Fiio M15S (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001651566947.html
Having a dedicated portable music player has a certain appeal. You get to carry your audio library wherever you go, do away with distracting notifications and even have a better listening experience. The Fiio M15S is such a device which launched earlier this year, geared particularly towards audiophiles and we’ll take a look at it in this review.
Contents and specs
Being Fiio’s flagship model, the M15S doesn’t come cheap as it currently retails for £830/€965 on the official AliExpress store and comes with the following items:
- M15S
- Leather case
- USB cable
- Ejector pin
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
Specs of the Fiio M15S can be found below:
Premium build for Fiio’s flagship portable DAC
As a premium product, the M15S’ build walks its talk. The aluminium chassis looks and feels high-end, and this is supplemented by the diamond-cut design of the back panel which adds a touch of a classy look.
It is also sturdily built to withstand shocks. In addition, Fiio includes a leather sleeve for an extra layer of protection. I like the general look of leather products, so this was a nice surprise. The back of the leather case also bears an original metal pattern to add to the device's unique look. However, I wish Fiio also included a screen protector, considering the screen real estate on this device, it can be prone to scratches (although I haven’t encountered any).
Also included in the package is a metal holder with an integrated cooling fan. In addition to serving as a handy dock to charge the M15S, it is particularly appropriate to use the device in desktop mode. When plugged to a PC, the M15S can even bypass use of its internal battery (thereby saving the battery life). The fan is also handy as this portable DAC can heat up slightly after continuous use.
Quite noticeably, the M15S is a chunky device with dimensions of about 140x80x18.9mm. It is also relatively heavy at 345g; especially considering how light contemporary smartphones can be. The weight and thickness of the device is one of the major hardware downsides that I came across but might be inevitable considering the portable/desktop DAC aspect of the M15S.
An audio-focused device with a familiar interface
As the M15S is an Android-based device, using it will be very familiar to those who’ve used an Android device before. In particular, it uses a near-vanilla version of Android 10 with some handy extra apps and settings. These include a Fiio music player app, a Fiio store to download audio-related apps, and adjustable settings such as the gain, usage mode and mapping the customisable button.
Otherwise, interacting with the device is similar to that of an Android phone. You can also access the Google Play suite of apps so that you can download your favourite podcast/music apps. Sure, you could download social media apps and casual games but I wouldn’t recommend that as having a notification-free audio player delivers a more compelling experience.
Unlike an Android phone, the M15S doesn’t support SIM cards but it does have a host of features to hammer in its dedication to being a music-centric device. Firstly, it has an array of physical buttons on either sides to control volume and skip tracks without having to use the device’s touchscreen panel. My personal favourite is using the knob at the top of the device to adjust the volume. It has a uniquely satisfying feel that I haven’t encountered on any other device and really helps set the M15S apart.
One downside to the side buttons is that they are all similar. It takes some time getting used to their positioning and having them with different textures and raised at different heights might have helped with this issue. The middle button actually has a raised middle portion but it is not apparent with the leather sleeve on.
Fiio also included a dedicated toggle to prevent accidental button presses from registering as an input and impact your listening experience. Of course, you can still use the touchscreen if you prefer this over physical controls.
Other hardware features of the M15S not only includes the increasingly-elusive 3.5mm port (single-ended) but also balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm output ports. It also supports wireless connectivity over Bluetooth 5.0 with a healthy dose of codecs including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC.
Thus, the Fiio M15S offers a versatile range of input as well as audio connection options. However, Fiio really wants you to use headphones for the best experience because the M15S doesn’t feature any speakers at all; so better get your best headphones ready.
Powerful audio experience in your pocket
While the Android 10 OS, a Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB RAM/64GB ROM and a 5.5” screen with a resolution of 1440 * 720 won’t sound impressive for a smartphone, for an audio device, it is more than decent. With these specs, controls are swift and responsive.
It further supports expandable memory (up to 2TB) so that you can load your high resolution audio without worrying about lacking space. Indeed, as the M15S’s DAC module supports 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 (up to 32-bit/768KHz and DSD512 in USB audio mode), you can load up those hi-res, lossless audio file format of your favourite tracks.
Paired with a decent pair of headphones, you can clearly tell that you are experiencing a levelled-up audio experience, as opposed to listening on regular devices. Discreet audio cues are distinctly highlighted and vocals are clear and vibrant. While the output will also depend on the headphones you use, there’s a nice balance between treble and bass. This makes listening to songs as well as podcasts pleasantly lively. At every use, the audio experience is powerful and of high fidelity.
The 6,200mAh built-in battery will provide enough juice for a whole day’s use; but your mileage will vary depending on factors such as whether you are listening online, using Bluetooth or the volume you are listening at. Fiio estimates around 9-10.5 hours of play time, which is roughly what I would get. I recently travelled and used the M15S as my listening companion and it held me company throughout the whole day (with on and off use) and also helped save my phone’s battery.
One downside of the battery is that it takes around 3.5 hours to fully charge, even if it supports quick charge. This can be quite considerable, as some phones, like Xiaomi phones, can fully charge in less than 20 minutes. But as mentioned earlier, you can bypass the need for a battery altogether if you’re using the M15S as a desktop DAC.
That said, even if there could be areas for further improvements, as a hybrid portable/desktop DAC, the Fiio M15S delivers. By running on Android, supporting high-resolution audio and multiple output formats, this audio device impresses with its pocketable form factor.
Verdict
- Excellent audio output
- Premium design and feel
- Satisfying knob controls
- Familiar Android UI and suite of apps
- Supports wired and wireless audio peripherals
- Hybrid portable/desktop DAC
- Price can be prohibitive
- Chunky as a portable DAC
- Physical side buttons can be confusing
- Slow charging time
