Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
Let put it simply, since these are so different in tonality, the KA3 will please the treble head and those hungry for fowards treble and details, I would choose KA3 for when I produce music while the KA1 when I want to enjoy this produced music. So nothing new under the sun, the only big upgrade between the classic and pro version remains the MQA support, something that’s missing on the FiiO KA3– even if the latter remains better in every other way. SPDIF : une fois le mode SPDIF activé, vous obtiendrez le Signal SPDIF via le port 3,5 mm avec un câble adaptateur (acheté séparément). Veuillez garder cette option désactivée lors de l’utilisation de la sortie analogique, comme lors de la sortie vers écouteurs. If your particular preference requires something small and almost inconspicuous then the Periodic Audio Rhodium DAC must be given some light and considered a good candidate.
Even though the KA1 has a modest 45mW output power, it was able to drive everything I tested with ease. I never went over 20/100 volume with IEMs except for the planar magnetic Tin Hifi P1 but that still had heaps of headroom available.
PS: I wanna thanks FIIO for sending me this review sample under my request. Their no financial incitative, so this work is 100% voluntary and this free product will be given to somebody else because audiophile passion need to be share, not be self-interested. It doesn’t matter what you pair the KA2 with because the sound signature is rather neutral characterized and has no strong aspect that will favor a warm-sounding or bright IEM and will add a very small amount of character of its own. The FiiO KA2 comes with a USB-C to full-size USB adapter or at least this version of the dongle DAC does. You don’t get much else except for a user’s manual. On the go, it’s a pleasant device to use, and the dual headphone output is a true blessing, Like the iBasso DC04Pro, that allowed me to test various headphones, even when I forgot my adapters. Just remember that the FiiO KA5 comes with a 3.5mm port and a 4.4mm Pentaconn, so no 2.5mm TRRS here, unless you take an adapter. Bonus point for the 3.5mm port that doubles as a SPDIF port (mini-toslink) The overall sonic quality of KA1 is outstanding considering the super mini price point, and given the fact that most of the competition has considerably less driving power and lower maximum volume than it. I’m currently using KA1 with a wide selection of IEMs, including Ambient Acoustics MAD 24, IMR Acoustics Dark Matter, Oriveti OV800, and Campfire Dorado 2020. I’ve added Periodic Audio Carbon to my round of tests, to have a darker signature as well, as the others are natural and bass heavy, but not dark per se.
It seems the FiiO KA1 has better technical capabilities far as imaging goes but the DC05 outperforms the KA1 slightly due to the higher power output but it comes at the cost of slightly higher levels of power consumption plus you also have to consider the slightly higher price tag. Periodic Audio Rhodium DAC I FLAC files I tried demonstrated clearly the upscaling the KA1 is capable of but I have to say that what really impressed me was its ability to resolve my lower resolution files is a most satisfactory way. I was also impressed with the way it handled streaming from Google Play Music - which isn’t renowned for offering the highest resolution possible. Far as power consumption goes, it falls somewhere in the middle of the rest. I could get 10 and up to 18 minutes of music with 1% battery life but if you use full-sized headphones and loud volume levels that time will be cut in half but will never drop below that so it seems to be rather efficient again if you moderate that volume. PairingThere is a USB-A adapter that you can use on the USB-C model if you have an olderMacBook, which I do have at home, as you’ll see in the HD photos above. Tech Specs The big plus remains the ability to output a true balanced signal from the 4.4mm Pentaconn plug, and not just a mirrored signal. Power isn’t massive, but the FiiO KA5 can still manage to output a solid 56mW@300ohms, or 265mW@32ohms (half of that in single-ended mode). Impressive numbers, nonetheless, considering the size of the DAC and the fact that the only power supply comes from the USB port. lorsque vous changez de chanson pour améliorer le problème de son POP qui peut exister lors de la lecture sur certains appareils ou applications. The shell is metal but it feels like hard plastic in the hand perhaps because of the ultra-matte flat finish that feels like some kind of resin coating but it does contrast well with the white surface logos and the dongle overall looks good.
Considering the asking price FiiO still managed to incorporate a rather ostentatious chip. They used an ESS Sabre HiFi line ES9281AC Pro which is a 32-bit HyperStream 2 series chip with QUAD DAC architecture and good digital format handling capability. Precision and accuracy, while less holographic and more treble focus with the KA1, is slightly superior yet this does translate in a slightly more clinical and restrain in dynamic weight presentation, still, it improve spatial deepness and sens of air too. Here, HD V is hint wider but notably taller. But, most of all, this is one of the sturdiest devices I reviewed recently. I’ve never stepped on this one like I did with the KA3, but build quality being exactly identical, I’m sure the FiiO KA1 can overcome any hardship. The other features that this app has that I thought were most useful were the 2-step gain control and the volume control which can climb up to 120% on volume level. It’s very useful to set the maximum volume level. This is quite cool, especially when you like playing around with different audio files to see just what color will show up.I own (or have owned in the past) an embarrassing amount of bluetooth headphones and have been following their technical progress right from when they first started coming onto the market. To further reinforce the quality of the amplifier section and to its credit, channel balance is listed as within 0.05 decibels and channel separation is at 73db at max power output which is not bad for a device of this class and size. Established in 2007, FiiO has become a powerhouse in the audiophile realm, offering an impressive line-up of affordable and high-quality products. From IEMs, headphone amps, DACs, to DAPs, FiiO has consistently delivered top-notch devices, setting benchmarks for other brands to follow like the FiiO M11 Plus, the mighty FiiO Q7, or the everlasting E10K, which has remained on the market for over a decade.
Like the iBasso DC03Pro / DC04Pro, and the HiBy FC4, and unlike every other USB-DAC – there are now volume controls on the KA5 allowing you to handle that aspect, directly from the device. The unit also lets you modify lots of settings straight from the device. What’s more, the app also allows fine-tuning such as balance, volume, or digital filters. (not for iOS) While we can say most of DAC-AMP have a rather neutral presentation, it’s rarely if ever a 100% flat line. The KA1 isn’t what I would call reference sounding, nor cold-neutral, since I always find ES9281C based dongle to have hint of coloration in tonal balance by adding hint of warmth in bass part and sligthly taming upper treble sharpness. It’s a well rounded tonality that avoid to sound clinical or too warm, a favorize natural timbre restitution and sens of tactile density. I perceive it as softed W shape balance were certain low, mid and treble presence are more focus, especially in term of rounded density. The KA1 has a neutral, detailed presentation. It doesn’t colour the sound but is transparent just like the KA3. It might not have quite the level of refinement of its bigger sibling but it’s way better than my laptop’s built-in soundcard. I mostly listen to pop , edm on Spotify and instrumental and other music on FLAC . All the instrumental music feels much more natural than before. This dac also improved quality of my previous headphones so that's another plus for me .I really wasn’t expecting to get good results with the DT990 Pro (250Ω) but this little DAC actually drives them easily. I rarely went above 60/100 volume because anything above that was uncomfortably loud for me. Once you do it will become the main audio device. Disconnect the headphones and the PC will automatically disconnect the dongle and switch over to the onboard sound card. Now I don’t know too much about the intricacies of the internal circuitry but if you drop that 4.4mm down to a 3.5mm with a gender changer adapter it still will work. I forgot that there was one key ingredient that was missing for the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, and that is they are 250 Ohm headphones and my MacBook is really not going to have the “Oomph” required to put them at their best. The other end is equipped with a non-removable twisted cable that terminates to a male USB-C connector. There’s also a Lightning-equipped model so be sure to get the right one you need.
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