Xduoo X3 II -Still the Best Budget Audio Player

Q: How does this work with audiobooks or podcasts?

No, it cannot work with audiobooks or podcasts.

Q: How many songs xudoo x3 ii can be loaded ?

15,000 songs. But it can be increased to 30, 000 songs after the Rockbox

Q: Can I drive 300 ohm headphones (namely the HD 6XXs) with this DAP?

You can if you combine it with a portable amp.

Q: Is this more powerful than the Shanling M0 or AP60 II?

Pretty sure the AP60 II is 35 mW @ 32 ohms, and the M0 too. This is 210 mW @ 32 ohm. That’s almost 9 dB louder.

One of audiophile used to said, you are not a true audiophile without the xduoo x3 music player. So you can see that how popular for this affordable lossless music player.

But now, we have to admit that, xduoo x3 is already out of the date, no bluetooth, no EQ, no gapless, old DAC, small screen.

The only biggest advantage is that it has a high quality sound at an affordable price.

Xduoo company has realized this, so they released the the upgraded version Xduoo X3 II.

So, what’s new for this latest version? Well, let’s find it out.

Bluetooth connection, supporting dual ways and Apt-x Bluetooth.
HD 2.4 Inch IPS screen, bigger screen compare with Xduoo X3.
DAC chip AK4490.
10 level EQ settting
Gapless, yes, it is.
Hiby link, as Xduoo X20 does.

Want to know more parameter of Xduoo X3 II? Here we go.

Shell	High-grade aluminum alloy CNC processing
Support format	MP3, WAV, APE, WMA, FLAC, ALAC, DSF, DFF, ISO, maximum support 384kHz/24Bit, DSD128
	Support CUE、M3U、M3U8 file
Screen	HD 2.4-inch IPS screen, 7H hardness glass
Chip	AK4490 DAC chip + OPA1652 + LMH6643
Bluetooth	Bi-directional Bluetooth 4.0 transmission, support for Apt-x Bluetooth protocol
	Hiby Link function
Car Play Mode	Support
EQ	10 sections of EQ with 18 kinds of sound effects
Storage	up to 256GB (One slot)
	Optimized power circuit design
	Can be used for asynchronous USB DAC, supporting up to 192kHz/24bit audio
	Can be output USB audio, supporting DOP/D2P mode
Phone Out Parameter
Output Power	220mW@32Ω
Frequency Response	20Hz~20kHz（±0.5dB）
THD+N	0.0025%（32Ω@1kHz）
S/N	≥108dB
Crosstalk	≥75dB (32Ω@1kHz)
Line Out Parameter
Output Level	1.6Vrms
Frequency Response	20Hz~20kHz(±0.5dB)
THD+N	0.0015%（10KΩ@1kHz）
S/N	≥108dB
Crosstalk	≥100dB (10KΩ@1kHz)
Other Parameter
Power Supply	DC 3.7V/2000mAh built-in li-polymer rechargeable battery
Playback time	≥13H
Charging Time	＜3H（fast charge） \| ＜5H（slow charge）
Size	102.5mm51.5mm14.9mm
Weight	112g

Table of Contents

Build of Xduoo X3 II

Xduoo company did a great job on x3ii for the overall tactility at this price tier.

The weight of Xduoo X3 is only 112g, coming with CNC aluminum which has a very dense feel for the whole unit. When you put it at your hands, you will feels very good and of a high build quality.

What is the downside?

The buttons placements are too near the bottom of the player, so, if your hands are large, sometimes, it is not comfortable to control it, since it is not a touch-control screen.

UI and Software of Xduoo X3 II

The UI is very user-friendly and extremely well set-up. It makes the audiophile to feel comfortable to navigate the menu for this non-touch screen audio player.

At the home menu, everything is easy to select and properly placed. It responses very nicely for such a budget-oriented player. There won’t any hint of lag or sluggishness inside the player’s UI.

Bluetooth of Xduoo X3 II

Xduoo X3 ii is fully capable of supporting Bluetooth 4.1 and Aptx standards.

