DISCLAIMER
I bought the Fiio KA15 from Aliexpress.
It can be gotten here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007755725349.html (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS/COMPATIBILITY
Tested at $108 USD
I'm not an Apple ecosystem user, and can't vouch for the KA15's performance with Apple products. However, this dongle was recognized with ease by various Windows and Android devices I paired it with, with no need for additional drivers on Windows 10 devices and above.
The KA15 has a mic for calls and online meetings, and when putting it thru field tests, callers on the other end reported that the mic quality was clear.
There is a free Fiio Control App that can be downloaded for Android devices, which unlocks:
- 10 band PEQ with 7 presets and 3 custom profiles
- Amp mode
- DAC filters
- Channel balancing
- Volume steps
- Language
- UAC mode - which may be relevant for our gaming friends
- Screen rotation
- Power off timer
- Brightness adjustment
Unfortunately, this App is not available for Apple users. But thankfully, the PEQ function can also be accessed via a web-based Fiio site -
https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/ - where you can get 7 preset and 3 custom EQ profiles with a 10 band PEQ. This web based app requires WebUSB API, which only Chrome, Edge and Opera support (Firefox or Safari cannot access this).
Fiio web-based site for PEQ:
Fiio Control App for Android:
ACCESSORIES
Other than the dongle, included inside is a leatherette case and a USB-C to USB-C cable.
There is no USB-A adapter unfortunately, so those that want to use a laptop or PC with this dongle might need to source for one. For our Apple users, there is an option to buy a USB to Lightning cable during purchase.
DESIGN/FUNCTION
The KA15's chassis is fashioned from metal. It is sturdily built with sleek lines, undergoing CNC milling, anodization and polishing, culminating in a retro cassette tape motif reminiscent of the 80s. When placing an order, one can opt between a black or light blue frame.
Measuring 52 x 25 x 11 mm, and weighing a mere 21 g, the KA15 is a very pocketable and compact dongle. There's also a creatively placed lanyard hole on the device to assist with carrying.
Even in this day and age, some dongles do not have a screen, but Fiio goes further by providing a coloured 0.96 inch LCD screen on the top of this DAC/AMP, trumping the dime-a-dozen black and white screen types. When music plays, the rollers on the cassette tape even spin! This gorgeous LCD screen shows the bit rate, DAC filter, UAC mode and volume level. There is also a nifty option to toggle real-time voltage and current monitoring, so that one can calculate battery drain.
On one end of the fuselage, we have the 3.5 mm (single-ended) and 4.4 mm (balanced) ports. The 3.5 mm jack also doubles up as an SPDIF output.
The opposite side has a USB-C port for data and power. Unfortunately, unlike the predecessor KA17, there is no second USB-C port for dedicated power feeding.
The lateral side of the dongle has 4 buttons:
- Desktop mode
- Volume +
- Volume -
- Settings button
You can configure the buttons in the setting menu to 2 modes:
- Mode A - short press is to change volume, long press is to skip/return to previous track
- Mode B - short press is for track changing, whereas long press is to adjust volume
Elsewhere in the settings menu, there are other goodies to play with, such as screen brightness, volume adjustment/steps, UAC mode, background themes, channel balancing, brightness, screen rotation, language, mic, SPDIF mode, real-time voltage display, amp mode and DAC filters. We have 2 amp modes - AB and H - the AB mode drains more battery and is just subtly thicker in note weight. The DAC filters are likewise subtle, so do explore to see what you prefer sonically.
The best part of the KA15 would be its 10 band PEQ function, which has 7 presets and 3 custom profiles - see the above screenshots in the first section (SPECIFICATIONS/COMPATIBILITY). This unlocks a whole host of tonalities on-the-go.
Interestingly, one can set a timer so that the KA15 can enter a low power sleep mode, which saves battery. Even without that, the KA15 is touted in marketing materials to drain less battery on standby mode, compared to its predecessors.
By default, the KA15 boots up in Chinese when first powering it on, but one can change this to English in the language tab (under the settings button) to avoid this in subsequent boot ups. Fiio has noted feedback, and their rep replied on Headfi to say that a future firmware update will address this.
The KA15 has independent volume controls (some pricier dongles like the Questyle M15 do not have this cough cough), and you can opt for 60 or 120 finely tuned steps in the settings menu. Completing the settings menu, one can also turn on the mic support function for calls or meetings, in addition to toggling UAC 1.0 mode for PS5 and Switch games.
INTERNALS
The KA15 supports bitrate playback up to 768 kHz/32 bit and DSD 256.
It's engine are dual CS43198 + dual SGM8262 op amps.
SOUND/PERFORMANCE
I tested the KA15 with Android phones and Windows laptops and PCs. Once again, as I am not an Apple ecosystem user, I can't vouch for its performance with Apple devices.
On phones, I used the HiBy Music Player, with USB bit perfect OTG activated. I cannot vouch for usage with other USB exclusive music apps.
The testing below will be with FLAC/WAV files, on bit-perfect mode.
In stock form, the KA15 boasts of a neutralish
tonality with a touch of warmth, which is actually kind of an antithesis to the usual digital and sterile bright Fiio house sound of yesteryears. But as discussed above, we can unlock a 10 band PEQ via the web-based browser or Fiio Control Android app to bestow a myriad of tonalities (and versatility).
For a dongle residing at the low $100 range, the KA15 has solid
technical chops. Soundstage is expansive for the coin, and instrument separation and layering are a highlight. The KA15 copes admirably even on complex tracks with competing riffs. Micro-detailing is decently captured despite the non-steroid boosted treble and imaging is acceptable.
