Smart DAP and powerhouse.
PROS: Lots of power, big screen, responsive UI, looks, build quality, both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced out, Android versatility.
CONS: No Google Play store support, reduced speed of SD card slot 1.
Disclaimer.
I would like to thank FiiO for providing me with the M11 in exchange for my honest opinion. No incentive was given for a favorable review.
M11 Specifications at a glance:
- Screen: 5.15″, 18:9, 720p
- Dimensions: 130 x 70 x 16mm
- Weight: 223g
- Memory: 25GB internal (of 32GB ROM), dual micro-SD card slots
- Dual band 2.4/5G WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.2 (LDAC/aptX/aptX HD/SBC)
- OS: Custom Android 7.0
- CPU: Samsung Exynos 7872
- DAC: 2 x AK4493EQ
- Amp: 2 x OPA926
- Low-pass filter: 2 x OPA1642
- Decoding: PCM up to 32bit/384kHz, native DSD256
- Battery: 3800 mAh, fully charged in 2.5 hour
- Playback: 13 hours (SE, ‘all to DSD’ disabled)
- Output 3.5mm: 255mW(16Ω)/195mW(32Ω)/22mW(300Ω)
- Output 2.5/4.4mm: 480mW(16Ω)/550mW(32Ω)/88.5mW(300Ω)
- Output impedance: 1Ω (3.5mm), 2Ω (2.5/4.4mm)
- SNR: 118 dB (3.5mm), 118 dB (2.5/4.4mm)
- Channel separation: 72dB (1kHz/32Ω/3.5mm), 107dB (1kHz/32Ω/2.5-4.4mm)
- Price: US$449.99
Links:
Available for Sale on Amazon and other retailers.
Preamble.
As I mentioned in my review of the FH7 and LC-2.5D, FiiO announced 7 new products on one day back in March during its 2019 Spring Launch Event held in Guangzhou, China. One of those new products was the M11, FiiO’s first Android-based “smart DAP”, and before moving on to the M11 proper it might be useful to consider what FiiO has been doing in terms of the nomenclature that they have been using. I think that, like me, a lot of people have grown used to FiiO’s players having the ‘X’-name like the very popular X3 and X5 models that came in different iterations over the years. Recently FiiO switched to giving their players a name starting with ‘M’, such as the M6 and M9. I naturally assumed that because 9 was higher than 7, the M9 was the replacement for the X7-II, but that did not make sense based on the price and the specs. So I looked around and found that FiiO had deliberately switched from X to M because the newer models were not directly comparable to the previous lines. So we say goodbye to the venerable X1, X3, X5 and X7, and welcome the new M-line where the models up to the M9 can be seen as hors d’oeuvres to the launch of the M11 and later this year two or three more high-end models.
The M11 really does show that FiiO is looking in a new direction, as it runs a custom Android 7.0 OS that provides a very different experience from the straightforward Digital Audio Players (DAPs) of the past. That was also the main reason I was really looking forward to reviewing the M11 because I have absolutely no affinity with Android and wanted to see if it could open up new ways for me to enjoy my music and how I use my DAP in general. Sure I have an Android phone, but people who know me also know that my number is confidential information and I try actively to avoid using it whenever I can. My most used apps are Solitaire and the local council’s garbage collection app. So my challenge to FiiO was simple… See if the M11 could drag my analogue backside into the digital age.
Unboxing.
The unboxing experience is a fairly standard affair that still works very well. You remove the sleeve from the classy black box and as you open it up your new prize possession is revealed: There, seated snugly in black foam, sits the M11. (I removed the plastic and protective foil for the pictures. Nobody likes to see plastic in pictures.) Underneath the M11 was another layer with a box containing the SD card slot poky-thingamajig and a couple of booklets, and another small box with the USB charger cable and a coaxial adapter cable. That was pretty much it. A very simple selection of accessories and I am not sure what else I would expect here.
The M11 does come with a clear TPU protective case and (already pre-installed) a 7H tempered glass screen protector. The case I removed immediately because I did not like it one bit and the M11 is just too pretty to cover with something like that. Still, I imagine that there are plenty of people who will appreciate the added protection to keep their M11 in pristine condition. The screen protector is great and you don’t really notice that it is there.
Design and build quality.
As I indicated above, I think the M11 looks really pretty. It is a sleek yet angular design that looks nice and clean, and feels great when holding it. The M11 is still a substantial DAP and I think that is a very good choice considering that it is meant to function as an Android-based smart DAP. The 5.15″ screen is nice and big, making it easy to use for everything that the M11’s custom Android OS can deliver (more on that later). Along the outside, starting on the top, there is a single on/off button with a blue LED ring around it. The button can be pushed a single time for the screen to come on or switch off and if held it will switch the device on or off. On the left side there is a play/pause button, a volume wheel and a back/forward rocker button. The volume wheel feels great and is positioned in such a way that it can’t be turned by accident and yet is still easy to use.