To be specific, full support bluetooth 4.0 means that it supports both the classic high-speed and BlE ( Bluetooth low-energy) specification, and it also means that x3 mark II can match with any bluetooth device. Besides, combining with the support of aptx, it allows you to enjoy the true high-resolution music without the hassles of wires.

X3 II is a dual mode bluetooth, so what is the meaning of dual mode ?

It means that you can transmit and receive the data at the same time.

Xduoo has invested much time on the internal design to ensure the wireless signal will not be affected by the outside electromagnetic interference, which will give you a high quality sound.

Besides, like Xduoo X20 does, X3 II support hiby link, which means that you can connect to your smartphone via hiby app.

How to use Xduoo x3 ii hibay link ?

Click here to go to Xtenik download center, Xduoo X3 II User’s Guide

DAC

Xduoo X3 II using AK4490 DAC chip. Some of the audiophile will feel AK4490 is not good enough, but considering on X3II price and the sound it offer, only $119. It worths.

Sound

Bass

Xduoo x3 II doesn’t respond well to bass equalization at all. If you raise and toggle the lown end the custom music setting to my heart’s content and hear very little difference. At this point, there are too much distortion.

The AK4490 DAC here just isn’t musical sounding in this X3II. It feels overly linear and lacking in depth. But, overall fidelity and quality for $119 are very good.

If you are into the linear feel without much depth (bassheads) you will enjoy this very much. It isn’t quite clinical in tone, there is certainly some bloom and thickness to it.

Does Xduoo X3 II support Rockbox ? The answer is definitely yes.

Click to download Xduoo X3 II rockbox at Xtenik download center.

Midrange

The midrange falls in line with the bass experience and the entire bottom and middle sections of most of my listening tests were extremely linear feeling. Meaning, equal bass, and mids without either feeling more prominent than the other.

On a flat EQ, the X3II performs very well in a tactile reference feel, but not with tonality. The experience feels flat but sounds quite sweet and soft sometimes in dynamic impact. That means that the vocal experience and bass feel more on the soft and relaxing side. Usually, clinical tonality equates to a harsh feel to everything. But, in this case, the X3II is showcasing a rare quality: a flat bass and midrange quantity of equal portions, but with a more gentle approach.

Is it Xduoo X3 II supporting gapless playback? The answer is YES

Treble

It meshes very well with headphones that do not have harsh dynamic kick and slam. The more musical the headphone, the more enjoyable you will found the X3II to become, as a source. The top end is very gently sparkled in certain “very top end of the spectrum” areas. But, the upper mids and very low areas of the treble response are a bit too dry.

This is very easily understandable and audible when referencing modern Jazz tracks from artists like Bireli Lagrene. When Bireli is playing his guitar, high E-strings are felt with a sense of dryness and lacking sensibilities. Then at the same time, some piano key strikes are felt with a very beautiful sweetness and tonality that is on the musical end of the spectrum. That same guitar will then invert to a more sweetened tonality when Mr. Lagrene hits a harmonic.

Difference between X3 II and X3

	X3	X3 II
Support format	DSD 64 (up to 2.8224MHZ) APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, WMA, ALAC (up to 192KHZ/ 24 Bit), OGG, ACC (Iphone, Ipod format), MP3	DSD128,APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, WMA, ALAC, DSF,DFF, ISO music format,P3, Mmaximum support 384kHz/24Bit
DAC	CS4398 from Cirrus Logic	AK4490
Bluetooth	No	Yes, bluetooth 4.0, dual mode , support Aptx
Hiby Link	No	Yes
Gapless	No	Yes
Rockbox	Yes	Yes
Screen	1.3 inch OLED Screen	2.4 inch IPS HD Screen
Built-in Memory	No	No
EQ setting	No	10 types of EQ
Memory Card Slot	Two	One
Expand Storage	256GB TF/Micro sd card	256GB TF/Micro sd card
Output	250mW(32Ωload)	210mW(32Ωload/THD+N<0.0015%)
Frequency	20Hz~20KHz(±0.5dB)	20Hz~20KHz(±0.15dB)
S/N	112db	>=114db
Impedence	8Ω〜150Ω	8Ω〜150Ω
Aluminum Body	CNC aluminum	CNC aluminum
Charging time	<2 hours	< 3 hours
Weight	100g	112g
Size	105.54514mm	102.551.514.9mm
Battery Capacity	1500mAh	2000mAh
Battery Life	Around 8 hours	Around 13 hours

