[FiiO Kang]

https://www.fiio.com/ka13_parameters

 

[bru87tr]

Our nominal power must be correct. Are you using a balanced connection? In a balanced connection, 550mW output power @32 ohms. and in 3.5mm headphone out is , 170mW output power @32 ohms.

Running balanced trying a few different phones. Really my ears feel like the power output between this and the fc4 are the same. But I’m a deaf 55 yr old so…..

Maybe a slight power edge to the KA13 but it’s close. The more I listen to it the more I like the KA13. I wish it was a little less sharp in sound, but it has a pretty good soundstage and depth for a dongle. My more sensitive phones produce better bass on it. A little rush to judgement to how it performed, but I’m new to dongles anyway.

 

[bru87tr]

I’d like to know how fiio got around the iPhone external high power device issue where other dongles haven’t. Especially given the high power output of the KA13.

 

[Voohoo]

I got the KA13 to power both my Moondrop Kato and Arya Organic. In desktop mode the gain is actually too high for the Arya but then again the Organic is more efficient than the previous versions. I want to try my HD 8XX on the KA13 but I don't have a 4.4mm cable for it.

During a brief comparison between my KA13 and K9 Pro (entry level vs flagship LOL) using my Arya it was of no surprise that the KA13 doesn't compete. I was interested to see if the KA13 could get close enough to make me consider selling the K9 Pro. The K9 Pro is just better in every aspect: more resolving, more controlled, cleaner, blacker, more spacious and holographic. The KA13 has more grunt in the low-end which makes it kinda fun but it's not as controlled and refined. It was nice to hear my Arya scale with the K9 Pro which absolutely unlocks the amazing qualities of the Arya.

 

[bru87tr]

I got the KA13 to power both my Moondrop Kato and Arya Organic. In desktop mode the gain is actually too high for the Arya but then again the Organic is more efficient than the previous versions. I want to try my HD 8XX on the KA13 but I don't have a 4.4mm cable for it.

During a brief comparison between my KA13 and K9 Pro (entry level vs flagship LOL) using my Arya it was of no surprise that the KA13 doesn't compete. I was interested to see if the KA13 could get close enough to make me consider selling the K9 Pro. The K9 Pro is just better in every aspect: more resolving, more controlled, cleaner, blacker, more spacious and holographic. The KA13 has more grunt in the low-end which makes it kinda fun but it's not as controlled and refined. It was nice to hear my Arya scale with the K9 Pro which absolutely unlocks the amazing qualities of the Arya.

Besides the moondrop, the k9 pro and Arya Organic is comparing out of the K13 league.

 

[Ichos]

I got the KA13 to power both my Moondrop Kato and Arya Organic. In desktop mode the gain is actually too high for the Arya but then again the Organic is more efficient than the previous versions. I want to try my HD 8XX on the KA13 but I don't have a 4.4mm cable for it.

During a brief comparison between my KA13 and K9 Pro (entry level vs flagship LOL) using my Arya it was of no surprise that the KA13 doesn't compete. I was interested to see if the KA13 could get close enough to make me consider selling the K9 Pro. The K9 Pro is just better in every aspect: more resolving, more controlled, cleaner, blacker, more spacious and holographic. The KA13 has more grunt in the low-end which makes it kinda fun but it's not as controlled and refined. It was nice to hear my Arya scale with the K9 Pro which absolutely unlocks the amazing qualities of the Arya.

It would be too optimistic to expect similar kind of performance between the entry level KA13 and the flagship K9 PRO!!

 

[FiiO Kang]

I got the KA13 to power both my Moondrop Kato and Arya Organic. In desktop mode the gain is actually too high for the Arya but then again the Organic is more efficient than the previous versions. I want to try my HD 8XX on the KA13 but I don't have a 4.4mm cable for it.

During a brief comparison between my KA13 and K9 Pro (entry level vs flagship LOL) using my Arya it was of no surprise that the KA13 doesn't compete. I was interested to see if the KA13 could get close enough to make me consider selling the K9 Pro. The K9 Pro is just better in every aspect: more resolving, more controlled, cleaner, blacker, more spacious and holographic. The KA13 has more grunt in the low-end which makes it kinda fun but it's not as controlled and refined. It was nice to hear my Arya scale with the K9 Pro which absolutely unlocks the amazing qualities of the Arya.

Comparing the KA13 with the K9PRO, it's not very fair. haha

 

[FiiO Kang]

I’d like to know how fiio got around the iPhone external high power device issue where other dongles haven’t. Especially given the high power output of the KA13.

