FiiO M33 R2R Officially Launched and Now Available on the FiiO Store

The FiiO M33 R2R has been officially launched for the international market and is now available through FiiO’s official store on AliExpress. The Digital Audio Player (DAP) was first announced on December 13, 2025, during the CIHE (China Guangzhou International Headphones Expo), but it was not immediately released outside mainland China. Slightly more than two months later, the company decided to introduce its DAP to additional international markets.

According to FiiO CEO James Chung, the global release of the FiiO M33 R2R was delayed due to “responsibility toward consumers and to avoid any potential hardware defects.” James explained that the company faced “significant difficulty conducting recalls,” and therefore overseas sales were postponed as a preventive measure.

Below are all the details regarding FiiO’s first Digital Audio Player equipped with an R2R DAC.

The FiiO M33’s R2R DAC Architecture

The M33’s R2R DAC was developed in-house by FiiO. Although this is the brand’s first DAP to feature this technology, the manufacturer had previously released products employing parallel resistor arrays for digital-to-analog signal conversion, beginning with the FiiO K11 R2R DAC and amplifier.

FiiO plans to launch additional products featuring its R2R DAC technology this year. One example is the upcoming M25 Digital Audio Player, scheduled for release in July 2026. The M25 R2R will incorporate the new “R2R PRO” architecture, which, according to James, will deliver considerably higher sound quality than the desktop DAC/amps K11 R2R and K13 R2R.

The M33’s Position Within FiiO’s DAP Lineup

The M33 is positioned within FiiO’s DAP lineup as follows:

M21 > M33 > M25 > M27

The first digit represents the generation of the DAP series, while the second digit indicates product positioning. Therefore, the M33 belongs to the third generation of the brand’s DAP lineup, whereas the M21, M25, and M27 belong to the second generation. The higher the final digit, the higher the product’s positioning (for example, the number “7” indicates a flagship-level Digital Audio Player manufactured by FiiO).

Increased RAM and Internal Storage Capacity

The M33 R2R is FiiO’s first Digital Audio Player to feature 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset. According to the manufacturer, this configuration enables smooth navigation within the Android 13 operating system and efficient multitasking across multiple apps.

Battery Life Comparable to the FiiO M21

Battery life on the M33 R2R is comparable to that of the M21. According to FiiO, the M33 delivers up to 15 hours and 30 minutes of continuous playback through the 3.5mm output, while the M21 achieves approximately 15 hours under similar conditions.

Battery testing for the M33 using the 3.5mm single-ended (SE) output was conducted under the following conditions:

• Equalizer: Off
• File format: MP3 44kHz/16-bit
• Gain level: High
• Load impedance: 32 ohms
• Screen: Off
• Sound mode: NOS
• Volume: 43
• Wi-Fi: Disabled

When using the 4.4mm balanced output, FiiO reports a maximum battery life of 13 hours and 30 minutes under the same conditions, except with volume set to step 31.

30W Fast Charging

The M33 battery can be fully charged in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes thanks to support for 30W fast charging via the PD (Power Delivery) 3.0 standard.

Output Power of Up to 1100mW

To support high-impedance and low-sensitivity over-ear headphones, the M33 delivers a maximum output power of 1100mW. This is achieved through “Desktop Mode,” which uses a dedicated USB power input to reach higher output levels than standard operation. Notably, battery bypass is activated in this mode to prevent battery degradation.

The 1000mW output rating is achieved through the balanced 4.4mm output in Super High Gain Mode with a 32-ohm load. Using the 3.5mm output under the same gain mode allows output power of up to 470mW at 32 ohms. This gain level becomes available only when using a wall charger that supports fast charging.

Parametric Equalizer (PEQ) and AUTO EQ

Like the JM21 and M21, the M33 features a global parametric equalizer (PEQ) capable of applying equalization system-wide across any installed application. The device also supports AUTO EQ, a tool that automatically generates equalization profiles designed to produce a more “neutral,” “balanced,” and “natural” sound signature.

AUTO EQ uses frequency response measurements from sources such as Oratory1990, Crinacle, and RTINGS to calculate equalization parameters and adjust headphone sound characteristics according to user preference.

Sound Profile Selection

The M33 allows users to select between two sound profiles:

• FLAT (natural sound)
• WARM (warm sound signature)

No Video Audio Delay

No audio delay occurs when using the M33 as a USB DAC connected to a PC. This is enabled by the dedicated XMOS XU316 USB processing chip, ensuring proper audio-video synchronization when watching content such as music videos on YouTube.

Dimensions and Weight

The M33 is slightly larger than the FiiO M21. It measures 13.8 cm in height, compared to 12.1 cm for the M21, and 7.1 cm in width, compared to 6.8 cm.

In terms of weight, the M33 is 65g heavier than the M21, which weighs 193g. This may influence portability when carrying the device in a pocket. In my opinion, the JM21’s 156g represents an ideal weight for a DAP; however, a definitive conclusion will only be possible after extended use of the M33.

Larger Display with Full HD Resolution

The M33 features a 5.5-inch display, compared to the 4.7-inch screens used in the M21 and JM21. The display resolution is 2160×1080 pixels, slightly higher than standard Full HD (1920×1080). A glass screen protector is pre-applied for display protection.

FiiO M33 R2R: Specifications

General Parameters

• Analog outputs: 3.5mm single-ended (SE) and 4.4mm balanced
• Battery capacity: 4400mAh
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Chipset (SoC): Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
• Compatible with FiiO DK1 Pro dock and FiiO RETRO BOX Bluetooth speaker
• DAC: Proprietary FiiO R2R DAC
• Desktop Mode support
• Digital outputs: USB and 3.5mm coaxial S/PDIF (shared with headphone output)
• Dimensions: 13.8 × 7.1 × 1.7 cm
• Display: 5.5″, 2160×1080 resolution
• Internal storage: 128GB
• microSD support: up to 2TB
• Operating system: Android 13
• Parametric EQ (PEQ) and AUTO EQ support
• RAM: 8GB
• USB controller chip: XMOS XU316
• USB DAC support
• Weight: 258g

Battery

• Charging time: 1.5 hours
• Fast charging support: 33W via PD 3.0
• Playback time: up to 15.5h (3.5mm SE) / 13.5h (4.4mm balanced)

Wireless Audio Parameters

• Bluetooth receive codecs: SBC, LDAC
• Bluetooth transmit codecs: SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC
• Wireless transmission: Bluetooth

Wired Audio Parameters

With 32-ohm headphones

• 3.5mm SE (Desktop Mode): 470mW @ 3.9Vrms (Super High Gain)
• 3.5mm SE (without Desktop Mode): 300mW @ 3.1Vrms (High Gain)
• 4.4mm balanced (Desktop Mode): 1100mW @ 6Vrms (Super High Gain)
• 4.4mm balanced (without Desktop Mode): 900mW @ 5.4Vrms (High Gain)

With 300-ohm headphones

• 3.5mm SE (Desktop Mode): 60mW @ 4.2Vrms (Super High Gain)
• 3.5mm SE (without Desktop Mode): 50mW @ 3.9Vrms (High Gain)
• 4.4mm balanced (Desktop Mode): 240mW @ 8.5Vrms (Super High Gain)
• 4.4mm balanced (without Desktop Mode): 165mW @ 7Vrms (High Gain)

Release Date, Price, and Availability

The FiiO M33 R2R Digital Audio Player was internationally released (outside mainland China) on January 25, 2026, in the colors Retro Gold, Dark Blue, and Black, and is available through FiiO’s official AliExpress store for US$622.67.