[EddieE]

Over a such a short space such as from a dap to a portable dac/amp, optical might be problematic, as optical cables can screw up if if they are bent at too great an angle.
 
AFAIK every portable device which supports optical in also supports coaxial in too so its a bit of a non-issue which is used anyway.
 
My position is the real winning move would have been usb digital out, since every single portable dac/amp has usb in. Guess that would have pushed the price up but someone has to do it some day.

 

[maverickronin]

^  That's possible, but its quite a pain in the ass and requires more specialized and expensive hardware.
 
There are two different types of USB interface chips, host and receiver, and to talk via USB one device needs to be the host and the other the receiver.  Receiver chips are cheaper and more common since there are more things that plug into computers via USB than there are computers.  In addition to being less common, host chips are also rarely optimized for portable use since there isn't a large market for small portable host devices.  Because of this, they are likely to suck quite a lot power (by mobile device standards) since the designers expect them to be incorporated into devices that plug into the wall (like PCs) or have large batteries (like laptops and tablets).  I'd bet they'd also have various other idiosyncrasies that would make them annoying to work into something as small as a modern DAP.
 
Besides that, there's another power issue.  Many (but not all) portable USB DACs expect to be powered by USB power alone.  That would rather quickly drain the DAP's battery, and self powered DACs may just freak out or act weird if they don't see the proper voltage on the power wire even if it doesn't actually use it.
 
I like the idea too, but there are non-trivial issues to work out first.  I'd imagine it being worse than all the ipad drama.

 

[EddieE]

^ Yeah I expected it would be a complicated issue to resolve, but given the prevalence of portable amps with usb dacs, it would be a rewarding challenge to overcome and I hope someone takes it on one day... either that or more producers of portable amps with dacs start to embrace coax in.

 

[singh]

This Player looks to be good , and it seems fiio is following this thread
Members hhere have listed most of the features that i wanted in X3 , 
one thing that i want is :
1. To delete Music.( not very important though )
2. As there is no inbuilt memory,, why not have 2 Micro SD slots !? i mean yeah 32 GB Micro Sd costs a lot, but 16GB ones do not !, so a cheap solution could be to Have 2 16 GB cards, and those who want More mem. can get 2X32!! 64 GB.
 

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Quote:

This Player looks to be good , and it seems fiio is following this thread
Members hhere have listed most of the features that i wanted in X3 , 
one thing that i want is :
1. To delete Music.( not very important though )
2. As there is no inbuilt memory,, why not have 2 Micro SD slots !? i mean yeah 32 GB Micro Sd costs a lot, but 16GB ones do not !, so a cheap solution could be to Have 2 16 GB cards, and those who want More mem. can get 2X32!! 64 GB.
 

Good features! 2 micro SD slots are a good idea.
 

 

[Train]

 
Quote:

2. As there is no inbuilt memory,, why not have 2 Micro SD slots !? i mean yeah 32 GB Micro Sd costs a lot, but 16GB ones do not !, so a cheap solution could be to Have 2 16 GB cards, and those who want More mem. can get 2X32!! 64 GB.
 

I had already suggested this earlier in the thread. It would be awesome, but the hardware is pretty much already finalized and there is only one I/O connection, so only room for one card slot.

 

[KuKuBuKu]

Guys, the player has already been designed. I do not think they will change much, as much as i like the idea of two slots.

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

I'd like to take a brief moment to say pardon me for my limited knowledge regarding coaxial digital, and delivering such a grumpy n sweeping statement minus more updated facts than I had when learning about optical digital output. I guess the digital coaxial side of the equation has managed to win out on the jitter issue over optical, and if it sounds better and is easier for manufacturers to implement in a high quality fashion; bonus. Thanks everyone for the patience and illumination on the topic. This is a fun thread, and I can't wait to get my hands on a fully realized FiiO X3. Im sure the wait will be worth it! Watch out Apple...

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

Its really funny when you realize you're getting a wee bit older and catch yourself blurting things out as if you know all the answers! Humble pie is such the flavor of the thirties...

 

[ztringz]

I'm sure plenty of others have noticed that the D3 just became official. Now I'm really torn as to which one to wait for. On the one side, the X3 has everything I loved about the D2 (which I lost unfortunately) except for BBE (and without the resistive touchscreen, something I didn't love). And on the other hand, there's the D3, which has the same lineage as the D2... (I'm fine with android, and don't mind a capacitive touchscreen, but I'm guessing the launch price will be closer to $300, while the X3 will be... under $200?)
 
Gah.
 
Again, however, excellent player design on the X3! Me still being an absolute n00b when it comes to personal audio enjoyment, I'm thankful that this forum exists, and that companies like FiiO, with such excellent customer communication, exist to bring products catered to those who've turned music listening into an art.

 

[Zida]

Yea, I'm going to have a tough time deciding too since the D3 has SPDIF out. It also has microSD with internal memory. I'm not sure what my decision will come down to, but I'm so happy I'll have two great players to have to decide between. I have needed to replace my old dying mp3 player for over a year now, but haven't because I hadn't found a replacement I'd be happy with. Now I have 2 

 

[GeorgeGoodman]

Quote:

Yea, I'm going to have a tough time deciding too since the D3 has SPDIF out. It also has microSD with internal memory. I'm not sure what my decision will come down to, but I'm so happy I'll have two great players to have to decide between. I have needed to replace my old dying mp3 player for over a year now, but haven't because I hadn't found a replacement I'd be happy with. Now I have 2 

Good things come in waves. I am really tempted by these new players, but I already have two players with digital out. Do the Cowon BBE+ effects go through the digital stream?
 

 

[sz1999]

I want X3 having a real-time spectrum display like what Sansa Clip+ does

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Super excited about the X3.  I would like to recommend a few features.
 
3) A custom case to marry X3/E11 (possible even built in connection cable)
 

No way, I don't want to pay for anyone elses case.  Rather save my money for a Pelican.  You are asking for an optional accessory which just adds cost as standard equipment.  Just send me the player in an anti static pouch surrounded by peanuts or air bags.  Nothing else.
 
So, btw....what's the discount pre-order price look like?  

  
 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

They can just sell that separately.
 
Quote:

Quote:

Super excited about the X3.  I would like to recommend a few features.
 
3) A custom case to marry X3/E11 (possible even built in connection cable)
 

No way, I don't want to pay for anyone elses case.  Rather save my money for a Pelican.  You are asking for an optional accessory which just adds cost as standard equipment.  Just send me the player in an anti static pouch surrounded by peanuts or air bags.  Nothing else.
 
So, btw....what's the discount pre-order price look like?