[ekbalco]

Sorry to ask but ... you have a K5/K7/K9 ... why buy a (near) entry level K11??? I am pretty confident FiiO are not gonna make a DAC/AMP at just over a hundred quid which outdoes the others, no? (no offense)

No offence taken. Yes I have/had owned them all (and I’m waiting on a K9 AKM edition - latest one ).

I like to try most fiio products and then either use them in a spare room/ main room depending on my particular favourite at the time or give them to my son (and even my grandson who is getting into dac amps). So they all get used!

The K11 may be entry level but I was impressed with it.

 

[SchwizzelKick66]

I am mainly interested in this device because of the display, and the fact that volume can be controlled on the knob with a numerical display of where you're at. That's pretty cool.

I've never heard of this DAC chip before. How does it compare to AKM and ESS variants in the K5 and K7?

Not really worried about power, as I listen at relatively low volumes and won't use close to what any amp has to offer really.

 

[FiiO]

I am mainly interested in this device because of the display, and the fact that volume can be controlled on the knob with a numerical display of where you're at. That's pretty cool.

I've never heard of this DAC chip before. How does it compare to AKM and ESS variants in the K5 and K7?

Not really worried about power, as I listen at relatively low volumes and won't use close to what any amp has to offer really.

Dear friend,

Hi, here is the Main Specification Comparisons Between K11&K5 Pro ESS. And you could try to compare by yourself if there are local stores in your city.

Best regards

 

[Silvertrance]

Thanks for clueing me in @Silvertrance. V122 seems to have fixed the delay issue I was experiencing, which makes me very happy cause otherwise I really wanted to use this amp!

Speaking of your issue, I tried both of those videos and did not notice any audio problems at the places you mentioned. I hope you figure it out.

I figured it out. It happens when I have it set for 32bit 384 Hz . I reset it and did not notice it any more. Then switched back to the higher rate and had the problem. So now I am running at 192K Hz

 

[megamatt425]

No offence taken. Yes I have/had owned them all (and I’m waiting on a K9 AKM edition - latest one ).

I like to try most fiio products and then either use them in a spare room/ main room depending on my particular favourite at the time or give them to my son (and even my grandson who is getting into dac amps). So they all get used!

The K11 may be entry level but I was impressed with it.

Did you like the k11 more than the k7? I’m thinking about returning my k7 and getting this one instead.

 

[jbarrentine]

Because I've seen it a couple times now I'm going to need someone to explain how one dac chip can supposedly not present all the detail that another can. It should be impossible in 2024 for that to be the case. Even the low end is great tech afaik.

 

[llysender]

Because I've seen it a couple times now I'm going to need someone to explain how one dac chip can supposedly not present all the detail that another can. It should be impossible in 2024 for that to be the case. Even the low end is great tech afaik.

Mayhapes it's because of its rich and burly tuning of the k11 and Q15 hides alot of the fine details and texture that you can get from the "lifeless and sterile" K7 and k9 pro AKM being very precise.

That being said because of the k11 colouration almost every thing sounds fun with it.

Also to anyone that has tried the RCA out does it keep that muscular character or it sounds different?

 

[jbarrentine]

I got one and it's the biggest piece of garbage I've seen in some time. I had to fight forever for windows to recognize it. uac-1, uac-2, didn't matter. loaded drivers. got intermittent cut out back to my monitor speaker. which ever review said it was sibilant was absolutely correct. I had to fix that by turning off filtering. The menu system is an absolute disaster. I have never seen a device more in need of a dedicated power switch, 5 seconds is a long press to turn something off. I didn't bother to load newer firmware (I had 110) because I just don't trust it to be an improvement on what to me is an immature device.

Sound was clean and clear, but seemed.. small in some odd way.

I don't understand the love for this product. Just buy jds labs instead.

 

[Albo80]

I agree that a power switch button will be a much much better way than a 5-second press on menu wheel. I can only leave it always turned on, because 5-second turning off each time is just not an option. By the way is it somehow dangerous for K11 or plugged headphones if K11 is never turned off?

 

[drummerman1]

I got one and it's the biggest piece of garbage I've seen in some time. I had to fight forever for windows to recognize it. uac-1, uac-2, didn't matter. loaded drivers. got intermittent cut out back to my monitor speaker. which ever review said it was sibilant was absolutely correct. I had to fix that by turning off filtering. The menu system is an absolute disaster. I have never seen a device more in need of a dedicated power switch, 5 seconds is a long press to turn something off. I didn't bother to load newer firmware (I had 110) because I just don't trust it to be an improvement on what to me is an immature device.

Sound was clean and clear, but seemed.. small in some odd way.

I don't understand the love for this product. Just buy jds labs instead.

Here in Europe, a JDLabs Atom 2, after postal charges, is $200. Add the Atom DAC and the package will be almost 3x the cost of the K11 unfortunately. Then, to add to this there may be additional customs charges.

 

[Hyde00]

Here in Europe, a JDLabs Atom 2, after postal charges, is $200. Add the Atom DAC and the package will be almost 3x the cost of the K11 unfortunately. Then, to add to this there may be additional customs charges.

I have the same struggle in Canada, all those "bang for buck" audio gear (Schiit, JDS Labs....etc) cost quite a bit more after crossing boarders.

 

[megamatt425]

If your main concern is five seconds that it takes to turn off, I question what this hobby means to you. It sounds great for its price and looks dope. You can’t spare five seconds? So much so you’re going to return it due to that?

 

[Hyde00]

I agree that a power switch button will be a much much better way than a 5-second press on menu wheel. I can only leave it always turned on, because 5-second turning off each time is just not an option. By the way is it somehow dangerous for K11 or plugged headphones if K11 is never turned off?

For solid state device it should be totally fine, there are some amps where people leave it on 24/7 and never then it off.

Or you can do what I do, I turn on my headphone amp in the morning and then turn it off before I go to sleep at night.

If your main concern is five seconds that it takes to turn off, I question what this hobby means to you. It sounds great for its price and looks dope. You can’t spare five seconds? So much so you’re going to return it due to that?

Lol imagine using a tube amp with the 30 seconds delay start.

Almost all the tube amp I know have that slow start.

 

[jbarrentine]

If your main concern is five seconds that it takes to turn off, I question what this hobby means to you. It sounds great for its price and looks dope. You can’t spare five seconds? So much so you’re going to return it due to that?

It sounds small and feeble. It sounds clean once you turn off filtering, but that's the only upside. I was not impressed. An atom stack is immensely better. I'm not going to pretend I liked something when something else marginally more money to anyone in the states is a better buy.

 

[drummerman1]

I'm surprised there's no more users/reviews of the K11 here. It seems incredible value for money, looks gorgeous, is flexible and measures well. Perhaps it's too cheap to be taken seriously by audiophiles