saj2001ind Warning....... Very long post based on my opinion
One thing to remember is that the amp should be as transparent as possible, whether it's in a DAP or desktop unit or portable amp. The noise rejection and rendering of the digital file from bits to an analogue signal sent to the amp section is done with the the DAC. Remember the amp should represent power and dynamics and the DAC represents sound signature and detail. This isn't always exclusive but a general understanding. If the DAC is warm, the player will be warm. If the DAC is resolving, the player will be resolving. Of course this is under the assumption that the amp has a low noise floor with little distortion, which the better FiiO amps have, including the one in the X3.
As for the X3 amp it's very powerful (slightly more than the X5) and will be able to power a wide range of headphones, especially with low/high gain. The treble/bass controls are very nice and easy to tailor the output to match the signature you desire. The EQ in the X5 isn't as nice IMO, but does the job. As mentioned, in order to prevent clipping FiiO has dropped the volume by 6db on all custom EQ settings.
Two ways to use this (proper) implementation on the X5 are:
1. Raise all the sliders up to max and cut the frequencies that are too overwhelming. This is what I do. For example: if the treble is too high then I reduce the treble relative to the bass so the balance is bass heavy on the output.
2. Adjust the slider up only in the frequencies you want to boost and raise the overall volume to compensate for the 6db preamp reduction. The volume adjustment works out to be around 12 units on the volume scale. This will bring the volume up to pre-preamp reduction.
On the X3 it's: I want more bass so I increase bass. Easy, and sounds very musical (ie, not digital relative to software EQ).
As far as quality difference between the X3 and X5 I would say the X5 is a 9 and the X3 is a 7.5-8 overall. I'm reserving the 10 for players like AK240 ($2400) or the upcoming X7 (hopefully). I find the iPod classic to be a 5 and the iPhone 5s to be a 6 out of 10. To me the amp just isn't good enough on these iDevices to give good dynamics. The DAC implementation in these units I find to be not as resolving either. There is a certain veil from smartphones, etc., that the FiiO players don't have and the X5 is clearer than the X3. I'm sure many others are enjoying their smartphones and iDevices with their headphones/earphones but not me. Warning! With better/more resolving players your audio files will need to be good quality or you'll clearly hear it on the FiiO players. The entire audio chain becomes important after a certain level.
At the end of the day this is all my perspective and you need to go down your own road to find what works best for you. Sorry for your wallet! Remember, you don't need to race to the end game. Enjoy the journey and learn as you go. That's part of the fun.
No, you don't need the e18 with the X3 as the amp in the X3 is as powerful as the e18 amp, but you can try it out before you sell it. No, X3 + e18 won't get you X5 quality because the X5 DAC implementation is different than the X3.
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