INTRODUCTION

    Listening to music while relaxing at home or on the go has always been a thing for most people as far back as I can recall. Just think about it, from cassette and CD players to mini disc and MP3 players the market has always offered ways for people to enjoy their favorite music regardless of where they are at. Yes, today smartphones are also capable of doing that so in a way we all carry one such device with us but in most cases Hi-Res portable music players produce higher audio fidelity (not to mention you don't need to use your smartphone's battery for that). Cost however has always been an issue with good portable music players and well, with the recently released JM21 model FiiO aims to change that.

    FIIO was established in 2007 and has experience in researching and developing countless portable music products of different types, and sell FIIO-branded products through sales agents worldwide. The brand name FIIO is composed of Fi (fidelity from HiFi) and iO (number 1&0), representing the real feeling and convenient life that digital brings to life. Meanwhile, the Chinese “飞傲” is the transliteration of FIIO, indicating the positive and innovative spirit as thriving as spring. FIIO is focused on product quality, adheres strictly to ISO9001 standards in quality management and works hard to attain the lowest repair-related product returns rate.

    The latest JM21 portable music player by FiiO is released under their Jade Audio brand, runs on a customized Android 13 OS, and is based around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC (Kryo 265 Octa-Core CPU @ 2.4/1.9GHz, Adreno 610 GPU, Wi-Fi 6 2.4/5GHz & Bluetooth v5.1) which FiiO has paired with 3GB LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB ROM (just over 22GB usable). The JM21 also features a 4.7-inch bezel-less TFT screen (1334x750p), two CS43198 low power audio DACs by Cirrus Logic (32bit, with 130dB S/N and -115 THD+N), dual SGM8262 op-amps (700mW@32Ohms/80mW@300Ohms), 5th generation FPGA processor, dual femtosecond crystals complete with anti-EMI modules, 2400mAh lithium-ion battery (up to 12.5 hours) and a microSD card slot (support for cards up to 2TB in capacity). Max supported local sampling for the JM21 is set at up to 384kHz/32bit (DSD256), USB audio mode at up to 768kHz-32bit (DSD512) and as for supported codecs Bluetooth v5.1 connectivity allows for transmission of AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX HD/LDAC/LHDC and reception of AAC/SBC/LDAC while AirPlay (up to 16bit/48kHz) is supported via Wi-Fi.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

FiiO uses their typical box the front of which is taken by a product picture, model name and their logo.

Several trademarks are mentioned at the rear of the box along with some product specifications.

Along with the JM21 inside the box you'll also find a USBA to USB-C cable, warranty card, open source paper and the quick start guide.

THE JM21

For the JM21 FiiO has used an aluminum and plastic enclosure with the colors sky blue and silver.

By default, the enclosure comes with a silicon cover and as you can see  compared to the M11S the JM21 is smaller/thinner/lighter.

With the silicon cover removed the JM21 weighs just 156g and measures 120.7mm in length, 68mm in width and just 13mm in thickness.

On the left side of the player FiiO has placed the power on/off button and the volume up/down buttons.

Moving to the right side we find the previous, play/pause and next buttons and the microSD port (supports up to 2TB cards).

At the base of the player, we find a 3.5mm single ended port (PO/SPDIF), USB-C charging/data/audio port,  and a 4.4mm balanced port.

There's also a lanyard opening on the lower right end of the enclosure for people who may want to secure the player on them.

The rear is made of plastic and lists the Hi-Res player compatibility.

JM21 OS

Just like past FiiO DAPs the JM21 launches in Android mode and so the main tab is once again almost identical.

As always, the first thing I do is look for a firmware update from the technical support tab (all tests were performed with v1.05).

From the drop down menu you can set the screen brightness, check the status of Wi-Fi, change the mode, enable/disable Bluetooth, set the gain and output mode, switch between dark/light themes, enable night light, turn on battery saver mode, rotate the screen and start screen recording.

Modes include Android, Pure Music, AirPlay, USB DAC and Bluetooth Receive.

Inside the settings you'll find most of things available in Android smartphones plus the more advanced audio settings (you can also change modes from the settings area).

Typically, inside the about page you’ll find a short report of the hardware components inside the JM21.

Pure mode is what I use most and well the layout hasn’t really changed at all recently.

From the main Pure Music tab, you can use the EQ function, change the theme, use the FiiO link and control features, scan for music (local/microSD), initiate WiFi music transfer, set the sleep timer, check various beta features (Lab), enter the settings tab, and change the language.

The lab features tab gets updated by FiiO every time a new feature comes out and they need consumer feedback.

CONCLUSION

    The JM21 may not be quite as good as the M11S or the M23 (and the M15 of course) but it does come a lot closer than expected by delivering very good audio results across the board. Mids and highs are crisp and precise (for the most part), lows are richer than expected (JM21 emphasizes bass quite a bit) and soundstage is surprisingly wide (for such a budget model). Of course, as always everything depends a lot on what headphones, IEMs or speakers you end up using but with the FT1 Pro and FT5 headsets by FiiO, the 109 Pro headset by Meze and the QR65 speakers by Edifier the JM21 did extremely well and a lot better than I could had ever hoped for. Granted build quality (plastic is not my thing) and even color selection (sky blue wouldn't be my first choice) could be better and the bundled silicon cover is quite thin but all those are offset considerably by the weight and size of the player (easier to carry on you, even compared to the M11S). The TFT screen may not be as good as the one used with the M23 (color reproduction / resolution) but it’s responsive as is the entire custom Android 13 OS FiiO has used here. There are some apps you may do without (bloatware) but nowhere close to what a smartphone would come with so that’s good. As expected, battery life depends largely on volume and mode, so I ended up seeing anything between 8-9 hours while using Bluetooth or the balanced port and around 10-10.5 hours when using the single-ended output (very good results from a somewhat small 2400mAh battery).

     With a current retail price set at USD179.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 228.20Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the JM21 by FiiO/Jade Audio is priced extremely well for what it offers. Yes, it’s not as good as the M23 or even the M11S (in audio reproduction) but it packs many similar features and offers a much better price/performance ratio and well, that’s what many consumers have been asking for quite a while now. Aside the plastic pieces of its enclosure the JM21 is certainly worth the attention of those on a tight budget and since it delivers as advertised the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Audio Reproduction (Accuracy, Detail, Wide Soundstage)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 6nm SoC
- Size & Weight
- 3.5mm Single Ended, 4.4mm Balanced & USB
- AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX HD/LDAC/LHDC & AirPlay Wireless Support
- 2400mAh Battery (Up To 12.5 Hours)
- MicroSD Card Slot (Up To 2TB)
- Customized Android v13 OS
- Product Support
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Plastic Enclosure Parts
- Thin Silicon Cover
- USB 2.0 Connectivity