FiiO X3

FiiO X3 Review

Sound Impressions

Summary

At the heart of the X3 lies an E7/07k tonality and that does not surprise me in the slightest given this has been FiiO’s house sound for quite some time.

Don’t expect AK100 levels of resolution or DX100 levels of power but what you do get is a nice warm laid back tonality with next to no background noise or hiss for sensitive earphones, a well-defined midsection, good tight bass without being too dominant (you can eq that if you wish) and a slightly rolled off treble.

This is in no way a dark-sounding DAP with an attenuated treble but it does lack a touch of sparkle on the top-end articulation that higher-end models can produce such as the DX100.

The X3 is all about tonality over detail for me compared to the Hifiman, iBasso, and the AK100s of this world. You are going to pay more for those and you would rightly expect more but if you want something a little more forgiving with nice tonality that is flexible across a wide range of genres then the X3 is going to please a lot of listeners.

FiiO X3

Staging

What I did notice and enjoyed about the X3 sound presentation was the fantastic depth it achieved combined with a very noise-free background. Without ever creating the largest soundstage the X3 is able to give a really strong account of itself in good depth and fine instrument position and layering without losing any richness in the tonality.

It is not an overly forward or aggressive presentation and combined with the hiss-free background I really took to the FiiO X3 on vocals and jazz with some of my more considered IEM such as the Final Audition FA-BA-SS which is so painfully transparent I am almost reluctant to try anything less than perfect with them but with the FiiO it sounded rather more forgiving.

The Merlins, perhaps not the most detailed at the top end, did ok also but the FA IEMs, with their more balanced approach, were the better match for me.

FiiO X3

Synergy

The X3 has actually quite a decent amount of internal amping capability compared to some other similar-priced DAPs. I don’t think for the majority of on-the-go headphones you will need too much amping, to be honest.

Amping is only really necessary if you want something slightly different or a higher dose of power for more demanding planers or high impedance headphones or the inefficient AKG 7 series drivers (make the K501 part of that bunch also which hit 80% on the volume marker with a slightly underwhelming bass reproduction).

Portable mid-fi did just fine though with the Marshall Monitors (less the felts), P5, M80, and the inefficient Philips Downtown all being easy to drive and all sounding true to form. If I had to pick one I would stick with the M80 overall as the best complement out of those tested to work with the presentation of the X3.

Overall I had to say I enjoyed the musical and warmish tonality of the X3 though duly noted this is no AK100 tamer in terms of resolution, detail, and top-end articulation, it does come out a lot better than the lower-end iPod classics in a stock mode which can sound a little too digital, clean and at times thin sounding and have nowhere near the driving power of the X3.

Of course, you can slap an iPod now on the back of the superior Cypher Labs SOLO CLAS or Fostex HP-P1 but then you have that fat stack to carry around and an empty bank account as the final payback.

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Our Verdict

The X3 is a brave new world for FiiO and to be honest it ticks a lot of boxes for what an audiophile DAP on a budget might sound and look like for many.

As I mentioned right at the start though there is a ton of competition right now in the mobile and audiophile DAP market that a dedicated music player might just seem a tad irrelevant.

iBasso’s new D42 which is slightly cheaper than the X3 for existing android users might create a barrier to those thinking of migrating and the ever-present iPod and iPhone plus slightly more expensive but excellent-sounding DAC/AMP add-ons might appeal to those who simply must have the Jobsian dream.

 

 

Also, I have a question about what an audiophile considers acceptable for their money. Those on the upgrade path will surely cross swords with the X3 and for them, this is a serious option and it should sell but if you are dreaming ever onwards and upwards then the X3 will pass by pretty quickly to higher-end DAPs.

Now Hifiman does have a real competitor here for their lower-end HM6 series and it obliterates Creative and Philip’s range but the AK100 and DX100 market is pretty safe for now.

The X3 is still a cheeky contender albeit with some serious chops that should be treated with respect but not as a threat to the top-end guys. Now as word would have it the X3 is the junior in a ‘2-part story’ with the X5 (dual DAC?) due out in 2014. If this comes to fruition then I think whatever is learned from the X3 now is going to make the X5 a heck of a DAP.

FiiO X3 Technical Specifications

  • Color: Black
  • Weight: 122g
  • Size: 55 X 109 X 16 mm
  • Screen: 2.4 inches TFT,240X320
  • Power supply: Micro USB 
  • Firmware upgraded: Through TF card
  • Build-in Memory: 8GB 
  • Extra Memory: TF card(Micro SD card), support up to 64g ( must be formatted as FAT32)。
  • Data transfer: USB 2.0 High Speed, Write/Read 4.5 MB/S
  • Audio Output: 3.5mm headphone out,3.5mm Line Out, 3.5mm Coaxial out
  • Sample rate: 32K/16BIT~192K/24BIT
  • Audio Format: WAV, APE, FLAC, MP3, WMA, OGG, ALAC(M4A), ACC, AMR
  • Music playback: Play All, Folder Play, Album Play, Artist Play, Genre Play, My Favorites.
  • Memory Play: Last song track or Last position of the soundtrack.
  • Sound Track manager: Deleted, Custom “ Favorites Play List.
  • Sleep Mode: Auto Power Off from 15 to 60 mins.
  • Screen Auto Off: Custom.
  • Display Brightness: Custom.
  • CUE Support: Auto Separate Sound Track, Support Next/Previous, Fast forward/Backwardï¼›
  • Play Display: Album Cover, Lyric, ID3.
  • Gapless Playe: Supported
  • Hardware Bass: +/-10dB, Frequency Center 100Hz
  • Hardware Treble: +/-10dB, Frequency Center 10Khz
  • Volume Setup: Custom start Up Volume
  • Listening Protect: Custom Maximum Volume.
  • Balance: L10~R10
  • Output Protect: Mini Relay protect circuit design, DC protect, Over Current Protect
  • Headphone plug off Auto Pause
  • Battery: 3000mAh 3.7V Lithium Polymer Battery
  • Hardware: Soc: Ingenic Z4760, DAC:WM8740,Amp:AD8397
  • Charge Time: 3 Hours by 1.5A USB Power, 7 Hours by USB Port in PC
  • Battery Life: 10 hours in the Engineer sample and may reach 12-15 hours when the firmware is optimized
  • Line Out Specifications ( Initial Output Level: >1.5Vrms
  • THD: Frequency Response: 20-20KHz, Less than 0.3dB
  • SNR: >100dB
  • Crosstalk: >90dB
  • Headphone Out Specifications ( Initial )
  • Output Power: >300mW@16 ohmsï¼› >200mW@32 ohms
  • Frequency Response: 20-20KHz, Less than 0.3dB
  • THD: SNR: >100dB
  • Crosstalk: >72dB@32 ohms

 

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