Software
Android 10
Android 7.0 Nougat OS on the M11 Pro did not really feel lacking but to keep up with the phone market and the cool chassis design on M11 Plus LTD, FiiO has gone with Android 10.
With more than a hundred customized icons and UI elements, it now looks more professional and premium compared to some designs that are based on raw, unmodified Android OS.
You can switch between different modes in the drag-down menu and also use a dark theme with just one click. This helps to enhance legibility and the contrast under the sun. If you are used to listening while turning the lights off, there is also a night mode that will reduce blue lights making it more eyeball-friendly in the dark.
The new processor certainly gives it enough power to operate very fast and smoothly even when you scroll super-fast, comparing with the M11 Pro with Samsung SoC inside you will notice how much faster the M11 Plus LTD gets, for example when choosing albums from the FiiO Music App the cover arts loads instantly, same for viewing 20MB+ photo albums in my SD card.
The M11 Plus LTD is also able to handle some more intense graphics and games, more capable than on the M11 Pro obviously.
Performance Measurements
Testing with different versions of the AnTuTu benchmark we have the following results as posted above with the M11 Pro beside to show the difference. Technically this is one of the fastest DAPs in the market right now.
The M11 Pro Samsung SoC was already quite fast, however, the Snapdragon 660 really kicks the M11 Plus LTD into one of the fastest DAPs we have reviewed to date. The level of smoothness is similar to phones and right now there is truly little competition in terms of software speed.
Features
Apple Music
Apple Music can also be used in the M11 Plus LTD with support for AAC as well. Now you can use the M11 Plus LTD as a BT receiver or replay your AAC library without using 3rd party apps.
There will soon be Apple Music Lossless so this is a welcome move. If you have a library on your MAC or iPhone you can now migrate easily to the M11 Plus LTD.
Bluetooth
Upgraded from M11 Pro’s Bluetooth 4.2 to Bluetooth 5.0, the M11 Plus LTD supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-HD, and LDAC transmission. The added AAC codec will also be a big bonus for Apple Music support. It can receive 3 standards, SBC, AAC, and LDAC.
You can also stream from your iDevice and enjoy high-quality output on the M11 Plus LTD via the AAC codec. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard allows you to freely connect to all the latest Hi-Res receivers or TWS earphones.
The device also packs in Airplay support for Apple TV and other speakers that support Airplay. With Bluetooth 5.0 onboard it will further reduce power consumption when in Bluetooth mode and boost playback time which will be great news to intensive Bluetooth users.
MQA 8X
Tidal users may be pleased to see this feature as some other devices only support unfolding to the highest extent with the manufacturer’s own music player app, while limited to 2X or 4X on other apps.
Tidal as well as other 3rd party apps such as UAPP on the M11 Plus LTD will now support up to 8x unfolding so you can upsample to studio-level sampling rates even when streaming.
The mastering of MQA files is always impressive so even having the fact that it is a lossy format, the experience is more than satisfactory, you can also hear the sound being smoother when properly unfolded.
FiiO Music App
This is the main interface for media management and audio playback if you are not using third-party apps. It covers a lot of functions as well as supporting multi-band equalizing. Also, FiiO Link is available from within the main app menu where you can sync with your phone to use it as a remote or the other way round.
This function is very handy allowing you remote access to the library of the other devices or use it as a Bluetooth receiver.
The FiiO app will also allow users to customize the theme. You can switch between a lot of presets that change the color, the way how the background blurs, or blend them together to create a much cooler layout than the stock setting.
Night Mode
Whether you like the theme dark-toned or just to keep your eyeballs from less blue light, this is one interesting feature to have. I am used to listening to music at night, and it can be irritating to look at the pale white screen while lowering the brightness may make the screen unreadable.
If you love listening in bed or operating the player under the dark, try this mode and save your eyeballs from being irritated.
WiFi Music Transfer
You can transfer music wirelessly when connecting the player with the same WiFi network as your PC or mobile phone, using the built-in FiiO Music App. This is a great function when you do not have a USB-C cable around and if you want to get music from a friend’s library.
The speed is similar to Bluetooth transfer, perhaps a bit faster, and is quite handy to use when you do not have a cable around and just want to send over a few songs.
Pure Music Mode (Recommended)
You can access the Pure Music mode from the drop-down menu on the M11 Pro, which force-closes all other apps in the background to allow the FiiO Music App to run at full throttle without being disturbed.
The M11 Pro already skips SRC but if you want the least interference from other apps, turn off WiFi and switch this mode on.
Everything To DSD – All to DSD 2.0
This is another interesting feature carry-over from the M11 Pro. One that is accessible also from the drop-down menu. You can hear the output getting a bit smoother with some tracks when keeping it turned on.
