Disclaimer: FiiO sent us the M11 for the purpose of this review, free of charge. In exchange, we’re going to give our honest opinion, as always.
About FiiO
From its creation in 2007, FiiO has been pushing further and away to become one of the top players in the market. And you know what ? After more than 10 years of hard work, I think they achieved their goal as the once unknown brand is now on top of mine with almost all “audiophiles” in to personal audio..
Fiio DAP-wise, we reviewed the FiiO M7, FiiO M9, and even the FiiO M6, their smallest sibling and we gave high praise to all of them. So, it comes to no surprise that we expect even more from the new flagship : the FiiO M11
So, in today’s review, we’ll see if the M11 is THE flagship killer or just another good player from FiiO.
The FiiO Series
FiiO M6
The FiiO M6 is, in my opinion, the best option available in this price range. It’s small, powerful enough to drive most portable headphones, has a WiFi + Bluetooth connection and it costs less than a cheap smartphone.
To auto quote : ” Let’s cut to the chase : for 150€, the FiiO M6 is a no-brainer. It blends good performances – neat design – great battery life – extensive capability and it can even be connected to another DAC through USB.”
FiiO M7
The FiiO M7 introduced the new M series. It is one of the classiest players available in my opinion. It’s basically an Astell&Kern AK120ii but cheaper and lighter. Lieven made a comprehensive review of this player and said :
“Even though the Fiio M7 isn’t the typical audiophile DAP, I have really enjoyed using it to get to work and back home. Yes, it’s a “back to basics” device but it comes with an FM Radio, looks great and most important of all, it sounds more than just good. I’m pretty sure a normal consumers will be blown away with its performance, both in usability as well as with its sound.”
If it’s cheaper than the M9, it’s more expensive than the M6 without the benefits. There is no wifi connection, no streaming support and the only plus is the FM Radio embedded (and design). So yeah, it’s an odd player.
FiiO M9
I reviewed the FiiO M9 a while ago. Spoiler alert : I really liked it. It’s a great piece of hardware, combining all the good ideas from the previous generation with a better UI experience. Up to this date, it’s FiiO’s best model in the new M range.
What I said in the review? “Access to third party-apps and Bluetooth duplex alone, make it a top choice for me. For 299€, it’s simply the most versatile audiophile player you could get at the moment. The perfect blend of audiophile prowess, compact design, and Swiss-knife capabilities. Get this and a Q5, you’ll be fully equipped for years.”
And now, here comes the new big brother, the FiiO M11. Available for only $450USD.
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Erick Osmanto
Hi nice review, can you give detail impressions for the S8F with fiio M11?
PCiez
Copy and paste works when you replace M9 with M11 ????
Sergei Lokhmachev
Interesting and very detailed review, but what about the comparison?
Can you compare it with Cayin N5iiS, Onkyo DP-S1 or HiBy R6 in terms of a sound?
Kevin Glimmersten
I bought the M11.
I was extremely disappointed with its sound performance. The soundstage is ANYTHING but massive, and the bass is thin and not dense at all.
Its a boring, analytical presentation.
Alessandro
È meglio di AK SR15? Sono indeciso tra questo e Cowon PL, cosa mi consigliate? Grazie
Kayla
Hi!
Being that you noted this is a worthy albeit not “the best” DAP – I’m wondering what you’d recommend to someone whom has a budget of around $1000 and is strictly concerned with sound quality? I’ve heard the soundstage on the M11 leaves much to be desired, so this is a definite detractor for me.
Thanks!
Timmy
Just tell it like it is Headphonia, this player according to a lot of people sounds like crap.
Scotosan
Are you people shills/trolls The soundstage IS big and the sound while neutralish isn’t boring by any means. Kayla, who says the soundstage leaves a lot to be desired? Kevin Glimmerson on these comments? Can you link any of these reports of the soundstage leaving a lot to be desired?
The bass goes deep and isn’t thin by any means, I switched to neutron from fiio to get a little LESS bass.
Look this thing sounds like an sp1000 or wm1a for 500 bucks.
If you’re not messing around or putting out some fiio anti, I’d go see an audiologist stat for a hearing test.
nik from moscow
> Is it better than the FiiO X7 Mark II ? Sorry… but yes !
No, it’s not.
I just bought the X7 MK2 the other day, and M11 was in the test-listen list. It is comparable with X7, at best. You also mention M9 to be… ok, sorta? Dude, my LG smartphone sounds cleaner than the M9!
The only thing i remember about M11 is how crazily loud it is. Then i stuck in the final selection between DX150 and X7, because although X7 gives clearly more detail, the DX150 sounded kinda… more interesting.
Until i realized, it’s just about EQing. Use a little eq on your X7, and you get the same flavour of DX150, with the detail of X7. I bet, it goes the same with mimicking M11.
Isaac Tan
Hello! Just wondering if I intend to use an external DAC (Chord Mojo) to pair with my M11, should I use the USB-C or coaxial to connect my M11 to the mojo!