The FiiO X3 Thread UPDATE: Project Back On! Read the First Post for Information.

[ProtegeManiac]

Even if the S9 will still be my daily portable player with an easy to drive IEM, I'm still getting the X3. And I'm heavily considering pairing it with either an E9, E15 or E17. The last is most likely though so I can use it for a transportable set-up, and maybe for a bedside rig for when I'm too lazy to swap discs on my current rig.

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

.                $199 with no built-in memory? Great, that must mean the sq will be better than sflo2.                             

The player itself is pretty much irrelevant to SQ since it has a digital out and people around here will be feeding its bitstream to DACs of arbitrary expense anyway...

 

[kanonathena]

So this is more like an amp where you have to pair it with something else? I thought it is meant to be a DAP like ipods but more focused on sq

 

[ClieOS]

The idea behinds X3 is to provide a DAP with an unique set of features that are different from other DAP in the market and make it more useful from an advanced user' POV (i.e. Head-fi'er). If you want something cheap and cheerful / sleek and full-of-storage / high-SQ-at-all-cost, there already are Clip+ / iPod / HifiMan / ColorFly in the market, that is not what X3 is about. Instead of being just a standalone product, it belongs to a platform of products that are designed to work together and provides an unique solution to the user. i.e. X3 can be used with E11 as a more powerful portable rig, or paired with E9 as a desktop rig, or future DAC+AMP like E17, etc while still provide decent SQ on its own. One thing that It is not meant to be, is to be your average main stream DAP.

 

[kanonathena]

Quote:

The idea behinds X3 is to provide a DAP with an unique set of features that are different from other DAP in the market and make it more useful from an advanced user' POV (i.e. Head-fi'er). If you want something cheap and cheerful / sleek and full-of-storage / high-SQ-at-all-cost, there already are Clip+ / iPod / HifiMan / ColorFly in the market, that is not what X3 is about. Instead of being just a standalone product, it belongs to a platform of products that are designed to work together and provides an unique solution to the user. i.e. X3 can be used with E11 as a more powerful portable rig, or paired with E9 as a desktop rig, or future DAC+AMP like E17, etc while still provide decent SQ on its own. One thing that It is not meant to be, is to be your average main stream DAP.

So if want a DAP that has the best PO possible (I will never use an amp), small size (cannot be bigger than J3, so no HIFIman), good UI (as comparable to nano4 as possible in terms of responsiveness), 15+ battery life, 16+gb memory. IS COWON J3 THE ONLY OPTION?
 
I listen to classical mainly, need soundstage and instrument separation. Thanks.
 

 

[JamesFiiO]

If COWON J3 have all you need, the best is to buy an J3, but why you need another DAP but not J3? X3 is different with other DAP, 
 
What we try to do is provide more choice to people, X3 will not be a perfect product, but it does provide something that other can not provide.
 
Compare with other DAP,
 
X3 will provide 192k/24bit playback, now only Colorfly can do that.
 
X3 will cheaper than most hifi DAP which design to audiophile.
 
X3 will provide bigger power output than other consumer DAP like iPod, J3.
 
X3 will provide digital out and line out, and there are very few DAP can do that.  
 
Of course, X3's battery life is shorter, and the UI can not be as good as iPod/Cowon, and the build quality can not be compared with iPod. Cowon ,
 
but you need to admit, each time you get something and you lose something, that is the life.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

So if want a DAP that has the best PO possible (I will never use an amp), small size (cannot be bigger than J3, so no HIFIman), good UI (as comparable to nano4 as possible in terms of responsiveness), 15+ battery life, 16+gb memory. IS COWON J3 THE ONLY OPTION?
 
I listen to classical mainly, need soundstage and instrument separation. Thanks.

Your question sounds pretty rhetorical to me. I haven't heard the J3 before to give you any real opinion, but I assume you have done enough homework on your own to know what you are looking for.
 

 

[TheGrimm]

Honestly, the digital output alone makes this little guy a must-have for me, everything else is just gravy.
 
Also, on an aside, I am one of those annoying shuffler types that is constant skipping songs on my mp3 player, and having a tactile button that I can use to skip tracks and play/pause is huge for me as I can't stand the touch screens with having to glance at the screen to accomplish anything.  I swear had touch screen been invented before buttons everyone would be jumping at this fantastic new invention where you don't have to look at the screen to do everything!

 

[i_djoel2000]

Quote:

Yeah $149-$199.  At $200+ things start getting complicated w/ the competition unless the X3 will be a next level sounding product for similar price.

what are you being so pessimistic for? this is fiio product we are talking about

i'm still hoping it will just go slightly above USD100 myself..
 

 

[Br777]

Quote:

Honestly, the digital output alone makes this little guy a must-have for me, everything else is just gravy.
 
Also, on an aside, I am one of those annoying shuffler types that is constant skipping songs on my mp3 player, and having a tactile button that I can use to skip tracks and play/pause is huge for me as I can't stand the touch screens with having to glance at the screen to accomplish anything.  I swear had touch screen been invented before buttons everyone would be jumping at this fantastic new invention where you don't have to look at the screen to do everything!

 
AMEN!
 
agreed on the digital out, and definately agreed on the buttons.  I own an ipod touch 64, and a clip+ and i find i use the clip a lot more b/c of the physical buttons.  i can pause, and switch tracks without looking, or removing the player from my belt.
 

 

[Anouk]

Hi br, depending on the version of the ipod touch that you own you can also turn on the voiceover screenreader, no need to look at the screen anymore then. Greetings, Anouk,

 

[maverickronin]

Quote:

I swear had touch screen been invented before buttons everyone would be jumping at this fantastic new invention where you don't have to look at the screen to do everything!

Yeah.  Touch screens suck.  Who in their right mind thought that it would be a good idea to have to look at the screen of something that spends most of its time in a pocket.
 
I miss my Rio Karma.  I used to be able to queue up my favorite albums completely blind.  That was quite handy while driving...

 

[mangamonster]

Quote:

X3 use the same amp section as E7, but depend on our test, due to we use different input mold, the sound quality of the amp section in X3 , is better than in E7.  

 

This is excellent news, indeed! I still believe the E7 is one of the best portable/DAC amp offerings on the market. If the X3 DAP engineers are focusing a lot on the usability of the product (interface, ergonomics, features) in addition to the great hardware specs, then this may prove to an excellent player! With FiiO's track record thus far, I hope they hit it out of the ballpark.
 
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Most of my listening is done like this: Open entire song list, pick one, skip to find something after that song you want to listen to.

Touch screen players with buttons on the side. Awwwwww yeeeeeeah. aka my J3.

Then again, I do like no fluff stuff, so I REALLY want this X3.

Yeah.  Touch screens suck.  Who in their right mind thought that it would be a good idea to have to look at the screen of something that spends most of its time in a pocket.
 
I miss my Rio Karma.  I used to be able to queue up my favorite albums completely blind.  That was quite handy while driving...

 

[MorbidToaster]

I listen this way as well. You can get the best of both worlds with some players. As long as they have physical SKIP buttons on the sides.

Honestly, the digital output alone makes this little guy a must-have for me, everything else is just gravy.
 
Also, on an aside, I am one of those annoying shuffler types that is constant skipping songs on my mp3 player, and having a tactile button that I can use to skip tracks and play/pause is huge for me as I can't stand the touch screens with having to glance at the screen to accomplish anything.  I swear had touch screen been invented before buttons everyone would be jumping at this fantastic new invention where you don't have to look at the screen to do everything!