
Review Summary
2017-09-23T11:39:46
Works, but buyer beware. Cons: - Regardless of format, the first 1-2 seconds of a song is cut off during play. It happens 50%-70% of the time. - Gapless does not work - Restarting a song after pausing and the screen goes to sleep is clunky at best. - A high quality FLAC recording I have loaded into the unit (Beck's Sea Change) will sometimes work, and sometimes produce errors. It is hard to tell what causes this since it is not a consistent error. - Not sure if the EQ really works at all. - Fiio has yet to produce a firmware update to fix these issues on the X3 Gen3 as promised on their web site forum. It seems this is a recurring issue with Fiio in general. - Because of the issues above, be prepared to feel like a bit of a beta tester. Pros: - SPDIF out works and is very nice for clean digital output into a DSP. Note that the SPDIF volume is NOT controllable on the X3 so the DSP must be able to control volume. - The DACs in the X3 sound great when listened to on high quality headphones. - It is a nice little unit when none of the above issues (cons) are happening, but they do happen enough to be worth considering.
JOHN R.
2.31" Color Display
320x240 pixels
Yes
Tempered glass and aluminum frame (with unique "sandwich" structure)
Port: Micro USB
Power Source: Computer USB Port, USB Charger, Power Bank
Battery: 2350mAh 3.7V lithium polymer battery
Supports Up to 256GB Micro SD Card
Data transfer/Charging
3.5mm port/2.5mm BAL port
3.5mm port (Share the same port with Headphone out and Coaxial can be switched in system settings)
DOP/D2P (Up to DSD64)
Working: Blue
Charging: Red
Full Charge: Green
Lossless:
DSD:DSD64
APE(Fast): 192kHz/24 bit;
APE(Normal): 96kHz/24 bit;
APE (High): 96kHz/24 bit;
FLAC: 192kHz/24 bit;
WAV: 192kHz/32 bit;
Aiff:192kHz/32 bit;
Aif:192kHz/24 bit;
WMA Lossless: 48kHz/24 bit (to be supported by future update);
Apple Lossless: 192kHz/24 bit;
Lossy compression:
MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG
Playback control, Equalizer switch, Playlist jump, Theme switch at one single button
High/Medium/Low sensitivity available
Supports 192kHz/24bit via driver installation (win7,win8 and win10 at 32/64-bit )Mac OS will be supported by future firmware
Supported (Does not support volume control of Apple Earpods)
Via micro SD Card
USB2.0 High Speed
Supporting browsing and playback via folders, "All songs", Albums, Artists, Genres, "Favorites", Playlists and "Recently added"
Sequential / Shuffle / Loop single / Single / Loop all
Can resume from last song or last position before poweroff
Supports adding and managing favorites, playlists on-player; supports deleting favorites, playlists, songs and folders on-player; supports batch deletion
Player can automatically enter hibernation for instant wakeup / playback with minimal battery drain
Custom defined screen timeout time
Adjustable
Supports splitting songs by CUE sheets, skipping through track within cue sheet, fast forward and rewind
Full screen display option and Normal display option
Supporting lyrics and 1D3 display
Gapless playback (supported by future update)/ Fade in&out/ Off
120 steps digital potentiometer
Adjustable
The multifunction button, confirm button and change track button can be set ON or OFF by users
Supported (single track CUE file deletion not supported)
Supported
Via folders/ Artists/Albums/Genres
Automatic power off when output current is abnormal
Line Out/Headphone/SPDF
Volume adjustable at LO / Fixed level
Customizable volume setting when power-on
Customizable max volume setting to protect hearing
L10-R10
5dB
High and low gain available
MOS switch and low-distortion analogue switch SGM3712 prevent on /off transients
Automatically pause music playback on headset disconnect
2350mAh 3.7V Li-polymer
Up to 500mA via computer USB port, up to 1.5A via 2A USB charger (charging time approx. 3h)
Approx. 10h with headphone out (can be improved with future firmware update), 15h on Bluetooth
SOC Ingenic JZ4760B, DAC: PCM5242 x 2, LPF: OPA2140, OP: PPA1622
16-150Ohms
3.5mm headphone output jack
3.5mm headphone output jack
120 steps digital potentiometer
10-band equalizer (+/-6dB)
High/Low
3.5mm headphone output jack
Supported (2.5mm balanced headphone jack)
<= 0.002% (1kHz)
5Hz-70kHz (-3dB)
>=103dB (10kOhms/1kHz)
>=113dB (A-weighted)
>=107dB
1.9 Vrms (10kOhms/1kHz)
> 120mW (16Ohms/THD+N<1%)
>= 160mW (32Ohms/THD+N<1%)
>= 15mW (300Ohms/THD+N<1%)
5Hz-70kHz (-3dB)
>=112dB (A-weighted)
<1.4Ohms(32Ohms loaded)
>=69dB (1kHz)
<= 0.002% (1kHz)
>6.5 Vp-p
>145mA (For reference)
> 110mW (16Ohms/THD+N<1%)
>= 190mW (32Ohms/THD+N<1%)
>= 20mW (300Ohms/THD+N<1%)
5Hz-70kHz (-3dB)
>=112dB (A-weighted)
<1.2Ohms(32Ohms loaded)
>=97dB (1kHz)
<= 0.003% (1kHz)
>7.1 Vp-p
>145mA (For reference)
Recommend DC5V 2A
Red light indicates , green light turns on after fully charged
<3 h (DC5V 2A)
2350mAh
Yes
3.5mm headphone output: >=10h
Screen: OFF
Volume: 61
Test File: MP3 44.1kHz/16bit
Load: M3 open earbuds (27Ohms)
EQ: OFF
2.5mm TRRS balanced headphone output: >=10 h
Screen: OFF
Volume: 59
Test File: MP3 44.1kHz/16bit
Load: 32Ohms
EQ: OFF
59 x 114 x 12.8mm (2.32 x 4.49 x 0.50")
126g (4.44 oz)
6953175760269
Wider Soundstage from Balanced Output
The X3 Mark III Contains both a 3.5mm single-ended headphone output as well as a 2.5mm balanced output, allowing you to experience two kinds of high quality sound. The balanced output, never before seen in the X3, is specially designed to give a broader soundstage and extract more details from the music than ever before.
