Thanks for the awesome review mate. The comparisons are really helpful. Have you noticed an advantage with planar iems with all that power? It is more powerful than ru7 theoretically but is it in real usage?

@ruffandruff Hi, thank you for reading !
hm... yes it is definitely more powerful than RU7 also in real usage, I do notice the KA17 has a little bit more dynamics compared to the RU7, but on technicality, the RU7 still superior compared to the KA17 in my honest opinion

Comparison between fiio KA5 and fiio KA17? which has better midrange?

Great review!! So, for the power-in socket is just to get KA17 more power but not charge your host device. Is that correct?
I am looking forward to this. I used to own RU7. It is a fantastic dongle but too much battery drain for my phone. This KA17 might hit my spot.

Hello, how about background noise? is it noticeable or dead silent?

@JamontS yes the power in socket just to get the KA17 more power
@JBond it is dead silent tested on hypersensitive hidizs ms5
@amosamayo sadly I have never tried the KA5 before so can't comment much on that

if the second usbc plug does not charge the phone, does it at least powers 100% of the dongle so the dongle does not pull power from the phone internal battery ?

I keep reading that the USBc plug in is required for desktop mode. Is this correct though? the KA13 can output 550mw in desktop mode without external power. My feeling is that the KA17 will output the full 650mw of power regardless of it is plugged in or not, but not plugging it in means the phone battery doesn't drain. Otherwise you would have a very strange situation of multiple different power outputs whether 3.5/4.4/high gain/low gain/desktop off usb on/desktop on usb off/desktop on usb on/desktop off usb off. Which would be ridiculous.... Thanks.

I have the same question.

There was also misinformation about the KA13. A published review stated the desktop mode only applied to the balanced output which was demonstrably not true. Anyone who actually listened to the thing and tried the desktop mode with 3.5mm would know that. There's an immediate and noticeable volume increase when enabling it.

The quality of "reviews" out there can be pitiable.

@Longfellow78 From Reddit user Pale-Philosopher-943, RE: desktop mode: "It can be activated without external power if the source device supplies enough power."

Sounds like it works the same as the KA13 does and Fiio were not clear enough about how it works. Desktop mode activated on the KA13 with my Galaxy, so I imagine this will be the same.

I ended up with electrical interference issues with the KA13, which is why I returned it. I ended up getting the Qudelix 5K which I resisted--I love it, but I still want something with more power because the 5K doesn’t sound great paired with lower sensitivity/higher impedance headphones. Hopefully this fits the bill without the same issues.

@Longfellow78 I wonder if the second USB port or separating the digital & analogue boards have anything to do with solving that issue. Fiio support wouldn't tell me anything about the issue with the KA13 other than to use a different cable (which didn't help), which makes me wonder if there wasn't a design flaw with the KA13.

@Longfellow78 yes u need to plug another usb c to use desktop mode

@littlenezt That's not true according to other users. Have you actually tried it with one USB-C input? If so, what was the result and what was the source device?

Looking more closely at Fiio's marketing they don't actually say the second USB-C input is required for desktop mode.

"With sufficient USB power supply input and desktop mode enabled" is what is required. "Sufficient USB power" is suitably vague. Though most of their marketing certainly gives the misleading impression that an external supply is required in *all* scenarios, but I don't believe that to be the case.

Mine arrives tomorrow and then I can say definitively whether desktop mode is truly gated behind a second input.

@zilax002 i plug it to my pc, turn the desktop mode switch on and off nothing happens if im not plugging the second usb c plug

@littlenezt

Interesting. PC with a USB-A or C port. I'm gonna guess A probably only outputs 1 amp. If you're using a USB-C port on a PC not sure why that isn't sufficient.

I got mine today and can confirm desktop mode works with a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and presumably later models. Same as with the KA13, @Longfellow78

I just got mine. The hardware and software is in a sorry state I'm sad to say. It sounds nice, but everything else is crap:

The multifunction button doesn't work as play/pause, the volume controls don't allow skip track, the app doesn't work properly, so you can't access any controls on the app itself, only on the device, it randomly disconnects and isn't detected, having to be deleted, it gives occasional loud static pops (3 times so far). It sometimes demands you go to the EQ menu on the device before allowing you to access the app at all. It is a downgrade from the KA5 in every way except power output, which is ridiculous for the price and that it is significantly newer. It needs software fixes fast. Absolutely bizarre to release when the app doesn't even work except for EQ, which other users have said doesn't work either.

Is there a way to customize the EQ? Like only add sub bass?