Introduction
The silver bullet of the ever so innovative FiiO China is their portable digital players that has always been one of the favourite products of the consumers for their reliability and for their great sound along with their valued price tag to match. The M11 line has now been a classic midrange DAP that has been revised a few times starting from the original M11 to the M11Pro and to the venerable favourite, the M11Plus LTD that has ended in production due to their limited AKM DAC chip. Due to the discontinuation of the LTD, FiiO has launched a newer DAP to replace the void and they are now equipped with dual Sabre chip instead, the ES9068AS along with the usual THX AAA 78 amplification that promises a lower noise, better SNR and a better battery life. Red Ape Headphones Store and FiiO have kindly sent us a set of the M11Plus Sabre for an honest take and we are grateful for the opportunity. How will they sound in contrast with the great M11Plus LTD? We shall find out.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the FiiO M11Plus Sabre;
- 5″ Bezel-Less Touchscreen Display
- 720p Resolution with 18:9 Aspect Ratio
- Customised Android 10
- Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core Chipset
- Dual ES9068AS DACs & THX AAA-78 Amps
- Hi-Res Audio & Hi-Res Audio Wireless
- 8x MQA Decoding
- New-Gen Interactive Intelligent Volume System with an upgraded carbon-fibre panel.
- Up to 14 Hours of Playback
- Low pass filters OPamp : OPA927*2
- 64GB of Storage – Expandable up to 2TB
- 3 Headphone Jacks – 2.5mm, 4.4mm & 3.5mm
- Bluetooth 5.0 receiver and transmitter
Retail Price and Where to Get
The FiiO M11Plus Sabre can be purchased at Red Ape Headphones Store.
Shopee : https://invol.co/cl9zxfd
Lazada : https://invol.co/cl9zxfw
Packaging & Accessories
FiiO has already been known for their complete packaging and this M11Plus Sabre is very well packaged similarly to the M11Plus LTD. Though not as fancy as their bigger siblings the M15 or the M17, they are very well executed along with all the necessities. They came in a rather small sized box that is neatly packed. Inside we will find the M11Plus Sabre pre-fitted in a leather casing that feels premium and it is a very generous gesture by FiiO. Inside we will also find the regular accessories like the USB type C cable, manuals, warranty card, a SD card slot pin and a 3.5mm to RCA SPDIF converter for connecting to a HiFi or desktop based DACs. Overall, it is packed simple and complete.
Design
The design here is the same with the M11Plus LTD and they are excellent in their user friendliness with a volume with touch slider or clickable volume control that has a touch of carbon fibre accents and I feel is the best for portable use especially their touch slide volume control that is just awesome. The control buttons have stayed the same and they are not prone to accidental clicks and FiiO has kept the multifunctional button under the volume buttons that can be used but only on the FiiO’s music app with functions such as filter settings, shuffle play and other interesting useful functions. The power button is to the left top side and it has a LED embedded in it giving information on the charging status. FiiO has kept their 6th-gen Honeycomb design for the casing with hexagonal buttons and diamond-cut texture to the back cover giving the M11 Plus Sabre a rather high-end design similar to the LTD version.
On the output side we shall find all the mainstream types of output which includes a single ended 3.5mm that doubles as a SPDIF out, a 2.5mm balanced and a 4.4mm balanced output.
Inside the M11Plus Sabre, the CPU is driven by the 8 core Snapdragon SD660 that will improve the processing speed of the device. It is more reliable and snappier than the M11Pro by a margin. The M11Plus Sabre battery is the same battery with a massive 6000mah battery and improved the battery life from 10 to 11 hours in the LTD to 14 hours which is great. The M11Plus Sabre is also programmed with the same new Digital Audio Purification System containing 4th-gen FPGA with two NDK femtosecond crystal oscillators providing a high-precision and low jitter unified clock source for the entire audio architecture. The insides is an internally shielded anti-interference circuit to completely isolate the analog and digital sections along with an enhanced power supply with separate power supplies for each process. The M11Plus Sabre is quite heavy and thick for a portable music player by weighing at 307 grams but they are still quite pocketable.
The screen is the same LCD screen which is a 5.5 inch bezel less screen that has great brightness and is usable even in broad daylight.
Other features include bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay support, all to DSD decoding,10 band graphic equaliser, 6 digital filter settings, balance control, USB DAC mode, Pure Music Mode, MQA 8X decoding, and three gain settings. It is truly a swiss army knife of a digital audio player being done right.
