The Fiio X3 Thread.

[Mmet]

Yes yes yes ...that's what I am talking about as I want to keep things portable with iems and easily driven headphones

 

[Mr Trev]

I am thinking of modding my x3 amp chip ...but waiting the new firmware first

been thinking about doing this myself....or getting an e12.....or an x5....so many choices....
Lost my soldering iron so that pretty much means that I'm not worthy of doing the mod myself (honestly how can a person lose a soldering iron). Plus getting kinda shaky in my middle age, and unfortunately can't find anybody to do it for me now. Honestly I'd rather do the mod since I'll get the better sound anywhere I go (really don't want to have to pack a stack when i go out, and the x5 is still a little pricey for me at this time). The e12 diy is pretty damn tempting still....

 

[Mmet]

Yes ...lots of good options there but as I don't want to carry another piece with me every where and I want to keep things portable...i will not need more power..x3 is already very powerful...but I want different sound signature and more details and clarity..that's it

 

[Mr Trev]

Yes ...lots of good options there but as I don't want to carry another piece with me every where and I want to keep things portable...i will not need more power..x3 is already very powerful...but I want different sound signature and more details and clarity..that's it

I'm in the same boat, that's why I'm thinking e12 diy - I can change op-amps whenever I get bored. I'm just not sure i want to carry it round everywhere. It'd be great for at home, but then I won't get any improvement when I'm out.
Hopefully I'll get a definitive sign in the near future about which way to go

 

 

[appleidappleid]

Yes ...lots of good options there but as I don't want to carry another piece with me every where and I want to keep things portable...i will not need more power..x3 is already very powerful...but I want different sound signature and more details and clarity..that's it

I actually think modding the dac chip to a wm8741 may suit you.

 

[nmatheis]

I'm in the same boat, that's why I'm thinking e12 diy - I can change op-amps whenever I get bored. I'm just not sure i want to carry it round everywhere. It'd be great for at home, but then I won't get any improvement when I'm out.
Hopefully I'll get a definitive sign in the near future about which way to go  

Get it! The E12 DIY is great . Just swapped opamps in mine tonight.

Wish I had the equipment and skills to mod my E3...

 

[Mmet]

But I think it's difficult to remove and solder a dac more than the amp chip !

 

[huckfinn]

I find it surprising that, despite all the criticisms towards iDevices, a basically new X3 would resell for much much less than a very old 5gen. ipod video.......

that tells me something about intrinsic values.......
....I'm waiting to see what happens to iBassos prices.....

 

[jimmers]

 

  I find it surprising that, despite all the criticisms towards iDevices, a basically new X3 would resell for much much less than a very old 5gen. ipod video.......

that tells me something about intrinsic values.......

Probably not, more market awareness I think.

 

[SallymaeHogsby]

Hi. I've been lurking here a few weeks, getting caught up on all-things-X3, as well as getting used to my own X3. I'm in love with the sound (thru my SR80i's).

I mainly listen to playlists I create in iTunes, usually around 99 tracks long, which I drag into a folder, and manually re-order by changing the number at the beginning of the file name. Then I copy the folder to the external card, and listen in Browse mode. (My playlists have both ALAC and 320 Kbps MP3s - I haven't noticed anything wrong-sounding with the MP3s, but I don't expect them to sound like HiRez anyway.)

My only dissatisfaction is with the dreaded "gapless freeze". Rather than live in eternal dread of wondering If the next track will start, I listen with Gapless turned off, which affects a lot of the live, classical, and prog I listen to.

Is this the best thread to keep checking, if I want to know when the next X3 software update is available? Is Gapless definitely going to be fixed with it?

 

[Mmet]

It is the best thread for checking and keeping you up to date

 

[Mr Trev]

As this is my final day of using the X3(my X5 arrived today!!), i'd like to give my last bit of advise:

If you're going to install the drivers on windows, and you don't want "bloatware" instead of using the .exe files in the driver file, you can install the following way:


Needed:
tusbaudio.cat
tusbaudio.inf
tusbaudio.sys
tusbaudio_x64.sys (for 64 bit OS)

tusbaudioks.cat
tusbaudioks.inf
tusbaudioks.sys
tusbaudioks_x64.sys (for 64 bit OS)

I'll even tell you how exactly:

Connect the X3 in DAC mode, it will tell you drivers couldn't be installed or a similar message.
Press windows key+r and type "compmgmt.msc"
The window that opens, computer management, has a column in which you can select "device manager".
Now on the right of this column you should see a list.
In this list there should be a group called "universal serial bus controllers", and in this group there should be one device with a little yellow triangle /!\ called "USB Composite Device"
Right click it, click "update driver software"
In the new window click "browse my computer for software"
Click "let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"
Now click "have disk" and select the location of the drivers (which have been unzipped)
Select "tusbaudio.inf" and click open, then ok, now you should see "FiiO X3" as the selected driver.
Click next, a windows security popup can appear, select "install this driver software anyway"
This first driver should now be successfully installed.

Now for the 2nd driver.
Go to the "computer management" screen again, and find "other devices"
Here should be a device called "FiiO X3 WDM audio"
Right click it, click "update driver software"
In the new window click "browse my computer for software"
Now browse to the location of the other driver, and click "next".
Another windows security popup can appear, select "install this driver software anyway"
This second driver should now be successfully installed.

You can close the Computer Manager window.

All you need to do now, is open audio devices, doubleclick the FiiO X3 audio device, go to advanced tab, and select a default format (i use 24bit, 192000 Hz) click apply.
 

Anybody else try this method of driver install? Just did a clean windows install and only get wasapi with this method. Both foobar and musicbee claim no asio drivers installed.

 

[TrollDragon]

What do you need Asio for when you have Wasapi?

I run the E17 and the X3 Event Driven Wasapi from Foobar2K.

 

[Mr Trev]

What do you need Asio for when you have Wasapi?

I run the E17 and the X3 Event Driven Wasapi from Foobar2K.

I know...just wondering why it isn't available with that installation method.

 

[TrollDragon]

I didn't know it installed Asio at all. I did the exe install a while back and all that shows up in Foobar2K is Wasapi.

Interesting...