FiiO X3 Complete User Manual

Foreword

Thank you for purchasing FiiO's X3, our 192kHz/24bit high resolution lossless music player. To let you better utilize the X3, we have prepared this complete user manual and collected and answered some frequently asked questions by users. We hope this manual will help you get to know the X3 and unleash its full potential.

Contents

• A. Introduction ......................................................................... 3
• B. Buttons and ports introduced......................................3-4
• C. Firmware update...................................................................5
• D. Pictorial guide to menu operation................................6-7
• E. Menu operation................................................................8-12
• F. Tips on usage..................................................................12-13
• G. FAQ on the X3......................................................................13
  • 1) About charging......................................................................................13-14
  • 2) Transferring songs.................................................................................14-15
  • 3) Firmware upgrades.....................................................................................15
  • 4) Storage......................................................................................................15-16
  • 5) Music playback........................................................................................17-18
  • 6) Other operations............................................................................................18
  • 7) Connection with other audio equipment..................................................19

A. Introduction

The X3 is a HiFi-class high resolution digital audio player, supporting lossy and lossless music formats including DSD, WAV, FLAC, APE, WMA, ALAC, AAC, MP3, MP2 and ogg vorbis. A maximum sample rate of 192kHz/64bit or 5.6MHz/1bit (DSD128) is supported and CUE sheets, gapless playback are also supported. Other features include playing automatically through folders and deep sleep / instant power-on. The following sections are an illustrated guide to using the X3.

B. Buttons and ports introduced

• 14 Line / Coax digital out

• 13 Headphone out

• 15 Micro USB port

• 12 Power / Lock button: Hold for power on/off, click for lockscreen.

• 11 Reset button: Push with a thin rod to reset and reboot.

• 10 Volume + / Prev track: Click Volume +, hold Prev track (Screen off).

• 9 Volume - / Next track: Click Volume -, hold Next track (Screen off).

• 1 Display: (262k color TFT display, 320x240 pixels) Displays the user interface and other information; for operating the unit in conjunction with buttons.

• 2 Shortcuts key: Press briefly to show/hide shortcuts context menu, or go to player settings from the main menu. Holding down takes you to the "Now Playing" screen.

• 6 OK/Play/Pause: Click to play/pause, or enter submenu. Hold for volume control.

• 4 Up / Prev track / Rewind: Click Up/Prev track, hold Rewind.

• 8 Charging indicator: Blue while working, red while charging, green when fully charged.

• 3 Back / Main menu: Click to go back one menu level. Press Back in the main menu to go to "Now Playing". Hold to return directly to the main menu.

• 7 Scroll wheel: Turn clockwise to scroll down/right, counter-clockwise to scroll up/left. Used for menu navigation and adjusting values.

• 5 Down / Next track / Fast forward: Click Down/Next track, hold Fast forward.

• 16 Micro SD card slot: Standard micro SD card slot, supporting cards up to 128GB.

Button and Dial Explanations:

• Scroll wheel: Scrolls through menu items, changes value of selected item.
• OK / Confirm / Play / Pause: Enters next menu level, selects item for adjustment, stores changes.
• Shortcuts key: Shows/hides shortcuts context menu.
• Back button: Go back up one menu level.
• Up / Prev track | Down / Next track: Moves through menu items, changes value of selected item.

C. Firmware update

Firmware updates may introduce new features and optimize playback experience. Not upgrading does not affect current operation. The unit supports firmware upgrades via update files loaded into micro SD cards. Improper operation during firmware updates may cause malfunction. Please read these instructions carefully before proceeding.

To check the current firmware version: From the main menu, navigate to System Settings -> About X3.

Preparations / Precautions before firmware update:

• A micro SD card formatted in FAT32 is required. This can be done using the X3's built-in formatting function (System settings -> Storage formatting). CAUTION: all data and music on the card will be erased.
• A firmware update should not affect data on the micro SD card, but it is recommended to back up any important data.
• Ensure the X3 is adequately charged (preferably fully charged) to prevent power failure during the update.
• Do not operate other buttons and dials on the player during the update process.
• If the update process fails, hold the power button for 6 seconds for a forced shutdown and turn the player on in update mode again to resume.

Summary of micro SD card upgrade procedure:

1. Copy the X3II.fw file provided by FiiO into the root directory of a FAT32 formatted micro SD card.
2. Turn off the X3 and insert the card into the slot.
3. Hold the power button while holding the Shortcuts key (upper left key) to turn on the X3 in firmware update mode. The update dialogs will appear, and the player will restart automatically upon completion.

After the update process is complete, please delete the X3II.fw file from the micro SD card and update the media library.

