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II. Objective part
1. In terms of size, the M17 measures approximately 15 x 9 x 3 cm and weighs 610 grams (about 1.2 city pounds). This is certainly quite large and heavy for a Walkman. The NOMAD JUKEBOX generation of CREATIVE, the largest digital Walkman I can remember, was about that size.
If you think of it as a 'desktop' device, the M17 is so portable that we can carry it around in our backpacks and take it out whenever and wherever we want. If you are fit enough and have a large enough pocket, you can even carry it in your pocket on the street.
2. The Fei Ao M17 features dual ES9038PRO decoder chips, THX AAA-788+ upgraded headphones and a built-in battery/linear power supply dual power supply mode. The M17 is a portable desktop player that is different from the previous ones in terms of size, power supply, supporting circuitry and anti-interference space.
3. The M17 is equipped with almost all types of ports and functional expansions. A particularly noteworthy feature is the return of the traditional 6.35 single-ended headphone port, which is commonly used in desktop players, while another equally "retro" design comes from the use of RCAs for the coaxial in/out ports, a port type that is closer to the standard of desktop systems on the market and has a higher rate of accessory sharing. The M17 even comes with two TYPE-C ports, separating the charging and storage functions from the data output functions for better results.
With a 6" HD screen and an open Android system, the M17 gives us easy access to internet music sources and the ability to install and use the applications we need just like a mobile phone.
4. The M17 also comes with a DC power input that can be powered by an external DC power supply and is set up to work in three modes: battery powered, DC power powered and hybrid power. We can clearly feel that the M17 has better sound performance in the external DC power supply mode. The importance of a separate external power supply for a sound system cannot be overstated, something that enthusiasts have experienced first-hand with the NOMAD JUKEBOX III more than a decade ago.
Moreover, the external DC power supply can also be used to recharge the M17's internal battery.
5. The M17 has a total of 12 RGB lights next to the volume knob and on both sides of the body. These lights show the various real-time states of the player in different combinations, colours, brightness and flashing, so that we can know the specifics of the player without having to open the screen.
However, because their combinations are so numerous and complex, it may take some time for the user to become familiar with the linguistic meaning of this breathing light.
6. A cooling dock comes as standard with the original machine, probably because the M17 will generate more heat when it is in operation. However, during normal use, I did not find the M17 in a high-temperature state. In general, the M17 can be used normally when placed on a desktop.
Other accessories include the DC power adapter, various connection cables, the original leather case and the aluminium dust plug. Basically, all the usual accessories needed for the M17 are packaged in the machine and do not need to be purchased separately.
7. For other specifications, parameters and other hardware information, the reader can check in the product description, which is not listed in this article.
Sound
Before we get to the sound section, let's briefly discuss some of the differences between the M17's price range of desktop and Walkman sound.
Firstly, the sound of a desktop is more complete in terms of the general framework and the overall sound is better.
Secondly, the sound of a desktop tends to be more balanced and stable than that of a Walkman, while a Walkman is more personal and expressive.
Thirdly, the desktop has a greater drive capability.
Let's take a look at the sound performance of the M17 with these questions in mind.
1. Quality
In terms of sound content, the M17's performance is excellent. It is able to sort out the complex sound content in an orderly manner, and the various parts of the sound can be expressed accordingly and reasonably according to their own primary and secondary relationships. Not only is it able to express the sound content completely and accurately, but it is also able to express the form, line, sense of colour, temperature, and even hardness and density of the sound in different forms and ways, so that the sound expressed by the M17 is not only realistic and accurate, but also more layered and differentiated. This is something that is difficult to achieve in the Walkman world.
The M17 also has a high level and scale in terms of soundstage and dynamics. The soundstage space is of a very high scale, both for large headphones and earbuds, and the individual instruments can be arranged and positioned with ease within this sound space. At the same time, dynamics are the M17's forte, and its strength and momentum are capable of fulfilling the ambient demands of the music at a very high level. The soundstage and dynamics are particularly impressive when powered by DC power.
We can consider the M17 to be basically at the average basic level of a desktop machine in its class, in terms of both content and field sense.
In terms of sound quality and purity, the M17 also has a good level of quality. The density of the sound, the flexibility of the lines and the transparency of the space are all good, and are at a basic level for a medium-sized desk. However, the M17 has a slightly dryer, more restless sound than other desk units in the same price range, especially split systems, and there is a gap between the M17 and traditional desk units in terms of the need for more detail. At the same time, compared to some discrete earphones in the $10,000 range, the M17 has a fair amount of spatial transparency, but the background is not as "dark". But I don't think this is a huge difference, and in most cases it's not very noticeable.
