FiiO DM15chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Sound quality wins over most listeners. Multiple owners describe the DM15's R2R DAC as rich, warm, and detailed, calling it a real listening pleasure that rivals far more expensive players. One self-described audiophile was blown away compared to an old Sony Discman, while another running it through a Lyngdorf amp and Kef speakers said it equaled previously owned high-end players. Fans of the industrial look and included remote also appreciate the boosted headphone power output, which one commenter calls nearly four times the DM13's, enough to drive low-sensitivity planar headphones properly.

Long CDs expose a persistent skipping flaw. Several buyers independently hit the same wall: CDs running past roughly 60-70 minutes skip, stutter, or stop before finishing, even on brand-new discs. One reviewer returned the unit after a single day, another says FiiO confirmed there is still no fix over a year later, and a third had the same issue as on the earlier DM13. This shared, unresolved defect across multiple firmware versions is the most consistently reported problem with the DM15 and a dealbreaker for anyone with longer albums.

Small buttons and shaky Bluetooth test patience. Owners repeatedly complain the front buttons are too small to use comfortably, pushing them to rely on the bundled remote instead, and one calls the lid cheap and easily breakable. Bluetooth pairing is also inconsistent: one user's Bose QC Ultra 2 needs re-pairing every session, while another needed multiple attempts before a speaker would connect at all, suspecting a firmware bug. Combined with reports of static, locked firmware on early units, and a firmware update that bricked one player, build and software polish lag behind the DM15's sound quality.