- The JM21 player benefits from a bigger battery and more memory
- Same processor and dual DAC as before
- Expect to pay around $250
The Fiio JM21 is one of the best portable music players you can buy, especially if you’re on a budget. And now Fiio has updated it for 2026. The JM21 2026 will launch in late January 2026 with an expected price of around $250.
As before, the JM21 2026 comes with two Cirrus Logic SC43198 DACs. But this time there’s a bigger battery and more storage.
FiiO JM21 2026: key features
The JM21 2026 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, the same chip often found in mid-range Android phones. As before, it runs Android 13 in a custom form. There’s 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage, and most importantly, support for microSD cards up to 2TB.
There’s a wide range of formats supported here, including high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD512, as well as LDAC, LDHC, and aptX HD for high-quality wireless connections.
The battery of the 2026 model is 3,100 mAh, compared to 2,400 mAh of the previous version, and it provides up to 700 mW of output power for your headphones. There is a three-way switchable gain adjustment to meet a wide variety of the best wired headphones and best wired headphones.
Unless something goes horribly wrong at the Fiio factory, you can expect a DAC/amp well above its price point: as we said in our review of the JM21 last year, “this is a composed, lively and admirably detailed listen… It hits hard in the bass, but without a lack of control: its direct attack means that the rhythmic expression is confident and convincing.”
Unless you crank it up to threatening volumes, it’s a very impressive little device with an equally impressive little price tag.
The Fiio JM21 2026 will be available from January 23, 2026.
The best music players for every budget
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