Listening to the 1812 Overture (choral version) (with headphones from the Uyon PK1 high resistance flat headphones), I clearly felt that in the opening chorus, the M17's vocal flavour was moist and resilient, while the later fiddle showed enough hardness to make the difference directly between the peaceful and silent wilderness scenery and the fleeting war horns create a wonderfully contrasting image in the listener's mind. In the middle of the piece there is an interplay of instrumental music, with the main melody alternating with the variation of the Marseillaise as a sub-melody, complemented by a diatonic fiddle and reeds in the background, which together create a grand war scene. The final part of the artillery is a rare example of a very large sounding junction with sufficient power and intensity.
2. Tuning
The tuning of the M17 is more complex than that of the previous players.
If we look at the overall trend, the sound of the M17 is slightly cooler than the M15, but much warmer than the previous X series. So we can assume that the sound style of the M17 is on the neutral and balanced side, while the M17 is more extended than the M15 on both sides of the frequency spectrum, i.e. the high frequencies are more translucent and the lows are more solid, while in the midrange it is slightly more restrained than the M15, not as dense as the M15.
If we say that the M17 is tuned to accentuate the quality of its performance, we cannot be wrong; but if we say that the M17 is simply a sound that expresses quality, then we are very wrong, and this is what I said earlier about the complexity of the M17's tuning.
On the one hand, the M17 has to highlight its qualities in order to achieve the level of performance required for its positioning as a desktop machine, and to be able to have enough qualities to match other desktop equipment so that it has a wider range of adaptability and sound expansion.
On the other hand, the M17's own tuning flavour is distinctive in that it has enough sound temperature, colour and three-dimensional lines to support its own musical performance, especially in the mid-range temperature and high frequency brightness, making it fully compatible so that we are not torn between the two, while its low-frequency volume is not insignificant and has enough rendering power to create a sense of atmosphere when the music content requires it.
So, I think it might not be realistic to expect the M17's musical flavour to exactly fit that warm, dark vocal sound, because after all, as a desktop-oriented device, the M17 needs to cover and be compatible with a lot of directions, as well as taking into account the needs of a wider and more extensive range of audiophiles and matches.
The song is not complicated, it is basically a combination of piano and vocals, but the simpler it is, the more difficult it is to perform, as the slightest detail is constantly magnified by the senses.
The M17's performance of Ye Qianwen is airy and natural, and sounds comfortable to listen to. Although the M17 is a relatively hard-line front-end, it still possesses enough looseness and softness in the vocal performance. The singer's extremely controlled vocal line is held with great accuracy in the M17's performance, and it is able to possess enough gentleness and looseness to draw out the light smile at the corner of Fat's mouth to the tenderness and helplessness hidden under Liao Fan's cold face with vividness and subtlety.
3. Style
In terms of style, the M17 itself is balanced in its overall style. We can assume that with the right equipment, headphones and cables, the M17 can cover almost all music styles, even some of the more niche ones such as metal rock and ACG type music.
If I were to make a further selection among all genres, I would say that the M17 is the best at classical music and regular pop music, and that other genres also work well with the M17.
If I had to choose the least suitable genre of music, I would choose jazz and blues, the M17's vocal sense is slightly more hard-edged, and for these genres, which require particularly soft lines and large knots, the ambience is a little lacking, and it is not as warm or dark.
4. Thrust
In normal terms, the M17 is capable of driving all earbuds and almost all large headphones on the market today. For the hardest headphones I've tried in my hands, the M17 is able to drive them to a level that I think is normal for headphones. So, I don't think there is much to worry about when it comes to actual headphone pairing, at least not too much about the M17's pushing power.
Especially with a DC power supply on board, the M17's driving ability is particularly good.
Of course, if I were to ask for a higher standard, I used the M17 to compare with the desktop amplifiers I have, and I think the overall sound framework driven by the M17 is basically on a par with that of a gallophone; in terms of the control of some details, it feels a bit stereotypical, not so easy and comfortable, and there is not much rendering, but this may also be a characteristic of the gallophone itself, not necessarily a problem with the M17.
In summary, the M17 has a more obvious desktop character in terms of sound quality, style and even drive. Although we can still see some of the traditional Walkman flavour and philosophy in the M17, the overall framework of its sound is still more oriented towards desktop equipment.
