(3) Portable Music Player
First, let's talk about FIIO's perspective on the portable music player industry.
It is undeniable that after a decade of rapid development, the relevant technology of portable players has matured, including configuration, performance, specifications, etc. For example, support for sampling rates beyond 384K/32B and DSD256 may not be significant for audiophiles. Truly native recordings with such high specifications are rare (some ultra-high specifications found online are likely artificially upsampled). Considering the availability of high-quality lossless audio sources from legitimate channels like Apple Music, a specification of 192K/24B or DSD128 is sufficient.
In terms of performance, high-end players like the FIIO M17 already utilize two ESS flagship DAC chips. The 8-channel ESS9038PRO DAC commonly used in desktop devices comes with an output power of 3000mW+3000mW and comprehensive interfaces. These devices lack only standard optical and RJ45 network ports.
The only aspect that might be considered insufficient is the main control. However, for an audio player, the M17's 660 processor is powerful enough to handle major streaming apps' operation for the next few years. The operating system will be upgraded to Android 12.0 this year.
Therefore, similar to smartphones, the upgrade cycle for audiophiles has been significantly extended due to the lack of stimulation from new technologies and features.
What is more, low-end players are facing challenges from TWS, USB dongles for mobile phones, and Bluetooth portable DAC/Amps, leading to a noticeable market decline.
Hence, two years ago, FIIO began redirecting research and development resources to expand into other categories, such as desktop streaming all-in-one units like the R7 and R9.
Regarding the future, I personally believe that high-end portable players may eventually get rid of the Android system. The demand for streaming playback may be achieved through other ways, such as transmitting music to the player from a phone via lossless Bluetooth/WiFi. After all, the upper limit for streaming music specifications is 192K/24B. Even if it doesn't reach 192K/24B, achieving 44.1K/16B is sufficient for the majority of audiophiles, and this can be easily achieved with aptX Lossless or NearLink technology.
Here is the launch plan for FIIO's new portable music players in 2024.
1. M27
As FIIO's flagship model at the end of 2021, the M17 has been around for over two years. FIIO plans to replace it with the M27 at the end of 2024. It will continue to be the flagship model in FIIO's portable player product line.
The M17 remains an outstanding player, equipped with powerful desktop mode output and features two flagship DAC chips from ESS, four THX 788+ power amplifiers, complete inputs and outputs of 6.3/4.4/3.5/2.5/coaxial/external power ports/2 Type-C ports, and a currently the highest-performance Qualcomm 660 chip.
It boasts a complete range of standard interfaces. We will continue to enhance the M17 in terms of functionality, performance, and user experience, providing top-notch hardware configuration, and making it an undisputed flagship model among Android intelligent portable music players.
However, it's challenging for the M27 to bring about significant innovations or improvements in appearance design, functionality, and performance, as the M17 did.
So, if you need a flagship player with sufficient performance, powerful output power, complete interfaces, and a satisfying experience, the M17 is enough. Especially when it's on sale, the price is quite competitive.
2. M23
We adjusted our product naming rules last year, so you may not be very clear about the positioning of the M23. This model, positioned between the X7-X7II-M11PRO-M11PLUS-M23, is likely the fifth generation and is a mainstay model in our mid-to-high-end portable player lineup.
We plan to launch the M23 in the spring of 2024. There won't be significant differences in appearance compared to the M11 Plus, but there will be some functional upgrades with an appropriate DAC.
3. M21
The M21 is the successor to the M11S, where the “2” in the model represents an upgrade from the first “1” in the M11, and the second “1” indicates the M21 is an entry-level model in FIIO's Android portable player lineup.
The planned release is also in late 2024, and the differences from the M11S will mainly involve changing the DAC and popularizing some existing features (such as the desktop mode).
So, by the end of the year, FIIO's Android portable player product line will consist of M21-M23-M15S-M27.
As for the pure music player that some users have suggested, based on our current research, there is a significant difference in opinions between domestic and foreign users. Especially for foreign users, since most of their audio sources come from streaming apps like TIDAL, SPOTIFY, and Apple Music, before solving the technical problem of pure music players when playing streaming music, we won't consider making it.
