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When compared to its competitors, such as Astell & Kern, which offer large and pricey options, FiiO’s M11S portable music player stands out for its compact size and reasonable price point. When you take into account the M11S’s features, the multiple connectivity possibilities it provides, as well as the quality of its build and finish, it’s difficult not to get the impression that the M11S is almost like a steal for the money you pay for it.
The FiiO M11S presents an extremely compelling argument in favor of itself in practically every sound category. Its display is robust yet maintaining a high level of detail, snappy while remaining under control, and direct without being overbearing. It is both interesting and educational to listen to, and shows admirable lack of concern over the quality of the audio files that are being played. It is not finicky about the type of headphones you pair it with either, which is unusual for a modern music player.
FiiO M11S Specifications
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 130mm x 70.5mm x 15.5mm |
| Weight | About 232g |
| Display | 5.15-inch 1440 x 720 multi-touch screen |
| Operating system | Customized Android 7.0 |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 7872 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB (expandable up to 2TB with microSD card) |
| Battery | 3800mAh Li-polymer |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and HWA/aptX adaptive |
FiiO M11S: Design
The M11S’s dual ES9038Q2M DAC chipsets are what will provide it the most significant improvement in terms of sound performance. Because it is equipped with such a high-performance chipset, the M11S is able to decode audio data at rates of up to 384 kHz and DSD256. Along with this, brand new dedicated amplifiers that are independently powered have been added in an effort to boost the power and dynamics of the system. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, which runs Android 10, serves as the system’s operating system. Anyone who has used a smartphone with a recent version of Android should find the interface to be very familiar. You can buy this FiiO M11S from its official website
FiiO M11S: Features
Fiio also makes a number of small music players. The M11S is the newest one. Think of these portable players as like an iPod, but for music that doesn’t get lost. You get everything you need all in one package: The M11S has a 5-inch screen with a 720p display. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 and has two Sabre ES9038Q2M DACs that support native 24-bit/384KHz playback, DSD256, and MQA decoding.
FiiO M11S: Sound quality
Surprisingly, given the low price and slim profile of the laptop, the sound quality of the dual speakers is of a very high caliber. Although the bass is practically nonexistent, the sound quality is on par with that of the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53, which is a gaming laptop with a price tag that is almost three and a half times higher than that of the T1.
FiiO M11S: Performance
Anyone who has ever used a smartphone operating system other than iOS will be comfortable navigating the adapted version of Android 10 that FiiO is employing as an interface, and it will be simple to set up any and all appropriate applications on the device. And you can do so without having to worry about the audio performance being affected — one of the operating modes available on the M11S is termed “pure music,” and it essentially frees the player from the noise and interference that several open apps might cause.
FiiO M11S: Battery Life
If you want to use wired headphones instead of wireless ones, there are 2.5mm, 4.4mm, and the more common 3.5mm unbalanced ports on the bottom of the chassis. This is because wired headphones are better for their weight than wireless ones. These are on either side of a USB-C port in the middle. This port is used to charge the battery (10–14 hours of use between charges, depending on how you listen) and to use the M11S as a DAC.
Final Words
We have no qualms recommending the M11S to my friends because Fiio has produced several excellent DAPs in the past. The M11S is an excellent entry point into the world of high-quality portable audio. The thing that has me most concerned is the fact that Fiio offers the M11 Plus ESS for only $150 extra. Fiio is an excellent alternative if you absolutely need to stay under $500 and simply can’t.
FiiO M11S review: THE GOOD AND THE BAD
The Good
- Great specification
- Impressive user interface
The Bad
- A hint of treble unruliness
FAQS
In fact, FiiO boasts 75 days of deep sleep and 15 hours of continuous playback. The player’s actual peak performance occurred at 16:30 UTC with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled 24/7.
The FiiO M11 has a frequency response of 5Hz–80,000Hz, a noise floor of 5uV (or 10uV for the 2.5mm connection), a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 118dB (for the 3.5mm connection), and an output impedance of 2.