New Portable Hi-Rez Audio Player

[Yoder]

Those who know me, know that I like to barter. One long term barter has been in constructing an audio site and maintaining it in trade for gear. Just the other day I received a portable hi-rez audio player...the FiiO X3 http://fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000045041475&MenuID=105026016 (Need to scroll down a bit before the actual product pops into view.) I am pretty impressed with it. It outputs at 192/24, and will play FLAC files as well as many others. It has a port so that you can plug it into a coaxial input, another line out port, recharges through the USB port, and is built like a tank.

The X3 also has an option so that one can set the gain to either high or low. The beauty of this is that instead of earbuds, I can switch to high and use both my HD-650 and DT-770 cans. It also has a slot for a mini-card and will take up to a 64Gb card. The big brother of this thing, the X5 is even more impressive but has not been released yet. The cost of the X3 is $199 and the X5 is $350. The X3 is far easier to use than any iPod. Moving music onto and off the thing is like working with an external HD. The sound is far superior to any iPod, and the fact that it can play FLAC is all the more impressive.

The chap who sent it to me knows the in-and-outs of the company since they are based where his dad was born. He said FiiO has always been very meticulous in building their products and put a great deal of emphasis on quality. It is the first portable player that I have enjoyed since I can use my cans, and I don't have to fight putting music on or moving music elsewhere.

[Natural Sound]

Looks like a real nice option for travel. Better resolution, Micro SD Card support and cheaper than an iPod. Sounds like a winner. Thanks for sharing, Yoder.

[SammyJ]

Seems really interesting, good mix of form, function and portability.  I'll check one out!

One long term barter has been in constructing an audio site and maintaining it in trade for gear.

Just out of curiosity -- what site?

[Yoder]

Just out of curiosity -- what site?

The site is www.monarchyaudio.com I put the site up about 3-4 years ago and just maintain, or post stuff he is trying to unload. He also has a forum that I have/had nothing to do with. Having built one forum many years ago, and being subjected to the numerous attacks on it (mostly from eastern Europe), traumatized me to the extent that I will never work on or support a forum. Well, maybe if it had a dedicated server, but even then I doubt it.

He is an older fellow and has been in business since 1972. Most of the stuff he now hand builds by himself, and he is slowly unloading various items that he has in his warehouse in preparation for retirement. At one point he had something like 25 employees, and now it is just him.

So far he has traded me: 2-SM70 mono-blocks, the new NM-24 tube DAC/pre-amp, a DIP Combo word clock, some very high-end interconnects, a SACD player, and many, many other items that he gives me when I go out there.

I am going out there in mid-Feb for Stanford parents weekend. Some chap gave CC two tickets to the "Jazz Superstars" concert at the new Jazz hall in SFO that he invited me to. The plan is also to help him take photos and catalog the various gear and components that he has in his warehouse. I have never seen such an accumulation of mostly hi-end audio/electrical components as he has. Stuff is stacked to the ceiling, and it is almost impossible to walk through without turning sideways. It is always fun though going through another persons "crap" because I inevitably find something that strikes my fancy.