FiiO K11

General/Packaging/Build
Fiio is a brand that needs no introduction to fellow audiophiles, they are well established and they have positioned themselves among the top few famous chi-fi brands. My first encounter with Fiio’s product was a classic portable amp E6, probably 10+ years back when I first got into the hobby. Fast forward today, I have the Fiio K11 desktop dac/amp with me which boosts some serious power output figures for the asking price. The packaging is quite good for the asking price, it contains a power supply unit, USB cable and the K11 itself, well protected from any mishandling during transportation/logistics. The build quality is good for the asking price, with several inputs and output as well.

Specifications

• Main control chip (single-chip microcomputer): GD32F303RET6
• DAC: C543198 Supported audio formats: 384kHz/32bit PCM, DSD256 USB connector: Type-C
• Display type: Custom VA
• Dimensions: 147x133x32.3mm (including feet)
• Weight: About 407g
• Power supply: DC12V 2A external adapter
• SE power output 1: L+R≥520mW +520mW (32Ω, THD+N < 1%) (320/single-ended/high gain)
• SE power output 2: L+R≥60mW+60mW (300Ω, THD+N < 1%) (3000/single-ended/high gain)
• BAL power output 1: L+R≥1400mW+1400mW (32Ω, THD+N < 1%) (320/balanced/high gain)
• BAL power output 2: L+R≥250mW+250mW (300Ω, THD+N < 1%) (3002/ balanced/high gain)
• Frequency response: 20Hz~50kHz (Attenuation < 0.2dB)
• SNR: 123dB (A-weighted) Noise floor: PO < 2.8uV (A-weighted); BAL < 4.9uV (A-weighted)
• Output impedance: PO < 1.20 (32Ω load); BAL < 2.49 (32Ω load)
• THD+N: LO < 0.00035% (1kHz/10kΩ)

Gears used for this review

• Macbook Air M2 -> Foobar/Tidal
• SMSL M300SE
• Fiio K11 -> Earmen CH-AMP and PSU-3 (Fiio K11 is hooked up to my Earmen’s Linear PSU instead of the supplied power supply
• 7Hz Legato
• Aune AR5000
• Hifiman Sundara

Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far



Driving Power

• This has got to be one of the selling point for the K11, a whopping 1400mW on balanced out with high gain from 32Ω’s load, it is certainly not lacking in terms of raw power, which is sufficient to drive most headphones that aren’t hard to drive with the exception of several headphones of course,one of them being the Susvara, as well as IEMs

Features

• 3 Gain levels, low, mid and high
• RGB logo with adjustable lighting effect on the device itself
• Upgradeable firmware

Sound Impression
The tuning of the K11 is very neutral and transparent based on my listening experience, it doesn’t boost any frequency but just render it as it is. However, I do find the note weight is slightly lacking, but not too bad overall. Very good soundstage and imaging rendering

Listening Impression with the following gears
Aune AR5000

• AR5000 is very efficient and easy to drive, Low gain on K11 is sufficient to power the AR5000 to its best performance,on mid gain the dynamics are slightly better and also the bass control is slightly tighter
• Bass is punchy and tight, mid bass especially
• Sub bass has slightly better extension, although still lacking due to it being an open back
• Mids a little lacking due to the note weight is slightly lacking
• Slightly bigger soundstage than it already is
• Male vocal has slightly thicker texture and sounds fuller
• Female vocal is full sounding as well
• Not so much changes in terms of detail retrieval
• Overall, a very good synergy i would say other than the slightly thin note weight

7Hz Legato

• Legato is a bassy and warm IEM, aimed at delivering analog-ish speaker sound
• The mids are slightly recessed, but when paired with K11, the mids doesn’t sound that recessed anymore and it sounded a little bit more forward, both male and female vocal sounds a little bit more “crisp”
• Bass on the other hand sounds a little tame when paired with K11, the sub bass rumble is still quite strong but somehow i feel like it has a slightly faster decay, but mid bass is still punchy, a very refreshing experience if you ask me, still very fun sounding
• Not much changes on the detail retrieval as well
• Soundstage is slightly better in terms of better height,depth and width perception due to the tuning of K11
• Legato is not hard to drive, but K11 definitely have more than enough power to push it hard as Legato scales really well with power and source

