FiiO DM13 BT Portable CD Player Review – Full Metal Jacket

The $179.99 FiiO DM13 BT is an ultra versatile portable CD player with all possible digital and analog connectivities. It is the cheapest CD transport with optical and coax outputs on the market.

The FiiO DM13 BT was kindly supplied by the manufacturer for my review – and I thank them for that. You can purchase it here.

Introduction

Last year saw the resurgence of the CD player. Several companies introduced a series of new models. Simultaneously, CD sales are picking up again. While most kids stream or download digital files, and hipsters & grandfathers spin vinyl, classical labels like Deutsche Grammophon always had stable CD sales. After all, any reputable High-End gear reviewer and most audiophiles still rely on the 44.1 kHz standard. Nevertheless, a lack of CD players had created a bottleneck for this medium in recent years.

FiiO is joining the club with two models, the DM13 and DM13 BT. The only difference between them is the “BT”, which, as you guess correctly, stands for Bluetooth. We are dealing with the BT model in this review.

FiiO designed their DM 13 line in the tradition of Sony’s Discman, a dinosaur that ruled our backpacks for a decade from the mid 1980s on. But in contrast to its forefather, the FiiO adds a few interesting modern features, such as extensive digital connectivity, built-in 8 h battery, a way more powerful amplification to accommodate today’s hungry cans, and the aforementioned BT, version 5.4. The idea is to use the DM13 BT by itself on the road or around the house, or stationary (as transport) with your desktop system…or even with your large living room stereo.

FiiO, a Guangzhou company established in 2007, appears to be particularly interested in exploiting and updating retro technology, as their recent CP13 cassette player and forthcoming personal radio indicate. We are eagerly awaiting the company’s first 78 rpm gramophone. Just kidding.

Specifications FiiO DM13 BT

Physical Things

In the box are:

• FiiO DM13 with Bluetooth
• USB-A to USB-C Charging/Data Cable (external power adapter sold separately)
• 3.5mm to Coaxial Adapter
• Quick Start Guide
• 1-Year Warranty

The player is made of sturdy metal with robust button mechanisms and a high-contrast display. Could not find any plastic to my surprise. The overall build quality is very good. At 450 g, it is heavier than your 1990s Discman. Like with so many of his forefathers, the CD being played is not visible as there it no window, which takes a bit away from the experience. Similar to record players, I’d prefer watching the discs spin.

Check the DM13 BT’s product page for further details.

Functionality and Operation

The FiiO DM13 BT does

• play CDs with a variety of audio formats gaplessly
• let you choose favourites and loop playback
• connect to a DAC via its SPDIF (Toslink, coaxial) digital outputs
• offer 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced circuits
• feature dedicated single-ended and balanced line outs for amplifiers and powered speakers
• play wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.4
• allow CD ripping to computer or flash drive
• offer shock protection

It does not

• have desktop DAC function (like a dongle)
• have a remote

Interface

Front Panel and Top of Lid

…features 7 buttons for the usual CD-player operation and also a crisp, high-contrast display.

Back Panel

You find the switches for Electric Skip Protection and Desktop Mode, as well as all analog (3.5/4.4 mm headphone, 3.5 mm line out) and digital outputs (optical, coaxial, USB-C).

Side Panels

The right panel contains the release slider for the spring-loaded lid, the left side panel is blank.

Playing Music

You can use the CD player by itself with headphones, with powered speakers, with an external DAC, or via Bluetooth.

…with Headphones

Plug your cans into the 3.5 mm single-ended or 4.4 mm balanced jack, and off you go. If you move around with the player, you can switch the electronic shock protection switch on, but at the expense of sound quality.

Desktop Operation as Transport

Manufacturers chronically underestimate the importance of a portable CD players as transport. After all, these devices have a small footprint, don’t rely on noisy mains power, and therefore will almost certainly find a place on your desk.

Paul McGowan from PS Audio is of the opinion that the sonic quality in a desktop setup relies mainly on the DAC and amp, and not so much on the CD transport itself (though there are differences). The DM13 is one of the cheapest transports around, with outstanding features.

You have every possible choice to connect your DM13 to a DAC, through the composite optical and coaxial output (USB-C REC is exclusively assigned to CD ripping, not for playing music). If you are comfortable using the build-in DAC, you can connect the DM13 BT via 3.5 mm single-ended analog port or its 4.4 mm balanced analog port to a headphone amplifier or powered speakers.

The DM13 BT’s battery can be bypassed with the Desktop Mode switch. This is smart insofar the battery is not drained during operation.

