It is said that “we eat with our eyes.” Do we also listen with them? People seem to place a lot of importance on the appearance of an audio product, making Fiio’s KA11 a delicious aural dish that will satisfy your hunger for high-resolution audio.
Sure, you can buy Apple’s 3.5mm Lighting/USB-C dongle for around $9, but depending on your tastes and Headphone or IEM collection growsit may not be enough to drive your new toys and that’s where the $29 KA11 comes in.
Fiio KA11: Price and availability
The KA11 is available for $29 through their site and Amazon.com. You can get it in two colors, black and a fun silver and teal combination, with the option to choose between a USB-C or Lightning connector for those with phones older than an iPhone 15.
Aside from the Apple Lightning or USB-C dongle, which will set you back $9, this is one of the cheapest DACs on the market and also the most powerful at this price.
Fiio KA11: build and fit
Fiio’s KA11 weighs just 8.5 grams and is built with high-quality components for its $29 price tag. The body of the DAC is composed of an aluminum-magnesium alloy, so you won’t have to worry when you walk out the door and throw your EDC items in your favorite bag.
The cable that carries your sound is equally well-equipped and durable. Wrapped in a silicone layer with braided fabric on the outside, it consists of high-purity, oxygen-free palladium-plated copper wires that run between the connector of your choice and the DAC.
The cable features rubber or silicone connector caps, which adds to the overall feel of durability and the connectors themselves don’t feel loose when plugging and unplugging. The connections at both ends are firm and the 3.5mm headphone jacks have that satisfying click when plugged in.
Fiio KA11: features
The most powerful feature (pun intended) of the KA11 is the power delivery that powered even the most sensitive pair of planar magnetic headphones I own. The single-ended 3.5mm port delivers up to 245mW of power per channel at 16 ohms and 200mW at 32 ohms. The Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip decodes DSD256 and files up to 384 kHz/32-bit via PCM. The SG-Micro SGM8262 amplifier is what’s inside, powering thirsty IEMs.
An LED on the 3.5mm port end of the dongle body tells you the sample rate. DSD decoding gets a green light and tracks above or below 48 kHz get a yellow or blue light, respectively.
The good news is that you can control those LEDs and digital filters through the FIIO Control app. The bad news is that it is only on Android.
Fiio KA11: Sound quality
Now we will talk about the most important aspect of the KA11, the sound. I listened to the KA11 using various over-ear headphones and IEMs, and for $29, its ability to drive my HiFiMan HE4XX planar magnetic headphones was impressive. My iPhone 15 Pro Max only needed to be turned on up to 75% of its maximum for a comfortable listening experience. My Campfire Audio Mammoth IEMs are quite sensitive and the KA11, with its best-in-class power output, handled them expertly. The power output of the KA11s meant that the comfortable listening level was around 15% of maximum. Sennheiser’s $1500 IE900 IEMs were a pleasure to experience through the KA11, as they only needed to be boosted up to 33% of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s maximum volume.
Well, technically, those notes weren’t about sound but about power. The KA11 is well balanced in its sound profile. You’ll get a little warmth in the mids, but the vocals shine and the bass and sub-bass are a nice element of the sonic feast without overpowering the other “flavor notes.” The soundstage is not the widest. I have experienced from a DACbut it’s still big enough so your airways won’t feel constricted.
Fiio KA11: Competition
Some DACs on Amazon compete on price with the KA11, but nothing at $30 competes on power or performance. The output of this DAC rivals products that can cost hundreds of dollars more.
So does the Fiio KA11 have any competition? The short answer is, no.
Fiio KA11: Should you buy it?
You should buy the Fiio KA11 if…
- Cost is your main purchasing consideration
- You have headphones or IEMs that consume a lot of power
- If you want an EDC DAC, you can throw it in a bag and go.
- You’re new to high-resolution or lossless mobile audio
You shouldn’t buy the Fiio KA11 if…
- You have a budget to spend between $100 and $300.
Look no further if you want a powerful DAC that won’t overwhelm your bank account balance. This is it, period. Fiio’s KA11 is a USB-C or Lightning connected DAC capable of driving most headphones or IEMs in its stable, and features a sound profile balanced enough to not add significant unnecessary color to your listening experience.
When you enter the audiophile world, there are many areas where you will spend your discretionary income, but this doesn’t have to be one at first. Focus on the costs of the headphones or IEMs first, then sit back and enjoy them with the KA11.
High quality, pocket friendly.
Fiio’s KA11 is a tiny and unexpectedly powerful dongle DAC. It should work with almost any thirsty IEM or pair of headphones you plug into it. A great start for those who want Apple Lossless access.
