Digital audio players are something of an outlier in this age of advanced smartphones incorporating technology like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform. Is there still a need for a dedicated music player when smartphones can do much the same thing? Is the concept of the iPod dead?

From serious music lovers and audiophiles, there is still a demand for digital audio players incorporating the best digital-to-analog converters that money can buy alongside a great amplifier technology and connections for high-end wired earphones and headphones.

The FiiO M23 is a new Android-based digital music player that offers a high-end DAC and superb THX AAA-78+ amplification. Like an Android phone, the FiiO M23 has a touchscreen and uses the latest AK4191EQ and AK4499EX chipsets from AKM for decoding digital files and turning them into beautiful analog music.

The digital and analog circuitry inside the FiiO M23 are entirely separate so they can produce the best possible sound. The M23 can decode most digital audio files ranging from a humble MP3 to 384kHz 32-bit PCM. There’s also support for DSD256 and MQA files and the player can even handle a higher resolution digital source up to 768kHz-32bit and DSD512 when using the M23’s USB output.

To ensure the FiiO M23 produces the best possible sound, all the circuitry is shielded to reduce the possibility of interference and to ensure less build-up of heat. The FiiO M23 is a serious piece of electronic engineering and it’s been built to satisfy even the fussiest of ears.

The signals from digital audio files are decoded by the FiiO M23 into an analog waveform using twin AKM DACs. The analog signal is channeled through two THX AAA-78 amplifiers, resulting in a strong and muscular sound that has plenty of nuance. THX has made great strides in portable amplification and the amps used on this player are among the best available.

Although the FiiO M23 is a portable player, many people will probably use it at home or while at their desk, listening to hi-res music streaming services like Tidal or Qobuz that require a good broadband connection if you don’t want to gobble up all your data allowance by using your smartphone as a hotspot.

FiiO anticipated this usage scenario and has included a Desktop Mode to the M23 which digitally disconnects the battery charging circuitry and boosts the power supply so that the player can drive the kinds of earphones and headphones that are difficult to drive, especially the ones that use planar-magnetic drivers. FiiO’s Desktop Mode also ensures that M23’s built-in battery doesn’t get damaged by overcharging.

The FiiO M23 is an Android device and has an 8-core Snapdragon 660 chipset that’s backed up with 4GB of RAM. The M23’s color touchscreen measures 5.5 inches and offers a resolution of 1,440 x 720. The player can be used in exclusive music-only mode if that’s what you want or else it can work a little like an Android smartphone but without the phone.

Because it is powered by Android, the M23 can access the Google Play Store to download all your favorite streaming apps. The player can also play music that’s stored locally on its microSD slot which can handle cards with up to 2TB capacity, which should hold a good number of chunky FLAC files.

The build quality of the M23 is superb and FiiO has supplied a clear plastic case to protect the player’s textured finish. The controls are logically laid out with a power switch on the left side and a sliding volume control beneath it. Below the volume control there’s a handy button that summons a list of useful shortcuts so you don’t have to rifle through the settings menu.

On the right side of the player there are three music control buttons for playing, pausing, skipping and repeating tracks. There’s also a dedicated switch for putting the M23 into Desktop Mode and a handy Hold button which disables the buttons and stops them from being triggered accidentally.

On the base of the M23 there’s a slot for a microSD card and a USB-C port for charging and powering the player. A second USB-C port functions as a digital output for connecting the FiiO M23 with external devices. The power port is colored red so it can easily be differentiated from the USB data port.

Finally, on the top of the M23 are two output jacks. One is for earphones with a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced connector and the other is for 3.5mm unbalanced earphones that also doubles as a digital coax output. The balanced output offers more volume but the gain level can be set using the Settings menu. Both outputs sound excellent and can handle a range of headphones and IEMs.

For those who want to use the FiiO M23 in battery mode, there is a 5,500mAh rechargeable battery on board. The charging mode is smart enough to vary the speed of the charging process when the battery becomes close to being fully charged. This process helps to prolong the overall life of the battery and works like a smartphone’s smart-charging function.

The M23’s battery can be fully charged in around an hour when using a 30W charger but there is no charger included but your phone or tablet charger should work fine. A full charge of the battery will provide up to eight hours of playback and a little bit more if you are using the 3.5mm output instead of the 4.4mm balanced connection.