Hifiman Sundara on 4.4

• Sundara is a Planar headphone from Hifiman that requires quite a bit of power in order to perform at its best, K11 does have the capability to drive it to optimum performance
• Sundara on its own is quite neutral sounding with a slight hint of brightness in terms of tonality, my opinion is that, pairing the K11 with Sundara does make it a little bright and the slightly thin note weight doesn’t help that much
• The low end is fast and tight, the treble isn’t being elevated as well, but the slightly thin mid does affects the overall listening impression

Line Out Sound Impression ( RCA Out to Earmen CH-AMP )

• The DAC on K11 has a neutral and transparent sound profile
• Pairing it with the CH-AMP, the overall sound profile is quite transparent and mids does have slightly better body overall
• Dynamics does improve as well, a good pairing i would say

Comparison (SMSL M300SE)

• In terms of sound, M300SE’s sound signature is leaning towards the “musical” sounding kind of tonality, slightly warm and the mids has more body compared to K11
• Soundstage is slightly smaller and less air compared to M300SE
• Power output figure is way lesser compared to K11, 148mw on M300SE vs 1.4w on the K11
• Although sporting different DAC, the differences are actually very minimal, the 43131 on M300SE is a DAC chip with built in amp section, where as on the Fiio’s 43198, it is a DAC only setup and the amp section is designed/implemented separately
• Depending on your preference in terms of sound signature, M300SE a more musical tuning, whereas K11 a neutral and transparent tuning

Final Thoughts
Having tested the K11 for several weeks now, it’s safe to say K11 has a very high price performance ratio, in terms of sound, they sound transparent and neutral and not to mention the power output is very high for the asking price, most dac/amps at this price range offers lower power output figure and doesn’t offer much features, K11 ticks many of the boxes in terms of features as well as sonic performance. K11 is definitely one of the good products that is easily recommendable and won’t break the bank. Definitely a 4.5/5 product!

*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support and opportunity

Head over to their official store if you are interested in getting one:

Fiio K11 Aliexpress store - Non affiliated
Fiio K11 Product Page

I been eyeing the Fiio K11 ever since fiio announced It back in Sep 2023, The size of it is small, since its smaller then the aio units I had in the past, and how much power it offered for that size, it got my attention. The device comes with a Type C cable which I found to be kinda short as my PC is further away from the corner table that I have it on, I think the cable should have been longer, luckily I had a longer cable laying around.





On the rear of it you have a RCA Out, an optical port input and then a Coax (In/Out) connector, Then the Type C data connector for plugging it into your PC and the power plug. The Coax works as outputs when the Type C cable is connected to something. When it isn’t then then the Coax is input.



In the front of the K11 you have 6.3mm Single end, 4.4 Balanced, screen and then the volume knob which also has a press button function. When you hold it down it brings up the con-fig menu which you move thru by turning the knob back and forward. To select the options you press the volume button down. When you hold the volume button down longer the device will shuts down.



On the top of it is the RGB which you can change the colors of, make it pulse or even disable it which you also do thru the settings. On the bottom of it, is the rubber foot pad which stops it from sliding around on the table, the K11 can be turned on its side which.



I did run into an issue with the K11 with audio delay, but a Firmware update to 1.22v solved that, as the K11 I bought was on 1.05v stock firmware. After Wards Every thing worked perfectly, I didn’t have any other issue. The over all experience with the K11 been great.



Lets talk about power, the 6.3mm HP port supports 720mW @ 160hms,520mW @ 32 Ohms and 60mW at 300ohms, While the 4.4mm offers 570mW @ 16Ohms, 1400mW @ 32 Ohms and finally 250mW @ 300Ohms. So it offer a lot of power for the price. My Hifiman HE-9 and Sundara pairs nicely with the K11, sounded really good with it.


Settings

Music Bee with WASAPI Exclusive mode using the default Filter which is 3. Both of the two songs I used are native flacs I checked.



Headphones

Hifiman HE-R9 (6.3mm)

Bedowin – Voices in my head

Right away the kick drum goes low and has power behind it, like I mention before it doesn’t sound muddy to me. The voices sounds like to me are spreading from in directly in front of me to the sides, as the background singers that standing next to the main and spreading to the side of each ear. I can hear them breathing before they say something. The song makes it easy since it doesn’t have much going on just a few instruments, Claps besides the singers.


