[originalsnuffy]

Ah, good memories of the original X3. Still loved the way Joe Bloggs let us vote on features.

The X3 II was really good also

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

Still using my X3 1st generation, and I keep going back and forth between firmwares 2.10 and 3.34 final. 2.10 sounds better to me in headphones and my vehicle, but of course 3.34 will let me index way more than 5800 files. But I just can't get 3.34 to sound good in my truck!

Anything with 3.4 which is the latest and most stable firmware?

 

[WAV-4-my-X3]

Anything with 3.4 which is the latest and most stable firmware?

I just put 3.4 on, and I'll have to find out how it's different from 3.34. But I still like the sound quality of 2.1 more. I'm just going to have to get used to the later firmwares. My 12,000-file library needs it. I just haven't found the right bass-treble setting to make it sound acceptable.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

There are a couple of annoying glitches with 3.4, or maybe have been there before hand too.

1: every time you go to the return to now playing from the quick menu if you have had the track playing from memory, eg when the unit has been turned on and off, it will always skip back to a random position on an earlier song, despite saying it is playing something else. The way of preventing this is to press the return key to go to the track selection then pressing enter, then it never has the issue.

The other issue is with the EQ. It says states it is on after you power on the device had you left it on when powered off. However, you need to manually switch it off then on again every time. Annoying but you just have to get used to it. The bass and treble are not effected by this.

I however think that if you are in a quiet environment and have good headphones, it sounds more than acceptable without any bass/treble adjustments.

 

[WAV-4-my-X3]

There are a couple of annoying glitches with 3.4, or maybe have been there before hand too.

1: every time you go to the return to now playing from the quick menu if you have had the track playing from memory, eg when the unit has been turned on and off, it will always skip back to a random position on an earlier song, despite saying it is playing something else. The way of preventing this is to press the return key to go to the track selection then pressing enter, then it never has the issue.

The other issue is with the EQ. It says states it is on after you power on the device had you left it on when powered off. However, you need to manually switch it off then on again every time. Annoying but you just have to get used to it. The bass and treble are not effected by this.

I however think that if you are in a quiet environment and have good headphones, it sounds more than acceptable without any bass/treble adjustments.

Hmm. Maybe my headphones are the problem with seeing the benefits of firmwares 3.34 and 3.4. I use Grado SR125 (with low gain), so maybe I'll try my AKG K240 Studio (with high gain).

Later: Okay, I think I can live with that, using the AKGs. It all may ultimately be a matter of acclimation - my ears were used to 2.1, so anything else seemed weird.

 

[A Metal Jag]

New user here! I already own an M3K but recently acquired an X3 for cheap. Quite an impressive device. Anyone know where you might get a proper case/cover in 2021?

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

How did i miss this thread being bumped?

Always good to see if being used still.

Very difficult to get a case for it now.

I have both the official leather cases that I now never use. One looks really bad because i tried to modify it as it got too hot when charging, and it now looks like a mouse has been eating it

The other case still has clearly been used. A few marks/dents in the leather on the back and one scratch on the screen.



The other option is what I use now and it fits perfectly:


I now always use it in my pocket with no case on, and just use this for protection in my bag, which it does very well. This is really cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37362769...bSMYYXFyWvH%2BXcBHRf|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524

The title of what it is intended for seems a bit odd. I funily enough still don't have a smartphone and have a Nokia 105, but that is so loose in this and it fits the X3 really snug. Maybe we could call the X3 an "elderly big button player" mine is 8 years old and the battery life still seems to be at least 90% of what it was new and i will have used it close to or over 1000 hours by now if I'm honest.

 

[A Metal Jag]

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into them. Not much button control when it is in one of those but decent protection no doubt.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

deleted post.

 

[argural]

Hmm. Maybe my headphones are the problem with seeing the benefits of firmwares 3.34 and 3.4. I use Grado SR125 (with low gain), so maybe I'll try my AKG K240 Studio (with high gain).

Later: Okay, I think I can live with that, using the AKGs. It all may ultimately be a matter of acclimation - my ears were used to 2.1, so anything else seemed weird.

Hi,

Would you like to share 2.1 firmware .zip ? I tried to search but couldn't find it anywhere.

Thank you.

 

[LordX]

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.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

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.

It's not all that "strong/loud."

Sony Red Book spec says 2V. The X3 IIRC is 1.9V. "Loud" in terms of line signals is like a head unit preamp that goes all the way to 8V so you can send an 8V signal to a 2,000w subwoofer and register 150dB and crack the windshield.

Your main problem here is you don't have a receiver to control the preamp output level. Even an Eclipse HU that has an 8V doesn't go from "no sound" to '8V TO 2,000WATT AMPS FOR DA BAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS" at a hair's twist of the knob, so you can use a 2V line output and then turn the sound down a bit. Same way that if you were at home nearly all CDPs with an SE output will output between 1.8V to 2V (a few bad ones can go higher), and you have an integrated amp's preamp circuit or a dedicated preamp controlling the output to match the amp. The difference there is home audio amps tend to have a fixed gain unlike car amps and pro amps, but either way, a preamp (even a passive one) can help control the voltage of the signal going into the amp to match its input sensitivity and gain.

