M21 Complete User Manual
M21 Complete User Manual
product.
Thank you so much for purchasing FiiO's portable high resolution lossless music
player M21. We have prepared this complete user manual for you. We hope this
manual can help you get the hang of the M21 and unleash its full potential.
Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ 2
Contents ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. How to access the storage/SD card after connecting the M21 to a computer? ..............7
10. How to use the D.MODE (Desktop Mode) and super high gain mode on the M21? 13
WiFi ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
Bluetooth ..................................................................................................................................................16
Bluetooth transmitting .................................................................................................................16
Audio ......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Display ...................................................................................................................................................... 24
Global ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
System .......................................................................................................................................................29
1. Screenshot ...........................................................................................................................................39
7. What can be done if I forget my password? How to enter recovery mode? .................. 41
2) Power/Lock button: Hold the Power/Lock button to turn on the M21 while it
is off. On its first startup, tap the preferred language onscreen to enter the main
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UI. Hold the Power/Lock button while the M21 is on and a shutdown dialogue
will pop up. You can select to turn off or reboot the player.
3) Play/Pause: short press it when music is playing to pause the music; short
4) Volume up/down: press the volume up button to increase the volume, press
5) Previous track: short press to play the previous track; long press to rewind.
6) Next track: short press to play the next track; long press to fast forward.
7) Malfunction button: You can select the functions for this button from system
setting-Global-Multifunction button
8) Desktop mode switch: When USB is inserted with D.MODE switch turns ON,
9) Hold switch: If the HOLD switch is turned on, you can enable/disable any
10) TF card slot: supports one TF card (micro SD card), theoretically up to 2TB
expansion.
11) Type C charging/power supply port: The Type C port marked POWER IN
only supports charging/power supply but not data transfer with computers.
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12) Type C data/charging port: The Type C port marked USB3.0 supports data
output.
corresponding modes.
The priority of the M21 output port
1. When the 3.5mm and 4.4mm earphones are inserted at the same
transmission and analog output (including SPDIF) will follow the principle of
post-access priority.
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Status bar and display page
The status bar on the top screen shows the working states of the M21.
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Instructions for entry-level functions
The M21 has 5 independent working modes: Android mode, Pure Music mode,
Bluetooth Receiving mode, USB DAC mode and AirPlay mode. It is defaulted to
be the Android mode, which can be switched to other working modes in the
drop-down menu.
If the player is in other modes but not the Android mode, you can switch it to
Android mode
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Pure Music mode
Third party applications will be automatically disabled while FiiO Music app will
settings menu.
AirPlay
The M21 can be connected to Apple devices, receiving audio signals transmitted
from them.
In USB DAC mode, the M21 can be connected to other devices like a computer,
Notes: when the M21 is going to work in the USB DAC mode for the first time,
FiiO's exclusive USB DAC driver is required. Please download it on our website
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2. How to access the storage/SD card after
connecting the M21 to a computer?
computer by the included USB cable, the driver will be automatically installed.
Then the FIIO M21 disk can be directly seen on the computer.
download the "Android File Transfer.dmg", and drag the file to the desktop of
the computer.
2. Double-click to open Android File Transfer.dmg, then hold the application icon
for Android File Transfer and drag it onto Applications. Release the icon to drop
3. Use a USB data cable to connect the M21 to the Mac computer.
4. Enter “Applications”, and double click the “Android File Transfer”. Then you
can manage the files stored in the internal storage of the M21 or the micro SD
card.
Notes: The M21 folder will directly pop up the next time it is connected to the
same computer.
1) Online upgrade
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If a new firmware is available and can be detected (with the M21 connected to an
Tap on it to enter the update menu for the online upgrade. If there's no upgrade
Upgrade" menu, and tap the "Check for updates" icon to check manually.
2) Local upgrade
Also, the M21 can be upgraded locally by a firmware package. Download the
firmware package file from FiiO.com, and copy it to the internal storage of the
Upgrade" menu, and find the firmware package file to start the upgrade.
