Explore the ceiling of the "little tail" energy-listen to FiiO KA17
2024-05-28 / tech
FiiO is one of the brands that has introduced the most "little tail" products on the market. Including the KA17 experienced this time, there are already as many as 7 models. Readers familiar with FiiO's product naming should know that the KA17, named with "7", should be positioned in the mid-to-high-end market. In the current situation where there are no products containing "9", the KA17 is already the flagship product in FiiO's "little tail" series. So, in what aspects is its flagship status mainly reflected?
Specifications and Parameters
Color: Black, Blue
USB Controller: XMOS XU316
DAC Chip: ES9069Q×2
Operational Amplifier: OPA1662×2
Ear Amplifier: Fully balanced THX AAA 78+
Supported Specifications: Asynchronous 32bit/768kHz, DSD512 hard decoding, MQA full decoding
USB DAC Plug-and-Play Mode: Supported
Output Power 1: L+R≥270mW+270mW (32Ω single-ended/THD+N<1%/desktop mode)Output Power 2: L+R ≥ 650mW + 650mW (32Ω balanced/THD+N < 1%/standby mode)
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Output Power 3: L+R ≥ 140mW + 140mW (32Ω single-ended/THD+N < 1%/non-standby mode)
Output Power 4: L+R ≥ 300mW + 300mW (32Ω balanced/THD+N < 1%/non-standby mode)
Output Power 5: L+R ≥ 30mW + 30mW (300Ω single-ended/THD+N < 1%/standby mode)
Output Power 6: L+R ≥ 90mW + 90mW (300Ω balanced/THD+N < 1%/standby mode)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: ≥ 126dB (A-weighted)
Noise floor: PO < 2μV (A-weighted)
BAL < 2.2μV (A-weighted)
THD+N: < 0.0004% (1kHz/32Ω)
Display: 0.91-inch dot matrix displayEarphone Output: Single-ended 3.5mm + Balanced 4.4mm
Dimensions: Approximately 64mm × 27.7mm × 12.7mm
Weight: Approximately 33.5g
The "Flagship" design with a screen takes a further step forward
Let's start with the most intuitive external design. FiiO has introduced a 0.91-inch dot matrix display on the KA17, which is undoubtedly the most direct embodiment of the "identity" of the KA17 compared to most "little tails" without screens. The panel on the screen blends well with the body, with the former being shaped into a pointed head to match the front design, and the screen is placed beneath it. Whether the screen is off or displaying content, users cannot see the screen's frame from any angle, which makes its visual effect very unified and outstanding. At the same time, when users observe the content displayed at a certain angle with the panel, a floating visual effect is produced, which FiiO calls the floating panel interaction.
The screen is monochrome and supports both Chinese and English display. Users can operate the settings on the screen through the physical buttons on one side of the body. The main interface defaults to display the current volume value, gain mode, UAC version, and the format and sampling rate of the music being played. After entering the menu, users can set more than ten functions such as gain, digital filter, channel output balance, MQA switch, and equalizer. It is worth mentioning that it provides two volume adjustment precisions—60 levels and 120 levels. The former has high adjustment efficiency, while the latter has high precision. Since it can switch to Chinese display, the settings are very intuitive, and the fineness of the displayed text and the animation effects when switching options are quite good. The operation logic of the buttons is simple and clear after familiarizing oneself with the manual.
After changing the naming of the FiiO "little tail" series from single-digit to two-digit, a new design element was introduced. Starting from KA13 to KA17, we can see the continuation of this design approach. The body is made of full aluminum alloy, with a symmetrical "X" pattern on the front panel, which is designed to gradually disappear, and the overall craftsmanship and visual effect have been improved compared to KA13.
The body of KA17 is not only the front and the frame but also the back cover, which is made of aluminum alloy, so the overall grip feels quite uniform, with a strong metallic texture.
