Brings Back Cassette Deck Magic – FiiO M21 Music Player DAP
FiiO M21 is a $329 USD Portable Music Player with a unique design that includes a transport case that imitates a cassette player, 4 DACs at the heart, the high-end CS43198, and with a Snapdragon 680 CPU at the core. Today we will review the FiiO M21, and compare it with other similar DAPs including Astell&Kern Activo P1 (429 USD), Hiby R4 (249 USD) and Shanling M3 Plus (469 USD).
Introduction
FiiO has been having an adventure with their latest products, they created Vinyl players, Radios, Speakers, so today we return to the origins, to what brought FiiO popularity and success in the first place – namely DAPs. FiiO M21 is not their best DAP, it is a midrange product, designed to be competitive, while allowing space for the more affordable JM21, but will also not compete directly with either FiiO k17. A big appeal for M21 is how it can simulate a cassette player, so today we study whether it also can sound like one and captivate some of the magic tape brought to music lovers over the past century.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to FiiO for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3InY4Ar
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ok5X8Yy
Build Quality – Design
FiiO brings in their advanced tech with M21, as this DAP has Android 13 at the core, with a Snapdragon 680 CPU powering the DAP. With a weight of 193 grams, it is on the lighter side of things, and it also has a large 4000mAh battery powering it. While most of the competition does only have slower charging, FiiO implemented both PD2.0 and PD3.0 fast charging in the M21. This entire combo allows M21 to play for 15 hours if you’re using the single ended output, and 11 hours if you’re using the balanced output.
FiiO M21 is the kind of DAP with support for streaming, so the 4GB RAM should be enough for streaming, and it has an internal memory of 64 GB, out of which about 52 GB are available for the user. You don’t have to worry about this, as you can install a microSD card up to 2 TB. There are two Type-C inputs, one for data and power and one just for power, if you want to feed M21 a separate power source. There are two headphone outputs, one in the 3.5mm single ended format, which acts as a Headphone Output, Line Out, SPDIF output, and a balanced 4.4mm output which acts as a headphone output and line out.
We also have Bluetoth support, up to BT 5.0, but with a comprehensive transmission codec list supported, including AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC. M21 can act as a Bluetooth DAC, kinda like FiiO BTR 17, a situation in which it supports SBC, AAC and LDAc. Maximum output power for the balanced output is 950 mW per channel, so 950 mW + 950 mW for an impedance of 32 OHMs. SNR is rather high at 126 dB, while Background noise is lower than 1.6 uV.
USB DAC – Subjective Usage
FiiO M21 is one of the few DAPs on the market which can be configured to stop charging, and it will be powered exclusively by hew external power supply, extending battery life. The most important feature of FiiO M21, which sets it apart from other DAPs out there, is the cassette case, which makes it look and act as a Cassette player. This feature requires you to purchase an additional case for M21, which has a price of about 37 USD.
Cassette case is excellent, it has rubber protection all around the corners, you can be sure that the M21 will not scratch, it will not break and not get damaged while it is inside the case. Also, this case has cover buttons, holes on top and bottom to allow for enough space for headphones and type-C cables, and it also has two holes at the back for you to push on M21 and remove it from the case.
Sadly, this case has a plastic display that goes over the display of M21, which has a hazy effect on the display. It is highly reflective and scratches far more easily, and the entire case is really easy to scratch. This cassette case is a really cool idea, but it lowers the colors and resolution / clarity of the display so much that it is hard to recommend. It also runs best if the display is set at max brightness, and only has a basic theme, more like a shuffle usage for M21, which at least for me makes it more of a novelty cool feature / party trick than the way you should be using JM21.
FiiO M21 has a solid, stable software that is flexible, allows you to configure a lot of functions and it generally works really well, is stable and does not have any kind of issues. USB DAC function does not work instantly, especially with high resolution formats, where there is half a second to a second of delay, rendering M21 not fit for real-time music playback. On the other hand, with all other formats is 500ms, which is far too high for real-time playback. EQ and other complex functions work really well and it is quite visible that M21 was designed more to be a portable DAP than a desktop / portable hybrid.
