Audiophilepure

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/fiio-m23

Despite the A&norma SR35 convincingly being the more engaging of the two, the Fiio isn’t exactly a bore – we still find ourselves nodding away to upbeat tracks in our library, such as Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop and Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). And even if you aren’t made to feverishly foot-tap until you get cramp, there’s every chance you’ll be engrossed by the amount of detail the M23 can dig up. I

ndeed, we can’t help but admire not only the breadth of its presentation but how much information – both in the outlines and harmonics of notes – it conveys within it. In the Jackson track, stark clarity and texture are generously bestowed across the frequency spectrum, clinging to the cymbals, electric piano and bass, his youthful vocal suitably dripping with its intended playfulness.

Inside, the XM5 features a flagship ES9039 PRO DAC chip, paired with two TPA6120A2 amplifiers, delivering 1W @ 32 Ohm. The player’s UI is based on the Ingenic X2000 platform for core music navigation and operation, and it supports Hi-Res Tidal streaming over WiFi.

While primarily a portable player, the ONIX XM5 is versatile, fitting into various roles. It can stream YouTube via Bluetooth, serve as a USB DAC/Amp with your laptop, provide digital output for standalone DACs, or act as an independent DAC for powerful amplifiers.

The XM5 boasts a 7000 mAh battery, 32bit/768 kHz and DSD512 support, an OLED touchscreen, an aluminium chassis, Bluetooth 5.2, and an XMOS XU316 chip for USB DAC connection.

When the Diablo 2 came out it was advertised as having 5 watts output. That’s quite a lot for a portable amp, and as it turned out, that 5 watts was really a peak power measurement, not an RMS or continuous power measurement as most users were expecting. iFi says it has learned from the storm of negative press coverage, and now states the RMS power of the unit. Consumers can expect 1-3 watts of continuous power, and I do think the initial spec was misleading. Still, the box for the Diablo 2 features “up to 5,180 mW output” which could confuse some buyers. The company would do itself a favor and drop any reference to peak power.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0424/FiiO_M17_Portable_Desktop_Class_Player_Review.htm

If I were reviewing the M17 as a full-sized component in my main audio system, I’d describe its sound quality using the cliché “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” With size comes power, and this idiom was especially true when using the M17 when plugged into the wall outlet using its AC to DC power supply. When using its battery, its output power lowered, but sonically, there was such a slight difference in sound quality it wasn’t audible unless I squinted my ears.

Regardless of genre, source, or a file’s resolution, what I heard from my headphones was the epitome of “audiophile sound quality.” Yes, that description has become a bit of a cliché ever since “audiophile sound quality” has been appropriated by the mass-market audio industry. But I’d be wasting the reader’s time going through each recording and attempting to elaborate on what I heard, such as its slamming, deep bass, transparent midrange, and sparkling treble. This is because the recording determined the M17’s sound quality and which headphones I was using much more than the sound quality provided by the M17. In other words, the M17 sounds exceptionally transparent. I can think of no greater praise for an audio component.