also I'm not too sure that I understand the impact of that fact that "The Xduoo X2 browses only by folders." I assume that means that I can't hunt for a particular song? That would seem to be quite a disadvantage if you can't see the songs in a particular folder. From my description in the first paragraph, features aren't too important for what this player will be used for.......size, and, quality of sound and construction are(I don't want a cheap piece of junk).
 
I forgot, one feature I would like is a custom equilizer.