On the right side there are two micro SD card slots neatly hidden away. FiiO have included a tool that you can use to pop out the cardholders and theoretically you could add two 2TB cards here to expand the memory by 4TB in total. However, FiiO have acknowledged that there are some issues with high speed, high capacity cards. In particular the Lexar 512GB micro SD card has proven problematic and as a solution FiiO have slowed down the speed of slot 1 (the top one) and recommended for single card users to use slot 2 (the bottom one) as their primary. From what I understand FiiO are considering removing one slot from future batches of the M11.
Finally, on the bottom we find something that is quite notable. Alongside the central USB port there are not two, but three headphone outs. One 3.5mm Single Ended on the right side and on the left can be found the lovely chunky 4.4mm balanced out with a tiny 2.5mm balanced out alongside. My first reaction was to consider it overkill, but it is pretty handy nonetheless considering there is still no industry standard and it does not look like it will happen anytime soon either. Now I was able to use the Dita Fealty with the 4.4mm plug attached and that did feel like a much more solid connector. So credit where it is due, good job FiiO!
Under the Hood.
A feature that FiiO has been keen to point out is that the M11 has been built around the Samsung Exynos 7872 CPU. This is a six-core processor that has a separate core for audio and so… I am not even going to pretend I know what it all means, as I am not a phone geek and enjoy this hobby for the music rather than the technical aspects. One thing is for sure, performance-wise this CPU works very well and it gives the M11 a really smooth and fast interface that feels no different from my Sony XA2 phone. Start-up times are quick (a few seconds) and everything runs without any noticeable delays. The scanning of music is a little on the slow side when using the FiiO Music app, but that is due to the app itself, as the Hiby Music app is much faster.
For the DAC FiiO went with dual AK4493EQ DACs, such as also used by Shanling in their M5s and so there is nothing too special there, however, looking at the power output of the M11 is a different story. The specs as FiiO gives them on their website are very decent for the 3.5mm SE out: 255mW, at 16Ω, 195mW at 32Ω and 22mW at 300Ω. But for balanced it is really impressively powerful with 480mW at 16Ω, 550mW at 32Ω (not sure if those numbers might have to be the other way around, but that is how FiiO has it on their website) and 88.5mW at 300Ω. That is a lot of power and FiiO do indeed include 300Ω headphones in their recommended range for the balanced out (max 150Ω for the SE out). I don’t have 300Ω full sized headphones, but when I asked around some people responded that they were quite happy to drive their HD800 from the M11 and felt the result was acceptable. That adds a lot of versatility, as it means the M11 should be more than adequate for a wide range of headphones.
When in use, the M11 can get a little warm, especially on high gain and when ‘All to DSD’ is enabled, but it is nothing to worry about. FiiO have explained this is normal and within acceptable limits for the player. I also never found the player to get hot. (I mention this because I saw some comments where people were a little worried about it. No need. It is all good.)
Twister6 Reviews 
Hi. Thanks for your reviews. Can you please compare m11 vs x5 iii in sound quality?
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Sorry, I don’t have the X5III to compare it with.
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Hi. May I know how does M11 compare sonically with Cayin N5iis or N5ii?
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I don’t have those myself either, but I will send the M11 over to Alex (Twister6) soon and then he might be able to help out with comparisons.
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I have both and I don’t hear much difference between them in terms of sound quality. I would suggest that the M11 is an updated version. The display is larger as is the storage micro SD, The SD card capacity is 2 x 2TB. However there is at least one problem when deleting songs. The tune is deleted but the on screen display still shows that it is there. This causes a problem when on ‘shuffle’ mode. If it happens to select the deleted tune title then is shows ‘file not found’ and stops playing. The only cure for that is to connect the player to a computer and delete it in the usual manner.
Having said that I still prefer the M11 but would love it more if I could discover how to get avi. files to run.
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Have you tried sideloading VLC, that should sort out your avi problems. I have yet to pick up the M11 but I am familiar with android and vlc works great for me.
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Hello, thanks for your informative and comprehensive review.
Were you able to side load either the BBC Sounds or iPlayer apps?
Also, were you able to install TuneIn or any other radio apps?
Regards, Ian
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I just went ahead and tried to install BBC Sounds and iPlayer Radio, which went fine and both seem to work smoothly. If you go to “Applications” it will open up the FiiO Market from where you can install APKPure, which has a number of radio apps such as iPlayer Radio. BBC Sounds I got by using the Chrome browser and downloading from apkmonk. Hope this helps!
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Great that the BBC Sounds app works as this and Tidal are essential for me. I was one that was very disappointed about the lack of Play Store support and ended up getting the X5iii because of it. However, now I realise it is actually quite nice not to be signed in to Google as it seems to get ever more pervasive. In it’s place it is very useful but somehow it just feels better to be ‘off grid” when using this DAP. I really don’t need emails and numerous other notifications arriving when I am lost in a Dylan masterpiece and I have a feeling that even if we get upgraded to a customised Pie which will have the Play Store I will disable most of it !