Sound Quality
Pairings and Match-up – To test the new FiiO M21 DAP that acts like a cassette player, I have paired it with a collection of Headphones and IEMs, including HamornicDyne Baroque, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Moritz Dragon, 7Hz Timeless II, Erzetich Mania V2024, Ecoute TH1 (Wired and Wireless), Soundz Flame, Sendy Audio AIVA 2, Fosi Audio i5, Letshuoer Mystic 8, Letshuoer DX1, YanYin Canon PRO, Sivga Peng, ZiiGaat Arcadia, and HIDIZS MK12 Turris, and Tin HiFi P1 MAX II.
Generally, it has an incredibly high driving power, and it can drive HarmonicDyne Baroque and Crosszone CZ8a Enhanced really well, even being able to drive HIFIMAN Arya Organic, HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, and having so much power that I rarely go near 75% of maximum volume. There is no added distortion at maximum volume, and it is very crisp and controlled. Even with sensitive IEMS and Earphones, there is no audible noise and M21 is quite good sonically.
Overall Signature – In fact, despite how the Cassette Deck option is a bit of a gimmick, FiiO M21 has a really solid sonic performance, it sounds detailed, rich, revealing, dynamic and vivid. With a very low coloration, and mostly a natural-neutral presentation, M21 is FiiO’s more balanced approach to sound, similar to how FiiO k17 sounds for desktop, but in a more mini version, M21 is has precision when separating layers and instruments, it has a very clean, balanced and dynamic sound.
Bass – Starting from the bottom, M21 is free of coloration, it stays neutral-natural, having a rounded bass that is fast, delivers a precise and well-defined kick and impact. Tonality is natural, there’s no warm or bright bias, Bass feels right at home if you want to have the default quantity for it. There is a slight preference and emphasis on mid bass over sub bass or upper bass, creating a thumpy sound with most IEMs and headphones.
Midrange – fiiO M21 is clearly tuned for an organic, beautiful, musical midrange, it has a natural voicing for both male and female voices, and mostly a neutral approach to voices. The signature it has is remarkably clean and organic, rich and has a super nice presentation of both male and female voices, it has a clarity and crispness that is rare for the price tag of M21, around 300 USD. It renders rock, metal, EDM, and most recent music nicely, although it is a bit too neutral for classical and older music. There is no beautifying effect, M21 is a transparent lens through which you see and hear music playing as if it was played right in front of you.
Treble – With a bright, brilliant treble extension and neutral presentation, you might expect M21 to be fatiguing, but it has an ever so slightly smooth and refined presentation, it is not harsh nor aggressive, it is smoother, more relaxed in presentation. This treble works quite well for metal, rock and commercial music, has enough bite to keep classical music dynamic and colorful, but I never felt like it can sound fatiguing, even when combined with headphones and IEMs that are by their nature aggressive, bright and fatiguing.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – To make sure the more neutral sound stays fatigue-free, FiiO gave M21 a slightly splashy texture presentation, it renders rich and vivid textures, but has an ever so slightly relaxed touch for the hard edges of textures. Overall, FiiO M21 is quite versatile in how it handles textures, and can stay relaxed despite the rich and highly resolving sound it has.
Volume Control – FiiO M21 has perfect volume control, I hear no difference relative to the volume I am listening at, so high or low, it all sounds controlled, distortion-free and has the same signature, which is an ideal case scenario. It also has a consistent signature with both low-z and high-z headphones and IEMs, it has the same sound all across its volume range, and the loudness saturation gradient is as even as possible.
Soundstage – Like most FiiO DAPs, FiiO M21 focuses on having a strong instrument separation and definition and strong layering, but does not have the widest or most expansive soundstage size. It is instead rather natural in the width and depth, although what you notice first and foremost is how strong the definition of each layer and instrument is.
