[FIIO KA5/KA15]FiiO Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier

[Billyak]

Do iPhones have a lighting power draw limit?

 

[bru87tr]

Do iPhones have a lighting power draw limit?

They do, but the KA13 doesn’t do this.

I wouldn’t have bought it if I knew this but I don’t recall anyone having this issue.

 

[jody2k]

What is going on with DAC's in the 100$ range? No really, I was so impressed couple of days ago by the SMSL m300SE (cirrus logic CS43131 DAC). I looked in google for the "cirrus logic dac" and I stumbled upon the new fiio KA5 which was the newer version of cirrus logic CS43198 . And guess what my first impression? it sounds even better, twice the output power and it's a small dongle?! I received it today and I paired it with my hifiman HE1000 stealth and fiio KA5 sounded like absolute heaven, especially from the 4.4mm balanced output. it sounds very like the SMSL m300SE with the same fullness/thickness, but the KA5 sounds a bit more refined and a timbre I would describe as more "transparent" compared to the m300SE. To me this sounded like a immediate upgrade, a small one but to my ears it's still a improvement. The funny thing is they cost the same here in my region, both priced @ €140. Thinking that I sold my hipdac-2 and my quedelix 5K suddenly sounds thin and congested compared to this one. I only wonder why dac's have become so cheap in the price range of 100 euro it's just mind boggling

 

[Longfellow78]

I know the KA3 and KA5 do NOT support a microphone.

Hi, I was wondering how anyone thinks the KA5 will drive the Fostex T60RP planar, with Impedance: 50 ohm. Sensitivity: 92dB/mW. I had a KA13 for a day in 4.4mm balanced before it bricked on a firmware update and has gone back to Amazon. The power was more than enough to damage my ears with the Fostex, but I hated the lack of physical play/pause button which is such a no brainer its crazy. So I'm looking at the KA5 - but unsure if it has the power to drive these headphones.

I am also interested in the sennheier HD6xx for the future, would the KA5 be sufficient for these or is the extra power of the K13 better?

I've also heard that the KA5 sounds better, but not sure why as they have the same dac chip, and the KA13 has more powerful opamps. Is it architecture?

Thanks!

 

[bru87tr]

T60 are so hard to drive.

 

[Longfellow78]

T60 are so hard to drive.

Well I have a fiio m11s which has 200mw single ended and it's enough for the t60rp on max volume, but I'm not sure if this might degrade sound quality by being maxed out. I thought with 265mw the ka5 might do better. I van easily go back to the ka13 but the lack of play pause button is SO annoying

 

[bru87tr]

I have the Q11 and I just don’t think it cuts it. Sure, I guess technically it’s loud enough, but at the expense of sound quality. I was quite surprised how the KA13 wasn’t that outmatched by the Q11 on the T60. The T60 need a real amp.

 

[Longfellow78]

I have the Q11 and I just don’t think it cuts it. Sure, I guess technically it’s loud enough, but at the expense of sound quality. I was quite surprised how the KA13 wasn’t that outmatched by the Q11 on the T60. The T60 need a real amp.

This is something I have always wondered. The difference between "volume" which at 200mw in the m11s in single ended is more than loud enough, versus somehow if the underlying power of a more powerful amp somehow means that the dynamics or... Overall balance of the music is better. Online power calculators show that theoretically the ka5 should be fine for the t60rp, and many have said the regular old fiio k3 can push the t60rp k3 which is a lot less than 200mw.
Your experience suggests no? The q11 is 650mw I think - same as the m11s in balanced which personally I felt was easily powerful enough, but I am not an audiophile.

On this basis, given I'm only going to be using a dongle dac for mobile use, is the ka13 the only choice then in your opinion? It's essentially double the power of the ka5 at 550mw. I really only wanted the ka5 for the play/pause button.

 

[bru87tr]

KA13 is best IMO. I own other fiio dongles and it’s the KA13 at top.

 

[Steve_72]

You find it better than the Ka5? I was contemplating switching from the Ka13.

 

[OldRoadToad]

My son uses the KA5 daily and has nothing but real world praise for it. And by that he makes no foo-foo claims about musicalifragelisticexpedalidociousness. Just good music, played back with ease and no MQA!

