FiiO R9
Built for high-resolution streaming and serious headphone drive, the FiiO R9 combines a powerful DAC, THX amplification, and broad connectivity into a desktop all-in-one that sounds smooth, dynamic, and richly detailed. Enjoy The Music and Soundnews both praise its musicality and feature depth.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Usability
91/100
Value for Money
88/100
Pros
Delivers smooth, highly detailed sound with strong bass, spacious imaging, and excellent tonal color.
Offers a very powerful headphone amp and versatile all-in-one functionality, including streaming, Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, and Roon support.
Build feels substantial and premium, with reviewers noting the heavy chassis and strong overall construction.
Cons
The chassis shows fingerprints easily, so the finish needs regular wiping to stay pristine.
It sits at the premium end of the market and costs noticeably more than the model it replaces.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers describe the R9 as highly resolving and capable of exposing subtle musical details without sounding etched. It comes across as vivid, smooth, and engaging, with strong tonal color, solid bass, and a spacious presentation that keeps instruments well organized.
Transparency Resolution
91/100
Reviewers repeatedly praise the R9’s clarity and detail retrieval, calling it highly resolving and noting that subtle details are clearly laid bare. The presentation is clean and revealing, though the wording stays more about strong refinement than absolute reference-level transparency.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
The R9 is described as warm, smooth, and naturally musical, with sweet strings, rich brass, and vibrant piano tone. Reviewers also say it avoids sounding etched, which supports a presentation that is polished and easy to enjoy for long sessions.
Dynamics
93/100
Dynamic drive is a clear strength, with reviewers highlighting deep, rock-solid bass, sharp percussion, and a presentation that remains lively without losing smoothness. One review specifically says it does not sacrifice dynamics, and another calls the power output very strong.
Noise Floor
89/100
The reviews do not report hiss or background noise, and the amplifier is presented as clean enough for revealing listening. That said, the coverage does not explicitly test extreme IEM sensitivity, so the evidence supports quiet operation without proving exceptional silence in every pairing.
Headphone Compatibility
90/100
Reviewers suggest broad compatibility thanks to the strong output stage, and one notes that even Grado SR225e headphones sounded better than ever. The high power output and strong control point to confident performance with a wide range of headphones, though the reviews do not cover many difficult pairings in detail.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
Reviewers respond positively to the chassis, describing it as heavy, compact, and reassuringly substantial. One review also explicitly rates build quality highly, while the only notable practical complaint is that the surface shows fingerprints easily.
Features Usability
91/100
The R9 is extremely feature-rich, with streaming, Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, Roon compatibility, a large touchscreen, and broad input/output support all called out in the reviews. It is clearly built as a do-it-all desktop hub rather than a bare-bones amp, and the available controls and connectivity sound genuinely practical.
Value for Money
88/100
Reviewers think the R9 brings a lot to the table for its asking price, and one even gives it a very strong value rating. At the same time, the same review acknowledges that it costs notably more than the model it replaces, so the value story is good rather than effortless.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
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Specifications
Manufacturer's Description — FiiO
Flagship all-in-one digital media streamer
High-end 8-channel ES9038PRO*2 + 8-channel THX AAA 788+
7300mW power output | Fully-connected HiFi audio architecture
DC/AC dual power supply design | Separated analog and digital power supplies | Finely-divided analog portion | 6-inch FHD portrait display
Various inputs and outputs | Supports HDMI ARC/Roon Ready mode
*Pictures are for reference only. The actual product may vary.
FIIO R9 flagship debut
Flagship all-in-one digital media streamer R9
Integrates flagship-level transmission/decoding/headphone amp/jukebox/preamp functionality into one device
Equipped with an unimaginable level of inputs and outputs + ten operating modes
Featuring Android open OS + 6-inch FHD + Portrait screen
Using a classic metal bicolor design as in luxury cars
Thoroughly upgraded inside and out, to take your desktop HiFi
experience to the next level
8-channel
ES9038PRO DAC*2
With the ES9038PRO having been featured in the M17, Q7, K9 Pro SS and M15S, we now have much experience with the chip to enable it to push audio quality to new heights. The R9 employs two ES9038PRO DACs, one each for the left and right channels. Each DAC chip contains 8 independent D/A converters, and these 8 channels are connected in parallel for a fully differential output. The result is precise, clear yet full sound.
Next-gen THX AAA 788+ headphone amplifier
Inside the R9 is an 8-channel THX AAA 788+ headphone amplifier design. These headphone amps, fed by a high-voltage power supply, are connected in parallel via 2×2 groups for a four-way fully balanced design, greatly enhancing transient performance. The comb-shaped heat sinks and optimized circuit layout dissipate heat efficiently, ensuring the R9 is capable of continuous and stable high-power output. The result is that the R9 is capable of outputting 7300mW per channel at 32Ω, 102% higher than that of R7.
