Fiio is to launch a device with a horizontal form factor later this year, according to the brief they published early this year (S15, scheduled for September). The HDMI Arc input does make much more sense on that new unit, not quite sure how many users will really appreciate it on R9 which is less suitable for a Hifi rack setup.
Another great review -- thank you Simon. I'm currently enjoying my CXN v2, which i bought partly based on your review. I know those wolfson chips dont make it the DAC du jour but I really enjoy the sound, particularly for streaming radio. Speaking of which, given your appreciation of Zero 7, Lemon Jelly etc, if you don't already do so already, I think you'd really enjoy some of the balearic dj's/programming on 1BTN, it's pretty much my main source for new music. Cheers and thanks
Thanks for the review, objective as always. Now I have the R7 for its streaming and EQ capabilities, running balanced through the S17 for headphone use, and I wonder if the R9 would be an improvement in sound quality to that combo?
How did you managed to power the R9 from the PL50 which provides only 3A at 12V? Did you test the headphone amp which is apparently the main cause of the increased power consumption? Have you able to really drive it at higher volume levels? PL50 gives 12/15V up to 3A, e.g. does not provide 3A at 15V and R9 specs say minimum of 3A at 15V.
It does work ok and was one of things I wondered about when I first plugged it in due to the different rear panel stated power specs of the dc input of the r9 compared to pl50 output options. I doubt it makes much odds bearing in mind low power consumption of headphones generally. In any event fiio do say you can use the pl50 with the r9 and I didn’t hear improved sound off of the mains, as I said….certainly with the Hifimans I mentioned. If concerned I would contact FiiO. Hope helps 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thanks. I have R7 with the PL50 and did observe a difference in respect to the background, which is absolutelly quite now. I did not observe any improvements when it comes to soundstaging. Anyhow I do not plan to upgrade to R9, such as the R7 is more than sufficient in my desktop setup.
Could I use the R9 as a preamp for my home audio/stereo system, using the optical, coax, or analog RCA plug audio outs on the R9? Understanding and that if I use the digital methods, it would bypass the R9 DAC. That way, I could use the R9 over my big living room speakers B&W 702 S2.
Thank you Simon. As for using it as a DAC Amp connected to a computer, which device will offer better sound: the Fiio K9 Pro, the Fiio R9, the Aune S9C? There is also the Fiio K19, maybe you can test them , it would be a cool comparison.
Maybe it is a wider software issue they need to fix. They did mention one brand of tv they tried it on, but it wasn’t of the ilk of the big boys like Panasonic, Sony, LG etc.
Typical Chinese product lot of flash to impress your friends until it breaks and good luck getting it fixed. My own personal experience with products from that country “Shanling”. I lost $3000 of hard earn money and it didn’t even last 6 months, even with the replacement unit. I use it to keep the door open on hot summer days.
I realised that as I noticed that in my setting up. They recommend the pl50. I’d check with them but I’m not sure a psu with an extra amp is going to make much difference on lots of easy loads. My Hifiman’s I didn’t notice the mains ac connection being capable of driving them better / a better dynamic performance. With the pl50 the Hifiman’s sound lots better
@joncruz that’s not all I said. The point is about what headphones you are driving, hdmi, better build / screen. These are all things I mentioned as to why this is pricier. Did you not watch it all?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Yes I did and understood the differences but sometimes people need an affirmative word like: “If you have the R7 you don’t need the R9” or “R9 is a most and totally worth the double price” I think you get my point now but again it was a great informative video, I have both coming from Amazon later today so I’ll have to do my homework ha ha 🤣
@joncruz thank you for nice comments but I think I did that by describing who it’s for and there are too many factors that determine who the r7 is for and who the r9 is for, chiefly amongst these how demanding the headphones are. That’s not to sit on the fence but you can’t do that here. Did you get that? Where I’m off the fence is a video like my comparison of the eversolo and Cambridge cxn100 video. But the eversolo!
Interesting, I had expected a greater sound quality difference but I guess that is money talking. I understand you can view the screen on a TV through the HDMI - the R7 did this via the USB-C which acts as a display port out. Perhaps the air mouse was for this. Also, I understand many have used alternative screen control app Any Desk which works well to remote cast the Android 10 screen much better than the FiiO Cast. Anyway, thanks.
No that’s not correct, I think the r7 and r9 run on Android 10 from memory, but they are upgrading to a newer version of android. Although I might have that confused with Eversolo. Judging what I’ve seen from likes of Eversolo and FiiO and constant software updates I defo would not make this a worry. More so is somewhat buggy app platforms on some British streamers like stream magic on the Cambridge audio cxn100.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 not sure about fiio but eversolos are already running an outdated version of android (11). Support ended last February. Fiios will eventually end up the same. The problem with heavily based software units is this. Much like other similar gear they'll end up discarded after a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, right now they're great but they sure will have a short lifetime. Planned obsolescence is a pain.
