Hi-Res player FiiO M21 Black

Hi-Res player FiiO M21 Black

The M21 is a brand-new player that again delivers sound quality in its price range previously found only in much more expensive devices. The player is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor which, combined with Android 13, offers completely smooth operation and an uninterrupted listening experience from the operating system. In terms of the audio circuit, the heart of the device is a quartet of Cirrus Logic CS43198 D/A converter chips with fully separated outputs. These chips are followed by an amplification circuit that has two stages. First, the signal voltage is amplified and then the current is amplified. Thanks to this combination the sound is absolutely clean and free from any possible interference. Output power reaches up to 950 mW at 32 ohms, so the player will have no problem driving even demanding headphones.

Flagship player features

Cheaper players from FiiO always had more limited features. Either it was the operating system, Bluetooth functionality or other aspects. But the M21 brings practically all the features of high-end players, such as Desktop mode. Thanks to it you can use the player as a desktop USB DAC/headphone amplifier without using the device battery. When this mode is enabled the player will be powered via USB and completely bypass battery usage. It also offers an SPDIF digital output for use with an external more powerful amplifier. The digital output is also available via USB. Another major feature is two-way Bluetooth with LDAC support. The M21 also supports fast 20W charging and a 4000 mAh battery that lasts up to 15 hours of music playback (unbalanced output).

Specifications:

• Color: black
• Dimensions: Approximately 68 mm × 121 mm × 17 mm
• Weight: Approximately 193 g
• Processor (SoC): Snapdragon 680
• Operating system: Android 13
• DAC: CS43198 × 4
• Display: 4.7" (750 × 1334), fully laminated
• Battery capacity: 4000 mAh
• Charging: Support for fast charging PD2.0 and PD3.0 PPS
• Battery life: 15 hours with unbalanced output, 12.5 hours with balanced output
• RAM: 4 GB
• Internal storage / available capacity: 64 GB / approximately 52 GB
• Memory card support: MicroSD card, up to 2 TB
• Headphone outputs: Unbalanced 3.5 mm PO/LO/SPDIF and balanced 4.4 mm PO/LO
• USB interface: USB-C USB 3.0 (charging and data transfer) + Type-C POWER IN (power / independent source)

Bluetooth specifications

• Bluetooth version: 5.0
• Supported codecs for transmission: AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC
• Supported codecs for reception: SBC, AAC, LDAC

Headphone outputs

• Output power 1: left + right = 950 mW + 950 mW (32 ohms, THD + N <1 %, balanced, super high gain)
• Output power 2: 185 mW + 185 mW (300 ohms, THD + N <1 %, balanced, super high gain)
• Output power 3: 405 mW + 405 mW (32 ohms, THD + N <1 %, unbalanced, super high gain)
• Output power 4: 45 mW + 45 mW (300 ohms, THD + N <1 %, unbalanced, super high gain)
• Output power 5: 720 mW + 720 mW (32 ohms, THD + N <1 %, balanced, high gain)
• Output power 6: 290 mW + 290 mW (32 ohms, THD + N <1 %, unbalanced, high gain)
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): ≥ 126 dB (A-weighted)
• Background noise: < 1.6 µV (A-weighted)

Evaluation

• FiiO