FiiO

FiiO is a Chinese maker of portable and desktop audio equipment, founded in 2007 in Guangzhou by former senior staff of Oppo. It started with affordable portable hi-fi devices and now employs more than 300 people, producing digital audio players, headphone amplifiers, DACs, Bluetooth receivers and in-ear monitors. Its X-series players from 2013 onward did much to bring dedicated high-resolution players back into the sub-USD 500 market.

Range & what it's known for

The best-known line is the digital audio players. Early X-series models such as the X3, X5 and X7 gave way to Android-based M-series players including the M11, M15, M17, M21 and M23. The BTR range of pocket Bluetooth DAC and amplifier units began to stand out with the BTR5 in 2019, later joined by the BTR7. Desktop K-series units combine a DAC with a headphone amplifier, and earlier portable amplifiers such as the E17 Alpen from 2011-12 laid the groundwork. Earphones run from the F9 to later FH and FA lines. A recurring engineering habit is packing desktop-style features, such as balanced outputs and large batteries, into compact cases.

Who owns it and where it's made

FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. is a private company based in Guangzhou, which handles product design. The group also runs the subsidiary Jade Audio and, since 2024, the Snowsky sub-brand, whose first product was the cassette-shaped Retro Nano player.

The lineup in this catalog

Digital audio players, DACs and amplifiers across several categories. Prices start around USD 50 for small accessories and reach above USD 2,000 for the top digital audio players.

Who it's for

FiiO lets a listener begin with a pocket device and move up without changing maker. A BTR receiver or a compact dongle is the cheapest way in, a mid-range M-series player or K-series desktop unit is the next step, and the top M-series players serve those wanting a dedicated portable source with balanced outputs. A whole headphone system, from earphones to amplifier, can also come from this one company.