Portable media, whether it be on your mobile phone via streaming services or on a dedicated media player is becoming more and more common these days. Cheap data plans and the plummeting prices of small data storage makes the ability to carry around your music library easier than ever before.
 
Fiio has capitalised on this growing market. Becoming one of the most well known brands, and holding the largest market share with their ever expanding product line.
 
The Fiio K1, weighing in at a staggeringly light 11.3 grams is one of the newest additions to Fiio’s lineup of portable DAC/ Amplifiers. In this review I will be discussing the audience this product is aimed at, the usability and quality of the DAC/ Amplifier, as well as its performance in terms of sound quality.
 
At the time of this review the Fiio K1 can be had on Amazon for a measly $39.99 USD. This is by no means a hard task to save for. Hitting well above their price range seems to be a trend that Fiio is continuing to follow. Opening the world of great sounding audio to the masses without the stigma of spending thousands on portable music devices.
 

 
Just a disclaimer: This product was sent to me by Fiio to conduct an unbiased review. I have not been given any information to convey from them and will give my honest personal opinion.
 
Packaging:
 
The K1 DAC/ Amp comes in simple plastic packaging. The top half of which is see through so you can marvel at it’s size without having to open it.
 
What comes inside the box is pretty minimal. You simply get a 16cm usb to micro usb cord and the K1 itself with an attached clear plastic clip. There is also some documentation, but I never read that.
 
I find the inclusion of the clip quite strange but I’ll discuss why later on.
 

 
Build Quality/ Design:
 
The materials used in the K1 are very decent in my opinion. The body is an anodised aluminium and it is capped by two grey plastic ends. The clip is a clear brittle plastic. It’s holding onto ridges on both sides of the K1’s body and can be slid up and down as well as removed altogether.
 
The micro usb slot is recessed slightly in the body, and the 3.5mm jack on the opposite end is metal which I like.
 
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review. The unit itself is only 11.3 grams. It is around 10 grams without the plastic clip attached. It measures in at 50mm*20.5mm*8mm so about the size of a standard usb drive.
 
Everything looks very tidy and clean. Fiio have done a good job with the design of this device and the way it’s put together.
 

 
Target Audience/ Compatibility:
 
Now who is this device aimed at. It’s a relatively cheap device with a miniature footprint and a shirt clip. You’d assume it is for portable use. The issue is the K1 is only compatible with SOME portable mobile devices.
 
I’ve read comments on Amazon where the K1 works flawlessly with the Nexus 6P. I tried it with my Samsung Note 5 but the first 4 attempts failed. I also tried it 3 times with the Asus Zenfone 2. Strangely the first time everything worked correctly with no extra apps installed. But I tried again an hour later and it no longer worked, it didn’t even have the blue light to indicate it was on (super weird).
 
Android was supposed to support usb audio from Lollipop onwards. However from many comments online the K1 only seems to work on a select number of devices. I don’t blame Fiio for this as the Android usb DAC thread clearly shows the total disarray of device compatibility with many other usb dac solutions. Fiio have clearly marketed the K1 as a computer only device as to not give hope to those thinking of buying for their mobiles.
 
Just letting Apple users know. The K1 should work with your mobile devices. However Fiio suggest pairing the two with the camera cable adapter.
 
Out of the many usb dac compatible apps on Android the only one that seemed to work with my Note 5 was Usb Audio Player PRO. This in turn for me makes the inclusion of the plastic shirt clip a bit redundant since many portable devices are simply not supported for the K1.
 
(Sorry about that rant. I was trying to get this thing to work with my phone for the longest time.)
 
Fiio is targeting this to the people with computers and laptops. Devices that don’t always put sound as high of a priority as they should.
 
I tested the Fiio K1 with a 2014 Macbook Air running the latest version of El Capitan as well as my desktop running the latest version of Windows 10.
 
Both computers detected and worked with the K1 immediately without any issues. Since the DAC is only 24 bit. This means that no special drivers need to be installed. It makes it super easy to get going. Just make sure to choose the correct output device for sound on both platforms and you’re golden.
 
