FiiO M5 (Hands on) Review: iPod Nano 2010 Resurrected for Audiophiles

Who is the FiiO M5 Player for:

• For someone who is in the market for a hi-resolution USB DAC, clip-on music player and a Smartwatch, the M5 is a unique package that can tick all the boxes
• People who prefers to keep their music on a Micro-SD instead of streaming, the M5's easy access to its memory card allows for quick swapping of multiple cards
• The included clip and watch strap accessory makes the M5 a wearable that's a great companion on runs and walks

Check Price

Remember the iPod Nano? With its final iteration discounted in 2017, it was once one of the most lusted over portable tech. Though Apple has decided it is no longer relevant, FiiO is bringing back a design that has an uncanny resemblance to the sixth generation of the Nano, with a few added features up its sleeves to make sure its relevance is heard in a smartphone dominated era.

The Nano Resurrected - with Improvements

The outer appearance of the M5 has many similarities in form factor with the 6th Nano. You've got the square wafer profile, screen on/off button next to the volume rockers and 1/8" headphone jack on the top, and charging port on the bottom. Even the square display with 240x240 px is the same, which is a great size to display album art.

The iconic belt clip is still there, but is not built in like the Nano. Instead the M5 has the up-to-date glass/aluminium/glass sandwich body like many of the current smartphones. To get the clip, you slip the whole device into the included plastic clip like a phone case, which leaves all buttons and ports easily accessible.

However the similarities stop here, and FiiO includes the whole list of features that make this a device that is still relevant in 2020.

Hi-resolution DAC included

FiiO is a company that has made a name for itself through its DAC/amplifier product range, so it's not surprising that the M5 is packing a AK4377 hi-resolution chip. Having a good DAC built in allows the M5 to have high quality music playback, but what's more, FiiO included a USB DAC functionality. This means once connecting the M5 to a laptop via a regular USB-C cable, you can use it as a DAC, circumventing bad lap top audio quality and avoid noises. This is especially apparent if you're using more sensitive and accurate earphones like IEMs.

Using the M5 on the ASUS ExpertBook - which already has one of the quietest, nicest sounding onboard sound output I've heard on a Windows laptop - I could still hear an improvement on soundstage with the instruments have clearer separation, as well as dynamics especially in the treble, giving that extra fidelity and texture.

Pro-tip though, it is a little tedious to navigate the FiiO website to find the drivers that will allow the M5 to work as a DAC. Google might be your better choice. Alternatively you can just use the link that I found through Google that contains the driver installation file (https://www.fiio.com/filedownload/20719)

Hot swappable Micro-SD slot

With the current trend being NOT including a Micro-SD slot on many flagship smartphones, manufacturers are pushing consumers to either go to music streaming services, or simply be using the built-in storage alone. But if you prefer your own offline music collection, and want the ability to switch your collection across devices, like from phone to bluetooth speaker to tablet: this is made for you. Especially those of us with lossless audio files that are large and cumbersome to transfer, the Micro-SD card slot is a very handy thing to have. (Yes the M5 can play lossless files without a hitch, and pretty much any format of music files you throw at it, unlike its predecessor the Nano)

These days as the 32GB micro-SD card prices have dropped to next to nothing, it feels like the good o'days of tape cassette walkmans and mini-discs to have a collection of Micro-SD cards ready to swap in seconds.

The watch Nano wished it could be

If you remember the iPod Nano era, especially with the sixth generation, you must remember the first attempts at an 'Apple Watch', where many third-party manufacturers started pushing out high quality retrofitted case and watch straps to the Nano, allowing it to function like a watch. If your memory of that bit of fad feels faded (Like mine was) the FiiO M5 will happily jog you down memory lanes again.

Just like one of the most famous third-party straps made by Lunatik (You can still find them for sale on Amazon!) The M5 watch straps (sold separately) also need to be assembled with screws and screwdrivers, ensuring a fit that will keep the M5 stays on your wrist no matter how volatile your exercise regime gets.

Compared to a normal smartwatch, the M5 is undoubtedly a bigger package when wearing it on my wrist. But seeing that it can do lots of what normal smartwatches can do, I feel pretty forgiving about its form factor.

The one thing that the M5 can do that the Nano wished it could is the fact that it is also a bluetooth transmitter. See, one of the major complaints people had about having the Apple Nano strapped to their wrist is having to connect the wired earphone to swinging arms during the exercise. Even if the wire is hidden in long sleeve shirts, it was an inconvenience and nuisance. But in 2020, the M5 is capable of transmitting music via bluetooth and be used with any wireless headphones.

Another one of the FiiO M5's tricks is that not only does it transmit, but it also receives bluetooth. For those who want a better sound out of their phone, or want to use their own wired headphones on a bluetooth connection, the M5 also gives you that option. It's even made more useful with the onboard dual microphones which can be used for phone calls.

Final Remarks

The FiiO M5 is quite an interesting rehash of an old trendy product that once took gadget lovers by storm. But where the 'Apple Nano Watch' was more of a hack, the M5 is a polished, complete product that fills in all the holes of having a personal media player that can also be worn like a watch. The M5 pushed the envelope even further by doubling as a DAC, heck, even tripling as a bluetooth transceiver. It's a proof of concept of how far technology has come, all contained in a compact wafer of goodness.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travellers.