[Hawaiibadboy]

No doubt there’ll be a root-level hack soon enough that allows you to install a hacked version of Google Play, but none of this will be Kosher.

Fascinating isn't it?
Talk about sharing music files and you get warned about "warez" Makes sense.
Company makes a device with no Google play but conveniently,in public firmwarez are offered in thread quickly to take care of that. Nobody ever tags a company and asks...Um.... why they didn't do that? And if it is related to certification/authorization (what else would it be..G.P is free) how is an issue called by some on internet piracy (usually about phones) not ever called out on here?
Why I gotta get a flash tool and why they allow that hack to be posted in official item threads?

It's lame. It's grey area stuff and nobody talks about it.

**gets idea for a video**


/OT

Love the hell outta M11 this is about the automatic process of going around authorization

 

[gLer]

Fascinating isn't it?
Talk about sharing music files and you get warned about "warez" Makes sense.
Company makes a device with no Google play but conveniently,in public firmwarez are offered in thread quickly to take care of that. Nobody ever tags a company and asks...Um.... why they didn't do that? And if it is related to certification/authorization (what else would it be..G.P is free) how is an issue called by some on internet piracy (usually about phones) not ever called out on here?
Why I gotta get a flash tool and why they allow that hack to be posted in official item threads?

It's lame. It's grey area stuff and nobody talks about it.

**gets idea for a video**


/OT

Love the hell outta M11 this is about the automatic process of going around authorization

All good questions. I guess because the "hacks" are being done on a freeware/open source OS with freeware/open source tools, to install freeware/open source software. It does get grey when you start talking about hacking "paid" apps, and I don't think you'll find anyone openly talking about "that stuff" on this forum, and rightly so!

The fact that rooting an open source Android device should also be deterrent enough for most, but then it's very similar to modding headphones/amps/dacs...there's an entire subculture of people that buy stuff just to see how far they can mod/push it. As for not discussing the same on phones, I guess daps are a much smaller 'niche' market. FiiO themselves suggested that Samsung considers them too small to worry about building Google 9.0 support for the Exynos chipset - entirely possible but not profitable enough for Samsung. Daps, according to FiiO, are a drop in the ocean compared to phones.

Good idea for a video - look forward to seeing it.

/OT

I personally love the M11 as-is, and have no reason to mod it/root it, nor would I want to. It does what it needs to do better than most devices out there with software that's freely (or cheaply) available.

 

[mattg3]

Anyone know how to delete entire cd from fiio music on M11? I know how to do it for songs but cant find how to delete a whole cd at once. Thanks

 

[Jujoe]

When navigating the FiiO menu go into folders and delete the folder.

Hope this helps.

Juj

 

[cleg]

Actually I think that’s a fair assessment of some (not all) of your review

I can't agree with you here, so thank you for writing a detailed answer and allowing me to explain my point of view, I suppose it'll be useful (at least if I'll manage to do that with a limited level of English )

I’m not sure why you won’t entertain comparing the M11 to the iBasso DX220, which at $900 is only $100 more expensive than the R6 Pro and $200 more expensive than the SR15, both of which you’re happy to compare to the M11 and in fact criticize compared to the M11

Sidenote: English version of the review is a translation of the Russian one, and the Russian version is based on my experience with the local community.
So, actually, I'd be happy to not compare SR15 and R6Pro with M11, as for me (it's a bit subjective, but audio is totally individual anyway, the main thing IMHO is to distinguish "I don't like" and "it's bad") both SR15 and R6Pro aren't neutral DAPs, and it's not much sense in comparing colored DAPs with neutral ones. Of course, one can compare anything, but you know, if I want A&K signature coloration, I'll go for SR15, if I want a bit warmer signature, then R6Pro is my choice. But in general I think it's more logical to get neutral DAP and "tweak" sound with headphones, but that's an offtopic.
Anyway, if I'd skip comparisons with SR15 and R6Pro, I'll be asked about them (SR15 is widespread, and R6Pro recently appeared at local distributors, so interest is high), so I've included them in comparisons.