Hi-Res Audio
USB DAC
Bluetooth 4.1
DSD Support
3.5mm+2.5mm Infinity Sound
10H Battery Life
2x DAC PCM5242
mSD 256GB
Touch Wheel
Deep Sleep Mode
Dual DACs for great sound wherever
You deserve better sound. The X3 Mark III makes sure you get it with its dual high-performance PCM5242 DACs. In its balanced implementation, these DACs allow for effective noise rejection and a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). All of this means that your music will come to you in its purest form, free from any unwanted artifacts.
Independent DAC, LPF and amplifier for greater noise reduction
The X3 Mark III utilizes a design in which the DAC, low-pass filter (LPF) and headphone amplifier are all separated - greatly reducing the potential that any outside interference has a significant negative impact on the sound. Specifically, the X3 Mark III uses three different PCBs- one for the digital processing, one for analog amplification and yet one more for Bluetooth. This guarantees an outstanding experience regardless of if you go wireless or wired.
Say good-bye to complexity with just one press
The X3 Mark Ill adds a new multi-function button, with which in just one-press allows you to access playback controls and the equalizer as well as switch between playlists and themes. All so you can easily have total control over your music.
Hi-Res Audio certified
The Mark III has been certified by the Japan Audio Society to be "Hi-Res Audio" capable. With this, you can be sure that the X3 Mark III will grant you a natural and realistic listening experience.
Don't feel limited with wide support of lossless audio formats
The X3 Mark III's support of a wide variety of lossless audio formats such as WAV, APE, WMA, FLAC, ALAC, DSF and DFF at sampling rates and audio bit depths up to 192kHz/32 bit ensures that you don't have to worry about whether you can even listen to a certain track while on the go.
The music never stops with Bluetooth 4.1
The X3 Mark III's Bluetooth 4.1 solution comes from the F1C81 chipset, which enables low-latency transmission to ensure that you will never miss a beat in getting your high-quality music.
Carry your entire personal jukebox
The X3 Mark III now supports up to 256GB micro-SD cards, allowing you to carry thousands of songs with you on the go. In fact, this grants you the ability to bring over 8000 FLAC files, each 30MB in size. Feel free to carry around your entire personal jukebox wherever with the X3 Mark III at your side.
Multifunction Line Out/Coaxial Output with support for D2P and DoP
The X3 Mark III's line out also doubles as a coaxial output. In consideration that some external audio decoders may not have support for DSD and only supports PCM, the new X3 is now capable of outputting both D2P and DoP through its coaxial out. You no longer have to agonize about playing your DSD files through your PCM-only decoder!
Wake up from deep sleep in a second
The X3 Mark III features both a new power-saving standby and a new deep-sleep mode, both allowing the X3 Mark III to wake up in an instant when called for. These new power-saving modes allow the X3 Mark III to standby for an astonishing 19 days, so that good music is always at your beck and call!
Broader in-line controls support for even greater command
The X3 Mark III now supports even more in-line control standards, so that most of the headsets on the market with such controls can conveniently access the next/previous track, play/pause and volume controls on the X3 Mark III. Even FiiO's newly introduced F1, F3 and F5 earphones are fully supported by the X3 Mark III.
Asynchronous USB DAC supporting up to 192kHz/24 bit audio
The X3 Mark III can also be used as a USB DAC capable of decoding up to 192kHz/24 bit audio. Furthermore, the new X3 is implemented as an asynchronous USB DAC, which is unsurpassed in terms of quality of sound reproduction.
Modern tech inside a retro look
The X3 III inherits the design language of previous FiiO X-series players, giving it a classic, yet timeless look. The front of the player is adorned with the familiar five-button and scroll wheel layout but the wheel itself has been upgraded so that it is now more sensitive and better reads your inputs, making it much less of a chore and more a joy to use.
Petite and elegant in the palm of your hand
The X3 Mark III immediately captures your attention with its use of durable tempered glass and smoothly-cut aluminum frame. Its unique "sandwich" structure (composed of the front, the aluminum frame and the rear) and its harmonious combination of colors give the X3 Mark III its delicate and chic look. Compared to the previous X3, the X3 Mark III is not only lighter, but it is also thinner and feels better to hold in the hand.
Continuing with our proud traditions
You can be sure that the X3 Mark III contains design elements that distinguish FiiO products from the rest, including the characteristic FiiO Red ring that circles the power button.
Take your pick between passionate red or graceful black
The X3 Mark III comes into two equally-dazzling colors: graceful black or passionate red. Choose your favorite color for an even more colorful experience.
Dock in for a one-stop integrated solution
You can slot the X3 Mark III into the K5 docking headphone amplifier for a fully-featured and powerful desktop amplifier system.
Complete set of accessories for truly comprehensive protection
The X3 Mark III comes with two kinds of protective covers: a softer, more flexible silicone cover and a harder polyurethane cover. And to fully bring out the beauty in your X3 Mark III, black units will come with black covers while red units will come with red covers. These covers ensure that the entire body of the new X3 is effectively shielded from wear-and-tear. These accessories are just another part of our dedication to giving you an exceptional overall experience, from every detail on the new X3 itself to even making sure it will last.