With the affordable FiiO DP11, you get more than ‘just’ a CD player, all packed into a pleasantly compact design.
We reckon the new FiiO DP11 should be easy enough to find a place for just about anywhere. First and foremost, it is a CD player. That is very welcome, because on the one hand it means you can continue enjoying your old collection of discs. On the other hand, there is still more than enough new material being released on CD. And that will probably only increase in the near future, as the CD itself is also enjoying something of a revival. People – not entirely without reason – simply want physical media in their hands again. Those discs will remain playable indefinitely, something that cannot necessarily be said of albums offered by the average streaming service, as we have all learned by now.
Manufacturers have also noticed the demand for new players, and FiiO is one of the brands responding to it. For anyone old enough to remember them, the enclosure is somewhat reminiscent of an old external CD burner or even a simple external CD drive for a PC. However, the DP11 looks considerably sleeker and is available in a choice of silver or black. Some of the electronics have been borrowed from the company’s S15 streamer. In addition, separate power supplies are used for the servo, DSP stage and analogue audio stages, which should help suppress unwanted mains noise. An interesting feature is the option of using your own external 12-volt power supply.
USB DAC
Apart from being a CD player, the DP11 also functions as a DAC, allowing you to use your PC, laptop and other devices as a source via the dedicated USB input. Even MQA is still supported here. As for outputs, you can choose between AES/EBU, TOSLINK and coaxial digital, plus – naturally – analogue RCA outputs.
Furthermore, the device can serve as a preamplifier, allowing it to be connected directly to a power amplifier or active speakers. CDs can also be ripped directly on the device. Simply plug in a USB flash drive and off you go.
The FiiO DP11 is priced at $170. More information can be found here; use your browser’s translation function if necessary.