Sound comparsion between Xduoo X3 and Xduoo X3II

( The following parts come from Head-fi, if you would like to read the original review, please click,

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/xduoo-x3ii.23463/reviews)

The sound of both have a very similar profile, but is the qualitative leap to sound level between them very big?

Not really.

The old version has a brighter sound, but also harder, treble is a little sharper, a little out of control.

While in the new version they sound softer, less hurtful, more pleasant to my ears. Bass also differ, the sub-bass extends more, there is some emphasis on them, more depth and definition.

Bass in the old version are drier, it doesn’t feel like they go down so much giving a slight trimming sensation, although perhaps they have more of a presence in the middle bass.

As for mids, the thing is very equal, only some incidence in the voices of the old version, due to that greater brightness it has.

Globally it could be said that the new version is a little warmer than the old one.

In terms of scene the new version is better, although not for long. There is also more clarity, more space, more air and separation. The sound in the old version is more compact and tight

Conclusion

Xduoo X3 II was probably the best overall DAP in the way of overall fidelity and features. But, it is not suitable for the people who might want more EQ functionality and to sound very different from the stock flat EQ sound the player exhibits.

If your headphones are generally not exaggerating in tonality, but, also do not impact hard, then this is a fantastic portable choice for you. If you are okay with strapping a musical amplifier to it while on the go, we highly recommend doing so.

The price is excellent and the features list is too. At $119, comparing with the old model X3( Price $110 ) you will feel comfortable saying it was a great improvement. They did a good job on this X3II, no doubt.

Click to buy the cheapest X3II

FAQ

1. Can i install spotify, Tidal or similar appS?

No.

2. Does this player have Dual microSD slots or not. 256GB or 512GB?

Only one slot, 256GB.

3. How does this work with audiobooks or podcasts?

No, it cannot work with audiobooks or podcast.

4. Has anyone used the hiby app with this player yet? I got it to connect to my iPhone 7 but there is no sound.

Try to update to the latest firmware.

5. How many songs xudoo x3 ii can be loaded ?

15,000 songs. But it can be increased to 30, 000 song after the rockbox.

6. How could I make a playlist ? do there is a software to make it ?

So far from my own, it seems like you have to make the playlist on the device. However, there is a method where you can connect it to your phone through Hibylink and make a playlist on your phone that syncs into the DAP.

7. Can I use this as a DAC for my PC?

Yes, you can .

8. Sorry for being a newb, but is there a way to play iTunes files from this?

It will support many file formats including those generally used by iTunes such as AAC, ALAC, MP3 etc. I’m not aware of any file formats that iTunes supports that this device would not.

Edit: I had a card loaded up with a variety of file types including native m4p files downloaded from the itunes store and they play just fine. As do the other Apple lossless and FLAC files of varying sample rates up to 192khz.

9. Can I drive 300 ohm headphones (namely the HD 6XXs) with this DAP?

You can if you combine it with a portable amp.

10. Does this hiss with IEMs?

If you have high sensitivity IEMs like the Shure SE535, then yes, this DAP hisses.

11. What are your opinions on pairing this with the sennheiser hd6xx?

You can use it but hd6xx need desktop amp to shine

12. Does this device have an OLED screen like the D3?

Yes, it has.

13. Is this more powerful than the Shanling M0 or AP60 II?

Pretty sure the AP60 II is 35 mW @ 32 ohlm, and the M0 too. This is 210 mW @ 32 ohlm. That’s almost 9 db louder.