00:00Today we have the FIO M33, a portable player with an R2R digital-to-analog converter,
00:07a device that's especially interesting to listen to with different headphones.
00:11In my test, it was finding the right pairing that helped me understand its character,
00:16and today I'll share my impressions of three such combinations.
00:20We'll talk about the design, the main features, and, of course, the sound.
00:25And you can listen to this gear in our showroom, in Riga.
00:28The link is in the description.
00:31The first thing I liked was the build quality.
00:34The metal chassis, neat edges, well-thought-out details.
00:38The player feels great in your hands, and the physical buttons work crisply and predictably.
00:45The only thing is, with the case on, the touch-sensitive physical buttons are pretty awkward to find.
00:53I should also mention the included case.
00:56It's neatly made, looks good, and complements the look of the device.
01:01I especially like the metal insert on the back of it.
01:05Overall, this is an item where the attention to detail is immediately apparent.
01:10Greetings, dear friends.
01:11My name is Arkady Zanin.
01:12I am the founder of Premium Hi-Fi.
01:14We are located in Riga, connecting people with sound.
01:23The main feature of this model is FIO's proprietary 24-bit R2R architecture digital-to-analog converter.
01:31It uses four resistor arrays, a total of 192 precision resistors.
01:38What does this mean in simple terms?
01:40A digital recording needs to be converted into an analog electrical signal.
01:45Here, that job is done by a network of precisely matched resistors.
01:49The name of the architecture stands for two resistance ratios, regular and double that.
01:55Electronic switches control this network in accordance with digital data, forming a signal for further amplification.
02:02In itself, such a design does not yet guarantee a specific sound.
02:06The result depends on the implementation of the entire device.
02:10The settings provide two converter modes, with periodic oversampling and without it.
02:17There is also the 10-band parametric equalizer.
02:20This makes it possible to adjust the sound for your headphones and your own preferences.
02:25The player, as usual, runs on Android version 13.
02:30It is equipped with a Snapdragon 680 processor, 8GB of RAM and a whopping 128GB of built-in storage.
02:39Memory cards up to 2TB are supported.
02:42For controls, a screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches is provided.
02:48You can listen to music from your own collection on a memory card or via streaming service apps, for example,
02:54Tidal, Spotify, Deezer and Kobuz.
02:57Internet radio is also available through the corresponding apps.
03:01Thus, usage scenarios aren't limited to pre-downloaded albums.
03:06To connect headphones, there is a standard 3.5 mW output and a balanced 4.4 mW.
03:13Both jacks can also function as line outputs for connecting to an external amplifier.
03:19In the settings, you can choose between a fixed or variable line-level signal.
03:25This allows you to use the player as a source in a home system as well.
03:29The output power depends on the jack, load and gain mode.
03:34At 32 ohms, the manufacturer claims 900 mW per channel for the balanced output in high-gain mode
03:40and 1100 mW per channel in turbo mode.
03:45For the single-ended output, 470 mW per channel is specified in turbo mode.
03:51These values are given with total harmonic distortion plus noise under 1% A dedicated desktop mode is also provided.
03:59With sufficient external power, the player runs off it without draining the battery.
04:04For long listening sessions at your desk, this is a very useful feature.
04:08The manufacturer claims up to 15.5 hours of playback through the standard output
04:13and up to 13.5 hours through the balanced one.
04:16These are laboratory figures.
04:18The actual battery life will depend on your headphones, volume, settings and streaming usage.
04:24Personally, I found its Rune compatibility especially useful.
04:28I connected the player to our main system and used it for A-B listening tests.
04:33When your music library and controls are all in one place,
04:36switching between different system setups is vastly more convenient.
04:45For this review, I settled on three pairs of headphones.
04:48The FIO FT-13, the Hi-Fi Man Sundara and the Meze Audio 109 Pro.
04:54Just to be clear, this is my personal order of preference among the models I've listened to with this player.
05:00The overall impression of the FIO M33 is distinct, packed with energetic sound and featuring well-defined texture.
05:07At the same time, the presentation isn't fatiguing and doesn't get in the way of listening to music for hours
05:12on end.
05:12For me, that's an important combination.
05:15You want to hear the details of the recording, but you want to enjoy the performance itself even more.
05:21I'll start with the FIO FT-13.
05:23With this pairing, I got a solid, pleasing sound, convincing low-end, a well-articulated vocal range and beautiful highs.
05:32In my opinion, this makes for quite a great starting point.
05:35At the time of writing this review, the player costs 699 euros here and these headphones are 329.
05:42So, a complete setup comes in at just over a thousand euros.
05:46In my comparison, this pair took third place.
05:49If the goal is to keep the cost of the set within the specified budget, this option deserves your attention.
05:56However, the next two pairs turned out to be more interesting to me, specifically in terms of sound.
06:00In second place is the Hi-Fi Man Sundara.
06:04Priced at 399 euros, they cost 70 euros more than the FIO.
06:08The whole set comes to 1098 euros.
06:11With the Sundara, the sound becomes clearer and the top end is better.
06:14Feels more pronounced.
06:17I especially like the sense of space.
06:20The soundstage feels expansive, with a very pleasant feel of depth and air.
06:25In my comparison, it was precisely this combo that gave the strongest impression of three-dimensional sound.
06:32But, after a few hours of listening, I still ended up choosing the Messe Audio 109 Pro for myself.
06:39They are significantly more expensive.
06:41799 euros for the headphones and 1499 euros for the bundle with the player.
06:46In terms of the sense of space, the Messe falls short of the Sundara in this comparison.
06:52On the other hand, I liked the low-end body much better.
06:56Subjectively, there's more bass here.
06:59And against its backdrop, the balance of mids and highs feels much more even.
07:04There's also another nuance that's hard to describe in dry terms.
07:08In the low-end, I hear a subtle musicality, an extra fullness in the decay.
07:13For me.
07:17This makes the music especially satisfying.
07:19The Sundara is more impressive with its soundstage, while Messe Audio wins with the character of its presentation.
07:29The sound was good, but I didn't get that much pleasure from the pairing back then.
07:33With the new model, I enjoyed the result noticeably more.
07:37As a sonic pairing, this combo turned out to be a real winner for me.
07:41In our showroom, you can listen to these headphones with the desktop FIO K17 as well.
07:48That's why it's especially nice that a portable player also managed to deliver results I keep wanting to return to.
07:55Of course, my choice doesn't cover every possible combination.
07:59I only compared the headphones we had in stock that were technically compatible with the player.
08:04If you've already listened to this player with other models, please share your impressions in the comments.
08:10I think that kind of experience will be useful for anyone putting together a setup.
08:19The FIO M33 left a very pleasant impression on me.
08:23I like the build quality, the button feel, and how convenient it is for everyday use.
08:28During my testing, the interface ran stably without any noticeable glitches.
08:33Compared to the M23, the new model is narrower, thinner, and lighter, although slightly taller.
08:39I find it more comfortable to hold and carry.
08:43The ability to listen to music from a local library and streaming services, connect to a home system, and use
08:49external power makes this player quite versatile.
08:52For me, working with Rune was an added bonus.
08:55But the main impression is still about the sound.
08:58It's clear and energetic, yet easy to listen to.
09:01And with the Misei Audio 109 Pro, I got precisely the presentation that makes you want to linger over your
09:08favorite album.
09:09Come listen and choose your pair.
09:11This was Arkady Zenin and Premium Hy-Fi.
09:14We are located in Riga and connecting people with sound.
09:18Come visit us.