Like any digital audio player, the FiiO M23 has Wi-Fi built in for connecting to the Internet and that works across 2.4 and 5GHz bands. There are six operating modes for the player which are Android, Pure Music mode, AirPlay, USB DAC, Bluetooth Receiver and Roon Ready. Which one you use will be down to personal choice.

FiiO preloads its dedicated music app on the M23 or you can download the Android versions of Roon and stream music from network-attached storage using uPNP, WebDAV and SMB. I downloaded the Android Tidal app and it worked brilliantly. The screen is super sharp and the touchscreen is very responsive. With ApplePlay, you can stream your music from the M23 to any AirPlay-enabled device or group of devices.

The FiiO M23 has a Parametric Equalizer with 10 bands for shaping the tone of the sound. Other parameters can be adjusted for a bespoke sound. This is one area where I had a few problems. I tried a variety of EQ settings and fiddled around with things but noticed a certain amount of distortion. At first, I thought my earphones had been blown but as soon as I turned the EQ off, the distortion went away. I’m not sure what the problem was but I felt the sound was better without EQ.

So how does this deluxe portable player sound? It’s awesome. FiiO has done a superb job by specifying the excellent AKM DACs and using them in tandem with THX amplification. The result is a sound that’s not only precise but musical. Unlike a lot of digital audio players, there’s nothing metallic or stilted about the M23’s sound. This is a digital audio player outputting great analog sound thanks to innovative DACs and advanced amplification.

I tested the M23 with a pair of Campfire Audio Ara IEMS, my benchmark earphones. The level of detail the Ara’s seven-drivers produced was incredible. The detail was forensic but the M23 never sounded labored or overly digital. I listened to some Diana Krall and used the balanced 4.4mm output with a pair of Sennheiser HD660 S2 headphones and the results were sublime. The distortion levels are so low on this player and the music sounds so relaxed and has a beguiling musicality with great timing. Music on the move doesn’t get much better than this.

Verdict: The FiiO M23 digital audio player is as good a player as you’re likely to find. If you spent three or four times the price for one of Astel&Kern’s flagship players, I’m not sure you’d get proportionally better results. The M23 has most of the features you need, plus it used the latest technology and has the most up-to-date specifications. This is a fabulous little powerhouse of audio brilliance that will suit anyone who doesn’t want to compromise when listening at their desk or on the move. If you love your music, you’ll love the FiiO M23.

Pricing & Availability: The FiiO M23 digital audio player is available now and costs $700 / £649 / €700 for the Blue Titanium model and $899 / £799 / €849 for the Stainless Steel version.

More info: fiio.com

Tech Specs:

• DAC: Flagship AKM AK4191EQ + AKM AK4499EX
• SoC: Qualcomm 660.
• Amplifier: THX AAA-78+ (x 2).
• Display: 5.5″ 720 x 1440 (18:9 Ratio).
• Power Output (Desktop Mode): L+R≥1000mW+1000mW (32Ω, THD+N＜1%), L+R≥730mW+730mW (16Ω, THD+N＜1%), L+R≥240mW+240mW (300Ω, THD+N＜1%)
• Power Output (Internal Battery): L+R≥630mW+630mW (16Ω, ​THD+N＜1%), L+R≥475mW+475mW (32Ω, THD+N＜1%).
• Power Output (Internal Battery with HiFi Boost Mode enabled): L+R≥760mW+760mW, (32Ω, THD+N＜1%).
• Gain Modes: Low / Medium / High / Super-High.
• Headphone outputs: 3.5mm (Single-ended) / 4.4mm (Balanced).
• Line outputs: Yes (3.5mm (Single-ended) / 4.4mm (Balanced)).
• Coaxial output Yes (3.5mm).
• Bluetooth (Receive): SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, LDAC
• Bluetooth (Transmit): SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC.
• Micro SD Slot: Up to 2TB.
• Desktop Mode: Yes.
• RAM / ROM: 4GB / 64GB.
• Battery capacity: 5,500mAh.
• Battery life: 10.5 Hours (full charge).
• Audio support: PCM up to 384kHz/24-bit, Native DSD256
• MQA support: Yes.
• Dimensions: 136.5 x 75.7 x 18.1mm.
• Weight: 299g.
• Colors: Blue Titanium ​ / Stainless Steel.