The FiiO M23 is a portable player at $699. It delivers 125 mW into 32Ω and 15 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 197 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.
Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 522 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 39, only marginal on 5 and not enough power for 1. Desktop-class output from a pocket player, with a Super High Gain mode that needs the dedicated power input rather than the battery.
The manufacturer publishes 235 mW into 16Ω, 125 mW into 32Ω, 15 mW into 300Ω. The rest of the table is worked out from those.
The balanced output is rated separately: 475 mW into 32Ω through the 4.4mm jack.
Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).
| Load | Power | Status | How it was arrived at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Ω | 235 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 32 Ω | 125 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 150 Ω | 28 mW | Derived | worked out between two published loads, holding output voltage linear between them |
| 300 Ω | 15 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 600 Ω | 7.5 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
Easiest to hardest to drive, with headroom at a 100 dB SPL peak.
| Headphone | Impedance | Sensitivity | Needs | Headroom | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 114.0 dB/mW | 0.04 mW | +35 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| 64 Audio U12t | 12.6 Ω | 108.0 dB/mW | 0.16 mW | +31 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| Shure SE215 | 17 Ω | 107.0 dB/mW | 0.20 mW | +30 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| Moondrop Aria | 32 Ω | 107.1 dB/mW | 0.19 mW | +28 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Audeze LCD-X 2021 | 20 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +26 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Truthear Hexa | 20.5 Ω | 103.1 dB/mW | 0.49 mW | +26 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Sennheiser IE 200 | 18 Ω | 101.6 dB/mW | 0.69 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Sony MDR-7506 | 63 Ω | 106.0 dB/mW | 0.25 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Meze 99 Classics | 32 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Focal Clear MG | 55 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +23 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Philips SHP9500 | 32 Ω | 101.0 dB | 0.79 mW | +22 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Focal Utopia | 80 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Meze Empyrean | 32 Ω | 100.0 dB | 1.0 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Etymotic ER2SE | 15 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K371 | 32 Ω | 99.1 dB/mW | 1.2 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50X | 38 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | 48 Ω | 100.0 dB/mW | 1.0 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 101.0 dB/mW | 0.79 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Grado SR80x | 38 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | 120 Ω | 100.8 dB/mW | 0.83 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Edition XS | 18 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Arya Stealth | 32 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed | 13 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-5 | 14 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 102.0 dB/mW | 0.63 mW | +14 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 91.0 dB | 7.9 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Sundara | 32 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio Stealth | 23 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +12 dB | Comfortable |
| Fostex T50RP MK3 | 50 Ω | 92.0 dB/mW | 6.3 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K702 | 62 Ω | 92.9 dB/mW | 5.1 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| ZMF Verite Closed | 300 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | 300 Ω | 97.8 dB/mW | 1.7 mW | +10 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 800S | 300 Ω | 96.8 dB/mW | 2.1 mW | +9 dB | Enough |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 96.0 dB | 2.5 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| ZMF Atrium | 300 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC | 50 Ω | 88.0 dB/mW | 16 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 91.8 dB/mW | 6.6 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 83.0 dB | 50 mW | +1 dB | Marginal |
At 1.9 µV of output noise, here is where that noise lands in the five most revealing in-ears in the database.
This one hisses. With the most sensitive in-ears in the database its own noise lands around 27 dB SPL, which you will hear between tracks and in quiet passages.
| In-ear | Impedance | Sensitivity | Hiss level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simgot EA500 | 16 Ω | 141.0 dB/V | 27 dB SPL |
| Tanchjim EA FORCE | 17 Ω | 137.7 dB/V | 23 dB SPL |
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 134.5 dB/V | 20 dB SPL |
| Campfire Audio Clara | 13.3 Ω | 134.1 dB/V | 20 dB SPL |
| 64 Audio Fourte | 10 Ω | 134.0 dB/V | 20 dB SPL |
At 1Ω output impedance, the one-eighth rule says this source suits headphones of 8.0Ω and above. 15 of the 567 models here fall below that. Most of them are multi-driver in-ears, and the mismatch tilts the frequency response audibly rather than subtly.
| As published | FiiO M23 |
|---|---|
| DAC | AK4191EQ + AK4499EX |
| Processor | Snapdragon 660 |
| Operating system | Android (version not stated); modes: Android / Pure music / USB DAC / Bluetooth receiving / AirPlay / Roon Ready |
| Storage | 64 GB storage (about 46 GB available), 4 GB RAM, single microSD up to 2 TB (in theory) |
| Outputs | 3.5 mm headphone out, 4.4 mm balanced headphone out, 3.5 mm line out (shared PO), 4.4 mm balanced line out (shared BAL), 3.5 mm coaxial (shared PO) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0; transmit SBC/AAC/aptX/aptX HD/LDAC/LHDC; receive SBC/AAC/LDAC |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz, DLNA, AirPlay, Wi-Fi song transfer, Roon Ready |
| Formats | Local decoding up to 384kHz-32bit / DSD256; USB audio 768kHz-32bit / DSD512 |
| Screen | 5.5-inch, 1440 x 720, bezel-less |
| Battery | 5500 mAh |
| Battery life | 10.5 h (3.5 mm headphone out) / 9 h (4.4 mm balanced out) |
| Weight | 299 g (aluminium) / 392.3 g (stainless steel) |
| Dimensions | About 75.7 x 136.5 x 18.1 mm |
Copied from the makers’ own pages: fiio.com/m23_parameters. Battery life is the maker’s own test figure.
| Source | Type | Price | Into 300 Ω | Output impedance | Output noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FiiO KA11 | USB dongle | $29 | 22 mW | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA15 | USB dongle | $109 | 19 mW | 0.8 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| Schiit Magni Unity | desktop amplifier | $119 | 415 mW | 0.1 Ω | 1.59 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 14 do everything the FiiO M23 does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches, stay inside the one-eighth rule wherever it does and stay under the audible-hiss threshold wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the FiiO KA11 at $29, against this one’s $699 — $670 less, and a USB dongle rather than a portable player.
This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.
$730 · 470 mW into 32Ω · 0.8 Ω out
Compare →$649 · 250 mW into 32Ω · 0.5 Ω out
Compare →$750 · 750 mW into 32Ω · 0.6 Ω out
Compare →$599 · 405 mW into 32Ω · 1.0 Ω out
Compare →$799 · 580 mW into 32Ω · 1.4 Ω out
Compare →$800 · 300 mW into 32Ω · 1.1 Ω out
Compare →Compared with its closest rivals: vs Cayin N3 Ultra · vs FiiO JM21 · vs FiiO M11S · vs FiiO M15S · vs FiiO M17 · vs FiiO M21 · vs FiiO M27 · vs FiiO M33 R2R.