FiiO M17

I have been using the FiiO M17 for a couple of months now with a pair of Denon AH-D9200 (and occasionally the AH-D7200 and Sennheiser HD650) and I have to say I have been impressed from day one by the audio capabilities of the M17. I must stress that I don’t use any of the features, the Bluetooth and WiFi have never been turned on, I don’t use streaming services, I don’t watch videos, I haven’t downloaded any apps and so on. I have two 1TB micro sd cards filled with music varying from CD quality up to DSD256, with the variety ranging from death metal to chamber music to dub reggae to all kinds of folk and world music and beyond. The M17 is just so in control of the music, it produces an extremely low noise floor, stunning micro and macro dynamics, completely natural timbre, harmonic complexity, stunning decay of notes, wonderful spatial characteristics and a lot more besides. I recently added the iFi Power Elite which has taken everything up a few more levels, the realism, dynamism and the music’s power to shock and surprise is particularly impressive now. My only complaint is for some strange reason the M17 isn’t the best at proper alphabetising but this is a minor quibble for such a supremely capable music player. Highest recommendation.

Worked fine until after a week of no use, I tried to turn the unit on and nothing, dead. Tried charging and still nothing. After less than 6 months ownership this is very bad.

I had previously M15 in my stable, as I own planars had to go with something with even more power to properly drive them. Cant express how happy I feel, this DAP has even bigger stage, more natural sound, highs and lows extend way more, its a detail monster with so much more power under hood. Price considering what it offers is a bargain, this one is putting Astell Kern and Ibasso in difficult position, as they have nothing to put against this one especially at this price. Even with higher price they have nothing on a table like this as it offers deskop like quality in transportable device. Go for it, its an end game DAP🎧

Sound is a bit heavy handed and thick but ok for the price point. The real issue is useability, or actually a real lack thereof. There are supposedly three or four ways to listen to music on this device, three involve loading the files using a wired connection, and the fourth is wireless. I loaded a number of files onto a music folder, similar to a pc, but am now stuck in the FiiO app which does not show all of the files transferred, and much worse transfers them in a very random order, which can't be easily changed. That might be alright for pop songs etc, but for orchestral music it's a nightmare. The documention is primitive, so no help at all. I am just amazed how it is possible to design a product that is so unusable. Turn on - plug in headphones - load music - listen. What could go wrong? They sure found a way. What a waste of time and money. It's ok to have lots of features, but the basic functions need to be easy to use. Also, what are the big lights on the sides for? Aside from draining the battery. What a mess this product is.

Ummm... This is curious proposition by FiiO. They're attempting to 'shoe-horn' a desktop-spec DAC/Headphone amplifier into a portable device. Why bother? Well, I'll come onto that. As background, at home I use Roon for streaming music. It's superb. For headphone listening via Roon at home I use my trusted Chord Poly/Mojo combo, which sounds superb. But I've never really 'got on' with this combo for headphone listening on-the-move. It's UI is clunky, and although you can use a microSD card in Poly, streaming this using a third-party streaming app on my iPhone is slightly bothersome. Therefore when I'm out-and-about I use my DAP, a Sony NW-WM1Z. This sounds sublime, and it has the added benefit of being able to use my Sennheiser HD800's and Beyerdynamic T1.2's in balanced mode with it. Luckily, I have the High-Gain version imported from Hong Kong, which can drive these monsters quite capably. But I can't use these headphones in balanced mode with the Chord combo at home, as the Mojo is a single-ended DAC/Amplifier. And I hate changing cables! Enter the FiiO! My interest piqued in the M17 when it became 'Roon Ready'. Could this DAP replace BOTH my Chord Poly/Mojo combo at home AND my Sony DAP when I'm on-the-move? Well, I took the plunge... First impressions? Good. It comes sturdily packed in two boxes, one containing the M17/Accessories and the other containing a stand/cooling fan. But BOY, it's BIG! I thought the Sony DAP was big and heavy, but the FiiO trumps that. It's heavier and larger. The screen is large and clear, and the Android OS is snappy and responsive. After downloading the latest firmware update, it was detected by Roon on my home network instantly and the 'Roon Ready' feature works perfectly. So far, so good. Right. Time to listen. There is PLENTY of power from the M17. Probably not quite as much as from the Mojo, but it's more than adequate to drive my balanced cans to unhealthy levels. And that's just on battery power. There is apparently an 'Enhanced' Over-ear Headphone mode that needs a 12V DC power supply to access, which is supplied. The only drawback is that you need to use the supplied stand/cooling fan to access this mode as it generates so much internal heat. But after listening on battery only, I can't see a need for this mode, unless you have extremely difficult-to-drive cans. It copes with my 600ohm T1.2's perfectly on battery power. And it sounds DAMN GOOD! It's silent on full-gain/high volume, although I haven't tested it with sensitive IEM's. The sound is authoritative, impactful and SO musical. I was a bit worried about how it would pair with my (bright) HD800's, but they really sing with the M17. Is it as good as the Chord combo? Well, all I can say is it's damn close, but to my ears the M17 sounds slightly superior and it also gives me the opportunity to use my headphones in balanced mode, so a point to the FiiO. Compared to my Sony DAP, even on 'High Gain' mode via the Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced output, the FiiO just has so much more power. It drives my headphones with more authority and control. Being picky, the Sony sounds more refined and smoother. But at twice the price of the FiiO it should! The other thing to highlight is the difference in battery life. The Sony can provide around thirty-hours of listening on a full-charge, whereas the FiiO is limited to around ten-hours. This might be a deal-breaker for some. The Sony also used it's own OS, rather than Android, which is better in use than FiiO's own proprietary music app on Android OS. There's also a world apart in fit and finish. The Sony is a piece of peerless, meticulous engineering at its best. Although it's UI is far from perfect IMO, in use it just oozes quality and using the buttons etc brings you a little bit of joy. In comparison, the Chinese FiiO 'feels' a little cheap. The design and the tactile feel of the M17 just can't compete with the Sony, which extends to the slightly loose/cheap leather case that is supplied with it. BUT to be fair it is HALF THE PRICE of the Sony. There are also a couple of 'bugs' in the FiiO's OS. For instance, I disconnected the USB-C charger and it still 'thought' it was on charge for a while. Nothing major. Just a slight feeling that the firmware is 'work in progress' rather than complete. I expect further firmware updates will fix these bugs. So could the FiiO replace my Sony DAP too? Although heavier and larger than the Sony, it's still portable. JUST. And notwithstanding my personal dislike of FiiO's own music app, yes I think it could. In fact I think it WILL! Just one thing to bear in mind - the Sony comes with 256GB of storage on-board. The FiiO has only has 64GB, of which only around 45GB is available to the user. So you NEED an additional microSD card with the FiiO. So far, so good then! I think I've found the perfect combination of form and function in the FiiO M17. Anyone want to buy a Chord Poly/Mojo and a Sony NW-WM1Z?

