Great vid and review Andy. I just use my phone with micro SD card through a dongle. Was wondering how do you get your music on your dap device, cd rips or file downloads?
Fantastic review, Andy! 😃 I would consider this Fiio DAP as my "endgame" DAP. I'm currently using Hiby R3 ii, and I'm either considering Hiby R4 or Moondrop MIAD 01 as my next DAP unless Fiio releases a more budget friendly DAP. Fiio is undoubtedly my go to brand for DAC and DAP but all their DAP are not budget friendly. Hopefully soon!
Thanks. I do believe the asking price matches the goods in the case for FiiO upper tier DAPs, so much usable features on top of great sound. So it may be worthwhile to save up and be done with a DAP that will serve for a long time
I love my Miad01 , sd worked for me and after last update they fixed lot of what you complained about , it now shows volyme nr1-100 the audible refreschrate in KHz in upper left, in audioconsole you has a 8 band manual EQ and preset EQ from moondrop as the dusk dsp. Woul be nice if you borrow it from your daugther and evaluate this new futures from a pro reviewer perspective.
Great review Andy! 👍🏼👍🏼 Can you compare the M23 with the iBasso DX 170? I actually love the way the iBasso is tuned. I like the warm, detailed and cozy sound, how would it differ from the AKM DAC?
Thanks, I haven't tried DX170 so I have no idea how they compares. I will not assume until I have the opportunity to try them myself. If I do get my hands on DX170, then I will get back on this subject
First off let me start off by saying that I absolutely love your videos I love your real world take on the audio genre. I love your comparisons 100 and I think that you provide us with a great source of normalcy to this overhyped market. Now with that being said I would really like you to do an in-depth video on the difference between daps. Because at the end of the day this is nothing more than an high end MP3 player. And I'm not understanding why we are acting like because it could support 4.4 mm headphone jack or it has one watt of power that this somehow means that it should cost as much as a standard Android cell phone all of these apps come with at best low to mid-range phone specs. And when you look at the phones that dominate the specs they usually are around 4 to 500 bucks. Yet somehow if you take that $500 low-end phone and you remove the cellular component. You remove the high-end touch screen display add you add a headphone jack and amplifier and somehow this is supposed to justify the jump in price tag over a phone when you yourself and I have to be honest because of your recommendations I have bought dongles that have given me and other users so much more functionality over their phone than ever before at not even half the cost of these daps. Please because I have asked others to do this and they have not so far so now I'm asking you can you make an in-depth video on the true pros and cons of having a digital audio player over a high-end dongle. Because truthfully I'm not really seeing the value in buying something like this and as a member of the audiophile community I have spoken to others who feel the same way and I would just like somebody of credible stature like yourself to help bring some clarity to this issue
Thanks for the support. I understand your perspective and this is something that I used to see as well. The what and why. Ultimately, it all becomes too confusing if you yourself don't set your own borderline, when we use what others perceive as Endgame to influence our own needs. Endgame should be set by us, by what we deem as fulfilling and the ones that gives us joy the most, no matter the price (be it super cheap or super expensive). The existence of different form of devices are not always about "which one is better", but to serve different needs and different preferences, while some find it totally viable to use direct phone out from their phones, some find it super cumbersome hence the need to use a dedicated DAP to handle purely music playback, with lots of options to tweak here and there (many things that you can't do on a phone). I keep my perspective open, I will not judge why a person would choose one device over the other, it is their money to spend and their choice on what or how they want to spend it, for as long as they are happy with it. My focus has always been to describe what an item could offer and how the audience would perceive that as useful or not useful to them. But yes, when I have the time I would like to do this video of why you would want to use one over the other, but I would never assert one should use this or that because of my personal preferences. Cheers
I am very happy that you are also reviewing and comparing a potentially good DAPs and DAC/AMP Combos! But can you also give scores to the sound? (Like the scores you are giving to the Dongles) Thanks 🙏
Hello. Just asking. Have you consider to review aftermarket C to C cable like those from DDHiFI TC05 or TC07? And have you tried C to C cable that usually used for charging to use it on DAC?
I did consider it and perhaps will do one when I have the time. Yes I use USB C cables that are data capable like Magtame cables that I reviewed here in my channel, most data cables will work properly for DAC
Andy, many thanks for this review. I have a questions regarding your comparison with Q15. How would rate these two devices when it comes purely to sound performance. Apart from small differences in tuning/sound signature (more neutral vs more organic), does Q15 match M23 when it comes to other sound aspects?
