Product Comparison: Sony NW-A25 vs Fiio X3-III


General Specifications
Brand
Sony
Fiio
Model
NW-A25
X3-III
Origin
China
China
About the Product
With the Walkman A20 series, this supreme listening experience now comes to you in Sony's smallest and lightest High-Resolution Audio player, complete with enough charge and storage to play up to 30 hours of High-Resolution Audio at one go.
Styled in black, the FiiO X3 Mark III is a high-resolution portable audio player with a host of ancillary functions and features. For instance, it can double as an asynchronous USB DAC capable of handling 192 kHz/24-bit PCM files. The player is also Bluetooth 4.1 enabled, though not at the expense of fidelity. Three separate PCBs have been utilized in the construction of this mobile player: one for the digital section, one for analog amplification, and another for Bluetooth.
Key Specs
Memory
16 GB
0 GB
Display
Yes
Yes
Integrated Speaker(s)
No
No
What customers say about "Key Specs"
Sony NW-A25 16G High-resolution sound, Lime Yellow
  • The screen graphics are nice and sharp. Capable of storing a lot of music.
  • it is very easy to operate selecting the buttons, and because of that the screen is not covered in dirty finger marks.
  • It is so easy to use and I have been able to put all my music (including folders) onto it.
  • Then there is storage size..product comes with about 16gb but with the addition of a micro memory card can be taken to larger sizes..no problem.
  • I was pleased with this, it was good that a memory card 128GB could be added.
Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)
  • I really like the Fiio, easy to use, perhaps not quiet as intuitive as the iPod but the benefits outweigh the negatives by miles.
  • Currently using a 128gb MicroSD along side it. I find the battery lasts me a day or 2 with normal use at work or gym. It does get warm while charging or putting lots of files on it, but not any warm levels to be worried about.
  • The sound is incredible, capacity is no issue, and now discovering high res audio is a whole new adventure! No hesitation in recommending, made the right (and a personally important) decision
  • The sound quality is excellent. It uses a micro USB connection which makes it very easy to charge with my phone charger and I have plenty of spare cables. It comes with two protective cases and screen protectors. Battery life is good and the bluetooth works okay.
  • Wonderful sound quality - and yes, even as someone who isn't an audiophile, I can clearly hear nuances in music that I missed before.
Size & Weight
Color
Lime Yellow
Black
Height
4.29 in.
4.5 in.
Width
1.73 in.
2.3 in.
Depth
0.35 in.
0.5 in.
Weight
2.33 oz.
4.5 oz.
What customers say about "Size & Weight"
Sony NW-A25 16G High-resolution sound, Lime Yellow
  • Size, weight and capacity are good.
  • Purchased just after Christmas and I am delighted with the quality of the unit
  • The size of the machine is small enough to tuck away in your pocket.
  • Sound quality great and can play through my audio system. Very neat and easy to carry around.
  • Also like the fact the product is smaller & thinner than other audio players.
Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)
  • The X3 looks amazing, feels amazing in the hand and sounds amazing.
  • The build quality is excellent, it feels solid and a quality piece of kit.
  • It's a weighty big ugly LUMP, with little of the refinement of the IPOD.
Features
Supported Audio Formats
AAC (Non-DRM), AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, HE-AAC, Linear PCM, MP3, mp4, WMA (Non-DRM)
Protected AAC, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, APE, FLAC, DSD, PCM, Lossy Files
Memory Card Slot
Yes
Yes
Input(s)
USB port, 3.5mm Jack, WM-PORT
Usability
2.2" TFT color display
Voice Recorder
No
No
Video Playback
Yes
No
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Yes
Extras
NFC, ClearAudio+, DSEE HX upscaling, S-Master HX™, Bluetooth LDAC codec
2 x PCM5242 DAC Chips
What customers say about "Features"
Sony NW-A25 16G High-resolution sound, Lime Yellow
  • The LDAC connection and the adjustment of settings with the walkman makes for glorious, less-compressed wired-like sound.
  • Sound is great. Features are easy to find and use.
  • It plays the hi-res music impeccably. The digital noice cancelling works wonder if you do not have a good headphones to play it with.
  • Sound quality is wonderful...clear and sharp with both ACC, MP3 & 4 files...and when FLAC files are used it get's better.
  • It has Bluetooth and can pair with his Sony headphones. It is easy to use and the quality is excellent.
Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)
  • The user interface is truly awful and ruins the player for me personally. I'll give you some examples. If, like me you have a large and full SD card full of different music it is an absolute chore to scroll through the library.
Accessories
Included With Unit
Headphones, USB cable, Earbuds, Clip (for headphones)
Power
Battery Life
50 hours
11 hours
What customers say about "Power"
Sony NW-A25 16G High-resolution sound, Lime Yellow
  • Good size, good sound, battery last long time. highly recommened.
  • I wanted good battery life and I have been pleased with that as well.
  • The Walkman has good battery life, button controls, many options for sound quality, good song format compatibility.
  • Battery life is excellent and so is sound.
  • Battery life is very good. Used it on a few very long bus trips (over 24 hours over 2 days) and while flying from Philly to Spain, battery was always superb, at least 20 hours playing hi res files, probably more.
Fiio X3-III High Resolution Music Player (3rd Generation)
  • I find the battery lasts me a day or 2 with normal use at work or gym. It does get warm while charging or putting lots of files on it, but not any warm levels to be worried about.
  • Battery life is good and the bluetooth works okay.
  • Battery doesn't last long. There are no belt-cases or similar on the market yet, so I cant use it at the gym unless stuffed in a pocket.
Warranty / Certifications
Manufacturer Warranty
1 year(s)
1 year(s)
Certifications
CE
CE
Other Information
Manufacturer
Other reviews