Fiio is at its greatest when arising with price range DACs; the Chinese language audio model dominates this class due to the transportable BTR5 and BTR7, and it additionally has an excellent displaying with the K5 Professional and K7. Once I reviewed the K7 final 12 months, I known as it one of the best DAC you will get at $200, and that continues to be the case in 2024.
With the introduction of the K11, issues are getting a bit attention-grabbing. The K11 is a balanced DAC with a 4.4mm out, and that already makes it a greater choice than the K5 Professional, which is restricted to a 6.35mm out. The K11 additionally has a sleeker design that appears nice, and also you even get a display that reveals real-time playback data.
However what you may actually like is the worth; the Fiio K11 is accessible for simply $129 on Amazon, and that’s an unimaginable worth contemplating the variety of options you are getting with the DAC. I used all of Fiio’s merchandise within the Okay collection, and I believe the K11 could be the most suitable choice in the event you’re seeking to maximize worth.
As all the time, let’s get began with the design. The K5 Professional and K7 had the identical design aesthetic, and whereas it served a utility, they weren’t going to win any awards on this space. However with the K11, Fiio clearly put a whole lot of thought into the design, and the result’s that the DAC seems good. It has an oblong chassis with a skinny profile, and the general aesthetic seems clear and chic.
Fiio’s new brand is emblazoned on the prime, and as you’d think about, it has RGB lighting. Up entrance, you get 6.35mm and 4.4mm out, and a quantity knob that acts as a multifunction dial — no messing with acquire toggles and so forth. My favourite characteristic is the inclusion of a small LCD panel that reveals you supply bitrate and quantity stage. The display is vibrant and simply readable, and it’s nice to see the model including this characteristic to its merchandise.
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The excellent news continues on the again, with the K11 connecting to supply units through USB-C. This makes it extremely handy to simply use a typical USB-C to USB-A cable to plug it right into a Home windows machine or a MacBook. You additionally get optical, coaxial, and RCA ports on the again, and on the connectivity facet, there is not a lot lacking.
Nicely, nearly. The K11 would not have any Bluetooth connectivity, with that choice restricted to the likes of the K7 BT and K9/K9 Professional. Regardless, that is not an enormous omission contemplating simply how a lot the K11 prices, and for a price range DAC, you get a whole lot of worth. Rounding off the design, there’s a big silicone pad beneath that ensures the K11 stays planted on a desk.
Like different Fiio DACs, the RGB indicator modifications coloration primarily based on supply high quality; cyan for playback underneath 48KHz, yellow for 48KHz and above, and inexperienced when enjoying DSD content material. After all, this is not wanted now that you simply get an LCD panel, however it’s a cool addition however.
The multifunction dial serves because the default energy button, and you should use it to vary settings. Lengthy urgent the entrance of the dial will get you to the settings menu, and a brief press permits you to change particular person parameters. You get the flexibility to vary the acquire — you possibly can set low, medium, and excessive — change the road out, modify filters, tweak the brightness of the panel and its timeout, and configure RGB lighting — all with out having to make use of Fiio Management.
It is a refreshing change of tempo, and I need Fiio to incorporate the same settings interface into all of its DACs; it is simply extra handy to make use of than pulling up the cell shopper. On that notice, you do not want any drivers to make use of the K11 with a supply driver — simply join it to a Home windows machine through the USB-C cable, and also you’re good to go. This play-and-play design means the K11 can be utilized with sport consoles as properly.
The K11 makes use of a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC paired with two SGM 8262 amplifiers, and it delivers 32-bit/384KHz and DSD256 in USB mode. Coming to the sound, Fiio DACs are likely to have a impartial sound that brings out one of the best in your audio gear, and that is no completely different with the K11. You get a impartial sound that does not add any heat to the sound, and also you get a balanced sound with loads of readability and a large soundstage.
A good selection with this DAC is the Sennheiser HD598 and HD6XX, and it is ready to drive each headsets with none points in any respect. It did a very nice job with the HD6XX, permitting the headset to come back into its personal, and I additionally examined it with the Audeze MM-500, and it held up extremely properly.
The most important distinction between the K7 and K11 is the ability; the K7 is ready to ship increased energy, so in the event you’re utilizing a demanding planar headset and need to get probably the most out of it, then sure, get the K7. However the K11 does a good sufficient job on this space, managing to ship 1400mW of energy at 32Ω over the 4.4mm port and 720mW at 16Ω through the 6.35mm port. So for something however probably the most demanding of audio gear, the K11 holds up extremely properly.
The place the K11 actually shines is delivering a clear sound that sounds improbable, and actually, I do not see why you’d have to by anything on this section.Â
The K11 has a modern design, balanced 4.4mm and single-ended 6.35mm ports, and a tiny LCD that reveals playback data. You get an ideal sound and the flexibility to drive demanding audio gear, and actually, the K11 is a terrific alternative at simply $129.Â
