FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer
No, it is not intended to replace the FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP, rather the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer is designed to sit above this solution, according to FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.
- Raising the bar in desktop audio, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. announces the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer.
With the FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. presented a so-called Deskop Audio System for the first time at the beginning of January 2023, which in this case is said to be a particularly sophisticated and versatile system that can fulfil all relevant tasks in this segment with flying colours.
Now, almost exactly one year later, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is once again presenting a very unusual desktop audio solution, whereby the full product name of the specialist for personal audio devices and desktop audio solutions already makes it clear what high standards the company wants to fulfil, as the Chinese company is talking about the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer.
FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer – Not the successor to the FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP
It should be emphasised at the outset that the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer is not intended to replace the aforementioned FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP, but rather the latest addition to the FiiO R Series, making it the most versatile desktop device from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. to date and meeting even the highest demands.
To this end, the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer offers a thoroughly impressive range of features, which, like the design and of course the basic concept, is based on its little brother, but clearly outperforms it in terms of key features.
FiiO HiFi Desktop Experience
FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. already referred to the FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP as the FiiO HiFI Desktop Experience, describing a solution that is essentially not dissimilar to a DAP, and the Chinese company has years of experience in this field and is even one of the market leaders.
On closer inspection, the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer also resembles a state-of-the-art DAP, although – designed as a desktop audio system – there is no need to compromise on features.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC platform with Google Android 10 and subsequently Google Android 12
The new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC platform from Qualcomm Inc. in the tried-and-tested manner, which already comes with a large number of essential features, although in this case it does not rely entirely on these basic features.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC relies on ARM processors and 64 GB of memory, of which around 48 GB is available to the user. For audio data, the system can of course be expanded by up to 2 TByte using microSD cards.
A graphics processor is used to control the 6-inch display, which is now significantly larger than the FiiO R7 and now has a resolution of 1.080 x 2.160 pixels instead of 720 x 1.280 pixels, but is still designed as a touchscreen display and therefore as a central user interface.
Google Android will be used as the operating system ex works, but fortunately an update to Google Android 12 will follow, as the manufacturer promises, as early as the first quarter of 2024.
Whatever you want – open to all content
The FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer naturally understands a wide range of streaming technologies, from UPnP to Apple AirPlay. It is also said to be Roon Ready and can of course access all conceivable streaming services. The only requirement for this is the right app, and in this respect there are no limits for the user with this solution.
Countless interfaces, now also with HDMI ARC
The FiiO R7 already had no shortage of interfaces, but the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer goes one better. USB 3.0 is available here as USB-C, while the USB-A is designed as a USB 2.0 port.
An optical and coaxial S/PDIF are available as digital inputs, an optical and coaxial S/PDIF as digital outputs. For analogue signals, there are two line outputs in the form of a pair of RCA sockets and a further line output in the form of an XLR. We should also not forget a 4-pin XLR and a 4.4 mm Pentaconn and a 6.3 mm stereo jack directly on the front, which are available for connecting headphones.
HDMI must now be explicitly emphasised, because in addition to the already listed interfaces, now you find an HDMI In as well as an HDMI Out on the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer, which even supports an ARC, i.e. an Audio Return Channel. TV sets can therefore output sound to this small desktop audio system, ultimately saving the need for a soundbar for the best TV sound.
It can be integrated into the network either via an RJ45 Ethernet interface or the integrated WiFi module.
USB based on XMOS Technology
By the way, there is one more thing that must be mentioned, namely the now significantly better performing USB interfaces. Whereas the little brother was previously only supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, an XMOS XU316 processor from the specialist XMOS Technology is now used.
New Bluetooth module
The Bluetooth module does not rely solely on what the SoC platform has to offer, but has a separate module from Qualcomm Inc. so that the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer also supports aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL and LDAC in addition to the SBC and AAC codecs.
New converter, more powerful output stage
The FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer now uses ESS ES9038PRO converters from ESS Technology Inc., which are used in a dual mono configuration for fully balanced signal processing and can process data in Linear PCM with up to 32 bits and 768 kHz and DSD including DSD512.
What is particularly exciting is that, although the company continues to rely on an output stage based on the THX788+ amplifier from THX Ltd., it has opted for an 8-channel rather than a 4-channel design and is therefore aiming to achieve an output power of up to 7.300 mW.
New design with LED effect
The FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP was initially offered in black, later also in white. For the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer, the decision was made to further refine the design concept. With dimensions of 160 x 115 x 127 mm and a weight of 2.271 kg, the device is presented in fully liquid metal bicolor body, as the manufacturer itself puts it. Two shades of silver adorn the FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer, with the icing on the cake being that not only do the rotary encoders feature an RGB LED, but the two colour variants are also separated by an LED strip.
Naturally, the new FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP is supplied with a suitable external power supply unit, which now supplies 15 V. However, it can also be connected directly to the mains. However, it can also be connected directly to the mains and the FiiO PL-50 Low Noise Regulated Linear Power Supply is also available as a tuning measure.
Prices and availability
As already described, the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer will not replace the FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP, but will also be available in parallel, as the manufacturer states, probably from the end of January 2024. As is probably easy to guess, however, this solution will be a little more expensive, you will probably have to estimate US$ 1.499,99 for the new FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP. A matching Bluetooth remote control is also included.
Getting to the point
Desktop audio is becoming an increasingly important market segment for FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd., and the company is set to serve this flourishing sector once again with a truly outstanding solution, namely the new FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP. It builds on the successful FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Streaming Music Player and DAC/AMP, but with significantly improved features so that the new FiiO R9 Flagship All-in-One Digital Media Streamer can fully live up to its name.
| PRODUCT | FIIO R9 FLAGSHIP ALL-IN-ONE DIGITAL MEDIA STREAMER |
|---|---|
| Price | US$ 1.499,99 |
| Brand | FiiO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. |
| Distribution | NT Global Distribution GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
