[ahmonge]

I’m running it via the Amazon app on my laptop. The sound quality is good but I’m stumped why it’s not changing hz frequency.

I don't have the Amazon Music Unlimited service, but from what I've been able to read, the Windows app uses the WASAPI protocol in shared or exclusive mode, but is unable to change the sample rate dynamically, so the only alternative you have is to set manually the rate at which you will play through the K7 in the Windows sound controls for this device. In your case, I guess you are interested in the highest possible quality available on Amazon, which is 24bits and 192 KHz. At the end I attach a guide to properly configure the application, taken from another forum.
Another step I advise you (if you have not done it) is to install the K7 driver supplied by Fiio, so that during playback you can click on its icon and check the sample rate that your device receives.

Amazon Music configuration guide for 24/192:

Right click windows speaker icon > Open sound settings > Select output device > Device properties > Additional device properties > Advanced > Set default format to 24 bit @ 192000 Hz.
Go back and select output device > some other device not the one you want to use with Amazon Music. Don't skip this step.
In Amazon Music desktop app:
Set Audio Quality to HD/Ultra HD
Set Loudness Normalisation to OFF
Set Allow Exlucisve Mode to ON
Play a HD(24 bit @ 192000 Hz) track
Cliick the speaker icon and select the output device and set the Exclusive mode slider to ON
Click on the [HD] icon beside the track controls. Notice how Quality, Capability and Playing are all 24 bit / 192000 Hz

I hope this helps.

 

[godlikegamer]

I don't have the Amazon Music Unlimited service, but from what I've been able to read, the Windows app uses the WASAPI protocol in shared or exclusive mode, but is unable to change the sample rate dynamically, so the only alternative you have is to set manually the rate at which you will play through the K7 in the Windows sound controls for this device. In your case, I guess you are interested in the highest possible quality available on Amazon, which is 24bits and 192 KHz. At the end I attach a guide to properly configure the application, taken from another forum.
Another step I advise you (if you have not done it) is to install the K7 driver supplied by Fiio, so that during playback you can click on its icon and check the sample rate that your device receives.

Amazon Music configuration guide for 24/192:

Right click windows speaker icon > Open sound settings > Select output device > Device properties > Additional device properties > Advanced > Set default format to 24 bit @ 192000 Hz.
Go back and select output device > some other device not the one you want to use with Amazon Music. Don't skip this step.
In Amazon Music desktop app:
Set Audio Quality to HD/Ultra HD
Set Loudness Normalisation to OFF
Set Allow Exlucisve Mode to ON
Play a HD(24 bit @ 192000 Hz) track
Cliick the speaker icon and select the output device and set the Exclusive mode slider to ON
Click on the [HD] icon beside the track controls. Notice how Quality, Capability and Playing are all 24 bit / 192000 Hz

I hope this helps.

Does the first step really matter or helps? Because many of the dac/amp manual from other brand also did not ask user to set such output sample...

 

[ahmonge]

Does the first step really matter or helps? Because many of the dac/amp manual from other brand also did not ask user to set such output sample...

As far as Amazon Music seems to be unable to change the sample rate outside of what is set in Windows, I believe it does. but I'm not a Amazon Music app user (I use Foobar2000 for local files and Qobuz for streaming, always thru ASIO protocol), so I could be wrong.

 

[godlikegamer]

I see, then I understand why you ask him to change the sample rate... because I also not Amazon music user, I am a foobar2000 also

 

[Richard Dickens]

I see, then I understand why you ask him to change the sample rate... because I also not Amazon music user, I am a foobar2000 also

See attached. Device capability is 24 bit/ 384000 hz. Even though track is 16/44100 it’s still yellow.

 

[ahmonge]

See attached. Device capability is 24 bit/ 384000 hz. Even though track is 16/44100 it’s still yellow.

What is the sample rate set in Windows?

 

[Richard Dickens]

What is the sample rate set in Windows?

24bit 384000hz as this is what the DAC is capable of. It sounds great though. Maybe the setting is constantly set to this rate.

 

[ahmonge]

24bit 384000hz as this is what the DAC is capable of. It sounds great though. Maybe the setting is constantly set to this rate.

Well, I suggest to set this parameter to the maximum sample size and rate Amazon Music is able to provide, which are 24 bits and 192000 Hz. As every sound that is sent to the DAC has to be converted to this sample size and rate, it consumes PC resources without increasing the sound quality. A value below 192000 Hz, on the other hand, will derease sound quality for the Amazon tracks coded at this frecuency.

