Design & Build Quality
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Casing
“That’s one impressive upgrade, wouldn’t you say so ? ”
The first FiiO M3 maybe wasn’t really impressive but the new M3 Pro feels like a very different kind of animal. First and foremost, the player ditched the horrendous plastic case, for aluminum. In fact, the DAP now looks and feels like the old iPod Nano: a thin, minimal, slab of metal.
I saw the FiiO M3 Pro in pictures, before getting one for real. And while the player looks nice on those shots, it’s even better in real life. CNC’ed housing with rounded edges, glass panels front and back, none of the previous M3 traits have made it to the new version. And, that’s good news.
Size-wise, the M3 Pro is one of the thinnest players I ever reviewed, only 10mm thick, 45mm wide, and 95mm tall. Thanks to that, the player can be fitted in any pocket and, in contrast to the FiiO M5 I previously reviewed, never felt like a bulge in my pant.
Build quality is very very good, and if none of the I/O is gold-plated, everything clicks just the right way. Moreover, this is one of those players with no visible screw, and god knows how much I like that.
All-in-all, I’m quite impressed with the FiiO M3 Pro. For the price, this is one of the finest DAP I’ve encountered for quite a long time. Nice design, sturdy case, small form-factor, so let’s see if it keeps going this way.
Layout
Like the FiiO M5, the FiiO M3 Pro is quite simple in this regard.
On the left side, you have :
- four buttons, for play/pause, volume up/down and power on/off
- a micro-SD port
On the bottom :
- the USB-C Port
- a combo jack 3.5mm headphone (line/headphone out)
No balanced output, but for 89 bucks, that’d have been a real surprise. The only device that I can think of is the iBasso DC01, but it’s a DAC and not a player, so…
Surprisingly, the FiiO M3 Pro offers a microphone too, so you can use the recorder function. It’ supposed to give clear and noise-free voice recording, in “HD Lossless quality”, and high-resolution playback.
Last but not least, the USB Type-C port functions sideways. You can either use the M3 Pro as your usual DAP and charge it through the USB port. Or use it as a DAC when connected to your computer. And finally, you can send all your files to a DAC, like the Donald DAC, thanks to the USB-out feature. Not new, but still neat.
Ok, let’s go on and look at the screen.
Screen
The FiiO M3 Pro enjoys a 3.46 inches screen, which is a vast upgrade compared to the M3 and M3K.
Although I didn’t expect anything for the M3 Pro in this regard, the M3 Pro was a very nice surprise. Narrow screen bezels, vibrant colors, high-resolution (340x800px), and wide view-angles thanks to the IPS panel, the M3 got it all.
On side-to-side comparison, I even preferred the M3 Pro screen to the FiiO M7.
Bundle
Inside the box
The FiiO M3 Pro Bundle is beyond dire. Apart from the player, you get one USB-C cable and some documentation, that’s it.
So in the box you have :
- the FiiO M3 Pro
- a USB-C cable
- a quick-start manual
Let’s get to the handle part, shall we?
The article continues on Page Three, after the click here
Brett
Out of curiosity, if you install Tidal on any FiiO, can you download song for offline use or does it always have to be streamed via Wifi?
Dirk
Seems ‘pro’ models are the new hotness.
shawn
You can download songs and full albums.
George Lai
Some comments on the Line Out would be welcome. Thanks.
Dominic
Hello, firstly, I just would like to thank you for this review, as it is incredibly detailed.
To my question: how would you compare the Fiio M3K to the M3 Pro?
I currently have the M3K and thought of upgrading but seeing the M3 Pro has a different DAC, maybe they’d have different sound signature. I don’t use EQ to my music if that would help in comparing the two.
Rathor
Nice one piece of info
Thanks for sharing.
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jaded06
can i use fiio M3 pro as USB dac for Android phone?
corey
Where’s the review?
corey
Figured it out, my bad.