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This affordable new high-resolution music player is the iPod replacement you've been waiting for

This affordable new high-resolution music player is the iPod replacement you've been waiting for

Dual DACs and microSD support up to 2TB
13mm thin and 165g
$149 / £139 / approximately AU$277

FiiO is the best high-resolution audio player for most people, but as much as we love the FiiO M23 (and we do, which is why we gave it four and a half stars in our review), with a recommended retail price At $699 / £649, it's also quite expensive. So we're pretty excited to see a new FiiO Android-powered portable player at a much lower price: just $149 in the US. For those of us of a certain audio age, that's money for the iPod Nano.

As you can see from the images, it's attractive and at just 13mm thick and 165g in weight, it won't endanger your pockets or your bag. But while it can fit perfectly in your pocket, there is nothing light about its specifications.

(Image credit: FiiO)

FiiO JM21: key features and availability

The FiiO JM21 has two CS43198 DACs, 3 GB of integrated RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, expandable to 2 TB via microSD. It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 680 and has a 4.7-inch display. You can use it as a DAC with Mac or Windows computers, with support for sample rates up to 384 kHz/32-bit.

There is a standard 3.5mm jack and a 4.4mm balanced output with 700mW + 700mW power, and the player also has SPDIF, USB and audio line outputs. There's dual-band Wi-Fi with DLNA and AirPlay, and Bluetooth is version 5.0 with SBC, AAC, aptX HD, LHDC and LDAC.

The JM21 has FiiO's own music app and is also compatible with all key high-resolution streaming services. The underlying software is Android 13 with FiiO's own interface on top.

In addition to its small size and light weight, the JM21 has impressive battery life, with up to 12 hours of playback and fast charging in two hours.

That's a serious spec for a very small price. If you want to get your hands on one, it will ship starting in late January and we hope to get our hands on it for the first time at CES 2025.