For the vast majority of users, the "portable music player" has already died. Listening to music on a mobile phone is like eating with a bowl, so natural. But this is only for mass consumer users. For a relatively small number of music enthusiasts, the slogan "MP3 is immortal" is just like "rock and roll is immortal". The rise of smart phones has not completely killed the digital category of MP3. MP3 has completed the high-end of the industry in this process. Now, the target audience of MP3 products is "enthusiastic users who are more music oriented".

In 2013, Feiao launched its first lossless MP3 device - Feiao X3. Although the Feiao X3 was not a hit at that time, it also caused quite a stir in the circle. Now Feiao has become a little well-known domestic MP3 brand in the domestic music enthusiast circle. As the first cost-effective product, X3 has also been updated to the third generation. The third generation of Feiao X3 is also the protagonist of this evaluation.

appearance

The third generation of Feiao X3 uses black gold color matching for its inner layer, only the brand logo, which is relatively simple.

There are a lot of accessories. In addition to the basic instructions and data lines, Feiao is also equipped with two different protective covers, a water cover and a leather cover. In addition, it also comes with two screen protectors and a 3.5mm coaxial adapter line.

The third generation of Feiao X3 uses a black front panel. There is a very obvious touch panel on the panel. You can select up and down by rotating it on the disc touch panel. There are five physical keys on the panel.

The third generation of Feiao X3 screen is not large, 2.31 inches 320 * 240, which is in line with the standard of the product with this positioning.

The Feiao X3 series has adopted the design of "front panel turntable+buttons" since the early generation, and this design has been used until now.

The three generations of Feiao X3 have two color combinations, black and red, and we got the latter.      

The design of the back of the fuselage is divided into two sections. There is only the brand logo and related product information on the back. In addition, there is a Hi Res small gold label.

There is no internal storage space in the third generation body of the Feiao X3, so the user needs to configure a TF card. There are power button, volume button, play/pause button and other buttons with the highest use frequency on the left side of the fuselage.

As a member of the "balance army" of Feiao, the third-generation Feiao X3 is equipped with a 2.5mm balance port in addition to the standard 3.5mm headphone interface. There is also a microUSB interface at the bottom for data transmission and charging.

In terms of audio configuration, the third generation of Feiao X3 uses two PCM5242 from Texas Instruments as DAC, and OPA2140 and OPA1622 as LPF and op amp.

experience

In terms of system interface, the third generation of Feiao X3 uses a relatively pure MP3 player interface, without too many fancy functions. In a simple summary, it is a "music player that can play music".

At the beginning, when we learned that the third generation of Feiao X3 used the Shuangde Instrument PCM5242 as the DAC, we had some doubts about its voice. Although the previous two generations used a higher grade CS4398, the sound is just average. Can this lower positioning PCM5242 really be used on the third generation?

Although the overall excellent performance of the three generations of Feiao X3 is the result of the joint action of PCM5242, OPA2140, and OPA1622, even PCM5242 can make such a sound (what kind of sound is it?). It should not be said that whether Feiao redefined PCM5242 or PCM5242 recognized itself under the action of OPA2140 and OPA1622?

Since we don't have a well balanced earphone on hand, and in order not to let the output end (earphone) become the shortest board in the cask effect during the test, we used Shure SE846, a product with a high public rating, for evaluation.

Low frequency: the low frequency part is not only the strength of 846, but also the strength of the third generation of Feiao X3. In the test, we selected Hello Espcially and Rapture

》"Talking" and recently "Cherry Blossom Endurance Calligraphy" of Yin Yang Zuo were used as test tracks. The author found that the three generations of Feiao X3 can do their best, whether it is Hello Espacially, which cures the bass system, or the Cherry Blossom Tolerance Calligraphy, which is a bass rock. Hello Espcially shows crisp, short, smooth and low frequency, while Cherry Blossom Tolerance Calligraphy shows explosive low frequency, In particular, this explosive low frequency attaches great importance to diving and low-frequency potential energy. The low-frequency explosion requires a process of preparation, which largely determines the quality of the final sound and is the most enjoyable for everyone. The low frequency of the third generation of Feiao X3 has a deep sense of diving and abundance. It matches the low frequency of the explosive boom type and the 846. The common 1000 yuan national brick is to gather momentum first, and then burst out directly. The difference between the three generations of Feiao X3 is that it has a more cohesive process, which is to gather momentum first, then condense, and finally burst out, which shows that the whole voice is very powerful. This kind of low frequency of three-stage coherence (accumulation condensation burst) rarely appears on the 1000 yuan national brick, I have heard the same feeling on Sony Black Brick, but the expression is more exaggerated.

IF: In order to cater to the public taste, the author selects the tracks of Jay Chou and Eason Chan for relevant tests. The reason why there is no female voice is that the author has heard the female voice performance of the third generation of Feiao X3 in the ACG track of the low-frequency part. Female voice is not the strength of the third generation of Feiao X3. The performance is mediocre, and the shortcomings are also beyond description, so we directly use male voice to explain the mid-range part. As we all know, Jay Chou's voice is slightly fresh and fresh, while Eason Chan brings some old men's sense of vicissitudes. Friends who have read the author's article should know that the author generally says vicissitudes, and will not talk about freshness, because few MP3 players have both feelings, but the third generation of Feiao X3 can say so. Just like the low-frequency part, the X3 three generations can express their respective strengths. In the mid-frequency part, the feeling of freshness is fresh, and the feeling of vicissitudes is the vicissitudes of old men. The boundary is clearly divided, which is one of my favorite points of Feiao X3 three generations. In the conventional part, the vocal performance density is not too high and the taste is not heavy, which belongs to the normal popular vocal trend.

High frequency: just now we mentioned that the performance of the three generations of low frequency, medium frequency and Feiao X3 is very good. It may also be because the performance of this medium and low frequency is too eye-catching, which makes its high frequency less prominent. It needs more careful taste to hear. Here we talk about the more detailed taste, not only the good part of the third generation Feiao X3, but also the bad part. You need to listen carefully to hear its high-frequency extension, which means you also need to listen more carefully to hear overtones. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of this neglected high frequency cannot be heard.

summary

Although the official selling point of the third generation of Feiao X3 is "popularizing the balanced mouth", you will find that the users of the matched earphones+better balanced mouth wires are not the target group of the third generation of Feiao X3. But fortunately, when the author uses a conventional 3.5mm headphone port, the third generation of Feiao X3 can also output very good sound, which is also in line with the public taste, and the cost performance is still outstanding. When considering the third generation of Feiao X3, users don't need to think too much about the problem of balanced mouth earphones. They can consider the "balanced mouth" as a bonus function, because the more conventional and popular 3.5mm mouth can also produce the sound you like.