Verdict
Not for the first sentence and hopefully not for the last , FiiO has redefined the significance of entry stage – the JM21 digital sound recording player is a really impressive accomplishment
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Just because we ’re all used to FiiO turn out extensively specified and well - made products without charging an branch and a leg for them , that ’s no reason to get blasé about it .
It would be easy to take this JM21 digital audio player for concede on the basis that it ’s just FiiO doing what FiiO does – but really , this is a product that in many ways deserve celebrating . Let me explicate …
Design
The FiiO JM21 is minor thanyour mean smartphone – which make a nice change for a intersection case that often can be so fully grown that the discussion portable does n’t mechanically apply . And it ’s dainty and unaccented , too , which means it can easily be carried in a sack without doing irreparable damage to your tailoring .
A slew of this trimness is thanks to the use of atomic number 13 and charge card for the bulk of the anatomy . The rearward one-half of the machine is made of plastic ( nicely patterned credit card at the rear , what ’s more ) , while the top one-half ( which is sky blue to contrast with the back ’s ash grey ) is of aluminium . The front is all glass – it ’s a 4.7 - inch , 750 x 1334 touch screen that ’s bright and responsive .
The top edge of the JM21 is featureless , but the other three sides all have something going on . The leftover edge sport a power on / off release and a volume up / down rocker , along with a footling extend William Tell - tale , and the good edge has play / pause , skip forwards and skip backwards buttons . It also has a slot for a microSD placard .
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On the bottom there ’s a USB - C slot that ’s for charging the 2400mAh battery or for data transportation , and a duo of output socket – one is a hybrid unbalanced 3.5mm / SPDIF output , the other a balanced 4.4 mm alternative .
Specification
As I said right at the origin , it ’s easy to take FiiO ’s ability to charge relatively trivial for quite a lot entirely for granted . But the JM21 has a feature - set and stipulation that honestly make its £ 179 ask price look like it might conceivably be a literal error .
It ’s fitted with twin Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chipsets for compatibility with resolutions up to 32 - bit/384kHz and DSD256 when it ’s functioning as an audio role player . They ’re arranged in a fully balanced form with their partnering SGM82862 op - amps . The main control , DAC and headphone amp section are shielded and insulate in their own zones , in a crusade to minimise signal interference and cross - talk .
Connect the FiiO to , say , a laptop via its USB - ampere-second socket and it can function as a USB DAC – in this configuration it ’s able-bodied to deal with 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 . Or if you decide to utilize it as a source connect to a full - size system , a powered speaker or what - have - you , it has three gain scope , each with a dissimilar loudness curve , to help match its output to the elaboration that ’s receive it . ‘ LO ’ is idealistic for use with external amplification , of class , while ‘ Planck’s constant ’ leave sufficient oomph to major power even the most demanding earphone .
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Wireless connectivity is available via dual - band Wi - Fi , which meansApple AirPlayand Chromecast are useable – and the FiiO is DLNA - compatible too . On top of this , the JM21 is a two - way Bluetooth equipment that uses the 5.0 version – as a transmitter it ’s compatible with SBC , AAC , aptX , aptX HD , LDACand LHDC codecs , while as a receiver it can handle SBC , AAC and LDAC .
The operating system is a fairly heavy rework version of Android 13 – the JM21 use an 8 - core version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 central processor , which goes a long way to explaining why it ’s so rapid in its responses . FiiO is undecided about how much Android 13 eats into the player ’s 3 G of RAM , though , and so suggests only download music - pour apps and avoiding any non - essential poppycock – and also prompts you to debar consort multiple apps simultaneously .
32 G of ROM is another fairly tight number ( but hey , economies have to be made somewhere , correct ? ) and it look even less impressive when you realise only 22 GiB is operable . The microSD slot will take cards of up to 2 TB , though – and even if you do n’t need all that store , you ’ll almost sure as shooting needsome . So do n’t forget to budget for it .
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Use the JM21 ’s unbalanced yield , listen at moderate volume , and the barrage should last you over 12 minute between charges – which is n’t bad at all . Even if you take heed quite meretricious via the balanced end product , you should get nine hours or so . And should the worst happen , charging from flat to full takes around two hours .
