The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the KA2 is $59.99 and you can order it from here.
FiiO KA2
FiiO is so well known among the headphone community that there is no need for an introduction.
Let's cut it straight to the chase, the FiiO KA2 is the latest installment into the company's series of ultra compact USB DAC dongles without a battery.
First came the flagship KA3 (review) followed by the entry level KA1 (review) and now the series is completed with the KA2 that sits right in the middle.
Both previous models are based on ESS DAC chips but for the KA2 FiiO have opted for dual CS4313 in an optimized balanced architecture.
The output of the KA2 is delivered on a 4.4mm balanced jack connector with a maximum power amplitude of 2.2Vrms or 153mW at 32Ω load.
Of course dual CS43131 can do much better like in the Moondrop Dawn which outputs 4Vrms and 230mW at 32Ω but it seems FiiO have decided to run it more conservative in order to lower the power consumption and make the KA2 iPhone friendly.
The KA2 can play high-resolution audio streams, up to PCM 32bit 384kHz and DSD256 without MQA decoding while it is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and MacOS.
There are two versions available, one with a type C USB cable and the other with a Lighting.
Build quality and appearance
The design of the KA2 resembles that of the rest of the family with an industrial looking, rectangular shaped body that has an all metal construction with a black and gold color scheme.
Build quality is excellent and the finish looks durable and scratch resistant.
There are no hardware buttons and the short USB cable is permanently attached to one side of the unit.
The cable is of good quality, it has an aluminium plug and strain reliefs at both sides.
A ring-shaped RGB status indicator LED that is located at one side of the chassis lets you instantly know the sampling rate: Blue is 48kHz or below, Yellow is above 48kHz and Green is for DSD.
The KA2 is very compact (40x15x12mm) and lightweight (12.3) making it suitable for use on the go while hanging from your phone.
FiiO Control application
The KA2 is compatible with the FiiO Control application that allows you to easily adjust various parameters like the gain setting between high and low or choose one of the five available low pass filters.
Listening impressions
I don't own very sensitive IEMs but with everything else I tried the KA2 had an inaudible internal noise floor and was well shielded against electromagnetic interference.
The KA2 is not very powerful and can't keep up with some of the competition, the Moondrop Dawn can dish 230mW/32Ω and the iBasso DC06 even more.
Power was more than enough for all the IEMs I used, like the FiiO FA7S and Meze ADVAR while the Sennheiser HD660S got pretty loud but somewhat lacking in control and grip.
Sound performance is really excellent, the KA2 is musical and engaging with excellent technicalities for the category and on par with all the competition I have tested so far.
The overall sound signature is a little more musical and natural sounding than the ESS based KA1.
It much resembles that of the Moondrop Dawn but FiiO have managed to squeeze a little bit more in overall technicalities.
The KA2 is clear, clean and open sounding with great transparency and excellent detail retrieval.
Frequency response is absolutely linear, the sound signature is balanced with a convincingly natural timbre, especially with the NOS low pass filter selected, which is my favorite one.
Sub bass extension is great, the bass is impactful, fast and dynamic with impressive control and outstanding layering.
The presentation is weighty but not that full bodied, the KA2 is a touch leaner than the Dawn but very dynamic and well defined.
The mid range is expressed with plenty of clarity and excellent articulation, dense harmonic saturation and a wealth of colorful overtones.
Treble is extended, highly resolving, just a bit forward but still smooth and controlled without inducing any fatiguing brightness while it doesn't sound too artificial or digital.
For testing I have used the same album by Alison Balsom as in the Moondrop Dawn review.
It has a few pieces that combine a lot of high pitched instruments together with her glowing trumpet solos.
Nothing sounded out of tune, piercing or harsh and while there was some extra treble energy, the overall frequency response was perceived as very coherent.
The KA2 is more agile than the Dawn, it decays faster and has higher levels of energy.
You lose some fading naturalness but you get rewarded with a youthful and high spirited sound.
The soundstage is well expanded and spacious with plenty of air and good imaging.
Compared to the Moondrop Dawn ($70)
This is another, dual CS43131 USB DAC dongle with similar functionality and is a touch more powerful than the KA2.
