FiiO M17 Portable Desktop-Class Lossless Player

The FiiO M17 in summary: There are many portable music players that sound great. And a lot of first-class stationary headphone amplifiers with integrated DACs. And there is the FiiO M17; which combines the outstanding qualities of both concepts.

Highlights:

• Uncompromising two-in-one concept – desktop and portable combined
• D/A converters of the finest quality, twice! – One DAC ESS
• ES9038PRO per channel
• Next level amplification integrated – THX 788+ with 3,000 mW power per channel!
• Extremely communicative – 2-way Bluetooth, 2.4/5 GHz WiFi and much more
• Ultimately consistent construction – intelligent and well thought out, inside and out

Two uses perfectly combined – desktop and portable in one device

In the past, anyone who values ​​excellent sound both on the go and at home has usually had to buy two devices. A portable device for on the go with a long battery life and headphones optimized for it, as well as a powerful amplifier for power-hungry headphones to get every last detail out of the music.

The FiiO M17, on the other hand, combines these two options. Economical and with a powerful sound on the go, unleashed and powerful on the docking station at home.

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Dual DAC ESS ES9038PRO – channel-separated for highest sound quality

Not only is the ESS ES9038 PRO beyond reproach as a digital/analog converter, the FiiO M17 even comes with two versions - one for each channel. This not only ensures the music player the highest level of sound purity and detail, but also the greatest possible support for file formats, resolutions and sampling rates.

In concrete terms, this means that signal processing up to 32 bits and 768 kHz as well as DSD512 in the highest quality are available.

Concentrated power at the headphone jack – up to 3,000 milliwatts of power

The perfect amplification for every headphone – adjustable in 5 levels

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Diverse connection options – wireless and wired

No matter what connection you are thinking of, the FiiO M17 has it - guaranteed. Both wireless and the classic wired version. The following standards and connections are on board the FiiO M17

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Bluetooth 5.0 – As a transmitter and as a receiver

Bluetooth is still the king of wireless protocols when it comes to a quick and uncomplicated connection between transmitter and receiver. With Bluetooth 5.0, the FiiO M17 not only has a long range and interference resistance, but also an enormous variety of standards. In addition to SBC and AAC, aptX, aptX-HD and LDAC are also available in the transmission direction.

And the best thing about it: The M17 not only sends music via Bluetooth, it also receives it! This means that the player also functions as a high-quality Bluetooth receiver; via SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and LDAC. The player then outputs the music received in this way as usual via its headphone jacks, via USB or the coaxial digital output and ensures the best sound.

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2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN – music from NAS and the Internet

Even though the FiiO M17 has a huge storage capacity, sometimes you just need a little more. And thanks to WiFi with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, the music can come directly from your home NAS or the streaming service of your choice (for example Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz). The whole world of music is open to you.

Oh, and if you want to listen to music from one of your Apple devices directly via the FiiO M17: AirPlay is also on board, which is a great alternative to the (Apple) limited Bluetooth protocol AAC.

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Also works wired – for example via 2-way USB Type-C

The USB Type-C connection is not a one-way street either. The FiiO M17 can receive music digitally and convert it in the best quality (maximum 32 bit/768 kHz and DSD512) and pass it on via its high-quality D/A converters, but it can also work as a USB transport. As a USB transport, the music stored on the player is simply passed on in digital form to a DAC connected behind it, which then decodes your music. Of course, it also works via the coaxial digital output.

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So obvious, so versatile – the headphone jacks

Last but not least, the most commonly used connection type: headphones. With all the variety that the FiiO M17 offers, it would be a surprise if they had "saved money" here. Well, and so there are not just one or two different connection options; no, there are four!

Connect your headphones either in the classic way via the 3.5 millimeter or 6.35 millimeter jack connection, fully symmetrically via the 2.5 millimeter jack connection or simply via the symmetrical 4.4 millimeter jack connection. And if all that isn't enough for you: There is also a dedicated coaxial digital output that can also be used as a digital input. No matter how you connect the FiiO M17, one thing is guaranteed: it always sounds excellent.

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Energy efficient and smooth operation – thanks to the Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor

The FiiO M17 uses Qualcomm's lightning-fast Snapdragon 660. The processor's structure follows the Big.LITTLE concept - four powerful cores are used for computationally intensive tasks and four energy-saving cores for less demanding processes. This ensures that the M17 always responds smoothly to user inputs, but also plays music all day long.

