Xduoo X3 II -Still the Best Budget Audio Player
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 | 102.5mm*51.5mm*14.9mm |
Weight | 112g |
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 | 105.5*45*14mm | 102.5*51.5*14.9mm |
Battery Capacity | 1500mAh | 2000mAh |
Battery Life | Around 8 hours | Around 13 hours |
Sound comparsion between Xduoo X3 and Xduoo X3II
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.
FAQ
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.
September 17, 2018 @ 3:13 pm
An excellent portable audio device for the money. Menus are straightforward and easy to navigate.Although I am not a music aficionado, I do listen to some. I mainly purchased the unit to listen to my library of audio books. I find the battery life great for my purposes. am well pleased with my choice. Would certainly recommend it
September 17, 2018 @ 3:28 pm
The sound and price is ok, but Xduoo customer service is poor in the past. Any improvement now?
September 17, 2018 @ 3:30 pm
Yes, Xduoo company has improved their service. You can contact them via info@xduoo.com, or you can contact us, we also can help you.
September 18, 2018 @ 11:43 pm
What it the real battery life ?
September 18, 2018 @ 11:53 pm
Xduoo wrote that it is 13 hours, however, for me, it is around 9 hours with the screen on.
September 22, 2018 @ 3:58 pm
Considering the low price, it is worth to try, especially after the discount. The interface is certainly not “state of the art” but it sounds great and I love the auxiliary out.
So far it seems solidly built.
September 22, 2018 @ 3:59 pm
Thanks for purchasing from us. Hope you will enjoy it.
September 27, 2018 @ 2:54 pm
Is the code still valid?
September 27, 2018 @ 2:54 pm
Yes, it is still valid.
September 28, 2018 @ 2:54 am
Can I use this as a DAC for my PC?
September 28, 2018 @ 6:28 am
Yes, you can.
September 30, 2018 @ 2:57 am
Does X3 II has dual slot as X3 ?
September 30, 2018 @ 3:06 am
X3II only has one slot, but is supports up to 256GB
September 30, 2018 @ 3:19 am
I just bought a x3 ii from your shop, but it looks like x3 ii is more complicated than x3, because there are many new features. Is there any detail manual available?
September 30, 2018 @ 3:23 am
Yes, there is user’s guide available at our download center.
https://www.xtenik.com/latest-firmware-download/
November 21, 2018 @ 11:15 pm
How to connect the X3 II in MSC mode to my computer? I need to generate a voice file for Rockbox but don’t know how to find the .rockbox folder in order to do that.
December 10, 2018 @ 1:04 am
We will help you to check with Xduoo company and the rockbox developer.
January 11, 2019 @ 9:05 pm
I really like this player. Only had it about 6 weeks and it’s great. The Hiby funtion is awesome. I haven’t tried the usb dac yet, but it’s something I don’t really need to use anyway. The only problem I am having, and hoping to find an answer for, is that sometimes after a full charge the player will not boot up. Blank screen, no buttons work. Only the little green light comes on. Anyone else come across this bug. Wondering if there is a firmware update or something. I have to wait for it to discharge via the little LED then half charge up again to get it to boot. It’s my first DAP and I really dig it. Just want to sort this minor problem out. Appreciate any replys. Cheers.
January 18, 2019 @ 7:01 am
Hi, I checked your issue with Xduoo company today. The best solution is to re-start the device, not to update the firmware. Some of audiophiles also met the same issue before, but Xduoo company still cannot find the where the problem is, because the issue are only happening on a few parts device.
I will update to you if Xduoo has solved the problem.
September 25, 2019 @ 7:18 am
I’ve have found a work around for my problem if the screen doesn’t bit up. By holding the power button for 7 to 10 seconds the unit shuts down and you can reboot again. Better than waiting for a few hours for it to discharge. Great little player.
January 15, 2019 @ 2:53 am
Tengo el X3, y me parece muy bueno. Pero no reproduce las canciones de forma continua, como en un show en vivo…¿esto fue mejorado en la version X3ii?
January 17, 2019 @ 1:09 pm
Hi, do you mean the gapless? If yes, it is improved in X3 II.
January 18, 2019 @ 12:26 pm
Hello,
I have 2 questions regarding the use.
When I look into the car configuration, I see that I need to select line out in the options, but that option is not present in my x3II. Is there something nez, or missing ?
As for the album, file management, is it possible to listen to an album and get back to it where I left listening to it, and maybe if I listen to another album, that it keeps track of where I was in the past ?
thanks
January 19, 2019 @ 1:32 pm
First, you don’t need to preset anything, just connect the line out jack directly.
Second, yes, it can keep the track where you are in the past.
February 7, 2019 @ 12:02 pm
Is it possible to connect xduo via bt or usb-c with phone and transmit music via bt to phones?
February 13, 2019 @ 2:36 am
No, it cannot.
February 23, 2019 @ 9:05 pm
Cannot update to latest V1.2 software, new procedure? Or, how to force update?
February 25, 2019 @ 3:43 am
Hello, after you download the V1.2 firmware from our download center, you will find an upgrade steps file. Please follow the steps to update. Thanks.
https://www.xtenik.com/latest-firmware-download/
April 3, 2019 @ 9:54 am
hi, how is this player compared to fiio x3 second gen? especially in term of bass. i consider myself as bass head. is it on par with fiio?
i like xduoo specs on paper and it is cheaper, but is it better?
April 9, 2019 @ 3:35 am
Personally, I like Xduoo X3II. Fiio x3 II is already old, don’t recommend it to you.
April 21, 2019 @ 7:08 pm
Hi, this dap is wonderful and I would like to try a balanced connexion. Which amplifier Will you recommand with 2.5 output?
April 21, 2019 @ 11:38 pm
Recommend Fiio K3
October 10, 2019 @ 2:24 am
Does X3 II support m4a(aac) file format? That is most of songs are encoded in.
October 10, 2019 @ 5:59 am
Yes, it support AAC file.
December 3, 2019 @ 1:35 am
Does dev plan update firmware or v1.2 is last one?
If so add folder view play not only by category or playlist…
I never on any device dont play by file tags and always sort by folders.
December 10, 2019 @ 12:30 pm
V1.2 is the latest version firmware.
If there is any updated firmware, we will update it immediately.
January 16, 2020 @ 4:31 pm
Hello, I’ve updated my X3II to v1.2, but then my Bluetooth APTX doesn’t work anymore. I’ve switch on the “High Quality” option. Is this a bug or is there any special setting that I miss? Thank you
April 9, 2020 @ 5:55 pm
Please try to update it to V1.3
January 28, 2020 @ 12:31 am
Hello. I have seen too many advertisings of this product as being lossless-capable (which it really is). But then I ask: Is it also able to play the lossy formats like the standard MP3 ?
April 9, 2020 @ 5:54 pm
Yes, it can .
February 1, 2020 @ 5:08 am
Please disregard my previous comment. I have found the information I was looking for, stating that the X3 II actually plays MP3 files.