As a small-screen portable music player, FiiO JM21 not only has breakthroughs in performance compared to previous models, but also brings many surprises in appearance design and user experience.
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$180 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries
Appearance Design & Display
FiiO JM21 is 13mm thick and weighs about 156g, making it easy to hold in one hand. JM21 is equipped with a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 750 × 1334 and supports a 60Hz refresh rate. With built-in Android 13 OS, you can download various streaming apps like a smartphone.
In terms of material, the back panel is made of silver plastic with a grille texture design, which increases the friction of the back and plays a role in anti-slip. The middle frame is made of blue semi-aluminum alloy, which has a delicate touch and further enhances the overall exquisiteness. The main color of the body adopts a silver + blue design, making FiiO JM21 more recognizable.
The left side of the body has the power button and volume +/- button, and the right side has the play/pause and previous/next buttons. The bottom has the 3.5mm/4.4mm headphone jack and USB-C port, and the headphone jack supports LO mode and SPDIF/USB Audio output. Plus, there is a lanyard hole in the lower right corner of the body.
Hardware Configuration & Battery Life
FiiO JM21 is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor, which uses 6nm process technology and has a CPU frequency of up to 2.4GHz. When playing music and running system , the overall energy consumption is lower, extending the battery life.
In terms of operation fluency, JM21 is relatively smooth when running music apps. However, because its storage configuration is only 3+32GB, it cannot bring out the upper limit of Snapdragon 680, so it is not suitable for playing games or watching videos. FiiO JM21 mainly serves music apps, and there will be delays in USB DAC mode.
JM21 is equipped with dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips, independent DAC and independent amplifier circuit. The balanced output power of the amplifier is up to 700mW+700mW (320, THD+N<1%/balanced), which makes it more widely compatible with headphones – whether it is low-impedance HiFi earphones or high-impedance over-ear headphones, it is easier to drive.
FiiO JM21 has a built-in 2400mAh battery with a battery life of up to 9 hours (balanced) and a single-end battery life of up to 12 hours, which is enough for a music player.
Sound Description of FiiO JM21
FiiO JM21 is a music player with comprehensive functional attributes and extended attributes. It supports bluetooth reception of SBC/AAC/LDAC and bluetooth transmission of SBC/AAC/aptX/aptX HD/LHDC/LDAC; digital output supports USB and coaxial, and the coaxial port is compatible with the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The sound style of JM21 is neutral and natural. The bass has moderate quantity and good extension, not too atmospheric, and pays more attention to control. Its bass does not have an extra sense of smearing, and can provide a more natural and relaxed sound performance while maintaining the intensity.
The mids vocals are a highlight of JM21. The vocal is in a moderate position and will not be covered by the background instruments. The resolution is strong and can well present the details of the vocals. The singer’s breathing, sibilance and tiny vibrato can all be heard clearly.
The treble is not as prominent as the mids/bass, and the transparency is slightly insufficient. The treble brightness is average, and it will not be too stimulating when listening to string instruments and metal percussion instruments. Therefore, it may be more suitable for listening to pop music, jazz, etc.
In terms of soundstage, the horizontal width is relatively natural, not extremely open, but has a certain sense of layering. The vertical sense of space is moderate, making the separation between instruments clearer.
Conclusion & Specs
FiiO JM21 has shown a high level in terms of appearance design, hardware configuration, system operation fluency and compatibility, and the sound quality has also achieved satisfactory results. It is not only suitable for music lovers, but also for novice users – it has a great value for the price and is a portable music player worth recommending.
FiiO JM21 specs and features:
- 4.7-inch screen & 750×1334 resolution
- Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC/AAC/LDAC codec
- 9-12 hours playback of single charge (balanced/single-end)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 & Android 13 OS
- Dual DAC chip & 3G RAM+32GB ROM
- $180 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries