FiiO DM13

A Apos Product Category · reviewer

Even though the DM13's display was saying PAIRING, each headphone's pairing amp said otherwise. Also, after each attempt, the display would try reading the CD, and then say V35 NO DISC! Then, in desperation, I tried a hardwired set of Sennheiser cans, just to see if I might get some sort of basic operation out of the DM13. Again, when pressing the PLAY button, the display said V35 NO DISC. A return request from me is imminent. I'm very disappointed in this FIIO DM13's lack of performance, especially after perusing such glowing reviews.

And this setup just sounds so good because the thing with CDs and especially this player is it's packing a really good driver, right? So, I can put in my CD and if I put on a good pair of headphones or even with just my AirPods, I can genuinely hear detail that I've never heard before

G Good Housekeeping Simon Cocks · reviewer

As a CD player though, it’s a great budget option. We were pleasantly surprised with the performance. It’s a touch bass-y for our taste, but clarity is good overall and it’s a perfectly good sound for easy listening. The display doesn’t show the CD track name though – only a small inconvenience if you’re looking for something on a budget.

R Richer Sounds Richer Sounds · 20.7K subscribers · Apr 2025

The DM13 sounds really great. It's actually got proper DAX digital to analog converters built in. Two of them actually, one for each channel for left and right, meaning it processes the sound really cleanly and you can actually hear all of those little details you may not have heard in your CDs before. Even when I used wired headphones with this on the go, the headphone amp is pretty powerful.

E ecoustics.com Ian White · reviewer · Aug 2026

At $164.99, the DM13 remains one of the strongest combinations of price, output power, connectivity, wireless playback, and ripping support. It lacks the R2R conversion and more elaborate amplifier architecture of the DM15, but covers the fundamentals without turning a portable CD player into a graduate-level engineering course.

1 10best Picks 10best Picks · 3.5K subscribers · Sept 2025

The sound is clean, detailed, and engaging, breathing new life into your CD collection. One of the standout features is the incredibly precise volume control. The CS43198 handles volume adjustment with 99 levels, ensuring smooth transitions and crystal clear audio at any listening level. Whether you're using sensitive IM or power- hungry headphones, the DM13 has you covered.

L Louder Article · Jan 2025

Read on to find your own slice of somewhat-retro listening tech, with my top pick going to the FiiO DM13 thanks to its excellent audio and its eight-hour rechargeable battery. Below, you'll find more products, along with a section FAQ to help you when shopping for a new portable CD player.

For most people, the FiiO DM13 is the better choice. It delivers strong performance without paying extra for improvements you may not notice. The DM15 only makes sense if you have higher-end headphones or specifically want the extra performance. Otherwise, the difference isn't big enough to justify the upgrade.

H HIFI Daydreaming ducurguz · reviewer · Oct 2025

Now I want to start with Fiio DM13, as I think if you are on the fence, you are not certain if this portable fad is for you or not. DM13 is an amazing value device. It comes for 180 euros and as such it is really hard not to try your luck with this kind of device.

N Nick's Listening Space Nick's Listening Space · 2K subscribers · Jun 2025

There is so much more that I could talk about probably with this, but as why you should buy this device, that's my experience with it, guys. And if you're somebody looking to reconnect with physical media, you're somebody looking to just start into a CD collection, yeah, go ahead and pick this up

Z Z Reviews HiFiDawson · owner

I've had my DM13 for a while now, great little CD player! Couple things to note: 1. Connecting it to a computer does not allow it to act like CD drive, it shows up as an audio device where you can use an audio recording app to record the audio output 2.

So, for less than $200 or less than 10,000 pesos, the FiiO DM13 is currently the best option if you're looking for a really good CD player specifically. Let's be realistic, most CD players are either high- quality pieces and, mostly, they're desktop units

F Forever Analog Sarge_72 · owner

Loving the balanced headphone output so it can power hungrier cans. I don’t currently have any such headphones but it’s nice to have the option! Currently running the DM13 via analog to line in on my Sonos 5 stereo pair.

P Peter Tyson Article

The combination of dual DACs and dual amplifiers allows the portable CD player to exhibit truly high-quality sound.

A Av Article

Beyond its main purpose as a portable player, the bottom line is that it’s pretty impressive for what it is.

F Forever Analog belgaofc · owner

I've made my decision. For me, FiiO DM13 is way much better!

T Tapeheads.net Ferguson · reviewer

It’s early days, but I’ve been quite impressed.

R Revista Gadget Article

Dicho esto, hay una ausencia que conviene señalar: el DM13 BT no incluye LDAC , el códec de Sony ampliamente adoptado en el ecosistema Android.

Gapless playback absolutely works, but on my player a least it does skip randomly once per CD for a couple of seconds.

I thought mine was skipping, but I think it was the actual cd. Use it all the time now and love it.

S SoundGuys Brady Snyder · reviewer

The Fiio DM13 is less flashy, but more practical