- The specialist for DAP systems FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is now presenting the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player.
The company FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is a recognised specialist for personal audio devices and has made a significant contribution in recent years to the popularity of so-called DAP – Digital Audio Players. Music in the best quality, including Hi-res audio, is now available anytime and anywhere. Even though the heyday of DAP with all the possibilities of streaming directly via smartphone is over, there are of course still numerous outstanding DAP models in the current line-up from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.
FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. can also come up with a portable music cassette player in the form of the FiiO CP13 Portable Stereo Cassette Player. And while we are on the subject of nostalgia, there is of course another solution that should not be missing, namely a portable CD player – which is exactly what the company is now presenting with the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player.
An extremely flexible solution
In contrast to the aforementioned portable music cassette player, which is probably to be understood primarily from a nostalgic point of view, the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player can offer a high degree of flexibility thanks to its special concept, so it is not just a portable audio CD player. In addition, and this is also very important, this solution should be characterised by particularly high quality, the manufacturer even speaks of a product that is equipped with the latest technology even for demanding users.
Robust, elegant appearance
First of all, the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player presents itself with an elegant, but above all solid housing made of aluminium, which is said to be very compact. The manufacturer states that the FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player measures just 144 x 137 x 27 mm.
The player will be available in different design variants, silver, red, black, aluminium as a material allows a wide variety of anodised surface finishes. A special version with a transparent top can also be found on the manufacturer’s website.
The new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player is essentially designed as a top loader, which means that the top opens to insert the disc. Here you will also find a series of buttons that are used to control the playback of the CD player. While the front of the player has a generously dimensioned display and the connections for headphones, all other interfaces are located at the rear, and the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player has plenty to offer.
Numerous connections
Let’s start again with the front, where, as described, the connections for headphones are available, namely an unbalanced 3,5 mm stereo mini jack and a balanced 4,4 mm PENTACONN.
The rear also has a 3,5 mm stereo mini jack and a 4.4 PENTACONN, which act as a line out, one unbalanced and one balanced. The 3,5 mm stereo mini jack also provides a coaxial and optical S/PDIF interface. There is also a USB-C for USB record and another USB-C for power supply. Two buttons, which we will discuss in more detail in a moment, can also be found at the rear.
Special audio architecture
As already mentioned, with the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. also wants to be able to fulfil high demands on sound quality, relying not only on a particularly precise CD mechanism and servo, on a switchable ESP (Electronic Skip Protection), but also on high-quality converters and a powerful output stage.
Two D/A converters from Cirrus Logic Inc. are used here, namely CS43198, as well as SGM8262 OP amps from SG Micro Corp. as output stages. As a result, two 660 mW at 32 ohms are available at the balanced headphone output, as the data sheet reveals. At the unbalanced output, however, this solution also delivers two times 180 mW into 32 ohms.
Bluetooth included
What is also particularly exciting is that the FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player has a Bluetooth module from Qualcomm, which means that the corresponding headphones can be integrated directly. Not only the SBC and AAC codecs are available, but also aptX, aptX HD and aptX Low Latency.
Long battery life
According to the manufacturer, the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player has a playing time of up to ten hours and is powered by a 3,750 mAh 3.8 V cobalt-lihtium battery. As previously mentioned, this is charged via a USB-C port.
Special desktop mode
Interestingly, the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player also has a special desktop mode that can be activated using a button on the back. This is used when the FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player is connected directly to a PC or Mac via USB-C. This means that power is supplied directly from the PC or Mac.
This is relevant, for example, when using the FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player as a CD drive for ripping CDs.
Prices and availability
The new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player should be available from specialist retailers in the next few days. As described, this solution will in principle be available in different design variants – Silver, White Skyline, Black, Red, although not all variants will always be available in all markets. The price is quoted at € 169,-.
Getting to the point
A few months ago, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. announced that it would be launching a portable audio CD player on the market, and this is now available from specialist retailers in the form of the new FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player. At an attractive price, this solution is intended to appeal to a broad target group and fulfil high expectations in terms of sound quality.
| PRODUCT | FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player |
|---|---|
| Price | € 169,- |
| Brand | FiiO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. |
| Distribution | NT Global Distribution GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
