FiiO M11 Plus SD660 SOC THX

From Fiio:

DAC: AKM AK4497 Dual
Amplifier: THX AAA-78
Platform: Snapdragon 660 + RAM4GB + Built-in Memory 64GB
Display: 5.5 inch 720P 18: 9 LCD
Volume Controller: Original Slide & Push Dual Mode Physical Volume Button
Clock: Femto Second Crystal + Upgraded Shield Design
Battery: 6000mAh
OS: Android 10
Output Terminal: 2.5 + 3.5 + 4.4mm Headphone Output, 3.5 + 4.4 mm Line output
Size: 136.6 X 75.7 X 17.6mm, Aluminum alloy model 310g, Limited edition stainless steel model 405g
Release date: Scheduled for May
Desired retail price: To be determined
Due to discontinuation of AK4497, M11Plus aluminum alloy and stainless steel version are limited in quantity The
ESS DAC version will be on sale.

This year is a bit special. According to the usual practice, we should do better preparations, complete mass production and hold a press conference. Now due to the epidemic and fire, the official website of iF accidentally added M17 The information leaked, which caused some of the new products we planned to release during this period of time to be exposed in advance.

Now that this is the case, we have no choice but to gradually send out some new product information. But please forgive me, because they are not ready to go on sale. So some exact sales time, price, and even functional performance may be adjusted. Therefore, we are not deliberately trying to hang everyone, but we really can’t tell you in advance what is uncertain.

FiiO's new spring products include players M11Plus, K9Pro, FH5S, and M17, which was accidentally leaked from summer products. Among them, the most popular ones are M11Plus and M17. Many people have a lot of questions for me. So today I will talk about how FiiO positioned the three products, and some suggestions for the old users of FiiO M11/M11Pro/M15.

1. M11Plus, this player is a replacement for the M11Pro which was discontinued due to the chip and display. If it is simple to define, it is to upgrade the main control and display screen of M11Pro. It should be noted that there will be 3 models of M11Pro in the future, namely the M11Plus regular version with AK4497 and the M11Plus stainless steel version. And the M11Plus E with ESS DAC that may be released at the end of the year (for the time being). Due to the small number of 4497 ​​we reserve, plus the need to meet the sales needs of the global market. So in fact, the quantity that can be supplied in May is not much, and everyone will sell it and cherish it. In addition, the cost of M11Plus has increased a lot, and the retail price will increase significantly on the M11Pro. The specific amount is temporarily undecided. We will try to digest more by ourselves.

2. M17 is a new product of the FiiO player's upward expansion of the product line, so there is no substitute relationship with the existing players. It is also our attempt at the ultimate form of portable desktop computers. In particular, the interface/thrust has been tilted for the desktop system. Considering the volume/weight/heating/price, it is destined to be a product that is not suitable for most people.

In addition, the design style this time is more personalized. Judging from the current feedback, I like it a lot, and there are many dislikes. This depends on personal needs.

So, a brief summary:

If you have not purchased a player before, it is recommended to consider M11Plus, or the small amount of M11Pro/M15 available from agents in the market is still a very good choice.

If you are an old user of M11Pro, if you don't have to have a better experience (upgrading the main control, increasing RAM, and larger display), there is no need to buy M11Plus. Consider the M15S coming out at the end of the year or early next year.

If it is an old M15 user. If you like to play with the machine and try new technologies, if you like the ESS DAC, it is recommended that you can choose to upgrade to M17 or double repair after experience. Otherwise, it is enough to continue to use M15, except that the thrust is not as good as M17, other deficiencies (master control is slower, does not support apple music) are not particularly big problems. It is recommended to play for two more years.

Finally, briefly talk about some of our considerations behind the design of M11Plus, M15, and M17.

M11Plus has been upgraded to 5.5 due to the problem of the screen supply, coupled with the reliability of the scroll wheel and infringement of battery space, the shape of M11Plus is more regular. The grip is also good.

When designing the M15, considering the weight and size, it was specially designed with rounded sides. Otherwise, the hand feel will be worse. In fact, the industrial design of the M15 has always been affirmed by users. Of course, industrial design is not the same as appearance design. Many people still like the design of M11Pro.

The M17 is flying itself, because the design goal is a portable computer, so the small size and light weight will definitely not be able to suppress the surging explosive power of the M17. For this reason, the shape has been changed back to the square box shape with the highest space utilization. In order not to look so brick, we added some sections and decorations to enrich its shape, and even RGB atmosphere lights. Therefore, the personalization of the appearance will also lead to the split of the user's point of view, which is foreseeable.

Finally, from the RK3188 series starting from X7, to the Exymos7872 series starting from M11, to the Qualcomm 660 series starting with M11Plus, FiiO continues to grow and progress. I hope that this generation can continue the success of the previous two generations and be loved by everyone.

Amp: THXAAA-78
SoC: Qualcomm 660+4G RAM+64G FLASH
Display: 5.5-inch 720, 18:9 LCD screen
Operation: Innovative physical volume button supporting sliding and pressing controls
Internal design: Femtosecond crystals+upgraded shielding design
Battery capacity: 6000mAh
System: all-new Android 10
Connectors: 2.5+3.5+4.4 PO output, 3.5 LO+4.4 LO output
Dimensions 136.6mm * 75.7mm * 17.6mm
Weight: Aluminium Alloy edition 310g, Stainless Steel limited edition 405g
Time to market: expected in May.
Price: to be determined.
Quantity: Both the Aluminium Alloy and Stainless Steel edition of the M11Plus will be available in limited quantities due to the halt production of AK4497. In the future, there might be a new edition of ESS DAC.

Looks cool. I wonder how much it will cost. I’m guessing just under a £1000

Tje volume control is. Interesting one, albeit not new.

It uses a combination of buttons (up and down) and a touch sensitive strip, where you can slide your finger on up and down to adjust volume

Looks like FiiO have scrapped the Stainless Version after production problems.