You can always rely on iMore.
Our team of Apple experts has years of experience testing all kinds of technology and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and critiques are accurate and helpful. Learn more about our testing.
They say that we “eat with our eyes”. Are we listening to them? People pay a lot of attention to how an audio product looks, which makes Fiio’s KA11 a tasty auditory treat to satisfy your Hi-Res audio hunger.
Of course, you can buy Apple’s 3.5mm Lightning/USB-C dongle for about $9, but it’s up to you and headphone or IEM collection is growingmay 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 through its website and Amazon.com for $29. You can get it in two colors, black and fun silver and teal, with a choice of USB-C or Lightning connector for those with phones older than the iPhone 15.
Aside from an Apple Lightning or USB-C dongle that will cost you $9, this is one of the cheapest DACs on the market, and it’s also the most powerful at this price point.
Fiio KA11: Dry and fit
Fiio’s KA11 weighs just 8.5 grams and is built with high-quality components for $29. The DAC’s body is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy, so you won’t have to baby it when you head out the door and throw your EDC stuff into your favorite bag.
The cable that carries your sound is equally well built and durable. It consists of high-purity, oxygen-free palladium-coated copper wires that run between the connector of your choice and the DAC, wrapped in a silicon layer with braided fabric on the outside.
The cable has rubber or silicone connector caps that add to the overall feel of stability, and the connectors themselves don’t feel loose when plugging and unplugging. The connections at both ends are tight and the 3.5mm headphone jacks have a satisfying click when plugged in.
Fiio KA11: Features
The KA11’s strongest feature (pun intended) is its power delivery, which handles even the most sensitive planar magnetic headphones I’ve owned. The single-ended 3.5mm port delivers up to 245mW per channel at 16ohms and up to 200mW at 32ohms. The Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip decodes DSD256 and 384kHz/32-bit files over PCM. An SG-Micro SGM8262 amplifier is inside driving the waterless IEMs.
An LED on the 3.5mm port end of the dongle body indicates the sampling rate. DSD decoding gets a green light, and tracks above or below 48kHz get a yellow or blue light, respectively.
The good news is that you can control those LEDs and digital filters through the FIIO Control software. The bad news is that it’s only available on Android.
Fiio KA11: Sound quality
Now we’ll talk about the most important aspect of the KA11, the sound. I listened to the KA11 using several headphones and IEMs, and for $29, its ability to drive my HiFiMan HE4XX planar magnetic headphones was impressive. For a comfortable listening experience, the iPhone 15 Pro Max only needed to be turned up to 75% of the maximum. My Campfire Audio Mammoth IEMs are quite sensitive and with best-in-class power output, the KA11 handled them masterfully. The power output of the KA11s meant that the comfortable listening level was about 15% of maximum. Sennheiser’s $1,500 IE900 IEMs enjoyed the experience through the KA11, only needing to be turned up to 33% of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s maximum volume.
Okay, technically, these notes were about power, not volume. The KA11 is well balanced in its sound profile. You’ll get some warmth from the mids, but the vocals shine and the bass and sub-bass are a welcome element of the sonic feast without overpowering the other “taste notes”. The sound stage is not the widest I am experienced from DACbut it’s still big enough that your airy prints don’t feel cramped.
Fiio KA11: The Competition
Some DACs on Amazon compete with the KA11 for price, but at $30 nothing competes in terms of power output or performance. The output of this DAC rivals products that can cost hundreds of dollars more.
So, does the Fiio KA11 have competition? Short answer, no.
Fiio KA11: Should You Buy It?
You should buy Fiio KA11 if…
- Cost is your primary consideration in purchasing
- You have headphones or IEMs that need power
- You want an EDC DAC that you can just throw in a bag and go
- Are you new to Hi-Res or Lossless mobile audio?
You should not buy Fiio KA11 if…
- You have a budget to spend $100-$300
If you want a powerful DAC that won’t blow your bank account balance, look no further. Here is the full stop. Fiio’s KA11 is a USB-C or Lightning-connected DAC capable of driving most headphones or IEMs in your stable, with a sound profile balanced enough to not add significant unnecessary coloration to your listening experience.
There are plenty of areas to spend your discretionary income on when you enter audiophile land, but this shouldn’t be one area to start with. Focus on headphone or IEM prices first, then sit back and enjoy them with the KA11.
High quality, easy on the wallet
Fiio’s KA11 is an unexpectedly powerful, small-key DAC. It should handle almost any IEM or waterproof headphones you plug into it. It’s a great start for those looking to get into Apple Lossless.
