FiiO M21 Review
Thank you for always watching.
This time, I will be reviewing the
FiiO M21, which went on sale domestically on Friday, June 20th!
Since this is my first DAP review, there may be some shortcomings, but I hope you find it helpful!
♦M21 Specifications
It is equipped with a Snapdragon 680 SoC, which offers high comfort compared to DAPs in all price ranges in recent years. In terms of usage, it feels like a mid-range smartphone from 2-3 years ago, providing a very comfortable experience for DAP use, and it operated more smoothly than DAPs equipped with the Snapdragon 665.
Also, the luxury of having four CS43198 DAC chips at this price point and size really shows FiiO's technical prowess and corporate efforts!
♦Appearance
・Box
・Introduction of tape mode before the reveal?
・Main unit and accessories
♦About Sound Quality
・Sound quality evaluation in portable mode
・Sound quality evaluation in desktop mode
・Sound characteristics
The equipment used for testing is as follows.
Earphones
・acoutune HS1750CU 3.5mm unbalanced
・ACTIVO VOLCANO 3.5mm unbalanced
・THIEAUDIO Oracle MkⅢ 4.4mm balanced
・Hi-Unit Hi-Unit003-pnk 4.4mm balanced
Headphones
・audio-technica ATH-M70x 3.5mm unbalanced
♦Comparison with JM21
・Spec Comparison Table
While the JM21 had a plastic back panel, the M21 features an all-metal chassis, giving it a more premium feel!
Although it is 4mm thicker and 37g heavier as a result, it still feels lightweight and compact.
The DAC chip is the same "CS43198", but it has been upgraded from 2 to 4 chips.
An "OPA1692" has also been added to the amplifier section.
Despite the slight increase in size and weight, the battery capacity is nearly 1.7 times larger, meaning that even though power consumption should increase due to the upgraded specs, the battery life is actually longer!
・Sound Quality Comparison
【JM21】
It has a relatively natural and clear sound, which is very high quality considering its street price of around 30,000 yen. It excels in high-frequency expression and feels a bit top-heavy, with the thickness and richness of the mid-low range and the depth of the bass feeling slightly lacking.
【M21】
While maintaining the natural and clear sound, the bass now reaches deeper, providing a solid sense of stability. I also feel that the soundstage has widened slightly. I was moved by the fact that this device, priced in the 50,000 yen range, offers sound quality that approaches that of DAPs costing over 100,000 yen.
Needless to say, both models offer excellent cost performance, but when considering the price-to-sound quality ratio, I felt that the M21 offers even better value.
♦Conclusion
Although it feels a bit strange to call a DAP in the 50,000 yen range an "entry-level" model, in these times where even 70,000 yen devices are sometimes introduced as "entry-level," this unit falls into the "low-high" price bracket within the overall DAP market.
For beginners, it provides a high level of satisfaction, and it is crafted with quality that allows you to fully appreciate the difference even if you start focusing on other elements like earphones, headphones, or recabling. With no compromises in the SoC or memory specs, I feel it is a device you can use and love for a long time.
It feels like FiiO has once again broken through the barriers of entry-level DAPs!
Also, for those who usually use high-end, large-scale DAPs or multi-stage systems,
I feel this would be highly satisfying as a sub-device to carry around easily or to use in a car.
Not only as a DAP, but it can also be used in desktop mode at home, etc.,
it satisfies the desire for ownership with its premium appearance, and the operation is snappy and flawless, making it a truly satisfying product.
It was a wonderful product that makes me feel like more people will fall into the audio rabbit hole after purchasing this!
I would be very encouraged if you could like, comment, or follow! Thank you very much.