Moving back to M11 vs. DX220. First of all, let's make it clear. I didn't say "it's better because it's more expensive," it's taken out of context. There is a rhetorical method called "straw man" when you attributing to your opponent a stupid point of view and then refute it. That's what was used in this case.
Believe it or not, I'm not an idiot nor biassed in any aspect. Moreover, I'm a huge, huge, huge FiiO fan, so I would be more than happy to say that M11 beats DX220, but unfortunately, it's not happened. DX220 is better, especially on the treble, but not limited to that. But it doesn't make M11 worse, and it's a great, superb, outstanding DAP. And if we took price/ratio as a criterion, M11 will win, because of the price (I'm speaking about sound only, about UX I'll write a bit later). It's similar to SP1000, it's a winner in absolute comparison, but it will lose in price/quality.
Once again, DX220 sounds better, but it's not a huge difference or deal breaker for those who want to get M11.
Moreover, it's only my opinion, and I think everyone has a right to have an opinion. I often not agree with other views, but attacking an opponent for his opinion, it's a chap deed. I'm not speaking about a constructive discussion politely.
As for money mentioned, I meant that for me it's not surprising that DX220 sounds better, as it cost two times more, and that allowed iBasso to implement advanced schematic solutions that gave a better sound. From another point of view, I take off my hat to the FiiO engineers, as they've worked for a tighter budget and still managed to achieve great results. Did I praise M11 well enough?

That's pretty much it; I suppose my explanation will allow seeing the whole picture.

If the M11 comes very close to the DX220 sound (which it does) and matches or beats the DX220 in speed and UI (which it does) then I see no problem comparing the two, especially since the DX220 costs TWICE as much as the M11. That means for half the price you might (just might) sacrifice a few percentage points in treble and bass extension but get a faster, more fluid dap.

I agree with you. But I can't say that "I can't hear any difference between these two DAPs" or "difference is dismissively small," as it's not what I hear
At the same time, once again I must say that difference isn't huge, of course. But my task as a reviewer is to share my experience, and not convince the audience towards one or another decision. At least that's what I'm trying to do. And I think that reviews like "go, get this one" or "that's the true king" aren't honest (but that's my subjective preference)

Also, you can’t just say ‘ignore the UI and speed’ when comparing the M11 to the likes of the DX150, because UI and speed are very much integral to the experience and value of a dap

Well, I think I can do that Because in the above review I've written that M11 is the fastest Android DAP I've tested. I think it's enough for the reader to make conclusions, and if I'd write "M11 is faster and more fluid" in every single DAP comparison, it would make comparisons bloated.
So I didn't say "disregard the difference," I meant that "I'll ignore that and won't write it once again."

Nowhere in your review (and this isn’t just you - most reviewers do this) do you mention the IEM/headphone has a MUCH MUCH more significant impact on actual sound quality than the dap

Thank you for raising this question. That fact is, actually taken for granted, as it's pretty apparent Maybe it's not evident for a novice in audio, but repeating basic facts in every single review won't make it better I think.
Like you know, in wine reviews I'm reading sometimes rarely mentioned that wine should be served at the correct temperature, as it's considered distinct (but it wasn't so for me at the beginning )
So, I'm thinking about some "basic facts" cheat sheet, but not sure if I'll find a proper format for that.

 

[Jujoe]

Ha. God I hope people don't think this. I make as many mistakes as anyone else. Hero worship in hobbies such as this is not a good thing. You end up with people gathering followers then using their status to attack people or companies they don't like, often with distorted facts, or sometimes blatant lies.

I'd hope if I'm wrong about something, that somebody will point it out, regardless of any so-called "status" i have.

Lol was a joke and just my way of saying Thank You for the time and effot you took to rerply to so meany questions.

