FiiO M15S Android player review - now with more fancy tricks
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- FiiO's ex-flagship received a new updated version, repositioned closer to the middle segment but with a better sound and some new great features.
Official site: www.fiio.com/m15s
0:00 - Introduction
3:45 - Unboxing and accessories
5:59 - Design and controls
12:37 - Firmware
20:32 - Sound
33:14 - Pairings and comparisons
Tracks mentioned in the review
Diablo Swing Orchestra - Gunpowder Chant
Ghost - Mummy Dust
Leïla Martial - Left Alone
Queen - Killer Queen
Robert Plant - Dancing in Haven
Tina Turner - Goldeneye
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Наука та технологія
I was very close to order a hiby r6 pro gen2, but I was scared off by problems with a short battery life and overheating. It's amazing value for the price.
not sure about overheating, but as for battery life, it's something to expect due to size and components used
@@PortaFi You're right, will wait for real owner's reviews
I'm also pretty close to buying that player. Ive not heard about overheating but I have no issue with battery drain as I can easily plug it in regularly but longer battery is handy when I can't. Don't make the mistake I did and buy the Sony Walkman, top model minus the stupid gold one. I had a ton of issues with it and am in the process of returning it for full refund.
My current dap is the Shanling M8. I'm thinking about switching it up, or perhaps adding a new unit. How would you compare and contrast the sound of this with the M8? Are they similar or more different? Thank you
FiiO is closer to neutrality, with a bit better balance overall
Thank you. Can you tell me if it sounds leaner or drier than the M8? Are dynamics and transient response on the same level? Lastly, is the M15s brighter? I'm ready to purchase, but I need more info on the sound signature.
@@markhogquist2000 sorry, but such detailed nuances require A/B comparison to answer, but I don't have M8 for that. By memory, its sound is warmer overall, so M15S is brighter (but not bright per se). But take it with a grain of salt
Would you say it sounds the same/better/worse vs the M17? Thanks
I told about that in the comparison section at the end, but in short M17 is better
My IEMs are the Monarchs Mk2 should i look at M15S or the M11 Plus ESS?
Both will be good with these IEMs, so it's a matter of your preference in sound. I told about the difference in the final part of the video
Hi. Great review. And against Shanling M9 plus? Happy new year.🎉
Hello, for me, M9 Plus is more mature in dynamics and control, but difference isnt huge
I'm looking forward to your hiby Pro ii review.
I really hope I'll make it soon
So my vehicle only have usb input for
music. Those this Dac support usb
output for instance like a phone I can
use a type c headphone to listen to
music from the phone charging port.
Can Iuse the m15s in that way?
Thanks
Yes, it supports external USB DACs
Hello, great video.
How do you compare the M15 with the M23 in terms of sound quality?
M15S is a bit more dynamic and highlighting emotions, givimg more forward signature
Hi! Thank you for the review. I just got the fiio fh9 iem and I also have the Meze 99 Classics, both for my travelling. My only portable solution right now is tidal from iphone through the btr7 mqa. What should be the best upgrade? I’m thinking to upgrade only the dac and to get the q15. Or should I go with the m15s? Or the m11 plus? Thank you!
Well, in terms of sound I'd suggest you to get either Q15 or M15S to get the maximum boost (FH9 has a pretty high potential, and maybe some day you'll upgrade to 109 Meze :) )
Q15 is is cheaper, but you loosing convenience of the dedicated DAP. So I'd suggest you to decide whether you need a player, and select one of two based on that
Another option to consider is HiBy R6 Pro 2, it's cheaper and has own drawbacks, but sound is really good
@@PortaFi Hi! Thank you so much for your advices. I will go and try the q15 at my local av store. As for upgrading to 109, I have already purchased the Empyreans, of course, not for travelling, so I will wait a little until my next Meze. Actually, I got a little bit Meze “addicted”, not to mention that I’m Romanian. :) Thank you so much and I will check all your recommendations. Have a blessed and good sounding 2024!
@@anmic3590 Bună ziua. Felicitări pentru achiziția impresionantă, Meze Elite sunt incredibile, așa că vă vor aduce multe emoții pozitive. Abia aștept să vizitez România după ce se termină războiul la noi. Am fost de câteva ori în București, dar doar pentru 1-2 zile, orașul este minunat. Toate cele bune în noul an și pentru dumneavoastră!
@@PortaFi Buna ziua! Ma bucur sa ne cunoastem! Ce surpriza!
