FiiO DM15 CD Player with 24Bit R2R DAC - RED (Box opened)

The FiiO DM15 R2R is a portable CD player built to recapture the warm, organic sound of classic portable CD players, with FiiO’s own fully differential 24-bit R2R resistor-ladder DAC at its heart. Just an inch thick and slimmer than FiiO’s DM13, it delivers up to 1,150mW per channel from its 4.4mm balanced output, sends your CDs or computer audio to wireless headphones over aptX Adaptive, rips CDs to USB while you listen, works as a hi-res USB DAC and feeds coaxial or optical outputs. A desktop mode protects the battery at home, and an infrared remote is included.

Five core modules

After the DM13, FiiO listened to user feedback and spent a year refining a new player. The DM15 R2R packs five core pillars into its portable chassis, the CD servo, the USB DAC, the R2R module and the Bluetooth module, all managed by a microcontroller, for a smaller player with an even stronger feature set.

A true 24-bit R2R DAC

To bring back the sound of vintage portable CD players, FiiO built a proprietary four-channel, fully differential 24-bit R2R resistor-array DAC from 192 precision thin-film resistors (48 per channel), selected for 0.1% accuracy and low temperature drift (30ppm). An FPGA converts the incoming audio from serial to parallel data for the four ladders (DSD is converted to PCM first), and the result is a nuanced, warm and organic analogue sound.

A customised CD mechanism

The DM13’s disc reading improved a lot through a year of updates, and the DM15 R2R builds on it with a further customised mechanism and a custom laser pickup. A self-rebounding steel-ball design centres the disc, making it smoother to insert and remove and less likely to scratch. It plays CDs, CD-Rs with FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC or MP3 files, and the CD layer of hybrid SACDs. An ESP (electronic shock protection) switch keeps playback stable on the move; FiiO notes it steadies playback but doesn’t change how well discs are read. As with any portable mechanism, not every CD reads perfectly and occasional skips on some high-capacity discs are normal; FiiO keeps improving disc reading through firmware.

Powerful, in a slimmer body

Portable CD players have been getting bigger. The DM15 R2R goes the other way: it is 2mm thinner than the DM13 yet single-ended power is up 66% and balanced power 74%. In desktop mode the 4.4mm output delivers 1,150mW per channel into 32Ω and the 3.5mm output 315mW (815mW and 220mW on battery), enough for headphones from 8Ω to 350Ω, with a 112dB signal-to-noise ratio.

An all-purpose hub

The DM15 R2R combines a portable CD player, a hi-fi USB DAC, a Bluetooth transmitter for both CD and USB audio, and a CD/USB digital transport in one unit. As a USB DAC it plays up to 384kHz/32-bit and native DSD256 from a computer, phone or tablet, with the R2R DAC’s musical character (with a phone or tablet, connect it first, then plug in USB power). The 3.5mm socket doubles as a line, coaxial (192kHz/24-bit) or optical (96kHz/24-bit) output, alongside a 4.4mm balanced line out.

Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth

A Qualcomm QCC3095 chip with Bluetooth 5.4 transmits in aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, aptX and SBC to wireless headphones and speakers, from CD or USB, and a new on-screen interface makes pairing clear. Some brands differ in how they handle codecs, so set the codec on the receiving device before connecting.

24 sound presets, including RETRO

Three BASS modes and eight built-in EQ presets combine into 24 sound options, including a specially tuned RETRO preset with a rich, analogue, classic flavour. BASS and EQ change the output level, so adjust the volume to suit.

Mechanical controls and a retro screen

Real buttons, switches and a volume knob give tactile feedback for every action, so you enjoy CDs through sight, touch and sound. The screen’s retro-styled interface shows battery, mode, EQ, sample rate and Bluetooth connections, and switches select the input, output, BASS, ESP and desktop mode.

Rip while you listen

Save your favourite CDs as WAV files to external storage while they play, and share them with friends. Only FAT32 drives and audio CDs (CDDA) are supported; FiiO recommends a USB-C flash drive of 32GB or less for ripping and firmware updates.

Patented desktop mode and a big battery

At home, desktop mode (patent ZL202321946664.8) runs the player from USB power and bypasses the battery, even at high output, greatly reducing charge cycles and prolonging battery life; if the battery ever runs flat it charges anyway to protect itself. On the move, a 4,700mAh, 3.85V high-voltage cobalt lithium battery gives about 7 hours of CD playback (10.5–11 hours as a USB DAC), and PD fast charging refills it in about 2 hours. A sleep timer is built in.

Remote control and a glass-topped aluminium body

The included infrared remote lets you control playback from across the room (it needs a button cell, not included). The chassis is all aluminium alloy, and the transparent lid and front panel are tempered glass for durability and scratch resistance.

Good to know

• MQA decoding is not available.
• Prefer FiiO’s AKM DAC version? See the DM15 with dual AK4493S. For a lighter player with Bluetooth, see the DM13.
• Keep it safe in the leather case for the DM15.
• In the box: DM15 R2R, remote control (button cell not included), USB-A to USB-C cable, 3.5mm coaxial adapter cable, quick start guide and after-sales card.