In this mode, you can drive the player from the mains via USB-C Power In using an external 5V power supply, for example your phone charger, or, for better sound, the ifi Audio iPower X or Allo Nirvana or Shanti. And yes, a quality-power supply makes quite a sonic difference, particularly in terms of clarity.

What is not so clever is that the battery is still being permanently charged when connected to a 5 V power supply, independent of the DM modus statues.

Ripping CDs

If you want to have your songs on the a hard drive you can connect the DM13 BT via USB-C REC to a computer and rip your CDs as you would with a regular external disc drive. If you don’t have a computer handy, you can rip directly onto a thumb drive or flash disc.

Bluetooth 5.4

This is a novum for a CD player: transferring music wirelessly to your TWS earphones. Quite a few codecs are supported (SBC/aptX/aptX HD/aptX Low Latency). If you don’t need Bluetooth, you can get the slightly cheaper DM13 model.

Amplification and Power

The FiiO DM13 BT has a volume scale up to 100 (check the specs above for detailed numbers). I run the hungry 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 600 on V65 on the balanced circuit for LOUD listening. Plenty of power for most headphones and earphones.

Sound

Listening with headphones connected to the FiiO DM13 BT’s balanced circuit reminds me of a good mid-tier dongle with the sound prefabricated by all-in-one DAC-amp chip. Good – good enough, better than you can expect at this price, but somewhat mainstream.

The sonic presentation is youthful to flamboyant through a punchy, slightly elevated bass with lots of sub-bass rumble. This cuts into midrange clarity, thickens male voices, but lessens note definition and removes sharpness. A lack of treble extension contributes to this.

The result is a comparatively congested stage with overlapping instruments and musicians (I am complaining on a high level). Imaging is acceptable. Nothing outrageous either. As said, sonic mainstream. We have heard this type of sound before in many devices.

When using the FiiO DM13 BT with an external DAC-amp combo, the SQ relies largely on the latter. The DM13 BT is just a transport in this scenario and the sound is produced externally. Plugging it into the SMSL DO200 MKII DAC driving the EarMen CH-Amp offers a different picture: less bass, better treble extension, more detail, better imaging. In this application, the DM 13 BT becomes the best value of a versatile CD transport on the market. It is this application in which the player really shines.

There are differences between optical and coaxial outputs, and between coaxial cables used. The player produces a more subtle sonic image with the Toslink, whereas coax contributes to a beefier, punchier sound (of the different coax cables I tried…Blue Jeans, UGREEN, and Amazon Basics, I preferred the latter on the grounds of being least bassy).

Real-Life Use

The FiiO DM13 BT has been designed in the tradition of the original 1980s/1990s Discmen and can be used just by itself. But that’s not all…you have options.

1. (Trans)Portable: On the Road

The DM13 BY may look almost as sleak as your 1990s Discmen, but it is a bit heavier and bulkier. Yes, it works, let’s say, on the bus, but a phone is much handier.

2. Semi-Portable: At Home

A better idea. You can easily move around the house with this player. It does justice, sonically, to mid-priced headphones such as Sennheiser HD 600 series or the depicted Meze 105AER.

3. Stationary: As CD Transport on Our Desk and Hifi Rack

My favourite application. Fits on the EarMen stack and sounds just great in this combination. I have the connection choice between optical and coaxial. Optical sounds a bit softer than coax in my tests — whatever you prefer.

FiiO DM13 Compared

Moondrop have recently released three portable CD players: $289.99 Moondrop DISCDREAM 2 Ultra (replacing the $199 DISCDREAM) and the $149.99 DISCDREAM 2. Since these players have different functionalities, I’ll dedicate a separate article to their comparison.

To take one thing away, the FiiO DM13 BT offers by far the most functions and also the most versatile digital and optical outputs. Really well thought out.

Concluding Remarks

The FiiO DM13 BT is certainly the most versatile portable CD player on the market, with endless connectivity options, digital and analog. It is also one of the lowest-priced ones, and, taking its extensive features into account, it is the best value of all portable CD players.

Also, considering what you get for this money in terms of earphones or dongles, the DM13 BT is well priced in my opinion.

And no, the FiiO DM13 BT is not a retro product. I have about 3000 CDs going back to the late 1980s, including rarities and nicely packaged box sets, some being pricey collectors’ items. Handling physical media is (still) fun. And even more so without crackles, hisses, and pops.

Long live the compact disc!

Until next time…keep on listening!

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