[FiiO]

Hey guys, would it be possible to use roon with the Fiio M9? Thinking of incorporating the Fiio M9 to an existing roon based setup.

Dear friend,

Yes, Roon APP is supported in latest firmware now.

Best regards

 

[dharmasteve]

A little tip for those who don't know yet. If you would like to play Spotify from the FiiO M9 to your HiFi. If you have a mobile phone with Spotify and have the FiiO M9 then there is a way to use Spotify to play on your HiFi. It's called Spotify Connect but needs no other software other than Spotify itself. It will work with virtually any HiFi amp or receiver. There is one thing you will need and that is a USB C cable to RCA connectors. Here is a link for the UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DDG95KQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just plug the USB C into your M9 and the RCA ends into your amp making sure red and white are correct. Open Spotify on your M9 and open Spotify on your phone and under devices on Spotify you will find M6 and 'this phone'. Link your phone to the M6 and then you can use your mobile phone as a remote control. Sounds exeptional with Spotify's 320kbps OGG files. Way better than Bluetooth. As far as I know volume will be from the amp. I actually use the FiiO M6 as a remote to the M9 which is connected to my amplifier with the said cable but I have used my Samsung phone too.Then you get all the benefits of Spotify and the great output of the M9 to HiFi. A pretty simple cheap way to have another dimension of music from Spotify and the M9. Both the phone and M9 must be on the same WiFi network.

 

[Sven2015]

@FiiO
Do you have a release date for a new FW for us?

 

[Starlights]

Dear @FiiO

Just wanna ask, which are better in sound quality between X5 3rd Gen, X7 MK II and this M9 ?
I already have the M6, is it worth to be upgrading to one of DAP's above ?

Thank you

 

[LiquidVacuum]

@JamesFiiO Find a bug yesterday. When using M9 as a DAC with Linux (Debian 9) with deadbeef payer (Via ALSA direct output without any conversions, if this information is important), and then pushing pause button on a desktop, after about 10sec M9 hangs to death with looping the last fragment of song like "trrrrrrr", and having no reaction on pushing it's buttons, like power for example. And when I just plug it out of the computer everything becomes fine again in a second.

 

[cleg]

my comparison of all M-series DAPs for those who interested in M6 vs M9

 

[Vampa]

Hi guys. I have seen some colleagues reported some problems with the volume when using the M9 bluetooth output but have not founf any clear solution.

When using the headphone output to some cable iems, volume at 50-60 is enough. However, when doing it via bluetooth to some wireless iems or hugo2, the volume is so low and pure. Tried with some local files of different sizes and with Tidal. Always same problem. Played with the gain and various settings and still the same.

Anyone can please help me?

 

[gLer]

Hi guys. I have seen some colleagues reported some problems with the volume when using the M9 bluetooth output but have not founf any clear solution.

When using the headphone output to some cable iems, volume at 50-60 is enough. However, when doing it via bluetooth to some wireless iems or hugo2, the volume is so low and pure. Tried with some local files of different sizes and with Tidal. Always same problem. Played with the gain and various settings and still the same.

Anyone can please help me?

This is one of several problems we’re still stuck with on the M9. With wired IEMs high gain 40 is plenty. On my car audio system with BT I have to push M9 volume to high gain 90-100 to get respectable volume. Going into developer settings and switching off BT absolute volume makes no difference either. Hope @FiiO can come up with a workable solution.

 

[dharmasteve]

This is one of several problems we’re still stuck with on the M9. With wired IEMs high gain 40 is plenty. On my car audio system with BT I have to push M9 volume to high gain 90-100 to get respectable volume. Going into developer settings and switching off BT absolute volume makes no difference either. Hope @FiiO can come up with a workable solution.

Using a dedicated aptx-hd bluetooth receiver/sink (BluDento HD), at home directly into an amp, the volume is very powerful using the M9 as a transmitter. The volume does go down a bit when using the M9 as a receiver/sink into an amp though, but not significantly. What Bluetooth output are you using?

 

[gLer]

Using a dedicated aptx-hd bluetooth receiver/sink (BluDento HD), at home directly into an amp, the volume is very powerful using the M9 as a transmitter. The volume does go down a bit when using the M9 as a receiver/sink into an amp though, but not significantly. What Bluetooth output are you using?

Using standard BT into my car audio receiver. No aptx or LDAC in the car. My iPhone at half volume sends BT louder to my car stereo than the M9.

I was always under the impression that the receiver controlled the volume output of a BT stream, not the transmitter, but clearly that’s not the case. I was also under the impression a dap like the M9 would have a more powerful BT output than a phone, but again that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I can see the benefit of using a dedicated BT receiver like a BTR3 in the car, but then I wouldn’t need the M9. In any case I’m finding my phone more useful for music on the go in the car, especially with streaming services like Tidal, so I’ve pulled the M9 off car audio duties now.