Aside from what I have mentioned in this video, Q15 and M23 are on par when it comes to resolution, imaging, dynamic transients handling and energy. Also M23 is slightly wider with soundstage while Q15 favors more traditional AKM frontal staging
@@donglemadness Much appreciate your response, Andy. So, from the perspective of an HD600 owner who is not necessarily looking for a portable device Q15 seems to be more reasonable choice. Although I must say this smooth clearness and openness of M23's sound is tempting. On the other note, do you think you will have a chance to listen to the newest FiiO K9 AKM version (AK4191EQ+AK4499EX)?
I really appreciate your in depth reviews thank you. I'm still curious about the blind test between a smartphone and the m23. Just wanted to know how much of a differences in terms of sound quality so i can decide if it worth buying a dap instead of continue using my smartphone as my player.
M23 is quite comparable to dongles like HIBY FC6 (FC6 actually sounder richer and denser but with less width and more frontal staging), almost identical to Aune Yuki/iBasso DC Elite and a few others
I recently bought the Astell & Kern Kann Alpha and even though the sound is great the UI is just terrible. You can't find a more laggy experience than the Kann Alpha. Also the WiFi sucks. I can go on and on and on about problems with the player - it just sucks. It's no fun using it. It makes me so mad and sad since the player was a thousand dollars. Even dowloaded music lags using Tidal. Unacceptable! I will sell it. I ordered this FiiO M23 in stainless steel yesterday and I have high hopes for a more fun experience. Besides sound the overall experience has to be good in my opinion. Thanks for the review :)
I have the miad01 Also the m1p dongle So far the miad works very well, I haven’t missed anything and can’t really tell a difference between the sound vs the m1p or my topping amps… + i am able to power all my headphones ( including hd600 )
With EQ off on both, Mojo 2 is sharper and crisper with imaging and resolution, more analytical like a well-tuned ESS Sabre unit. M23 just like many properly tuned AKM devices, offer smoother edged presentation, less bold. Also M23 offers wider sense of staging
Not that I am aware of, I have played my M23 continuously though my playlist with different songs for hours and not a single one of them cuts off. Be it Tidal or HIBY Music local FLAC playlist, no issues at all
No, quality wise they are the same, as noted in this video, both are equally analytical and resolving, M23 just offer a different tuning for more refined and smoother, toned down dynamic energy and more analog timbre, M11 Plus focuses more on being technical, sharper edged resolution
My opinion: the real contender for M23 in terms of price is M15 1st generation (used) in Indonesia. But for the bang for bucks, coz the sound performance is not very far is the M11 LTD or M11pro
My bottom line take is , if u own the m11 plus ess it's not worth moving to m23 , it's to similar in sound and features with the equalizer . I can see they are trying to nodge the newer m23 for sale but I'm not buying the hype.
It is not necessarily hype, I have tried both M11 Plus and M23, they offer options for people to understand that there are differences to suit different needs, I never mentioned that M23 being an upgrade over M11 Plus, my point was, if there is a need for something less bold sounding, something a bit more toned down with dynamic energy, then M23 suits those needs better than M11 Plus without losing the resolution and imaging M11 Plus offers, and if the analytical focus is what a user prefer, then M11 Plus would probably work best for them. This is all about options because we must never assume, just because one work for a person, it also must work for someone else
Hello Andy. I have a topic that may be of interest to you. I am the owner of Fiio M17 and Fiio M15. I tried connecting these players in USB DAC mode to Android smartphones (three different Android models) to transmit sound from the smartphone to these player in USB DAC mode. Nothing worked for me. I contacted FIIO technical support and they emailed me the following: “Hi, are you using the C to C cable with direction? If not, please try the OTG C to C cable with direction to see whether it helps? The USB DAC function of M17 is not designed for Android mobile phone originally. So the connectin has some limitations."End quote. I want to ask you to try connecting your FIIO M23 in USB DAC mode to your Android smartphone and tell us all how it went. Thank you for your work.
I have just connected my M23 to my PC using a third party USB A to C data cable, connected successfully and the way it operates, Max volume 100/100 on PC/Windows, then only adjust volume on the M23. Working perfectly fine as far as I can see and I can adjust the Audio settings on M23
@@donglemadness Yes, donglemadnes, everything works fine with PC and FIIO M15, M17. The problem is only with Android smartphones and transferring audio from them to FIIO M15, M17 (in USB DAC mode. If it’s not difficult for you, please try your FIIO M23 with an Android smartphone. Thank you.
