[FiiO K3/FiiO NEW K3]-HiFi Headphone/Desktop Amplifier,USB-C DAC featuring Type-C port,3.5mm LO ,3.5mm + 2.5mm headphone outputs,Coaxial and Optical digital outs,supports up to 384kHz/32bit PCM and native DSD256
Jul 11, 2019 at 8:38 AM Post #76 of 89
Dear friend,

Did you try replacing another usb cable and software as well? The settings of changing the streaming may not help your case if the issue happens during the songs.

Best regards
Yes, I try three usb cables. FiiO, Xiaomi, and Huawei (super charge usb cable)

edited: for more information. The pop sound is happen all of my iem FH7, FH5, AT IM03, and Zero Audio Droppio
 
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Jul 12, 2019 at 3:25 AM Post #77 of 89
Yes, I try three usb cables. FiiO, Xiaomi, and Huawei (super charge usb cable)

edited: for more information. The pop sound is happen all of my iem FH7, FH5, AT IM03, and Zero Audio Droppio
Dear friend,

Please send email to support@fiio.com about that. Or you may contact your seller to see if they could help for you directly? Sorry for bringing inconvenience to you.

Best regards
 
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Jul 12, 2019 at 4:13 PM Post #78 of 89
FiiO K3 review

After enjoying FiiO E10K at my office for so many years I had very big expetations for K3. Especially after such a long wait for E10K's successor. E10K is still one of the best sub $100 DAC & AMP combos you can pair with eg. your laptop or workstation.


Package

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The package reminded me a lot of current cellphone accessories. It it is relativelly small, has a modern look and in general looks nice. Besides K3 the package includes an USB cable, 4 foam stickers and two small booklets. It's nice that FiiO keeps the packages small without increasing costs with some unecessary accessories.

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Performance

By the looks K3 looks very modern and feature rich. I'm really glad FiiO has decided to fillfull this little device with so many features yet to keep the price under $100.

Compared to it's older brother E10K's (left) front panel K3 has two headphone outputs balanced and unbalanced, bass and gain switches. Quite amazing achievement when we consider that both devices are having quite the same size.


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The rear side has Line Out, USB input, USB 1.0 / 2.0 audio switch, Coax and Optical out ports. As we can see at the picture below there isn't much space left for any other ports.

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All my listening experience was done by using my Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro & Sennheiser HD600 headphones, Tidal Hifi (with tons of MQA songs). I've spent 2-3 weeks using my K3 and constantly comparing it to my other audio gear (E10K, Burson Audio Fun, Khadas Tone Board DAC, Burson Playmate and JDS Labs Atom). The comparsion was done out of curiosity. I wasn't expecting that K3 can compete with the DAC and amps which cost at least twice as much. My goal is to share my experience as good as I possibly can.

After the setup and spending so much time listening to my Tidal Hifi songs it was the moment I had been waiting for since I wished for E10K successors. To be 100% honest with everyone here I had to admit I was a bit disappointed about K3's sound performance. It's such feature rich small little DAC & AMP combo but the sound is just 'OK'. Compared to E10K there was little to none difference. Comapred to my other gear eg. Burson Fun (Sparkos opamps) had way wider sound stage and tons of clarity and much much better bass. I tried to use K3 only as a DAC and the results were quite the same. I have tested balanced and unbalanced ports and yes balanced sounds a bit better but I think K3 is screaming for more room and power. More room and more power for the amp and also for the DAC as well. Either E10K is still just so good or K3 is just 'missed opportunity' regarding the sound. Personally I couldnt hear much difference no matter how much I tried. Considering K3's price difference to me it's hard to recommend it over E10K unless you need some other features E10K is lacking. I really do wish that FiiO creates another DAC & AMP combo designed for desktop usage with full power supply, much advanced dac and much powerful amp. Yes there is room for you too FiiO. :) If I can wish, consider making a white/silver option too! :)

Another disappointment was K3's line out which is tied to the volume knob. I wish that there was a switch for bypassing it. K3's amp was just way too weak to drive either of my headphones. My listening level was almost at 3 o'clock which is quite a lot. On balanced I've used something around 12 but still. Personally I would prefer optical input over output. However I can easly see some using K3's optical output.



Verdict

I've really wanted to like K3 and I think I still do but with a small consideration. I'm still gonna recommend both of these little brothers with the consideration of the feature differences. Unless you need (or have) balanced headphones the balanced output is pretty much the same on both devices. Also if your budget is very tight and you are entering the DAC&AMP world I would still recommend starting from E10K and upgrading from there.

I hope FiiO is taking notes from all these reviews in hope that we might see the pure desktop version of FiiO DAC & AMP combo. How about balanced output, swappable opamps, a couple of different colors to choose from etc...

