Surfans F20 Pro Android Music Player Review – Sonically Addicted
Surfans F20 Pro is a $149 USD DAP or Digital Audio Player with an Android robotic heart, but a vintage shape, very similar to the good old fashioned FiiO X5 that basically started my audiophile journey, and also similar to F20 the original, but with many improvements, yet not a much higher price point.
Introduction
Surfans is a bit of an oddball when it comes to the DAP industry, because they originally made the F20 which was an absolute commercial success and to this date is one of my most watched video reviews on my youtube Channel, but then made other DAPs and IEMS too. The one we review today brings us back to the roots, shape that everyone loved with F20, yet with far improved streaming and features.
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. Audiophile-Heaven has no Ads and our Youtube Channel has no midroll ads, and our work is supported by Affiliate Links and Donations. Huge thanks to Surfans for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4d2Y0mh
Build Quality – Design
As we have grown used to Surfans products, the description of f20 pro is succinct, but popularity of it is extreme. At its base, F20 Pro is an Android Hi-Res Music Player with a Dual ES9018K2M DAC at the core, Android 12, supporting Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Musiccolet and other apps from the Google AppStore. As we have grown used to seeing in this price range, the OP-AMPs used are OPA1612, a chameleon that can deliver a wide selection of sound tunings, and this entire sound part is extremely interesting as it has a multi stage amplifier circuit with OPA1612 and RT6863 pairs powering your headphones.
A huge highlight is the audio amplifier part which can deliver up to 500mW for the 4.4mm balanced output, and Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC support, as well as Dual WiFi support. With a case made from CNC aluminium and a tactile ALPS volume / control wheel, F20 Pro also uses one microSD slot to store your music library. Theoretically, the battery inside is rather small at 2500 mAh, but it is huge for the scope of the DAP, and it delivers up to 10 Hours of battery life. Real life usage is closer to 7-8 hours in my experience, but as it uses a slower Android 12, and a slower CPU, it does not drain a lot of battery in general.
I am getting the feeling that the power output is quoted per channel, so it is 500mW + 500mW for the 4.4mm balanced output, as that same power output is quoted to be 125mW for the SE output, which has to be per channel as this is an odd number. With a weight of just 170 grams, F20 Pro is lighter than my S24 Ultra, and it comes with both a microSD card and a leather case in the package.
A quick comparison between F20 Pro and F20 shows that F20 PRO is a HUGE upgrade from F20 with many features including dual DAC instead of one, a higher dynamic range, higher SNR, and a larger display. The power output is double for the SE output, as it is now 125 mW for the single ended output instead of 70 mW that we have seen on F20, and it is 500mW per channel for the balanced output. Battery is also much larger, as it is 2000mAh instead of the 1500 mAh, but battery life is shorter or the same, as the larger display, higher driving power and Android OS with Wifi and Bluetooth consumes more power than the simpler F20 did.
Subjective Usage
Surfans F20 Pro has a touchscreen but the display is not hidden under a very thick glass part, so you really should be careful about how hard you press on it, as it ripples when I press harder on it, which could cause it to break if you pushed really hard on it. It does not have USB DAC functions, and the screen is just really small, so browsing notifications and options and settings is not a great experience on Android which needs a larger display to really work. The battery inside of the F20 PRO is not glued to it, which means it is very easy to eventually replace, but I don’t see screws to open it quickly, and I can feel the battery moving inside if shaking it.
As I have somewhat large fingers and hands, typing on F20 Pro is almost impossible for me, because on the 2.7″ display I usually cover almost a quarter when touching it with my thumbs which I use for typing. I usually just revert to using either the Surfans music player or installing a different player app on the DAP and just browse using the buttons. The thing is, it can do a lot, like Tidal, but it will mostly be good for browsing playlists you already have, and the less you have to type and search, the better things are.
Although the display is quite small at 2.73″, it has a 320 x 320 pixel resolution, so you can absolutely see individual pixels. Internal memory is quite low at 32 GB, best for storing Tidal offline files, but it can take a microSD card as high as 1 TB, and LDAC support makes F20 Pro a top choice for wireless headphones. The RAM supported is good at 3GB and it is both lightweight and also comes with a nice protective case.
As I see it, it is a really top offline music DAP, with some extra features for when you don’t have a song in your local playlist, but you will not be able to browse games or do much else with the Android system or extra apps. Certain gestures take a lot of fiddling to get right, for example swiping from up to bottom, then browsing that swiped part to find the settings takes a lot of effort. There is a pinhole reset button if F20 Pro hangs, but you are not likely to need it. In the Surfans app, the volume wheel always seems to have the role of adjusting the volume.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Despite all of my concerns with the practical usage and stuff about the design, F20 PRO is a huge upgrade from the original F20 sonically, and it has a very powerful headphone amplifier with a balanced output, so I have used it to test multiple headphones and IEMs including Faith Audio E1000, Grell OAE2, Lily Audio Genesis One, Palma DHS-1, KBEar Cepheus, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, Erzetich Thalia, TinHIFI T7, NFAudio NE4, Sivga Peng, Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced, Soundz Flame, YanYin Canon PRO, Dunu Vulkan 2, Moritz Aura, HarmonicDyne Romantic, Hiby Digital Yume, HIFIMAN Audivina LE, HIFIMAN Ananda Unveiled, Westone Mach 80, BQEYZ Winter II, Fosi Audio IM4, Aune AC55.