IV. Overall assessment of the sound
I think the M17 is a portable desktop unit that basically has the same level of sound as desktop all-in-one units in its price range.
It should be noted that the M17 has been developed from the beginning with the desktop as the overall design framework and sound standard. Compared to a non-portable all-in-one in the 10,000 RMB range, the M17 does not produce a significant difference in the hard quality of sound.
The M17 has an overall advantage over other Walkmans in the same price range. But as a player designed with the desktop in mind, the M17 has to be comprehensive and accurate in the sound content it needs to cover, so there is not much of a bias presented in terms of sound characteristics.
While the M17 itself has enough musicality and flavour from a music appreciation point of view, its personalised content seems slightly less.
In other words, if you listen to music on the M17, it has enough musicality; if you want to listen to so-called "analogue" or "MSG" flavours on the M17, it is not so obvious.
In terms of pricing, I think the sound level of the M17 is reasonable by desktop standards.
The M17 has the sound framework of a desktop and the size and usability of a Walkman, combining the best of both worlds. For many burners who cannot set up a desktop system, the M17 is an ideal crossover device, while for some burners who already have a desktop system, the M17 is a good addition and complement to a portable capability.
V. Comparative situation
In fact, we can describe or summarise part of the sound of the M17, but I think that for such a new concept of "portable desktop", we should briefly talk about the differences between the M17 and the desktop, portable and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
The main function of the M17 is to act as a "backpacker", allowing us to access the sound of an otherwise immovable desktop in a relatively fixed environment; the other is to use it as a digital player or decoder. The other is to participate in the desktop system as a digital player or decoder, so that the desktop system has a good way of communicating with the portable device.
Therefore, the M17, as a portable desktop unit, is different from a desktop unit and a Walkman, and we should not confuse these concepts.
2. As a portable desktop, the M17 is basically capable of sounding at the overall level of a desktop in the $10,000 range. It even tends to be slightly better in terms of the way it handles sound detail and its ability to control the junction, which is, after all, the strength of the traditional Walkman segment. The main difference between the M17 and the desktop is in the vibrancy and purity of the sound, which I can feel is that the M17's sound is a bit "harder" than that of a $10,000 desktop. The sound of the M17 is a little less vibrant.
3. Compared to traditional Walkmans, the M17 has a clear advantage in terms of hard quality, as well as a significant increase in drive capability. Throughout the history of the digital Walkman, there have only been one or two limited editions that have been able to compete with the M17 in terms of driving power.
The M17 also has enough comprehensiveness in terms of sound integrity. Such tuning is on the one hand for more compatibility with headphones, especially with larger headphones, which has been significantly improved, and on the other hand for adaptability with other desktop devices and cables.
4. Based on the M17's own characteristics, we should still look at this machine more objectively. If we simply use the M17 as a Walkman, I think we can achieve good results, but that is not the full strength and meaning of the M17.
5. I think the M17 is more of a bridge from portable and portable to desktop systems. For many enthusiasts who are "inwardly curled" in the on-the-go world and have no idea what to do with a desktop system, the M17 is a more versatile device that allows us to keep our on-the-go applications while leaving open the possibility of moving on to a desktop system.
The M17's expansiveness on the desktop side comes not only from the quality of its sound, the diversity of its ports and its huge thrust, but also from the designer's different understanding of the sound of desktop systems and on-the-go devices when mixing them, and blending them with each other to make the M17's sound a style and attribute with the combined expansiveness of both.
VI. Starting point
The M17 is part of the M series, and we can say that the M17 follows in the footsteps of many of the M series' predecessors, in terms of design and sound.
The M17 has been labelled as a "portable desktop", which means that for Fei Ao, it also wants to satisfy the growing demand for quality listening and to create a boulevard of HiFi for its fans.
In fact, there is no clear distinction between a Walkman and a desktop. The reason why Fei Ao defines the M17 as a "desktop" is that on the one hand, it shows that the M17 has the level and capability of a desktop; on the other hand, it is a combination of a Walkman and a desktop, so that we can pursue a higher level of HiFi with a portable desktop like the M17.
Perhaps the M17 is the end of the line for many people's portable devices, but I think the M17 should be more of a starting point for on-the-go players to be able to seek the concept and meaning of big headphones and desktop systems on a portable desktop like the M17, and based on the M17 itself, to move further into the broader field of desktop to seek a higher quality HiFi experience.
Translated with
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