FiiO M11 Pro Review

Sound performance

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For the purpose of this review, I used the same sets of IEMs and headphones previously paired with the FiiO M11. For the IEMs, I kept my good old Onkyo IE-C3, the new Fearless Audio S8F and the BGVP DM7. The headphones? Sennheiser HD800S, Audeze LCD-X and a simple, but trusty, MSR7 from Audio-Technica.

Overall signature

Spoiler : the FiiO M11 pro sounds… like the M11.

Okay, that’s not entirely true, it sounds like the M11… but better. The soundstage is (much) wider, the bass is fuller and there is this annoying (for me) but delightful (for you) sensation that everything is sharper. It may be the layering, the imaging, the attack, it all sounds better.

It may be weird, but in my opinion, the FiiO M11 Pro is the player that sounds the least… FiiO. Mids are more laid back, while keeping that smooth characteristic of the brand. But, the usual emphasis is not there, instead, everything seems to be flat, yet not dull. Echoes are easier to spot, the bass slams are more vivid and paired with the Audeze LCD-X, you can definitely spot the difference.

Where the FiiO M11 seemed to be more of a jack of all trades player, the M11 Pro is less tolerant of bad recordings. Like the Cowon Plenue L, it sounds like a professional soundcard, more than an audiophile player. Not that’s a bad thing, but you’ll have to be very very conscious of what you’ll feed it with.

The soundstage is amazing, really, and by quite a large margin! Whether balanced or unbalanced, it’s immediately audible. And if that alone doesn’t justify the price difference, you have to add up all the other sonic improvements. Paired with my usual Onkyo IEM, I was surprised to hear details I only could spot with the Astell&Kern SP1000, a few thousand euros more expensive…

Rest assured, the SP1000 is still above, but if the new FiiO M15 outperforms the M11 Pro by a wider gap…

If you like orchestral tracks, videogame soundtracks or simply epic music, the FiiO M11 Pro is the one player to get. Maybe the THX certification worked on me, but honestly, this is the best experience I ever had with a DAP listening to this type of music. Even on Spotify, I felt transported by the music: it catches on immediately and the M11 Pro stuck me on my chair the first time.

The presentation is spacious, airy with a tight grip on every tone, even when the track is insanely complex. I tried Dreamtheater, Rachmaninov, Oliver Koletzki and never had to touch the volume wheel, showing how good the dynamics are. It’s both engaging and musical, giving you the real audiophile experience but never giving up the sharp sound that professionals like.

It’s the Beyerdynamic DT770 of DAP !

So, let’s cut to the chase.
Is the M11 Pro better than the FiiO M11 ? Yes.
Is the THX amplifier mandatory? No, but it really sounds better than the classic amp.
Is the M11 Pro the best FiiO Player yet ? Soundwise, yes.
Is it the best player of the moment ? Unlike the M11… I might have to say yes !

Tonality

Highs : sharper with better extension. The FiiO M11 presentation was all about subtlety, the M11 Pro is more about precision. It sounds TOTL and the grandiloquence gone with the M11 is now back. You hear every micro-detail but never feels overcome by the sounds, like a good maestro at a concert, the M11 Pro conduct sounds more than it delivers.

Mids : linear with incredible dynamic. Again, this is very different compared to the other FiiO players. It feels less popular, as if a filmmaker decided to move from 24fps to 60fps : everything is there, magnified by the superb dynamic, but it’s never as smooth as the FiiO M11. It sounds Pro.

Lows : lower and sharper too. Bass control is the best out of all players I tried in this price range. It gets low when you need it, it slams when you crank up the volume and even the mighty Sennheiser HD-800 was driven with ease, giving me the lowest octave every time.

Noise : nothing to worry about, the residual noise is absent. Even when you keep the wifi and bluetooth on.

Conclusion

The FiiO M11 Pro is, for now, the best sounding FiiO player you can get up to this day. It’s basically a FiiO M11+, but this extra plus is what makes a great player, a fantastic player. For a cost.

This new M11 Pro costs 200$ more than the classic M11 and it ditched the second micro-SD slot. So if you’re on a budget or need a vast amount of storage, you may want to stick to the first version. That said, if sound quality is your main concern, all of those changes are of no concern.

All in all, the FiiO M11 Pro is a fantastic player : hassle-free navigation, solid battery life, superb sound. Be it the FiiO M11 or M11 Pro, nothing is a wrong choice, and if I’ll stick with my classic M11 (for the cards), I will definitely keep the M11 Pro on my desk. It’s that good.

To the best DAP buy list this M11 Pro goes (too)!

4.5/5 - (155 votes)
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A nerdy guy with a passion for audio and gadgets, he likes to combine his DAC and his swiss knife. Even after more than 10 years of experience, Nanotechnos still collects all gear he gets, even his first MPMAN MP3 player. He likes spreadsheets, technical specs and all this amazing(ly boring) numbers. But most of all, he loves music: electro, classical, dubstep, Debussy : the daily playlist.

5 Comments

  • Reply January 1, 2020

    jayjoo

    You should try pairing with neutron player. It sounds much better then Fiio app. Like heaven ????

  • Reply January 8, 2020

    Claudio

    Hi, thanks for your review. I’m thinking to buy it. I hace the Shanling m2x and the KANN. I use a sennheiser hd650 and an fiio fh1. Do you recomend me the m11 pro over the sony wm1a or the ak sr15? I am only looking for a good sound.

    Thanks i really enjoy your reviews.

  • Reply February 20, 2020

    John

    Hi I read your review on the Fiio m11 pro and m15 but I still can not make up my mind on which one to get out of the m11 m11 pro and m15 which one in your opinion would be the best out of them which one has the best sound could you recommend some earphones and headphones as I have a pair of Shure se535 and Srh 1540 I have afew 100 CDs that I would like to download I know the m11 has bigger storage would there be much of a sound difference between the m11 m11 pro and m15

    • Reply February 20, 2020

      Lieven

      For me the M11Pro is the best of the best

  • Reply March 24, 2020

    Kress

    Cheap Exynos chip in M11Pro doesn’t work with Android above 7.1. So, if application works on Oreo or Pie, forget to use it. I.e. Amazon Music HD.

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