FiiO M3 Pro Complete User Manual

1 Overview

The M3 Pro is a high resolution music player. With both special audio algorithm system and high performance audio phase-locked loop design, it supports lossy and lossless music formats consisting of MP3, WAV, WMA, APE, FLAC, AAC, OGG, DSD and ISO. A maximum sampling rate of 384kHz/32 bit is supported and CUE sheets as well.

It is a 3.46-inch touchscreen player equipped with a HiFi ES9218P DAC chip, featuring with e-book reader, calculator as well as sound recorder, which enables students and average people to enjoy HiFi and true music. Next, we would like to introduce the M3 Pro with multiple pictures in order to help you be more familiar with it.

2 Buttons and Ports

2.1 Buttons and Ports Pictorial Guide

The FiiO M3 Pro features buttons and ports for operation and connectivity. On the left side of the device, there are the following buttons arranged vertically: Power/Lock button, Volume Up (+), Play/Pause button, and Volume Down (-). The right side of the device has a Micro SD card slot. The top edge of the device houses the Microphone. The bottom edge features a USB port for data transfer and charging, and a 3.5mm headphone output/Line-out jack. The front of the device is dominated by its touchscreen Display.

2.2 Buttons and Ports Operation Guide

2.2.1 Power/Lock Button

• When the M3 Pro is powered off, hold it for 2 seconds to turn it on.
• When the M3 Pro is on, press it briefly until a power off prompt shows up. Select "Yes" to turn it off.
• Under working mode, short press it to wake up or turn off the screen.
• If the M3 Pro is stuck, long press the power button for 10 seconds to force a shutdown. After that, do another 2-second long press to wake it up to normal working.

2.2.2 Volume Up

• When the display is on, short press it for a 1-step volume increase, while a long press continuously increases the volume until it is maximum.
• If the M3 Pro is playing tracks and the screen is locked, long hold the Volume Up button to switch to the next track.

2.2.3 Play/Pause Button

In the now playing page (or lock/off screen state), short press it to play or pause.

2.2.4 Volume Down

• When the display is on, short press it for a 1-step volume decrease, while a long press continuously decreases the volume until it is mute.
• If the M3 Pro is playing tracks and the screen is locked, long hold the Volume Down button to switch to the previous track.

2.2.5 TF Card Slot

It supports a standard micro SD (TF) card, theoretically up to 2TB.

2.2.6 Microphone

Do not cover the microphone hole when recording, otherwise it would result in poor recording quality.

2.2.7 USB Port

It is used for data transfer and power charging.

2.2.8 3.5mm Headphone Output/Line-out

With the headphone output and line-out combined in one 3.5mm port, it supports TRS and TRRS headphones, but not headphones with in-line remote control.

3 Display Introduction

3.1 Power On/Off Display and Homepage

When the M3 Pro is powered off, press and hold the power/lock button for approximately 2 seconds to turn it on. If it is turned on for the first time, a language selection list will appear, allowing you to choose the system language. Click "OK" to enter the homepage. You can also change the language later in Settings > System settings > Languages.

To turn off the device when it is on, press and hold the power button. Click "Yes" in the power off prompt page to confirm. (Note: If you are unable to shut it down normally, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to force a shutdown.)

3.2 Main Screen and Drop-down Menu

On the main screen, clicking on the respective icons allows you to enter related menus. Swiping from the top of the screen to the bottom reveals a drop-down menu. Swiping from the bottom edge upwards or clicking the homepage icon in the upper right corner returns you directly to the main screen. (Note: The homepage icon may not be visible on all pages.)

The main screen displays icons for various functions: Category, Now Playing, Browse Files, Recording, Settings, E-Book, Calculator, and Gallery. The drop-down menu provides quick access to status information and controls. The Now Playing screen shows track details, playback controls (previous, play/pause, next), and options like EQ, Track Info, Delete, Add to Favorites, and Add to Playlists. Shortcuts for Calculator, E-Book, hiding the menu, and Recording are also indicated.

3.3 Lock Screen Clock

When the "Lock screen clock" item is enabled in system settings and the screen is locked, the device displays the time, date, current track information, and playback controls. You can swipe up or to the right to unlock the screen. This function can be turned off in System settings. While the lock screen clock is active and playing tracks, long pressing the Volume Up button switches to the next track, and long pressing the Volume Down button switches to the previous track. Short pressing the Play/Pause button controls playback.

3.4 Status Bar

The status bar, typically accessed via a drop-down gesture from the top, displays information such as the current time, connection status (e.g., LO, PO), playback status, and battery level.

