Fiio is launching merchandise sooner than Xiaomi, and that is a sizeable feat in and of itself contemplating simply what number of issues Xiaomi rolls out on a month-to-month foundation.
The most recent launch is concentrated on the digital audio participant class, one which Fiio has dominated lately. The model’s M sequence of merchandise are extremely regarded, and having used the $499 M11S for just a few months now, I can attest to its sound high quality.
The M15S sits one tier greater in Fiio’s portfolio, and it’s accessible for $999. That is loads of money for a music participant, however the M15S is packed filled with helpful options: it is mainly an Android system with out the cellphone bits, and as a substitute you get a high-end DAC and all of the connectors you want for hooking up your audio gear.
I used the M15S for over a month now, and here is what you’ll want to know in regards to the music participant.
Fiio M15S: Pricing and availability
Fiio launched the M15S earlier within the 12 months, and the music participant is now accessible on the market in all international markets the place the model has an official presence. The audio participant retails for $999 on Amazon (opens in new tab) in North America, and it’s accessible at most main audio retailers. It is bought in a single coloration choice, and there is a single variant that features all of the equipment you’ll want to get began.
Fiio M15S: Design
Fiio has a definite design aesthetic that focuses on angular strains and daring styling, and the model outdid itself with the design of the M15S. The system has a curvier design than its siblings, with flowing curves on all sides and rounded buttons, and whereas that is completely different to the likes of the boxier M11S, Fiio went with an etched diamond-cut sample on the again that appears fabulous.
This sample jogs my memory of comparable designs utilized by Chinese language cellphone producers just a few years in the past, and it appears to be like simply as hanging on the M15S. The chassis of the M15S is made out of aluminum — as you’d think about for a product on this class — and it feels sturdy and sturdy. To guard the entrance and rear panes of glass, you will discover a luxurious leather-based case bundled within the field. The truth is, the M15S is tucked into the case on the manufacturing unit, and it’s delivered that manner — guaranteeing the system would not get broken whereas in transit.
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The leather-based case offers you entry to all of the ports whereas offering an extra layer of safety, and whereas I typically do not use instances basically, I did not thoughts utilizing the one Fiio bundled with the M15S. It feels nice in-hand and provides to the upmarket look of the participant.
Persevering with with the design, the M15S has a quantity knob on the prime, and it features a tiny LED ring mild. You will discover the ports subsequent to the quantity knob, and there is a single-ended 3.5mm port together with balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm ports.
Either side of the M15S have rounded buttons; the left consists of the facility and music playback controls, and the correct aspect homes the quantity rocker and a customizable button that can be utilized for any motion you want. There’s additionally a Maintain toggle that locks the display, stopping any mistouches.
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You will discover the USB-C port on the backside, and this can be utilized for charging in addition to connecting to focus on units. There’s additionally a MicroSD card slot on the backside, and the M15S homes MicroSD playing cards as much as 2TB in measurement, so for those who’ve bought a big offline music library and also you wish to carry it with you, that is potential right here.
Fiio is understood for being beneficiant with equipment, and it is no completely different with the M15S. You additionally get all of the cables you want, together with USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to Lightning, and there is a USB-C to USB-A dongle if you wish to join the participant to your Home windows machine to make use of as a DAC.
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Probably the most attention-grabbing addition is a DK3S foldable cooling stand that is meant to be used with the M15S. The stand sells for $39 by itself, and with the M15S working sizzling underneath load, it is comprehensible that the model is bundling the fan with the package deal — it did one thing comparable with the Q7 DAC as properly.
I just like the design of the M15S fairly a bit; it feels rather more premium than the $499 M11S, and that sample on the again is a sight to behold.
Fiio M15S: Display and {hardware}
The M15S is Fiio’s flagship digital audio participant, and it’s packing loads of attention-grabbing {hardware}. The participant has a 5.5-inch LCD panel with a decision of 1440 x 720, and whereas I might have points with that on an Android cellphone, it really works very well for this use case.
