SINGAPORE | 10th December, 2021 — The leader in lossless audio players, FiiO, today announces the launch of FiiO M17, a portable desktop-grade music player in Singapore. First unveiled at the iF Design Award 2021, the new flagship music player is a highly anticipated model by FiiO fans because of its groundbreaking specifications. M17 features desktop-caliber internals, equipped with dual ES9038Pro DAC chipset, desktop-grade THX AAA-788 amplifier module, Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 user interface, multiple headphones output ports, desktop-level connectivity, a 5.99” full HD 1080P LCD display, and more.
The smart desktop-class M17 is an entirely new chapter of FiiO digital audio players. Its desktop-grade DAC, amplification, power supply, and more give it the output power and sound quality to rival highly-regarded desktop systems – but in a portable package. It is packed with features that are built to impress, made for the audio enthusiast in mind.
The M17’s design took 1.5 years to complete, going through 6 major design iterations with 12 rounds of internal structural design optimisation. The result is a device that makes excellent use of its internal space. Within the M17 are carefully stacked analog and digital boards with thoughtful use of stainless-steel hexagons – which allowed FiiO to stuff nearly twice the surface area of printed circuit boards (PCBs) compared to normal in such a limited space.
An upgraded premium experience
Desktop-class amplification also plays an important role in the M17. FiiO and THX jointly developed the exclusive THX AAA-788+, an upgraded version of the original op-amp. Compared to the original, output power is increased by 225% up to 3000mW per channel with a lower output impedance – allowing it more effortlessly power all kinds of headphones.
Desktop-league DAC ES9038PRO
The left and right audio channels each contain a desktop-class, 8-channel ES9038PRO flagship DAC. This means that each audio channel has 8 parallel outputs summed together for superior resolution and minimal distortion for extremely pure audio reproduction.
Desktop-grade gain
Under battery power, there are 4 gain levels: low, medium, high, and headphone mode. When under DC mode, the Enhanced over-ear headphone mode gain is unlocked, with a truly desktop level of amplification gain. In balanced output, gain can get as high as 16dB – allowing the M17 to easily drive most headphones.
Desktop-tier heat dissipation
With exceptional audio quality comes large power consumption, so effective heat dissipation was a large focus when designing the M17. Not only are “H” type heat dissipation and VC liquid cooling technologies adopted, the M17’s 151g unibody aluminum alloy frame also effectively transfers heat out of the device. Finally, the cooling fan stand also further makes sure heat is rapidly transported away.
Desktop-quality power supply
The M17 contains two power supplies – a battery power supply and a power supply powered by external DC power. The battery power supply allows you to use the M17 in situations where there is no access to a power outlet. Under DC power supply, voltage in the analog circuit is increased by 35% up to 11.5V compared to under battery power supply; and the battery is kept healthy since it is not used in this mode.
Physical digital-analog separation
Within the M17 are 17 PCBs with immersion gold finish, with the analog and digital sections physically separated by being on two different boards to reduce interference between the two portions. 7 high-conductivity copper alloy shields also provide shielding to greatly reduce internal and external electromagnetic interference on analog audio signals within the M17.
7th-gen mech design
The futuristic, seamless, CNC-finished aluminium unibody design evokes a sense of technological wonder. The mech-inspired sharp lines of the body, buttons, and atmospheric lights give the M17 a bold and charismatic aura.
Other tech highlights include:
- 470mF DMF supercapacitor: Equivalent to 10,000 47uF tantalum capacitors and with very low ESR of 45mΩ (only 15% of that of tantalum capacitors), providing a solid foundation for a large power supply.
- Immense battery: The massive 9200mAh battery allows for a battery life up to 10 hours on the M17. It can be charged either through USB or through DC in from an external AC adapter
- Bigger screen for a brighter sheen: A larger screen allows you to more easily enjoy stunning visuals. Let your eyes feast upon an upgraded 5.99 inch, 1080*2160 FHD+ 18:9 high-definition in-cell display.
- RGB ambient light: The M17 features a seven colour RGB ambient light system with extensive customisation options. Colours can be set to be either fixed, to follow the audio, or to follow a cycle. The brightness of the ambient light can be set to change depending on the current power, volume, or temperature. And finally, the top and side ambient lights can even be controlled separately, allowing you to dial in exactly how you want your dazzling lights to be.
- NDK femtosecond crystal oscillator: Provides a high-precision, low-jitter unified clock source for the entire audio circuit.
- High-end TI OPA2211 op-amp: A voltage noise as low as 1.1nV@1KHz and THD+N of -136dB results in extremely clean amplification.
- Ultra-low noise LT3045 LDO: An ultra-low noise, ultra-high PSRR low-dropout voltage linear regulator featuring linear technology’s LDO architecture an extremely low RMS noise of 0.8μVRMS in the 10Hz-100kHz frequency band for stable, clean power to the DAC chip.
- XMOS receiver chip allowing ultra-low latency, supports up to DSD512 and 32-bit/768kHz
- Extremely fast transfer with USB 3.0 writing speeds can hit up to 100M/s, allowing file transfers to complete within minutes or even seconds
- MQA supported: Supports MQA unfolding for master-level sound
Pricing and Availability
FiiO M17 retails for S$2,799.00 (including GST) and is available immediately at AV One (av1group.com.sg), Jaben, SAM audio, Stereo Electronics and Treoo.