Multumesc din nou pentru sfaturi. Am ascultat si Elite, dar nu m-am aruncat chiar atat de mult, cum se zice. Am ales Empyreans pentru ca erau si ele foarte aproape de ceea ce-mi doream (acum chiar mi-au depasit asteptarile) si, in plus, oferta primita de la avstore era una foarte buna, avand in pachet si fiio k9 pro ess. Pentru amplificarea fh9 am zis sa mai astept putin. Momentan merg tot prin k9, auditiile mele la casti nefiind inca mobile. Probabil spre vara ma voi orienta catre un amp portabil mai bun decat btr7k.
Multumesc mult si un an nou cu sanatate si pace! 🙏
@@anmic3590 Bună ziua, înca sunt bucur să ne cunoaștem. Da, Empyrean sunt de asemenea minunate, pe anumite genuri muzicale îmi plac mai mult și mie. Iar K9Pro ESS este un adăugat excelent la ele. În ceea ce privește amplificatorul portabil, sunt sigur că până în vară vom avea multe noutăți interesante.
Cu cele mai bune urări, Pavel.
In terms Of sound are they have a lot difference between fiio m15s and shanling m7?
Unfortunately, my M7 was a loaner unit that I had to return. By memory M7 was a bit weightier and more highlighting emotions. While M15S is closer to neutrality
@@PortaFi I was thinking of changing my shanling m7 for a fiio m15s, but I think it will sound similar to the m11 plus ess that I had, I will be better with the shanling m7
@@MeMin181 in this case I don't think this change will make much sense for you.
Great review. Will you be covering the hiby r6 pro II anytime soon?
oh yes, I will :)
@@PortaFi Eagerly look forward to it.. hope it's good, i already have it on order 😅
@@Rakshit0076 I'm almost sure you'll like it. In terms of sound it's a really mature device, as well as with design
Is it smart to upgrade from my fiio m11pro to this m15s? I would be using the solaris 2019
In general yes, but in particular, if you're planning to use only Solaris, you can consider a less powerful DAP with probably a smaller price. Not like it's something wrong with M15S, it's great, but its power will be underutilised :)
But from another hand, you'll have some reserve for the future, if you'll decide to buy some tough cans
P.S. I'm really interested in testing HiBy's new R6 Pro II, looks really interesting
The thing is i got bored of the sound signature of the m11pro and wanten to try a bit more mature DAP. Of course, i will be using essentially solaris, but i am open to possibilities and buying some good overears to enjoy the power of m15s.
In my country it releases in two weeks, i will most certainly get it
@@maximovidalverdu7924 so, if you like M11Pro signature "in general", but want "similar but better", then M15S is a viable option to consider
Already ordered the device, really appreciate the replies.
@@maximovidalverdu7924 congratulations on purchase! hope you'll enjoy it
I'm looking to buy the m23 also. The last music player I had was the Zune player. I understand these fiio dap have better dac chip now. My question is how those Dap compared to a smartphone in terms of music quality? I mainly want to use it in my vehicle which already have a decent sounds system. Honestly I'm not sure if this would be a worthy investment.
This player is much better than regular smartphone or old players: it has modern DAC chip, good amplifier, etc. But not sure if it makes sense in your situation.
First of all, what input is used in your car stereo system. If it's USB, then there is no sense in such player, regular smartphone will be OK. If you use Bluetooth, it's the same.
If you're using AUX in, then it can make sense, but not a big, as most likely car's stereo will be the bottleneck, so you can use a simpler player or bluetooth receiver for that
@PortaFi thanks.
I was using it as a usb connection. Is just that some music have no bass even when I turn up the bass while some music played with lots of bass I'm my vehicle. Think I have to look for something with baas boost.
@@topandrun126 with USB connection you can just get some cheap smartphone and use it as a transport. Just install a player with equaliser to boost the bass and it'll be OK
How does dx300 compare with this?
DX300 is more neutral and dryer with stock amp, and I didn't compare with others
I notice the player doesn't show the full cover art, not wide enough.
Hm… Haven't notice that. Will re-check, thank you
I'm considering buying this for my Shure SE846, I'm coming up from an old Sony PHA-2 I bought 10+ years Ago and is on its last legs. I'm not really an audiophile per se, but would like to buy something that's good and will last a long time. I stumbled upon this product and thought to ask, your video was good and appreciate the effort that you put into it.
thank you for a feedback, I appreciate that!
@@PortaFi Actually, what do you think of the M15S for someone like me? I just want something that will last and is easy to fix.
@@has6145 to be hones, I don't know about repairability, as I'm awful with opening some electronics and doing something with that. But I think almost all modern players can be serviced in a normal mobile phone workshop, they aren't that different.
M15S can be a great option for you, as it's good sounding, feels nice in hand and has lots of modern features
You can also consider HiBy R6 Pro II which has stunning design and sound, but shorter battery life time
@@PortaFi thanks for coming back to me. I’m a bit weary of Chinese products and don’t trust them as much given the amount of information they can collect on you. See latest dramas with Hikvision cameras etc.
