All Aboard the FiiO K9 Pro Hype Train

[A Surfer]

I used to be a Fiio fan, and I still acknowledge that they can and sometimes do produce very good products, but over the years I have noticed that they lay a fair number of eggs and I can only attribute that to a less than stellar commitment to engineering excellence and learning from their mistakes. Look at the Q5s and AM3D amp module that Amir reviewed here as but one such example.

Sorry, but it will take some time before I ever trust FiiO again and at this time there is not a hope in hell I would ever buy a product of theirs before a detailed technical review was conducted. Too much risk of shoddy engineering masked by glitzy marketing speak.

 

[raif71]

I wonder if there will be a Fiio K9n Pro (without mqa)

 

[dmac6419]

Let me guess: Both of you (@Lupin and @dmac6419 ) do not have a job in an R&D department.

Don't need a job in R&D to recognize BS.Then again they've been in business just as long as everyone else,they should have made a better k5 pro and progressed from there, but no.

 

[dmac6419]

I used to be a Fiio fan, and I still acknowledge that they can and sometimes do produce very good products, but over the years I have noticed that they lay a fair number of eggs and I can only attribute that to a less than stellar commitment to engineering excellence and learning from their mistakes. Look at the Q5s and AM3D amp module that Amir reviewed here as but one such example.

Sorry, but it will take some time before I ever trust FiiO again and at this time there is not a hope in hell I would ever buy a product of theirs before a detailed technical review was conducted. Too much risk of shoddy engineering masked by glitzy marketing speak.

I've noticed the same thing, it's hit or miss.

 

[PandaAnonymous]

My unprofessional and uneducated guess about why they jump from K5 pro to K9 pro is:
They might have planned for K7 and K9 release after K5 pro in 2019, but then they have reset their whole development process because of product segregation issue. There could very well be a K7 in 2020, but COVID happen and they decided to skip K7 all together and focus on K9 pro. And then there was the AKM chip issue, which means they have redesign the PCB and chip layout. Also, probably in the mean time, they have to rush for ESS solution.

 

[Yann]

Got mine yesterday. this is my 4th Fiio Product. Let me just tell you, that it made me scared at one point. Opened the box, very impressed, with : Weight, solid build, all input and output, dont give a shit about MQA, but! THX, from past experienced, liked it alot. And in this little 2kg device, THX, and 4499 make it happened. Dead silent, all my reference songs, sound pretty much like my RME ADI -2, with the extra balanced out for headphone, was looking at. Now i have it, and it do worth it. Use my system via DAC out section, via XLR, to Moon preamp.....my system was happy. Not happier than RME, but as happy as RME does, not worst not better, just layered a bit differently. Headphone output, XLR to my HD 6XX or Sundara, was gorgeous too! But, after playing some on my personnal files, Mp4, DSD, HRes24/96, and then stream from my steamer true ROON, no DSP, well i created a conflict in the OS. Did not noticed before, i restarted the unit later, to listened to more music.....bam!! nothing now anymore. No more audio output, either back or front..... Contact Fiio service, got an answer 15min later (was impressed) troubleshoot with the tech, and fixed it within 10 min. Just have to hard restart it, put off, and back on, so the OS reboot and was ok then. But they told me they work on a new version (firmware update to comme soon) tofix that bug, wich is cause by MQS bs when decoding, and then read other type of file, conflict. Cut all output. So i expect, and i hope for soon, an update already. That mean that QC was not made properly. They could have send me one to try out first, before launch, and would have founf that soon, 2 hours after open the box it happen.

 

[Giangi71]

I know, it's mqa rendering issue. I reported it on Headfi and there's another issue. If you stop music for a lot of time, after, you don't have sound and even then you have to restart from the main switch

 

[Veri]

MQA

 

[poxymoron]

Got mine yesterday. this is my 4th Fiio Product. Let me just tell you, that it made me scared at one point. Opened the box, very impressed, with : Weight, solid build, all input and output, dont give a shit about MQA, but! THX, from past experienced, liked it alot. And in this little 2kg device, THX, and 4499 make it happened. Dead silent, all my reference songs, sound pretty much like my RME ADI -2, with the extra balanced out for headphone, was looking at. Now i have it, and it do worth it. Use my system via DAC out section, via XLR, to Moon preamp.....my system was happy. Not happier than RME, but as happy as RME does, not worst not better, just layered a bit differently. Headphone output, XLR to my HD 6XX or Sundara, was gorgeous too! But, after playing some on my personnal files, Mp4, DSD, HRes24/96, and then stream from my steamer true ROON, no DSP, well i created a conflict in the OS. Did not noticed before, i restarted the unit later, to listened to more music.....bam!! nothing now anymore. No more audio output, either back or front..... Contact Fiio service, got an answer 15min later (was impressed) troubleshoot with the tech, and fixed it within 10 min. Just have to hard restart it, put off, and back on, so the OS reboot and was ok then. But they told me they work on a new version (firmware update to comme soon) tofix that bug, wich is cause by MQS bs when decoding, and then read other type of file, conflict. Cut all output. So i expect, and i hope for soon, an update already. That mean that QC was not made properly. They could have send me one to try out first, before launch, and would have founf that soon, 2 hours after open the box it happen.

I'd be very interested in hearing your opinion on how well the LDAC Bluetooth sounds, if you can test it. I get that most people won't buy this for Bluetooth use but given that you could do a comparison test between the DAC and Bluetooth it would be interesting to see how they compare. Thanks.

