FiiO M33: Compact DAP with R2R DAC

The FiiO M33 was announced last Saturday (13) during CIHE (China Guangzhou International Headphones Expo) 2025, a portable audio event held in Guangzhou, China. The M33 is nearly as light as the M21, while featuring a considerably larger display, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage, providing smooth navigation according to the manufacturer. However, the biggest highlight of this Digital Audio Player is its R2R DAC.

High-performance DAP configuration in a compact and lightweight body

Weighing just 258g, the FiiO M33 is lighter than its predecessor, the M23 (299g), and is second only to the M21, which weighs 193g. Its display is the same size as that used on the M15S at 5.5 inches, but the body is slimmer, offering greater comfort when held in the hand. That said, as mentioned, the major novelty here is its R2R DAC.

According to FiiO, the M33 uses a DAC with a “fully balanced 24-bit differential R2R architecture with segmented compensation.” In the analog section, there are eight professional-grade Texas Instruments (TI) op-amps (operational amplifiers), delivering a maximum output power of 1100 mW at 32 ohms.

Even with such powerful hardware, the M33 still manages to deliver up to 14 hours of continuous playback, slightly less than what the M21 can achieve (15 hours). This is made possible by its 4400mAh battery, the energy efficiency of the Snapdragon 680 processor, and the resource management of the Android 13 operating system.

Note that FiiO used the same USB port placement as on the M21, but improved the shape of the music control buttons on the M33. In addition, there was a small change in the position of the desktop mode switch, which has been moved to the right side.

For users who enjoy watching movies while connecting the DAP in USB DAC mode to computers, tablets, and smartphones, the XMOS XU316 microcontroller implemented in the M33 enables extremely low latency, ensuring there is no noticeable desynchronization between audio and video.

Finally, the M33 features a 10-band parametric equalizer (PEQ) with AUTO EQ support, allowing the application of certain “corrections” to the frequency response curve of headphones.

FiiO M33: Specifications

• Display: 5.5″ LCD with HD resolution
• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
• Microcontroller: XMOS XU316
• Operating System: Android 13
• RAM: 8GB
• Internal storage: 128GB
• DAC: R2R
• Amplification: 8× Texas Instruments op-amps
• Balanced output power (4.4mm): 1100mW at 32 ohms
• Single-ended output power (3.5mm): 470mW at 32 ohms
• Battery capacity: 4400mAh
• Battery life (4.4mm balanced): 12.5 hours
• Battery life (3.5mm single-ended): 14 hours
• Weight: 258g

Release, price, and availability

The FiiO M33 will be launched in January 2026 in Dark Blue and Titanium Gold, priced at 3,999 yuan (approximately US$567).