Review: Fiio M15s Digital Audio Player – A Beast That You Can Actually Take With You

FiiO says, “Carry It On” to the various aggressive DAPs and power-hungry headphones in the market.

Backside Line

FiiO’s M15S will attraction to audiophiles who need a official all-in-one selection to a miles higher or multi-device desktop setup. FiiO designed and constructed the M15S for audiophiles and fanatics who need a top class product with few compromises. It’s a really perfect funding to declutter and uncomplicate your tune existence. The FiiO M15S is going with me all over!

What We Like

• One of the best aggressive, succesful, transportable DAP
• All present headphone jack choices apart from for six.35mm
• Viable high-performance desktop amplifier selection
• Robust sufficient for all IEMs and maximum full-size headphones (instead of electrostatics)
• Flawless have compatibility and end
• Huge, colourful, easy-to-read display screen
• Responsive, HD show with snappy transitions
• Lengthy battery existence
• Practical design with an easy-to-access quantity wheel
• Stunning coverage case and multifunction stand integrated, plus the entire cables you want
• Technical functionality is as excellent as trendy specs get
• Rather speedy start-up instances and easiest implementation of Android 10
• Simple entry to FiiO’s very good integrated apps or third social gathering apps by the use of the Google Play Retailer
• Now not locked right into a proprietary OS or over the top pre-loaded bloatware
• Upgradeable firmware
• 2-way Bluetooth (ship and obtain)
• Expandable MicroSD reminiscence card slot
• Has the entire helpful on a regular basis options you’ll consider or need

What We Do not Like

• “Semi-portable” in truth; OK for hand and bag lift, too cumbersome and scorching for pants wallet
• Protecting case has no belt loops
• Can run heat/scorching when operating arduous
• The FiiO participant takes some adjusting to, in addition to the best way that it organizes tune and recordsdata – it may be wonky and difficult to navigate
• If you don’t lock the controls, you’ll inevitably press overly delicate aspect buttons when selecting up the machine
• Battery isn’t user-replaceable
• No onboard microphones or audio system
• Non-adjustable stand attitude

Unboxing and First Impact

Corporate Review

Since its release in 2007, FiiO has performed a outstanding task construction its hard earned recognition via cutting edge in-house R&D, high quality merchandise, and intensive trade accolades – now not superstar endorsements and advertising and marketing hype. FiiO has a raving, unswerving fan base international as a result of they have got constantly delivered very good merchandise with remarkable innovation, functionality, high quality, and price.

Technical Specs

• Shape: Transportable Virtual Audio Participant (DAP)
• Frequency Reaction Vary: 20Hz – 20kHz, as much as 20Hz – 50kHz
• Colour: Black/Silver
• Show: 5.5” 18:9 HD show
• Working Device: Android 10
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
• Reminiscence: Ram 4GB, ROM 64GB + unmarried MicroSD card tray (as much as 2TB)
• Hello-Res Strengthen: 32-bit/768kHz, DSD512, MQA World 8x deciphering, and All to DSD
• Bluetooth: Qualcomm QCC5124 with two-way Bluetooth 5.0
  • Bluetooth transmitter Codec fortify: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC
  • Bluetooth receiver fortify: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, LDAC, aptX Adaptive
• WiFi: 5G + 2.4G dual-band WiFi, supporting DLNA streaming and transmission, Roon, and AirPlay
• DAC: ESS ES9038PRO
• Amplifier: OPA926 *2
• Crystal Oscillator: NDK femtosecond crystal oscillator x 2
• Output Energy: As much as 1200mW x2 @32Ω (balanced steady output)
• Acquire: Extremely excessive, tremendous excessive, excessive, medium, low
• Headphone Output: 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm + 4.4mm balanced
• Really helpful Headphone Impedance: 8-150Ω (single-ended output), 8-350Ω (balanced output)
• Line Output: 3.5mm, 2.5mm balanced + 4.4mm balanced
• Coaxial: 3.5mm
• Output Impedance: ≤2.3Ω
• THD+N: ≤0.00075%
• SNR: ≥121.5dB
• Noise Ground: ≤5.2uV
• Height Output Voltage: 30Vpp
• Stage of Separation: ≥105dB
• Energy Provide: Helps QC3.0, 4.0, PD2.0, 3.0 fast rate
• Battery: 6200 mAh
• Charging Time: 3.5 hours
• Battery Existence: As much as 10 hours in single-ended and eight.5 hours in balanced; standby time >1000h
• Operating Modes: Android, Natural Song, USB DAC, Bluetooth Receiving, AirPlay, Roon In a position
• Dimensions: 140 x 80 x 18.9mm
• Weight: 346g

