FiiO • DAPs

FiiO M11S

Name: FiiO M11S
Brand: FiiO

Curated intelligence

Universal Summary

The M11S is FiiO's roughly $499 Android digital audio player, and the steadiest praise is physical rather than sonic: a CNC machined, polished matte black aluminium casing called flawless with no gaps, a glass back panel, and a 5 inch 1280x720 IPS screen at 300PPI running Android 10 on a Snapdragon 660. Three outputs sit at the bottom (3.5mm, 2.5mm and 4.4mm), and the 3.5mm and 4.4mm can each be set to line out instead of headphone out. A Mode Selection menu adds Pure Music, USB DAC, Bluetooth receiver and AirPlay modes for listeners who want to bypass Android. Inside are dual ES9038Q2M DACs decoding to 384kHz and DSD256, with FiiO rating the 4.4mm output at 670mW. Tonal accounts diverge. One review hears slightly shy bass fundamentals under a mid-bass with a lot of presence, upper vocal frequencies weighted ahead of body, and a top end smoothed relative to FiiO's costlier player. Another hears a sturdy bass foundation and a distinct clickiness in the highs. A third hears a clean but not cold sound with a touch of extra focus up top. Drive capability is the sharpest split: one listener reports plenty of power on tap and an enjoyable stretch with HiFiMan HE400se planars, while another had to push a HiFiMan Edition XS a little past 80 percent volume. Single-ended output power is reported as more limited, so balanced is the recommended path. Streaming rated well below local file playback in the one review that scored them separately.

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manual-dossier-v1

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Strengths

CNC machined aluminium casing with a glass back, described as flawless with no gaps and premium materials throughout.
Three outputs (4.4mm, 2.5mm and 3.5mm), with the 3.5mm and 4.4mm each settable as line out rather than headphone out.
Android 10 on a Snapdragon 660 with a 5 inch touchscreen that feels as natural to use as a smartphone.
A Mode Selection menu adds Pure Music, USB DAC, Bluetooth receiver and AirPlay modes, so Android can be bypassed entirely.
Noise control holds up on high gain: very sensitive IEMs such as the Shure SE846 sit almost dead quiet in the background.
Dual ES9038Q2M DACs decoding to 384kHz and DSD256, with FiiO rating the 4.4mm balanced output at 670mW.

Weaknesses

Single-ended output power is more limited than balanced, so balanced cabling is the recommended way to get the most from it.
Some headphones need pushing much harder: a HiFiMan Edition XS planar had to be boosted a little past 80 percent volume.
In one account the bass fundamentals sit slightly shy behind a mid-bass with a lot of presence, and the low end does not kick deep.
Upper vocal frequencies are weighted ahead of the body in one account, giving softer voices presence rather than fullness.
Streaming sounded flatter than local file playback in one review, rated 7/10 against 10/10 for local files.
Firmware text carries spelling and translation errors, and at close to three times a phone's thickness it is impractical to pocket.

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FiiO M11S

Category Scores

Stored 0-10 category scores with reusable notes for each listening axis.

Bass7

For a source device this axis covers low-end tonal character rather than transducer output. The accounts conflict. One review hears fundamental bass frequencies that are slightly shy but still audible booming subtly at the back, sitting under a mid-bass with a lot of presence, and credits the bass with good agility while noting it does not kick very deep. Another hears a sturdy foundation with a solid body of tone that suits bass-head IEMs. Scored as competent and mildly coloured, held near the tier midpoint because the detailed reading is single-sourced and directly contradicted.

Mids6.9

One review calls the midrange satisfactorily detailed and smoothly delivered, with the upper vocal frequencies more weighted than the body so that softer voices gain presence. Another calls the transparency of the mids a fun showcase for instruments and vocals, while noting that the player does not necessarily fill in the blank spaces and that the tone never truly feels richer. Solid, with an identifiable tilt toward clarity over body rather than neutrality.

Treble6.9

The descriptions point in different directions rather than lining up. One review calls the top end not as opened up and airy as the very extended treble of the costlier FiiO M11 Plus ESS, saying it sounds more smoothened with some of the edges and ambiance removed, which is credited with taking harshness off sharper voices and lossy recordings. Another hears a specific clickiness in the highs that the listener was enthralled by, with tightness and control that makes the treble feel naturally represented. A third notes just a touch of focus on the higher ranges, giving things a little more sparkle up top. Middling, because the evidence pulls both ways.

Technicalities7.2

Resolution, noise behaviour and drive capability. The headline numbers here are FiiO specifications relayed by reviewers, not bench results produced by any of these pages: dual ES9038Q2M DACs, up to 670mW from the 4.4mm connection, decoding to 384kHz and DSD256, a dynamic range figure of up to 128dB, SNR rated at 123dB or better A-weighted, a noise floor quoted as low as 1.8uV to 1.9uV with a claim of being 62 percent quieter than the predecessor, and an output impedance specification of 2.6 ohms or less into 32 ohms that one reviewer calls slightly on the high side while adding that in practice sensitive IEMs do not sound much flattened. What is actually observed by ear supports good noise control: very sensitive IEMs such as the Shure SE846 sound almost dead quiet in the background even on high gain. Holding the number down: single-ended output power is reported as more limited so balanced is recommended, and drive into full-size planars is contested.

Soundstage6.8

Support here is thin. One review reports strong dynamic performance with satisfactory openness and definition inside a moderately large headroom, and says fast decay enhances instrument separation and definition, allowing clear identification of instrument positioning that works well with smaller ensembles. Another says only that the player does its best to widen and separate the sound elements more clearly. Nothing else in the evidence base addresses staging, so this axis rests on limited support and stays near the middle.

Value7

Judged at the official price of $499.99 against the HiBy R6 Pro II. Judged at about street.

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Best For

IEM listeners who want a quiet background for very sensitive monitors on high gain
Owners of large local FLAC or DSD libraries who play files rather than stream
Listeners with 4.4mm or 2.5mm balanced cables, since balanced is the recommended output here
Desk or office use, or carry in a bag, since a player of this thickness will not go in a pocket
Buyers who want an Android player around $499 that can also feed a desktop amplifier over line out

Overview

What the research says

Visible Sources

Approved source material

4 documents

Acho Reviews•REVIEW_SITE•1/22/2023Review unit (disclosed)Measures

Review - Fiio M11S

An Android player sceptic ends up calling it probably the first Android based DAP worth seriously considering, rating local playback well above streaming and noting it is too thick to pocket.

MajorHiFi•REVIEW_SITE•12/20/2022Review unit (disclosed)

Fiio M11s Review

Calls the M11S the perfect entry-level device for premium portable listening for a buyer who cannot break the five hundred dollar range, while flagging that certain headphones must be pushed much harder.

Headfonics•REVIEW_SITE•11/19/2022Review unit (disclosed)

FiiO M11S Review

Concludes that within the sub $500 bracket the M11S has completely superseded the original M11, praising noise control and the balanced output while describing slightly shy bass fundamentals, a forward upper midrange and more limited single-ended power.

Headfonia•REVIEW_SITE•10/4/2022Review unit (disclosed)

FiiO M11S Review

Positions the M11S as the first real successor to the brand's mid-range player and calls build quality absolutely flawless, with no gaps and premium materials everywhere.

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REVIEW_SITE: 4

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