Sound Quality:
 
I find the differences in DACs past a certain price range are pretty hard to discern. However the amplifier is usually more noticeable in setups.
 
Frequency Response
 
In my testing with various earphones and headphones I found the K1 to be bright. It extended the highs quite a bit, with my IEM’s the extension even sounded a bit distorted. Soundstage increased by a small margin with my testing as well.
 
Bass was cleaned up and you get less boomy and more tightness and punch. This may be desirable or not depending on your listening style. I would say it makes electronic music a little fatiguing to listen to.
 
Below are the measurement charts from Fiio’s website:
 


 
Power output
 
The packaging suggests the K1 can power anything up to a 100Ohm impedance. However in my testing it seemed to drive my HD800’s just fine. As I mentioned above it is a brighter amp so it wasn’t the best pairing. Also soundstage actually lost out a little bit with this combo.
 
The K1 also managed to drive the Alpha Primes alright. Was at a listenable volume at 75% and 80% with onboard. Very similar on the laptop as well.
 
I will note though that the headphones above could both have done with a bit more power output. Listenable volume is one thing, but the current required for good sounding audio reproduction is another. I don't think you should try listening to any high power drawing headphones on this little device.
 
When it comes to IEM’s when hooked up to a desktop it drove at decently high volume at around 15% digital volume. Compared to the onboard soundcard which was around 19%
 
I also tested everything again on my macbook. The difference in power was about the same. The macbook would be at 20-25% depending on the IEM and with the K1 it would be 15-20%
 
Noise Floor
 
When it comes to adding a DAC or Amplifier to your setup. Whether it be on your mobile, portable player or computer. You would expect or hope to get a lower noise floor than your original device.
 
I was a little disappointed to hear a hiss when plugging in the K1. I tried multiple USB ports all had an audible hiss on IEM’s. I would say the hiss is about 3 times louder than the standard output on the macbook. Even on my desktops front side audio I actually heard no hiss.
 
For even slightly higher impedance headphones you will not have to worry about this. But I think for the size and portability of this device, the hiss might be annoying for some people that primarily use earphones.
 
Bitrate
 
Like most DACs these days the K1 can handle up to 24 bit decoding. However due to the SNR on their specs page of around 100dB you will only discern about 16 bits of information if you have perfect hearing anyway
 
Conclusion:
 
My opinion on the K1 is both good and bad. The audience for this device is very narrow it seems due to some shortcomings and flaws, some of which are not the fault of Fiio.
 
Firstly due to the Android operating system not being coherent across the device range (unlike Apple devices and IOS) the compatibility with Android is hit and miss. This rules out a lot of people who want to use this device for on the go portable use. I managed to use Usb Audio Player Pro, however I am not willing to spend that amount of money just for an app (A quarter of the price of the K1).
 
This narrows down the users of the K1 to the office laptop/ desktop market. Most of these computers have crappy sound cards, fair enough. However due to the K1’s hiss some will not want to use IEM’s meaning the majority might opt for headphones instead.
 
Here is where my opinion comes in. Why would you spend $39 on a DAC/ Amp that only increases your power output by about 5%. Many power hungry headphones tend to struggle a bit with the current provided by the K1 (including the Alpha Dog). For an extra $20 you can get the Fiio Q1 which has considerably more current output at lower impedance and is more suited to headphones.
 
Don’t get me wrong. With some bassy IEM’s the K1 really does tame the boominess and give more of a tight punch with decent clarity. However I just can’t get over the distortion heard in exchange for that clarity, it sounds a bit echoy like listening to music through a concrete pipe. This just isn’t as evident on headphones. The hiss is also gone on most headphones. All of this pushes the K1 to be a transportable headphone amp. However it’s bigger brother (that doesn’t cost that much more) just does the job better.
 
Sorry to give a negative conclusion but the K1 has left me confused. With a little more power and a cleaner output I think it would be one heck of a product.

Earbuds in general have fallen out of the public eye in recent years. The lack of a seal as well as ample amounts of sound leak have left this product sitting on your table at home while you take out your in-ear earphones instead for portable use.
 