There is no roll-off at either end of the frequency spectrumm and I appreciate the bass texturing on this dongle, compared to the one-noted bloated Onix Alpha XL1 - both dongles use a similar DAC and amp setup.
Power-wise, the 4.4 mm port on desktop mode can hit 560 mW output at 32 ohm (THD+N < 1%), which is quite impressive for a small dongle. I tested some tough customers with high impedance/low sensitivity, like the Sennheiser HD650, Final Audio E500 and Yinman 600 ohm (the latter has 600 ohm impedance and 87 mW sensitivity!); the KA15 handled all with aplomb on 4.4 mm desktop mode, with good dynamics and bass texturing on display. And much appreciated, the KA15 just
gets warm but not hot during extended usage with these behemoths.
Desktop mode seems to provide slightly better separation, imaging and soundstage compared to non desktop mode (even after volume matching), but this comes with more battery drain as a trade-off.
I don't hear any hiss even with high sensitivity IEMs, though there is a
disappointing "POP" on inserting or removing transducers from the 3.5 mm port. Thankfully, the 4.4 mm port is better implemented and remains silent when connecting gear.
The KA15 has
low output impedance values - <0.8 Ω on 3.5 mm, and <1.2 Ω on the 4.4 mm port - so it synergizes well with fussy low impedance IEMs that have a variable impedance curve.
On Headfi forums, the Fiio rep has reported a current consumption of about 140 mA with normal listening volumes, but they have implemented a power reduction function when music is stopped or paused. As alluded to, we also have a sleep timer for low power mode to
conserve battery.
COMPARISONS
The KA15 will be compared against other $100ish USD dongles.
1) versus Onix Alpha
- Onix Alpha uses a similar DAC and amp setup
- Onix Alpha also has independent volume steps (though not as finely spaced as KA15's)
- Onix Alpha has filters and gain options, but no PEQ
- Onix Alpha is marginally weaker in output power
- tonality of the Onix Alpha is warmer and thicker, it sounds more analoguish
- Onix Alpha has weaker micro-details and imaging, but has better soundstage
- bass is untextured and one-noted on the Onix Alpha with an upper mids glare (big deal breakers for me)
2) versus Fiio KA13
- KA13 has marginally less power at 550 mW at 32 ohm
- KA13 has no screen
- KA13 is brighter in tonality, and is thinner sounding (may be more fatiguing if you are sensitive to treble)
- KA13 has weaker imaging and stage
- no PEQ available for KA13
3) versus Fiio KA17
- KA17 also has a desktop mode but more power at 650 mW at 32 ohm, so it can potentially drive more demanding stuff
- however, KA17 heats up and drains more battery as a compromise
- KA17 is warmer in stock tuning with a thicker note weight, but it also has PEQ to unlock various tonalities
- when using desktop mode on both, the KA17 is a hair weaker in soundstage, but KA17 has superior imaging and micro-detailing
- the KA15 does not have a 2nd USB port for power (unlike the KA17), so this potentially may drain the connected smartphone's battery substantially (or perhaps some weaklings with power caps like the older Apple phones can't provide enough power), but you can potentially get past this via a dual port USB cable with a power bank on the other end.
4) versus Aune Yuki
- The Yuki is a more expensive dongle, but it has way less power at 160 mW at 32 ohm (ie it much less juice).
- The Yuki has its volume buttons located awkwardly in a corner at the back
- The Yuki lacks some functional elements, such as no LED screen, EQ or DAC filter options.
- The Yuki is neutralish in tonality, but has weaker soundstage and resolution.
CONCLUSIONS
The Fiio KA15 has a lot of good things going for it.
In non-sonic aspects, the accessories are more than decent - with the provision of a leatherette case - with a robust build housed within a compact and lightweight profile, with a nostalgic old-school cassette tape motif. We have many QOL UI functions, such as well-implemented independent volume steps, real-time voltage/current monitoring, mic for calls and meetings, and a useful coloured LCD screen where one can explore various DAC and amp filters and more.
The crown jewel would be the KA15's 10 band PEQ - accessed from the Fiio Control Android app or from a web-based browser - which opens up a wealth of tonal versatility. The KA15 also does not run hot during usage, with no hiss. The low output impedance on both output ports promises a suitable synergy with low impedance fastidious IEMs.
But accessories and externals maketh not a dongle, and users will be happy to hear - no pun intended - that the KA15 has a neutralish signature with a splash of warmth, beyond the above PEQ tonal changes. Technicalities are really solid for the $100 entrance fee, with layering and soundstage the stars of the show.
There are some nitpicks to address - such as a "POP" sound noted on using the 3.5 mm port - thankfully the 4.4 mm one does not suffer from this, and Apple users will not be able to utilize the App for PEQ. Unlike the big brother KA17, there is no additional USB-C port for power feed, but gratefully, the KA15 utilizes less power than some of its predecessors, with a sleep timer and battery-saving mode during standby.
In a nutshell, the KA15 is quite an all-rounded piece of kit. It performs better and is more versatile than some pricier dongles, and is definitely one of the better purchases I've made this year. Overall, only the "POP" on the 3.5 mm port results in some slight irritation and deduction of marks for this review, it comes highly recommended otherwise.
And although i never heard ka15 because i have ka5 and ka17 I have similar findings. Ka17 is way more technical but i start to find ka5 more musical lately. I like my ka5 very much.