From both the 15 and 17 Wich one would u say is better for SQ ? I recently had the fiio m11 plus brought my sound system alive ! Long story short I lost it so now I wanna see if I should get either of those . Or just get another m11 plus since I liked it that much .
@@theegreatest9322For SQ, FIIO M17 is undoubtedly better than M15 (for my taste). FIIO M15 sounds too honey-sweet and less analytical in comparison with FIIO M17. Before FIIO M15 there was IBASSO DX200 and that’s probably why I got used to SABRE. Although it should be noted that The DSD format sounds quite similar in both 17 and 15. Before buying, pay attention to the dimensions of the FIIO M17. It will not fit into your pocket. I carry it in a belt bag. They say that the FIIO M15S is very similar to the FIIO M17 in sound, but is more modest in power and dimensions. Have a good sound!
The love for Tanchjim Zero is still there and always, just that ever since I have grown fond of SIVGA Nightingale, that Nightingale took over everything of all the tons of IEMs I have with me
Love you reviews bro. Keep it up! Great to see Malaysia represented in the CZcams audio community!
Thanks so much bro 🤘🙏
Great vid and review Andy.
I just use my phone with micro SD card through a dongle.
Was wondering how do you get your music on your dap device, cd rips or file downloads?
Thanks. I used to own hundreds of CDs which was ripped to FLAC few years back. Now I buy new FLAC files on Bandcamp
Great review..
Kindly review the Hiby R4 as well.
Budget gear deserve all the love.
Thanks. I would love to review R4 too once I can get hold of one
Fantastic review, Andy! 😃 I would consider this Fiio DAP as my "endgame" DAP. I'm currently using Hiby R3 ii, and I'm either considering Hiby R4 or Moondrop MIAD 01 as my next DAP unless Fiio releases a more budget friendly DAP. Fiio is undoubtedly my go to brand for DAC and DAP but all their DAP are not budget friendly. Hopefully soon!
Thanks. I do believe the asking price matches the goods in the case for FiiO upper tier DAPs, so much usable features on top of great sound. So it may be worthwhile to save up and be done with a DAP that will serve for a long time
@donglemadness That's actually a great idea! Thank you my friend!
I love my Miad01 , sd worked for me and after last update they fixed lot of what you complained about , it now shows volyme nr1-100 the audible refreschrate in KHz in upper left, in audioconsole you has a 8 band manual EQ and preset EQ from moondrop as the dusk dsp. Woul be nice if you borrow it from your daugther and evaluate this new futures from a pro reviewer perspective.
Great review Andy! 👍🏼👍🏼 Can you compare the M23 with the iBasso DX 170? I actually love the way the iBasso is tuned. I like the warm, detailed and cozy sound, how would it differ from the AKM DAC?
Thanks, I haven't tried DX170 so I have no idea how they compares. I will not assume until I have the opportunity to try them myself. If I do get my hands on DX170, then I will get back on this subject
First off let me start off by saying that I absolutely love your videos I love your real world take on the audio genre. I love your comparisons 100 and I think that you provide us with a great source of normalcy to this overhyped market. Now with that being said I would really like you to do an in-depth video on the difference between daps. Because at the end of the day this is nothing more than an high end MP3 player. And I'm not understanding why we are acting like because it could support 4.4 mm headphone jack or it has one watt of power that this somehow means that it should cost as much as a standard Android cell phone all of these apps come with at best low to mid-range phone specs. And when you look at the phones that dominate the specs they usually are around 4 to 500 bucks. Yet somehow if you take that $500 low-end phone and you remove the cellular component. You remove the high-end touch screen display add you add a headphone jack and amplifier and somehow this is supposed to justify the jump in price tag over a phone when you yourself and I have to be honest because of your recommendations I have bought dongles that have given me and other users so much more functionality over their phone than ever before at not even half the cost of these daps. Please because I have asked others to do this and they have not so far so now I'm asking you can you make an in-depth video on the true pros and cons of having a digital audio player over a high-end dongle. Because truthfully I'm not really seeing the value in buying something like this and as a member of the audiophile community I have spoken to others who feel the same way and I would just like somebody of credible stature like yourself to help bring some clarity to this issue
Thanks for the support.
I understand your perspective and this is something that I used to see as well. The what and why. Ultimately, it all becomes too confusing if you yourself don't set your own borderline, when we use what others perceive as Endgame to influence our own needs. Endgame should be set by us, by what we deem as fulfilling and the ones that gives us joy the most, no matter the price (be it super cheap or super expensive). The existence of different form of devices are not always about "which one is better", but to serve different needs and different preferences, while some find it totally viable to use direct phone out from their phones, some find it super cumbersome hence the need to use a dedicated DAP to handle purely music playback, with lots of options to tweak here and there (many things that you can't do on a phone). I keep my perspective open, I will not judge why a person would choose one device over the other, it is their money to spend and their choice on what or how they want to spend it, for as long as they are happy with it.