It can do 230mW at 32Ω and the max output voltage is a full 4Vrms but it draws more power from the host device.
You can use the Moondrop LINK application to configure the gain and select between the five available low pass filters but the FiiO application is more polished with a better designed user interface.
The FiiO PCM decoding is limited to 384kHz instead of 768kHz but it is Apple friendly.
Both devices sound almost identical with the most subtle differences if any.
The FiiO KA2 is slightly more aggressive and bolder, a little more agile and treble forward with a faster decay.
Still quite natural and engaging with a convincing timbre is just a bit more lean - dry sounding and more detailed than the Dawn, with a hint of extra upper treble enthusiasm.
Another thing of notice is that the Dawn offers better dynamics and control over full sized headphones.
You will be hard pressed to choose the one over the other, I suppose the FiiO will better suit people who like their tunes a little more exciting and technical or want to save $10 while the Dawn will be the better choice for acoustic instruments and timbre enthusiasts.
Thus said, both of them are a welcomed addition to their ESS siblings that have lately flooded the market.
Compared to the FiiO KA1 ($49.99) and KA3 ($89.99)
The main differences between the KA2 and it's two other siblings comes from the use of the Cirrus Logic DAC chip which offers a slightly different kind of sound signature.
It is a touch more natural and organic sounding than its ESS counterparts, more forgiving to poor quality recordings but slightly less technical.
Of course the KA1 is not that powerful as the KA2 and it also sounds less refined and engaging with a leaner and brighter sound profile.
On the other hand the KA2 is less powerful than the flagship KA3 which also has the benefit of both single ended and balanced outputs.
The KA3 is also the more mature sounding DAC with desktop-like qualities, a larger scale presentation, shear dynamics and greater technicalities.
As always with FiiO, there is an honest price to performance scaling but if funds and earphone plugs allow then I would skip the KA1 for the KA2 while if funds and bulk are not an issue then I would choose the KA3.
In the end
The FiiO KA2 is an excellent USB DAC dongle with stellar sound performance and great build quality.
Not only when positioned inside the FiiO DAC dongle family where it successfully bridges the gap between the KA1 and the KA3 but in the whole USB dongle scene where it easily counts among the best sounding examples in the sub $100 range with great sound for the size and the price.
Test playlist
Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price of the KA2 is $59.99 and you can order it from here.
FiiO KA2
FiiO is so well known among the headphone community that there is no need for an introduction.
Let's cut it straight to the chase, the FiiO KA2 is the latest installment into the company's series of ultra compact USB DAC dongles without a battery.
First came the flagship KA3 (review) followed by the entry level KA1 (review) and now the series is completed with the KA2 that sits right in the middle.
Both previous models are based on ESS DAC chips but for the KA2 FiiO have opted for dual CS4313 in an optimized balanced architecture.
The output of the KA2 is delivered on a 4.4mm balanced jack connector with a maximum power amplitude of 2.2Vrms or 153mW at 32Ω load.
Of course dual CS43131 can do much better like in the Moondrop Dawn which outputs 4Vrms and 230mW at 32Ω but it seems FiiO have decided to run it more conservative in order to lower the power consumption and make the KA2 iPhone friendly.
The KA2 can play high-resolution audio streams, up to PCM 32bit 384kHz and DSD256 without MQA decoding while it is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and MacOS.
There are two versions available, one with a type C USB cable and the other with a Lighting.
Build quality and appearance
The design of the KA2 resembles that of the rest of the family with an industrial looking, rectangular shaped body that has an all metal construction with a black and gold color scheme.
Build quality is excellent and the finish looks durable and scratch resistant.
There are no hardware buttons and the short USB cable is permanently attached to one side of the unit.
The cable is of good quality, it has an aluminium plug and strain reliefs at both sides.
A ring-shaped RGB status indicator LED that is located at one side of the chassis lets you instantly know the sampling rate: Blue is 48kHz or below, Yellow is above 48kHz and Green is for DSD.
The KA2 is very compact (40x15x12mm) and lightweight (12.3) making it suitable for use on the go while hanging from your phone.
FiiO Control application
The KA2 is compatible with the FiiO Control application that allows you to easily adjust various parameters like the gain setting between high and low or choose one of the five available low pass filters.
