Fiio DT11's Review

 

General
The FiiO DT11 is something I have been waiting for someone to make properly. It is a portable Android digital transport, which means there is no DAC chip and no headphone amplifier inside. Its sole job is to play your music and push a clean digital signal out to whatever DAC or DAC/amp you connect it to. So do take note, the sound you hear is mainly dictated by the DAC/amp downstream, not by the DT11 itself.

Regular price is US$339.99, the same price as the FiiO M21. FiiO's argument is simple. Since the DT11 drops the analog stage, the budget goes into the digital side instead. It runs Android 13 on a Snapdragon 680 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, plus a microSD slot that supports up to 2TB. The clock architecture is borrowed from the flagship M27, an FPGA paired with dual femtosecond crystal oscillators, and FiiO quotes coaxial output jitter of below 67ps RMS. On paper it is a serious spec sheet for the asking price.

Packaging is straightforward. Inside the box you get the DT11 with a factory applied screen protector, a USB-A to USB-C cable, quick start guide and warranty card. Nothing fancy, but nothing missing either.

Build quality is solid, as with the rest of FiiO's DAP line. It weighs about 192g and measures roughly 121 x 68.7 x 17.7mm, with a 4.7 inch fully laminated screen. Buttons are all physical: power, volume up and down, play/pause, previous and next track, plus a hold switch. Everything clicks with good tactile feedback.

The magnetic back is a very welcoming feature. I attach a magnetic dongle pouch to it and slot my dongle in, and the whole thing becomes one neat stack. No rubber bands, no straps, no dongle dangling off a cable. It also snaps onto the back of a phone if you want to go that route.

Gears Used for This Review

• Burson Conductor Stellar

• FiiO M33 R2R

• FiiO K17 R2R

• Laiv Crescendo Verse

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone's ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far.

Sound Impression
Since the DT11 is a transport, this section is really about how it behaves as a source with each DAC/amp. The short version: it stays out of the way. Each of my desktop units sounded like itself, just presented with excellent instrument separation and imaging.

The DT11 has two USB output modes. USB Reclock mode runs the signal through FiiO's dedicated signal conditioning circuit, while USB Direct mode sends it straight out. I did most of my listening with USB Reclock turned on. Switching to USB Direct, the difference is very minor to my ears, mainly a hair in separation and imaging, and I could not reliably pick it out on every track. So if your DAC already has good USB isolation, do not expect night and day.

All pairings below are via USB.

Burson Conductor Stellar Deluxe Edition

• The Conductor Stellar is built around the ESS9039PRO DAC with a fully discrete 8W Class-A output stage. Its house sound is bold and powerful, with authoritative bass and a very open stage.

• Paired with the DT11, it is clean and vivid sounding. And it never crosses over into harsh, even on brighter recordings.

• Instrument separation and imaging are excellent. On Hans Zimmer's Why So Serious, the layers stay well defined even when the track gets busy.

• Slipknot's Duality stays tight and controlled. The bass doesn't bleed into the mids at all.

• USB Reclock vs Direct: very minor difference to my ears, a touch in separation and imaging at most.

Laiv Crescendo Verse

• The Crescendo Verse is LAiV's all-in-one with a fully discrete R2R DAC and a discrete Class A headphone amp. Its character leans natural, with lively transients and good energy.

• Paired with the DT11, I would describe it as warm neutral with very good details. Natural tone, but nothing gets glossed over.

• Instrument separation and imaging are excellent. Faye Wong's vocals sit a few steps in front of me with instruments placed cleanly around her.

• Male vocals like Zhao Peng carry nice chesty weight without sounding congested.

• USB Reclock vs Direct: again very minor to my ears.

FiiO K17 R2R

• The K17 R2R uses FiiO's own 24+5bit segmented R2R PRO resistor ladder, with NOS and OS modes. FiiO tuned it for a rich, full-bodied, analog-ish flavour.

• Paired with the DT11, it is warm with very good body overall, yet details are still very good. It is the most relaxed pairing of the three.

• Instrument separation and imaging are excellent, which is impressive given how much body this pairing carries. Warmth does not turn into mush here.

• Na Ying's vocals sound dense and full, picture the artist as 3-4 steps in front of you.

• USB Reclock vs Direct: very minor difference to my ears.

So the DT11 adapts to the DAC rather than imposing a flavour. Clean source in, the DAC's personality out. That is exactly what you want from a transport.