ORT

 

[rafaelo]

The KA5 really grew on me with time.

I was and still am fan of ka3 (although the lack of physical buttons deny me the fine tuning of volume and thus make me not wanting to use it based on practical considerations alone) however by using almost always the ka5 ( due to the volume buttons) i started to apreciate and notice the improvements even more.

It takes time to appreciate the improvements and subtleties that brings to the table. The bass is phenomenal ( suits 660s perfectly) and the sounstage on another level. The most important aspect though is that contrary to the other siblings namely ka3 and ka2 is smooth and not bright at all.

I was so used in the signature and dynamics of ka3 that the first time i have listened it i was disappointed but after several listening sessions i have learned to appreciate all the improvements that i find them now very significant afterall and only for 50£ more. I like the oled screen as well. And it has a leather case.

I mean if you ever do a ka7 do not rush. Take your time and do it properly in order to be another meaningful upgrade.

 

[BX700]

The KA5 really grew on me with time.

I was and still am fan of ka3 (although the lack of physical buttons deny me the fine tuning of volume and thus make me not wanting to use it based on practical considerations alone) however by using almost always the ka5 ( due to the volume buttons) i started to apreciate and notice the improvements even more.

It takes time to appreciate the improvements and subtleties that brings to the table. The bass is phenomenal ( suits 660s perfectly) and the sounstage on another level. The most important aspect though is that contrary to the other siblings namely ka3 and ka2 is smooth and not bright at all.

I was so used in the signature and dynamics of ka3 that the first time i have listened it i was disappointed but after several listening sessions i have learned to appreciate all the improvements that i find them now very significant afterall and only for 50£ more. I like the oled screen as well. And it has a leather case.

I mean if you ever do a ka7 do not rush. Take your time and do it properly in order to be another meaningful upgrade.

What are your thoughts on the resolution/detail of the two models? I have a KA3 and have been looking at dual Cirrus Logic devices. I think I like the ESS sound though, like you did...

 

[rafaelo]

What are your thoughts on the resolution/detail of the two models? I have a KA3 and have been looking at dual Cirrus Logic devices. I think I like the ESS sound though, like you did...

Details and resolution has also the ka5 but initially goes unnoticed. You think that ka3 has more but i am not sure anymore. Dynamics probably the ka3 has more or shows that has more but i would not be suprised anymore if the opposite would be true as well.

For me is difficult to compare completely because with the ka3 and my set up i constantly overshoot or undershoot the volume. While with ka5 i have the volume of my phone at maximum and fine tune the volume with the buttons of the dongle. So difficult exactly to say what is responsible for what. It is also possible for the ka5 to be benefited by this reason.

As i said the ka5 needs some time to be fully appreciated. Then by going back and forth i feel that is not missing anything is just that everything is not so apparent at the beginning.

Finally, i want to say that all my comments are related to big open headphones like 660s2, 660s, elex, HD600 etc. I am using iems only with my phone in the gym and nothing else.

 

[Longfellow78]

My son uses the KA5 daily and has nothing but real world praise for it. And by that he makes no foo-foo claims about musicalifragelisticexpedalidociousness. Just good music, played back with ease and no MQA!

ORT

I have both the KA5 and the KA13 for A/B testing and to send back the one I liked least. In short, when trying to tell the difference there is very little between them in terms of sound quality I could detect. It comes down to three questions 1) Do you have monster headphones that need nuclear power to be driven, then get the KA13 (however my allegedly demanding Fostex T60RP is just fine on the KA5). 2) Do you want the best possible value for money? Get the KA13. 3) Do you care about having a physical play/pause button? Get the KA5. For me, there are only a couple of dongle dacs on the market with a play/pause button, and once you have tried it it is an absolute, absolute no brainer. Having to go into your phone, unlock it, open the music app, and physically pause/play, is a massive pain in the bum. So for me that convinience is worth nearly 80% more cost. If you don't care about that get the ka13 all day every day.

Found an app called volumee that allows physical volume buttons to control play pause. Not quite as good as a button on the dongle, but worth it to save the £55.