Anyway, the DAC behavior is as expected, the driver shows 384000 (as set in Windows) and the wheel colour is yellow because Amazon Music is upsampling to this frecuency. As long as this application is not able to dynamically change the Windows sound parameters, this is the right way to set and perform, according to my knowledge.

 

[Kegra]

So I've just noticed the same issue that @Roxaos describes today on mine! *It has happened twice today* and I had the unit for more than a month.

So I had music playing for a while, with the volume dial at about 1-2 o'clock, using the COAX input. Then out of the blue the volume drops to zero for a second or two and then reverts to the original value (on the dial).

This seems to be some sort of firmware issue with the K7.

Really trying to find a resolution for this, suppose I could try for a 3rd K7 to see if it was just a problem with the first 2.

I have the same problem you all mentioned @radman. I returned my first K7 because of this problem and bought the second one, but it still have the same problem. Don't know if this is a software problem or just the bad luck. I'll really appreciate if someone finds the solution to this problem.

I have the same issue.
USB mode, happened like once every few hours.
Volume suddenly down to 0 for a sec then went back to normal.
Just like the behavior when you switched the output between line and headphone.

My unit still in the return window till the end of this month.
Would like to hear things from you to see if it's fixable.

Got my k7 week ago. Have same issue with sound volume. buying on aliexpress
Idk what to do now.... Revision v1.22

Hi all. Finally I received a device for firmware, which FiiO sent to my address by mail. I completed the firmware update process for K7 according to the instructions they sent, everything went well.

So far, I have been using the device for the third day and there have been no problems with a drop in volume. But this is a short time, I will listen to the DAC further. In a good way, a week or two weeks should pass in order to accurately state whether the problem has actually gone away.

Everyone who will update the firmware needs to know that the revision number in the FiiO Control Panel will not change after updating the firmware, which I checked with the support (answer from them in the application), so everyone will have a revision of version 1.22. So here be careful to understand if the problem is gone, you need to listen to the device. Also, in the process of updating the firmware, you need to hold the update tool very firmly and strongly, otherwise it will hang out in the connector and the contact will disappear.

So to everyone who is faced with the problem of a drop in the volume of the K7, I strongly advise you to write to FiiO support by support@fiio.com and ask them to send you a tool to update the firmware. This whole process of disassembling, assembling and updating the DAC does not take more than 5 minutes.

 

[Kegra]

Here are additional photos of the firmware tool for those who want to find it themselves.

 

[radman]

Hey @Kegra that's great news.

I received mine but haven't had any luck in updating the firmware unfortunately.
I've tried many times but it look like the application doesn't run properly on my machine or my K7 is faulty.

The flashing process should work with any off the shelf CP2102 UART to USB bridge with the following pin configuration:

If your CP2102 has a voltage jumper set it to 3V.

You will need 5 Dupont wires (female to male).

Pin configuration:

CP2102 --> K7 MCU

VCCIO (or 3V3) --->  MCU_3V3 (pin2)
GND                  --->  DGND (pin1)
TXD                  --->  RX (pin4)
RXD                  ---> TX (pin3)

I launched the K7 BootTool.exe and set:

MCU type: UM800x
Port number: COM port
Baud rate:  115200

Click on Open and get the message "Please power on or reset the chip!"

Short the MCU_RST pin from the K7 to the DGND pin on the K7.

Good luck.

Edit: attachments

 

[Kegra]

I received mine but haven't had any luck in updating the firmware unfortunately.
I've tried many times but it look like the application doesn't run properly on my machine or my K7 is faulty.

Sorry to hear that. I can only suggest that you contact FiiO support and show them your firmware update tool. Perhaps they can help you somehow set it up, because I doubt that it's a malfunction of your K7.

 

[radman]

Sorry to hear that. I can only suggest that you contact FiiO support and show them your firmware update tool. Perhaps they can help you somehow set it up, because I doubt that it's a malfunction of your K7.

Actually I've been using both my own and the one received from them (exactly like yours) and not working.

 

[Kegra]

Actually I've been using both my own and the one received from them (exactly like yours) and not working.

And at what stage do you have problems updating the firmware? If you take the points from the instructions given by the FiiO, then at what point does the process stop for you? Have you written to support about this?

 

[radman]

And at what stage do you have problems updating the firmware? If you take the points from the instructions given by the FiiO, then at what point does the process stop for you? Have you written to support about this?

Yep, i have. So the application gets stuck at "Please power on or reset the chip" screen.
Pressing the reset switch on the flashing device does nothing.
After a while it crashes with a Blue screen of death.

I tried it many times on different computers at this point with no luck.

I am in contact with them but I've exhausted all my options at this point.
Maybe I'll try again this weekend but I don't think the outcome will change at all.