Gears Used for Comparisons
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FiiO M17
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Hidizs AP80s
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Hidizs S9 Pro
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FiiO KA3
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Rudistor RP8
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Beyerdynamics Xelento
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Intime Kira
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Ikko OH1
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Blon A8 Prometheus
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Smabat M0
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Blur daBass custom earbud
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Monk SM earbud
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Beyerdynamics T1
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Sennheiser HD650
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the M11Plus Sabre is a slightly bright to neutral sound signature with a more spacious sound that is very clean and clear. They indeed sounded quite different from the LTD with a purer sound profile than the more musical performance of the LTD. The new M11Plus Sabre does indeed have a more black background sound and they are dead silent even with high sensitivity in-ears. With this new DAC chip setup alongside with the usual THX AAA-78, the M11Plus Sabre sounded more detailed and they do not feel overly sterile but they do lack the velvety sound like in the LTD. Overall, they are still a great performer as they are very clean, accurate and spacious.
Soundstage
The soundstage of the M11Plus Sabre sounded wide and spacious with a more open sound compared to the LTD. They are able to sound very holographic and positions are spot on for their price range. With live performance, I am able to immerse myself in the music as they sounded very lifelike and clear. Their black background noise helps by making them sound deeper and cleaner. In my opinion, the soundstage on the M11Plus Sabre is one of the strong suits surpassing the LTD.
Separation and Timbre
Separation that the M11Plus Sabre possesses is truly sublime as music is present with great finesse without any hazing or veil present. Positioning that they produce is accurate and the music presented sounded quite organic in nature. Timbre that the M11Plus Sabre are able to push out is clean and clear with average intensity unlike the sweeter, more emotional performance on the LTD. The M11Plus Sabre is tuned more for critical listening as they are a very accurate and clean sounding device.
Drivability
The driving power of the M11Plus Sabre is rather average but still suffice for most of the portable gears out there. They still struggle to drive high impedance headphones such as my 600ohms Beyerdynamic T1 with some restraints dynamically and lack volume even on highest gain. For all my portable gears ranging from 32 ohms to 300ohms with average sensitivity, the M11Plus Sabre is able to drive them with ease. They are meant for portability and if you require more power, I would recommend FiiO’s M17 as they are a beast in terms of driving power but they are more than double the price and way bigger in size.
The Bass (Low)
Bass performance on the M11Plus Sabre has taken a different route than the LTD as they are a neutral type of bass. It has a very clean response without any adda boost in their low end. Details and clarity here is superb as every bass note is presented accurately without any bleed. Body on the bass is slightly on the thin side but they are very well textured without any veil present. Sub-bass extension is mediocre at best but they are still present in their presentation with an average depth with their rumble. Overall, the bass quality that they produce is very clean and accurate but they do lack an authoritative thick bass for a more fun listening.
The Mids
The mid range of the M11Plus Sabre is tuned towards a neutral and analytical performance. It possesses a very clear mid range with a slightly forward sound signature and they sounded a little towards a colder sound. Transparency is the main criteria in their mid range as they are accurately presented sounding quite accurate with minimal colouration. They do lack some lushness and emotions but they do have a very clean performance with adequate energy making vocals sound natural while instruments sound right without any over colouration. Micro and macro details here are superb with every detail in the music being presented with finesse and they are quite audible in most of my gears. Overall, their mid range that they are able to push out is pure and on point for a critical listening but lacks warmth like in the LTD that is more musically sound.
The Highs
The highs region on the M11Plus Sabre has taken a route on a neutral- flat sound that has a mild boost in their presentation. Though being slightly strong in their high range, they are still able to sound smooth without any peakiness or shout present. The usual Sabre high hump is not present in my listening and rather they sound quite pleasant even on my bright gears. Sparkle is presented very well with great extension and decay making music sound exciting with a crisp response. Hissing is not present in their black background and sibilance is barely noticeable even on high sensitivity in-ears. Fatigue on the other hand with bright gears might incur to those treble sensitive users but for me, they do sound great in this region and I do feel that the high range here is the main strength of the M11Plus Sabre.
Comparisons
VS FiiO M17
The ultimate flagship of FiiO that houses a pair of ES9038Pro with THX 788+ along with all the high end specifications that looks more like desktop level gears. They are truly a beast in performance and in my opinion have the best performance for a portable setup though they are huge and heavy in size, they are still a portable device. This comparison in sound might not be fair, but the M11Plus Sabre has the edge of being more portable and pocketable.
The High region on both of these devices has the same quantity as they both have a slight boost in their quantity. Quality on the M17 has the edge by being crisper and extends better. Sparkle on both sounded the same. Details and clarity on the M17 is slightly better.