Packaging

It is a uncommon instance the place the product has to reside as much as the implementing presence of its field. A posh outer sleeve covers a top class, heavy-duty silver field. Dense foam blocks exactly cradle the M15S, stand parts, and equipment inside of. I admire FiiO’s stability of top-end packaging with considerate, space-efficient packaging design.

Within the field

• FiiO M15s
• Leather-based coverage case (pre-installed)
• Powered multifunction dock with warmth dissipation fan
• PD charging/information cable (USB-C to USB-C)
• USB-A to USB-C chronic cable
• USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Pamphlet, fast beginning information, stand meeting card, guaranty card, and tip card
• Micro SD card removing device

Construct & Design

Shocking. It can be much more spectacular to carry than to take a look at. Despite the fact that the M15S feels bodily giant and really extensive, it isn’t as massive or heavy because it first seems. The case and skinny bezel 5.5”1 8:9 HD computer screen intensify this impact.

It feels heavy because of its densely packed internals. Not anything rattles or shifts inside of or out, even with competitive motion. It’s one-hand operable if in case you have XL-sized fingers.

All portions really feel tight and actual. Have compatibility and end are flawless – even the gaps across the buttons are minuscule and constant. Mentioned buttons are smooth to find sight unseen, even if the M15S is secure in its case.

The buttons on all sides of the DAP are my most effective gripe. They’re tactile, require little drive to press (even with the case), and are situated precisely the place my fingers move when selecting up the machine. Except I slide permit the dangle transfer or disable the capability of the buttons, I repeatedly press the buttons accidentally.

The rear panel seems to be glass, with diamond-cut-like angles visual, slightly below a glittery, completely flat outer floor.

120 quantity ranges may also be finely adjusted the usage of an analog potentiometer knob (rotating wheel) or the aspect buttons. The wheel rotates easily with ok resistance to steer clear of inadvertently rolling it too a ways and speedy, destructive your tools and ears in a painful 2-for-1 coincidence. The high-precision rotary encoder guarantees minimum put on and reliability with each flip of the knob.

Internals

Present DAP producers proceed to one-up every different on main era and specs. The M15S is not any exception.

The technical highlights are apparently never-ending. They sound mighty spectacular, despite the fact that most effective engineers will most probably perceive any of it. Amongst those is a high-performance ES9038PRO DAC with 8 impartial D/A converters. Every channel makes use of 4 D/A converters in parallel to shape a completely differential output.

There could also be a complete multi-stage audio circuit. Top-precision, low-noise movie resistors permit correct sign copy and channel stability. Panasonic low-loss metalized movie capacitors make sure minimum harmonic and section distortion.

The M15S has a completely separated virtual chronic provide, lowering crosstalk and interference successfully. The multi-stage analog chronic provide supplies high-precision and low-noise early sign processing. A multi-voltage servo chronic provide for the headphone amp can pressure each low and high-impedance lots.

A nickel-copper defend is provide to give protection to the analog portion of the audio circuit and the primary SoC (system-on-a-(micro)chip) from interference. Further warmth dissipation is completed with shielding fabrics and wave-absorbing paper stacked onto the primary defend.

