FiiO Raises M21 and M33 R2R Prices Starting July 1

A Chinese manufacturer of Digital Audio Players (DAPs), FiiO announced today (June 25) that it will raise the prices of the M21 and M33 R2R. According to the company’s statement, the increase is being driven by higher supply chain and component costs. This is a consequence not only of the memory shortage, but also of shortages affecting PCB boards, capacitors, and resistors, as Hi-Fi Hub explained in this article.

FiiO M21 and M33 R2R DAPs to receive a second price increase

In March of this year, FiiO announced price adjustments for the Snowsky DISC, FiiO JM21, FiiO M21, and FiiO M33 R2R Digital Audio Players. Now, the DAP manufacturer has announced on Chinese social media that it will once again raise the prices of the M21 and M33 R2R.

On June 25, FiiO posted the following on its Weibo profile:

“Due to continued fluctuations in the global upstream supply chain, the cost of core semiconductor components has risen again, further intensifying pressure on production costs. In order to continue providing stable and reliable products and services, after careful evaluation, we will make moderate adjustments to the retail prices of some products already on the market.”

According to the Weibo post, the following adjustments will take effect at 12:00 a.m. China Standard Time on July 1:

• The FiiO M21 DAP will cost 2,399 yuan (around US$353.29)
• The FiiO M33 R2R DAP will be priced at 4,399 yuan (approximately US$647)

Note that prices in mainland China are always lower than those charged in the international market.

M33 sees a nine percent price increase

The FiiO M33 R2R was launched in mainland China at 3,999 yuan (around US$588.91). In other words, its price will increase by 9.1%. In the international market, the M33 debuted at US$649 and was later adjusted to US$699. If a second increase occurs internationally, the M33 could end up costing approximately US$762 or more.

More price increases are likely soon, says FiiO CEO

FiiO founder and CEO James Chung also commented on the company’s DAP price adjustment announcement. In the post, he said:

“We can’t hold the line any longer; judging by the situation, there will likely be more price increases going forward.”

In its official statement, FiiO said it will work to optimize its supply chain and cost structure in an effort to minimize the impact as much as possible.

“Going forward, we will continue to closely monitor changes in upstream supply chain costs and the cost of core components, making timely and dynamic pricing adjustments when necessary. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this price adjustment and deeply appreciate your understanding and support. We will continue optimizing our supply chain and cost structure, striving to minimize the impact on our customers as much as possible.”

FiiO M25 to be delayed due to PCB shortages

Alongside the price increases for the M21 and M33 R2R DAPs, FiiO staff member “Matt” revealed that the launch of the FiiO M25 will be delayed. One of the reasons cited was the shortage of components.

“After multiple trade shows and internal media evaluations, the tuning of both the M25 and the M25 R2R still requires further refinement. In addition, since the lead time for mass production of the PCB is currently two and a half months, the M25 will most likely not be released until September.”