3.5 Browse Files

When a TF card is inserted, you can access the "Browse Files" option from the homepage. This allows you to view and play all files stored on the TF card. Files are typically organized into folders. Swiping from the left edge of the screen to the right returns you to the previous page. Music files will play in sequence within their folder.

3.6 Recording

To start recording, navigate to the recording screen and press the red record icon. The recording screen displays two clocks: the upper one shows the current recording duration, and the bottom one indicates the remaining recording time based on TF card capacity. To pause recording, click the red icon; to save, use the pause button on the right side. Recording files are saved in a folder named "Record" in the root directory of the SD card.

To stop recording, swipe from the left edge of the screen to reveal the stop prompt, then select "Yes" and press OK. Recording files are saved in the "Record" folder. Ensure a TF card is inserted with sufficient capacity before recording. During recording, music playback is not possible, and the recording screen cannot be exited until recording is stopped. If you need to play music, stop recording first. If you start playing music and then enter recording mode, playback will automatically stop when recording begins.

3.7 Category

Before using the play-by-category function, it is recommended to update the media library in "System Settings > Update". The system will then classify songs based on their ID3 information.

3.7.1 All Songs

This list summarizes all recognized songs available on the device.

3.7.2 Artist

Songs are categorized by artists listed in their ID3 tags. Songs without an artist are classified under "Unknown artists".

3.7.3 Album

Songs are sorted by album information in their ID3 tags. Songs without album information are classified under "Unknown albums".

3.7.4 Genre

Songs are sorted by genre information in their ID3 tags. Songs without genre information are classified under "Unknown genre".

3.7.5 Favorites

Users can add their favorite songs to this list. Refer to later sections for instructions on adding songs.

3.7.6 Playlists

Users can create multiple playlists and add songs to them. Refer to later sections for instructions on adding songs to playlists.

3.7.7 Recently Added

After updating the music library, the last 50 songs added are listed here, in reverse order of their appearance in the TF card copy file, allowing for quick identification of recently added music.

3.8 Update Song Library

The device offers manual and automatic song library updates. Manual update requires user initiation. Automatic update occurs when the M3 Pro is connected to a computer and data is transferred, or when the TF card is inserted. During an update, if the screen locks or the device shuts down, the update may fail. To cancel an update, swipe from the left edge to the right. A prompt will appear upon completion.

3.9 Play Settings

3.9.1 Play Mode

The default play mode is Sequential. When the current list finishes, playback stops. If "Play through folders" is enabled, playback continues to the next folder or list until all are finished. Play modes include:

• Loop list: Songs play repeatedly within the current list.
• Shuffle play: Songs play randomly within the current list.
• Single play: Playback stops after the current song finishes.
• Single loop: The current song plays repeatedly.

3.9.2 Resume Mode

The default is off. If the device restarts, playback does not resume. With resume mode enabled, there are two options: Track: Playback restarts from the beginning of the song. Position: Playback resumes from the exact point where it was stopped.

3.9.3 Playback Gap

The default is off, meaning songs play normally. It can be switched to "Gapless" mode, where there is no audible gap between songs of the same format, sampling rate, and bit depth, ensuring consistent sound (MP3 format may be an exception).

3.9.4 Max Volume

This setting allows you to limit the maximum output volume to a value between 20 and 60. Once set, the volume will not exceed this fixed value during playback.

3.9.5 Fixed Volume Settings

The default is off. When enabled, the device maintains the same volume level every time it restarts. This function can be set to any value between 0 and 60.

3.9.6 Channel Balance

Adjust the sound output balance between the left and right audio channels by sliding the central icon or using the +/- virtual keys.

3.9.7 Equalizer

The default equalizer setting is off, providing an original audio signal without system processing. Accessing the Equalizer settings menu allows you to switch between preset equalizers (e.g., Rock, Classical, Jazz, Pop, Dance, Vocal, Metal) for different audio effects.

3.9.8 Play Through Folders

The default is on. When enabled, playback automatically continues to the next folder or list after the current one finishes, in sequential, loop, or shuffle modes. This can be turned off to restrict playback to the current folder or list only.

3.10 System Settings

3.10.1 Brightness

Adjust the screen brightness to any level between 1 and 10 using the screen or +/- virtual keys.

3.10.2 Screen Timeout

The screen automatically turns off after a set period of inactivity, which can be configured to 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 90s, or 120s, regardless of whether music is playing.

