In this article we review the latest DAP from the Chinese brand, the FiiO JM21, priced at just $199 USD.

Disclaimer: the FiiO JM21 was sent to us free of charge by FiiO, in exchange for our honest opinion.

FiiO

Founded in 2007, FiiO is one of the pillars of thz portable audiophile world, with companies like Astell&Kern, iBasso, Meze or HiBy. IEMs, headphone amps, DACs, and obviously DAPs, they did it all and did it well, filling every corner with an endless list of multi-awarded devices, like the K9 Pro, BTR17, Q15, or M15S.

And if the brand began as a chi-fi maker with cheap but nice products, in the recent years FiiO constantly moved upmarket to a point that it’d be hard to truly label them as “chi-fi”, rather than Hi-Fi – especially with TOTL players like the FiiO M17 or the upcoming FiiO K17 – another high-end desktop DAC/Streamer, that is scheduled for this year.

An amazing player, I considered “one, if not the best player you can get in this price range – as long as you’re okay to carry this little brick with you – that was gifted an “Headfonia Award” for best DAP, thanks to its amazing performances, sheer power, and unrivaled versatility.

But, as you’d expect, high performance comes at a high cost – $1799 precisely – making the M17 out of reach for most audiophile users, the only other high-end option the brand offers being the Q7, a DAC-AMP that still needs a source to be completely potent. Sure, you could get the FiiO M15S, but at $999 USD, this player wasn’t designed to be mid-range king – rather high-end in fact.

Then came the FiiO M23, a revamp of the brand’s previous best-sellers, the M11 series, praised for their exceptional price/quality ratio, offering all the good features of the old-gen, with some more improvements. But, with an asking price set at $799, many would say that the M23 isn’t… affordable, yet.

And that’s where the new FiiO JM21 comes in, the first real spiritual successor to the FiiO M9: an entry level DAP, embedding a dual-dac setup, able to stream from all the hi-res platforms and, more importantly, a price below $300.

A new reference for FiiO fans? Time to find out

The FiiO M1X / M2X Series

Few digital audio players have experienced as many variations as the M11. Since its first appearance in 2019, this player has seen no less than five variances:

• the M11S, FiiO’s actual entry-level DAP, that fits almost all of its bigger siblings’ features, at a cheaper price point, only with lesser sound performances and power
• the M11 Plus LTD, introducing a new design, a faster CPU, and the same audio circuit found on the M11 Pro
• the M11 Plus ESS, same as the LTD but with a dual ES9068AS chip instead of the AKM (for obvious reasons)
• the FiiO M15S, the brand new top-of-the-range player, keeps everything that made the success of the first generation and corrects all the defects that were pointed out on the previous device
• the FiiO M17, a flagship packing a dual ES9038Pro DAC, 5 different kinds of outputs, and desktop-class amplification
• the FiiO M23, the latest model, introducing a whole new naming and bringing back the famous AKM chips in their DAP’s range
• and nom the FiiO JM21 (J like junior), a dual CS43198 at heart and the same DAPS architecture found in the upper model, for less than half the price of the others

A good line-up, that only missed a true entry-level player… up to this day! So time to dig in.

Design & Build Quality

Casing

New player, new suit.

If the M23 was just a slight revamp of the original model, carrying the brand premium build, the FiiO JM21 now gets a complete makeover, introducing a whole new design.

Thinner, lighter and… cheaper, this new DAP takes a completely different path, adopting a more budget conscious build. Gone is the seamless CNC-machined aluminium chassis, covered back and forth by tempered glasses, the JM21 is now made of plastic. A case that cannot withstand the comparison with its bigger siblings, but that doesn’t make the JM21 feels like a cheap knockoff either – mainly thanks to the textured backplate, giving you some extra grip. On the other hand, the front side doesn’t differ much from other players, with a 4.7-inch screen occupying the entire space – like 99% of modern DAPs, especially now that streaming apps and android OS come standard.

Build quality is decent, though it falls short compared to the M23 or M15S. The body now features a seam where the two sides meet, a noticeable departure from the seamless designs of FiiO’s premium models. Tapping the back produces a hollow sound, which diminishes the sense of rigidity and robustness typically associated with the brand. While it still feels solid enough for daily use, those accustomed to FiiO’s higher-end devices may find themselves missing the original stiffness and polished craftsmanship that define the rest of the catalog.

Same goes with the dimensions. Size-wise, the FiiO JM21 is one the first « real » portable player produced by the brand in a long time : 120mm tall, 68mm wide, 13mm thick, and just 156g on the scale (two times less than the M23). Refreshing!

So let’s take a look at the I/O now.

Layout

Compared to the M17, M15S or even the M23, the FiiO JM21 gets a much simpler layout, in accordance to its price.

On the left side you now have:

• the classic power on/off button
• volume up / Volume down buttons

On the right side, you get:

• prev/next and play/pause buttons
• a micro-sd port

And finally, at the bottom get:

• a data/charge USB port
• a 3.5mm headphone/line/digital output, so you can connect your headphones, a headphone amp, or even a DAC
• the now almighty 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced headphone output that doubles as a balanced line output, for amplifiers like the Astell&Kern PA10

Not the most expansive layout, but you get all of what you need on a daily basis, and more thanks to the line/coaxial out.

Screen

Smaller than the usual 5.5” IPS display found on higher-end models, the FiiO JM21 features a 4.7” TFT screen with a resolution of 750×1335 pixels and a “bezel-less” design. While it’s not an outstanding screen, it’s far from disappointing. Over the past week of daily use, I found it clear and easy to read, provided you’re not standing directly under sunlight, where it struggles a bit with visibility.

Obviously, the M23 offers a superior display, with better brightness and viewing angles, but let’s keep in mind that the JM21 comes at nearly half the price. So yeah, overall the screen holds up well, providing a satisfactory experience for basic navigation and playback controls without compromising usability.

Let’s check the bundle now.

Bundle

Inside the box

Contrary to the M17 and M15S, the FiiO JM21 bundle is quite dire.

In the box you get:

• the FiiO JM21
• a silicone case
• an USB-C to USB-A cable
• some documentations
• and… that’s it!

So yeah, FiiO wasn’t very generous with this one, but that was obvious.

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