Though there are caveats to this design, I also believe there are benefits to wearing an earbud in place of an in-ear earphone.
 
The EM3 is the new ‘budget friendly’ offering from Fiio. If you’re not familiar with Fiio as a company, they hit well above their price bracket for the majority of their products including portal and desktop amp/DACs as well as dedicated DAP devices and a few earphones to balance out the mix.
 
This low cost earbud give no reason for you now not to replace your default phone and ipod earphones. They are amazing value and the review below will discuss their qualities in more detail.
 
Just a disclaimer: This product was sent to me by Fiio to conduct an unbiased review. I have not been given any information to convey from them and will give my honest personal opinion
 
Specs:
 

 
 
Packaging:
 
For such a cheap product they actually do come with decent packaging. The box is solid, is structurally very sound (since there are things inside to hold it’s shape). The material is a recycled-paper feeling box with standard card folded inside to house the earbuds and extra foam cushions.
 
I will provide a picture only for the sake of it. In my opinion for a product of this price range, I couldn’t care less about the packaging. Of course it has to look decently appealing to the consumer, but I’d like the majority of the cost to go into the sound quality and the build of the product itself.
 
The inclusion of 3 foam cushions in total is a good touch though. They do wear out/ stretch and fall off over time I’ve found from other earbuds. So spares are a must.
 
 

 
 
Build Quality:
 
When I first unboxed these earbuds, after thinking ‘hmm, that’s pretty good packaging’ is ‘damn, these don’t feel hollow like other cheap earbuds’
 
That’s exactly it. They don’t feel cheap at all. They are weighty for an earbud and there is no hollowness or rattling at all. Very good build. Even when I flick them with my fingernail it doesn’t make a hollow noise. This either means they used pretty thick plastic for the housings or the insides are jam packed. The drivers inside are 14.8mm in diameter so there must not be much room left in there.
 
The cable is a mix between a rubbery feeling cable and a smooth plastic one. It’s got a rubbery texture, but it isn’t as soft and flexible as a full rubber wire if you know what I mean. I don’t think of this as a bad thing. Overly soft cables tend to tangle easier, and these I’ve not yet had an issue with tangling.
 
The mic and controls are decent feeling too. Less so than the earbuds themselves but nowhere near cheap feeling.
 
Lastly the cable is terminated in a right angled, gold plated 3.5mm plug. There is ample strain relief on both the earbuds and especially the right angle connector. I don’t see myself fraying this.
 

 
 
Design/ Comfort:
 
The EM3 has a dual ported design. One port directly behind the driver facing out of the ear. As well as a skinny long port down the shaft of earbud, above the Left and Right indicator letters. The lower port definitely makes less of an impact on sound.
 
This design gives the EM3’s more of an open listening experience as well as a very good bass response. But I’ll go delve further into that later.
 
In terms of style. It’s a plain black earbud. It has some styling on the back to look not too plain. For me it’s inconspicuous, which I like.
 

 
 
The comfort of these is great in my opinion. With earbuds you can’t really go wrong unless you make an oblong shaped bud. As long as it’s round and not too large, it’s going to be comfortable. The EM3 is no exception. It’s very comfortable and I forgot I was wearing it after a little while.
 
Sound Quality:
 
What everyone has been reading these reviews for. Now for sound quality I will be comparing these with the earbuds that accompanied the Galaxy Note 5, and the Sennheiser OMX 980 (yes I know this is not fair).
 

 
 
 
 
I assume, may it be wrong of me or not, that these earbuds will be a doorway to the audiophile world for many unsuspecting people who just want to replace their standard phone earbuds and get a little more sound quality without paying the big bucks. This is why I’m comparing them to the Samsung earbuds that came with a recent high end flagship, the Note 5. Bear in mind that I am only comparing sound. Nothing else.
 
Hands down the EM3 trumps the Samsung earbuds. They were more open. Strangely they actually even sealed better. Also the bass and was much smoother and boomier. The treble and mids were quite similar. Both slightly more in the background compared to the bass. But the soundstage on the EM3’s were considerably better than the Samsung. One thing to note on the Samsungs is that I heard distortion. Not even at a loud volume, but just standard listening volume. I could hear echos. This means the EM3’s are much better designed and dampened internally.
 