Complex warmth dissipation design, that includes a stainless-steel battery compartment, low temperature-drift parts, and a devoted steel defend with graphene, guarantees that the M15S maintains a strong temperature and steadily delivers excessive chronic output.

Past the engineering and technical prowess, the M15S boasts the most efficient of nowadays’s era and specs. From a consumer viewpoint, this implies flawless execution as designed. The entirety works completely and constantly.

Usability

Usability and steadiness are very good. Startup is speedy, connectivity is strong, chronic control is very good, navigation is easy and fast, and the controls paintings as meant. Double faucet to get up the display screen is an advantage! The M15s gives wi-fi options similar to AirPlay, DLNA streaming and transmission, and Bluetooth. The Qualcomm QCC5124 chip guarantees dependable 2-way Bluetooth functionality.

The 6200mAh battery supplies as much as 10.5 hours of operation the usage of single-ended or balanced output. Battery optimization and coverage techniques make sure longevity, with a charging time of simply 3.5 hours.

The tradeoff of an impressive battery and amplifier is warmth, making the moderately thick M15S even much less pants-pocket pleasant.

The M15S is so excellent at dissipating warmth that the display screen can achieve temperatures of virtually 100 levels Fahrenheit beneath customary lots.

The Android 10 working formulation has been flawless. FiiO’s utility is pre-loaded and helpful. The most productive section? You’ll obtain and entry the Google Play Retailer and set up and use any apps you wish to have, simply as you could possibly with an Android telephone.

The M15s gives six working modes:

1. Qualified Roon In a position Mode
2. FiiO’s unique Natural Song Mode
3. Android Mode: Freely use third-party apps, together with streaming services and products
4. AirPlay Mode: Wirelessly connect with iOS gadgets like iPhone/iPad with a legitimate high quality spice up
5. USB DAC Mode: Acts as a DAC when attached to a pc/telephone for progressed sound
6. Bluetooth Mode: Helps more than a few formats like SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, LDAC, and aptX Adaptive for top of the range wi-fi sound

FiiO M15S Sound

With low output impedance and excessive chronic, the M15S is a superb fit for many IEMs or headphones. With 5 adjustable achieve ranges, a devoted desktop mode supplies as much as 1200mW consistent with channel whilst plugged into an influence supply, bypassing the battery.

Mixed with the cooling stand, the M15S can really be a desktop alternative.

The M15S, on any achieve environment, has a fantastically deep black background – 0 noise. As well as, I’ve now not spotted any discernible distortion at any quantity with any output machine.

Along with low distortion and nearly easiest functionality measurements, the sound profile, to my ears, is correct, clear, blank, and uncolored. The M15S reproduces dynamics neatly with tremendous smooth and difficult-to-drive headphones. I’ve most effective compliments for the M15S’s sound.

For audio tinkerers, the software-based 10-band dynamic EQ with adjustment parameters of ± 12dB will permit for actual sound sculpting. Even higher, the M15S helps saving customized EQ profiles.

The place to Purchase

Conclusion

DAPs are not easy to supply to everybody’s wishes. There are all the time tradeoffs in length, weight, chronic, and capacity, to call a couple of. In my view, FiiO’s M15S effectively addresses the ones compromises to the best stage conceivable, discovering an optimum stability to attraction to audiophiles who need a official all-in-one selection to a miles higher or multi-device desktop setup.

FiiO designed and constructed the M15S for audiophiles and fanatics.

It is a area of interest product for listeners who need the most efficient to be had and who in reality perceive their specs and necessities.

Even if the internals are old-fashioned, the M15S will stay a most sensible performer for its helpful existence. It’s arduous to consider every other machine considerably outperforming the technical and audio functions of the M15S. The consumer interface personal tastes will topic extra, and the ones will evolve through the years.

Is it pricey? Sure, for a normal client who makes use of most commonly Bluetooth gadgets and cellphones as their supply. For fanatics who need a top class product with few compromises, it’s a really perfect funding to declutter and uncomplicate your tune existence.

The FiiO M15S is going with me all over!