Fiio has confirmed repeatedly during the last two years that it may well enterprise into new classes and do an amazing job; whether or not it is the all-in-one behemoth that’s the R7, SP3 energetic audio system, and even one thing unconventional — just like the KB3 mechanical keyboard.
Fiio’s newest entry is into community streamers with the debut of the SR11. It retails for $109, and that is fairly respectable when you think about what’s on supply — the SR11 is supposed to be a community streamer that may be simply linked to current audio gear. As such, there is not any built-in DAC, and you’ll need to pair it with one other machine. On this occasion, I used it with the model’s wonderful K11 R2R DAC — a variant of the K11.
Whereas community streamers are nonetheless of their infancy, WiiM has an early lead on this section on the again of terrific launches. I am an enormous fan of the WiiM Amp; it’s an all-in-one machine with the flexibility to energy passive audio system, and all of the connectivity you could possibly ask for. Whereas the Amp is costlier at $299, the WiiM Mini goes up towards what Fiio is providing, and coming in at $89, it’s a good higher worth — and also you get a built-in DAC.
The place the SR11 is aiming to distinguish itself is Roon integration. I beforehand talked about how Roon reworked my music library, and should you use the service and wish a dependable method to join a stereo or different audio gear to your community, the SR11 is a superb start line.
As at all times, let’s begin with the design. Fiio is thought to reuse the identical design the place it is smart — we have seen that extensively prior to now with the K5 Professional and K7 DACs — and the model went the identical route with the SR11. The community streamer makes use of the identical chassis because the K11 DAC, so that you get the identical squat profile with an LED panel on the entrance, and the scale are equivalent.
The SR11 makes use of an aluminum chassis as effectively, and that is good to see in an reasonably priced machine. The construct high quality is simply as nice because the K11, and the Fiio emblem on the high lights up — this may be disabled should you’re not eager on RGB lighting. There is a management knob on the entrance that can be utilized to regulate the quantity, and it’s the default method to navigate the settings. It’s a bit finicky as you could have brief and long-press controls, however should you’ve used a Fiio DAC prior to now, you may be accustomed to the system.
Principally, the SR11 mixed with the K11 R2R creates an reasonably priced stack that rivals considerably costlier merchandise, and it’s a terrific mixture. Organising the SR11 is a little bit of a trouble because it lacks Bluetooth, so you possibly can’t simply pair it along with your cellphone and use Fiio Management to attach it with your house community. I might advocate going the Ethernet route; that is how I often join any network-enabled streamer, and it’s considerably simpler.
When you arrange the SR11, utilizing it’s comparatively easy; it instantly confirmed up as an AirPlay machine on my iPhone 16 Professional Max, and I did not see any points in streaming songs to it — whether or not that is in Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music. Whereas it is good to see AirPlay, it does not embody AirPlay 2 integration, and it misses out on Spotify Join and Tidal Join.
You do not get any Chromecast integration both, and that makes the SR11 successfully ineffective with Android telephones — except you could have Roon. It reveals up as a Roon endpoint, and you need to use your Android machine to forged music to the streamer this fashion. In any other case, this is not the machine to get — you must contemplate the $149 WiiM Professional as an alternative; it has significantly better connectivity, however you do not get Roon.
One other function that is lacking is DLNA; Fiio is limiting that to check builds, and I do not actually perceive why that is the case. Primarily, you are not getting as a lot in the best way of connectivity, with the machine aimed for use with iPhones, or in case you have Roon.
As a result of there is not any built-in DAC, the SR11 does not want a lot in the best way of energy, and it’s powered over USB-C. There is a wall plug bundled within the field, however you need to use it with any supply so long as it delivers 10W of energy. You additionally get USB-C and USB-A out, in addition to optical and coaxial. There’s an antenna that does an excellent job delivering a robust sign, and naturally, you get Ethernet.
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I like the truth that Fiio bundled a distant with the machine; it makes it rather more handy to make use of than the management knob. That is what I do with the K19 DAC as effectively, and I am glad to see the distant included on a finances product. Connecting to a different DAC by way of USB is as easy because it will get, and you need to use nearly any machine.
The SR11 goes as much as 768kHz/32-bit when utilizing Roon (over USB), and AirPlay is restricted to 44kHz/16-bit. I did not see any points in both mode, and the SR11 does an excellent job as a community streamer; it recreates the sound with out including any undesirable dynamics, and that is what you want in such a tool.
When paired with the K11 R2R DAC and Beyerdynamic’s wonderful DT990 Professional, the SR11 is ready to ship its full potential. You get an brisk bass with impartial mid-range and a vibrant treble, and as a supply, the SR11 does what it must — get out of the best way.
I haven’t got any issues recommending the SR11, nevertheless it has its limitations. There is not a simple method to set it up, it misses out on Chromecast connectivity, and you do not get Spotify Join. However in case you have an iPhone or use Roon and wish an reasonably priced streamer to hook up with an current stereo system, it is a nice alternative.
The SR11 does not have Spotify Join or Chromecast, however if you would like a finances streamer with Roon integration, it stands out.