EM3 vs Samsung earbuds - EM3 Wins!
 
Now a toughy. Dethroning a top of the line earbud (currently on Amazon for 500USD)... Sadly it’s not happening. The extension, imaging and separation on the OMX 980 is just superb in comparison. The difference is definitely there. I got my GF to try both (she doesn’t know much about earphones/ headphones at all). She was like ‘These (OMX 980) are way better’.
 
The thing is. Is the difference worth 490USD. The answer is no. Here is how I put the difference. The OMX 980 is just an all round beast. Treble, mids and bass are spot on. Very musical but also very clear and open. Everything is extended to give punch but also separate very well.
 
The EM3 on the other hand has very comparable bass response. However the mids and trebles sounded veiled in comparison. I mean veiled as in through a sheet of sponge. This can be alleviated by taking the foam off. However the OMX 980’s manage to push through while also having them so I don’t know…
 
EM3 vs OMX 980 - OMX 980 Wins! (Big surprise)
 
Treble:
 
Laid back and smooth. Not to the point of no highs, but they tend to take a back seat to the bass. No spikes that I can hear up to this point.
 
I’ve found that removing the foam really opens up the top end. However the bass is just gone as a result.
 
Mids:
 
Sadly similar to the treble. Takes a back seat unless the volume is turned up quite high. Luckily there is decent separation between the highs and mids. Very good effort.
 
Bass:
 
The earbuds time to shine. The bass is just wonderful. It’s smooth, has punch and rumble. Also it is never overbearing or inflated. Sounds great with pretty much all modern music.
 
Soundstage:
 
The soundstage really did surprise me on this. It’s really great. Much wider than I was expecting. The earbud in general is very musical and listening to jazz was very enjoyable. This is to be expected since this is an open earbud. Comparable to many open headphones.
 
Imaging:
 
Quite accurate. Not as much as a closed earphone. But it does very well even compared to the OMX 980.
 
 
 
One thing I will mention is that I wish Fiio included some donut shaped foam covers. Like another reviewer stated. I cut the centre out of one of mine and the sound is definitely improved. The highs and mids are more extended while the foam around the edges still seal enough to give very good bass.
 
A must I’d say when getting these. But learn from me and cut the holes slightly smaller
 

 
 
Conclusion:
 
Fiio is onto a winner in my opinion. Another product that manages to punch above its weight. Sure it doesn’t beat an earbud 50 times it’s price. But who really expected it to. You should really be marvelling at what 10 bucks can get you now. It is considerably better than both the Apple earpods (compared in another EM3 review), as well as the Samsung equivalent. This gives absolutely no excuse as to why you shouldn’t get these to replace your stock earbuds for pleasure listening.

If you’re commuting on a train or public transport of another kind. I’d say these don’t isolate too well. But for home, office or general indoor use it’s a done deal

You’ll understand that once you start buying headphones, amps and dacs that you get the niggling feeling every once in awhile to try something new. Or to get the next upgrade. Well I purchased these during my niggly moment to do both.
 
I got these for about $450NZD which equates to $306USD as of this moment which is super cheap for a headphone of this build quality, let alone a planar from a reputable brand. I wanted to dabble into planar magnetic headphones and read great things about the HE-400i’s
 
Unfortunately I think I’ll have to let these go as they don’t really scratch the itch. This is not going to be an overly negative review just heads up
 
As you most likely already know, these headphones are low impedance and terminate in a 3.5mm jack which is angled. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to wear these outside. Luckily they do include a ¼” adapter.
 
Just FYI, I didn’t find I needed to mod the grills. My headphone didn’t actually come with padding inside so the sound was less impaired compared to some forums I had seen. I bought these second hand and I’m not sure if the previous guy took them out.
 
Build:
 
The build on this headphone is “O for Awesome” (NZ joke) need I say more?
 