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A huge thanks to FiiO for keeping the audiophile community alive! Kudos!
 
Sep 6, 2019 at 10:03 PM Post #80 of 89
I bought one recently, and Im wondering if anyone is experiencing this. I bought an ikea usb c cable and that turned out to louder. It seems the included cable does not transport power well.
Dear friend,

Haven't heard about that. You may compare with other cables as well?

Best regards
 
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Nov 18, 2019 at 9:56 PM Post #81 of 89
Hi everyone. I'm considering buying the K3, I love Fiio's products and have more than a few in my arsenal. But, I've also been tempted by the FXAudio Dac X6, mainly due to it's lower price (almost $50 less than the K3 where I am). I don't have any hard to drive cans. Does anyone here have both the K3 and FXAudio X6? If yes, I'd appreciate your feedback on both and more specifically if one is better than the other and why? Thanks in advance.
 
May 30, 2021 at 7:37 PM Post #82 of 89
I'm using FiiO K3 since release and loving it. It is connected to my PC and my PC Speakers are connected to it instead of connecting them directly to PC.

This solves a huge problem and that is I don't have static (hiss) in the speakers anymore. It seems the audio output of your PC motherboard sends a lot of statics.

I have a question regarding Gain and Bass switches. I do hear a difference using the Gain but I don't hear a differences changing the Bass. Does the Bass switch really work? Does it make a difference for speakers?

I am using Line Out.
 
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Aug 17, 2021 at 6:05 AM Post #83 of 89
K3 .jpg


The third surprise is the #Desktop DAC and Amplifier New K3# with huge performance improvements.
The DAC chip is changed to a flagship ES9038Q2M, achieving a big leap in both SNR and distortion. In addition, we have noticeably improved on various performance indicators to move the sound quality to a higher level.
 
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Aug 19, 2021 at 6:23 AM Post #85 of 89
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The FiiO new K3 is going to be your new HiFi buddy on desktop environments!



Based on the last generation K3, FiiO has noticeably improved on various performance indicators and overall sound quality. The most significant change is a replacement of the ES9038Q2M DAC, so that the signal-to-noise ratio has increased by 14dB and distortion has reduced by 13 dB compared to the older one. Besides, the circuit design implementing this DAC has been optimized for a low noise floor and clean sound.

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The new K3 has many excellent characteristics, such as 3.5mm single-ended and 2.5mm balanced headphone jacks, high and low gain levels, as well as USB Audio Class 1 and 2 modes. In high-performance applications, you can use the 2.0 mode to enjoy up to 384kHz/DSD 256 decoding. While for certain situations, you can use the 1.0 mode to enjoy up to 96kHz/24-bit PCM audio without needing any drivers.

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With different connection options for different scenarios, the new K3 helps to rich your life as your sincere music friend. Come and join us to start this beautiful journey!

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Keep features of the New K3 include:

--Two USB AUDIO modes

--Flagship-grade PCM 384k/DSD256 decoding

--RGB indicator light

--Dual headphone outs, dual digital audio outs

--ADC volume control

To find out more about the New K3, please visit the product page on https://www.fiio.com/k3s.



Best regards,

Guangzhou FiiO Electronics Technology Co., LTD.
 
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Aug 27, 2021 at 4:57 AM Post #86 of 89
Chapter 3: Getting Impressive first by the "Core"--Desktop DAC and Amplifier New K3



The K3 is a mini USB DAC/Amp launched in 2018, intended to replace the “elderly” E10K. But we failed to do so since the E10K is super cost-effective and worthy of its excellent performance, plus the K3 is more expensive. So, it eventually became a situation of them sharing the market on a fifty-fifty basis.

Due to chip shortage, we have to upgrade the K3 with the familiar ESS9038Q2M DAC. It was only in the last 2 days that we could finally resume the supply of the K3. 2021 is a tough year.

There is little difference between the E10K and the new K3. Like the E10K, it is often put on the desk at home or in the office, and connected to the computer as an excellent headphone driver to improve the sound quality. It is especially suitable for users who are fed up with the poor sound quality of the computer with the 3.5mm headphone jack.

So how to make a decision between the E10K and the new K3? My suggestion is that if you have enough budget, choose the new K3. After all, it is stronger in all aspects- supports 2.5mm balanced output and native DSD256, yet with higher SNR and lower distortion. If you have a limited budget and have no headphones with a balanced output port, the E10K is also a classic good choice.

For detailed information about the new K3, please check:

https://www.fiio.com/newsinfo/545640.html

With clear positioning, useful functions and simple operation, I personally believe that the K3 has the potential to become a long-lived product in FiiO's history. Maybe after a few years, when the 2.5mm balanced output is eliminated, the K3 can still be upgraded with a 4.4mm output to extend its lifespan.

K3.jpg
 
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