Midrange on the M11Plus Sabre sounded a little more forward sounding. Details and clarity on the M17 is better. Thickness on the M11Plus Sabre is thicker but the M17 sounded more accurate and cleaner overall. Vocals on the M17 sounded sweeter and more emotional.
Bass on the M17 has a more authoritative presentation with a deeper sub-bass response. M11Plus Sabre bass sounded a little sharper but the M17 sounded bigger and cleaner.
Soundstage on both surprisingly sounded almost the same but the depth is better on the M17 and with the DC adapter on the M17 sounded deeper and higher than the M11Plus Sabre.
Overall, in terms of sound performance, the M17 has edge but for portability, the M11Plus Sabre is a wiser choice as they are way smaller, lighter and have a better battery life than the M17.
VS FiiO M11Plus LTD
Both are similar in all aspects except for their DAC chipset which the M11Plus LTD has the highly sought after limited chip from Asahi Kahei Japan that has been halted in production due to a fire in their production factory. So basically this comparison will be the AK4497eq versus the ES9068AS with everything the same except for the carbon fibre volume control on the Sabre version.
Bass on the M11Plus LTD has better depth, extension and thicker body on their response. Details and clarity on the Sabre is better but they lack a musical touch present in the LTD. Impact on the LTD is bigger and in the Sabre is a tad sharper.
Midrange on the LTD is sweeter and thicker but the Sabre sounded more detailed and accurate. Musically the LTD has the edge by sounding lusher and sweeter. The M11Plus Sabre sounded colder and more analytical, suitable for a more accurate presentation.
High range on the Sabre has a more pronounced feel to it and they sounded clearer and cleaner. The LTD has a smoother presentation with a more fatigue free type of high range. Treble on the Sabre has a more accurate presentation while the LTD has a more musical take to it.
Soundstage on the M11Plus Sabre is bigger, wider and taller than the LTD by a small margin.
Side by side both of these devices have their pros and cons but for those wanting a more musical performance, the LTD is the one but for a more accurate performance, the Sabre is the one.
Synergy
Beyerdynamic Xelento
Beyerdynamic flagship IEM that houses a single Tesla dynamic driver that sounded sublime on the LTD and on the Sabre they are a different beast overall. High range on the Xelento is very well extended with a boost on their sparkle and crispness. Details and clarity are also excellent with this pairing. Midrange sounded clearer and resolution has been pushed up a level. Vocals sounded more forward with a better sense of accuracy. Bass has been lowered a little and they sounded more accurate with better clarity and resolution in this area. Sub-bass remains mostly the same but they do sound a little clearer. Soundstage has widened up and they sounded very spacious compared to the LTD. Overall, the Xelento sounded more accurate and balanced overall with a tamer bass response along with a wider reproduction of music played.
JH Audio JH13V2 Pro
The JH13V2 Pro is a 8 balanced armature in-ears that has the pedigree of being one of the best full balanced armature in-ears that sounded accurately without sacrificing their musicality. High range has been well extended and they sounded more pronounced with a more sparkly presence. Midrange sounded clearer and resolution has been pushed up a level. Vocals sound clearer and cleaner overall. Bass has been tamed down a little and they have a sharper attack. Soundstage widens up a little with a more spacious sound reproduction. Overall, they do compliment the JH13V2 Pro very well and they sounded more accurate and clearer.
Who Is It For?
For those who missed the chance of owning the LTD version of the M11Plus, this is your chance. While they do not sound as sweet and musical, they do possess a better sound performance as they have a uber black background and they sounded clearer than the LTD. Their user friendliness is awesome as usual with a snappy OS and a better battery life overall. They are a suitable companion for a critical listener as they sounded very accurate, clean and clear. For a mid range portable device, they do deserve the spot as one of the best in this price range.
Final words
With the success of the M11Plus LTD and the scarcity of the AKM chips, the M11Plus is destined to be revised with a different chipset. In my opinion, it is a wise choice for FiiO to have taken the Sabre ES9068AS as they indeed have the best performance on paper among others but they lack character in their clinically cold sound like on the LTD version. The cold sound of the M11Plus Sabre might deter some users out there as they sometimes might sound a little too plain and their power output isn’t sufficient for high impedance, low sensitivity headphones, but for a portable device, they are truly awesome. The design and implementation of this device is something that I really dig, especially their touch volume slider. With all said and done, the M11Plus Sabre is my favourite DAP in their price bracket and with a clean sound along with a snappy UI, they are something that embodies the hard work of FiiO pursuing perfection in their products. A job well done once again FiiO!
I would rate this product a solid 4 and half stars over 5 stars