Fully-connected HiFi audio architecture
Five gain levels
The R9 boasts impressive audio performance thanks to its five-stage audio architecture with carefully-crafted IV, LPF, gain, pre-amplification, and current expansion stages. An important part of the audio circuit is the OPA2211 op-amps, which are made through the silicon-germanium (SiGe) CMOS manufacturing process that ensures the chip’s excellent performance. The variable gain and variable power supply voltage design result in 5 levels of gain, allowing you to exactly dial in your desired listening volume. No matter if you are using IEMs or hard-to-drive headphones, you will get a great listening experience.
Carefully-designed PCB Every inch considered
The R9’s internal power supply, digital portions, DAC, and headphone amplifier all reside on separate boards. Additionally, there are metal shields to fully isolate the DAC and THX headphone amp sections. These four major parts of the audio circuit are separated into independent boards to avoid crosstalk, which further ensures that the audio signals being processed and their output are accurate, clean, and retain their dynamics.
Finely tuned power supply circuit
DC/AC dual power supplies
Separate analog and digital power supplies
Finely-divided analog portion
Built into the R9 is a new 40W low-noise, high-efficiency, long-lasting industrial-grade power supply, supporting an ultra-wide range of input voltages (85~305VAC) and capable of operating under a wide range of temperatures (-40℃~85℃) as well as rated for lasting 500,000 hours. The R9 can also be powered by an external DC power supply*, allowing you to pair the R9 with a high-performance linear power supply that offers its own sound. Additionally, when the R9 is paired with an external AC power supply, you can choose to enable the “Ground Lift” functionality to reduce crosstalk for purer sound.
*15V-3A external DC power supplies are supported
The R9 features separate power supplies for the digital and analog portions of the audio circuit, avoiding crosstalk between the digital/analog parts and achieving better isolation and shielding between the two portions.
The analog portion of the audio circuit features a finely-divided multiple-stage power supply, including digital-to-analog conversion, LPF, pre-stage processing, amplification drive and other power supply stages. Each power supply stage uses many precision LDOs for secondary voltage stabilization, further ensuring a clean and stable supply of power.
Industry-leading components
12 wide operating temperature low-loss metallized film capacitors + 70 high-precision low-noise film resistors
Low temperature drift and low noise regardless of temperature variations, ensure stable high-quality sound no matter in hot or cold environments
5 sets of connecting silver-plated oxygen-free copper wires
Silver-plated oxygen-free copper wires are used to connect the various boards, ensuring high-fidelity signal transmission with minimal loss
ELNA electrolytic capacitors
For improved soundstage and better overall sound quality
Neutrik gold-plated plug
Tulip-shaped design with anti-oxidation properties and is durable over many unplugs – allowing for reliable and stable connections
Large 6-inch HD screen
Taking your experience to new “heights”
The R9 features a tall 6-inch 2160*1080 vertical (portrait) screen combined with the open Android OS for a thoroughly intuitive experience. The open Android OS not only allows the user to freely install and use third-party streaming music and other apps, it is also thoroughly refined so that the user does not have to worry about app compatibility problems.
High-end digital core
Globally high resolution
Not only does the analog portion of the R9 come with a fully-connected HiFi audio architecture, but the digital signal processing also reaches the global HD level.
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 660
XMOS 16 core XU316
Qualcomm QCC5125
With several years’ worth of experience in fine-tuning this “core” combined with the open Android system, FIIO offers a silky-smooth experience on the R9.
High performance, low latency, supports 768kHz/32bit and DSD512
Many codecs supported, Bluetooth reception supports LDAC/aptX Adaptive/aptX LL/aptX HD/aptX/AAC/SBC
Modular design Three synergistic components
4th-gen phase-locked loop FPGA + dual low phase noise femtosecond crystal oscillators
The high-precision, low-jitter unified clock ensures a purer and more stable audio signal chain.
HDMI IN/OUT/ARC modes
For an exhilarating audiovisual experience
Allows you to connect devices such as TVs and Blu-ray players, and then connect to the FIIO SP3 and other similar sound equipment through the RCA or XLR outputs for high-quality audio.
Connect to an external TV/monitor through HDMI OUT for a better remote-control experience on a larger screen.
HDMI ARC
HDMI OUT
Connect to computers/game consoles/Blu-ray players and other devices through HDMI IN, and connect to monitors and other similar devices through HDMI OUT for a high-resolution audio and high-definition visual experience.
HDMI IN
Connect to computers/game consoles/Blu-ray machines and other devices through HDMI IN, and also connect to monitors and other devices through HDMI OUT to enjoy dual high-definition video/game experience.
HDMI Decoding
All kinds of connectors
Almighty HiFi audiovisual
center
The unimaginable, sheer number of inputs and outputs allow the R9 to become the new center of your desktop HiFi setup.