Notes:
2) Before the upgrade, ensure the power of the device is adequate (>30%) so to
3) If the device goes to factory mode which cannot detect the firmware, the
reason may be that the firmware file is damaged. At this time, press the power
button to reboot the device. Re-download the firmware file and restart the
upgrade.
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4. How to install third-party apps?
There are two ways to install applications that are similar to mobile phones'.
1.After connecting the device to a valid WiFi, go to FiiO market, Google Play or
2.Local installation: copy the APK file to the M21. Go to the file management
3.Press the "=" icon on the right side and drag it to the first line to select the
language successfully.
Note: The language of the FIIO Music app defaults to follow the system's. You
language independently.
For Windows computers, please make the settings as the followed steps.
2) Switch the working mode of the M21 to USB DAC mode on the drop-down
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menu or go to Settings->Mode choose menu to enter the USB DAC mode.
3) Connect the M21 to the computer by the USB port. Select the M21 as the
audio input both in the computer and the music app, so it can work.
Notes:
When in the USB DAC mode, the M21 does not support Bluetooth transmitting.
2) Make the Bluetooth receiving device, such as Bluetooth earphones, enter the
pairing state. (Please refer to the user manual of the Bluetooth receiving device
3) Go to the Bluetooth device list of the M21->Pair new device to complete the
connection.
If it fails to connect to Bluetooth earphones for the first time, please make sure
the earphones are in the pairing state (the connection will fail if the earphones
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What Bluetooth codecs does the M21 support? And how to switch the
Bluetooth codecs?
The M21 supports LHDC, LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC. You can switch the
changing it.
What can be done if the volume is too low when the M21 is connected to
AirPods?
1.Go to System Settings-Audio and find the Bluetooth volume adjustment mode.
Fast charging protocols including PD2.0 or above are supported. If the power
adapter does not support neither the above protocol, it will not trigger the fast
charging function and super high gain but just common charging. For non-fast
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The POWER IN port only supports PD2.0/3.0 fast charging, while other types are
recognized as normal charging. When connected to PD3.0 fast charging via the
POWER IN port, the maximum charging current can reach approximately 3.5A.
Battery life:
After installing the tape case, the M21 will automatically enter tape mode. For
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10. How to use the D.MODE (Desktop Mode) and
super high gain mode on the M21?
When D.mode switched turned on with USB inserted, the desktop mode icon will
appear on the M21 screen. At this time, the M21 is powered directly from the USB
Note:
1.If the USB power supply is insufficient, the battery will be required to supply
additional power.
2.When the battery level is below 15%, inserting USB will forcibly charge the
When USB is inserted and D.MODE is displayed ON, it means the Desktop Mode
is enabled.
Super High Gain Mode is an option for Gain. When turned on the headphone will
1.Make sure the POWER in port is connected to a fast charging adapter that
2.Pull down the menu and select Super high gain in Gain option. Or select the
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Note:
When fast charging is plugged in POWER in port and the Desktop Mode is ON, a
prompt will appear asking whether to enable the Super High Gain Mode.
1. In Player mode: Add to Favorites (default option), Play next song randomly
(randomly play the next song according to random play rules), Play/Pause, Delete
currently playing song, Switch filter (cyclically), Switch equalizer (cyclically), Enter
USB DAC Mode, Enter Bluetooth Receiving Mode, Lock screen/Wake up, No
function
Note: This button only responds in Android mode/Pure Music mode, and some
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An introduction to system settings
menu
WiFi
The M21 supports a WiFi connection of 2.4/5G dual-band for music resources
access. Here are the steps to connect the M21 to a new WiFi device.
2) Turn it on. The M21 will automatically search for and list available WiFi devices
nearby.
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Note:When the “Keep WLAN connection during sleep” option is disabled
(default), WiFi will automatically turn off during system sleep and reconnect
maintains a WiFi connection during sleep with moderately higher power usage.