Well since this is a review I will say more. The headphone is primarily made from metal, the cups are metal inside and out. The band is metal with nice tactile clicky tabs for adjusting. The only plastic parts are the yokes which I find a bit strange. I mean, the headphone is 2 pieces of nicely made metal with plastic joining them. Seems like a weak point to me. Anyways I digress.
 
The pads are also of good quality. My pair came with the newer version focus pads (Focus pad A’s). I believe the older versions were a bit thinner, but mine are very plush and comfortable. They don’t feel like memory foam, but are quite soft and feel decent.
 
The cables are very nice. The older versions had the old style screw on type connectors. However mine came with the detachable 2.5mm connectors on each ear. Much easier to take in and out as well as make replacements for. The cable itself is also well made with a braided exterior and decent thickness and pliability at the same time They are a much welcomed upgrade from the thin silver HE500 cables.
 
Comfort:
 
These are among the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn. I’d say even slightly more comfortable than the HD800s. They are extraordinarily light for a planar and the focus pads really just seal the deal.
 
Since they are so light, 370 grams. The thin head band doesn’t really matter. It is wide and can spread the weight evenly on your head without any one section pushing down to cause discomfort.
 
There is also a good amount of adjustment available on the headband. The very nice tactile feedback from changing notches is great and it doesn’t feel like it would change on their own without your say so.
 
One small gripe about the earcups. This really is just a nit pick. Since the yokes are so far out on the cup itself, when putting the headphone on there isn’t really a “correct” place to put your hands when holding them. I like to flatten out the ear cups before I put them on so they don’t have to rub on my face to flatten out themselves. The yokes make this very awkward.
 
Sound Quality:
 
When I picked these up I was looking for that “planar sound” I know there wasn’t going to be heaps of bass and I was fine with that. But I was expecting transparency, soundstage and clarity for days!! Unfortunately I might need to sell these and spend a little more to get that. This is definitely a good entry into planar.
 
Treble:
 
The highs on this headphone are in no way spiky or sibilant. They stop just before it gets too far. They are however very clear and precise. The word to describe these headphones is “fast” most dynamic drivers just can’t compete with the speed of planars. It doesn’t skip a beat. Listening to music with a lot of layered instruments is a breeze.
 
Mids:
 
In general the highs and mids of this headphone are slightly extended. These two areas are where the headphone shine. Vocals and instrumentals sound very detailed while wearing these.
 
Bass:
 
Now I know that planars in general have slightly less bass. But in my opinion these headphones were lacking a bit too much. They were ALMOST lifeless in terms of sound. They had plenty fn mids and highs but the warmth, if even for a little bit were not there. The sounds I heard for the low end though were very detailed and precise. They weren't that punchy the majority of the time.
 
Soundstage:
 
The soundstage on these were pretty good. Coming from the hD600s these far surpassed them. The transparency of the planar drivers and the earcup design were almost perfect. I’d say the soundstage was wide and had some back and forth to it. But the up and down directions were a bit smaller.
 
Imaging:
 
Very nice. With the accuracy of the drivers and deliverance of minute detail the imaging was very accurate.
 
Conclusion:
 
I PERSONALLY don’t think these cans are my thing. I was expecting a slightly warmer sound. I know planars can do it. But it seems this headphone was much more analytical for me anyways.
 
I can not fault the build or comfort at all. It is by far the most comfortable I have used. The pads are great, the overall aesthetic is very sturdy and tough looking. I like it
 
For this price range I think this headphone does a great job. But it seems like I need to spend a little more in order to get a more balanced planar.

Firstly let me just say that out of everything I own and have currently owned. The HD600s are my favourite in terms of sound. The headphones may have a high impedance, but they are not that hard to drive. Pretty much anything makes this beauty shine, and that’s what makes it great.
 
I purchased this headphone new from a local store in NZ. I got them pretty cheap (used to work there). I got them for $370NZD or around $250USD with current conversion. I WOULD HAVE PAID SO MUCH MORE if I knew the sound that came out of these headphones.
 
The HD600s are the type of headphones that make you listen to everything you’ve ever listen to again because it’s how it should have sounded at the time. I literally stayed up 4-5 hours the night I got them and skimmed through my library listening to everything. It was a revelation.
 