In short...you really have no choice. Either get get a processor that has a volume control by remote (wired and installed knob up front or remote), or use the headphone output so you can control the volume. Unless you want to use the variable gain on the amp as a volume control and reach down/back there all the time and feed that processor a coax signal from the X3...but then again if you can even find one with a coax input chances are it'll be the really expensive stuff that was designed to run 3-way/4-way full active.

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!

If it was a normal audio track, you'd noticeably lose some sound quality by sending a slightly weaker signal and depending on the amplification circuit in use cranking it up to compensate might make it worse.

In your case, you're already starting with a quashed dynamic range, Loudness War frontline division, so despite using the headphone output which on a DAP like the X3 actually runs through the headphone driver output opamps, it actually improves the sound. If at least in the sense of not having clipping that an otherwise normal line signal would have in that system.

Still the main problem is in your system you don't even have convenient unity gain unless you use the headphone output, and as much as there are possible downsides, even without hearing it I'd tell you the upsides are more than worth it. At least, apart from getting an HU or processor.

Having no adjustments (eq, treble, bass etc) made to the output should keep it pretty close to line out right?

Pretty close but not ideal. But then again, it's actually an improvement, if for that music and without getting other hardware to regulate the line signal.

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

Run your Loudness War copies through a Replay Gain feature and reduce the digital gain there. If that improves it, if at least to remove clipping (it will not restore dynamic range), then good.

Or well just a passive preamp between the DAP and the amp but still, might as well use the headphone out.

 

[TheGiantHogweed]

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.

I also notice that on many devices such as smaller bluetooth speakers, the line out basically seems to send a too power signal for them to handle, and they do distort. In some instances, I do have to use the headphone socket. But one thing worth knowing is that the battery will be consumed significantly faster using the headphone socket as you are using the in built amplifier, which is bypassed if you use the line out.

 

[LordX]

It's not all that "strong/loud."

Sony Red Book spec says 2V. The X3 IIRC is 1.9V. "Loud" in terms of line signals is like a head unit preamp that goes all the way to 8V so you can send an 8V signal to a 2,000w subwoofer and register 150dB and crack the windshield.

Your main problem here is you don't have a receiver to control the preamp output level. Even an Eclipse HU that has an 8V doesn't go from "no sound" to '8V TO 2,000WATT AMPS FOR DA BAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS" at a hair's twist of the knob, so you can use a 2V line output and then turn the sound down a bit. Same way that if you were at home nearly all CDPs with an SE output will output between 1.8V to 2V (a few bad ones can go higher), and you have an integrated amp's preamp circuit or a dedicated preamp controlling the output to match the amp. The difference there is home audio amps tend to have a fixed gain unlike car amps and pro amps, but either way, a preamp (even a passive one) can help control the voltage of the signal going into the amp to match its input sensitivity and gain.

In short...you really have no choice. Either get get a processor that has a volume control by remote (wired and installed knob up front or remote), or use the headphone output so you can control the volume. Unless you want to use the variable gain on the amp as a volume control and reach down/back there all the time and feed that processor a coax signal from the X3...but then again if you can even find one with a coax input chances are it'll be the really expensive stuff that was designed to run 3-way/4-way full active.




If it was a normal audio track, you'd noticeably lose some sound quality by sending a slightly weaker signal and depending on the amplification circuit in use cranking it up to compensate might make it worse.

In your case, you're already starting with a quashed dynamic range, Loudness War frontline division, so despite using the headphone output which on a DAP like the X3 actually runs through the headphone driver output opamps, it actually improves the sound. If at least in the sense of not having clipping that an otherwise normal line signal would have in that system.

Still the main problem is in your system you don't even have convenient unity gain unless you use the headphone output, and as much as there are possible downsides, even without hearing it I'd tell you the upsides are more than worth it. At least, apart from getting an HU or processor.




Pretty close but not ideal. But then again, it's actually an improvement, if for that music and without getting other hardware to regulate the line signal.




Run your Loudness War copies through a Replay Gain feature and reduce the digital gain there. If that improves it, if at least to remove clipping (it will not restore dynamic range), then good.

Or well just a passive preamp between the DAP and the amp but still, might as well use the headphone out.

Thank you very much for the in depth answer! I will continue to use the headphone output!

PS - there is an add on box for my head unit that allows for AUX inputs, and this box has a gain knob. The next time the car is torn down (yes, this box is buried behind the dash) I will adjust that knob down a notch and see if THAT alone helps reduce the signal problem.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thank you very much for the in depth answer! I will continue to use the headphone output!

PS - there is an add on box for my head unit that allows for AUX inputs, and this box has a gain knob. The next time the car is torn down (yes, this box is buried behind the dash) I will adjust that knob down a notch and see if THAT alone helps reduce the signal problem.

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.