FiiO WARMER R2R Tube DAC Review: Smooth, Lush, and Surprisingly Affordable. Very good sounding.

Comments · 406

• DW

  @DWTraction · 8 months ago

  I just recieved my Warmer a few days ago and pretty happy so far. Completly agree on your opinion of subjective listening vs objective measuring. While I think there is a place for science and math in the creation and pairing of our equipment. Music is an art, and since you use your ears for the enjoyment of this art, our ears become the most funadamental measurement. Great review as usual and Fiio has been crushing it lately when it comes to price to performance.

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• DA

  @damo1556 · 3 months ago

  I&apos;ve owned the Denafrips Ares II DAC for quite some time and recently purchased the FiiO Warmer R2R DAC. Over the past week, I&apos;ve had both DACs connected, allowing me to switch easily between them for direct comparisons.<br><br>I&apos;m really enjoying what both DACs bring to my system. With the Ares II, I can hear further into the recording, the soundstage feels deeper, and bass lines are easier to follow. The FiiO, on the other hand, presents vocals with more weight and presence. Everything sounds a little more relaxed, and the music comes across as richer, warmer, and more romantic.<br><br>The differences are subtle rather than dramatic, so at this stage I wouldn&apos;t say one is better than the other—they simply offer different strengths. As a result, I&apos;ve decided to keep both DACs, which is something I wasn&apos;t expecting when I bought the FiiO.

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• MJ

  @MJ-ge6jz · 8 months ago

  My Warmer is do to arrive in 2 weeks. &nbsp;I look forward to your tube rolling content.

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• HU

  @hushpuppykl · 8 months ago (edited)

  Nice video! TQ<br><br>I’ve rolled it with expensive NOS tubes and it’s worth it. I rolled only x2 tubes and used the unbalanced line out.<br><br>Tube Configuration<br>A quick email to FiiO verified the tubes are configured as such:<br><br>1. From front view, left to right: 4 tubes correspond to left and right channels, L-, L+, R-, R+<br>2. RCA Output: L+, R+ correspond to left and right channels respectively.<br>3. XLR Output: L-/L+ correspond to left channel, R-, R+ correspond to right channel.<br>4. Gain is approximately equal to 1. Two vacuum tubes per channel form a two-stage deep negative feedback circuit, providing buffering.<br><br>So, if we were to label the tubes 1, 2, 3, 4 (viewed from front, left to right), then using RCA output you only need to replace 1 pair of tubes at positions 2 &amp; 4.<br><br>If using the XLR output, you need all 4 tubes.

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• RE

  @reg6660 · 8 months ago

  Reckon your best review to date. Dialogue with decent pace conveying a lot of info concisely with little to no faff!! Cheers &nbsp;- &nbsp;and yeah, reckon the prompter must aid this pace. All good from where I sit!

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• MA

  @markmarcantonio2796 · 8 months ago

  Ed, you the nail on the head. The Warmer is all about relaxed listening!

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• SE

  @sean_heisler · 8 months ago (edited)

  Thanks, Ed! I think since you moved to using a prompter/notes to convey your listening impressions it has allowed you to pre-plan and write down your thoughts and then eloquently deliver them as opposed to on-the-fly and memory. I&apos;m getting a better sense now of what you are hearing that speaks to me, thanks.

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• CO

  @cokyq53 · 8 months ago

  Great review. When I got my Warmer I was not impressed. Then I remembered you mentioned tubes needed burning in. After about 100 hours it finally bloomed. <br><br>I loved the simplicity of the Warmer, no Bluetooth, no filters, no remote, no volume control, just the basics. <br><br>My advice is if your system already has a warm sound, as my A12/Linton does, I found the Warmer became a bit too warm, perhaps a bit bland. <br><br>I did order a Gustard Audalytic DR70 and to my surprise, found it to be a better match for my setup. I did order the linear power supply you recommended and it should arrive this week. <br><br>As always, thanks so much for your advice.

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• CH

  @ChrisPTA · 8 months ago

  Great take Ed. What a good product for what it may do. Some of that lush sound is my sound at times.

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• RI

  @RickRuizAudio · 8 months ago

  Great review Ed. I appreciate the comparisons! 👍👍

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• GI

  @ginom407 · 8 months ago

  Thanks Ed! I really like this DAC. Looking forward to hearing it. Great Review!!! 👍👍👍

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• DA

  @danstein2467 · 8 months ago

  Thanks Ed. I’ve been looking forward to this review.

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