The display itself is vibrant and has zero points relating to outside visibility, and there isn’t any latency right here. That is right down to the {hardware} on provide; the M15S is powered by the 14nm Snapdragon 660, and when you will not discover it on any cellphone at the moment, it’s greater than sufficient for the music participant. There’s 4GB of RAM as properly together with 64GB of built-in storage (45GB is usable), and I did not see any points switching between music streaming providers.
You simply get 9 hours of battery life because of the 6,200mAh battery, and it hasn’t been a difficulty in my use case. Fiio says it’s optimizes battery charging instances to extend longevity, and seeing as how this can be a sealed unit, that is an excellent factor. What is not nice is the charging time itself — it takes over 3.5 hours to totally cost the M15S. Whereas it is not wherever near even mid-range Android phones, you are unlikely to wish to cost this factor in the course of the day, so I do not thoughts the sluggish charging instances.
There’s additionally the power to make use of the M15S in a desktop configuration by connecting it to a USB PD charger, and on this mode, it would not use the interior battery in any respect, and also you get a better energy restrict.
On the entire, there’s nothing to fault by way of the {hardware}. Fiio did a stellar job on this space, and whereas I might have favored to see extra battery life, 9 hours of music playback over the balanced 4.4mm port ought to be first rate sufficient for many customers.
Fiio M15S: Software program and connectivity
Fiio did not change too many issues on the software program entrance. The M15S nonetheless runs Android 10, and that looks like an oversight contemplating there are gamers these days that function Android 12 out of the field. I can perceive the reasoning for persevering with with Android 10; Fiio made loads of audio-related customization to the vanilla Android interface to take full benefit of the audio {hardware}, and it must rework all these parts if it had to make use of Android 12 as a basis. Nonetheless, I would like Fiio to do higher on this space.
That stated, the interface is fluid, and there isn’t any bloat to be discovered. Fiio has its personal app retailer that allows you to set up standard music streaming providers, and because of Google Cellular Companies, you get full entry to the Play Retailer. The interface would not have any customization, so it’s similar to vanilla Android 10, and which means you get the older notification pane with rounded toggles and a card-style overview menu. You will discover a system-wide darkish mode right here, and navigation gestures.
Fortunately, there’s nothing lacking on the connectivity entrance. You get all of the ports you want, together with the single-ended 3.5mm jack, balanced 4.4mm and a couple of.5mm ports, and USB-C for connecting to different units. There’s line out for all of the ports, and you need to use the three.5mm as a coaxial interface.
It is a comparable scenario relating to wi-fi connectivity. The M15S has Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6, and it consists of all of the wi-fi codecs you will ever want: SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC. There are completely no points on this entrance, and one function that I notably like is Roon integration.
I not too long ago began utilizing Roon to handle my music library, and it has been a revelation. I will do an in depth function on the service very quickly, however Roon is actually one of the best resolution for managing giant music libraries. It has a contemporary UI that is straightforward to navigate, kinds your library mechanically by artists, albums, genres, and different metadata, and has its personal set of codecs that ensures you get one of the best audio high quality.
I wasn’t fairly certain why a music participant that does not have any streaming of its personal prices $15 a month, however I now perceive its potential. In case you have a big offline music library, you should give Roon a try. The M15S works seamlessly with Roon, and it has been an absolute pleasure to make use of the system to stream tunes from my music assortment.
Fiio has its personal music shopper bundled out of the field, and it does a good sufficient job in its personal proper. To spherical out the options, the M15S has six modes on provide: Android mode is the default, and it has the total Android interface. Pure Music Mode switches to Fiio Music, and you do not get entry to the Android UI. You may as well use the M15S as a USB DAC, or use it as a Bluetooth receiver, as an AirPlay goal, and as a Roon Prepared system.
Mainly, the M15S is without doubt one of the most feature-rich music gamers round, and for those who’re already utilizing a finances or mid-range choice and wish to swap to a flagship, this may serve you very properly.
