FiiO KA17 portable DAC review - setting new records 

they definitely have a great plans

Great to hear! Thank you for the support!

or should I pay extra and take the m11 pro on the secondary market?

Subjectively, I always think that it's more worse to update to a higher end player model. In general KA17 will give you a better sound compared to R3Pro, but at the same time battery lifetime will decrease, and usability will be worse

No, I don't think you should get M11 Pro, I'd rather wait to see what comes from FiiO this year. Or consider Shanling M3 Ultra for example

I didn't test in practice, but most probably it'll power them OK

I'm testing them with my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and with some of the Android players as a transport, because they are the same as phones when it comes to USB DACs

Hello, I tried it with CA Andromeda (few versions), FiiO's JD5, FD5 and FX15, Soundz Avant, Noble Ronin and some others

Unfortunately I didn't test HE1000SE, so I can't give a meaningful advice, sorry

congratulations on your purchase!

I didn't test M15, as for RU6 it's a matter of whether you like a warmer sound

It has more control in sound and is slightly better in sound overall. Also, price difference is because of extra features like desktop mode. But do you need it or not, it's a matter of your decision

If you consider mainly desktop mode, then get K11, as it's more convenient in this scenario

@@PortaFi Thank you

coaxial

@PortaFi thanks one other reviewer said it optical I bought it for that reason now I'm in the process of returning it.

Hello, unfortunately I didn't have this DAC

Thanks anyway.

RU7, but it's anyway a matter of taste

Thank you!

Hello, thank you! Unfortunately I didn't test DC04 pro and M1P

KA17 is more technical, more dynamic, etc. so if you don't need Bleutooth, go for it

This is one of the reasons I will send the KA17 back. DSD only works when MQA is on but then I have no volume control on my phone/PC. The iPhone 15 Pro Max can't play DSD because it's almost white noise with little music. No "Non oversampling" Filter and no app control to show the full names of the filters. No Filter description at all. The only thing you can set up in the app is the Equalizer and it's a pain in the A*. You set the Gain to 8dB and after restarting you get only 4 (I think it's going the value down that you put up too much because it can't go higher then 100% when you set some frequencies so when you set 8 and it get's down to 4 then 6 is the max value) I already have the KA5 and it doesn't make any problems ans I wait for the KA15.

Depends what you want. For portable only use I wish I'd kept the ka5. Smaller, cheaper, better app support, more efficient, lighter, nicer design, much better control functionality. Just lacking higher power output and USB port.

@@radicalturkey Fiio will release the KA15 this year Let's see what they will be up too with this one.

yep, I really like to review KA11, but a bit later, as shipment is delayed a bit

I'm almost sure that FiiO will release new FW addressing issues

it's not

no, it doesn't

@@PortaFi does it bring the mids forward, at least?

@@prosnapple no, it's a DAC/amp, its task is to play balanced sound without noticeable coloration. Things like bass/mid/etc boost is more of IEM task