Now, I know there are a lot of reviews on this headphone already, so I won’t bore you with the origins and where it was made, who it was made for jazz. I’ll get down to the build, comfort and sound quality.
 
Build:
 
The majority of this headphone is made from plastic, whether it be the speckled stone kind or the industrial black kind. This doesn’t make the headphone feel cheap however. The build is quite precise and is great in my opinion for the price of the unit. I would much rather a company put money and effort tuning the sound than making a headphone out of metals for example.
 
The HD600s are very well put together. The biggest advantage of this type of build is the modularity and modability. Every part of the headphone, excluding the drive itself of course, can be disassembled by the owner and replaced if broken. I’ve read about broken headbands and cracking of plastic. I have not had this experience myself, but if I had I feel much more safe in the fact that I can fix the headphone myself if it is out of warranty.
 
The build is accurate and durable where it counts. The size adjustment is hard to move, clicky and metal. The pivots for the earpieces themselves are sturdy and strong. The terminals for the wires are also very accurate so that you can’t mix the cables when putting them in. Though I do have a gripe about them being proprietary.
 
Comfort:
 
Coming from the HD280s the HD600s were like clouds. Honestly the squeeze of the older monitoring cans could have burst watermelons.
 
The HD600 I can understand have slightly more clamp force than a lot of other headphones. For example compared to my HE-400i’s and TH-X00’s which are much lighter and more comfortable in comparison. This isn’t to say these aren’t though!
 
The HD600’s feel SECURE on your head. I’m not afraid to walk around or bend down to pick something up while wearing them. I’m not afraid they are going to fall off my head and break on the floor; something I would never do with the HD800s. I would happily wear these cans for a long session and have done so
 
The velour pads are super comfortable. They don’t feel hot and they don’t sweat after long listening sessions. The pivot and adjustability of the headphones are more than enough to fit a wide variety of different head shapes. The ear cups are large and accommodating without my ears hitting the inside or getting squashed.
 
Gripes. I know a lot of people like the headband. I think it isn’t bad at all. However when I wore them for extended periods of time, I began to feel the lumps on the top of my head. They begin feeling hard over time. Not physically, it must be in my mind but it does get noticeable.
 
Sound Quality:
 
What most people do and should care about
 
The HD600s can be best described as caramel going into your ears. I know the mental image of this does not seem appealing at all but the sound is just so warm and rich! Boring music sounds lively. Even classical music can be enjoyed in a slow relaxed manner on these headphones.
 
Treble:
 
I won’t lie, the treble is rolled off a bit. It isn’t as sparkly clear as it’s bigger brothers the HD700 and HD800. However this isn’t a bad thing. Not everyone wants to hear piercing highs all the time. This headphone still has clear precise highs, but they know when to stop. They stop before it gets fatiguing to listen to. I can honestly say this is why I always come back to these. They give such a relaxed and pleasant listening experience.
 
Mids:
 
The mids are very well pronounced. Vocals sound amazing on this headphone and it sounds cheesy I know, but it makes voices sound so real and human. This headphone preserves the personality in music. Something a lot of flat monitoring can just take away.
 
Bass:
 
I’m a young guy, I like my bass haha. This headphone has plenty!
 
The bass it clean, tight and punchy. However there is also decent sub bass. The overall timbre of sound is enriched by the low end of this headphone. It doesn't colour the music as much as you think, but it does give whatever you’re listening to some heart and soul.
 
Soundstage:
 
The soundstage of this headphone isn’t that big. Picture an oval 10-20% larger than your head around your head and sounds can come from anywhere in that area. For enjoying music this headphone is great. However I wouldn’t use them to experience an orchestra.
 
Imaging:
 
The soundstage might be smaller than some other headphones. But the area it does have to play around with, it does so accurately. You can clearly pinpoint where sounds are coming from.
 
Conclusion:
 
For the price, or even for more than the price (especially what I paid) you get an amazing set of headphones. The type of sound that makes you question all your listening before these.
 
It’s affordable enough for even poor students (me) to get into the audiophile game. While giving so much in return. This is definitely deserving of the second spot for headphones