FiiO did its part to make actual cassettes cool again in 2025, but has taken a different approach at this year’s CES show. The M33 R2R hi-res music player is stuffed with tech that apes the analogue listening experience – minus the crackles and chewed tape, of course – and can be paired with an optional Retro Box speaker that does does a neat impression of a tape in playback.
A 24-bit R2R resistor array DAC and multi-stage amplifier at the heart of the pocket jukebox aim to deliver a “natural, analog-like presentation”, rather than the all-digital approach taken with the FiiO M23 I reviewed last year.
There’s 24-bit/384kHz playback support, an independent power input to avoid signal interference, and FiiO’s own DAPS circuitry to cut out song-spoiling jitter and noise. A 10-band parametric equalizer then gives you audiophile-grade tuning to suit specific headphones.
Behind the 5.5in HD resolution touchscreen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset and 8GB of RAM are running Android 13, with FiiO’s usual music apps pre-loaded to get you playing tunes right away – either from the 128GB of on-board storage or via the microSD card slot. The built-in battery is apparently good for up to 14 hours of playback, depending on the power mode.
The M33 R2R can spit out a mighty 1100mW + 1100mW of power across its 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs, so should have no trouble driving the most demanding sets of cans as well as easier-going in ear monitors. The dedicated desktop mode ups the gain levels when called for, once plugged in to mains power over USB-C.
That might be overkill for the FiiO Retro Box speaker, which can use the M33 R2R as a music source. It has its own cassette-style display that ‘spins its reels’ as you play your tunes. It’ll be sold separately from the M33 R2R when it lands later in 2026; prices are still tbc.
The FiiO M33 R2R itself will be launching in Q1, for $600/£449.
- Related: The new FiiO Snowsky Disc might be 2025’s most interesting music player
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