Now you can upsample to DSD64 everything you hear out of the balanced connection including YouTube videos or tidal output, converting PCM signals globally to DSD format during D to A conversion.
The upsampling process also applies to all 3rd party apps. Generally, I found the output to sound more spacious and smoother with the treble elevated a bit. More to less the same impression as what I had when using it on the M11 Pro.
However, with this function, the power consumption is noticeably increased as well as the heat dissipation. Also, it does not work with some lossy tracks or generally speaking, tracks that are poorly recorded or low in dynamic range.
Upsampling is a subjective topic, and it may yield good or bad results depending on the source and pairing. As long as it is a bonus feature do try and see if it works on your setup!
Wireless Performance
WiFi
Streaming over WiFi is very stable over 5GHz signals, which will free you from interference usually occurring at lower bands.
Web browsing is extremely fast and the fast SoC is contributing to the smoothness. There are no bugs experienced so far and 10m within my router’s reach, even over a thick wall I can stream 1080p videos from YouTube pretty fast.
Bluetooth
Upgraded to Bluetooth 5.0 from M11 Pro’s Bluetooth 4.2, the connection with Bluetooth devices is smooth with rather low latency, the signal strength is similar to the M11 Pro, if not better.
With LDAC the signal strength is good within 1m, however, these higher resolution codecs are not for long-distance transfer, and you can hear the signal dropping intermittently if you move the M11 Plus from the receiving device fast.
Tested with the latest HiBy LDAC supported TWS earphones WH2, there is impressive fullness in the bass and clear image in the mids with lossless tracks.
Treble has been the weak point with BT earphones and this combo sounds quite natural and clean together, likely due to the tuning algorithm on LDAC. These are some real tech leaps on delivering higher fidelity and the experience is delightful with this combo.
The M11 Pro doubles as a Bluetooth receiver and you can pair it with phones/ PCs for wireless playback. There are no glitches with the multi-way connection, and you could enjoy streaming content or any audio source with the 4.4mm or 2.5mm output streaming from your phones.
With AAC support iPhone users can now stream their AAC library, testing with my iPhone/ iPad with some old tracks in AAC it is smooth and fuller in sound than the basic SBC codec.
Sound Impressions
Initial Impressions
Fresh out of the box you will immediately notice some difference from the M11 Pro, aside from the output being more powerful, there is more air, texture, and precision in the mid-bass, and the treble control is enhanced. To keep the comparison fairly controlled I burnt in the M11 Plus LTD for more than a week before finalizing my thoughts.
The key hardware differences you can notice from the specification are the femtosecond crystal oscillators and a new “Digital Audio Purification System” in its audio signal processing pathway.
With these variables, it seems to add extra precision and control to the output along with the very linear, natural-sounding THX AAA amping implementation that has convinced me quite sometimes with its performance and timbre.
When I tested the M11 Pro, I used the default digital filter under the Pure Music mode to make sure other apps in the background do not interfere with the music app or degrade the output while more system power is consumed.
Impressions are also made with other apps that may have a different default tuning, including UAPP and Kaisertone, and Onkyo Player which sometimes sounds even more euphoric than the stock music app.
Summary
With the Earsonics CORSA and the Final B3 paired with the M11 Plus LTD, I am getting very swift treble as well as decent bass control. The stereo image is strong with precise vocal positioning. Also, it is very delicately controlled in the treble.
The rather unaltered vocal line is slightly pushed back to render more space, allowing better bass and treble detail to be clearly presented. That does not mean that the vocal is lacking on the M11 Plus LTD as it actually sounds quite pitch-correct and free from compression. Rather, it is quite neutral in positioning rather than overtly forward or veiled.
Generally speaking, the tighter attack and lighter tone make the M11 Plus LTD very pleasurable sounding for energetic instrumentals and clean voices, as well as classical pieces with its high dynamic range and strong texture.
Genres like Jazz and Classic sound brilliant on this combo with a controlled treble that sounds denser than on the M11 Pro. The tuning and hardware qualities put together a moderately large staging that is quite airy but not exaggerated. The lows subtly filling up the atmosphere and contributing to a realistic, highly dynamic output with plenty of headroom.
The drawbacks? It may not work with IEMs that sound very laid back or too flat. However, the synergy is great with most of my recently acquired cans and IEMs to sound spacious, detailed, and airy, especially with multi-BA(s) that need the control to sound optimal.
Noise
Background hiss is incredibly quiet even with most IEMs and consistent with M11 Pro without compromising that additional amplification power.
Even at high gain, the volume control allows minute sensitive adjustment in small steps which works well with more sensitive multi-BA IEMs, and it sounds very dynamic. Popping or interference noise triggered by turning on the screen or other factors are absent, so you can focus on the music.
Click on page 3 below for synergy and select comparisons