Firmware update in progress: [Updating bar graphic]

Update successful: [Success graphic]

In case of firmware update failure:

• If "update file not found" is shown, ensure the micro SD card is FAT32 formatted and the X3II.fw file is in the root directory.
• If errors occur, hold the power button for 6 seconds for a forced shutdown and restart in update mode.
• If the process fails repeatedly, try a micro SD card of 32GB or under, formatted using the X3's built-in function.

D. Pictorial guide to menu operation

1. Main menu

Buttons and dial explained:

• Scroll wheel: scrolls through menu items, changes value of selected item.
• OK / Confirm / Play / Pause: Enters next menu level, selects item for adjustment, stores changes.
• Shortcuts key: shows / hides shortcuts context menu.
• Back button: go back up one menu level.
• Up / Prev track | Down / Next track: moves through menu items, changes value of selected item.

Now Playing screen: Shortcuts key shows/hides shortcuts context menu; navigate and select shortcuts menu items using scroll wheel and OK key.

Category: After updating the media library, music files are automatically classified by ID3 tags. Scroll to choose between all songs, albums, artists, or genres. Songs may be manually added/removed from Favorites and Playlists.

Browse Files: Displays all folders and subfolders in the TF card, and all audio files. Use scroll wheel to choose between folders/songs, OK to select, Back button to go up to parent directory.

Play settings: (No submenu) Adjust directly using Prev/Next/OK keys. (With submenu) Press OK and adjust using scroll wheel.

System settings: (No submenu) Adjust directly using Prev/Next/OK keys. (With submenu) Press OK and adjust using scroll wheel.

E. Menu operation (detailed)

1. Powering on and off

Hold the power button for two seconds to turn on the X3. Hold for 2 seconds to turn off the player. The X3 enters the main menu after powering on; use the scroll wheel or Previous/Next buttons to choose between Now Playing, Category, Browse Files, Play settings, and System settings. Press the Shortcuts key to enter Play settings directly.

2. Now Playing

From the main menu, choose "Now Playing" and press OK. If no song is playing, a list of songs will appear (after media library update). Use the scroll wheel and OK button to select a song.

• Press the Shortcuts key briefly to pop up the shortcuts context menu. Use the scroll wheel or Previous/Next keys to choose items and press OK to apply actions like adding/removing from Favorites, changing play order, or deleting songs.
• Turn the scroll wheel in the Now Playing screen to pop up a list of songs before and after the current one. Choose a song and press OK to play it.

3. Category

From the main menu, choose "Category" and press OK. Use the scroll wheel or Previous/Next buttons to choose between All Songs, Album, Artist, Genre, and Favorites. Press OK to enter the chosen listing. Press the Shortcuts key to switch to other categories.

Add or remove favorites:

• From the shortcuts context menu in the Now Playing screen (using the Favorites button).
• From the main menu, enter Favorites. Press Shortcuts key to batch add/remove songs. Select a song, use Previous/Next to add/remove, and press OK to save.

External M3U / M3U8 playlists and internal playlists are supported. For external playlist creation details, visit: http://fiio.me/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=40017

To create internal playlists: while playing a song, go to the Now Playing screen, press Shortcuts key, choose the [+] icon, and press OK. Follow prompts to create or add to playlists.

4. Browse Files

Select "Browse Files" from the main menu and press OK. Browse music files on the micro SD card or external storage via USB OTG. Select items with the scroll wheel, press OK on a song to play, or OK on a folder to enter it.

5. Play settings

Choose menu items and use Previous, Next, or OK keys. Press OK for submenus.

1. Play mode: Sequential, loop all, loop single song, shuffle.
2. Resume mode: Off (starts from beginning), Song (starts from beginning of last song), Position (resumes from last position in track).
3. Gapless playback: Enable for seamless playback between tracks (not supported in shuffle/loop-single-song modes).
4. Max volume: Limit volume between 30 and 120.
5. Default volume: Memory (recalls last volume), Custom (sets a fixed power-on volume).
6. Gain: Low (for battery life) or High (for high-impedance headphones).
7. Equalizer: Presets (Off, Rock, Classical, Jazz, Pop, Dance, Vocal, Blues, Metal, Custom) and custom settings.
8. Balance: Adjust balance between +5dB left and +5dB right.
9. Play through folders: If enabled, plays the next folder's first song after the current folder ends.

6. System settings

Choose "System settings" from the main menu and press OK. Select menu items and options.

