Yes, it can.
[FIIO K11]Truly Balanced, Truly Brilliant! Desktop DAC and Headphone Amplifier
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Yes, it can.
Love the new design and the addition of a display! Looking forward to the K13!
Hyde00
Headphoneus Supremus
I am actually looking for a DAC/Amp combo to replace the stack for convenience.
Looking forward to some sound impressions.
Looking forward to some sound impressions.
Main Specification Comparisons Between K11&K5 Pro ESS
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minervoflorida
New Head-Fier
I have enjoyed the K5 Pro ESS on the budget end, love that they have an on/off switch on the volume control.
Paired with WiiM Pro, this could be a great bedroom set-up 
Background of K11
The K5 is the entry-level desktop DAC/AMP from FIIO. After the K5PRO, K5pro ESS, K5pro series have entered the end life of its sales period. K11 carries FIIO's new design concepts. It gives a thinner and lighter look, balanced output port, and a customised LCD display. Both software and hardware have been upgraded.
The K5 is the entry-level desktop DAC/AMP from FIIO. After the K5PRO, K5pro ESS, K5pro series have entered the end life of its sales period. K11 carries FIIO's new design concepts. It gives a thinner and lighter look, balanced output port, and a customised LCD display. Both software and hardware have been upgraded.
minervoflorida
New Head-Fier
I am anxious to read the reviews on this unit.
The Fiio K11 desktop Dac/Amp was purchased at a discounted price from Aliexpress.
Retails at $129.99 USD, with a CS43198 DAC chip, and it supports up to 384 kHz/32 bit PCM, DSD 256
Dimensions:
It weighs just 400g, and measures 147 x 133 x 32 mm. Quite small and light. It can be put flat as a stack, or can also be stood upright, if there is not enough space at the desk.
It comes accessorized with:
- Power plug (DC 12V 2A)
- USB A to C cable
- 6.35 mm to 3.5 mm jack
Inputs:
USB, optical, coaxial
Output:
Single-ended 6.35 mm (or 3.5 mm with adapter), balanced 4.4 mm, RCA, coaxial out
In the settings menu, one can play with options such as gain settings, DAC filters (I think there are 6 available), lighting etc. There is no BT available. The volume knob also serves as the settings button, and the volume steps are quite finely tuned. I like that even when inserting gear into the K11, there is no "pop" sound which is seen in some other sources.
Power:
Single-ended can hit up to 520 mW @ 32 ohm or 60 mW @ 300 ohm
Balanced can go up to 1400 mW @ 32 ohm, or 250 mW @ 300 ohm
This Dac/Amp definitely has enough power for most gear out there, especially on balanced. It has 3 gain settings too.
The K11 easily handled the three hardest to drive gear in my inventory:
1) Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW)
2) Sennheiser HD650 (high impedance at 300ohm)
3) Yinman 600 ohm (600 ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity)
I like that this device doesn't get hot even with extended usage, which is a big plus in my book.
Sound:
The K11 is very neutral with a slightly thinner note weight. In fact, it lies on the analytical side. It doesn't colour the music much, and lets the connected transducer do the talking.
For the price, it has solid technicalities. Soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions, with good micro-detailing. Imaging and instrument separation are a highlight.
However, the output impedance of 1.2 ohm (@ 32 ohm) single ended and 2.4 ohm (@ 32 ohm) for balanced is a bit on the high side, especially for the balanced port. Thus, based on the rules of eights, the balanced port might not be the best option for low impedance fussy IEMs, as the frequency response of the IEM might be skewed.
Will do some more testing and comparisons and report back, but the K11 is a really nice desktop Dac/Amp in a small profile, yet packing big power, with multiple inputs and outputs. Sound is neutralish without colouration, with good technical chops.
So far, just one small nitpick is the highish output impedance on balanced, but I guess it is no biggie just keeping to the single-ended port if you need to drive low impedance gear. Very promising otherwise, and it might be a good option for folks wanting a multi-purpose source for low $100ish USD.
Retails at $129.99 USD, with a CS43198 DAC chip, and it supports up to 384 kHz/32 bit PCM, DSD 256
Dimensions:
It weighs just 400g, and measures 147 x 133 x 32 mm. Quite small and light. It can be put flat as a stack, or can also be stood upright, if there is not enough space at the desk.
It comes accessorized with:
- Power plug (DC 12V 2A)
- USB A to C cable
- 6.35 mm to 3.5 mm jack
Inputs:
USB, optical, coaxial
Output:
Single-ended 6.35 mm (or 3.5 mm with adapter), balanced 4.4 mm, RCA, coaxial out
In the settings menu, one can play with options such as gain settings, DAC filters (I think there are 6 available), lighting etc. There is no BT available. The volume knob also serves as the settings button, and the volume steps are quite finely tuned. I like that even when inserting gear into the K11, there is no "pop" sound which is seen in some other sources.
Power:
Single-ended can hit up to 520 mW @ 32 ohm or 60 mW @ 300 ohm
Balanced can go up to 1400 mW @ 32 ohm, or 250 mW @ 300 ohm
This Dac/Amp definitely has enough power for most gear out there, especially on balanced. It has 3 gain settings too.
The K11 easily handled the three hardest to drive gear in my inventory:
1) Final Audio E5000 (low sensitivity at 93dB/mW)
2) Sennheiser HD650 (high impedance at 300ohm)
3) Yinman 600 ohm (600 ohm impedance and 87db/mW sensitivity)
I like that this device doesn't get hot even with extended usage, which is a big plus in my book.
Sound:
The K11 is very neutral with a slightly thinner note weight. In fact, it lies on the analytical side. It doesn't colour the music much, and lets the connected transducer do the talking.
For the price, it has solid technicalities. Soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions, with good micro-detailing. Imaging and instrument separation are a highlight.
However, the output impedance of 1.2 ohm (@ 32 ohm) single ended and 2.4 ohm (@ 32 ohm) for balanced is a bit on the high side, especially for the balanced port. Thus, based on the rules of eights, the balanced port might not be the best option for low impedance fussy IEMs, as the frequency response of the IEM might be skewed.
Will do some more testing and comparisons and report back, but the K11 is a really nice desktop Dac/Amp in a small profile, yet packing big power, with multiple inputs and outputs. Sound is neutralish without colouration, with good technical chops.
So far, just one small nitpick is the highish output impedance on balanced, but I guess it is no biggie just keeping to the single-ended port if you need to drive low impedance gear. Very promising otherwise, and it might be a good option for folks wanting a multi-purpose source for low $100ish USD.
Hyde00
Headphoneus Supremus
I think that was my impression with K7 also. Had a feeling K11 would be similar.
Thanks for being the first reviewer!
I am using a headphone with 92 dB sensitivity and 50 Ohm (Fostex T50RP 50th Anniversary).
The single-ended port wouldn't be powerful enough to drive them properly so I'm wondering if there would be any trouble by using them with the balanced port?
You mentioned that it had no issues driving your Final Audio headphones which are almost similar in sensitivity so what would you suggest?
I have not tried the Fostex T50RP, but based on the specs quoted above, the balanced port of the K11 should be able to handle it, especially on the higher gain settings.
What about the size of K11 desktop dac/amp?
147x133x32.3mm (including feet).
MAC MINI VS K11
147x133x32.3mm (including feet).
MAC MINI VS K11
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