[Loneract]

Send the unit for actual testing on none profit review groups, else the K3 is just another nice looking Fiio junk with false specs that looks pretty on paper and I/O ports that are actually redundant, remember the famous e07k unit which every entry of its defects and engineering screw ups got deleted here in headfi? go figure.

headfi's nonsense review with no actual methodology, testing equipment and test data for any of the mentioned attributes related to the reviewed products is clear as day as nothing more than a marketing scam.

The related Q1mkII tested very well:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-mark-ii-portable-dac-and-headphone-amp.4074/

But, yes, it's be great to see some test results if someone could send theirs in to be tested. I've been very satisfied with my Q1 mkII, fwiw.

 

[Wannabenewton]

@Brooko how does it hold up against schiit modi if you only use it as a dac, is the line out on par with other ~100$ dacs like odac and the like.

 

[Brooko]

Unfortunately I haven't tried any Schiit gear, and have never heard the Odac.

It sounds the same as the E17K - pretty much wire with gain. Bass boost is sub-bass oriented. Power is not bad - you're not going to drive a 300 ohm headphone with authority, but up to 150 ohm should be pretty good. I'm still a bit confused about the optical out and the RCA out. Why would you bypass the DAC when its the best part of the unit? Everything else is good though. Perfect for use with a laptop, and easy to fit in a travel bag.

What else would you like to know?

 

[Wannabenewton]

You got it the other way around i want to bypass the amp and use it as dac only, ill be using an e12 as the amp because hd600 will give hell to anything with less power.i just hoped it was like a schiit modi that i could fit in my palm, It would be my endgame dac if it was

 

[udesign48]

Hello guys,

I really like the idea of K3 because of its balanced output.
K3 seems to be smaller than Q1 Mk II.

How do they compare in terms of sound quality?
Do you guys think K3 sound as good as Q1 Mk II?

K3 seems to be more portable.
K3 now sells for $108. Q1 Mk II is $99.

Given the size, K3 is a better choice for travelers... but I wonder if its sound quality is as good as that of Q1 Mk ii.

 

[spdtdl]

Super impressed. Tiny little unit, smaller then I was expecting.

Bass boosting is addictive!

 

[Brooko]

You got it the other way around i want to bypass the amp and use it as dac only, ill be using an e12 as the amp because hd600 will give hell to anything with less power.i just hoped it was like a schiit modi that i could fit in my palm, It would be my endgame dac if it was

If you by-pass the amp, you'd be using a line-out signal. To use the Optical or Coax - you are passing a digital signal, not an analog one - therefore you are by-passing the DAC. I just don't get the use of this. All its doing is making the device into a USB => Coax or USB => Optical converter. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Wannabenewton]

Line out is an analog signal directly from the dac which comes out at a fixed rms power and cant be varied with the pot, its like the output of a dedicated dac which is mean to be powered by a seperate amplifier before being used to power a headphone. I dont think theres an option to bypass the dac in any device, atleast not in the ones i know.

 

[KaiFi]

Wonder how it compares to the iFi Nano. Similar form-factor, but the Nano's twice the price. I have the Nano and I like it a lot. But I like the more common 2.5 balanced output of the K3 and the USB-C input. I may get it and try and compare the two as best as I can.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Wonder how it compares to the iFi Nano. Similar form-factor, but the Nano's twice the price. I have the Nano and I like it a lot. But I like the more common 2.5 balanced output of the K3 and the USB-C input. I may get it and try and compare the two as best as I can.

iNano BL?

I actually connected K3 to my Mi Max 2, just to see if it can play, and yes it can. So... This is interesting

K3 works with smartphones as well

 

[spdtdl]

USB C & Bass Boost (guilty pleasure) are reasons I picked this up over the Nano.

Ipad Pro USB C direct to USB C on the K3, no mucking around with adaptors.

 

[Brooko]

Line out is an analog signal directly from the dac which comes out at a fixed rms power and cant be varied with the pot, its like the output of a dedicated dac which is mean to be powered by a seperate amplifier before being used to power a headphone. I dont think theres an option to bypass the dac in any device, atleast not in the ones i know.

I have the K3 with me. The optical out and coax out bypass the DAC. They basically take the digital signal in via USB, and pass it out via either optical or coax. You can’t use those outputs to another amp. It has to be to another DAC. How are you not understanding this?

 

[Wannabenewton]

Idk about optical or any other stuff, this is all i have to go on. A post by fiio that says it has 3.5 mm line out and thats all i wanted to know about.

 

[Brooko]

Yes - it has a 3.5mm analog line-out from the rear. The volume is controlled via the pot (which is actually quite good for active desk-top monitors).

What would have made more sense (to me anyway) would have been the 3.5mm line-out, then a pair of fixed RCA L/R outputs for connection to another amp. I think the optical and coax out is pretty much redundant - I simply can't see a lot of people using those outputs.

 

[vladmaxim]

Hello, How does K3 sound in general? compared to E10K it is Better?
Thanks