Product Comparison: Fiio X3-III vs Fiio X5

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Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)

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Fiio X5 Mark III Hi-Res Certified Lossless Music Player with Touch Screen Android OS and 32GB Storage (3rd Gen, Black)

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General Specifications

Brand

Fiio

Model

X3-III

Origin

China

About the Product

Styled in black, the FiiO X3 Mark III is a high-resolution portable audio player with a host of ancillary functions and features. For instance, it can double as an asynchronous USB DAC capable of handling 192 kHz/24-bit PCM files. The player is also Bluetooth 4.1 enabled, though not at the expense of fidelity. Three separate PCBs have been utilized in the construction of this mobile player: one for the digital section, one for analog amplification, and another for Bluetooth.

FiiO X5 Mark III 32GB - 3rd generation mastering quality lossless portable music player with touchscreen Android OS

Key Specs

Memory

0 GB

32 GB

Display

Yes

Integrated Speaker(s)

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)

I really like the Fiio, easy to use, perhaps not quiet as intuitive as the iPod but the benefits outweigh the negatives by miles.
Currently using a 128gb MicroSD along side it. I find the battery lasts me a day or 2 with normal use at work or gym. It does get warm while charging or putting lots of files on it, but not any warm levels to be worried about.
The sound is incredible, capacity is no issue, and now discovering high res audio is a whole new adventure! No hesitation in recommending, made the right (and a personally important) decision
The sound quality is excellent. It uses a micro USB connection which makes it very easy to charge with my phone charger and I have plenty of spare cables. It comes with two protective cases and screen protectors. Battery life is good and the bluetooth works okay.
Wonderful sound quality - and yes, even as someone who isn't an audiophile, I can clearly hear nuances in music that I missed before.

Size & Weight

Color

Black

Height

4.5 in.

11.8 in.

Width

2.3 in.

7.9 in.

Depth

0.5 in.

3.9 in.

Weight

4.5 oz.

6.6 oz.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)

First, the size is perfect! It's slim and lightweight so if you are carrying around this and a phone, it's not a burden.
The X3 looks amazing, feels amazing in the hand and sounds amazing.
The build quality is excellent, it feels solid and a quality piece of kit.
It's a weighty big ugly LUMP, with little of the refinement of the IPOD.

Fiio X5 Mark III Hi-Res Certified Lossless Music Player with Touch Screen Android OS and 32GB Storage (3rd Gen, Black)

Great sound, good size and feature.
It's the right size, it's the right sound.

Features

Supported Audio Formats

Protected AAC, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, APE, FLAC, DSD, PCM, Lossy Files

AAC, Protected AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, Lossy Files, PCM, DSD, FLAC, WMA, WAV

Memory Card Slot

Yes

Voice Recorder

Video Playback

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Extras

2 x PCM5242 DAC Chips

Dual DACs, Dual Crystals, Dual Headphone Output, Dual Operating Modes, Dual Wireless Connectivity

Input(s)

3.5mm Jack

What customers say about "Features"

Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)

You can add larger cards, use different cards or replace damaged ones.
Very easy to get up and running, simply copy your i tunes music folder and paste it onto a memory card, ho hassles at all.
Bluetooth takes 15 seconds to initialize, it works without delay after this.
The user interface is truly awful and ruins the player for me personally. I'll give you some examples. If, like me you have a large and full SD card full of different music it is an absolute chore to scroll through the library.
The software is kind of difficult Togo around it and the Bluetooth does not work too good.

Fiio X5 Mark III Hi-Res Certified Lossless Music Player with Touch Screen Android OS and 32GB Storage (3rd Gen, Black)

Has not one, but two Micro SD card slots as well as 32Gb of onboard memory. This unit will play well with Windows, Mac or Linux and if the native music app is not to your taste you can download another from the Play Store.
It's got bluetooth for your wireless anc headphones.
Bluetooth. This is the biggest advantage the x5iii has over the x5ii. Any audiophile will want chords in most situations for the sound quality, but Bluetooth is much easier when in the car, at the gym, or just hooking up to a friend’s speaker system.
You will pause and skip tracks accidentally just putting this thing in a loose pocket. There is no way to disable or re-purpose the buttons.
The buttons are very sensitive and terribly placed. You cannot hit one one without hitting the other.

Power

Battery Life

11 hours

15 hours

Battery Life

Fiio X3-III

Fiio X5

What customers say about "Power"

Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)

Battery life!! I can not say how impressed I am with battery life of this device. I never feel rushed to charge it. I listen roughly 5 solid hours a day, low gain, volume ~30 on an iem and charge it once every two weeks.
I find the battery lasts me a day or 2 with normal use at work or gym. It does get warm while charging or putting lots of files on it, but not any warm levels to be worried about.
Battery life is good and the bluetooth works okay.
Battery doesn't last long. There are no belt-cases or similar on the market yet, so I cant use it at the gym unless stuffed in a pocket.

Fiio X5 Mark III Hi-Res Certified Lossless Music Player with Touch Screen Android OS and 32GB Storage (3rd Gen, Black)

Overall: If you are looking for a device that has a decent battery life, responsive control and great sound, buy this device.
It has great battery life and will last pretty much a full day of heavy listening.
The battery life is ridiculously low. 4 hours tops using high gain and steaming from home network.
The battery life is ridiculously low.
WiFi will kill your battery in no time.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE