FiiO’s portable CD player is the Sony Discman for a new generation
Puts a new spin on old tech
Fresh from introducing its unashamedly analogue CP13 cassette player, FiiO is back with a portable player of a more digital variety. The DM13 CD player is a proper nineties throwback – but one that doesn’t skimp on modern features, like Bluetooth streaming to wireless headphones.
This minimal silver slice of music nostalgia picks up where Sony’s long since retired Discman series left off. The all-metal build puts a slightly more smoothed-off spin on the CP13’s boxy design – although there’s no see-through lid here to show off your CD artwork as it spins at 500rpm.
It’ll play all your old store-bought CDs, as well as any home-brewed mixes burned to CD-R – whether they’re in MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV or FLAC format. A built-in battery is good for up to eight hours of playback, and naturally the DM13 has Electronic Shock Protection (ESP) to stop your songs from skipping while you’re out and about.
The biggest reason to shell out $179/£179 on one of these rather than pick up a pre-loved period player on eBay? Built-in aptX HD Bluetooth, for cable-free streaming to your wireless headphones.
Up front, 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone outputs flank the single line LCD that shows playback info. There are analogue line-out, SPDIF digital and USB Audio outs at the rear, too, for hooking the DM13 up to a Hi-Fi. A dedicated desktop mode can even bypass the internal battery while on mains power.
The DM13 is just the latest salvo in a retro tech revival that has seen streaming die-hards giving their music libraries a re-think and millennials cut back on their smartphone screen time.
When it launches in September, the FiiO DM13 will be available in silver. Red, Blue, titanium and black versions are set to land later in the year. Prices are set to start at $179/£179.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