Bluetooth
The M21 supports lots of Bluetooth codecs for both transmission and reception,
Bluetooth transmitting
as Bluetooth headphones, Bluetooth speakers), the M21 needs to pair with the
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1. Go to the Settings->Bluetooth menu to turn on the Bluetooth function.
2.Make the Bluetooth receiving device, such as Bluetooth earphones, enter the
pairing state. (Please refer to the user manual of the Bluetooth receiving device
3.Go to the Bluetooth device list of the M21->Pair new device to complete the
connection.
If it fails to connect to Bluetooth earphones for the first time, please make sure
the earphones are in the pairing state (the connection will fail if the earphones
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What Bluetooth codecs does the M21 support? And how to switch the
Bluetooth codecs?
The M21 supports LHDC, LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC. You can switch the
changing it.
What can be done if the volume is too low when the M21 is connected to
AirPods?
1.Go to System Settings-Audio and find the Bluetooth volume adjustment mode.
Bluetooth receiving
menu-> Mode choose, and select Bluetooth Receiving Mode. When it is enabled,
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Audio
switch the output mode of the multifunctional output port, with options for
PO/LO/SPDIF. The default is PO. (When switching to LO, a pop-up prompt will
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show up saying that Line output is not affected by volume control, and switching
to line output will set the output volume to maximum, potentially causing harm
to headphones and human hearings! Please unplug the headphones and select
the appropriate device for correct connection before switching to line output).
(The input priority between 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone ports: The output will
SPDIF OUT
*In D2P mode, playing PCM signal will output native PCM signal; playing DSD
signal, the system will convert DSD signal into PCM signal to output;
*In DoP mode, PCM signal and DSD signal will be natively output.
Note: DoP is preferred, and D2P needs to be selected if some devices do not
support DoP.
Gain
There are four gain levels: high, medium, low, and super high gain modes,
corresponding to four levels of output voltage. You can choose different gains
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Note: The Super high gain mode is hidden by default and available only when
There are three different filters on the M21. You can choose them according to
your listening preference. Filters are some effects that come with the original
The default codec for Bluetooth transmission is the highest supported codec,
and you can select the supported codec through this setting.
Allows switching between different playback quality modes for LDAC, including
Allows switching between different playback quality modes for LHDC, including
options for prioritizing audio quality (900kbps), balancing audio and connection
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whenever possible (Adaptive Bitrate). Only applicable for Bluetooth
transmission.
This function is only available for Bluetooth transmission, which features “Sync
Bluetooth volume” and “Indep Bluetooth volume”. The Sync Bluetooth volume
unavailable. The Indep Bluetooth volume means the volume adjustment of the
volume mode can solve the issue of overly small volume when connecting to
Balance
Channel balance means, by adjusting the output amplitude of the left or right
users. For users who have no difference in hearing between left and right ears,
there is no need to use this function, as the output of the left and right channels
of the device is balanced. The default value of channel balance is 0, each of the
left and right channels can be adjusted by 20 levels, and each level has a fixed
All to DSD
After turning on the All to DSD, the global PCM audio will be converted to DSD
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Principle: The most important thing of All To DSD is to convert the digital signal
in PCM format to DSD format, so that the DSD format can be used when
performing D/A conversion to obtain different styles of sound, more clear and
natural sound. In addition, since the lowest DSD format is DSD64, which is 4
times the data of 44.1k/16bit only calculated from the amount of data, All to
DSD is also equivalent to up-sampling the PCM signal. The effect of All to DSD
Adjustable volume at LO
When Lineout volume adjustable is enabled, the volume during LO output will
Equalizer
The global PEQ function supports EQ superposition of the FIIO Music and other
third-party apps. Here are the processes after enabling the PEQ on the system.
