scracy
100+ Head-Fier
Chain: Tidal via Roon on Mac > FiiO K7 [ 4.4mm balanced ] > Hifiman Edition XS / Letshuoer S12
Just picked up a unit earlier today.
Let me make a disclaimer first and foremost that I paid for my K7 out of my pocket. I have never been compensated in any way for any of my reviews or impressions, nor do I intend to go down that route.
My only piece of FiiO source/amplifier gear was the humble FiiO E10K Olympus some years back. Most recently, my primary DAC/amp was the iFi micro iDSD Signature, then the JDS Element II and JDS Atom stack before that, with the iFi ZEN stack being my staple for the last year or so.
Note that I no longer own any of the units mentioned above nor do I have any other sources to conduct a direct comparison with the K7, so take the following impressions with a grain of salt.
My first impression of the K7 and the Hifiman Edition XS via the 4.4mm balanced output was: airy, pristine, clean, refined, spacious, cinematic, full-bodied, with a meaty and robust low-end that exhibits strong control and grip.
By comparison, and from memory, the iFi micro iDSD Signature sounded distinctly softer, mellower, warmer, more intimate, less precise, and less detailed, even with the GTO filter.
So far my main nitpicks are a dead zone on the volume pot between 7 to 10 o’clock on both my full-sized Edition XS and my Letshuoer S12, and the slow initial ramp up in volume before 1 o’clock.
Build quality is solid, and the volume pot is smooth, sturdy, with a pleasant amount of resistance.
These are early impressions, and time will tell how they hold up in terms of quality control. For now, colour me impressed.
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