First off, I will just give you the overview of the X3. The FiiO X3’s UI is not ultra good looking, but current updates have made it much more appealing to the eye. The first menu includes the settings, EQ access, Browse Files option, Category Options, Favorites, and the Playing option which includes all the folder options. From that layer, I find what are two types of file finding styles in the X3. Automatic and Manual organization.

Design-wise the Mark III is a huge step up from the older shape of the X3ii. It looks far more modern and slimline than the two previous X3 generations. For those that have seen, used or own a second-generation X1, the X3 Mark III form factor is very familiar. In fact, face down you could argue that the Mark III is a blown-up X1 Mark II. The recent split from HiBy meant that FiiO had to basically come up with their own replacement software for the X3 series DAPs without breaking that previously known pitch of power, battery life, and portability. Yet it also had to remain competitive for their usual 12-18 month product life-cycle which has been a feature of their media player roadmap over the last few years. The X3iii uses a 2.3″ 320x240px TFT screen on the front panel. It is a non-touch screen with navigation and control through the physical buttons and touch-scroll wheel below it. The type and resolution of the screen are the same as the last gen X3, however, it is slightly bigger than the 2.0″ version used on the 2nd gen unit.All-new power management features: including deep-sleep mode for instant-on usage without battery drain ProGuard Custom Fleximonitors 2: The X3 has a bit more spacious sound than the Nova, but is also more mid-forward. Bass presence is close, with the Nova having slightly less bass presence. The presentation is clearer than the DX50 for a better overall sound. 6/10 Even the lowest class can at max, read or write at 2MB/s. The usual MP3 is about 10MB whilst the lossless FLAC is about 35MB and the WAV at 50MB. This is also the first X3 generation with a built-in Bluetooth 4.1 capable module. Previous players were a bit cut off from the universe and had no connectivity. Today’s modern DAPs, even at the budget level now have some form of connectivity and this keeps FiiO up to speed in that respect. All-New Design In all else, the build of the X3 Gen 2 matches the form factor of the X1 with the 4 button and jog wheel front plate configuration just below the 2 inch 320×240 LCD screen, a micro SD slot to the right side, the USB port to the bottom and the volume and power controls to the left side.

The only real fancy accessory is the Coaxial adapter. Basically, one end is a female Digital Coaxial(S/PDIF) plug while the other is a 3.5mm one. The 3.5mm end plugs into the Coaxial Output port on the X3, and the other end receives a regular Digital Coaxial(S/PDIF) cable. This allows your X3 to be the source, and to allow another unit to work as the DAC and then amp.

Final Thoughts

It does have a slightly straight-ended feel to its corning compared to the more rounded X1ii. The X1ii has quite a curved side panel finish. However, the cornering of the X3 Mark III is not that sharp anyhow so it is not much of an issue.

I always found the X3ii to be the drier and the more neutral of the two with a balanced, lean and clean presentation though with a bit more single-ended power. The X3iii is a fuller, rich sounding presentation with a more planted low end and a stronger even harmonic bias in its timbre. Simply put it is much smoother but more dynamic sounding than the older X3ii. The X3 3rd Gen is part of that Infinity sound pitch of summer 2017. Alongside the F5 and the Q1 Mark II everything was about enhanced portability and the inclusion of a balanced output or cable capability. The X3 Mark III is no different in that respect with a balanced output to match up with the F5, F9 or F9 Pro. FiiO is pitching the balanced output as enhancing the X3 Mark III staging and detail performance over the unbalanced output. Dual DAC Like the previous generation X3 the new X3 Mark III does not have any onboard memory. Instead, you have a single micro SD slot to the left side panel for cards up to 256Gb official. screen timeout is 30 s, 40 s, 50 s, 60 s, 90 s, 120 s or “on”– meaning the screen will not turn off automatically;

The casing is made entirely of aluminum alloy, the finish is in an attractive titanium color, and the second generation X3 looks high-end and feels robust. The TFT screen has a diagonal of 2 inches and is the same used in the X1 and has a resolution of 320 × 240 pixels, while the larger IPS display with a resolution of 400 × 360 pixels remains reserved for the more prestigious X5 model. The scroll wheel was a great “invention” in the days when touch screens weren’t available yet in DAPs, nowadays however the most basic MP3-players have a touch screen already so I was a bit surprised to see the latest X3iii revision still using that touch screen. Sure it’s typical for the X1/X3 series as I said, but do DAP users still appreciate scroll wheels and non-touch screens in 2017? I personally have my doubts and I’m a bit disappointed but I do get why Fiio is still using it. Like I said it is typical of the X3(ii)-series and it probably cuts down the production cost a lot, but it also means the firmware and user interface aren’t the most modern.

A new version and a new layout, the Fiio X3iii isn’t only a technical update. The new Fiio X3iii measures 59mm x 114mm x 12.8mm and weighs only 126g. That makes it a light and sexy, easy usable and transportable player with a small non-touch screen sized 320×240, and that last one for me is the weakest point of the new player. Another point a lot of ink has been spilled about, is the reactivity of the scroll wheel. Seeing there’s no touch screen, the scroll wheel is the most important “button” of the players. Compared to the very first Fiio scroll wheel, the Chinese company has come far. In fact they once again managed to make it more reactive and responsive, but it of course always remains a scroll wheel. I understand why Fiio did it. It looks cool in product photos/renderings. Yay! But form should follow function. Up/down functions work a lot better in a vertical layout. Ditto left/right functions work better in a horizontal layout. The non-standard diagonal control scheme requires memorisation- and cursing. With the brand new UI of the driver, this unique DAC driver can be compatible with FiiO DAPs including X3, X5, X3II, X5II and X7. For X3, X5, X5II and X7 users, you can just uninstall the old DAC driver and install this new driver to use directly, if you’ve ever installed. But for X3II users, please kindly update your device to FW1.6 and then install the new DAC driver. Very few if any earphones out there should stump the X3’s amp section. It is most comfortable with earphones that average >8Ω under load, but is more than capable even below that.

Build

FiiO has also upgraded a lot of aspects of the new X3 Gen 2 functionality. With the new chipset implementation, the X3 2nd Gen can now decode DSD natively unlike the older X5 which converted DSD to PCM output, and the X1 which does not do it at all. Compared with the Hisoundaudio Nova 3, the X3 almost always sounds better with the headphone pairings I have tried. When pairing the X3 with various amps to power IEMs and CIEMs, only the higher priced amps outperformed the headphone out. Portable headphones performed similarly to IEMs, but desktop headphones improved more from being connected to amps.