When this function is enabled, under Android and Pure music modes, if the M21
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Display
The display settings consist of Sample rate display, Dark theme, Brightness
level,Indicator light control, Night light, Screen timeout, Font size, Display size,
Screen saver and lock screen display. The following are detailed descriptions of
With it turned on, the sample rate of the currently playing song will be displayed.
Dark theme
With it turned on, the theme will switch from the default white theme to a dark
theme.
Brightness level
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Adjusting the brightness of the M21.
Working: while working, two states can be set: constantly on and off
On/off with the display: After enabling it, the indicator will on on off
Night light
The color of the display screen will be adjusted in amber under Night light mode.
You could enable the Night light mode at a custom time , or from sunset to
sunrise.
Screen timeout
Consistent with the screen saver time. Adding this option to make it easier for
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Font size
Display size
Make the items on your screen smaller or larger according to your preference.
Screen saver
You can choose our customized screen saver or system screen saver for M21.
Lock screen
Global
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System navigation
Nultifunction button
1.In Player mode: Add to Favorites (default option), Play next song randomly
(randomly play the next song according to random play rules), Play/Pause,
(cyclically), Enter USB DAC Mode, Enter Bluetooth Receiving Mode, Lock
Note: This button only responds in Android mode/Pure Music mode, and some
Power-off timers
Sleep: when the set time is up, the M21 will turn off automatically. The sleep time
Idle poweroff: the M21 will automatically turn off when the timer reaches the set
time for idle poweroff when there is no operation or playback. During this
process, the timer will restart if there is any operation or playback. The idle
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poweroff time can be set as any integer values between 0 and 24h. (Note that
If the HOLD switch is turned on, you can enable/disable any buttons, touch
screen.
Volume setting
a.System Maximum volume setting: all other volumes will be lower than this
b.Power-up default setting:set the volume of the system when the device is
turned on.
Rotate screen
If it is enabled, double tap the screen can wake up the M15S when it is under off
or in sleeping states.
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System
The first time the device starts up, you can choose an appropriate language from
the prompt.
If you want to choose other languages, you can go to the Settings menu. Here
3) Select a language;
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4) After selecting the language, hold the “=” icon on the right side of the target
Reset options
"Reset WiFi, mobile & Bluetooth" will reset all network settings, including WiFi
and Bluetooth.
"Reset app preferences" will reset all preferences including the items shown in
"Erase all data", i.e. factory reset, will erase all data from your device's internal
storage, and all settings will be reset to default. Please back up your important
The M21 has built in the FiiO Music app, a professional audio playing application
Homepage
FiiO Music APP will enter the homepage once it starts up as shown below.
FiiO Music will enter the homepage once it starts up as shown below.
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Quickly locate all songs
Slide the screen with your finger on the letter bar at the right side. A quick search
icon will show up in the middle of the screen. Sliding to corresponding initials
and relieving your finger, it will directly jump to the songs starting with the initial
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Hidden menu
Tap the ┇ icon at the right corner of each track to wake up the hidden menu.
Sort songs
Tapping the hidden menu on the upper right corner of the screen, you can
decide the way of songs sorted as Sort by date added, Sort by filename, Sort by
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Bulk management
Play music, WiFi music transfer, Add to my favorites, Add to playlists, Delete
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Playing page
Tap the album cover in the bottom left corner to enter now playing page.
Switch page
By tapping the middle of the album cover, it will switch pages between album
cover and lyrics circularly. Swipe left and right to switch songs.
Playing progress
Slide left and right on the progress bar below the album cover to quickly adjust
Notes: on the lyrics display page, you can adjust the song progress, lyrics
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Equalizer
FiiO Music has a built-in equalizer, on which you can straightly choose the preset
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Choose preset EQ: swipe left or right on the bottom of the screen to switch
equalizer.
slightly adjust the EQ curve (on the bands page, switch left and right to change
the option). Successively adjusting the EQ in need, it will immediately take effect.
Reset EQ: Tap the Reset button at the upper right corner to reset the present EQ.
