Fiio KA11 evaluation: Top-of-the-line methods to get pleasure from Apple Lossless!

It’s stated that we “eat with our eyes.” Will we additionally hear with them? Folks appear to put quite a lot of inventory in how an audio product seems, which makes Fiio’s KA11 a scrumptious auditory dish that can satiate your Hello-Res audio starvation. 

Positive, you should buy Apple’s 3.5mm to Lighting/USB-C dongle for round $9 however as your tastes and headphone or IEM assortment develop, it might not be sufficient to drive your new toys and that’s the place the $29 KA11 is available in.

Fiio KA11: Value and availability

The KA11 is obtainable for $29 via their web site and Amazon.com. You will get it in two colours, black and a enjoyable silver and teal combo, together with your alternative of both a USB-C or Lightning connector for these with telephones older than an iPhone 15.

Aside from the Apple Lightning or USB-C dongle, which can price you $9, this is among the most cheap DACs in the marketplace and in addition essentially the most highly effective at this worth level.

Fiio KA11: Construct and match

Fiio’s KA11 weighs in at solely 8.5 grams and is constructed with top quality elements for its $29 worth level. The physique of the DAC consists of an aluminum-magnesium alloy, so that you gained’t need to child it whenever you’re headed out the door and tossing your EDC gadgets into your favourite bag.

The cable carrying your sound is equally well-appointed and sturdy. Wrapped in a layer of silicone with braided fabric on the skin, it consists of high-purity, oxygen-free palladium-plated copper wires that go between your connector of alternative and the DAC. 

The cable options rubber or silicone connector caps, including to the general feeling of sturdiness and the connectors themselves don’t really feel unfastened when plugging and unplugging. Connections on each ends are tight, and three.5mm headphone connectors have that satisfying click on when plugging in.

Fiio KA11: Options

Probably the most highly effective function (pun meant) of the KA11 is the ability supply which drove even essentially the most delicate pair of planar magnetic headphones I personal. The one-ended 3.5mm port delivers as much as 245mW of energy per channel at 16ohms, and 200mW at 32ohms. The Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip decodes DSD256, and as much as 384kHz/32-bit information over PCM. The SG-Micro SGM8262 amp is what’s inside, driving thirsty IEMs. 

An LED on the three.5mm port finish of the dongle physique tells you the sampling charge. DSD decoding will get a inexperienced mild, and tracks above or beneath 48kHz get a yellow or blue mild, respectively.

The excellent news is that you would be able to management these LEDs and digital filters via the FIIO Management app. The dangerous information is that it’s solely on Android.

Fiio KA11: Sound high quality

Now we’ll discuss crucial facet of the KA11, the sound. I listened to the KA11 utilizing a number of over-ear headphones and IEMs, and for $29, its capability to drive my HiFiMan HE4XX planar magnetic headphones was spectacular. My iPhone 15 Professional Max solely wanted to be turned as much as 75% of their max for a snug listening expertise. My Campfire Audio Mammoth IEMs are fairly delicate, and the KA11, with its best-in-class energy output, dealt with them expertly. The facility output of the KA11s meant that the snug listening stage was round 15% of the max. Sennheiser’s $1500 IE900 IEMs had been a delight to expertise via the KA11, solely needing to be turned as much as 33% of the max quantity of the iPhone 15 Professional Max.

Okay, technically, these notes weren’t about sound however energy. The KA11 is well-balanced in its sound profile. You’ll get a bit of heat via the mids, however vocals shine via, and bass and sub-bass are an satisfying component of the sonic feast with out overpowering the opposite “taste notes.” The soundstage isn’t essentially the most expansive I’ve skilled from a DAC, however it’s nonetheless massive sufficient that your ethereal tracks shouldn’t really feel constricted. 

Fiio KA11: Competitors

Some DACs on Amazon compete on worth with the KA11, however nothing at $30 competes on energy output or efficiency. This DAC’s output rivals merchandise that may price a whole bunch of {dollars} extra.

So, does the Fiio KA11 have competitors? The quick reply is, no.

Fiio KA11: Do you have to purchase it?

You should purchase the Fiio KA11 if…

• Price is your major buying consideration
• You will have power-hungry headphones or IEMs
• You need an EDC DAC you may simply throw in a bag and go
• You’re new to Hello-Res or Lossless cell audio

You should not purchase the Fiio KA11 if…

• You will have the funds to spend $100-$300

Look no additional if you would like a robust DAC that gained’t overpower your checking account steadiness. That is it, full cease. Fiio’s KA11 is a USB-C or Lightning-connected DAC able to driving many of the headphones or IEMs in your steady, that includes a sound profile balanced sufficient to not add vital pointless shade to your listening expertise.

Whenever you enter audiophile land, there are numerous areas the place you’ll spend your discretionary earnings, however this needn’t be one on the outset. Concentrate on headphone or IEM prices first, then sit again and revel in them with the KA11.