There ’s more , inevitably , but despite the fact that the FiiO uses custom quartz oscillator with ceramic gold - plated nucleotide , screened at the femtosecond level to ensure consistent , stable output , or that the histrion has a proprietary digital audio purification organisation that divide the main processing module to the conscientious objector - processing equivalent weight , I suppose the broad breaker point is sufficiently made . Here ’s a machine that could n’t be any more FiiO in its ‘ specification / require price ’ proportion if it try out .
Performance
I ’ll start with the only meaningful negative I can find , and then quickly move on – because the FiiO JM21 haswaymore positives than negative to discuss .
So if you ’re a reckless sort of hearer , and you like to dial in as much volume as the JM21 is able to give , you ’ll find it a rather shouty , rather two - dimensional listen . In these circumstances , it sound distressed . So do the sensible thing and turn it down a bit .
Because if you do so , you ’ll find oneself the JM21 has the measure of digital audio players that cost twice as much . No matter if you heed to a 320kbps MP3 of Just Like Honey by The Jesus and Mary Chain via the AAC codec , a somewhat lossy 24 - bit/88.2kHz FLAC file cabinet of Doechii ’s Denial is a River or a DSD64 file of No Expectations by The Rolling Stones via the 4.4 mm balanced output signal , the FiiO is a balanced , insightful and entertaining listen . It gives every impression of being just as engaged by the medicine as you are .
Detail levels are high across the board , and the soundstage it make is so broad and so well - define that even the most transitory , peripheral details are capable to be put into convincing setting . Even hectic , factor - large transcription are lay out in controlled and convincing fashion , with enough elbow joint - room for each part to do its matter without being impact on by whatever ’s occur around it . But this very pleasant sensation of space does n’t prevent the JM21 from presenting music as a unified and singular occurrence .
The tonic balance is fractionally on the cooler side of neutral , but it ’s convincing nonetheless – and the frequency response is smooth and even - handed from top to bottom . There ’s great low - frequency restraint apparent , so rhythmic construction is never an exit , and the FiiO are as fluent and give away through the midrange as the best alternatives at twice the price . They have a well - judged degree of bite and attack at the top of the frequency range , and are alert to even the most minor harmonised variations at every degree .
dynamical headway is impressive , too – when the band ( or better yet , the orchestra ) shifts into full attack mode and really ramp up the intensity , the JM21 is able to cover the change and make them dead obvious . And it ’s just as accomplished when it comes to unwrap the smaller dynamic variations evident in , say , an unaccompanied phonation or a solo instrument .
Should you buy it?
Even by its own established standards , FiiO has outdone itself here – the JM21 face , feel and , most importantly , sounds like a more expensive product than it is
You desire a digital audio player because you want to listen to hi - atomic number 75 sound recording , presumably – and the JM21 does n’t have enough store to hold all that much of it . So a microSD card is a compulsory leverage
Final Thoughts
I ’m not even all that surprised . If anyone is go to show up with a heavyset , well made , impressively specified and very well - sounding digital audio recording instrumentalist that well undercuts the mostaffordable of its direct competitionby quite a margin , it ’s run low to be FiiO – and yet I find myself impressed by how squarely the company has hit the bull’s - middle nonetheless .
Is the JM21 perfect ? Not quite , as I trust I ’ve made cleared . Is it utter for someone who wants a predilection of what a proper DAP can do for them without take to deal a kidney to recover out ? You bet your boot it is .
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How we test
I essay the FiiO JM21 for the integrality of a work calendar week , using euphony from the Presto and TIDAL streaming apps as well as hive away on a 512 GB SanDisk micro SD card .
I used a variety show of music , of course , of legion unlike file types and size . And I listened using wireless headphones ( via a figure of different Bluetooth codecs ) , wire headphones ( via both balanced and sick turnout ) , some Bluetooth speakers and also firmly - wired the player into my reference stereophony organisation .
FAQs
It sure can – just make a connexion to your computer using the player ’s USB - hundred socket and its DAC will pass over the level with your laptop computer ’s tantamount
Its operating system does , certain – but its comparative deficiency of computer memory does not . intimately to puzzle to what you bought the FiiO for – take heed to medicine , and do so using just one open app at a time
As of right now , there are not . And anyway , what ’s wrong with two - tone silver - and - sky - blue angel ?
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It is rated IPX5 , which mean it should be able to resist spraying , exertion and what - have - you without problems . Do n’t go swimming with it , though …
Full Specs
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