1. Update media lib: Manual or Auto update for the media library. Auto updates when connected to PC or SD card inserted/removed.
2. Key-lock settings: Lockscreen modes 1, 2, or 3. Mode 1 locks all keys except power/volume. Mode 2 adds OK (Pause). Mode 3 adds OK, Previous, Next.
3. Screen timeout: Set delay (30s to 120s, or never) before screen turns off and keys lock.
4. Brightness: Adjustable in 10 steps.
5. Idle standby: Player goes into deep sleep after a set idle time (1-8 minutes) if no music is playing.
6. Sleep: Player goes into deep sleep after a set time (10-120 minutes) even if music is playing.
7. Multifunctional outputs: Switch between Line out and Coaxial digital output.
8. USB mode: Storage (acts as removable drive) or DAC (acts as external sound card).
9. Supports in-line headphone control: Enable/disable CTIA headphone remote functions.
10. File name display: Choose to display filename or ID3 tag title in Now Playing screen.
11. About X3: Displays player name, model, SD card capacity, firmware version, serial number.
12. Language: Choose from English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese.
13. Storage formatting: Format micro SD card to FAT32. Warning: data will be erased.
14. Factory restore: Resets all settings to factory defaults.

F. Tips on usage

1. How to update the media library quickly: Set System settings -> Update Media Lib to Auto.
2. How to play your favourite songs quickly: Add songs to Favorites from the Now Playing screen or Favorites menu.
3. How to cut over to the song you want to listen to quickly: Turn the scroll wheel in the Now Playing screen to see a list of songs and select one.
4. How to adjust the volume easily: Use volume buttons or scroll wheel. Volume buttons are always usable when the player is locked.
5. How to turn on Resume mode: Under Play settings, set Resume mode to "Last Song" or "Last Position" to resume playback.
6. How to realize Gapless playback function: Enable Gapless playback in Play settings (not supported in shuffle/loop-single-song modes).
7. How to save power: Use Sleep Mode, Idle standby, or Power off.

G. FAQ on the X3

About charging

Q: What power sources may be used to charge the X3?

A: Any USB charger with 5V output voltage and 1A or greater current. A computer USB port can also be used, but it's slower.

Q: What is the charging current of the X3 while charging?

A: ≤ 500mA via computer USB port, or ≤ 1400mA via a dedicated USB charger (DC 5V 2A recommended).

Q: How long does it take to charge up the X3?

A: About 3 hours with a dedicated USB charger (DC 5V, 2A).

Q: Can the X3 be charged by a portable USB charger?

A: Yes, if the charger is capable of 1A or greater current.

Q: Can the X3 play songs while charging?

A: Yes. It may get warm, which is normal. Turning off the X3 for charging allows it to complete more quickly.

Q: What to do if the X3 gets a little hot when playing songs while charging?

A: It's normal and not dangerous. Remove the silicon case for better cooling. If still concerned, lower volume or turn off the player for charging.

Q: Can the X3 be connected to chargers via other micro USB cables?

A: Yes, but the included cable is specially constructed for minimal power loss. Other cables may lead to slower charging or failure to charge.

Q: What is the best way to charge X3?

A: Use a high-quality, high-speed USB charger (5V, 2A+) and the included data cable. Power off the X3 for best charging effect.

Q: Why does the X3 charge so slowly or not at all through a front USB port on a desktop computer?

A: Front USB ports have longer, thinner cables causing voltage drop. Connect to a rear USB port for better performance.

Q: How to judge the X3's charging status?

A: The charging indicator LED (below scroll wheel) is red while charging, green when fully charged. The onscreen battery gauge also indicates charging status.

Q: How to tell whether the X3 is fully charged or not?

A: The charging indicator LED turns green, and the onscreen battery gauge stops moving and stays full.

Transferring songs

Q: What operating systems does the X3 support (for transferring songs)?

A: Windows XP, 7, 8 (32/64bit), Mac OS 9, X, and most Linux/Unix versions.

Q: What USB ports are the X3 compatible with?

A: USB 2.0 (and backwards compatible later standards like 3.0, 3.1).

Q: How quickly does the X3 transfer songs?

A: Dependent on file size and SD card class; average speeds are about 4.5MB/s.

Q: Why does it transfer so slowly through a front USB port on a desktop computer?

A: Front USB ports have longer cables causing signal degradation. Connect to a rear USB port.

Q: Does the X3 support deleting or copying files by dragging through the computer's File Manager?

A: Yes.

Q: Is a driver required for connecting the X3 to computer?

A: No driver is required for file transfers.

Q: Does the X3 support Linux or (insert OS name here)?

A: Theoretically supported, but actual testing across all OSes is not guaranteed.

Q: Why is my X3 not recognized through a USB3.0 port or on Windows 8/10?

A: USB3.0 and Win 8/10 are newer standards. Optimization may be needed. Try USB2.0 ports or Windows 7/XP. A card reader is another option.

Firmware upgrades

Q: How to know what firmware version is on my X3 and what is the newest version?

A: Check via System settings -> About X3. Download latest versions from www.fiio.net/en/supports/33. Updates also announced on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FiiOAUDIO), official website (www.fiio.net), and forum (www.head-fi.org/forum/list/180 or www.fiio.me/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=58). Email support@fiio.net.

Q: How to update the X3 firmware?

A: Refer to Section C. Firmware Update.

Q: Is it possible to brick the X3 while upgrading the firmware? What to do if my X3 is bricked?