IPhone models prior to the iPhone 15. Because the output current of the mobile phone is not enough, it can not fully release the high power of KA13. But iphone15 and Android phones and computers, it's perfectly fine.

 

[TheFritz]

Running balanced trying a few different phones. Really my ears feel like the power output between this and the fc4 are the same. But I’m a deaf 55 yr old so…..

I do not have the Hiby FC4 but I did a little "real world" comparison of the Sound Pressure Level SPL of a headphone using he KA13, the iBasso DC04pro and the Questyle M15 at maximum volume (hardware and software) in the thread here dealing with different dongle DACs. The KA13 is significantly "louder" (about 1.5 dB SPL) than the others (not talking about sound quality here). I think the DC04 pro is comparable to the FC4 in terms of output power (somewhere in the 300mW range at 32 Ohm balanced).
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/post-17810583

 

[bru87tr]

IPhone models prior to the iPhone 15. Because the output current of the mobile phone is not enough, it can not fully release the high power of KA13. But iphone15 and Android phones and computers, it's perfectly fine.

Well I have a iPhone 13 Pro maxx and it works fine right down to 0% battery.

 

[bru87tr]

I do not have the Hiby FC4 but I did a little "real world" comparison of the Sound Pressure Level SPL of a headphone using he KA13, the iBasso DC04pro and the Questyle M15 at maximum volume (hardware and software) in the thread here dealing with different dongle DACs. The KA13 is significantly "louder" (about 1.5 dB SPL) than the others (not talking about sound quality here). I think the DC04 pro is comparable to the FC4 in terms of output power (somewhere in the 300mW range at 32 Ohm balanced).
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/usb-c-to-3-5mm-adapters-dac-lets-find-the-best.908839/post-17810583

My ears hear different, but I trust your test.

 

[TheFritz]

My ears hear different, but I trust your test.

Always trust your ears ... at least when it is about quality of sound reproduction. Mine are not much younger than yours and I might also hear less accurately. While the KA13 was clearly louder, from listening to music I expected the M15 to be more "powerful" (than the DC04pro) just because it has much better control/authority over (planar) headphones. However, it turned out to produce the same SPL. So sometimes perception is very different from physics if you look only at these simplified measurements.
But I guess there is still something a bit strange going on with your KA13 setup and I doubt that the Hiby marketing guys declared the FC4's output power much lower than in reality...

 

[bru87tr]

Always trust your ears ... at least when it is about quality of sound reproduction. Mine are not much younger than yours and I might also hear less accurately. While the KA13 was clearly louder, from listening to music I expected the M15 to be more "powerful" (than the DC04pro) just because it has much better control/authority over (planar) headphones. However, it turned out to produce the same SPL. So sometimes perception is very different from physics if you look only at these simplified measurements.
But I guess there is still something a bit strange going on with your KA13 setup and I doubt that the Hiby marketing guys declared the FC4's output power much lower than in reality...

I agree with everything you say, but the KA13 setup is pretty simple, fw updated and working as it should. iPhone 13 Pro maxx>KA13>headphones.

Don’t get me wrong the KA13 is pretty powerful. Using Fostex T60, Oppo PM-3 and Monolith M570 and comparing both the KA13 and FC4, they are very similar in power output. Maxed volume I didn’t hear a big difference in Pure power output.

I will say I like the KA13 and my ears have adjusted to its sound which wasn’t hard to do. Other than a little sharper sound over the fc4, the KA13 sounds quite nice. For now it’s my go to as my iPhone doesn’t limit power to it at all which surprised me. This is the one negative about the fc4, when iPhone gets to 50% battery it shuts down power to the fc4.

I really like the KA13 after a lot of comparing and hours of music testing.

 

[Voohoo]

It would be too optimistic to expect similar kind of performance between the entry level KA13 and the flagship K9 PRO!!

More like would I care enough about the difference in performance to make me want to keep an $800 box on my desk versus being content with an $80 dongle. The thing with audiophilia is that once you get used to a certain level of quality, it's hard to be happy with anything less

 

[terrav]

I’d like to know how fiio got around the iPhone external high power device issue where other dongles haven’t. Especially given the high power output of the KA13.

I found a review that points out that there is something special about the C to L cable that comes with the Fiio KA13, they say that when using that cable the power output is much higher than other cables. And it doesn't even get hot like other cables. This makes me feel happy because I accidentally own a high quality cable from Fiio that I'm not sure I can buy outside.

The review is in Chinese, just translate it: http://www.audiotop.net/newsinfo/6376404.html