So there you go! Now some users are comparing the FiiO X3 to an XPERIA Z3 Compact which uses a Qualcomm WCDxxx DAC (proven worst than any available DAC's on some flagship phones like those with Exynos from Samsung albeit capable of 192/24 audio decoding) and Sony's "Software" Sound Enhancing Tech like DSEE HX and ClearAudio+. One user also commented on using PowerAMP.
Things I do not like about the X3.
1. Laid back instruments and way too forward vocals. Can't even reproduce the sound of a live concert performance. Listening to The Eagles Hell Freezes Over, BeeGees One Night Only, and a few James Blunt concerts doesn't please my ears at all.
2. Analytical sound as if it tries to remaster every track. All of my 600+ track in FLAC sounds different than they are on any audio device. Don't get me wrong, I've been listening to these tracks for almost 10 years. Remastered or not, I know how they sound. FiiO X3 creates a totally different presentation. I compared it to my PC with decent set up and Altec Lansing speakers, Sony and AIWA HiFi Mini Component, Sony 5.1 Channel Home Theater, iPod Touch 4th and 5th Gen, Sony Discman, old Sony Walkman MP3 player, Sony XPERIA S, Galaxy S5 and then my trusty Voodoo'd Galaxy S1.
3. The sound it produce is clean and detailed. You hardly ear hiss or noise-- which is good. All thanks to the $10.00+ AMP which is so powerful but sucks plenty of juice on its beefy 3000mah battery. Bass is clean and deep BUT lacks the air and making TOO narrow sounding in overall presentation. Everytime the musician hits the drums, it sounds as if the drumsticks also hits the metal on the edge and since it lacks the presence of air, you can't feel any vibrations coming from the drums.
4. Sounds digital rather than analog. This is where I disagree with most people calling it organic sounding. It is not in my opinion.
5. It doesn't do basic sound normalization. Listening to old tracks from The Carpenters would sound as if the volume is at 20/120. Then next comes a track like Runaway Train from Soul Asylum will almost make your ears bleed as if the volume jumps from 20 all the way to 80.
6. There are some people who favors the so-called audiophile sound rather than consumer like signature. I still do not understand the logic. Audiophiles should know better about the "correctness" of sound if that is even a word. On the X3, there are instruments that stands out among others which is not how these songs were supposed to be heard and recorded as intended. I have almost 10 music source with me, and only the X3 sounds different in presentation. Listening to soundtracks and orchestra pieces like Carmina Burana, Liberi Fatali, and One Winged Angel Sephiroth is not pleasant at all. Sounds powerful and detailed but dead in presentation.
7. Shuffle issue is still present. Selecting and scrolling is a pain on the X3 as it doesn't have the option to jump from one letter to another in a click. Thus you have no choice but to shuffle your tracks. Early firmwares seems to have a single pattern for this playing the same tracks no matter where you start. FiiO said it was fixed already, yeah partly because there are still a lot of tracks that i was not able to listen when i only have 600+ on my SD card no matter how I hit the next button.
These are just some of the few things that keeps me from using it as my daily driver. And I have 3 IEM's at the moment. Sony XB90EX which is focused on bass. A flat neutral sounding Sony MDR-EX510-- my favorite, and the new Sennheiser Momentum which has an almost V-shaped sound signature to me and surprisingly hard to drive.