A: It should not be possible. If it happens, contact support@fiio.net for instructions.

Storage

Q: What cards does the X3 support?

A: TF cards (micro SD cards), including SDHC and SDXC.

Q: Is the X3 picky about cards?

A: Tested with SanDisk and Kingston. Reputable brands should work. For best performance with high bitrate files, use Class 6 or above cards.

Q: What size of cards does the X3 support?

A: Tested up to 128GB. Recommended to format in FAT32.

Q: How to format the micro SD card into FAT32 format?

A: 1. Use X3's System Settings -> Format. 2. Use a computer, right-click the card, and choose "Format...". Do not choose 64K Allocation unit size. For 64G/128G cards on Windows, use a third-party tool like Guiformat (Guiformat or SmartDisk_FAT32_tool). Warning: data will be erased; back up first.

Q: Nothing from the micro SD card shows on the X3?

A: 1. Update the media library via System settings -> Update Media lib. 2. Use Browse Files to confirm recognition. 3. If still not showing: check available capacity in About X3, try formatting to NTFS on Windows, or try another card.

Q: Some songs on the micro SD card don't show on the X3?

A: 1. Update the media library. 2. If songs are missing in "Category" but visible in "Browse Files", try updating to the latest firmware. 3. Update the media library again.

Q: Does the X3 support NTFS/exFAT format?

A: Yes, but FAT32 is required for firmware upgrades.

Q: How to delete X3's media library database file?

A: Eject the micro SD card before updating the media library; the database file will be deleted automatically.

Music playback

Q: Why would some mp3s not play?

A: Low bitrate or sample rates under 32kHz and bit depths under 8 bits may not be fully supported (common in voice recordings).

Q: Why does my .wav files not play?

A: Check if the WAV file is DTS/Dolby encoded multichannel audio, or has a bit depth over 24 bits (32/64bit files may not be supported).

Q: Why does my .ape files not play?

A: Extra High and Insane compression levels are not supported. Normal and High compression are supported at 96 kHz/24bit or below.

Q: Does the X3 support cue sheets?

A: Yes, external cue sheets are supported for identifying and playing tracks.

Q: Why is my cue sheet not supported?

A: Embedded cue sheets are not supported. Ensure the .cue file is named the same as the music file it cues.

Q: Why does X3 not show the cue file in the micro SD card when browsing files?

A: The X3 splits cue files into multiple tracks, which are then shown.

Q: How to listen to all the music folders on the X3 one by one without switching folders manually?

A: Enable "Play through folders" in Play settings to automatically skip to the next folder.

Q: Why do my lyrics not show?

A: Only external .lrc files are supported, named the same as the music file and stored in the same folder.

Q: Why am I seeing rubbish characters?

A: Ensure ID3 tags and .lrc files use ANSI, Unicode, or UTF-8 encoding. Unsupported formats may cause display issues.

Q: Why do my new songs not appear under any Category?

A: Update the media library via System settings -> Update Media lib. Set to Auto for automatic updates.

Other operations

Q: Why does the total number of files displayed by X3 differ from the actual number of files that I copied into the micro SD card?

A: The displayed number indicates files playable by the X3.

Q: How to get longer battery life for the X3?

A: 1. Turn on "Idle standby". 2. Lower Brightness. 3. Set "Screen timeout" timer.

Q: Why is the X3 sometimes sluggish in responding?

A: 1. High bitrate files (APE, DSD) require more resources. Convert to FLAC/WAV if needed. 2. Too many songs can cause slowdowns. 3. Non-music files (videos, pictures) can interfere; dedicate the SD card to music. 4. Slow SD cards can cause stuttering; use Class 6 or above. 5. Unpredictable file ordering; use recommended folder structure. 6. Mixed codecs/sample rates can slow playback; use separate folders.

Q: Why does the X3 get a bit hot in operation?

A: The X3 uses a high-performance SoC, DAC, and amplifier, which dissipate more power and heat than typical DAPs. This is normal and not dangerous.

Connection with other audio equipment

Q: How to connect the X3's line out to other audio equipment?

A: The line out provides an unamplified signal. Be cautious as the line level can be higher than headphone out. Set output mode to "line out" in System settings to avoid amplified noise from coaxial output.

Q: Why does the X3 not show up as a storage device when I connect it to my computer?

A: Ensure X3 is set to "Storage" USB mode (System settings -> USB mode), not DAC mode.

Q: How to utilize the X3's coaxial digital output?

A: 1. Set Multifunctional outputs to "Coax out" mode. 2. Use the provided 3.5mm coaxial adapter cable to connect to a standard RCA coaxial input.

Q: Why does my HT receiver never play the first ten seconds of music from my X3?

A: The receiver may take time to switch from HDMI to coaxial input. Explicitly set the receiver's audio input to Coaxial.