Sadly not the product for me as I am looking for something to compete with the A8 for pure sound. That said currently I am using my Wiim pro as a streamer only witch frankly I could happily live with for ever if reviewers didn't tell me it could be improved on. I have arrived at my personal 'end game' system , my DAC can handle anything up to 32 768 you can through at it etc but as I have no experience with anything beyond the wiim I don't know if the sheer practicality of the R7 in my listening room trump's any potencial sound difference. Even if I had traditionally liked head phones I would find it hard to use them at the moment due to my sound system being on the far wall. I will sacrifice a lot to get the verry best but I hate having to spend money twice. The A8's hugely powerful headphone out might encourage me to try exceptional headphones ,not least because it would be beside me on my table. It's 'good phone' aspect also appeals. I would love to hear your opinions, baring in mind that sound is all important, and that in my humble opinion my system would not be outclassed by a £40,000 streamer if I was in that price bracket.
Thank you Simon. Always a pleasure. I'm a gentleman with mobility issues and you bring HiFi into my world with honest reviews and guidance 👍👏
Someone had to comment 1st. Thanks for the comparisons in the video. Please keep them coming. Cheers!
Thanks very much 😀🔊🎶
Great deep dive really helps someone understand the upgrades in the Fio units.
Another fantastic review!
Fiio is to launch a device with a horizontal form factor later this year, according to the brief they published early this year (S15, scheduled for September). The HDMI Arc input does make much more sense on that new unit, not quite sure how many users will really appreciate it on R9 which is less suitable for a Hifi rack setup.
Another great review -- thank you Simon. I'm currently enjoying my CXN v2, which i bought partly based on your review. I know those wolfson chips dont make it the DAC du jour but I really enjoy the sound, particularly for streaming radio. Speaking of which, given your appreciation of Zero 7, Lemon Jelly etc, if you don't already do so already, I think you'd really enjoy some of the balearic dj's/programming on 1BTN, it's pretty much my main source for new music. Cheers and thanks
Thanks very much Andre. Will check that music out. Got the review of the cxn100 coming out today which I’ll post later 😀
Thanks for the review, objective as always. Now I have the R7 for its streaming and EQ capabilities, running balanced through the S17 for headphone use, and I wonder if the R9 would be an improvement in sound quality to that combo?
Thanks, it depends what is meant by improvement of course but I don’t think so - the S17 is just an amp and a really good one.
How did you managed to power the R9 from the PL50 which provides only 3A at 12V? Did you test the headphone amp which is apparently the main cause of the increased power consumption? Have you able to really drive it at higher volume levels? PL50 gives 12/15V up to 3A, e.g. does not provide 3A at 15V and R9 specs say minimum of 3A at 15V.
It does work ok and was one of things I wondered about when I first plugged it in due to the different rear panel stated power specs of the dc input of the r9 compared to pl50 output options. I doubt it makes much odds bearing in mind low power consumption of headphones generally. In any event fiio do say you can use the pl50 with the r9 and I didn’t hear improved sound off of the mains, as I said….certainly with the Hifimans I mentioned. If concerned I would contact FiiO. Hope helps 😀
@@13thnotehifireviews7 thanks. I have R7 with the PL50 and did observe a difference in respect to the background, which is absolutelly quite now. I did not observe any improvements when it comes to soundstaging. Anyhow I do not plan to upgrade to R9, such as the R7 is more than sufficient in my desktop setup.
So tempting really...
What about between the R7 and the aune s9c pro, I'm looking the best cheap/audio quality for my new arya organic
Could I use the R9 as a preamp for my home audio/stereo system, using the optical, coax, or analog RCA plug audio outs on the R9? Understanding and that if I use the digital methods, it would bypass the R9 DAC. That way, I could use the R9 over my big living room speakers B&W 702 S2.
Yes.
Pretty sweet unit with lots of capabilit
Does the equalizer for the R7 go into effect with all inputs? Bluetooth, Wifi, USB, Optical, Coax, etc?
Thank you Simon. As for using it as a DAC Amp connected to a computer, which device will offer better sound: the Fiio K9 Pro, the Fiio R9, the Aune S9C?
There is also the Fiio K19, maybe you can test them , it would be a cool comparison.
Get a soundblaster g6 there better fact
@@audie-cashstack-uk4881 ты диванный дурачок
Thanks!