Ramnstien – Ich Will (Terence Fixmer mix)

The bass at the start has force behind it while still allowing me to hear the low voice in the background. The hit hat and the snare also sound really good with the right amount of Detail. Nothing is running into each other.



Hifiman Sundara (4.4mm)


Bedowin – Voices in my head

The kick drum sounds like its going deep as it hits and its sound spreads a little bit from the location of it in the sound image, feeling like its coming from a below position in the front of me from the tad bit left of me, if they makes sense. With the snares being a tad more to the center or off center as it projecting towards my Left side towards my ear. Snares have the good details, not too much either as it isn’t bright, it just clean. Including the light piano notes that I hearing, that sounds like there in the distance.
I can hear the breath of the voices in the right before he sings (Ahh) as it has an echo like sound thru the sound stage, which also includes the other voices. The over all song is outside my head and I would say it sounds open, and all instruments and voices are separated from each other and not over lapping.


Ramnstien – Ich Will (Terence Fixmer mix)

Right away the crisp snares and the hit hat that can be clearly heard and the kick drums that has some impact to it hits, that comes off as going from my center and the snares near my left ear. The Synth and the other sounds are heard with ease too. Separation is good here too, I didn’t have an issue with hearing the voice loop in the background that has lower volume then every thing else that was going on in the song. None of the instruments or other sounds run into each other.


Conclusion
After spending a month and days with the Fiio K11, It been the best purchase I made. I been enjoying it lot both of my headphones, listening to music, watching movies or playing games. Other then that minor issue that was fixed with the firmware update, there been no other issues and every thing else been perfect. For its price I'm didn't expect to be that happy with it. Over all I recommend it!.

FiiO K11 Balanced DAC/AMP​

FiiO K11 Balanced DAC/AMP
INSTAGRAM: LINK

Prelude:
FiiO is one of those brands that never sleeps, literally, because they constantly release better and better equipment, not only those from the budget intended for the premium segment, but also many much cheaper items. One of the newest and at the same time very reasonably priced items is a small headphone amplifier with a built-in DAC circuit for USD 129. There wouldn’t be anything special about it if it weren’t for the fact that it is a fully balanced unit with a line output. So I invite you to read.

Unboxing and use:
Unpacking the device itself is a pleasant process because in a nice cardboard box we will find an adapter from a large jack to 3.5 mm, a USB cable, a good quality switching power supply and our device. Two colors are available, black and white. I received the black variant, which is matte and picks up fingerprints moderately. On the front there is an LCD display and a volume knob, which is also a switch and a control button for our device. In addition, there is, of course, a large jack output and a balanced 4.4mm output. The device is really small and is covered with a rubber pad at the bottom, which ensures a secure position of the device. At the top there is an illuminated FiiO logo and on the back we have a USB C input, coaxial input and output, optical input and RCA line output. I must admit that this is a pretty solid set of inputs and outputs. It is true that I lacked an input to connect my DAC, but in this price range and with such a small device, I completely understand that some compromises are inevitable. So I don’t see it as a disadvantage, but only as a personal preference. In general, the layout and arrangement of sockets are very well thought out, which makes the k11 comfortable to use because it is a completely functional all-in-one device

Functions:
It is worth noting that when it comes to functionality, Fiio has always represented a very high level. In fact, this has been happening from the very beginning of the company’s operation. If any function is available, you will find it in Fiio. So in k11 we have six types of functional and sound-changing digital filters, full backlight adjustment, and the ability to update the software. However, that’s not all. Using the volume knob, we can quickly switch between the line and headphone outputs. The former always functions as a preamplifier with a separate volume control. The headphone output has three independent gain levels and a 99-step volume control. Each gain stage has separate graphs and a slightly different sound signature. The only thing we don’t have here is a line input, but on the other hand, at this price it would be a crime to add so many functionalities, although I think it’s more a matter of the small size of the device and lack of space on the housing, rather than cutting costs.