 

[dharmasteve]

Using standard BT into my car audio receiver. No aptx or LDAC in the car. My iPhone at half volume sends BT louder to my car stereo than the M9.

I was always under the impression that the receiver controlled the volume output of a BT stream, not the transmitter, but clearly that’s not the case. I was also under the impression a dap like the M9 would have a more powerful BT output than a phone, but again that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I can see the benefit of using a dedicated BT receiver like a BTR3 in the car, but then I wouldn’t need the M9. In any case I’m finding my phone more useful for music on the go in the car, especially with streaming services like Tidal, so I’ve pulled the M9 off car audio duties now.

I think my M9 worked OK in my small Hyundai. I will check it in about an hour and come back to you.
Steve

 

[dharmasteve]

This is one of several problems we’re still stuck with on the M9. With wired IEMs high gain 40 is plenty. On my car audio system with BT I have to push M9 volume to high gain 90-100 to get respectable volume. Going into developer settings and switching off BT absolute volume makes no difference either. Hope @FiiO can come up with a workable solution.

Hi gLer

So I connected my M9 to my standard built in Car stereo in my Hyundai. The M9 plays loudly, about the same as my Samsung S9 plus. Volume is controlled by both M9 and car stereo. Probably it's how your car stereo implements the Bluetooth. Maybe try it in another car with built in Bluetooth. The phone is more useful in the car because it takes calls too so I don't use the Fiio M9 in the car.

 

[gLer]

Hi gLer

So I connected my M9 to my standard built in Car stereo in my Hyundai. The M9 plays loudly, about the same as my Samsung S9 plus. Volume is controlled by both M9 and car stereo. Probably it's how your car stereo implements the Bluetooth. Maybe try it in another car with built in Bluetooth. The phone is more useful in the car because it takes calls too so I don't use the Fiio M9 in the car.

Thanks for that Steve. To be clear, the M9 works great in my car (also a small Hyundai). Like you say, volume controlled by both M9 and car. My point is that I have to turn the volume right up on the M9 (compared to IEMs) to get it to a decent volume on the car (without stressing the car’s amp). It’s that big volume difference that surprised me. And I agree, the phone is much more useful in the car because of calls. Ironically if I connect the M9 to the car using line out at the full 2v output, it overwhelms the car’s amp (clips even at low volume).

 

[dharmasteve]

Have been listening to the FiiO M9 and FiiO M6 side by side. Because of Spotify Connect I can plug my IEM's into the M6 listen, stop, plug into the M9 and play from exactly where the song was stopped on the M6. The Spotify's are literally connected. The song I used was Reckoner by Radiohead. Lots of vocal, drum, cymbals and guitar, audibly easy to pick out and separate. Volume of 78 on the M6 was approximately equivalent to 70 (high gain) on the M9. My IEM's are Tin Audio T2s using the 3.5mm jack for both the M6 and M9. To my ears the M9 is more spacious, reproduces cymbals with more air and detail, and has a more open and 3 dimensional soundstage. But maybe that should be expected with twin AKM4490 DACs of the FiiO M9 against the single Sabre ES9018 of the M6. But what the M6 lacks in spaciousness and clarity it makes up for in energy. I have another DAC with a Sabre chip and they sound very similar and energised. Both the M9 and M6 have solid bass but the M9 present highs in more detail and more spaciousness in the track. Then an interesting anomaly. I have a BluDento APTX-HD Bluetooth receiver, to play to HiFi, and I can switch from one to the other, M9 to the M6, as they both connect to the BluDento receiver at the same time. That means I just have to switch from Spotify on one DAP to the other to play through my amp and speakers. Volume is controlled by the DAP. Using the same track to get the same volume, the M6 was 55 against 65 (high gain) on the M9. A strange reversal. The highs of the track sounded a little clearer on the M6 as opposed to the M9. Don't know why. Would be interested if someone else with the M9 and M6 could check this. Our listening experience is so subjective. So using the Bluetooth APTX-HD and HiFi I use the FiiO M6, it does seem to sound a little cleaner. Through my IEMs the M9 matches it's increased price. It sounds better.

 

[gLer]

Then an interesting anomaly. I have a BluDento APTX-HD Bluetooth receiver, to play to HiFi, and I can switch from one to the other, M9 to the M6, as they both connect to the BluDento receiver at the same time. That means I just have to switch from Spotify on one DAP to the other to play through my amp and speakers. Volume is controlled by the DAP. Using the same track to get the same volume, the M6 was 55 against 65 (high gain) on the M9. A strange reversal.

Interesting footnote about the Bluetooth volume. I've been complaining about the M9's BT volume for a while now, and feel it's underpowered compared to other "less powerful" devices - and your comparison with the M6 suggests just that. It's also completely skewed compared to the headphone output, which means after you're done listening to BT at Volume 70, you'd better remember to switch back to 40 for headphones or you'll blow your ears. FiiO needs to take a look at the BT volume level on the M9 and hopefully fix it in firmware.