[TheFritz]

I don't think a ka15 is coming. The ka17 was the ka5 replacement.

It is coming ... From the "official" Fiio product schedule 2024 thread:

2. KA15 (successor to KA5)
The KA15 is currently under development, but the final release is still a while away, likely around August or September. The main changes include adding a desktop mode and more sound adjustment features.

Other features and designs will retain some characteristics of the KA5, such as the display screen. The exterior design is also interesting, breaking away from FIIO's traditional design and adopting a more intriguing idea. Details are currently kept confidential to avoid others preempting a similar concept design.

 

[Longfellow78]

I suspect is the new XMOS chip that is responsible for that. The software is not ready maybe or did not thought this is a highly requested feature. I saw some reviews on the internet that have many mistakes about ka17 is like AI wrote them.

Thanks for reply. Did you see reviews which said that it had full app control? I saw one to say all features were in the app "except gain control" which seems very specific for it not to be true. But i can't see how they had app control for early reviewers working bit not now.

 

[rafaelo]

Thanks for reply. Did you see reviews which said that it had full app control? I saw one to say all features were in the app "except gain control" which seems very specific for it not to be true. But i can't see how they had app control for early reviewers working bit not now.

I have no clue how this is claimed when the manual is very specific about the functionalities. Is not like the manual in the app says one think and the device does something else.

 

[patrick12300]

I do not have dsd files unfortunately. I am using spotify and amazon music HD i will use apple music again. So mucic streaming services at the moment.

The iphone 15 pro max of my wife i just tested with some music from you tube and is working wonderfully in desktop mode.

From my iphone 12 pro max i have restarts and some messages in chineze on ka17 I do not understand. With an extra power source plays normally in desktop mode. I will try my ipad pro with the lightning cable to see what happens there.

Your iPhone 12‘s lightning port doesn’t have enough power for the KA17 but one workaround is that you connect a Powerbank to it. I had the same problem at high volumes and I bought a camera adapter for iPhone, connected a charger and my KA3 at the same time to it and got enough power.

 

[rafaelo]

Your iPhone 12‘s lightning port doesn’t have enough power for the KA17 but one workaround is that you connect a Powerbank to it. I had the same problem at high volumes and I bought a camera adapter for iPhone, connected a charger and my KA3 at the same time to it and got enough power.

I have the camera adapter and I get always the best sound quality from this. At the end of the day I have three phones I am using iphone for other purposes and have my two samsung phones that give me all the power I need.

But I am very happy that volume management in the iPhone is controlled solely by ka17 this is something I specifically requested. As far as I know only ibasso did it so far. I did not remember what the go bar did but the xdsd is doing exactly the same thing. This maybe is also a controller related thing.

 

[patrick12300]

I have the camera adapter and I get always the best sound quality from this. At the end of the day I have three phones I am using iphone for other purposes and have my two samsung phones that give me all the power I need.

But I am very happy that volume management in the iPhone is controlled solely by ka17 this is something I specifically requested. As far as I know only ibasso did it so far. I did not remember what the go bar did but the xdsd is doing exactly the same thing. This maybe is also a controller related thing.

I am not happy that you can’t control the volume on the iPhone. It should get an option to turn it on or off because if I watch some videos on the PC the KA17 is out of my reach and so I would need to lean under my desk to control the volume and I think no one wants to do that.

 

[Longfellow78]

It is coming ... From the "official" Fiio product schedule 2024 thread:

Oh that's interesting thanks. I should have waited for that.

 

[Longfellow78]

I have no clue how this is claimed when the manual is very specific about the functionalities. Is not like the manual in the app says one think and the device does something else.

I don't understand your post I'm afraid. You mean you don't know how what is claimed? That it has within app control for all functions? Almost every single review and preview said you could control the settings with the fiio app. You can't, you can only control eq. If I recall the "manual" in the app only shows the on device controls, it doesn't say anything about what else the app does or doesn't do. Surely you find it strange that every other fiio dongle allows this and the new "flagship" one doesn't?

It is extremely clear that in its current form, this device is a step up in Hardware/performance and a step back in every other aspect. It is more expensive, larger, heavier, worse design imo (more glass for fake large screen, uglier - maybe others prefer it) no setting app support, no play pause, no skip track, no unfiltered mode. It pops on playing, and it's more power hungry.

 

[rafaelo]

I am not happy that you can’t control the volume on the iPhone. It should get an option to turn it on or off because if I watch some videos on the PC the KA17 is out of my reach and so I would need to lean under my desk to control the volume and I think no one wants to do that.

It has to do the quality of sound and how in this way the signal is true bit perfect or something like this.

There is a post Somewhere in ibasso thread that explains this much better than i can do. But I personally notice better quality in iPhone this way.

EDIT: suddenly i can change the volume with the iphone buttons not sure why. Two different iphones and several times i had different behaniour.

@patrick12300 maybe you can manage to do that as well after plugging and unplugging few times and use different music services.

 

[rafaelo]

I don't understand your post I'm afraid. You mean you don't know how what is claimed? That it has within app control for all functions? Almost every single review and preview said you could control the settings with the fiio app. You can't, you can only control eq. If I recall the "manual" in the app only shows the on device controls, it doesn't say anything about what else the app does or doesn't do. Surely you find it strange that every other fiio dongle allows this and the new "flagship" one doesn't?