Ten operating modes
Ten out of ten experience
Android mode:Freely use 3rd party apps, enjoy major music streaming apps;
pure tone mode:Exclusive FIIO Pure Music mode, for truly immersive music;
USB DAC mode:Connect to a computer/smartphone, to greatly improve their sound;
Bluetooth receiver mode:Supports aptX adaptive/LDAC and other codecs, for convenient high-quality sound;
AirPlay mode:Wirelessly connect to iPhone/iPad and other iOS devices, for improved sound quality;
Roon Ready mode:Roon Ready certified, a must for serious music players;
Coaxial/optical input modes:By being able to accept coaxial/optical inputs, the R9 transforms into a high-end audio decoder;
HDMI input mode:Supports audio input from devices like game consoles/Blu-ray players/set-top boxes;
HDMI ARC Mode:Supports audio return from devices like TVs/projectors;
Four output modes
All within reach of one knob
Let the R9 become the center of your HiFi desktop setup, connecting to both headphones and speakers simultaneously. You can seamlessly switch between headphones for speaker outputs with just a twist of a knob, making it more convenient for you to listen to whichever is more comfortable.
PO+PRE OUT (default setting): Front headphone output+ rear line-out output (volume adjustable)
PO: Only for the front headphone output
PRE OUT: Only for the rear line-out output (volume adjustable)
LO: Only for the rear line-out output (fixed level output)
Classic metallic bicolor scheme as in luxury cars Befitting of a flagship
The R9 adopts a unique metallic dual color scheme inspired by luxury cars, presenting an extraordinary flagship texture. The body-colored 4H PET is attached to its body as a protective layer that also helps to prevent fingerprints and scratches from building up on it. Additionally, the high-density metal body is more robust and stable, helping to effectively reduce deformation and minimize degradation in sound performance caused by vibrations, thus ensuring stable delivery of high-quality music.
More ways to control
More convenience
Paired with multimedia
keypad KB1K
Pause and play music as well as switch between tracks, conveniently on your desk
Allows control over music playback from a distance through buttons and gestures, even for complex operations
Bluetooth remote RM3
Supports operating mode selection, volume adjustment, track selection and other functions all from your smartphone, and can also be controlled by third-party apps
App control
Inside and out
All thoroughly upgraded
*The USB port can provide up to 1.5A output current
Overheating/over-voltage/
DC intelligent protection
The device can intelligently detect abnormal operating conditions and automatically take action to avoid damage to the device itself and the connected headphones, allowing you to listen worry-free.
Discreet WiFi/Bluetooth antenna
Included two stands with different elevation angles
Dynamic light bar + dynamic RGB lights on knobs
High-end decoder
Dual USB ports
Simple and elegant, unobtrusive
The lights are an eye-catching part of your desktop, and can be set to custom lighting effects
Better suited for various usage needs
Digital jukebox
Serious preamp
Supports optical/coaxial/USB/HDMI inputs, transforming it into a high-end audio decoder
Can be connected to USB hubs/portable drives/external audio decoders/keyboard and other devices
Can be connected to external audio sources through optical/
coaxial/USB outputs
RCA+XLR balanced line outs, can be connected to multiple external amplifiers or active speakers simultaneously
Side honeycomb heat dissipation vents + rear heat dissipation grille
A highly effective heat dissipation design that is eye-catching
Included full dust cover + XLR, RCA dust cover plugs
5G+2.4G dual-band Wi-Fi
Independent 100 Mbps Ethernet port
3 Volume Curves
Protection is as important as audio and visual experience
Faster and more stable data transfers
Enjoy a fast and stable audiovisual experience
Personalized screensaver
DLNA/Airplay streaming + NAS LAN playback
Suitable for various types of headphones from IEMs to hard-to-drive headphones
Analog clock, performance panel, space FIIO goat, digital clock
Wireless streaming and LAN playback, two ways to listen
⑫ Type-C(USB 3.0)
⑬ HDMI IN
⑭ HDMI OUT/ARC
⑮ Micro-SD card slot
⑯ GND switch
⑰ AC/DC power switch
⑱ DC power input
⑲ AC power input
⑳ AC power switch
㉑ WiFi/Bluetooth antenna
① 4-pin XLR output
② 4.4mm balanced headphone output
③ 6.35mm headphone output
④ RCA line out*2
⑤ 3-pin XLR balanced line out
⑥ Coaxial output
⑦ Coaxial intput
⑧ Optical output
⑨ Optical intput
⑩ RJ45 Ethernet port
⑪ USB HOST
Quality accessories
①--------AC power cord*1 ②--------Base*2 ③--------Silicone double-sided tape*4 ④--------RM3 Bluetooth remote*1 ⑤--------Quick start guide*1 ⑥--------RM3 tips card*1 ⑦--------MicroSD card holder*1 (pre-installed)
⑧--------USB cable*1 ⑨--------Headphone adapter*1 ⑩--------Warranty card*1 ⑪--------Cleaning cloth*1
⑫--------Dust cover plug*1 ⑬--------Fuse*1 ⑭--------PET electroplated film*2 (pre-installed) ⑮--------Tempered film*1 (pre-installed)
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for FiiO R9
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Alpha Audio Pte — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- Audeos — online and in-store — Żywiec, Województwo śląskie (website)
- Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
and 59 more verified dealers