Excellent sound quality, plenty of power works well with my Sony Z1R'S, Sony M7's and Fiio FD7's. Using this more than my ibasso dx 300 max. Only bad thing I've found is the cooling fan ( only needed in DC ultimate mode) is way too noisy, but easily sorted by changing the fan for a brushless one , better air flow and practically silent ! So good I've bought another one to leave at work, you can afford to do this when your kids have grown up and no longer sponge off the bank of dad !! Happy days !!

An amazing piece of kit!!

Update march 2023 ****BE WARNED DO NOT USE THE FIXED LINE-OUT WITH HEADPHONES. *** ***WHEN USING THE VARIABLE LINE OUT SET THE VOLUME VERY LOW AND FIND WHAT LEVEL SUITS YOU AND YOUR HEADPONES**** ****DEFAULT LINE-OUT IS FIXED. NEED TO CHANGE THIS IN SETTINGS TO VARIABLE LINE-OUT**** THE M17 SHOULD THEN SOUND WORTHY OF ITS PRICE Still trying to get the best out of this player and I have discovered that using the variable line out option with headphone gives a far superior sound. In fact it sounds amazing (hence added a star). I think this is because line outputs are not using the full THX amplifier module which in headphone output mode is giving a hardwired equalisation to the THX standard, which I think is poor sound for audiophiles. I could have got to this much quicker if FIIO had better documentation. In my opinion the THX amp function lets the DAC section of the M17 down. Unless you are a real nerdy audiophile steer clear of the M17. SUMMARY I have owned and heard a large number of music players and overall the M17 is definitely one of, if not, the best available with potential greatness. However its default playing modes are its worst and don't justify the cost. The primary problem for me is the THX internal amp in the M17. The THX standard is arguably a fixed audiophile standard that doesn't suit certain headphones with mid to high range lift (Grado for one). To me in this mode it sounds only as good as some rivals costing half the price. This player sounds amazing when you play headphones through the variable line output mode (PLEASE SEE MY WARNING ABOVE) as this misses out the THX processing that cannot be turned off by any other means. It also sounds amazing through external dedicated headphone amps (in this case you can, and probably should, use Fixed line output). It does have a few operational quirks not expected at this price such as occasionally dropping wifi, taking 10 seconds to access a fast SD card amongst others. It is also not really portable. Bottom line is that it's only worth buying if you are a very technically nerdy audiophile who is happy to work really hard to get the maximum out of it. Here are my views and I am being very critical as for £1,500 I do expect everything to be heading towards perfection. Pros The musicality can be outstanding through fixed/variable line-out, but performance varies greatly with different headphones in headphone output mode See Cons. The DAC processing is exceptional giving this player the potential to be a fantastically musical performer and it may sound that way to you. See Cons. Great build quality. Lovely simple intuitive interface (best bloat free Android I have ever come across). Every connection possibility you can imagine. Comes with cooling stand. Decent leather case, but a bit industrial looking. Cons Potentially the amplifier module: In portable players the internal amplifier is always a compromise. To me the sound from this amp does not make the best of the excellent DAC processing of the M17. Initially the sound is literally startling, but after a short time I find that each note is so strongly etched that my tiny brain can never settle on a rhythmic flow, or a particular musical path through the mix and this dramatically reduces the musical enjoyment. In essence my mind has to try too hard to process music in which each note is perceived as as important as all the others and this isn't the intent of any musician and consequently listening is a bit 'unnatural' and fatiguing. However when I connect the M17 to one of my desktop amps or my portable amp (IFi Can) the musicality becomes outstanding. Everything just calms down a bit and the flow of music that is partly produced by the varying emphases of notes returns without any reduction in detail or soundstage. The music became integrated, more natural, more dynamic, more rhythmical and flowed far more than with the internal M17 amp module. With an external amp the M17 is the best sounding DAP I have ever heard and I've heard a few around this price or higher. I know this is a very personal take and don't let this put you off trying this DAP as this may not be important to you so treat it more as a warning than a absolute criticism. Inconsistent performance with headphones. I tried 5 pairs of headphones all with different characteristics from a bass emphasis to