Going Back To The Birth Of Music Broadcast – FiiO RR11 Portable Stereo Radio
FiiO RR11 is a $59 USD portable stereo radio with a Magic Bass effect, 13mm ultra thin aluminium body, and Analog PVR Tuning. Today we will go back to the birth of music broadcast, explore how a Radio can fare in 2025, and whether FiiO RR 11 is a good purchase today.
Introduction
While FiiO has been increasing the number and type of products they design, it was only a matter of time before they explored a Radio, and the RR11 we are reviewing today is a truly magical one with FM and DAC AMP dual operating modes, and a ultra-wide FM band coverage.
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 us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3YrsHtS
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFw4eiH
Build Quality/Aesthetics
Both my photos and any photos you will see online will make RR11 feel kinda big, but it is incredibly small, sturdy and looks really professional, like all FiiO products really. While the idea of owning a radio in 2025 feels more like you’re an off-the-grid crazy person, this is how music broadcasting took birth, and if you can find a good station, you can have endless fun, listen to others and their broadcasts while in your free time.
We have one of the richest package, including RR11, a type-c to type-C short cable, Type-A to Type-A short cable, and FiiO JF11 earbuds, along with a set of foam tips for the earbuds. I feel like this package is one of the best there are, and the fact that RR11 has two working modes only makes it so much better. This is not just a radio, it is both an FM radio, but also a USB DAC / Headphone AMP, if you use the included Type-C to Digital output cable to power it.
If we’re talking about size, RR11 is 83x39x13 mm, or roughly the size of a pocket lighter. The entire unit, including the volume wheel and the radio seek are made of aluminium, and this analogic radio wheel is designed to emulate the PVR tuning. You can lock onto each radio station, and you can feel how you physically touch each station, and the availability of each station varies with your geographic location, and signal strength.
To power the RR11, FiiO went for a Silicon Labs Si4831 FM Radio Chip, and it allows for a clear and stable reception, and with a built-in antenna, plus using the built-in high performance PCB signal gain antenna, it should be able to receive the cleanest signal available in your region.
USB DAC / Subjective Usage
FiiO RR11 feels really nice, it is ergonomic, portable and fun, lightweight, and it covers all FM bands supported in Romania. I was able to listen to radio stations I did not know existed here in Bucharest, and although it saddens me greatly that right now I live in a spot I want to run away and move from as quickly as possible, I can confirm that it receives strong signals even if you’re deep inside a block, even within thick concrete walls.
One thing I want to make clear is that RR11 does not have a USB DAC / AMP input, but either FM input, or AMP input, and to use it, you have to use the short type-c to type-c cable to use RR11 as a Headphone Amplifier. FiiO RR11 is powered by an internal lithium battery which allows it to run for over 8.5 hours, and it can be used while charging. In AMP mode, it consumes less power, and should offer up to 17.5 hours of battery life. The color we have is a cold gray color, which I like a lot, but you can also go for black, red or warm gray.
Although we get the FiiO JF11 earbuds, I personally cannot use earbuds, they fall out of my ears immediately. To check the battery level, you have a set of lights at the bottom, and there is a locked in light, which shows you when you have locked onto a radio station, and there’s a stereo locked light at the top of the radio stripe.
Sound Quality
Pairings and Match-up – To test the FiiO RR11 Radio, I have combined it with a multitude of IEMS, including Campfire Moon Rover, Moritz Dragon, NF Acous NM20, ZiiGaat Arcadia, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, HeartField Blanc, Soundz Flame, Tin HIFI P1 MAX II. It can drive all of those, you generally cannot hear a self-noise or hissing, but you can hear the static noise in between radio stations across all stations. Maximum output power is low, at 30mw per channel for a 16 OHM impedance or 40mW per channel for a 32 OHM impedance. The associated THD is 0.3%, and SNR is 45dB.
Overall Signature – FiiO RR11 does not have an obvious signature, it is neutral, clean, crisp and has a strong resolution / detail. In fact, it has one of the most transparent, high-resolution and detailed presentations out there, and I really like how it renders crisp details and an extended treble presentation, with a deep rumble and nice bass.
Bass – Right from the bottom, we have a fairly deep bass, although RR11 does not focus much on the low-end, and at most it feels slightly neutral in the lows. You can enhance this by using the Magic Bass button, which enhances the bass from 40 Hz all the way to about 120 Hz, giving sound an analogic bloom, bass, lowering transparency, and giving all music a bigger body and more impact. Going for the 2nd level on the Magic bass does not add more bass, but actually adds more treble, and a 3D soundstage effect that is baked in the hardware part of the RR11.
Midrange – Moving forward to the mids, by default we have a clean, crisp midrange with an impressive level of detail. There is a big difference in clarity, signal stability and overall presentation if you’re using it as a DAC / Headphone AMP compared to using RR11 as a radio. Radio stations do not have the clarity / crispness of the DAC included in the cable provided by FiiO. This being said, it is still plenty nice, and even if being used as a radio, RR11 has plenty of detail and a crisp sound, musical voicing.
Treble – We get a really nice crisp treble extension, with treble racing as high as 16 kHz, crisp, sparkly and energetic. To get the best treble extension, you have to use RR11 in USB DAC / headphone Amplifier mode, as using it in Radio mode usually allows for a treble extension only as high as 10 kHz, above which there’s a fairly sharp roll-off, at least for most radio stations available in Romania.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – FiiO RR11 has plenty of detail, sharp textures, feels really revealing, crisp and a bit edgy. This kind of sound is great for rock, metal, EDM, modern music, pop and even classical. It has strong resolution, revealing abilities, but this is all true if using it as a DAC / Headphone AMP, as otherwise you are at the mercy of the signal reception. Usually, if the stereo link LED kicks in, the sound will be really crisp, clean and nice.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – FiiO RR11 works best for easy to drive IEMs, and while it can get somewhat loud with headphones too, it can struggle to achieve the same dynamic range, impact, and even some harder to drive IEMS can sound underpowered. This being said, if you don’t listen too loud, you will be okay.
Soundstage – If width is what you’re looking for, RR 11 is really wide, holographic, expanded and has a beautiful staging. High degree of instrument separation and a nice resolution are both parts of how it handles the staging, with a sound that is wide but not extremely deep. Using Magic Bass closes the soundstage a lot, and makes the sound really intimate and closed-in, but using the 2nd level, enables the 3D processing which brings back the soundstage, while balancing out the bass.
Value and Conclusion
FiiO RR11 has a really low price, but a rich package, rich set of accessories, looks and feels awesome, being an outstanding value in today’s market, even compared to other FiiO products.
At the end of the day, FiiO RR11 is a versatile product, with a nice build quality, it is crisp in sound, has a high degree of textures, and is simply awesome, being a fully recommended product in general, but a great little radio in general.
PROs
- Capable FM processing
- Strong signal reception
- High driving power for IEMs
- Crisp, detailed, technical sound
- Beautiful and lightweight design
- Favorite option / choice for a little radio
Cons
- Can struggle with hard to drive Headphones
- Complicated setup for using it as a DAC / Headphone AMP
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3YrsHtS
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFw4eiH
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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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