FiiO’s New M9 Set To Replace X3-series

As is usually the case with trade shows and other expos, manufacturers take advantage of these opportunities to unveil and debut upcoming products. For FiiO, the 2018 High-End AV Show in Hong Kong meant the introduction of the replacement of the entire X3-series, and it’s called the M9.

What’s The M9 All About?

Judging from the pictures of the new device, we can see a strong similarity to both the sharp-edged M7, as well as the more rounded-edges of the Q1 Mark II. Then there’s also the volume dial that is similar to the ones on the X7 Mark II, X5 3rd Gen, and M7, albeit with a slightly new design.

The software is, once again, based on Android, but it is unclear at this stage whether FiiO have opted for the same slimmed-down version of Android as they used in the M7, or if the M9 will have a full-on flavour of Android. One thing is for sure and that is that the M9 does have WiFi, and streaming services do seem to be on the cards. Again, this does suggest the possibility of a full-Android operating system, or possibly something similar to how Astell&Kern integrates certain streaming apps into the OS of their players. 

But speaking of wireless capabilities, the M9 is compatible with various Bluetooth formats, including aptX,aptX HD, LDAC, and HWA(LHDC). There’s also the ability to use the device as a USB DAC, and the USB-C port can be used to direct the digital audio stream to an external DAC device.

In terms of the specs we are seeing the same Exynos 7270 processor being used as in the M7, and for the DAC setup we get something that is either very similar, or identical to what is used in the Q5 and X5 3rd Gen – dual AKM4490 DAC chips.
The built-in battery has a capacity of 2350mAh which FiiO says is sufficient to give the M9 10-hours of continuous playback time and up to 45 days’ worth of standby time.
It supports a wide variety of both lossy and lossless formats, including up to DSD256 (11.2MHz).

Pricing and Availability

FiiO has stated that the M9 will carry a price-tag of roughly $300 and should be released into the market around mid-September 2018.

5 Comments

  1. Hey Theo,

    Nice review! I was randomly checking this out and saw you were the author. lol

    RockStar2005 (from Head-Fi)

  2. does it mean that X5-III still is better than this model and Fiio gonna create some new player to replace X5 line? Thanks

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