We've noticed a distinct lack of great budget portable music players recently. Since the demise of the iPod Touch, there have been plenty of great dedicated hi-res music players, mainly from the likes of Astell & Kern, offering exceptional performance for your personal listening pleasure.
The thing is, most of the best portable music players tend to cost some serious cash (at least over £500/$500), and that's not always ideal in these times of economic uncertainty. A&K's sub-brand Activo tried to bring exceptional quality to a more affordable price point with its Activo P1 player, but disappointing sound and a cheap-feeling build meant it was tough to recommend.
Perhaps Fiio will have better luck with its M21, a "sleek and powerful portable digital audio player" which seeks to bring together flagship hardware with retro aesthetics without costing an arm and a leg.
The new portable music player is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset, teasing a quick, responsive Android performance in your pocket. The M21 offers 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable to 2 TB via a microSD slot.
The Fiio M21 is capable of handling hi-res PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz alongside DSD512 and full MQA decoding, while SBC, AAC and LDAC Bluetooth codecs are on the menu.
Central to the M21's performance are four Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips arranged in a matrix configuration, an architecture which minimises crosstalk and noise for a "clean and dynamic sonic profile".
The M21 also offers a handy 'desktop mode' so you can use it as a DAC/amplifier for your laptop-based listening. When connected via USB-C to an external supply, the Fiio bypasses its onboard battery to deliver up to 21 Vpp peak voltage and 950 mW per channel into 32 ohms.
The new player offers 15 hours of battery life for single-ended 3.5 mm headphones and 11.5 hours for balanced 4.4 mm listening, while digital coaxial and USB-C outputs are also onboard. An updated Fiio Control app is available for managing the player's settings and accessing a series of advanced filters.
The M21 sports a 4.7-inch touchscreen, and if you're hankering for the days of the Walkman, Fiio even offers a retro cassette-tape-style protective case (sold separately) for that fully retro look.
The Fiio M21 is available now, priced at £279 / $329 / €329. That cassette case, meanwhile, will cost you around £20 / $50, although this may depend on the retailer.
We last tested the more costly Fiio M23 at £649 / $699 / AU$1199, but the brand seems to be targeting a more budget side of the market with the likes of this new M21 and the even cheaper JM21 model (£179 / $149 / €149).
MORE:
These are the best iPod Touch alternatives
And the best portable music players
Read our Sony NW-A306 review for a similarly priced alternative