My focus has always been to describe what an item could offer and how the audience would perceive that as useful or not useful to them. But yes, when I have the time I would like to do this video of why you would want to use one over the other, but I would never assert one should use this or that because of my personal preferences. Cheers
Thank you
My pleasure!
I am very happy that you are also reviewing and comparing a potentially good DAPs and DAC/AMP Combos!
But can you also give scores to the sound? (Like the scores you are giving to the Dongles)
Thanks 🙏
Thanks, once I have enough data I will likely start making score charts for DAPs as well. As of now my coverage on DAPs are still very limited
Fiio PEQ is good. It just needs to be more stable.
Good video😌
Thanks!
Hello. Just asking. Have you consider to review aftermarket C to C cable like those from DDHiFI TC05 or TC07? And have you tried C to C cable that usually used for charging to use it on DAC?
I did consider it and perhaps will do one when I have the time. Yes I use USB C cables that are data capable like Magtame cables that I reviewed here in my channel, most data cables will work properly for DAC
Nice review. ❤
Next one Onix alpah xI1 right?
Thanks, and you are right ONIX is next
@@donglemadness ❤️❤️❤️
Andy, many thanks for this review. I have a questions regarding your comparison with Q15. How would rate these two devices when it comes purely to sound performance. Apart from small differences in tuning/sound signature (more neutral vs more organic), does Q15 match M23 when it comes to other sound aspects?
Aside from what I have mentioned in this video, Q15 and M23 are on par when it comes to resolution, imaging, dynamic transients handling and energy. Also M23 is slightly wider with soundstage while Q15 favors more traditional AKM frontal staging
@@donglemadness Much appreciate your response, Andy. So, from the perspective of an HD600 owner who is not necessarily looking for a portable device Q15 seems to be more reasonable choice. Although I must say this smooth clearness and openness of M23's sound is tempting.
On the other note, do you think you will have a chance to listen to the newest FiiO K9 AKM version (AK4191EQ+AK4499EX)?
@@PK-nm4dc Yes that's pretty much spot on. I hope soon I would be able to have a listen to K9 AKM. Thanks
I really appreciate your in depth reviews thank you. I'm still curious about the blind test between a smartphone and the m23. Just wanted to know how much of a differences in terms of sound quality so i can decide if it worth buying a dap instead of continue using my smartphone as my player.
Thanks, I have another more extensive blind test coming up soon. So keep your fingers crossed :D
@donglemadness I'm here never miss any of your videos.
Hi...on only SQ aspect, how much better is this M23 as compared to dongles like dacport, FC6 or DC04 pro etc...
M23 is quite comparable to dongles like HIBY FC6 (FC6 actually sounder richer and denser but with less width and more frontal staging), almost identical to Aune Yuki/iBasso DC Elite and a few others
I recently bought the Astell & Kern Kann Alpha and even though the sound is great the UI is just terrible. You can't find a more laggy experience than the Kann Alpha. Also the WiFi sucks. I can go on and on and on about problems with the player - it just sucks. It's no fun using it. It makes me so mad and sad since the player was a thousand dollars. Even dowloaded music lags using Tidal. Unacceptable!
I will sell it. I ordered this FiiO M23 in stainless steel yesterday and I have high hopes for a more fun experience. Besides sound the overall experience has to be good in my opinion.
Thanks for the review :)
No worries
Moondrop phone is half the price. I don't know if it's any good but that's my initial thought when I see the price
I have the miad01
Also the m1p dongle
So far the miad works very well, I haven’t missed anything and can’t really tell a difference between the sound vs the m1p or my topping amps…
+ i am able to power all my headphones ( including hd600 )
How does this compare to the Mojo 2, strictly in terms of sound?
With EQ off on both, Mojo 2 is sharper and crisper with imaging and resolution, more analytical like a well-tuned ESS Sabre unit. M23 just like many properly tuned AKM devices, offer smoother edged presentation, less bold. Also M23 offers wider sense of staging
Some people are saying the M23 cuts off after 2 or 3 songs, have you experienced any playback issues with the M23?
