Our favorite budget audiophile brand has a new affordable hi-res music
player, with a desktop mode to make it part of your hi-fi setup

Date:
Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
The FiiO M21 offers high-spec hi-res without a high price and has a cool cassette deck case, because why not

FULL STORY ======================================================================The
Fiio M21 hi-res audio player costs 279 / $329 (about AU$583) Quad-DAC configuration and two-stage amplification Desktop mode for optimized output for hi-fi systems

The arrival of a new affordable audio player from FiiO is guaranteed to get our attention: when we reviewed the JM21 portable music player we were blown away by its sound and its value for money. And now there's a new player
that's more powerful without being much more expensive.

Where the JM21 is a dual-DAC device, the new FiiO M21 is a quad-DAC player. And double the DACs doesn't mean double the price: where the JM21 launched at $199 / 179, the M21 is $329 / 279. FiiO M21 portable audio player: key specifications and features (Image credit: FiiO)

The M21 is a sleek-looking thing with a big 4.7-inch IPS touchscreen on the front, a glass back, and an octa-core Snapdragon 680 inside it. The device runs Android 13 and comes with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage with 52GB of that available for use, and you can add up to 2TB via microSD. Bluetooth
is 5.0 (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC).

The DACs are four Cirrus Logic CS4319s arranged to minimize crosstalk and noise. The two-stage amplification provides voltage first and current second, which Fiio says creates a clean and dynamic sonic profile.

A key new feature is M21, a first for Fiio's entry-level Androids. It enables you to connect to a USB-C supply and bypass the battery, delivering up to 21Vpp peak voltage and 950mW per channel into 32 ohms. Desktop mode also enables you to use the M21 as a hi-res streamer for a wider hi-fi system.

Battery life in portable mode is 15 hours over the 3.5mm output and 11.5
hours with the balanced 4.4mm output. And there's an optional retro case that looks like a cassette tape it's the larger metal-colored box the M21 is sitting on in the main photo at the top.

There's no doubt that this is going to sound fantastic and I suspect it'll probably cope better with higher volumes than the JM21, which gets a bit shouty when you crank things up too high. And at 279 / $329 the M21 still undercuts many rival hi-res audio devices not least Fiio's own M23 , another player we love.

Between that and the fake-cassette cas,e I think FiiO's come up with a
winning formula here. The player is available now. You might also like Best MP3 player 2025: top portable hi-res music players for everyone This affordable new hi-res music player is the iPod replacement I've been waiting for This cheap Hi-Res Audio music player is like a modern iPod mini, with the funky colors to match



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/portable-media-players/our-favorite-budget-aud iophile-brand-has-a-new-affordable-hi-res-music-player-with-a-desktop-mode-to- make-it-part-of-your-hi-fi-setup


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