In addition to the processor itself, the rest of the features are also impressive. Namely 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage (expandable to up to 2 TB via MicroSD) and an Adreno 512 graphics processor, which cuts a fine figure in videos and games

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Sophisticated cooling concept – both active and passive convincing

The extremely powerful hardware installed in the FiiO M17 poses a problem during operation: waste heat. Or, actually, not. Because FiiO has taken appropriate precautions and created an appropriate cooling concept.

The housing of the M17 is made entirely of aluminum, which already effectively dissipates heat. In addition, there is a so-called "vapor chamber" inside the player, i.e. a special liquid cooling system that always keeps the FiiO M17 in the optimal temperature range.

And when things really get going in desktop mode on the dock, the fan integrated into the dock helps to dissipate the waste heat quickly and efficiently.

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Built separately for a common goal – perfect sound

In the end, all components of the FiiO M17 have to work together and form a unit to achieve the stated goal - excellent sound - but each component is specialized and optimized for its own purpose. What could be more obvious than to physically decouple the components from each other so that they do not influence each other?

No sooner said than done - and so a total of 17 (!) different circuit boards are used in the FiiO M17. These are also protected from electromagnetic interference by a total of seven copper shielding plates so that not a single note is lost.

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Android 10 as an operating system – flexible, intuitive and beautiful

The installed hardware plays a major role in the perfect music experience - but not alone. It forms the basis for it, but ultimately the software that controls the hardware also decides what the end result is. And since FiiO leaves nothing to chance with the M17, they have opted for what is probably the most flexible and versatile operating system ever: Android! In addition to excellent usability, you also have access to the wide world of Android apps with numerous streaming services such as Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz and many more.

And as good as Android already sounds in its "factory state", it still has a lot of potential for further improvements. A challenge that FiiO is happy to take on and has optimized the operating system down to the smallest detail. This makes listening to music twice as much fun.

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Big cinema – operation via the 5.99" display and via FiiO Link

All the technology and the incredible variety of functions are made very simple and clear with the 5.99"/15.21 centimeter touch display. With a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels, this high-quality display shows off all its strengths. So you can not only hear your music in excellent quality, but also see it.

And if you don't feel like operating the player via the integrated touch display (for example, because you have it in your pocket or backpack), you will appreciate the "FiiO Link" app. Simply connect your smartphone to the M17 via WLAN (currently only Android is supported) or Bluetooth (iOS and Android) and control it elegantly via your smartphone. It couldn't be easier.

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A real powerhouse – even when it comes to the battery

The M17 is packed to the brim with clever technology and powerful electronics. Of course, all of these innovations and high-performance features also require energy to guarantee the best sound.

So that you can still enjoy good music all day long, FiiO has given the M17 a gigantic battery with a capacity of 9,200 mAh. This results in a maximum runtime of 10.6 hours (depending on the volume setting, the headphones used and the file format selected). And if the battery does run out at some point, it is fully charged and ready for use again in around 4.5 hours thanks to QuickCharge 2.0/3.0/4.0 or USB Power Delivery 2.0 (applies to QC4.0).

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The appropriate accessories are also included in the delivery

To ensure that you can enjoy your player for as long as possible and that it survives minor accidents or falls unscathed, the FiiO M17 also comes with the right accessories.

A leather case is included in the delivery, as well as a factory-applied tempered glass screen protector.

And for the optimal connection, FiiO also includes the right USB 3.0 cable to quickly transfer data to and from the player and to ensure optimal charging.

And of course, the package also includes the docking station and power supply that matches the player, so that you can get the most out of the FiiO M17.

So, are you ready for this player?

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Technical data

Connections:

• 6.3 mm headphone output
• 4.4 mm balanced headphone output/4.4 mm balanced line out
• 3.5 mm unbalanced headphone output/3.5 mm unbalanced line out
• 2.5 mm balanced headphone output
• Coaxial input/output
• USB 3.0 port type C two-way (for high-speed data transfer and fast battery charging, USB host mode)
• USB 2.0 port type C (USB host mode, connection for external DACs or data storage devices)

Modes:

• Android: for using any app on the M17
• Pure Music: In "Pure Music Mode" the "FiiO Music App" starts directly and the Android functions are switched off - for pure music enjoyment!
• USB DAC: connect the M17 to the computer and use it as an external sound card to benefit from the excellent FiiO sound quality on the computer as well
• Bluetooth: for wireless music listening