Keeping in mind that I am really new to portable listening, I want to say how thrilled I am with the FiiO M11. And thank you for all for the opinions and advice. To date, I've now owned a Fiio M9, A&K SR15, and a A&K SP1000M. All within a 6-month period and overlapping between some. I like the M11 better than all of them, including the hefty jump up to the SP. (Actually, that jump may be the cause for some of that enjoyment).
The ease of installing both music and apps, the UI, and of course the musicality of the M11 over the past two weeks has made me smile. With its SPDIF, 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm outputs and ability to add two SD cards allowing up to 4TB of files. Need to install a white listed app? Chrome was the only app I needed to manually download to the SD card. Once you have Chrome, search for the APK and install it directly to the device. A great example is Audible. 3-5 minutes later and I'm listing to my audiobooks on it. Battery life is better than the M9. I was the 2nd owner of both A&K units, so when I say the M11 was better, take it with a grain of salt because I don't know how the AKs were treated.
It is not without flaws though. I haven't experienced any issues using both SD slots simultaneously, but there are many reports of others having issues. The lack of a remote app (the Fiio Control app never connects to my phone and wasn't designed to, despite the app description) prevents me from using this as a source for my home system and that is a huge bummer. The SP1000M feels better in my hands. They are close in size, but the form factor of the M11 is a bit clunkier with sharper edges. The M9 is way more portable, but that means the screen was more difficult to use. Also, I haven't been attracted to any cases I've seen for the M11. It comes with a silicone case which I'm sure will protect it to a degree, but it is uncomfortable to hold and use. Finally, the volume dial is 120 steps and a bit insensitive for my liking.
I haven't gone into the sound quality in this post. The dual DAC balanced output driving Meze Ria Penta's really shine. IMO, every bit as detailed as the A&K units, and much better than the M9. Budget friendly KZ ZS10s made all units sound the same. I feel the soundstage of the SP1000M was better driving open ear AKG 701s, but not $2000 better.
For the $400 price on Amazon, this DAP makes me smile.
The ease of installing both music and apps, the UI, and of course the musicality of the M11 over the past two weeks has made me smile. With its SPDIF, 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm outputs and ability to add two SD cards allowing up to 4TB of files. Need to install a white listed app? Chrome was the only app I needed to manually download to the SD card. Once you have Chrome, search for the APK and install it directly to the device. A great example is Audible. 3-5 minutes later and I'm listing to my audiobooks on it. Battery life is better than the M9. I was the 2nd owner of both A&K units, so when I say the M11 was better, take it with a grain of salt because I don't know how the AKs were treated.
It is not without flaws though. I haven't experienced any issues using both SD slots simultaneously, but there are many reports of others having issues. The lack of a remote app (the Fiio Control app never connects to my phone and wasn't designed to, despite the app description) prevents me from using this as a source for my home system and that is a huge bummer. The SP1000M feels better in my hands. They are close in size, but the form factor of the M11 is a bit clunkier with sharper edges. The M9 is way more portable, but that means the screen was more difficult to use. Also, I haven't been attracted to any cases I've seen for the M11. It comes with a silicone case which I'm sure will protect it to a degree, but it is uncomfortable to hold and use. Finally, the volume dial is 120 steps and a bit insensitive for my liking.
I haven't gone into the sound quality in this post. The dual DAC balanced output driving Meze Ria Penta's really shine. IMO, every bit as detailed as the A&K units, and much better than the M9. Budget friendly KZ ZS10s made all units sound the same. I feel the soundstage of the SP1000M was better driving open ear AKG 701s, but not $2000 better.
For the $400 price on Amazon, this DAP makes me smile.
Last edited:
