FiiO M11 Pro Review

Design & Build Quality

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Casing

Visually, it’s hard to spot which is which when you put the FiiO M11 pro side to side with the M11.

Both share the same design, with a massive front screen, gorilla glass backplate and, overall, faultless construction. You have to zoom in to spot the differences, like an audiophile “where is waldo”.

The FiiO M11/M11 Pro aren’t small players and don’t intend to be. When the FiiO M6/M7/M9 were all true portable devices that could be carried in a tight pocket, the M11s won’t. And this is where you have the first discrepancies: the classic M11 is 13cm long, 7cm wide and 1.5cm thick, where the M11 Pro is… 1.65cm thick!

Look for the little Pro Logo

Another difference, the small Pro engraved at the lower point of the left panel. It would have been subtle if FiiO didn’t plate it with (fake) gold. On the other side, you can see that one of the two SD trays has simply disappeared (bouuuh) and… that’s it!

Build quality is still superb, and the gold/black contrast looks exquisite, in my opinion.
The brand took what worked on the FiiO X7 Mark II – aluminum casing, glass panels front and back – and improved it a little more. For example, the wedges are smaller and the glass panels are even more seamlessly integrated. So much you can swipe your fingers from the borders and miss the gap.

If you liked the FiiO M11’s design, you won’t be disappointed with the M11 Pro.

Layout

The layout on the FiiO M11 pro is exactly the same as found on the classic M11 :

• 1x 3.5mm headphone/line output. A single-ended output that suits all basic needs, it can be switched to line-out function or coaxial if you need to connect an external amp/DAC to the M11.
• 1x 4.4mm Pentacon balanced output. It’s becoming a thing, the 4.4mm output is now available on almost every DAP on the market. You have to choose people: 2.5mm TRRS or 4.4mm Pentacon…
• 1x 2.5mm TRRS… or maybe not! FiiO has given us every chance with a second balanced output!
• 1x USB-C. A standard now, used for charging, data transfer and even to connect an external DAC to the FiiO M11. Also, the DAP supports the USB-DAC function, so you can plug it to your computer and bypass your sound card, a good point.

Apart from the 2.5mm TRRS plug, the two other plugs are either gold plated or gold circled. This is classy and reminds me of the iBasso DX120 which also carried the same setup. The USB Type-C doesn’t get any gold, but the volume scroll wheel does!

On the left side, from up to bottom you have :

• the play/pause button,
• the gold platted volume wheel
• next/previous track button
• Pro Logo

On the right side :

• 1x micro-SD port

On the upper side :

• a power/sleep/wake button, surrounded by a red light

On the bottom :

• the USB Type-C input/output
• all the headphone outputs

All the inputs feel sturdy and the buttons react nicely to the touch.

Screen

The FiiO M11 Pro’s screen is strictly the same as the M11.

You don’t need an eagle eye to see how much of an upgrade the FiiO M11 Pro’s screen is from the previous versions.

First, it takes almost all of the front panel. So once you power on the player, you’re delightfully surprised by a surge of pixels, screaming: “Hey! It’s 2019 B$tches, eat some more DPI”. That combined with the smallest bezels I’ve seen on a DAP, narrows the gap with modern smartphones.

The definition is great and the FiiO M11 Pro is rated at 312ppi and the resolution at 1440*720. Colors are vivid, backlight even and, for those who might be concerned, viewing angles are pretty large. Actually, this is important to say because, for the first time, you can truly use Google Chrome on the player and watch videos! Not slideshows at 10fps, real videos from YouTube and such.

So like the FiiO M11, for now, the M11 Pro is the top choice if you want a truly versatile audiophile player, with a 5.5inch screen.

Bundle

Inside the box

I was a bit disappointed with the FiiO M11 bundle, so I expected the M11 Pro to come with more accessories, being 200 dollars more expensive. But that was not the case, indeed they even removed the silicone case !

What you have :

• the FiiO M11 Pro
• a micro-sd slot tool
• a USB-C cable
• a jack to a coaxial adaptor
• a quick-start manual

Of course, FiiO is going to offer a full range of accessories, but I like complete packages.

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