It is extremely clear that in its current form, this device is a step up in Hardware/performance and a step back in every other aspect. It is more expensive, larger, heavier, worse design imo (more glass for fake large screen, uglier - maybe others prefer it) no setting app support, no play pause, no skip track, no unfiltered mode. It pops on playing, and it's more power hungry.

Why it is nessessarily more expensive? Ka5 is 125£ and I find ka17 125£ in preorder for UK.

In my case the manual in the app describes all the functionalities that this device do, for example it says the main button mute/unmutes the device and does not say it does play/stop the track.

So if there functionalities like ka5 for other reviewers this means that the app is so smart and understands what firmware and associated functionalities the specific ka17 under consideration has and expose the appropriate manual for these specific functionalities and ka17 at hand.

In my case the manual I can read inside the app describes exactly the functionalities that my device has in practice.

if ka5 is discontinued I do not agree with this because it is still usefull and one can buys both 125*2 which is the price for one RU7 and has two dongles with different signatures.

 

[patrick12300]

Can someone describe how the KA5 compares soundwise to the KA17?

I think the KA17 has more „hiss“ in the upper tones and I don't know if it's because the KA17 has a better chip and therefore better "resolution" or if it has different characteristics and I don't know if I like it yet. My girlfriend said that she likes the KA5 more because some Instruments are too much in the foreground when she uses the KA17, the KA5 is more balanced and has less of the "Hiss" that I noticed too.

The KA5 has features that I like e.g. the "NOS" filter, App control, you can use the volume slider on the iPhone/PC and it's more efficient and I don't need much Power but I want an Equalizer because my Sundara has too little base for me. FIIO doesn't even describes the filters the KA17 has.

I don't even know if and what FIIO will fix or change and this is my biggest worry. If FIIO doesn't change anything then the KA17 is in my opinion the worse device.

So I must make a tough decision because on Friday I will send one of them back so my right of withdrawal doesn't run out.

 

[Longfellow78]

Can someone describe how the KA5 compares soundwise to the KA17?

I think the KA17 has more „hiss“ in the upper tones and I don't know if it's because the KA17 has a better chip and therefore better "resolution" or if it has different characteristics and I don't know if I like it yet. My girlfriend said that she likes the KA5 more because some Instruments are too much in the foreground when she uses the KA17, the KA5 is more balanced and has less of the "Hiss" that I noticed too.

The KA5 has features that I like e.g. the "NOS" filter, App control, you can use the volume slider on the iPhone/PC and it's more efficient and I don't need much Power but I want an Equalizer because my Sundara has too little base for me. FIIO doesn't even describes the filters the KA17 has.

I don't even know if and what FIIO will fix or change and this is my biggest worry. If FIIO doesn't change anything then the KA17 is in my opinion the worse device.

So I must make a tough decision because on Friday I will send one of them back so my right of withdrawal doesn't run out.

I agree. At the moment unless you need the massive 650mw power it is worse. I prefer the ka13.

 

[rafaelo]

Can someone describe how the KA5 compares soundwise to the KA17?

I think the KA17 has more „hiss“ in the upper tones and I don't know if it's because the KA17 has a better chip and therefore better "resolution" or if it has different characteristics and I don't know if I like it yet. My girlfriend said that she likes the KA5 more because some Instruments are too much in the foreground when she uses the KA17, the KA5 is more balanced and has less of the "Hiss" that I noticed too.

The KA5 has features that I like e.g. the "NOS" filter, App control, you can use the volume slider on the iPhone/PC and it's more efficient and I don't need much Power but I want an Equalizer because my Sundara has too little base for me. FIIO doesn't even describes the filters the KA17 has.

I don't even know if and what FIIO will fix or change and this is my biggest worry. If FIIO doesn't change anything then the KA17 is in my opinion the worse device.

So I must make a tough decision because on Friday I will send one of them back so my right of withdrawal doesn't run out.

I cannot see how ka5 can be better than ka17 for the sundara . I thought planars need a lot of power.

For my headphones ka17 is a big step forward IMO. I do not care about the play/pause button.

The only real negative so far is that does not play with my iPhone without extra power but I can leave with that and the future anyway is iphone 15 (usb-c) and beyond.

 

[RainyDog]

Why it is nessessarily more expensive? Ka5 is 125£ and I find ka17 125£ in preorder for UK.

Yeah I noticed that the KA5 and KA17 seem to be the same price in the UK.

I think it's just because the exchange rate was much worse when the KA5 was released. The UK selling price for the KA5 should really be adjusted to £99.99 now, to slot between the KA13 and KA17.

 

[rafaelo]

Yeah I noticed that the KA5 and KA17 seem to be the same price in the UK.

I think it's just because the exchange rate was much worse when the KA5 was released. The UK selling price for the KA5 should really be adjusted to £99.99 now, to slot between the KA13 and KA17.

If you think that the ka5 has not the case included and I payed extra for the case still the price is much more comparable than not.

Even then If I would paid few more quid for the ka17 I will take it in any given day.

I am testing currently with the 660s and 660s2 yesterday I used the elex.



One should also think that with ka17 can use any fancy power supply ...ipower, linear power supply etc. The possibilities are endless.