Thank you very much
I couldn’t get the eARC volume to work from my LG TV either.
Maybe it is a wider software issue they need to fix. They did mention one brand of tv they tried it on, but it wasn’t of the ilk of the big boys like Panasonic, Sony, LG etc.
I see that you use the FiiO PL50 dc supply on the R9. Specifications say 15V/3A dc. Comments?
It works fine as per another comment I replied on this
Danke!
Thankyou very much too . Super Danke
Typical Chinese product lot of flash to impress your friends until it breaks and good luck getting it fixed. My own personal experience with products from that country “Shanling”. I lost $3000 of hard earn money and it didn’t even last 6 months, even with the replacement unit. I use it to keep the door open on hot summer days.
ESA6 vs the Master Edition ?
on spec the Fiio linear psu only supplies 15V @ 2A, R9 requires 3A so maybe a more powerful linear psu may perform even better?
I realised that as I noticed that in my setting up. They recommend the pl50. I’d check with them but I’m not sure a psu with an extra amp is going to make much difference on lots of easy loads. My Hifiman’s I didn’t notice the mains ac connection being capable of driving them better / a better dynamic performance. With the pl50 the Hifiman’s sound lots better
when you talk about the hdmi option connection. can i use hdmi from graphics card to in put hdmi fiio r9. then the output to a soundboard hdmi ?
The BIG question is: If I have the R7 should I upgrade to the R9? Thanks!
That’s what I answered I thought.
“You get more but you get less of more” is not a clear response but thanks I appreciate your video.
@joncruz that’s not all I said. The point is about what headphones you are driving, hdmi, better build / screen. These are all things I mentioned as to why this is pricier. Did you not watch it all?
@@13thnotehifireviews7 Yes I did and understood the differences but sometimes people need an affirmative word like: “If you have the R7 you don’t need the R9” or “R9 is a most and totally worth the double price” I think you get my point now but again it was a great informative video, I have both coming from Amazon later today so I’ll have to do my homework ha ha 🤣
@joncruz thank you for nice comments but I think I did that by describing who it’s for and there are too many factors that determine who the r7 is for and who the r9 is for, chiefly amongst these how demanding the headphones are. That’s not to sit on the fence but you can’t do that here. Did you get that? Where I’m off the fence is a video like my comparison of the eversolo and Cambridge cxn100 video. But the eversolo!
thanks very much. very helpful 🙂
Interesting, I had expected a greater sound quality difference but I guess that is money talking.
I understand you can view the screen on a TV through the HDMI - the R7 did this via the USB-C which acts as a display port out. Perhaps the air mouse was for this. Also, I understand many have used alternative screen control app Any Desk which works well to remote cast the Android 10 screen much better than the FiiO Cast.
Anyway, thanks.
What happens to these units (r7, r9, eversolos streamers) when android gets updated?
They probably just wont upgrade to the new version of android.
@@dajikbatarang1 yes, so they go into the trash.
No that’s not correct, I think the r7 and r9 run on Android 10 from memory, but they are upgrading to a newer version of android. Although I might have that confused with Eversolo. Judging what I’ve seen from likes of Eversolo and FiiO and constant software updates I defo would not make this a worry. More so is somewhat buggy app platforms on some British streamers like stream magic on the Cambridge audio cxn100.
@@13thnotehifireviews7 not sure about fiio but eversolos are already running an outdated version of android (11). Support ended last February. Fiios will eventually end up the same. The problem with heavily based software units is this. Much like other similar gear they'll end up discarded after a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, right now they're great but they sure will have a short lifetime. Planned obsolescence is a pain.
@JoseFerreira-zb7wh but what about my point they have said they are changing android OS……
Sadly not the product for me as I am looking for something to compete with the A8 for pure sound. That said currently I am using my Wiim pro as a streamer only witch frankly I could happily live with for ever if reviewers didn't tell me it could be improved on.
I have arrived at my personal 'end game' system , my DAC can handle anything up to 32 768 you can through at it etc but as I have no experience with anything beyond the wiim I don't know if the sheer practicality of the R7 in my listening room trump's any potencial sound difference.
Even if I had traditionally liked head phones I would find it hard to use them at the moment due to my sound system being on the far wall.
I will sacrifice a lot to get the verry best but I hate having to spend money twice. The A8's hugely powerful headphone out might encourage me to try exceptional headphones ,not least because it would be beside me on my table. It's 'good phone' aspect also appeals.
I would love to hear your opinions, baring in mind that sound is all important, and that in my humble opinion my system would not be outclassed by a £40,000 streamer if I was in that price bracket.