3.10.3 Idle Standby

When there is no playback activity (pause, stop, etc.) and no user operation for a set duration, the player enters a deep standby state to conserve power. A short press of the power/pause button or connecting a USB cable can wake the device. The time to enter idle standby can be set in the Settings menu. (Notes: Idle standby is invalid during recording or computer connection. During USB charging, the M3 Pro will shut down when the idle time is up.)

3.10.4 Sleep

If set to ON and the time elapses, the M3 Pro enters sleep standby mode, whether it is actively working or not. The time for sleep standby can be set in the Settings menu. (Notes: Sleep standby is invalid during recording or computer connection. During USB charging, the M3 Pro will shut down when the sleep time is up. An indicator icon appears in the status bar when sleep standby is active. Both idle and sleep standby are deep standby modes, with sleep standby functioning only once per setting unless the device restarts or has been in standby.)

3.10.5 USB Mode

This setting allows switching between Storage and DAC modes. In Storage mode, data can be transferred via USB. In DAC mode, the M3 Pro acts as an external sound card for audio decoding when connected to a computer via USB. (Note: For Windows 7/8/10 (32/64-bit), a USB DAC driver download is required from the FiiO website. OSX systems can use USB DAC directly. Windows XP only supports Storage mode.)

3.10.6 Recording Quality

Selecting "Low" saves recordings in MP3 format, while "High" saves them in WAV format.

3.10.7 Lockscreen Clock

When enabled, the lock screen displays the clock. If disabled, it shows the system settings page instead.

3.10.8 Select Output

The 3.5mm port supports both headphone output (PO) and line-out (LO). In PO mode, volume is adjustable. In LO mode, volume is fixed at maximum, which can be excessively loud for headphones. LO mode is intended for connection to headphone amplifiers or other power amplifiers.

3.10.9 Time Setting

Users can choose between 24-hour and 12-hour time formats. The default is 24-hour. Adjust the time by sliding or clicking the numbers. Swiping from the left edge exits the page and saves settings automatically.

3.10.10 Date Setting

Similar to time setting, adjust the Year, Month, and Day using virtual icons or numbers. Swiping from the left edge exits and saves settings.

3.10.11 Language

The M3 Pro supports 11 languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Italian.

3.9.12 Storage Formatting

With a TF card inserted, selecting "Storage formatting" and confirming will format the card to FAT32, erasing all files. Backup important data before formatting.

3.10.13 Factory Restore

This option restores the player to its factory default settings. After restoration, artist, album, genre, and recently added song data will be cleared, requiring a media library update.

3.10.14 About M3 Pro

This menu displays the model name (M3Pro), firmware version, total and available TF card capacity, number of updating tracks, SN code, and NB code. Users can also view the electronic edition of the quick start manual by sliding or using track buttons.

3.11 Now Playing Display

The "Now Playing" screen shows track details, album art, and playback controls. Users can switch playing modes by clicking a virtual key. Tracks can be added to or removed from Favorites. Clicking the cover display toggles between cover art and lyrics view. Swiping left or right navigates to the next or previous track.

Playback controls include: Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track. Options available via a menu icon include: EQ, Track Info, Delete, Add to Favorites, Add to Playlists.

3.12 Bulk Management

In the "Browse Files" page, swipe from the right edge to the left to open the Bulk Management menu. Here, users can select multiple files and perform operations like adding to Favorites, adding to Playlists, or deleting them. (Notes: Deleted files cannot be restored. Songs in CUE and ISO format cannot be deleted.)

3.13 A-B Repeat Function Operation Guide

To use A-B repeat: 1. Enter the "Now Playing" menu (lyrics display page) and tap the icon in the bottom right corner to open the More Operations menu. 2. Tap "Start A-B Repeat". 3. Tap the "A-B" icon to set the beginning point (A) and again to set the ending point (B). Tapping the "A-B" icon again cancels the A-B repeat range. (Notice: The repeat range must be chosen for the function to be enabled.)

After setting the A-B range, short pressing the Previous Track icon moves backward 5 seconds, and the Next Track icon moves forward 5 seconds. Long pressing switches to the previous or next track. The repeat range is only valid for the current track; switching tracks clears the range but keeps the repeat switch active. Tap "Stop A-B Repeat" to disable the function.

4 Songs of Preference

The M3 Pro comes with one built-in song. By default, this song can be found in "All Songs", "Artists", "Albums", "Genres", and "Recently Added" lists within the Category menu.

