Fiio has expanded its product offering with retro players and other portable digital audio solutions. True to their vision, which they shared with NXT last year, they want to provide consumers with an audio ecosystem beyond headphones and DAPS.
NXT caught up at the FiiO booth at CamJam Singapore, where they shared their latest products.
FX17 Flagship Tribrid IEM
Fiio’s FX17 is the new flagship in-ear headphones that pack one dynamic driver, four balanced armature drivers, and eight electrostatic drivers, totalling 13 drivers per side.
This is a huge step up from the FX15, which contains 1 dynamic, 1 BA, and 4 electrostatic drivers. Fiio shared that the FX17 is the result of 18 years of acoustic expertise to deliver this final product. It is the second product to use electrostatic drivers, doubling the number of drivers from the predecessors to overcome the masking effect and increase sound pressure levels to make the drivers more audibly perceptible.
A five-way crossover has been precisely tuned to balance energy distribution among the driver and ensures each unit operates in its optimal state, resulting in a grander soundstage and more natural sound.
To further elevate the flagship status, the FX17 comes with generous accessories like 22 pairs of eartips, three audio plugs including a Type-C connector with built-in digital decoding and DSP, as well as a serialised commemorative nameplate.
FT7 Flagship Open Planar Magnetic Headphones
The FT7 is the flagship open-back headphone. Fiio has expanded the FT-series rapidly over the past years, beginning with the FT3 in 2023.
Pushing the boundaries further, the FT7 features a self-developed 106mm large planar driver coating in both gold and silver that is 1um thin, allowing it to deliver exceptional details and speed.
M21 Hi-Res Portable Music Player
The M21 is a successor to the JM21. While the processor and OS remain the same, the DAC has doubled to four CS43198 matrix DACS. It also supports desktop/portable dual power mode to draw external power and increase to 950 mw.
To satisfy audiophiles, it comes with 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors. We liked the compact design with a full 4.7-inch display running on Android 13. Consumers can ride on the retro wave with a cassette-styled protective case.
QX13 Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier
The QX13 is essentially a USB DAC dongle with a 1.99-inch colour display. It only works when connected via USB Type-C, with which there are numerous functions like 10-band PEQ adjustment, displaying the audio file resolution, and capable of delivering 900 mw output power per channel.
Audio quality is assured with ESS 8-channel ES9027PRO DAC and 4x Texas Instruments INA1620 op-amps. It will go on sale in late Q2.
Snowsky ANYTIME Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones
I was impressed with the size of these on-ear headphones. Snowsky is Fiio’s sub-brand targeting youth, and these headphones fit the profile.
Connecting wirelessly to your device via Bluetooth 5.4, the ANYTIME wireless headphones support ANC and deliver 58 hours of battery life. It will be a winner if only the headphones can be folded for even more compact storage. Availability will be announced.
SA1 High-Fidelity Desktop Active Speaker
Not just another active speaker, the SA1 boasts a large number of connectivity options, including RCA, Coaxial, USB, Optical, and even Phono. Yes, the SA1 has a built-in phono preamp, so you can connect your favourite turntable directly. There is also a Sub-out connector to connect an active subwoofer. In Bluetooth audio, the SA1 supports LDAC high-definition audio.
Another great feature is the built-in 31-band PEQ to let you tune your desired frequency response curve using the smartphone. A physical volume knob at the side allows quick adjustments. It is available now in Singapore for S$299.
RR1 Ultra-Slim Portable Radio
Fiio knows how to make retro products look and feel good. The RR11 is just a simple analogue-wheel radio, but its sleek aluminium alloy shell elevates this tiny device into a premium listening device. While this seems like a basic FM receiver, Fiio throws in the same Hi-Fi quality circuit design to ensure the listener gets the highest quality sound over analogue radio waves.
On top of that, you can also use the RR11 as a DAC when connecting to your USB device. Not too bad for a S$89 device.
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