[bhabba]

   
which one, it is a win8 style UI .

Well, I really don't want to be sarcastic or anything... but why would you build a "win8 style UI" for a device which doesn't have a touchscreen? O_o
 
And about the screenshot of the new main menu: Why would you arrange the menu items in two dimensions (i.e. two columns) for a device which only has UP and DOWN buttons?
 
Don't get me wrong, but I simply don't understand why FiiO is putting its ressources into building a new (but obviously not very elaborate) UI while there's great bunch of other issues which should be addressed first (at least according to the users of this device)!
 
I don't imagine being capable to disabuse you from introducing this new UI... so in the end I only got one demand left: PLEASE add a dark version of the new UI when you're releasing it! Otherwise my stomach might churn everytime I want to change the track...

 

[Trunks159]

Fiio X3 + better mp3 decoding +EQ (that's a biggie) + Crossfade (like with Rockbox) + slightly longer battery life = the perfect portable. Well, except for the scrolling. The Parametric EQ is a biggie, which held me back from buying the X3.

 

[pennylane]

   
 
Then you might want to do like Cannikin did, return it and get an AK100 / 120 / 240.
 
I have yet to have a problem with the X3, gapless On and working perfectly, I am yet to have one freeze or lockup and I use it everyday...
FLAC's, ALAC's, M4a's a very few MP3's, all Properly Tagged with normal sized album artwork.
 
I fully believe that 90% of the issues some people are having is a result of improper ID3 tags and massive artwork in thier files, or just bad media like many of the MP3 that are floating around on the internet.

 
What is normal-sized?  I have all my files tagged properly (as best as I can determine) and I ran into freezing issues so I disabled gapless.  I did decide to embed album art with mp3tag to my files.

 

[TrollDragon]

I don't go above 500 x 500 pixels for album art, I have seen 2000 x 2000 in some music from HDTracks and that will cause you problems.

I find the 500 X 500 is a good resolution for all my music as I don't like to have a copy for portable use and one for the computer. I had to keep duplicates of my music before for the Colorfly C3 since it would not play any 24/96 FLAC's. Now I just drag and drop to the 64GB card from one music pool instead of two.

 

[Mr Trev]

   
What is normal-sized?  I have all my files tagged properly (as best as I can determine) and I ran into freezing issues so I disabled gapless.  I did decide to embed album art with mp3tag to my files.

since the x3 screen has a resolution of 240x320 I don't think it makes sense to go any larger than 240x240. It seems that the smaller the artwork the quicker the UI works (doesn't have to spend time scaling).

 

[TrollDragon]

  since the x3 screen has a resolution of 240x320 I don't think it makes sense to go any larger than 240x240. It seems that the smaller the artwork the quicker the UI works (doesn't have to spend time scaling).

Then I would be back to duplicate music as 240 x 240 looks like Lego Artwork on a computer monitor in foobar 2K.

 

[Mr Trev]

 
Then I would be back to duplicate music as 240 x 240 looks like Lego Artwork on a computer monitor in foobar 2K.

Good point. But I just set Musicbee to automatically convert the artwork for me when it transfers. This way I can keep my artwork at any size on my laptop, and scale it for X3. I think currently the X3 will support up to 1000x1000, but that seems like serious overkill to me.
Thinking back when I was setting up rockbox on my ipod I found a prog that would batch process artwork, but I can't remember what the name is.

 

[OK-Guy]

UK Head-Fi'ers looking to invest in X3 should look no further than this new dealership... you'll get plenty of time to demo products, they make proper tea as well (big bonus).
 
great guys to deal with that offer terrific customer-service... yes I am  a happy customer of theirs (other hi-fi gear)
 
website:http://homemedialimited.co.uk/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeMediaLtd

 

[Chriswhiz]

 
step 2:
 
a total new GUI for X3, and this will be the end of the firmware upgrading. the next generation of X3 willl use new UI which based on X5.

What exactly do you mean by "next generation" of X3? A new product? If I read this right, I can't believe FW updates will stop for the X3. Still so many bugs!

 

[howdy]

What exactly do you mean by "next generation" of X3? A new product? If I read this right, I can't believe FW updates will stop for the X3. Still so many bugs!

As far as I know there is no 2nd Gen X3, James also mentioned that the X3 will have more updates, likely around the release of the X5.

 

[ClieOS]

Next gen. X3 will be sometime in the 2015. Like any electronics, the current X3 will be replaced at the future. But there is no need to panic for now.

 

[JamesFiiO]

Usually we will upgrade our products in 2 years. I can understand that the user will not be happy to see the new one. 

 because the new one always means better.  but we will close our business if we keep manufacturing the old model .
 
so the best we can do is let people know what we will do in the future . anyway, the X3K will not launch in market soon .

 

[Trunks159]

Could you trade in your Old mint condition X3 for 75% or something like that off? That'd be cool.

 

[Chriswhiz]

  Usually we will upgrade our products in 2 years. I can understand that the user will not be happy to see the new one. 

 because the new one always means better.  but we will close our business if we keep manufacturing the old model .
 
so the best we can do is let people know what we will do in the future . anyway, the X3K will not launch in market soon .

I don't mind you stopping your firmware updates for a certain product in order to make way for new products, but please please please don't leave current or on-the-way-out products hanging before introducing new ones. At least address and find solutions to all known bugs before stopping updates. Firmware 2.1 is very far from stable, and before you announce new products and stopping firmware updates, at least make sure your older products are taken care of. Customers have actually paid for the prices you put on your products and as such they (we) deserve the right amount of functionality. Most of us have "upgraded" from iPods or other DAPs for the sole purpose of having better sound quality. Yet just a few pages of backreading exposes me to most of the issues that this current player/firmware has, and on basic player functionalities at that.
 
Don't get me wrong though, I really like my X3 for the sound quality, but the firmware obviously needs a LOT of work.
 
Just putting it out there.
 
Cheers to all of you guys at Fiio!

 

[ClieOS]

  I don't mind you stopping your firmware updates for a certain product in order to make way for new products, but please please please don't leave current or on-the-way-out products hanging before introducing new ones. At least address and find solutions to all known bugs before stopping updates. Firmware 2.1 is very far from stable, and before you announce new products and stopping firmware updates, at least make sure your older products are taken care of. Customers have actually paid for the prices you put on your products and as such they (we) deserve the right amount of functionality. Most of us have "upgraded" from iPods or other DAPs for the sole purpose of having better sound quality. Yet just a few pages of backreading exposes me to most of the issues that this current player/firmware has, and on basic player functionalities at that.

 
Two pages back:
 

   
They already announced (*not here, but at their own forum) a new firmware release planned at the end of March / early April. The reason it takes so long is because they are redesigning a lot of the UI / improving the code so it will be fairly major upgrade.