If you wish to delete a song, swipe from the right edge to the left on the "Now Playing" page to access the Bulk Management menu. The song will disappear after the media library is updated. To recover accidentally deleted songs, go to System Settings, select "Factory data reset", and the song will reappear in the Category list.

5 E-book Reader

To use the e-book reader, insert a TF card and create a folder named "E-book". Copy .txt files into this folder and update the e-book library. The reader will then display these files.

In the reading page, swipe left or click the right side of the screen to go to the next page; swipe right or click the left side to go to the previous page. In the e-book list screen, swipe from the right edge to the left to open the Bulk Management menu for selecting and deleting e-books. Swiping from the left edge returns to previous pages.

Options available include: Delete, Select all, Brightness, and Font size adjustment.

6 Calculator

The M3 Pro features a 10-digit calculator supporting addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. If calculations exceed the display area, swipe left or right to view them.

7 Gallery

The M3 Pro supports viewing JPG, PNG, and BMP image formats. In the gallery view, swipe left for the previous picture and right for the next. Clicking the display screen shows the image in full view angle.

8 Firmware Update

Caution: Improper operations during the update process may cause malfunction. Read the firmware update guide carefully.

Update Procedures:

1. Download the M3Pro.zip file from the FiiO website.
2. Copy the file to the root directory of the TF card (ensure it is inserted and recognized).
3. Navigate to Settings > System settings > System update menu on the M3 Pro.
4. Confirm the update. The M3 Pro will automatically reboot and begin the update.

Prompts during update: "Unzip Package...", "Updating...50%", "Update Successfully".

Notices:

• It is recommended to use a FAT32 TF card. If the update fails, try a 32GB TF card with ample space. Format it and copy the firmware file again. Backup important files before formatting.
• Ensure the battery is sufficiently charged (preferably full) for the update.
• Do not operate the M3 Pro during the update.
• After the update, the media library needs to be updated.

9 Notices and Precautions

• The M3 Pro may skip songs with decoding issues to prevent hang-ups.
• If the charging adapter voltage is too high, the M3 Pro may be damaged. Use a DC 5V/1A USB charging adapter.
• If abnormal behavior occurs, the M3 Pro may automatically reboot as a self-protection mechanism. If the device hangs up, hold the power button for 10 seconds to force shutdown.
• Update the M3 Pro's media library before using "Play by category" or "Play all" functions.
• Charge the battery regularly to maintain its life, especially if the device is unused for extended periods. Avoid exposing the battery to direct sunlight, fire, or high-temperature environments.

10 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

10.1 What power charger is recommended?

The M3 Pro can be charged by any USB charger with a standard 5V power supply, such as computers, mobile power packs, and other power chargers. Using chargers with 1A current or above is recommended for faster charging.

10.2 How much current does the M3Pro have during charging?

When charged via a computer's USB port, the M3 Pro automatically adjusts the charging current based on the computer's capability. When charged by an external adapter, the current is approximately 500mA~1A.

10.3 How long does it take to charge the M3 Pro?

A full charge using a 5V/2A power supply takes about 2.5 hours when the device is shut down.

10.4 Can I listen to music on the M3 Pro during charging?

Yes, but it is recommended to charge the device while it is off. Charging while listening may prolong charging time and generate more heat. Ensure the device is placed in a ventilated area for proper heat dissipation.

10.5 Can the M3 Pro be charged by other Micro USB cables?

Yes, but using the original charging cable is preferable. Other cables may affect charging speed and data transmission stability.

10.6 Why cannot the M3 Pro be charged or is it charged very slowly by some desktop computers?

Ensure the M3 Pro is connected with a normal USB cable. The device has an intelligent charging mode that adjusts current based on the external device's capability. If charging is too slow, consider using a different adapter.

10.7 How to tell the charging status of the M3 Pro?

When charging, the battery icon in the status bar will animate (scroll). If the device is powered off, a large battery icon appears on the screen. Charging is complete when the battery icon stops scrolling.

10.8 Which operating systems does M3 Pro support for songs copying?

It supports 32/64-bit Windows XP/7/8/10, Mac OSX, and Linux systems.

10.9 What USB ports does the M3 Pro support?

The M3 Pro supports USB2.0 and USB3.0 port transmission.

10.10 Does the M3 Pro support files be directly copied and deleted by the File manager on the computer?

Yes.

10.11 Does the computer need to install the driver when connected to the M3 Pro?

No, the M3 Pro is completely driver-free.

10.12 How to know whether or not there is an new firmware?

Check the latest news on www.erji.net and the FiiO forum, or contact support@fiio.net for inquiries.