Dual interface output with an independent power supply port for the desktop mode
Dual output interfaces have become a standard feature on many of FiiO's portable audio devices, and KA17 is no exception. It provides a 3.5mm single-ended and a 4.4mm balanced output interface, which can handle the connection of most headphones in users' hands. The 3.5mm interface also supports SPDIF coaxial output, which can connect to more advanced external decoders, such as desktop headphone amplifiers, to achieve more possibilities.On the other end of the device, there is a standard USB-C port that provides data transfer and power supply functions. The KA17 is compatible with mobile systems such as Android and iOS, as well as computer systems like Windows and MAC. The package includes a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C female to USB male adapter, eliminating the need for users to purchase additional cables to meet the connection requirements of different system devices.
The USB-C port is referred to as "standard" because the KA17 features another "non-standard" USB-C port located on the side of the device. Why does the "little tail" have two USB-C ports? This is because the KA17 has a desktop mode, which is a feature applied in many of FiiO's previous mid-to-high-end portable audio devices that significantly increases the output power of the product. An increase in output power naturally requires more stable and sufficient power supply, and this USB port serves this purpose. Once connected to this port, the KA17's power supply is taken over by it, and it no longer consumes the phone's battery. The independent power supply port requires a 5V, 1A condition, which is readily available from most charging adapters.
On the other side of the device, there is a long, integrated volume control key, as well as a multi-function key and a desktop mode switch. The volume up key has a small protrusion for easy positioning during blind operation, and the main function of the multi-function button is to awaken the settings menu and switch between settings. The K17 comes with three built-in button modes, A, B, and C, where the functions of each button vary depending on the mode, through single clicks, long presses, and other operations. For example, a single click on the volume up key increases the volume by one level in modes A and B, but changes to the previous track in mode C; a long press on it continuously increases the volume in modes A and C, but switches to the previous track in mode B. This method of arranging and combining multiple functions allows users to choose the mode that best suits their operational logic and frequently used functions, although it may take some time to understand the differences between the modes when first acquiring the device.
In addition to making various settings on the KA17 through the physical buttons on the device, users can also install the FiiO Control App on their smartphones. On the app's home page, users can adjust the gain, button modes, and screen display language, brightness, screen-off time, and more.
Furthermore, in the equalizer menu, the KA17 comes with seven preset tuning styles for mainstream music genres, including jazz, pop, rock, and dance. Additionally, it offers three customizable 10-band PEQ (Parametric Equalizer) settings, where parameters such as gain, frequency point, bandwidth, and Q value can all be customized, providing higher playability for more professional users who can make more precise adjustments to the sound style. Since various settings can also be made through the device's screen, the greatest significance of the FiiO Control App for the KA17 is to facilitate the customization of these three PEQs.
Comparable to a desktop amplifier, the balanced output reaches up to 650mW.
As mentioned earlier, the desktop mode of the KA17 is a concept that FiiO has been promoting in portable audio devices over the past two years, simply put, "portable audio devices can also have the high power drive of desktop devices." In the "little tail" product line, FiiO has been implementing this idea since the KA13, and with the KA17, the desktop mode "buff" has evolved significantly.
Let's take a look at the output power of the KA17. Without enabling the desktop mode, its 3.5mm single-ended interface provides 140mW (under a 32Ω load), and the 4.4mm balanced interface reaches 300mW (under a 32Ω load). Once the desktop mode is activated, the KA17 automatically adjusts the DAC, headphone amplifier power supply, headphone amplifier drive, etc., to a high-performance state, fully unleashing the device's potential. Under the same load, the output power of the 3.5mm single-ended interface is increased to 270mW, and the 4.4mm balanced interface reaches an impressive 650mW, doubling the increase compared to when it is not activated. Such output power is unparalleled among currently available "little tail" products.
