The road to nirvana |
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My journey into Photography, Horology, and Audiophilia |
FiiO SR11
February 16, 2026
The minimalist audio streamer that delivers a punch
My small room system has been sound and solid since the arrival of the Denafrips Ares 12th, until lightning struck; the Surface Pro running Audirvana stopped working due to a bloated battery.
After accepting the demise of the last remaining Surface that I own, I scrambled to look for Raspberry Pi 3 Model B with PiFi Digi+ SPDIF board. I had to download Volumio again because that's what I liked among a few that I've tried before. In the end, I configured USB to connect to the Ares and I was back to streaming.
But I lost Audirvana, which I love up to version 3.5.xx. With the loss, I can't stream Tidal because it's a paid service in Volumio.
I started to look for a cheap Surface tablet, but I found none. I was back to where I was a decade ago, when I decided to acquire the Aurender N120. So why not the N150 again? But there's nothing in the pre-owned market according to my dealer friend.
Dilemma
Here I go again, filling up the spreadsheet with various information of my candidates. Of course, I can make my life easy by buying a brand new Aurender which is an expensive option, or use this as an opportunity to add a Lumin into the family. I asked the distributor if there are remaining U1 mini stocks, but there's none. I took note of the SRP of the U2 mini, which is the current version.
What is I starve myself and go for the low end? For sure, all these years there are new products on the market.
My good friend is pestering me with WiiM because he owns the Ultra, but none of them appeals to me. He further told me that Eversolo announced a streaming transport last November HiFi Show, and because I was busy with the videos of the principals, I didn't even get the chance to hear a room properly, more so catch the Eversolo.
At less than ⅓ the price of the Eversolo T8, the iFi Zen Stream should be a solid contender given that I love the performance of iFi iPhono 2 and Zen DAC. But I'll pass this time.
From a pricing standpoint, the Eversolo T8 is impressive, making it tempting to buy now instead of holding out for the Lumin U2 mini. However, as I explore its features, my interest in it keeps fading.
The reason I fell in love with the Aurender is because of its focus to function and simplicity. And that's what killed the T8 for me I mean, I don't need room correction, large VU meters, and all that UI features on a big screen where I have to be nearby to fiddle with it. I simply want control in my hands and that's what the Aurender Conductor provides. One can argue that there's an Eversolo app so, all that money that went to the other features (hardware and software) I don't need isn't welcome.
Now it comes down to my first choice, the FiiO SR11. It checks all the boxes I want—except for DLNA. I don’t care about ROON, nor do I want it. I found myself so restless that I nearly rushed into buying the U2 Mini instead.
FiiO to the rescue
I went to the FiiO website and as I dig deeper, I ended up in a Chinese page where it documented that a new firmware will support DLNA. This is the kick I needed to pull the trigger and make the purchase.
FiiO still market it as a Roon endpoint so it came with a Roon trial voucher.
After configuring the WiFi, output port, and operation mode to DLNA, it showed up as a DLNA renderer on mConnect. From the SR11 USB-A port, I used an ordinary USB cable going to the USB port of the Aqua La Voce S3 DAC. I confirmed proper playback of tracks at the limit of the DAC which is 384kHz in PCM and DSD 128.
DSD is confirmed with the FiiO logo now in green.
Playing Garmen Gomes Inc confirms playback of 352.8kHz tracks, which in turn causes the FiiO logo to light up in yellow.
| Bitrate | Color |
| 44.1/48kHz | Blue |
| 88.2/96/176.4/ 192/352.8/384kHz | Yellow |
| DSD 64/128/256 | Green |
I/O
The SR11 offers a solid range of connectivity options, including Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi for network connectivity, dual USB ports USB-A, USB-C, Optical, and Coaxial Digital for outputs. You can use either of the USB ports as an audio output but not both. The recent firmware update allows local playback, and one of the unused USB port will take a USB device. Ideally, USB-A is for a USB stick or drive, and USB-C is for audio output.
During the time that the Pi was in use, I swapped the Ares and La Voce S3 and I was delighted with what I heard that gave me some thought if I should just stick with the Pi.
Controls
I love the Gold Note PH-10 SKC (single knob control) and the SR11 takes the same approach with its knob. This is way better than turning a physical rotary selector with a flat head screwdriver as in the case of the iFi Zen Stream.
A long press takes you to the "settings" menu where the following can be changed:
| Setting | Options |
| OUT |
USB SPD |
| DSD | D2P DOP |
| PLAYMOD | |
| VOL |
MAX ADJ |
| LCD-b | 1-3 (display brightness) |
| LCD-T | 0/1/2/5/10/30 (display timeout) |
| RGB |
ON OFF |
| RGB-b | 1-5 (FiiO logo brightness) |
| NETWORK | Y/N (WiFi configuration) |
| UPDATE | Y/N (firmware update) |
| OTA | CHK |
| FW | V641 |
| IP | 1--xxx |
| RETURN |
My preferred settings are in green.
For the operation mode:
Apps
The primary digital media player I will be using is ConversDigital's mConnect HD that I purchased long ago when I bought the Hegel H190 because it didn't have an app. If I want to level up and play my MQA files, then I'll switch over to Audirvana in my Mac mini and use the Audirvana remote app on the iPad Air. The Audirvana software can perform the first unfold of the MQA track and pass it as 96kHz to the SR11.
Using mConnect and Audirvana, I am able to play Tidal (or Qobuz) content without unecessary expense outside of my subscription.
I used to run Bubble PnP on my old Android device but I have long prefered mConnect for simplicity.
Sound
This should be as good as the Pi x Volumio right? Well, at least I guess it is. Having said that, it shines with the Aqua La Voce S3 sending its output either of the following:
- Burson Audio Soloist 3X Performance headphone amplifier/pre-amp
- Softone 300B single-ended integrated amplifier
- Elekit TU-8900 switchable 2A3/300B integrated amplifier
Using its USB output, the SR11 delivers a sound that is clear, dynamic, and neutral, without adding any coloration. I appreciate how faithfully it performs its streaming duties, allowing the DAC to truly shine.
Carmen Gomes Inc's Up Jumped The Devil (Sound Liason, 352.8kHz) album characterize the SR11's excellent dynamics so try to listen to this album with your favorite headphones.
I bought Macy Gray's Stripped digital album from highresaudio.com in MQA format. This album was her debut with Chesky Records and she was supported by pedigreed jazz musicians. This recording unfolds like a vast horizon, its spacious expanse cradling her voice, letting it rise and shimmer with unbounded grace. No, I didn't buy the album for her rendition of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters. Ha ha ha.
Another purchase from highresaudio.com that give me a wide grin is #acousticNOW by Chlara in DSD64. Gave me goosebumps when I first heard in on the Aurender N150 x La Voce S3, and still do so now with the FiiO SR11. I love her warm voice and acoustic guitar accompaniment. By the way, she is a Filipina.
At the end of the day, I am tremendously enjoying this combination of FiiO SR11 and Aqua La Voce S3.
Summary
It is a joy to be able to put things back in place again without draining the pocket. For the price of the SR11, it will be very difficult to justify products at more than 10x its price. Even at this price point, it is definitely not a slouch. I am even tempted to buy the Eversolo T8 to prove a point, but I'm sure to take huge losses when I re-sell it.