Listening impressions
I don't own very sensitive IEMs but with everything else I tried the KA2 had an inaudible internal noise floor and was well shielded against electromagnetic interference.
The KA2 is not very powerful and can't keep up with some of the competition, the Moondrop Dawn can dish 230mW/32Ω and the iBasso DC06 even more.
Power was more than enough for all the IEMs I used, like the FiiO FA7S and Meze ADVAR while the Sennheiser HD660S got pretty loud but somewhat lacking in control and grip.
Sound performance is really excellent, the KA2 is musical and engaging with excellent technicalities for the category and on par with all the competition I have tested so far.
The overall sound signature is a little more musical and natural sounding than the ESS based KA1.
It much resembles that of the Moondrop Dawn but FiiO have managed to squeeze a little bit more in overall technicalities.
The KA2 is clear, clean and open sounding with great transparency and excellent detail retrieval.
Frequency response is absolutely linear, the sound signature is balanced with a convincingly natural timbre, especially with the NOS low pass filter selected, which is my favorite one.
Sub bass extension is great, the bass is impactful, fast and dynamic with impressive control and outstanding layering.
The presentation is weighty but not that full bodied, the KA2 is a touch leaner than the Dawn but very dynamic and well defined.
The mid range is expressed with plenty of clarity and excellent articulation, dense harmonic saturation and a wealth of colorful overtones.
Treble is extended, highly resolving, just a bit forward but still smooth and controlled without inducing any fatiguing brightness while it doesn't sound too artificial or digital.
For testing I have used the same album by Alison Balsom as in the Moondrop Dawn review.
It has a few pieces that combine a lot of high pitched instruments together with her glowing trumpet solos.
Nothing sounded out of tune, piercing or harsh and while there was some extra treble energy, the overall frequency response was perceived as very coherent.
The KA2 is more agile than the Dawn, it decays faster and has higher levels of energy.
You lose some fading naturalness but you get rewarded with a youthful and high spirited sound.
The soundstage is well expanded and spacious with plenty of air and good imaging.
Compared to the Moondrop Dawn ($70)
This is another, dual CS43131 USB DAC dongle with similar functionality and is a touch more powerful than the KA2.
It can do 230mW at 32Ω and the max output voltage is a full 4Vrms but it draws more power from the host device.
You can use the Moondrop LINK application to configure the gain and select between the five available low pass filters but the FiiO application is more polished with a better designed user interface.
The FiiO PCM decoding is limited to 384kHz instead of 768kHz but it is Apple friendly.
Both devices sound almost identical with the most subtle differences if any.
The FiiO KA2 is slightly more aggressive and bolder, a little more agile and treble forward with a faster decay.
Still quite natural and engaging with a convincing timbre is just a bit more lean - dry sounding and more detailed than the Dawn, with a hint of extra upper treble enthusiasm.
Another thing of notice is that the Dawn offers better dynamics and control over full sized headphones.
You will be hard pressed to choose the one over the other, I suppose the FiiO will better suit people who like their tunes a little more exciting and technical or want to save $10 while the Dawn will be the better choice for acoustic instruments and timbre enthusiasts.
Thus said, both of them are a welcomed addition to their ESS siblings that have lately flooded the market.
Compared to the FiiO KA1 ($49.99) and KA3 ($89.99)
The main differences between the KA2 and it's two other siblings comes from the use of the Cirrus Logic DAC chip which offers a slightly different kind of sound signature.
It is a touch more natural and organic sounding than its ESS counterparts, more forgiving to poor quality recordings but slightly less technical.
Of course the KA1 is not that powerful as the KA2 and it also sounds less refined and engaging with a leaner and brighter sound profile.
On the other hand the KA2 is less powerful than the flagship KA3 which also has the benefit of both single ended and balanced outputs.
The KA3 is also the more mature sounding DAC with desktop-like qualities, a larger scale presentation, shear dynamics and greater technicalities.
As always with FiiO, there is an honest price to performance scaling but if funds and earphone plugs allow then I would skip the KA1 for the KA2 while if funds and bulk are not an issue then I would choose the KA3.
In the end
The FiiO KA2 is an excellent USB DAC dongle with stellar sound performance and great build quality.