Also fully agree about ES explorer. First thing I did was put something decent on – the only problem is that I have not found one single Explorer in Android that ticks all the boxes despite having tried many – any suggestions welcome 🙂
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I know what you mean and agree that there is an advantage to not being connected to the Play Store all the time, it gives a feeling of being more in control yourself.
I don’t have an alternative for ES Explorer. I left it on there because of the review (to show accurately what you get with the M11) and have not yet got around to replacing it.
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I switched from ES Explorer to Solid Explorer and find Solid Explorer to be an improvement, Solid Explorer has some odd behaviors that need to be learned, SMB shares require some non-intuitive clicks on icons that appear disabled (but aren’t), My Chromebook requires double-clicks rather than double-touches. Lastly, the paid version must authenticate each time launched. If you don’t have internet, Solid Explorer won’t run.
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Thank you for a thoughtful review. I have been using the M11 for about a month with a 400 GB SanDisk in slot 1 and a 512 GB Samsung in slot 2. I have about 25000 songs in lossless format with room for 10000 more. I hope that Fiio does not remove or disable the second slot as I love having my entire digital collection mounted. I have had no problems with performance. I would be curious if you are your followers have been able to get Neutron or Poweramp licensed on the device. I have already bought both apps on the Play store. I have seen threads on validating Neutron but they involve changing settings in your Google account which I am loathe to try.
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Thanks! I have not come across an update from FiiO concerning the card slots. They were talking about future batches possibly loosing one slot, but I agree that the M11 seems to work fine with both slots (I have used each). I have seen a few people use Neutron and Poweramp, but I do not know if they changed the settings in their Google account. Unfortunately I can’t help you with that myself.
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Hi!
Thank you for this review. As intrigued by the M11 as I am, I’m wondering what you would recommend to someone who is looking to solely stream (mostly offline) and actually prefers to *not* have all the bells & whistles? I do need to drive 300ohm headphones, though..are there older versions of DAP’s that, from your knowledge, would fulfill this requirement?
Thank you so much!
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I will let Erik to chime in since it’s his review, but I couldn’t help myself and wanted to mention that I don’t think you will find anything cheaper or better for streaming even without bells’n’whistles.
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I agree with Alex, the M11 is a really nice DAP to use even if you ignore all the bells and whistles. It offers a lot of power, good sound quality and the user interface is very smooth and responsive. You also get a lot of options to connect for streaming online and (at least for now) you still get two micro SD card slots for lots of storage. Like I said in the review, it is a value for money DAP and I don’t really know any alternatives without going a step up in price.
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Is it possible to load videos onto the M11? I have ripped several films and tried to load them but without success. If it is possible which format will work please?
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I have not tried loading movies, but YouTube did work through the Chrome browser (the YouTube app did not), so it works for video. Do you have a movie app installed to play your files? Natively the M11 won’t do that because it does not have an app for it pre-installed.
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Hey, great review, appreciate you taking the time to answer the follow up questions. Any thoughts on the M11 vs X7 Mkii?
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I don’t have the X7 mkII, but the M11 is now with Alex and maybe he can say more about it.
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Thanks for your review. I have been using FiiO M11 as a replacement for my iPods. Music transfer worked well. For several reasons I am unhappy with the FiiO Music App and I am looking for an app with a more userfriedly interface. I have been using Rocket Player from JRT Studio on my phone for years and also installed it on the M11. Unfortunately, there is no BT- or WiFi connection between the 2 devices in this software. Anything you can recommend?
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Sorry, I am not familiar with Rocket Player and don’t have the M11 at hand at the moment to try it out.
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Read your review on the Westone ES80 and now I m wondering if these could replace my etymotic err as my daily more comfortable driver and first CIEM. What do you think? Any other CIEM you consider to be good replacement as a more comfy Etymotic (SQ detail, nice vocals) meets Campfire Andromeda (soundstage and holographic presentation) sound or should I be good with the Westone ES80?
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Would have been a better idea to post this question after ES80 review 😉 I do enjoy ES80 tuning a lot, and the only reason I don’t use these ciems as often because I prefer universal design. Sorry, I’m not familiar with Ety sound, thus can’t compare, but you will not be disappointed with ES80.
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Thanks again for your great reviews. now that you reviewed iBasso dx160, could you compare it with fiio M11? The only thing that matters for me is sound quality.
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https://twister6.com/2019/11/06/ibasso-dx160/6/ it was already compared in dx160 review. Maybe you missed it?
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Yes. After i posted my comment i remembered. Sorry 🙂
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Bonjour, je voudrais savoir si la société Fiio a réglé le problème du Fiio m11 qui chauffe énormément. Merci
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Sorry, I am not aware of any problems with heat in the M11. It can get a little warm, but like I said in the review, it is nothing to worry about. It does not get especially hot.
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