Thanks again!
@@has6145 well, while it can be an issue with other devices, I think players are pretty safe in this aspect. They don't have camera, microphone or GPS chip. So, even if FiiO (or other companies) decided to collect some info (which I doubt), maximum they'll get will be your equaliser preferences and your musical guilty pleasures (mine are first albums of Die Antwoord :) ). Don't think it can be interesting for CCP. To be extra safe, don't use player for a sensitive applications like banking and stuff. As long as you'll use it just for media entertainment, I think it's totally safe
Great review, thanks.
How would you compare it to the AK sp1000 and sp1000M? I care only for the sound quality.
I did this comparison in SP1000M review. It was quite a ling ago, but as I remember, "regular" SP1000 was more technical, with better sound balance and bigger stage
@@PortaFi Thanx but i meant this m15s to the sp1000m or sp1000 as i can get them used in around the same price or even cheaper than the new m15s.
@@karolkedzierski5824 sorry, I misinterpret your question. Go for SP1000 if you're ok with slow interface and limited Android, and you use mainly IEMs. If you need to drive some cans that require power and want to use different apps, M15S will be a better choice
@@PortaFi Thanx!
@@PortaFi So i bought a used sp1000 and compared it to the m15s. It took around 10 min to make a decision to send the m15s back. They are farther apart than i expected as the m15s already sounds marvelous. The m15s sounded grayish in comparison, having slightly narrowe stage and bit lesser bass impact and textures. The sp1000 is definitely more natural and lively but very organic. Thanx for the advice!
Xin hỏi admin sẽ như thế nào nếu so sánh với Sony m1am2
unfortunately I didn't tested this Sony player. I suggest you to ask on Head-Fi.org, it's a big forum, so you'll get more answers
I have a M17. Should I even bother with this player?
definitely not. unless you want a second, smaller player :)
@@PortaFi thank you for replying. It’s really appreciated! 🙌🏼
Nice one! A flagship dap without flagship processor, without current android. I can't download wavelet on shanling m3x, l can't use poweramp eq because it's android 7.l. These dap should be coming with current android and two years update atleast like a phones for the price. Thank you.
unfortunately, players' creators are limited in this aspect by their suppliers
it's a niche product with sales smaller than the phone ones by the order of magnitude
@@PortaFi How are they limited? They don't want to pay 10 pounds licence fee per product you mean? I rather have flagship processor and current android for 20 or even 50 pounds more than these current outdated system. Whoever can afford 1000 pounds dap can surely afford another 50 for current everything..You see, I attached a dongle to an old phone, samsung s10 and l noticed the sound was bigger, more power on the phone. The only reason l could think of is the more powerful processor in the phone. And that got me thinking hard....This 3 years samsung s10 has android 12, still more powerful than 665 soc in flagship daps.
@@suntanglory unless you are a really big company that can afford to pay your own programmers, you need support from a platform vendor which sells both CPU and Android, adapted to this chipset. And you can easily purchase 500K chipsets, zero problems, anything you want. For 100K choice will be more limited, and you'll have to pay more for support, but it's still a normal price.
Your options are fully limited for players that are rarely see even 10K sales. It's not a supermarket where you can go and buy any quantity of product you want. And it's not even like a regular market with "I'll pay you $50 more to get that". If you don't buy the necessary quantities, you can go and … yourself. So you're limited to vendors that can sell you the necessary amount of CPUs, and you need to get OS version they offer. What is ok for phones that are sold in millions, doesn't work for players with below 10K sales
The same problem was about 7 years ago with screens. Thanks to a huge stock of unsold Blackberry screens we've seen in DAPs that years :)
You pronounce digeridoo correctly.
Этот или astell kann max?
этот
@@PortaFi да, сейчас слушаю м15s, чище , объемнее. Пока так . Но вроде одного уровня . Но в чем-то фийо кажется лучше но пока еще мало времени прослушки прошло
m15s лучше, чем DX240? Сейчас DX200 c моденым AM1
да, хотя вопрос больше вкусовой
Old Tech! 😆 This is most definitely Not The Way!!!
not sure what is the "old tech" here, but let it be
@@PortaFi If you have to ask me what the “Old Tech” is….then you should probably not have did a review on the product if you don’t know the parts inside.
As for “Letting it be” I’ll be doing a video on it and I most definitely won’t be “Letting it be”.
I like to tell the truth on products and if that bothers some people or companies so be it.
@@CarAudioHorizons I have a good knowledge of what's inside, and moreover, I have knowledge of why it's so. And by "let it be," I meant not you let it be, but myself. Anyway, everyone is interested in your review, so we can learn how it should be done
Do you have a pop filter for your mic dude? Also please drink some water before recording a video
thank you for suggestions