Not only when positioned inside the FiiO DAC dongle family where it successfully bridges the gap between the KA1 and the KA3 but in the whole USB dongle scene where it easily counts among the best sounding examples in the sub $100 range with great sound for the size and the price.
Test playlist
Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.
Intro
The KA2 is small, simple dongle DAC, which produces incredibly good sound.
The KA2 is different in that it comes with only a 4.4mm output no other output socket.
The KA2 is a mini Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and Amplifier (Amp) which has a USB C for data connection to your computer or mobile phone. Note that you have the option to buy the KA2 with an Apple Lightening data connection, which this unit did not come with, so I did not test the Lightening version. You have to opt for the Lightening connection at the point of purchase because the cable is not detachable, thus cannot be swapped at a later stage.
Disclosure
The KA2 was sent to me by FIIO free of charge for review and it is currently available for sale in the region of 55 USD on AliExpress, although the price varies from store to store and depending sales and promotions.
All opinions I express here are my own with no influence from anyone. No one has editorial control or influence over the contents of this review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information. I appreciate your feedback.
My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus,Mi Mix and various earphones, and used UAPP as my music player App.
Form, Features and Function
The package: The KA2 comes in a mid-sized clear plastic box covered by a cardboard sleeve. Inside the packaging is the dongle DAC, a USB C to USB A adapter and a quick start guide.
Form: The outer shell is made of metal and measures 4cm in Length x 1.5cm in width x1cm thickness. The metal casing feels solid. On one end of the KA2 you have a non-detachable cable made of two twisted strands leading up to a USB C connector. On the other end you have a the 4.4mm socket for your monitors. Three of the 4 sides have nothing interactive, with an inscription on one face and the other has a circular LED light (functional but not interactive) which comes on when plugged into your phone or computer.
Features: The main feature of this dongle DAC is the unexpectedly wonderful yet neutral sound it produces. Add to that its size, the KA2 feels like an extension of your cable, you plug it in and walk around with your phone in your pocket and you almost forget it is there, well until you hear what it does to your music. The third feature for me is the fact that it is supported by the FIIO App. There are several filters which I must confess I do not use therefore I cannot report on that feature. However, there is much for you to discover.
Function: The KA2 is straightforward to use, Plug in (to your phone) and Plug (your monitors in). It is important to remember that the KA2 is entirely reliant on your phone or computer battery. It is also worth noting that the KA2 has no volume control. However, you have two options to control the volume, your phone or the FIIO App, both of which will give you the Android volume steps.
On plugging in your KA2 you get an LED on the front of the device, which changes colour depending on the sampling rate of the track playing. If the sampling rate is equal to or below 48kHz the light is blue, yellow-green if the sampling rate is above 48kHz, and green if it is DSD.
As I mentioned, this dongle DAC is powered by your computer or mobile phone and appears to use up a relatively small amounts of power. Although I have not tested how much battery drain in excess of my usual power drain, simply because my daily use varies so dramatically, I cannot compare any two days with any certainty.
The sound
The FIIO ad Jade Audio KA2 is a clean and noise-free dongle DAC. As with many FIIO DACs and Amps they pay particular attention to reduce background noise and in the case of the KA2, FIIO says it has a negligible 0.0005% signal to noise ratio, noise is clearly imperceptible.
Sound on the KA2 is neutral, but not analytical, has has a delicately melodic tone to it, and came as a welcome surprise to me. The best thing for me is that it does not colour the sound of your monitors and what you put in is what you get, a good quality recording play through the KA2 on monitors which are of good quality produces great rewards. You get detail and clarity and lots of detail from this tiny dongle DAC.
I was surprised to find that this device has sufficient power to drive difficult to drive monitors, when I pair my TRI Sunshines with them, I had a pleasant surprise, I had some room to increase volume despite listening at a comfortable volume, not much but I had some room to raise the volume. Then I tried by Blon B20, a Planar Magnetic set of headphones, totally expecting that the KA2 could not power those cans, it did with a very small margin to spare but it powered the Planar headphones delivering good sound both in terms of volume and quality.
Conclusion
The KA2 is a great sounding dongle DAC for what it is, a small, light weight but solidly built dongle, which can go everywhere with you without you even noticing it until you hear its sound. Just shove it in your pocket and you have good sound everywhere you go.