Sound:

Bass: In general, the entire lower band is kept close to linearity and neutrality, with a tint towards minimal warming, however, allowing us to enjoy listening. The bass is clear and not dominant. K11 is a very detailed and balanced position, which translates into great control of the lower bands. All in all, you can clearly feel the character of the DAC chip used here. It is worth adding here that the purity of the sound is absolutely amazing and we have a completely black background. The bass, although neutral, attracts attention and is revealed when required and necessary. At the same time, in songs that do not need it, it perfectly gives space to other sounds. The bass itself, despite its neutrality, can go low and this is a great compromise between musicality and analyticality. I’m glad that Fiio decided on this tuning, because it is very pleasant to listen to.

Midrange: The midrange faithfully follows the linear and even tuning of the K11 signature. The vocals are very clear and transparent, they are not lifeless, but I wouldn’t call them overly colored. This midrange delights with the amount of detail and information, the span of the stage is very interesting due to the great 3D plane. The plan is not overly broken down into boli, instead it naturally breaks down all sounds into prime factors. At the same time, for USD 129, it is probably one of the best resolutions I have seen in equipment of this class. The positioning and separation of instruments are at a very good level. Of course, vocals are not as engaging as R2R-based structures. However, in technical and analytical terms, it is a huge qualitative leap. What I mean here is sacrificing candy warmth to analyze the music and admire its technical layer. Of course, this is not an exaggeration, and the Fiio K11 still plays lively, retaining all musical features.

Treble: What I noticed most compared to other Fiio products that I remember is a significant softening of the treble, we no longer have U-shaped tuning. The treble fits smoothly and linearly into the rhythm of our favorite music. K11 is a device tuned closer to the reference than the budget we will have to pay for this device could indicate. The upper bands are full of information and reproduce strings and other instruments very naturally. I think using cirrus bones is a very good step. Personally, I like them very much and their influence can be clearly heard in the music. In fact, the K11 is one of the most neutral devices I have ever encountered, thanks to which it perfectly captures the natural sound of the connected headphones.

Comparisons:

FiiO K11 ($129) VS EarMen st-amp ($199)
First of all, ST-AMP has a few additional functions that affect functionality, it has both a single and balanced line input. However, K11 is much smaller and takes up less space on the burek. It’s worth noting here that the st-amp is a bit brighter and more entertaining. K11 has a more linear, balanced sound. ST-AMP is one of my favorite amplifiers, but if I were looking for analysis and references, I would go towards the k11. Thanks to the gain control, the K11 copes slightly better with very effective headphones.

FiiO K11 (129USD) VS xDuoo ta01b (170USD)
XDuoo ta-01b is an excellent DAC/AMP based on cirrus chips, and with a hybrid amplifier design in class A. The benefits and natural warmth of the tube in the TA01B is something that I personally love, but the K11 is a more universal device with tuning that is technically I think it’s very good.

FiiO K11 (129USD) VS xDuoo xd05plus (269USD)
FiiO K11 is a stationary device, while xd05plus is quite mobile. The XD05Plus also has a few more features. However, its sound is warmer and more entertaining. After balancing, Fiio has a larger stage and greater control thanks to not only more power but also three gain levels. However, xDuoo XD05plus has irreplaceable mobility and this significantly increases its functionality. So I consider both devices to be very good and worth attention.


Summary:
Fiio surprised me once again. Not only did they create a very budget-priced unit with incredible build quality, but they also armed it with the latest technology. Great linear and natural/neutral tuning is another argument for the k11. The line output with volume control is perfect for active speakers or devices with an AUX input. In fact, when it comes to sound, the DAC/AMP is very well tuned between musicality and analysis, which allows it to be used for reference listening as well as for everyday listening. Compared to the competition with a total value up to PLN 1,000, it is difficult to find a clear rival for the K11. Not only because of the sound itself, which I personally like very much, but above all because of the multitude of functions. What I miss in the k11 is definitely the Bluetooth function, fortunately we have an optical and coaxial input, so it’s not that big of a problem, and AUX inputs. However, these are marginal comments and I would actually prefer a device that sounds great without unnecessary gadgets than a device that does everything without good sound. The K11 is a great little desktop device that comes with its own power supply and a surprising amount of clean power. I consider the K11 to be a very versatile device with a beautiful tone and excellent functionality, which is why I highly recommend it to all music fans. Regardless of the level of advancement in the musical hobby, I think that everyone will find something interesting and suitable for themselves in k11.