This performance is also thanks to FiiO's professional considerations in the internal design of the KA17, which has planned the entire audio architecture of the KA17 with a player as a reference. In terms of key components, it uses two dual-channel flagship DACs, ES9069Q, paired with a fully balanced THX AAA 78+ headphone amplifier. The former is based on the fourth-generation 32-bit HyperStream architecture, which not only has higher performance and lower power consumption but also effectively reduces internal digital noise. The latter has evolved from previous mid-to-high-end products and is applied for the first time in a "little tail" device. The headphone amplifier architecture with 4 fully balanced channels and 8 operational amplifiers in parallel not only greatly enhances the output capability but also achieves a more authentic and natural sound reproduction. At the same time, the KA17 is also equipped with the XMOS XU316 USB chip, which is rare in "little tail" devices. It has lower latency, more stable transmission, and better compatibility than ordinary USB chips, and with dual crystal oscillators, it can better adapt to various sound sources and sampling rates.FiiO has integrated high-end music player level signal processing into the KA17, enabling it to have dual-clock digital audio to DAC high-precision conversion. It is equipped with multi-stage analog audio processing such as LPF voltage amplification, BUF current expansion, and parallel enhanced current expansion, ensuring better music detail reproduction and dynamic integrity. Its digital PCB and analog PCB not only adopt a separated design but also each have their own shielding cover to avoid interference and ensure the precision of signal processing. In the crucial power supply section, the KA17 features a three-level power supply system, three independent power supply routes, and more than ten sub-supply routes with precise power supply design, ensuring ample energy supply in its desktop mode. In the compact size of the KA17, FiiO has integrated such a complete audio and power architecture, which can truly be described as "making a grand temple in a snail's shell."
Listening Experience
Before the listening test, upgrade the firmware of the KA17 to the latest V2.0 version, which requires the use of a computer. FiiO's official website provides firmware upgrade tools for both Windows and MAC. For the listening part, I chose the Sennheiser HD600 over-ear headphones and the FiiO FT5 planar magnetic headphones, both connected via the 4.4mm balanced interface. First, of course, I wanted to see how the KA17's desktop mode would perform with the HD600, which has an impedance of 300 ohms. Even without an external power supply and powered only by a smartphone, the desktop mode can be activated. I tested the power consumption and found that after listening to music for half an hour with the phone screen off and the desktop mode on, the phone battery dropped from 80% to 70%. Therefore, during the actual listening test, I connected an external power supply and activated the desktop mode to unleash the maximum push of the KA17.
The HD600, which can only be "pushed to make a sound" on most "little tails," performed very well under the full power of the KA17, showcasing its balanced, solid, and enduring sound characteristics. The bass is substantial and deep, with a dynamic and powerful presence, allowing one to clearly perceive a sense of strength. The vocal quality is rich and full-bodied, creating a sense of envelopment that is just right, not causing fatigue during long listening sessions due to its forward positioning. Various types of music sound good with this combination, with classical music offering an even more enjoyable experience, thanks to its stable dynamics, natural timbre, and sufficient detail, all of which have a natural fit.
Switching to the FT5, which I had previously listened to with the K9 AKM, it can be said that the overall listening experience with the FT5 is very similar in both combinations. The differences mainly lie in the presentation of details and dynamic control, but these are not easily perceptible at first glance. The FT5 itself has a warm tone, and the flavor and atmosphere in the KA17's desktop mode are further enhanced. Its excellent resolution ensures precise control over sound density, with clear layers of vocals and background sounds, and a focused and three-dimensional soundstage. After listening to both headphones, compared to when the desktop mode was not activated, there is a noticeable improvement in the overall soundstage, dynamics, and detail quality in the KA17's desktop mode.
Regarding the KA17's heat generation, after continuous listening for half an hour with an external power supply and the desktop mode on, the body heat is quite noticeable to the touch. However, measured with an infrared thermometer, the highest temperature on the front of the body is 38°C, and the highest on the back is 37.5°C, which is not too high in actual temperature. It can only be said that the body heat will be perceptible to users, but since the temperature is not high, it does not affect its performance.
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