FiiO M23 is one of the newest digital audio players that is made by a well-known company which is one of the most recognizable brands in the world of portable audio. Their M23 is actually very interesting player because of a few quite particular reasons. First of them is the fact that while it can indeed be seen as a replacement for M11 Plus, it can also be perceived as a worthy successor to the first venerable AKM-based version of the M11 player that entered the market few years ago and is sought-after even now. Things get even more interesting when we look at the DAP market today through a wider lens. This is because what’s really intriguing is the market placement of the M23. It is definitely not a budget player by any means, yet its price tag is still far from what can be asked for one of those hi-end “portable” players. Then there’s the manufacturer itself that has truly established its reputation for making a really good stuff that is also sensibly priced. And, what’s even more important – it’s hard to argue that FiiO is also really succeeding in introducing new products lately that just may be really pushing the envelope of portable and desktop audio at the moment. If you don’t believe me, you don’t have to – just look at their new K19 desktop DAC with headphone amplifier and its functionality. Or at how actually advanced their new flagship IEMs are like the FA19 and FH19.
What’s also of importance here is that the M23 is of no exception to that. The first and possibly the most obvious thing is that it’s based on the new (well, not that new now, but it’s still worth mentioning) “separate” AKM DAC chipset where the whole converting silicon actually consists of two distinct parts. One of them is the AK4191EQ, which is – as the Asahi Kasei Microdevices puts it – a “Premium Digital Delta-Sigma” modulator, while the second one being the AK4499EXEQ. Which, again – is described by its Japanese manufacturer as a “135dB Stereo Premium DAC’. And now let’s count in two other things. Number one is that the M23 is at the moment exactly in the middle of the FiiO’s DAP’s lineup – we have the M11S and the M11 Plus from the bottom, both based on the ESS silicon. And then we have more expensive M15S and the M17, both sporting the ESS Technology conversion chips. This makes the new M23 somehow special. And also, this can be one of those players that – as is the case with that old now M11 – will be treated as one of really-important-in-the-longer-run products for both the company and the entire portable audio world as well.
This may be especially true when we consider just another factor here. Which would be actual, working, real-world functionality, ease of use, and – plainly speaking – user-friendliness. Because when you look at the specification in this regard, it’s really extensive. And there are some things that just could make the new M23 so much more than the first M11 really was at its inception. So, let’s take a closer look at this new FiiO’s player and see what is has to offer.
FiiO M23 – design and specifications
Let’s start off with the fact that – as I mentioned before – this is the only FiiO DAP that is based on the AKM chipset. And at the moment of writing, it is positioned exactly in the middle of the line-up, so below we have M11 Plus and above it there’s M15S. The first one sports dual ES9062AS chipset, while the latter is based on ES9038PRO. Size-wise, the M23 is about the size of M11 Plus (with 75.7×136.5×18.1mm) yet slightly smaller than M15S. As for the choosing of the AKM two-chip DAC this is how FiiO explains it:
In fact, the M23 belongs to the upgraded version of the M11Plus, and all of FIIO’s products are based on the positioning of this product to provide the best experience possible, whether it is sound, appearance or operation, we hope that each product in the price range is highly competitive, so the comprehensive cost of the experience and other aspects of the factors, we chose the AK4499.