[LordX]

Wait how exactly is the X3 connected in your system? Your initial post says you hooked it up straight to the amp. Your amp should have a gain knob instead of a separate box - if there is one that's usually because it's a mono amp for subwoofers so you can switch from normal music to Lil Jon without fumbling with the gain knob still on the amp out in the rack out back or the settings on the processor (which can do a -6dB to +6dB range on the preamp output for the subwoofer channels and the tweeter channels, allowing you to match them to the midwoofer).

Do you mean you hooked up the X3 to the amp of the stock entertainment system in the car inside the dash? If that's the case then the reason why it clips easily on Loudness War recordings is because these are low power, high gain/high input sensitivity amplifiers. That aux gain knob might not even be a gain knob, but it could either be a passive attenuator (ie for taming hot line signals) or an active "preamp" (primarily designed to compensate for weaker line sources), plus not having a lot of power (you'd be lucky to get a clean 25w per channel out of these).

Or are you using one of those discrete, lower power amps from Alpine or Focal? AFAIK the Alpines have a control unit (unless it's the one that hooks up to an Alpine HU) but IIRC the Focals don't. Is that what you have? Either way these should at least get you a clean 25w or more vs the stock audio system's amplifier.

Sorry, I realize that was confusing. I have an OLD alpine car head unit, model 7897. It has no way to hook up AUX sources to it, aside from an add-on that Alpine sold that allows two RCA Aux inputs to be used over the Ai-Net connection. If I recall correctly, that add on had a gain knob on it as well. It is buried in the car, so I can't see it right now.

 

[Mr Trev]

Headphone VS Line Out question.

I use my X3 in my car. I have always had it connected to my car amps with the Line Out. The Line out sends a very strong/loud signal. As such, some of my electronic tracks (which are extremely loudly encoded) have started to glitch/clip.

So today I tried switching the output from the Line Out to the headphones. I have no gain or audio adjustments set (since that is all done on my car head unit). I noticed that headphone out at FULL 120 volume was the same loudness as the Line Out. So I turned the volume down to 110, and it solved the clipping/glitching issue.

I just wanted to make sure I am not losing quality doing this! Having no adjustments (eq, treble, bass etc) made to the output should keep it pretty close to line out right?

I wish there were a 'normalize' option for the line out - to ensure it doesn't send out a clipped signal.

IIRC you can activate the eq and push all the sliders to minimum to deal with clipping

 

[LordX]

IIRC you can activate the eq and push all the sliders to minimum to deal with clipping

Does the EQ work over line out?

 

[Mr Trev]

Does the EQ work over line out?

Indeed. Just activating it will lower the level - maybe even enough to get rid of the clipping (then you can decide if you need -11). I've basically been treating it like a pre-cut and others have recommended using the eq by default just to avoid possible clipping issues

 

[LordX]

Interesting. I have the output into the headphone jack now - I experimented with turning the headphones up to 120 (full) and it doesn't clip there either.

I guess I will test it back with Line Out - and turn on the EQ - just leave it flat!

UPDATE: I plugged back into Line Out and turned on the EQ, set to custom (with all levels at 0). That seemed to do the trick! I played all the problem tracks, still good and loud - but no clipping/glitches! Thank you so much for the tips and tricks - especially so many years later!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Sorry, I realize that was confusing. I have an OLD alpine car head unit, model 7897. It has no way to hook up AUX sources to it, aside from an add-on that Alpine sold that allows two RCA Aux inputs to be used over the Ai-Net connection. If I recall correctly, that add on had a gain knob on it as well. It is buried in the car, so I can't see it right now.

Ah yeah there's really not much you can do for now, just use the headphone output so you can control the output off the X3 then lower it using that.

Alternately have you tried readjusting the gain on the amps using the music that clips?

 

[LordX]

Ah yeah there's really not much you can do for now, just use the headphone output so you can control the output off the X3 then lower it using that.

Alternately have you tried readjusting the gain on the amps using the music that clips?

The trick of turning on the EQ for the line out worked! I just left all the settings at 0 - but it still worked.

All my amps are buried behind back seats that do NOT fold down. It's annoying how buried and inaccessible everything in my install is.

 

[Mr Trev]

The trick of turning on the EQ for the line out worked! I just left all the settings at 0 - but it still worked.

All my amps are buried behind back seats that do NOT fold down. It's annoying how buried and inaccessible everything in my install is.

The biggest issue with car stereos and the X3 is most stereos are made for iPods and the like. Those devices typically have a low output voltage so when something like the X3 comes along with a proper line out clipping is inevitable unless you can lower the output level of the source - which engaging the EQ will do

 

[ProtegeManiac]

All my amps are buried behind back seats that do NOT fold down. It's annoying how buried and inaccessible everything in my install is.

That's why some amps have a wired remote for bass boost EQ or subwoofer amp gain control. There's really no way around all this since there's no space up front, even with smaller amps, unless you have your amps fully customized and can fit say a 4ch amp and a mono amp in one 1DIN slot each with the gain control knobs sticking out and still have the input and output on the back, hence the need for custom amps; car amps tend to have a signal flow from one side to the other (unlike home amps with a clear front panel so the signal takes a path that's more like a U on the board/s inside the chassis).

 

[WAV-4-my-X3]

I found this. Does this help?
https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/FIRMWARE/Others/FiiO-X3-Portable-Player-Firmware-21.shtml

 

[argural]

I found this. Does this help?
https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/FIRMWARE/Others/FiiO-X3-Portable-Player-Firmware-21.shtml

It helped a lot, thank you.
In addition to this, I also found this folder;

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/f1ei0b27mfrsq/X3
(X3 All firmwares)

 

[WAV-4-my-X3]

It helped a lot, thank you.
In addition to this, I also found this folder;

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/f1ei0b27mfrsq/X3
(X3 All firmwares)

Great! Thanks back!

 

[Lanac Rae]

could you guys help me? I have fiio x3 with a screen crack and battery that need to change. the problem is I can't find an LCD substitute or what I should look for to replace my x3 screens. I planned to change the battery, where to look and what keyword should I type when I looking for those spare parts. the battery connectors are also missing, the wire didn't have connectors in it. I got it secondhand.

 

[A Metal Jag]

Hi Lanac Rae, apart from the battery, spare parts are not available afaik. The first X3 model is from 2013 so that is ancient for an electronic device, even if the specs of the X3 are still excellent in 2021.
You could try finding a second player for parts but the first series X3's are getting rare.
Batteries are available on Aliexpress under $20.

 

[Lanac Rae]

Hi Lanac Rae, apart from the battery, spare parts are not available afaik. The first X3 model is from 2013 so that is ancient for an electronic device, even if the specs of the X3 are still excellent in 2021.
You could try finding a second player for parts but the first series X3's are getting rare.
Batteries are available on Aliexpress under $20.

hmm, it's petty difficult to find the LCD parts.
yes, dap like these has its own unique sound characteristics, that's why I love collecting old daps. and I like tinkering and reviving old electronics.
do you think I can use LCD with the same pin number but from different brands or not specifically made for the product?