Fiio M15S: Sound high quality
Coming to the audio aspect of issues, the M15S options the flagship ESS ES9038Pro 8-channel DAC, the identical that is present in a slate of the model’s merchandise, together with the Q7 DAC and the K9 Professional. Not like the K9 Professional, the M15S has a single DAC module, and it goes as much as 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 in USB DAC mode and 32-bit/768KHz and DSD512 in USB audio mode. There’s additionally MQA right here — permitting you to make use of Tidal with the participant — and it unfolds at 8x.
The important thing distinction with the M15S over a few of the different Fiio merchandise is that it misses out on THX amps, as a substitute utilizing twin OPA926 amps. Now, this will probably be a degree of competition for some customers because the THX {hardware} produces a clear sound that grew to become a attribute of Fiio DACs during the last 18 months, however the M15S nonetheless retains the model’s signature tuning, and the tonality befits a flagship product.
There’s rather more readability within the low-end versus the M11S, and I discovered mids to be extra partaking, with vocals coming by means of with loads of airiness. The treble is clear and particulars, with no trace of sibilance or harshness. The most effective a part of the M15S is the low-end tuning; you get a extremely partaking bass that pairs properly with a number of genres, and the participant actually shines when used with planar headsets just like the Audeze LCD-X and Moondrop Venus.
Imaging and dynamics are glorious, and the M15S brings one of the best out of your audio gear. On that notice, there’s greater than sufficient energy to go round right here, and with Fiio providing 5 achieve ranges in complete, the M15S can drive any IEM or headset available in the market at the moment, no matter how demanding it could actually get. After all, you’ll be able to flip that as much as 11 by connecting it to a wired energy supply.
Fiio M15S: The competitors
If you need a high-end music participant, the Shanling M6 Extremely is a good various to think about. It retails for $919 on Amazon (opens in new tab), and a key differentiator is that it makes use of AKM’s AK4493SEQ in a quad-DAC configuration. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 665, runs Android 10, has a 5-inch 1080p display, and has an evocative design. It consists of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 6, and comes with a 3.5mm and balanced 4.4 port, and delivers the identical 9-hour battery life because the M15S. It misses out on Roon integration, however you get MQA unfolding at 16X, and it’s marginally extra reasonably priced.
Should you do not wish to shell out that a lot money, Fiio’s M11S continues to be a stellar choice for $499 (opens in new tab). Positive, you miss out on a few of the niceties, however it delivers incredible sound that is practically on par with the M15S, and it additionally has Roon integration and all of the connectivity choices. There are first rate financial savings available right here, and what the M11S misses out in magnificence it makes up for in worth.
Fiio M15S: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if:
- You need one of the best moveable music participant
- You want all of the wired and wi-fi connectivity choices presently accessible
- You desire a moveable participant that may drive any IEM or headset
- You want a clear sound that is partaking
- You want Roon integration
- You desire a participant with a hanging design
You should not purchase this if:
- You want a music participant with a latest model of Android
- You need over 10 hours of battery life
With the M15S, Fiio is constant its streak of launching one nice product after one other. The M15S delivers a lot of the options of the flagship M17 whereas costing $800 much less, and the sheer variety of options make it a straightforward advice. The design is elegant whereas nonetheless being according to the model’s total aesthetic, it’s lag-free in each day use, has a clear Android interface with helpful customizations to get probably the most out of your audio gear, and delivers first rate battery life.
The tonality and steadiness on provide with the M15S ensures you will get one of the best out of no matter IEM and headset you hook up with the participant; that has been the case in my utilization during the last month. I additionally must reiterate simply how good the bundled leather-based cowl is; it makes utilizing the M15S that rather more pleasurable. And naturally, Roon integration is an enormous differentiator for my very own use case, and it has been a delight to entry the service on the M15S.
Should you’re available in the market for a flagship digital audio participant, you will discover few choices which can be pretty much as good because the M15S. Positive, you will get the M11S for half the money, however in order for you the very best that Fiio has to supply proper now, the M15S is the apparent selection.
The M15S combines a sublime design with a sturdy chassis, and also you get a big display, nice {hardware}, and all of the ports you want in a high-end music participant. Fiio completely nailed the tonal steadiness, and the M15S will deliver one of the best out of your audio gear.