Juj

 

[cjfreitag]

Has anyone has issues with installing MTP driver and android file transfer on iMac from the M11?. My wireless keyboard and Mouse will loose connections sporadically. When it first happen I could not figure it out and doing a search I found others who used Android file transfer app were having the same issue. Once you delete the app all is okay. Not a big deal since you can just as easily put your card into reader and drag and drop files to the card.

Just lost my connection to keyboard and Mouse a minute ago. Im going to try to keep the Android file transfer App in my trash bin to see if that makes a difference since keeping it in my applications folder is a disaster. Too bad because the app does work fine and I don't have to keep taking the card out of the M11 to add music. Wish there was a fix for this app problem.

I switched long ago to the CommanderOne app. It isn’t free, but always reliable.

 

[zeroselect]

I am surprised that none of the reviewers talk about the comfort of holding the M11. I ended up ordering the leatherette cover because of the sharp corner of this dap and awkwardness holding it in one hand. Hopefully the cover fixes this issue.

Also is there a way to adjust the color temperature of the screen? To me its too much of a cool white (too much blue added).

 

[Jujoe]

I am surprised that none of the reviewers talk about the comfort of holding the M11. I ended up ordering the leatherette cover because of the sharp corner of this dap and awkwardness holding it in one hand. Hopefully the cover fixes this issue.

The corners are a bit pointy defo but I kinda like it just cause it reminds me of getting my first job as a kid in 92 and saving for a walkman and tapes lol

Juj

 

[nlowran]

Yea the case is pointy, I just threw some sticy felt around my case until they start having better ones produced. The SK-M11 looks more decorative then actual protection.

 

[gLer]

So, actually, I'd be happy to not compare SR15 and R6Pro with M11, as for me (it's a bit subjective, but audio is totally individual anyway, the main thing IMHO is to distinguish "I don't like" and "it's bad") both SR15 and R6Pro aren't neutral DAPs, and it's not much sense in comparing colored DAPs with neutral ones. Of course, one can compare anything, but you know, if I want A&K signature coloration, I'll go for SR15, if I want a bit warmer signature, then R6Pro is my choice. But in general I think it's more logical to get neutral DAP and "tweak" sound with headphones, but that's an offtopic.

First of all thanks for your detailed response to my post. This forum should encourage more vigorous and reasonable debate, and I believe this is exactly what we’re doing here. It’s not about personal attacks, and I agree, attacking someone for their opinion is a bit silly - unless they start waving their opinion around as fact (but that’s another matter entirely).

As for the quote above, this is exactly WHY you should be comparing the different daps. Your argument is like saying ‘there’s no point comparing these two cars because one is an SUV and one is a family sedan’. Or ‘today I’m just going to compare white cars’.

As reviewers it’s incumbent on us to highlight the differences as well as similarities between different products so readers can make a more informed choice on what’s right for them. Dap A might cost twice as much as dap B, but dap A has a sound signature (or more emphasis on certain frequencies - with certain headphones) that could make the outlay preferable (or not!) to some people. Or conversely, sound quality might not be the only factor in your buying decision - rather streaming speed, Wi-Fi support and available apps (that’s the reason I personally upgraded to the M11). In which case dap A regardless of price would be better suited than dap B, or vice versa. By refusing to compare daps because of price point or signature you’re imprinting your own bias on the review and essentially choosing for your reader.

And if we took price/ratio as a criterion, M11 will win, because of the price (I'm speaking about sound only, about UX I'll write a bit later). It's similar to SP1000, it's a winner in absolute comparison, but it will lose in price/quality. Once again, DX220 sounds better, but it's not a huge difference or deal breaker for those who want to get M11.

That’s all good and well, but like my argument above, it’s a fair comparison, in the same way that it’s fair to compare the DX220 to the SP1000 to the Cayin N8. You can’t have it both ways - it’s just as likely someone will prefer the DX220 to the SP1000 on the basis of value as they would the M11 to the DX220. Why is it ok to compare headphones that cost multiples of each other (HD800 vs Utopia, for example), but not daps?

You can’t arbitrarily decide to remove value from the equation. In fact I’d argue that value is one of the most important metrics in a review, alongside SQ, sound signature, build quality, UX and speed.

It’s also incorrect (or at least highly subjective) to say that just because something costs more it will sound better - you’d like to think so, but time and again this has been disproven in the hobby (the HD800 and Utopia is a great example again - I know many who think the HD800 is far superior to the Utopia at less than a third of the price). I mean what does “better in the treble” even mean in a hobby where some people - many people - don’t want or like extended treble?

Because in the above review I've written that M11 is the fastest Android DAP I've tested. I think it's enough for the reader to make conclusions, and if I'd write "M11 is faster and more fluid" in every single DAP comparison, it would make comparisons bloated.

Fair enough, you can’t keep repeating it. But at the same time you can’t write it and then dismiss it. For buyers wanting the fastest possible Android dap on the market with excellent SQ as an important but secondary criteria, the M11 is currently top of the list, regardless of price. That’s not a small thing. And when another dap surpasses the M11, which it will, then it’s just as fair to sing that dap’s praises for the same reason, regardless who makes it, especially if it costs less than the M11.

Thank you for raising this question. That fact is, actually taken for granted, as it's pretty apparent Maybe it's not evident for a novice in audio, but repeating basic facts in every single review won't make it better I think.

Aren’t reviews meant to be learning tools for novices? Experienced and technically proficient readers will follow reviews out of interest but ultimately already know enough to make their own informed choices. I think attributing so many sonic qualities to a dap makes it sound like the dap is mostly in control here, where in fact it’s the IEM or headphone that plays a leading role. Nowhere in your review, for example, do you mention that depending on your sound signature preference, the M11 will benefit more from certain IEMs. A highly clinical and resolving IEM could be too much of a good thing when paired with the M11, unless that’s your preference. Whereas a warmer, less detailed IEM could benefit from the M11’s added resolution and balanced tuning. Regardless of how you describe it, that description is important.

When it comes to your song list and notes, which IEMs or headphones did you use to make them? You list a range of different headphones in your intro, all of which sound different to each other, so surely you can’t have universal descriptions for how the M11 sounds with certain tracks?

This is where we differ in our approach, I guess, but that’s also ok. If you’re happy to say “this is only my opinion” that’s fine, but I think as a reviewer you bear a certain responsibility. For me that means comparing to other products both cheaper and more expensive, and being very clear about what you used to listen to a source because that makes all the difference in how it ultimately sounds.

At the very least, don’t assume that readers know this is just your opinion. Make it clear that, chances are, your conclusions will be different to theirs. Unless you think they should already know that.

PS. All of the above is only my opinion and I say it with full appreciation for your ongoing efforts and entertaining reviews.

 

[Jujoe]

This forum should encourage more vigorous and reasonable debate, and I believe this is exactly what we’re doing here. It’s not about personal attacks, and I agree, attacking someone for their opinion is a bit silly - unless they start waving their opinion around as fact (but that’s another matter entirely).

Eloquent

Juj

 

[zeroselect]

Still waiting on a DMP-Z1 vs M11 review.

 

[Jujoe]

Still waiting on a DMP-Z1 vs M11 review.

MAP (Mixed Audio Player) PPV event on ESPN maybe

Juj

 

[gLer]

Ha. God I hope people don't think this. I make as many mistakes as anyone else. Hero worship in hobbies such as this is not a good thing. You end up with people gathering followers then using their status to attack people or companies they don't like, often with distorted facts, or sometimes blatant lies.

I'd hope if I'm wrong about something, that somebody will point it out, regardless of any so-called "status" i have.

Yeah right, Amos, just now you'll tell us it wasn't you in that suit all along...