Introduction

While it may have been a couple of months since our previous FiiO product review, the famous audio brand has not remained still by any means. In fact, I have here a collection of FiiO products being tested and you can take a look at the company's plans for this year to see exactly how many new products are being released. This year also coincides with the new FiiO product naming scheme which can be somewhat confusing since there are still products following the older methodology, and it has led to the likes of the more budget-friendly Q11 portable DAC/amp having a higher number (logically) than the flagship Q7 portable source. Today is another such example and back to the realm of portable DAC/amps we go, but on the even smaller footprint with devices that do not have Bluetooth and/or an internal battery. Thanks to FiiO for providing review samples to TechPowerUp.


I recommend going through the quick look article featuring the FiiO KA5 for some context since the newer KA13 is positioned next to it—below the tier list but with some features that actually best the more expensive KA5. If you were to go by FiiO's new product naming, the KA13 is an improvement to the KA3 portable DAC/amp which itself has been extremely popular since launch. There are two colors to choose from this time round and we also get a desktop mode inspired by the likes of the FiiO Q7 as well as the M15S/M17 DAPs. This means the KA13 can output more power than most such devices in its class and there is a potential use case for it to be easily hidden on/under your desk and powering headphones and IEMs similar to larger desktop-class equipment. We'll explore this, and more, in this quick look article which begins with a look the product specifications below. Be sure to click the image twice to fully open it and go through all the details.

Packaging and Accessories

The FiiO KA13 ships in a reasonably sized box compared to the usual large boxes used by the company. It uses a mix of matte and glossy finishes applied in blue with different accent colors and renders to draw your eyes if you were to see this in a retail store perhaps. On the front is the company logo and product name, a render of the KA13 in both colors, and salient features in addition to the expected Hi-Res Audio logo. The Jade Audio logo shows up on the back to confirm this is co-branded with FiiO's more affordable sister brand, and we also get contact information for the company. On the side is an authentication sticker for those paranoid about getting a fake product somehow and the inner box slides out the top or bottom as seen above.


The inner box is an open cardboard container that has a multi-language quick start guide right at the top. I recommend going through this so you don't miss out on any features supported by the device. The KA13 portable DAC/amp comes placed safely in a thick foam sheet for added protection with the other accessories seen in the compartment to the bottom in a separate cardboard box. I also appreciated the cutouts at the top and bottom allowing you to easily pry out the various items—a simple move others tend to ignore. The accessories include a support note in addition to a nice set of soft sleeved short USB Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Lightning cables, allowing users to pair the KA13 with various mobile devices. There is also a Type-C to Type-A adapter for use with a laptop/PC to complete the set. If you were so inclined, FiiO is separately selling a protective leather (maybe protein leather) case in two colors for $5.