linear studio monitors and on to mid-range emphasis with Grado cans; prices ranged from £100 to £1,000. To get the best from each pair using the internal M17 amp I had to have different setting for each and some liked the player more than others, however If I played them all through my external amps they all sounded fantastic with no adjustment. Hmmmmmm... me thinks the amp may be the problem again. As mentioned in my update playing all of these headphones using the variable line-out mode solved all problems and they all sounded amazing. The enhanced headphone modes can make can increase the analytical and dry sound through some headphones (I found the High gain setting best for my lower impedance headphones). This is also true through the line out modes and again suggests an issue in the amp module design. Good performance, but is a bit slow at reading contents of my fast SD card (no problem when playing music). Also have occasional wi fi drop outs when all other network devices are working fine. Not a replacement for a good quality desktop streamer. Having desktop DACS within I expected that plugging the M17 into my high quality main amplifier and floor standing speakers that it would at least compete with my Cambridge Audio 851N streamer (around £800). However there was no competition. The M17 sounded very flat and 'weak' compared to the desktop streamer. Although I didn't expect it to be a good I was quite disappointed in how relatively poorly the M17 performed. So the M17 is not a one device does it all solution to all home or portable based musical systems. Runs warm so really needs to have a bit of space around it. Buttons seem to operate the wrong way around. back button at the top and volume up using the volume wheel is to the left! Not a big issue but it takes some getting used to. Screen protector seems to reduce the sensitivity of the screen a little. Being picky, but at £1500 it should be perfect. Its not on-the-go portable. Given what I have said you can see that dropping it into a bag and listening on the move may be rather tricky. It can also run quite warm so if make sure there is no chocolate in your bag otherwise it could get messy. Side lights - Don't see the point and irritating if listening in the dark, especially to you partner. Fan on the stand is too noisy and may irritate others around you. You can do some DIY and replace the fan, but why should you! FIIO player app has no search facilities. Here are my notes regarding the M17 perfomance with my headphones. All headphones seemed to sound best using the High gain setting. The Enhanced headphone gain settings just highlighted the issues mentioned. Always played with the equaliser flat. Quick summary of each headphone's measured frequency response is given in brackets. Sennheiser hd25 (generally linear small lift around 3KHz but then drops off). Best with balanced output. Sounded Fantastic. 5 stars. Meze classic 99 balanced with M17 amp headphone output mode. (Slight lift from 1Khz but drops at 7KHz). Lost the characteristic Meze slightly warm smoothness and holistic sound 3 stars. Meze Unbalanced with M17 amp headphone output mode. Improved over balanced output. 4 stars. Meze with Portable Amp. Went from way back in the concert hall to front seat. More palpable instrumentation more dynamic and rhythmical. Showed that the meze are not slow response but able to inject a rhythmical urgency that was missing with the m17 amp. 5 stars Grado 325e (Lifts from 1Khz to 12Khz) Unbalanced output headphone output mode. Great sound but with occasional hardening on high crescendos 4.5 stars. Grado 325e More musical through line out into my Ifi Can portable amp. (5 Stars). Grado RS2 headphone output mode (Undulating lifts after 1Khz to 15Khz) - Always sounded a bit clinical with an unnatural ring to piano and a slight uncomfortable edge to treble. 2 Stars. Grado RS2 Sounded fantastic when played using line-out to my IFi Can portable amplifier (5 Stars) Fixed line-out to Audio-Pro ADDON T3 portable speaker - fantastic, amazing sound 5 Stars. Fixed line out to Little Dot Valve amplifier - doesn't suit the Meze 99 Classic, but all other headphones were more musical than with the M17 amp (5.5 to 6 Stars) all headphones using variable line-out mode. - All improved dramatically. No harshness, more separation. In this mode the musicality of the FIIO stopped being headphone dependent and just made the best of every pair I used. For me this suggests that the internal amp has a non-linear response in the treble region that may not suit headphones or IEMs' with certain frequency responses in this region such as some Grado headphones. It also seemed like the balanced output and enhanced headphone gain settings made this characteristic a bit more prevalent. This is probably part of the THX amp certified sound and it just isn;t good enough for top range hifi.