Comparisons
FiiO M21 vs Astell&Kern Activo P1 (329 USD vs 429 USD) – Activo has a white color, it is heavier, larger and has a lower maximum driving power. M21 has a higher driving power, still it is smaller, more ergonomic, more beautiful in person. Both DAPs have a long battery life, but the USB DAC function of M21 has a much longer delay. Sonically, P1 is more dry, can reveal more information from music at the cost of it also sounding less rich and less organic. FiiO M21 is super musical, clean and organic, has a warmer bass, a smoother treble and a more bloomy sound. Soundstage is a bit wider for M21, and instrument separation is also a bit more vivid and realistic for M21. P1 is great for IEMs, but M21 handles even very hard to drive headphones better despite being considerably smaller and more ergonomic.
FiiO M21 vs Hiby R4 (329 USD vs 249 USD) – R4 is quite an interesting DAP, it has always been popular, but functionally M21 is quite a bit smaller, more compact, feels a bit heavier in hand, and feels more solid. Both have balanced headphone outputs, but M21 has a much higher driving power with less distortion at medium and high volumes, M21 sounds more punchy and more dynamic. With IEMs, M21 has a lower noise floor which is also nice. Firmware is solid and stable for both, but FiiO has a faster CPU, newer Android, support for apps will be better in the long run, and it just is a faster, more reliable DAP, with a higher price point. Sonically, R4 is warmer, smoother and more rounded, while M21 sounds more dynamic, more engaging, more punchy, more colorful, especially in the midrange and the treble, although it has a more neutral bass.
FiiO M21 vs Shanling M3 Plus (329 USD vs 469 USD) – M3 Plus is a recent DAP, quite a bit pricier than M21, but M21 has a more recent CPU, more efficient CPU, a smaller body, more compact and more rich in features. Both DAPs have similar battery life, similar bluetooth and Wifi support, although M3 Plus is available in more colors. Maximum driving power is similar, they handle both IEMs and hard to drive headphones similarly well, although I feel like M3 Plus struggles a bit more with very hard to drive headphones than M21, and M21 even has a lower noise floor with IEMs. M21 sounds more neutral and more natural than M3 Plus, which sounds bloomy, a bit dark, smooth and thick. Out of the two DAPs, FiiO created a natural, color-free, revealing, dynamic and organic sound while M3 Plus has the traditional Shanling house sound with a deeper bass, more warmth, a smoother treble, and less aggressive. This makes M21 more revealing of the true colors of each song, but also makes M3 Plus better if you just want to relax.
Value and Conclusion
FiiO still has some of the best value for a portable music player DAP with their M21, and although the idea of a cassette DAP has the aestehtics drawbacks of a cassette DAP, like a highly reflective case, and bulky design, M21 can be used as a DAP traditionally, situation in which it has an excellent sound, ergonomics, streaming support, fast CPU, and just in general, it is incredibly easy to recommend for the 329 USD price tag it currently has.
Award – You may feel like I did not quite like FiiO M21 as I pointed out every single one of its drawbacks, but I find it super fun, small and beautiful, it has a place in our Hall Of Fame for value, engineering, reliable OS and firmware, and for its excellent sound quality.
At the end of the day, FiiO M21 is not just another DAP, FiiO tried to invest real research and development to make it unique, and while I feel like everything that makes it unique is actually what holds it back, everything that makes it a common DAP is actually excellent, it sounds great, has excellent OS, quick firmware, strong app support, good Wifi, long battery life and it is one of the DAPs I can recommend you the most right now for its price point.
PROs
- Strong clarity and resolution
- Small and ergonomic
- Silicone case included in the package
- Blue with golden accents
- Fast Wifi
- Long battery life
- Reliable firmware
- Strong app support
- Recent Android version
- Balanced headphone output
- Strong driving power
- Low noise with IEMs
- Great overall value
- Vivid, dynamic, neutral-ish but rich and organic sound
- Revealing with a strong instrument separation
Cons
- Cassette Case not that practical
- High USB DAC delay
- Reported sound degradation when being used as a USB DAC
- Not the most intuitive to use, many changes from older FiiO DAPs, firmware wise
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3InY4Ar
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ok5X8Yy
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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