Another user suggested this thread to me, as I had just posted to another. I need some advice on what to do with my X3. This is a copy of the post that I submitted to the other thread:
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Greetings. I NEED SOME HELP PLEASE.
I just recently joined this website so I could look for some answers to this trouble that I've been experiencing.
I have had my Fiio X3 2nd Gen for about a year and a half now. Other than the scroll wheel getting so sloppy to be basically unusable, I've had no trouble with the unit.
About four nights ago I tried to add some more music to the player. (I only use it to listen to flac files in folders.) I plugged it into the USB of my iMac and wondered why I didn't see the Fiio icon on my desktop. After waiting a bit I unplugged the unit and turned it on. Immediately I got a grey screen with the error message 'File system not support'. It alternated between that message and a black screen. I ejected the card and it changed to read 'Waiting sd card.
I was using a Sandisk Pixtor 64 gig card, which was formatted in the X3 when it was new. I've never had a problem with the card, or the player previously.
I contacted customer support at Fiio. They sent me a software update, which I couldn't get to work with the 64 gig card. I also have a 4 gig card from my Tascam DR100mkII, which I erased and reformatted in my iMac, making sure it was FAT32. I then added the x3II.fw upgrade file to the card and followed Fiio's instructions: I inserted the card in the X3, then held down the shortcuts button while simultaneously pushing the power button.
The X3 turned on and began to update the software. When it finished it briefly flashed the 'update complete' message, and then started the upgrade all over again. It did this 15 times in a row before I forced it to shut down by pushing a paper clip into the reset hole and pushing the power button simultaneously.
The only way I can get the X3 to shut down now is to hold in the factory reset and hold the power switch for 15 seconds. Otherwise it will not shut down.
When I emailed Fiio to tell them this, they said that it was not normal. They said I could either send it back to Fiio in China for repair, which would take a long time, or I could send it off to somewhere in the US and along with $70 get a refurbished unit in return.
My X3 has been well cared for and never dropped, or otherwise mistreated. I worry about getting a used replacement, but I also fear it could take six months to a year to get my unit back from China.
Has anyone experienced this same trouble before? I don't have the time to look though all 1147 pages of this thread to see if this has been covered before, so apologies if this is a common problem.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
It seems to be a software issue. I don't know why it keeps trying to update the software over and over.
Can this be resolved or should I buy a new X3? I really hoped this would last longer than 18 months.
Thank you for any and all advice,
Jeff
(Should I look for another manufacturer? I need a player that supports gapless flac playback, has a line out, and good sound.)