[rbmusicman]

I wonder how this would compare to the Fiio K7? Would it be even worth it to pay the extra for the K7 just to use it for headphones?

 

[vandung2510]

For headphone, i'd say yes. Same thx amp, now with stronger power and a knob

 

[GroovyAudio]

Are you playing music locally? I don't know what this Samsung music app is. I'm using an s23 ultra and I use musicolet which for me by far is the best local music player. Try it and see if you get same issue.

I've already send it back to my local store. Samsung has it's own music player app that I've been using for a long time and I really like it because it's simple to use. I also tried with pulsar music player and the issue was the same. Maybe I received a bad unit I don't know to be honest... I'll wait for KA15 personally.

 

[rafaelo]

There are a lot of options like fast, brick, slow, hybrid but where is "Non OS" option?

This is because ka5 uses cirrus logic dac and ka17 uses ESS dac. These options are offered by the dac manufacturer and passed through the dongle manufacturer to the customer. There is no Nos filter to ka3 either for the same reason.

 

[BX700]

Software can be fixed, the hardware alone is unmissable value IMO

 

[Pelilin]

Hi guys im joining KA17 club.

I have question about the filters.
FiiO can you give us what the Filters do to the sound, i cant find it in your website.

Also is the desktop mode increase Voltage or Current(Amp)?

Anyway i didnt expect dongle nowadays have become so good. Tried RU7 and i can say this KA17 is maybe around the same level as RU7 but cheaper and i like KA17 it sound warmer also i dont experience popping or clicking sound like what Cayin dongle did with my phone.

 

[ClieOS]

Hi guys im joining KA17 club.

I have question about the filters.
FiiO can you give us what the Filters do to the sound, i cant find it in your website.

Also is the desktop mode increase Voltage or Current(Amp)?

Anyway i didnt expect dongle nowadays have become so good. Tried RU7 and i can say this KA17 is on the same level as RU7 but cheaper and i like KA17 it sound warmer also i dont experience popping or clicking sound like what Cayin dongle did with my phone.

Here is some references description regarding the difference of ESS' filters: https://www.eversolo.com/Support/su...zeq7k9e[ld]3ulg==/guide_faq/AwkvFko6beQ=.html

As for voltage vs. current: my own measurement suggests both are increased in desktop mode.

 

[vandung2510]

Here is some references description regarding the difference of ESS' filters: https://www.eversolo.com/Support/support_guide/guide_target/VP1omCXXOHzeq7k9e[ld]3ulg==/guide_faq/AwkvFko6beQ=.html

As for voltage vs. current: my own measurement suggests both are increased in desktop mode.

Can you explain the different between the 2? Like, why not just increase either or both, what would you achieve if you choose 1 against another?

 

[GroovyAudio]

The guy from my local store offered to send me another KA17 after I explained my issues with it. I pulled trigger and now I'm waiting for my second KA17 to arrive. I hope this one works. Fingers crossed, guys.
@Longfellow78 I'm gonna try the musicolet app.

 

[Pelilin]

Here is some references description regarding the difference of ESS' filters: https://www.eversolo.com/Support/support_guide/guide_target/VP1omCXXOHzeq7k9e[ld]3ulg==/guide_faq/AwkvFko6beQ=.html

As for voltage vs. current: my own measurement suggests both are increased in desktop mode.

What is reverb?

 

[ClieOS]

Can you explain the different between the 2? Like, why not just increase either or both, what would you achieve if you choose 1 against another?

You means voltage vs. current? Voltage mainly dictate loudness, current mainly dictates tightness / control. For example, increasing voltage makes everything sounds louder, but increasing current improves the notes' sharpness / definitions / stage. For simplification, you can think of voltage gives more quantity while current gives more quality, but to an extent.

What is reverb?

When an audio note is made, it doesn't just disappear when when the actual signal is stopped but a it is actually gradually faded / diminished. Those lingering signal that are the artifact of the original signal is the reverb.

 

[Pelilin]

You means voltage vs. current? Voltage mainly dictate loudness, current mainly dictates tightness / control. For example, increasing voltage makes everything sounds louder, but increasing current improves the notes' sharpness / definitions / stage. For simplification, you can think of voltage gives more quantity while current gives more quality, but to an extent.


When an audio note is made, it doesn't just disappear when when the actual signal is stopped but a it is actually gradually faded / diminished. Those lingering signal that are the artifact of the original signal is the reverb.

Ahhhh some people call it decay or echo like effect am i right? Also in the link you provided i think it was for other DAC chip 9068 is it the same? Cant find Mini, mini s, apod 1, apod 2 description.

 

[vandung2510]

You means voltage vs. current? Voltage mainly dictate loudness, current mainly dictates tightness / control. For example, increasing voltage makes everything sounds louder, but increasing current improves the notes' sharpness / definitions / stage. For simplification, you can think of voltage gives more quantity while current gives more quality, but to an extent.

Gotcha. Thank you for the explaination. That must explain the hype or the magic around Questyle stuff huh?

 

[ClieOS]

Ahhhh some people call it decay or echo like effect am i right? Also in the link you provided i think it was for other DAC chip 9068 is it the same? Cant find Mini, mini s, apod 1, apod 2 description.

The same filters are more or less the same (*function wise) across different gen of ESS' DAC chip, but they do add more filters option on newer chip, which is what ESS often does as part of their marketing of features. All of these filters have pretty much existed on various older ESS' DAC chip from one point to another, just that they decided to have almost all of them installed in ES9069, plus one 'programmable' filter which you can put the MQA decoding filter in if the manufacturer is willing pay the license.

 

[ClieOS]

Gotcha. Thank you for the explaination. That must explain the hype or the magic around Questyle stuff huh?

Questyle is different. What they do is current gain amplification - meaning they used the current signal as the main factors during the amplification process (as opposed to the more common voltage gain amplification). These are the different ways of how a circuit can make a signal larger / smaller, but then the circuit will always need to convert back to voltage signal at the end, then a buffer stage (or something similar) will add current to that voltage signal in order to actually have both components together driving the load (*headphone). The KA17 discussion we have before deals more with the latter, the combined voltage + current signal. Questyle on the other hand deals more on how the signal is increased / decreased before current is added. That's why even though Questyle called it current mode amplification, yet their USB dongles actually don't offer a lot of current driving power to the headphone i.e. M15 is 85mW @ 32 ohm, M12 is just under 50mW @ 32 ohm. In contrast, KA17 is 140mW @ 32 ohm in normal mode and 270mW @ 32 ohm in desktop mode.