Notes: if the system is reset to factory mode, all EQ settings will be reset to
default.
UV meter
There is a newly added UV meter (audio meter) with a dB threshold and dynamic
pointer displayed. Closing to the red threshold of 0dB means audio distortion.
How to enable it: tap the song cover on the now playing page to enter the UV
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Frequency spectrum playing page
There is a newly added frequency spectrum mode in the now playing page, which
has 3 built-in spectrum effects available. Besides, users can self-define Full screen
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Square cover and large cover:
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Instructions for commonly-used
functions
1. Screenshot
Use 3 fingers to swipe down the screen. Or hold the power button and volume-
storage\Pictures\Screenshots
The M21 supports USB audio. The setting steps are as follows.
2.Use an OTG cable to connect the M21 and the external decoder.
3.Open FiiO Music app or other music applications to use the M21 as a USB
It supports most of the decoding devices on the market. For those unsupported,
you can turn off the USB output in FiiO Music app, or unplug and re-plug the
USB device after quitting the FiiO Music app. If it does not work, please contact
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3. FiiO Link Bluetooth control
1) On the FiiO Music app of the M21, Settings->FiiO Link->┆ (on the upper right
3) On the FiiO Music app of the mobile phone, Settings->FiiO Link->┆ (on the
Notes: iPhones only support FiiO Link WiFi control but not Bluetooth.
1.Make sure the M21 and your mobile phone are connected to the same WiFi
network.
2.On the FiiO Music app of the M21, Settings->FiiO Link->┆ (on the upper right
corner of the display), choosing WiFi as the Server. Now an IP address will show
up.
3. On the FiiO Music app of the mobile phone, Settings->FiiO Link->┆ (on the
upper right corner of the display), choosing WiFi as the Client. Input the IP
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Notes: iPhones only support FiiO Link WiFi control but not Bluetooth.
The DLNA function means the M21 can read and receive music files stored on the
1. Make sure the M21 and Device A are connected to the same WiFi network.
2.On the FiiO Music app of the M21, tap DLNA on the main menu and search for
Notes: If there are any devices that cannot use the DLNA function, please give us
feedback for further analysis. FiiO Music app does not support music
transmission at present but only music reception. We will consider adding the
2. Connect one section of coaxial cable to the 3.5mm audio port of M21, and
Note: At this time, the coaxial signal is decoded in the third-party decoding
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The device could to be reset to factory data mode in recovery mode if M21 password is
Turn off the device first. Hold the volume down button and plug a USB cable in for power
supply. It will enter recovery mode after turning on. On the display, choose "Wipe
data/factory reset->Yes until it finishes. Then choose "Reboot system now" to start the
device.
Notes:
Switch menu: short press the volume +/- buttons or previous/next track button
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Firmware upgrade, factory data reset and
technical support
Online upgrade
If a new firmware is available and can be detected (with the M21 connected to an
Tap on it to enter the update menu for the online upgrade. If there's no upgrade
Upgrade" menu, and tap the "Check for updates" icon to check manually.
43
Local upgrade
Also, the M21 can be upgraded locally by a firmware package. Download the
firmware package file from FiiO website, and copy it to the internal storage of the
Upgrade" menu, and find the firmware package file to start the upgrade.
Notes:
2.Before the upgrade, ensure the power of the device is adequate (>30%) so to
3.If the device goes to factory mode which cannot detect the firmware, the
reason may be that the firmware file is damaged. At this time, press the power
button to reboot the device. Re-download the firmware file and restart the
upgrade.
2.Force to reboot
Please hold the power button for around 10 seconds until the "FiiO"logo shows
up.
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If there are some problems happened to the device, perform the factory data
Notes: The "Factory data reset" will erase all data from the internal storage and
4.Technical support
1) On the homepage, tap Technical Support to enter the menu. Here are several
3) Quick start guide: tap to check out the internal quick start guide of the M21.
4) Contact us: here shows our email address, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
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