Digital audio gamers are a good selection if you would like the flexibility of Android and want one thing with simple portability. Clearly, a cellphone with a high-quality DAC and an audio jack — perhaps even a 4.4mm port — can be superb, and though Moondrop had the best concept with the MIAD01, the software program wasn’t superb, and as a lot as I loved utilizing that system, it would not fairly measure as much as a devoted participant.
So when Fiio mentioned it was launching the successor to the M11S, I used to be . I’ve plenty of audio gear in the home, so I get the liberty to rotate between IEMs, headsets, and gamers fairly commonly. The M11S has been in fixed use for the higher a part of a yr, and the portability and sound high quality made it the best system to stream Roon after I’m not at my desk.
Alongside the K9 Professional (and now K19), the M11S was the Fiio product that obtained essentially the most quantity of use, and that mantle has now been taken over by the M23. On the outset, there is not an excessive amount of that is totally different; the M23 has the identical glass-and-metal design because the M11S, and the controls are in the identical location.
The important thing distinction is the change to AKM’s AK4191EQ and AK4499EX DACs, and this permits the M23 to face out a bit. If that mixture sounds acquainted, it is as a result of the Q15 Bluetooth DAC additionally makes use of the identical AKM components, together with plenty of the opposite audio {hardware}. Due to the upgrades, the M23 is out there for $699 on Amazon, a $200 improve over the M11S.
As at all times, let’s begin with the design. Fiio did not make too many modifications on this space, and as such the M23 nonetheless has the identical faceted edges and glass again. That mentioned, the unit is noticeably bigger due to a 5.5-inch panel and 5500mAh battery, and at 299g, it’s 28g heavier than the M11S.
That mentioned, there are a number of quality-of-life enhancements. Fiio positioned the audio ports on the high, and it makes plugging in IEMs and headsets that rather more handy. There is not any 2.5mm jack this time, with the M23 as an alternative offering simply the three.5mm and 4.4mm ports, with every encircled by a hoop, identical to on the Q15.
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The again is made out of glass, and it has a navy hue that appears fairly good and makes the M23 look very elegant. The unit remains to be a smudge magnet, and you’ll ideally want to make use of the bundled clear case to profit from it. The playback controls are on the best, they usually’re joined by a Desktop Mode and Maintain toggles.
On the backside, you get the MicroSD slot, a USB-C port that means that you can join the M23 to different sources, and a devoted USB-C port for charging the system. That is nifty, because it means that you can use the standalone USB-C connection when charging the participant.
The facility button, quantity slider, and multifunction button sit to the left, and Fiio switched out the same old quantity buttons to a haptic possibility that is simply not pretty much as good to make use of. It is rather delicate to minute modifications, and inevitably triggers at any time when I choose up the unit. Clearly, the model knew about this subject, so it included the Maintain toggle — which disables the amount slider. I do not see what was incorrect with conventional quantity buttons, and Fiio missed the temporary on this regard.
Exterior of that, the construct high quality is incredible; the M23 is made out of aluminum — or metal, in case you choose up that variant — and it’s constructed to final. The M11S remains to be in pristine situation after a yr of standard use, and the M23 has the identical sturdy chassis.
Coming to the panel, the M23 has a 5.5-inch 720p LCD display with 60Hz refresh. It is not anyplace near the caliber of shows that you simply get on mid-range telephones as of late, however it’s greater than satisfactory within the context of a digital audio participant. It has skinny bezels, good colours, and I did not have any points in outside use, so it will get vibrant sufficient in auto mode.
Equally, the interface would not have any customization and is fluid; Fiio took a vanilla Android construct and added plenty of audio-focused options to it, whereas leaving the UI intact. You possibly can select between a number of modes — Android interface, a music mode that solely permits Fiio Music, DAC mode, Bluetooth receiver, and so forth. There’s additionally the flexibility to regulate the acquire between low, medium, and excessive, and also you get Roon integration, one other notable inclusion.
The most important addition this time is Desktop Mode; when enabled, the M23 depends solely on exterior energy, so you’ll be able to plug it right into a desktop supply and know that the built-in battery is not going by way of the same old cost/discharge cycle. On that be aware, the 5500mAh battery lasts as much as 9 hours over the balanced port, and almost 11 hours over the single-ended 3.5mm jack.
Charging the unit is less complicated as nicely, because it now makes use of the USB PD 30W commonplace. It takes simply over an hour to get the battery as much as 80%, however it takes one other hour to hit the remaining 20%. That mentioned, quick charging is a good addition, and I did not see any points with battery longevity.
My largest quibble with the M23 is that it runs Android 10 out of the field — that is simply not adequate in 2024. I get that the unit would not have all of the related cellphone bits, however it nonetheless comes with a full-fledged Android construct and the Play Retailer, and it must be no less than on Android 12, if not switching to Android 14 outright.
As for the {hardware}, the M23 makes use of the Snapdragon 660 and has 4GB of RAM together with 64GB of inner storage. You will not see something as outdated because the Snapdragon 660 on a cellphone, however it works nicely sufficient on a digital audio participant, and contemplating the hassle Fiio put into optimizing the chipset, it is comprehensible that the producer is not keen to make use of Qualcomm’s current choices.
Whereas Fiio retained a lot of the similar {hardware}, the sound attribute of the M23 is noticeably totally different due to AKG’s DACs and using THX AAA-78+ amps with a better energy output. The M23 hits 768kHz/32-bit over PCM and has DSD512 decoding, MQA, and a slate of audio codecs: SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC.
It may possibly ship as much as 1000mW of energy over the balanced port at 32Ω, and that makes it an excellent alternative to make use of with demanding planar headsets. I examined the M23 with the likes of the Fiio FT5 and Moondrop Venus, and over a dozen of the very best IEMs, together with the Fiio FA19, Sennheiser IE200, and FH15, and the audio participant did a superb job with all related units.
The M23 retains Fiio’s customized sound tuning, and also you get a impartial soundstage with a bit vibrancy within the mids. The bass has good definition and element on the FT5, and it permits the quick transients of the planar headset to be that rather more vibrant. The mids have plenty of character and dynamism, and ensemble devices sound unbelievable. There’s good treble extension, however you do not get any sibilance.
At a technical stage, the M23 hits all the best notes. The imaging and dynamics are spot-on — as is the case with most of Fiio’s 2024 choices — and if you would like a impartial sound that permits you to take full benefit of related audio gear, the M23 is a standout alternative on this phase.
Sure, it prices a further $200 over the similarly-excellent M11S, and I actually assume Fiio ought to have up to date the software program. On the plus facet, you get AKM’s newest DAC, and the M23 is ready to ship larger energy, so in case you plan on utilizing it with planar headsets, it’s a more sensible choice. However if you wish to maximize worth, the M11S remains to be an excellent worth in 2024.
The M23 has a noticeable premium, however you’re getting high-end DACs and a slate of recent options that give it a definite edge over the M11S.
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