It has been ages since the iPod disappeared from the mainstream, but for music lovers, there’s still a demand for dedicated listening devices that put sound quality and features first. The Fiio M23 is exactly such a device, pairing powerful, audio-first components, an Android operating system, and powerful output to drive just most headphones and any IEM. Retailing for $699, it’s not cheap but is an excellent value against other DAPs, even for significantly more.
Specifications
Current Price: $699 (Amazon)
Fiio M23 - Design and Highlights
The Fiio M23 follows in the footsteps of the M11 Plus, which we reviewed back in 2022. It returns in a similar form factor but with more power and enhanced components. Like last time, it comes with a metal frame for heat dissipation and improved durability. It features a 5.5-inch touchscreen, making it about the size of a midrange smartphone with about double the thickness to accommodate its larger components. Like the M11 Plus, it’s a very pocketable device.
That’s important because this is exactly the kind of accessory that you’ll want to carry with you everywhere you’re able to listen.
At $700, the M23 is an impressive showing – as it should be. Its features and capabilities are competitive with players $1,000 or more and is a leap ahead of its predecessor in terms of power output. Like the M11 Plus, it’s not totally perfect, but it definitely earns its keep as one of the best players you can buy under that price right now.
Not only does it feel very sturdy, with tactile buttons for track controls, desktop mode, and a programmable multifunction button, as well as a clickable touchpad for volume control, it’s internals are more than up to the task of an Android audio player.
It’s built with a combination of two AKM DAC chips, the AK4191EQ and AK4499EX. This combination is able to reproduce audio up to 32-bit/768kHz in its USB mode with support for DSD512 and 32-bit 384kHz locally with DSD256 support. Both offer full MQA decoding for Tidal’s Master Quality tracks. The resolution extends all the way from 20Hz to 80kHz, so you can be sure your headphones are never bottlenecked by the resolution of the player.
The DAC chips work in concert with its 4-way THX amplification system. The M23 leverages an AAA-78+ amplifier, which is a major benefit if you prefer a very neutral sound that lets your headphones remain uncolored. The amp has been used in many other products and is well known for its exceptional clarity and silence even under heavy gain.
The M23’s power output is one of its biggest characteristics. It features two ports, one single-ended (3.5mm) and one balanced (4.4mm). It offers up to 435mW from its single-ended port and 730mW balanced through its standard gain modes. Like the more expensive M15S and M17, it also offers a desktop mode where the unit can be driven using a USB power adapter, bypassing the battery. When used in this mode, the M23 can reach an impressive 1,000mW of peak output. At even 435mW, it’s able to drive most headphones, including planar magnetics, but at 730mW balanced, you’ll be able to listen to just about anything portable.
Desktop mode also has the benefit of preserving the performance of your battery. Since it’s bypassed in this mode, you don’t need to worry about degrading it for remaining plugged in. That’s a real issue even on many high-end portable devices that also work great on PC. Here, the battery is taken out of the equation and you won’t be shortening its lifespan by leaving it plugged in.
Speaking of the battery, we do see a slight drop in battery life here. With a standard pair of single-ended headphones, the 5,000mAh battery is rated for up to 10.5 hours. With a balanced set, it can last up to nine hours. However, real-world uptime will vary depending on how you’re using it. Leaving it in Super High gain mode or listening wirelessly over LDAC constantly will wear down the battery faster than a standard quality and gain mode. Regardless, it will need to be charged nightly if you use it for most of the day.
The M23 can be used with either wired or wireless headphones. The presence of both a balanced and single-ended port allows it to work with most wired headphones and earphones. It can also connect to wireless cans with high-res codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC,
One of the reasons audio enthusiasts choose a device like this is for the custom operating system. You may not realize this, but Android natively limits the resolution it’s able to output through its USB port. Some apps take control of these parameters and bypass the limit but not many. The M23 disables this by default. It also gives you access to a parametric equalizer for precise control over its sound output.
The “smartphone” side of the DAP hasn’t been improved from the M11 Plus. It’s still running a Snapdragon 660 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in memory with microSD expansion. At this point, the hardware is fairly old, so you shouldn’t count on doing more than streaming and playing music and browsing the web. Despite that, it’s still enough for what you’ll be using this for, and it’s not sluggish like many of its competitors.
What does worry me is that it ships with Android 10, which is very outdated, to the point of not being supported anymore. Hopefully, Fiio release an upgrade sometime soon to ensure long-term compatibility with its host of streaming apps.
There’s more I could talk about, but it’s safe to say that the M23 is a worthy sequel to the M11 Plus. It is the same DAP updated for the times in most areas. It’s well worth considering.
Fiio M23 - Sound and Daily Use Impressions
Before taking on the M23, I was a daily user of the Fiio M15S, which is a higher-tier model that I expect will probably be updated sooner rather than later. I was already very familiar with the different features, such as the audio filter options and parametric EQ settings. Moving to what is ostensibly a lower-end model, you would expect the experience to be a bit more difficult.
Except… it wasn’t. The M23 is fully able to compete right alongside the M15S. Sure, the M15S might have a bit more power outside of its desktop mode, but in practice, the two feel very similar and both sound equally great to my ear.
If you’ve heard a THX AAA amplifier, then you should already know what to expect about its sound. With completely stock settings, it’s very neutral and very clean. There’s very little to no discernible background noise, even with sensitive IEMs, when you’re set to the proper gain mode. As music kicks in, there’s an exceptional crispness and detail to the sound that’s very enjoyable. This is a DAP designed to make your headphones shine, not reinterpret them through its own lens.
I tested this DAP with a mix of IEMs all the way up to hard-to-drive planar magnetic over-ears. There was nothing it couldn’t do, extending all the way to the HIFIMAN HE-1000 and Beyerdynamic DT-990 PRO (300 ohm). My Dan Clark Audio Aeon Open X was also easy to drive with it. I’m confident, if you’re willing to sacrifice some battery life, you can drive just about any pair of headphones and even desktop speakers if you’re so inclined.
The performance was very good. Right now, Spotify, TIDAL, Amazon Music, and the other streaming apps all work properly and smoothly, though I did notice some slowdown when I tried to quickly swipe through long web pages. Since that’s not what this device is for, I can give it a pass on that, but it does lead me to wonder where it will be in a couple of years as all off the streamers update their apps and inevitably make them more demanding.
One of the things I was curious about is whether I could use the M23 to replace my desktop DAC/amp and save desk space. You absolutely can. I was able to plug it into my computer, turn it to USB mode, and it was quickly detected as an external sound card. This allows you to unlock the full fidelity of its DAC and amplifier, which is perfect for all kinds of listening, including games.
Final Thoughts
In comparison to the M11 Plus and M15S, the M23 strikes this impeccable balance between price and performance for what you’re getting. It’s better than the M11 Plus by a sight and doesn’t feel like a major downgrade from the M15S despite being $300 cheaper. The power output, performance, and feature selection are also excellent. My one concern is how well the device will age over time. Will Fiio release an update to a newer Android version? That’s an open question I haven’t heard an answer to yet.
But for now, if you’re looking for the best value in mid-range DAPs, the Fiio M23 is it.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Purchasing items through our links may result in a small commission for the site. Authors are not paid based on clicks or commissions.