Features

• Outputs: USB-C audio output (USB 3.0), dedicated USB-C power input, 2x 3.5mm coaxial, 1x 3.5mm optical (shared with one coaxial port)

• Clock: FPGA with dual RIVER femtosecond crystal oscillators, claimed coaxial jitter below 67ps RMS

• Power: Main controller, FPGA, clock, SPDIF and USB sections each independently powered, up to 9W external power output for downstream gear

• Sampling rates: USB audio up to 768kHz/32bit and DSD512, coaxial up to 384kHz/24bit and DSD128 (DoP/D2P), optical up to 192kHz/24bit

• Battery: 4000mAh, FiiO claims up to 24-25 hours on coaxial/optical local playback, around 2 hours charging with PD3.0

• Desktop Mode: Settings > General, runs entirely on external power with the battery neither charging nor discharging

• Wireless: WiFi 2.4/5GHz with AirPlay and Roon Ready, Bluetooth 5.0 transmit (up to LDAC/LHDC) and receive

• Others: 10-band PEQ with AUTO EQ, Car Mode, magnetic attachment

Battery and Desktop Mode
Battery life is very solid. I got approximately 14 hours on streaming with USB output, and local playback lasts longer. FiiO rates 24 hours on coaxial and optical with local files, and around 11-12 hours when it is also powering a USB dongle, so my numbers line up with their claims.

Desktop Mode is the feature I appreciate the most. Plug a charger into the dedicated power port, enable it, and the DT11 runs off external power without cycling the battery. If you leave it parked on a desk for days, that is a big deal for battery health.

My Use Case
This is where the DT11 really fits me. I have different setups placed at different spots around my home. Before this, moving between them meant swapping cables, re-pairing the phone, or dragging a laptop around. Now the DT11 is my do it all source. I pick it up, walk over to whichever setup I want to test or listen to, plug in, and play. Same library, same apps, same settings.

It also replaces my phone as a source. The DT11 bypasses Android's SRC, so I am not fighting the system resampler anymore, and my phone is free for calls and messages. My phone battery thanks me too.

Comparison
FiiO DT11 vs Smartphone as Source
Build and ergonomics first. The phone is the device you already carry, so on convenience it wins on paper. But once you strap a dongle onto it, the phone becomes a brick that you cannot comfortably use for anything else. The DT11 takes over that role with its magnetic back, and your phone stays a phone.

In terms of function, the DT11 has three things a phone does not: Android SRC bypass, a dedicated power input so you can feed the DAC and charge at the same time, and coaxial/optical outputs for desktop DACs. Battery drain from streaming and powering a dongle also moves off your phone.

Sound wise, with a good DAC that already handles USB well, the gap is not dramatic. But resampling is the main culprit on Android, and the DT11 removes it cleanly.

Verdict: if you are serious enough to own a decent DAC/amp, the DT11 is the better choice. I would personally go for the DT11.

FiiO DT11 vs FiiO M21
Both carry the same US$339.99 price. The M21 is a full DAP with its own DAC and headphone outputs, so out of the box it is the more complete standalone player. The DT11 drops all of that and spends the budget on the digital side: the M27 clock architecture, dedicated coaxial outputs, optical, independent power rails, Desktop Mode, and the dual USB-C layout.

If you only own IEMs and want one device in your pocket, the M21 makes more sense. But if you already have DAC/amps you like, paying for an analog section you will never use is wasted money. The DT11 run circles around the M21 as a pure transport, both in outputs and in flexibility.

Verdict: for anyone who already owns DACs and DAC/amps, the DT11 is the one to get.

Final Thoughts
The FiiO DT11 does exactly what it promises and nothing more, and that is the point. It is a clean, well built transport that lets each DAC/amp show its own personality. The Burson Conductor Stellar stayed vivid and clean, the Laiv Crescendo Verse stayed warm neutral and detailed, and the K17 R2R stayed warm and full-bodied, all with excellent separation and imaging. The USB Reclock mode is a nice touch, but the difference against USB Direct was very minor to my ears, so do not buy it for that feature alone. Buy it for the practicality. The magnetic back, solid battery life, Desktop Mode, dual USB-C and Android SRC bypass make it a genuinely useful source, especially if you have multiple setups around your home like I do. For the asking price, it does everything right for its intended job.

The FiiO DT11 was sent over by FiiO for the purpose of this review. Big thanks to the FiiO team for the support and opportunity as always.

Head over to their store if you are interested in getting a pair:

• FiiO Official (DT11 product page) — Non Affiliated

• FiiO Official AliExpress Store — Non Affiliated