Despite its somewhat obvious design limitations, size and cost playing a role, Surfans F20 Pro actually sounds really awesome. It has no audible background hissing or noise with most IEMs, although there is a slight one audible with Campfire Arar. It does have more than plenty of power to drive very needy headphones, up to Faith Audio E1000 and HIFIMAN Audivina LE. It can struggle a bit with Grell OAE2, but in general it is a lively, full and plentiful sounding DAP that handles most loads really well.
Overall Signature – At its core, F20 PRO sounds vivid, dynamic, it is extremely engaging and energetic, and just like the original F20, it delivers a sonic performance far outside of the price range it is selling for. F20 Pro sounds vibrant, musical in the midrange, it really packs a punch and creates a strongly layered, revealing and playful image that is simply addictive to listen to. I find it so good that I would say it competes with and can be above M500 and is comparable to the sound you can get with a setup like a desktop DAC and AMP, especially with IEMS, something like Warmer R2r and Singxer SA-2, having a very similar tuning to this combo in particular. Simply put, for the sound, it simply is an instant win.
Bass – Bass starts early, almost like a sun just rising in the morning, at 20 Hz, but it starts strong. It is a bouncy, big, fun bass that fills up the entire stage, gives IEMS and headphones power, control and delivers a devastating blow. F20 Pro feels powerful, delightful, full and just incredibly potent. If your IEMs can deliver, F20 PRO will not limit them and will sound really punchy.
Midrange – Midrange and voices are sweet, as F20 PRO works equally well for male and female voices, sounding juicy and sweet. This means that it is perfect for both rock, EDM, but also pop and it works well for electronic synths as well as electric guitars. It has far more detail and a higher resolution than you’d expect, at times feeling like it can easily overtake F28 and F35 also from Surfans. Vocal range is superb, as F20 Pro is ultra engaging, it keeps you interested and addicted to its sound.
Treble – Surfans will complement the lively midrange and deep bass with a very sharp, crisp treble that is detailed but has very low noise. I find it simply too good to be true in the tuning, it delivers a lot of cymbal crash energy, and treble does not really roll off at any point, keeping strength up and sound powerful. I find F20 Pro to be the ideal performer for rock, EDM, Pop, and it handles both classical and new music equally well.
Dynamic Range And Textures – F20 Pro is really dynamic and engaging, it has a strong, revealing texture with a superb resolution. It is simply outstanding in how it delivers a juicy, musical texture without ever feeling hard on the ear or dry.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Surfans F20 Pro has a consistent sound, with the same tone regardless of the volume level, superb consistency, and exceptional control. It will not distort one bit even if you approach max volume, although the higher you go, the more dynamic and more engaging the sound will get, with a bigger and more bloomy bass. It handles IEMs a bit better than headphones, having the voltage / power saturation settled more for ultra portables, but it can deliver a good punch with an easier to drive pair of headphones like FiiO Jade JT7.
Soundstage – Surfans gave F20 Pro a wide soundstage with strong instrument separation and layering. It is really good as an analytical performer, and does not gloss over any detail, it extracts everything and presents it right in front of you, in a super detailed and playful fashion. I find it darn perfect for all music styles, but it does not go overboard, so rock, pop and edm fares better than classical and hall / large orchestras.
Value and Conclusion
At the value part, I cannot even fault the F20 PRO. While many things about it feel like cramming features into an entry-level DAP, it has such a low price, and offers so much, such an awesome sound, relative to the market, and it ends up being an incredible deal. It basically feels like an extra super powered F20, and compared to everything you can buy for the money, it offers a much better driving power, sound, more features, and indeed, it is an excellent deal and choice.
Especially if you have a large offline collection of music, the display of F20 Pro is plenty big to browse it, it is plenty fast to stream from Tidal, and although typing on it is hard with thick fingers, it sounds superb and will be an excellent choice for listening, not typing.
PROs
- Very sturdy chassis and it comes with a protective case from the factory
- Strong battery life with fair charging times
- Very high maximum driving power and top performance amplifier + DAC stage
- Just excellent sound in general
- Comes with a microSD card from the factory
- Sonically, it wins instantly for the engaging, full, warm but strongly layered tuning
- Musical and juicy midrange
- Perfect for IEMs and most headphones
- Wide and interesting soundstage
- Analytical and revealing tone that renders a lot of details
- Deep bass with a strong punch and impact
- Superb, just superb sonically
- Does not gloss over details, but renders and presents them to the listener
Cons
- Display is very small, you can see individual pixels and it is sensitive to pressure pushing despite being touch screen
- Most apps are hard to use and browse, especially the Android menu because the display is so small
- Almost impossible to type on it with thick fingers
- Battery inside is not glued and I can feel it moving when I shake the DAP
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4d2Y0mh
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
- If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife-
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
--- Contact Us ---