 

[Lupin]

The new firmware is going to take longer as it needs excessive testing to assure it meets the quality standards of FiiO... They really never stop hiding behind things like QC and excessive testing as an excuse for everything do they..

 

[Giangi71]

The new firmware is going to take longer as it needs excessive testing to assure it meets the quality standards of FiiO... They really never stop hiding behind things like QC and excessive testing as an excuse for everything do they..

Yes, because it's not the only bug. But never give it back for the quality it has sincerely

 

[A Surfer]

Sorry, it is ridiculous that these type of issues ever make it to the light of day. I have no idea why FiiO struggles with properly testing a product, but clearly their in-house testing/engineering team lack something. Testing isn't easy, but it is a minimal requirement in the marketplace. It is astounding that FiiO just don't get it. I have almost completely decided to never try FiiO again. I think what most bothers me is how they seem to refuse to acknowledge or deal publicly with their image problem.

Over at head-fi after the Q5s AM3D debacle here I very respectfully and appropriately asked FiiO to acknowledge the issues in the forums. Several times, and I assure you, I did so in a non-confrontational, respectful manner and nothing. Not a single indication that they even cared about their reputation. Now I see this and it appears to me that they still do not take testing seriously.

I also worry that when it gets tested here it will leave a great deal on the table engineering wise, but I freely admit, and sincerely hope on that front that I will be proven wrong. I have purchased I think 4 or 5 FiiO products over the years so it isn't like I have an axe to grind at all. I'm not mad, I am just very sad that they do not seem to take certain things seriously. At least that is how it seems to me.

 

[dmac6419]

Sorry, it is ridiculous that these type of issues ever make it to the light of day. I have no idea why FiiO struggles with properly testing a product, but clearly their in-house testing/engineering team lack something. Testing isn't easy, but it is a minimal requirement in the marketplace. It is astounding that FiiO just don't get it. I have almost completely decided to never try FiiO again. I think what most bothers me is how they seem to refuse to acknowledge or deal publicly with their image problem.

Over at head-fi after the Q5s AM3D debacle here I very respectfully and appropriately asked FiiO to acknowledge the issues in the forums. Several times, and I assure you, I did so in a non-confrontational, respectful manner and nothing. Not a single indication that they even cared about their reputation. Now I see this and it appears to me that they still do not take testing seriously.

I also worry that when it gets tested here it will leave a great deal on the table engineering wise, but I freely admit, and sincerely hope on that front that I will be proven wrong. I have purchased I think 4 or 5 FiiO products over the years so it isn't like I have an axe to grind at all. I'm not mad, I am just very sad that they do not seem to take certain things seriously. At least that is how it seems to me.

I purchased a lot of fiio gear as well only thing that I've returned was the Bluetooth NC headphones,wasn't ready for prime time,second set came DOA,purchased the M11+ that was rushed because Apple came out with Hires and none of the M series with the Samsung SOC would work,can't sign in to Apple,they just tell you it's Samsung's fault,no why it Samsung fault,prior to the M series DAP's FiiO was horrendous with updating their firmware,they just move on to the next product,that might be culturally accepted in China,but not in the rest of the world.

 

[A Surfer]

Yes, it has been suggested that there are differences in the business culture and that western expectations are not widely embraced in China. How accurate that is I'm not sure, but there does seem to be some anecdotal evidence to support that notion. Regardless, FiiO is clearly not a company that pays much attention to what the marketplace is saying. At least in the west, perhaps in other parts of the world where they sell their products it is less of an issue. I very much agree about how quickly they move onto a new product abandoning earlier products that clearly were not fully mature. Different mindset from what I have grown accustomed to.

 

[Yann]

Got the firmware updated, via FIIO service. I performed it later tomorrow, and see after

 

[Yann]

I'd be very interested in hearing your opinion on how well the LDAC Bluetooth sounds, if you can test it. I get that most people won't buy this for Bluetooth use but given that you could do a comparison test between the DAC and Bluetooth it would be interesting to see how they compare. Thanks.

There is definatly a big gap between LDAC bluetooth and dac inside. I did test it. I use it when i want to listening to YT , and i dont like blutooth.

 

[poxymoron]

Not too surprised, thanks for taking the time.

 

[aravaioli]

There is definatly a big gap between LDAC bluetooth and dac inside. I did test it. I use it when i want to listening to YT , and i dont like blutooth.

I, instead, cannot tell a difference when using Tidal, although MQA works only via USB. I just did a blind test thanks to the collaboration of my wife with an excellent recording of Ketil Biornstad and my Arya.

 

[A Surfer]

There is definatly a big gap between LDAC bluetooth and dac inside. I did test it. I use it when i want to listening to YT , and i dont like blutooth.

I would be beyond shocked if there is an audible difference. Did you conduct blind, multiple trial, level matched testing? If not your statement I am sorry to say is without merit. Sighted bias is extremely powerful. Plus you gave away your bias against Bluetooth when you said I don't like Bluetooth. Not surprising you heard a big difference. It was predictable in fact.

 

[A Surfer]

I use Bluetooth with my Gustard X16 going into a pretty darn nice speaker system with quality amplification and I can't hear any difference with USB versus LDAC. People get ideas in their head and they never actually test them correctly, they just do the same old sighted, non-level matched listening tests and assume that their efforts constitute proof.