Enjoy your music!
The KA2 is small, simple dongle DAC, which produces incredibly good sound.
The KA2 is different in that it comes with only a 4.4mm output no other output socket.
The KA2 is a mini Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and Amplifier (Amp) which has a USB C for data connection to your computer or mobile phone. Note that you have the option to buy the KA2 with an Apple Lightening data connection, which this unit did not come with, so I did not test the Lightening version. You have to opt for the Lightening connection at the point of purchase because the cable is not detachable, thus cannot be swapped at a later stage.
Disclosure
The KA2 was sent to me by FIIO free of charge for review and it is currently available for sale in the region of 55 USD on AliExpress, although the price varies from store to store and depending sales and promotions.
All opinions I express here are my own with no influence from anyone. No one has editorial control or influence over the contents of this review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information. I appreciate your feedback.
My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus,Mi Mix and various earphones, and used UAPP as my music player App.
Form, Features and Function
The package: The KA2 comes in a mid-sized clear plastic box covered by a cardboard sleeve. Inside the packaging is the dongle DAC, a USB C to USB A adapter and a quick start guide.
Form: The outer shell is made of metal and measures 4cm in Length x 1.5cm in width x1cm thickness. The metal casing feels solid. On one end of the KA2 you have a non-detachable cable made of two twisted strands leading up to a USB C connector. On the other end you have a the 4.4mm socket for your monitors. Three of the 4 sides have nothing interactive, with an inscription on one face and the other has a circular LED light (functional but not interactive) which comes on when plugged into your phone or computer.
Features: The main feature of this dongle DAC is the unexpectedly wonderful yet neutral sound it produces. Add to that its size, the KA2 feels like an extension of your cable, you plug it in and walk around with your phone in your pocket and you almost forget it is there, well until you hear what it does to your music. The third feature for me is the fact that it is supported by the FIIO App. There are several filters which I must confess I do not use therefore I cannot report on that feature. However, there is much for you to discover.
Function: The KA2 is straightforward to use, Plug in (to your phone) and Plug (your monitors in). It is important to remember that the KA2 is entirely reliant on your phone or computer battery. It is also worth noting that the KA2 has no volume control. However, you have two options to control the volume, your phone or the FIIO App, both of which will give you the Android volume steps.
On plugging in your KA2 you get an LED on the front of the device, which changes colour depending on the sampling rate of the track playing. If the sampling rate is equal to or below 48kHz the light is blue, yellow-green if the sampling rate is above 48kHz, and green if it is DSD.
As I mentioned, this dongle DAC is powered by your computer or mobile phone and appears to use up a relatively small amounts of power. Although I have not tested how much battery drain in excess of my usual power drain, simply because my daily use varies so dramatically, I cannot compare any two days with any certainty.
The sound
The FIIO ad Jade Audio KA2 is a clean and noise-free dongle DAC. As with many FIIO DACs and Amps they pay particular attention to reduce background noise and in the case of the KA2, FIIO says it has a negligible 0.0005% signal to noise ratio, noise is clearly imperceptible.
Sound on the KA2 is neutral, but not analytical, has has a delicately melodic tone to it, and came as a welcome surprise to me. The best thing for me is that it does not colour the sound of your monitors and what you put in is what you get, a good quality recording play through the KA2 on monitors which are of good quality produces great rewards. You get detail and clarity and lots of detail from this tiny dongle DAC.
I was surprised to find that this device has sufficient power to drive difficult to drive monitors, when I pair my TRI Sunshines with them, I had a pleasant surprise, I had some room to increase volume despite listening at a comfortable volume, not much but I had some room to raise the volume. Then I tried by Blon B20, a Planar Magnetic set of headphones, totally expecting that the KA2 could not power those cans, it did with a very small margin to spare but it powered the Planar headphones delivering good sound both in terms of volume and quality.
Conclusion
The KA2 is a great sounding dongle DAC for what it is, a small, light weight but solidly built dongle, which can go everywhere with you without you even noticing it until you hear its sound. Just shove it in your pocket and you have good sound everywhere you go.
Enjoy your music!
yaps66
Great review Chris! Enjoyed reading it!