10.13 How to upgrade the firmware?

Please refer to the instructions provided earlier in this manual.

10.14 Would the M3 Pro be frozen if it failed to update? How to solve it if that happened?

If the update is successful, it should not freeze. If it does, please contact support@fiio.net for assistance.

10.15 What TF cards does the M3 Pro support?

The M3 Pro supports micro SD cards (TF cards), including SDHC and SDXC cards.

10.16 Would there be any compatibility issue between the M3 Pro and TF cards?

The M3 Pro has been tested with major TF card brands like Sandisk and Kingston. To avoid issues like slow transmission speed or playback interruptions with high-bit-rate tracks (e.g., 192K/24B APE format), TF cards of Class 10 or above are recommended.

10.17 How many storage capacity does the M3 Pro support?

It has been tested to support TF cards up to 512GB.

10.18 How to format SD card into FAT32 format?

It is recommended to insert the TF card into the M3 Pro and format it via System Settings > Format. Alternatively, use a card reader to connect the TF card to a computer, right-click the card in Explorer, and select quick format to FAT32. (Notes: In Windows systems, 64GB and larger TF cards may require third-party tools for FAT32 formatting. Consult FiiO customer service for support.)

10.19 What if all files on the TF card cannot be read on M3 Pro?

1. Insert the TF card into the M3 Pro, go to Settings > About M3 Pro, and check if the external memory and available capacity are normal compared to the computer's display. If abnormal, format the TF card and copy songs again.
2. If capacity is normal, confirm that copied songs play correctly when copied from the TF card to the computer. If they play normally, the files are fine; otherwise, delete and recopy them.
3. If the above methods do not resolve the issue, try another TF card or test the problematic card on other devices.

10.20 Files on the FAT32 TF card can only be read partly on the M3 Pro?

1. Check the display condition in the "All songs", "Category", and "Browse files" lists.
2. If files appear in "Browse files" but not in "All songs" or "Category", update the media library.

10.21 How to reset the files in the database on M3 Pro?

Remove the TF card from the M3 Pro and update the media library, or choose to restore factory data in System settings.

10.22 What recording formats does the M3 Pro support?

It supports FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT recording formats.

10.23 M3 supports APE, why can't play my APE?

APE compression has 5 levels: Fast, Normal, High, Extra High, and Insane. The M3 Pro supports Normal and High encoded APEs at 192k/24bit or below. Extra High and Insane modes are not supported.

10.24 Does the M3 Pro support CUE sheets?

It supports external CUE sheets, which are automatically tracked during playback.

10.25 There are CUE files in the TF card, but why can't they be played in the M3 Pro?

The M3 Pro does not support CUE files embedded within song files, nor if the song file's name differs from the CUE file's name.

10.26 Why can't I see the CUE files in the Browse file list?

The M3 Pro traces files and displays independent songs; CUE files themselves are not listed directly in the Browse file list.

10.27 How to set to shuffle play across different folders?

After updating the media library, set the play mode to shuffle play. Then, go to the "All songs" list and select any song to start playing.

10.28 Why can' t it display the lyrics?

The M3 Pro only supports external LRC files that share the exact same name as the song. Built-in and KRC lyrics are not supported.

10.29 Why do garbled characters of CUE files show up in the now playing display?

The M3 Pro currently supports ANSI, Unicode, and UTF-8 encoding formats for displayed text.

10.30 New songs were copied, but they cannot be played by Artists, Genres, and Albums. Why?

Update the media library of the M3 Pro so that songs can be searched and played by category. Set the media library update to auto-update mode or perform a manual update.

10.31 Why does the total number of files displayed in M3 Pro differs from the actual number that have been copied into the TF card?

The total number displayed by the M3 Pro indicates the files playable by the device.

10.32 How to get increase its battery life?

1. Turn on the "Idle standby" function. The player will enter standby according to the set time if no music is playing and no operations.
2. Lower the backlight brightness to reduce power consumption.
3. Set the "Screen timeout" to the minimum value. The player will turn off the screen according to the set time if there are no operations.

10.33 Some commonly used gesture operations.

1. Swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right to return or exit.
2. Swipe from the upper edge of the screen to the bottom to pop up the drop-down list.
3. In the playlists and filelists screen, swipe from the right edge of the screen to the left to pop up the menu.
4. In the now playing screen, slide up and down to adjust the volume (only works for the cover display).
5. Click the HOME icon in the upper left corner to directly go back to the homepage.