Not that I am aware of, I have played my M23 continuously though my playlist with different songs for hours and not a single one of them cuts off. Be it Tidal or HIBY Music local FLAC playlist, no issues at all
Is it a huge change in sound quality over the m11s I love the sound quality on the m11s with tidal hifi
No, quality wise they are the same, as noted in this video, both are equally analytical and resolving, M23 just offer a different tuning for more refined and smoother, toned down dynamic energy and more analog timbre, M11 Plus focuses more on being technical, sharper edged resolution
@@donglemadness not the plus... the m11s.... from fiio
How it compares to K9 AKM? It has the exact DAC and Amp.
The one I have tried was just K9 ESS, so I would not know how the K9 AKM would compare to this
este vídeo es mil veces mejor gracias al gatito
Geoff says thank you! 😻
Is this worth an upgrade from the M11s
I hope someone who has tried M11s and M23 can help you with that, I have only tried M11+ ESS
My opinion: the real contender for M23 in terms of price is M15 1st generation (used) in Indonesia. But for the bang for bucks, coz the sound performance is not very far is the M11 LTD or M11pro
it needs to be compared to shanling m5 ultra
My bottom line take is , if u own the m11 plus ess it's not worth moving to m23 , it's to similar in sound and features with the equalizer . I can see they are trying to nodge the newer m23 for sale but I'm not buying the hype.
It is not necessarily hype, I have tried both M11 Plus and M23, they offer options for people to understand that there are differences to suit different needs, I never mentioned that M23 being an upgrade over M11 Plus, my point was, if there is a need for something less bold sounding, something a bit more toned down with dynamic energy, then M23 suits those needs better than M11 Plus without losing the resolution and imaging M11 Plus offers, and if the analytical focus is what a user prefer, then M11 Plus would probably work best for them. This is all about options because we must never assume, just because one work for a person, it also must work for someone else
I wish I could buy it….😅
Its not qhd resolution.
Its 720p+
M23 vs Cayin RU7?
Sound wise they are similar, you want a DAP when you need more controls and flexibility which is very limited on dongles
Fiio is competing with there own daps instead of trying to take on sony , basso, AK , at a better price.
Hello Andy. I have a topic that may be of interest to you. I am the owner of Fiio M17 and Fiio M15. I tried connecting these players in USB DAC mode to Android smartphones (three different Android models) to transmit sound from the smartphone to these player in USB DAC mode. Nothing worked for me. I contacted FIIO technical support and they emailed me the following: “Hi, are you using the C to C cable with direction?
If not, please try the OTG C to C cable with direction to see whether it helps?
The USB DAC function of M17 is not designed for Android mobile phone originally. So the connectin has some limitations."End quote. I want to ask you to try connecting your FIIO M23 in USB DAC mode to your Android smartphone and tell us all how it went. Thank you for your work.
I have just connected my M23 to my PC using a third party USB A to C data cable, connected successfully and the way it operates, Max volume 100/100 on PC/Windows, then only adjust volume on the M23. Working perfectly fine as far as I can see and I can adjust the Audio settings on M23
@@donglemadness Yes, donglemadnes, everything works fine with PC and FIIO M15, M17. The problem is only with Android smartphones and transferring audio from them to FIIO M15, M17 (in USB DAC mode. If it’s not difficult for you, please try your FIIO M23 with an Android smartphone. Thank you.
From both the 15 and 17 Wich one would u say is better for SQ ? I recently had the fiio m11 plus brought my sound system alive ! Long story short I lost it so now I wanna see if I should get either of those . Or just get another m11 plus since I liked it that much .
@@theegreatest9322For SQ, FIIO M17 is undoubtedly better than M15 (for my taste). FIIO M15 sounds too honey-sweet and less analytical in comparison with FIIO M17. Before FIIO M15 there was IBASSO DX200 and that’s probably why I got used to SABRE. Although it should be noted that The DSD format sounds quite similar in both 17 and 15. Before buying, pay attention to the dimensions of the FIIO M17. It will not fit into your pocket. I carry it in a belt bag. They say that the FIIO M15S is very similar to the FIIO M17 in sound, but is more modest in power and dimensions. Have a good sound!
lately you don't mention your favorite tanchjim zero and even put it below (60) in your rating, what happened, love has passed 🙂
The love for Tanchjim Zero is still there and always, just that ever since I have grown fond of SIVGA Nightingale, that Nightingale took over everything of all the tons of IEMs I have with me
Day 17 of asking for Fiio KA11 Review video :)
10:27 just thinking about eq makes Andy puke, hehe 😁
🤣🤣🙃
Not worth....
Rm3k+
Hahahaha
Better get fiio R7