Compact disc hardware keeps refusing to die, and FiiO has just handed it another lifeline. The Chinese manufacturer has announced the DP11, a machine it describes as a “full-interface” CD digital transport — which undersells it, because there is a DAC, a pre-amplifier stage and a ripping function hiding inside too.
Start with the footprint. At 6.7 x 23 x 21.3cm (hwd) and 1.8kg, the DP11 is a desktop component rather than a full-width rack citizen, and it wears a 9.4cm amber LCD display that gives it a pleasantly retro glow.
The mechanical side has clearly had attention. The front-loading tray runs servo firmware that FiiO says has been optimised for more accurate disc reading, and the transport sits in what the company calls a “silent mechanism” bracket — the stated goal being "smooth and gentle" tray operation with "ultra low running-noise". Anyone who has lived with a CD player that sounds like a coffee grinder between tracks will understand why that matters.
Electrically, the DP11 borrows from FiiO’s S15 streamer. The CD servo, the digital processing stages and the analogue audio stages each get isolated power supplies to suppress mains noise and crosstalk interference, fed from an internal mains supply. Unusually for this class, the unit will also accept an external 12V/2A DC supply, which opens the door to a linear power supply upgrade later.
Connectivity is where the “does it all” pitch earns its keep:
- Stereo RCA analogue outputs driven by a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chip
- Coaxial, TOSLINK and AES/EBU digital outputs, so you can bypass the internal DAC entirely and feed a separate converter
- MQA bitstream output support
- A USB input for smartphones, tablets or a PC/Mac, with the USB DAC accepting signals up to 32-bit/384 kHz PCM alongside DSD256
FiiO also claims the DP11 can double as a pre-amplifier, wired straight into active loudspeakers or a power amp — useful if the disc spinner is the only source in the system. An infrared remote is included.
Then there is the archivist’s feature. Plug a USB flash drive into the DP11 and it will rip discs to WAV, turning a shelf of jewel cases into files without involving a computer at all. FiiO has not yet confirmed the ripping speed, so how long a box of albums takes remains an open question.
Pricing for customers in the US and EU is $189 / €185, in Silver and Black finishes; UK pricing has not been announced. FiiO says the DP11 goes on sale in October 2026, although US retailer HiFiGo already lists the player at $169.99.
For a component that plays discs, converts computer audio, rips to a flash drive and can run an amplifier on its own, that is an unusually broad job description for the money.
