Quick Look: FiiO KA13 Portable DAC/Amplifier

[VSG]

FiiO adds to its portable DAC/amplifier line with the new KA13 which uses two Cirrus Logic CS4131 DACs, dedicated op-amps, and a capable USB audio bridge in addition to a desktop mode for those who want extra power for more demanding headphones.

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[SOAREVERSOR]

I don't like the asthetics at all on this. However dual CS rather than going ES is nice for a change. Inclusion of the lightning cable is nice though that is going away quickly (and thank fucking god for that). Glad it doesn't have MQA. @VSG I'm not sure how much you are following the situation as it unfolds but it looks like MQA is bankrupt and going away. So that "plus" on your reviews for past items are kinda funny.

 

[VSG]

I don't like the asthetics at all on this. However dual CS rather than going ES is nice for a change. Inclusion of the lightning cable is nice though that is going away quickly (and thank fucking god for that). Glad it doesn't have MQA. @VSG I'm not sure how much you are following the situation as it unfolds but it looks like MQA is bankrupt and going away. So that "plus" on your reviews for past items are kinda funny.

I have never been a fan of MQA and made sure to point out the MQA tax on most products. That said, it looks like MQA is coming back from the dead

 

[The Norwegian Drone Pilot]

I wonder on how this DAC compares to the 'Fiio BTR5' DAC that has been highly praised all over the places. I would expect the KA13 to be on par or slighty better.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

I have never been a fan of MQA and made sure to point out the MQA tax on most products. That said, it looks like MQA is coming back from the dead

Nuke it from orbit. Repeatedly. Let's be sure next time!

 

[VSG]

I wonder on how this DAC compares to the 'Fiio BTR5' DAC that has been highly praised all over the places. I would expect the KA13 to be on par or slighty better.

BTR5 offers Bluetooth connectivity, not just USB. It also comes with app support as seen before here: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/fiio-btr5-portable-high-fidelity-bluetooth-amplifier/. That said, it's quite old now with no 4.4 mm balanced connector and there's a newer BTR15 on the way soon. There is also a more expensive BTR7 out too.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

BTR5 offers Bluetooth connectivity, not just USB. It also comes with app support as seen before here: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/fiio-btr5-portable-high-fidelity-bluetooth-amplifier/. That said, it's quite old now with no 4.4 mm balanced connector and there's a newer BTR15 on the way soon. There is also a more expensive BTR7 out too.

Ultimately on a truly portable dack+amp or dongle I'm not going to slag them over lack of balanced.

Is balanced better? Yeah sure, in theory, in practice this is conflicted. With IEMs or basic ear buds single ended is fine almost all the time. (I'm avoiding 18 drivers per IEM type monsters on here, which at that point just get a fucking DAP). What really wants balanced is large over ear sets. Single ended is good enough for non demanding things over short cable runs. Balanced also guzzles power like an alcoholic in a brewery.

I get that it's a selling point, and that's all fine and good. But this sort of "it can run my open backed planar magnetic cans just fine and it's the size of a AA battery, but cuts my battery life in half is sort of silly. As is slapping an upgrade cable that's 50-150 bucks that has balanced onto a 50-200 buck DAC/AMP dongle and then routing it to a 150 buck set of IEMs.

It's fine and nice and all to have but it's not a deal breaker or even needed for most people. It's not idiotic like BT or MQA.

 

[faye]

550mW in to an ideal load is hardly enough to really expand your options with full size headphones.

 

[VSG]

Ultimately on a truly portable dack+amp or dongle I'm not going to slag them over lack of balanced.

Is balanced better? Yeah sure, in theory, in practice this is conflicted. With IEMs or basic ear buds single ended is fine almost all the time. (I'm avoiding 18 drivers per IEM type monsters on here, which at that point just get a fucking DAP). What really wants balanced is large over ear sets. Single ended is good enough for non demanding things over short cable runs. Balanced also guzzles power like an alcoholic in a brewery.

I get that it's a selling point, and that's all fine and good. But this sort of "it can run my open backed planar magnetic cans just fine and it's the size of a AA battery, but cuts my battery life in half is sort of silly. As is slapping an upgrade cable that's 50-150 bucks that has balanced onto a 50-200 buck DAC/AMP dongle and then routing it to a 150 buck set of IEMs.

It's fine and nice and all to have but it's not a deal breaker or even needed for most people. It's not idiotic like BT or MQA.

It's not that the BTR5 lacks a balanced connector, rather that it has the older, less popular 2.5 mm TRRS output. But yeah I know what you mean with very, very few IEMs really needing anything other than 3.5 mm.

550mW in to an ideal load is hardly enough to really expand your options with full size headphones.

How so? That's 550 mW at 32 Ohm and most headphones will be super loud with that much power. Even planar magnetic headphones with, say, 90 dB/mW sensitivity and 32 Ohm impedance are rated to get as loud as 90 dB with a single mW of power. The vast majority of dynamic driver headphones will have even less issues getting loud. Now whether or not you think that's not enough in itself is a whole other matter.

 

[Footman]

Interesting review.

Reminds me of the $70 TempoTec Sonata BHD, but this comes with 2xCS43131 and a balanced jack....

 

[Jomale]

I hope the coming FiiO BTR15 will have an EQ-App like the "Qudelix - 5K Bluetooth USB DAC Verstärker mit LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD"