All Aboard the FiiO K9 Pro Hype Train

[Lupin]

I should get popcorn..
Their extensive testing has almost solved one problem but created another with gain settings..

Only thing that is saving them is that FiiO is untouchable on head-fi. Ask critical but fair questions gets you kicked from the thread...
Such a nice place to be...

 

[avoidwork]

I received mine on Friday, and I think I have buyer's remorse. I enjoy the sound, and really like the interface, but I just can't believe how bad the software on the device is.

I've powered cycled it multiple times per listening session, and on Friday it seemed to somehow cause a crash out of my roon core - audio stopped & vm crashed... with no human interaction required.

This totally missed the mark.

I think the XMOS controller might be a bit too slow for the MQA playback; I've watched it lose 'magenta' coloring while a song is playing, making me think the sampling is falling behind, or there's some really shite logical statements in the code, but it'll revert to yellow and usually streaming a new song will return magenta, but it has to be a new song, otherwise it's yellow.

MQA (magenta) only seems to "work" with iOS devices so far. I got a oneplus 8pro in a drawer I'm going to test out, but I suspect it'll be a blue ring like everything else.

I was using it wrong with the usb connection; it's an MQA renderer only and I had roon set to decoder & renderer so it was treating it like normal pcm.

DAC mode is pretty nice; using an audio technica at-bah100 with it atm.

 

[avoidwork]

The controller app is ... garbage.

 

[raif71]

In the past, Fiio has given me stuff that I can't really complain. I have 2 X3II, 2 M6, Q5s, K5 Pro and 2 Fiio IEMs. They have all served me fine but my for a few years now, I've given a pass on the newer Fiio gears preferring instead to Topping, SMSL and others, probably thanks to ASR ?

 

[A Surfer]

The controller app is ... garbage.

I was born in Ottawa and lived in the south end mostly. That sounds like FiiO. They just don't seem to know how to test properly. I know all equipment will have some issues that can be chalked up to testing, but FiiO seem to miss more than most. Shame.

 

[dmac6419]

I was born in Ottawa and lived in the south end mostly. That sounds like FiiO. They just don't seem to know how to test properly. I know all equipment will have some issues that can be chalked up to testing, but FiiO seem to miss more than most. Shame.

it's not that,you have one guy trying to be the end all and he needs help.

 

[A Surfer]

it's not that,you have one guy trying to be the end all and he needs help.

I didn't realize that it was essentially a one person show. If that is the case no wonder so much gets missed and frankly it is a wonder then how well the products turn out at all.

 

[dmac6419]

I didn't realize that it was essentially a one person show. If that is the case no wonder so much gets missed and frankly it is a wonder then how well the products turn out at all.

It's not a one person show, they have a lot going on and they need people with expertise to focus on , headphones,Daps, amps and dacs and whatever else they plan on making.P.S they've got everyone beat in marketing,

 

[A Surfer]

... they've got everyone beat in marketing,

Shame that they didn't have everyone beat on testing and engineering.

 

[dmac6419]

Shame that they didn't have everyone beat on testing and engineering.

It'll be like 3 or 4 testers and engineers on a product, but it's like they have one brain.

 

[PandaAnonymous]

Seeing so many problems raises from K9 pro, I am considering maybe D30 pro and A30pro/A90. It's seems to be a much better option.

 

[Lupin]

Seeing so many problems raises from K9 pro, I am considering maybe D30 pro and A30pro/A90. It's seems to be a much better option.

It's no secret that a stack like D30Pro/A30Pro objectively performs better and is cheaper. As John mentioned before, as soon as you get into AIO territory concessions need to me made. You don't get an AIO for pure objective performance, you get an AIO for the simplicity of having everything in one box and the form factor that comes with it.
I'm not aware of any AIO that beats a stack when it comes to performance.

 

[PandaAnonymous]

It's no secret that a stack like D30Pro/A30Pro objectively performs better and is cheaper. As John mentioned before, as soon as you get into AIO territory concessions need to me made. You don't get an AIO for pure objective performance, you get an AIO for the simplicity of having everything in one box and the form factor that comes with it.
I'm not aware of any AIO that beats a stack when it comes to

I meant there are MQA problems, volume problems and firmware problems. It seems that the stack is more reliable.

 

[Lupin]

I meant there are MQA problems, volume problems and firmware problems. It seems that the stack is more reliable.

Any Topping AIO seems to be more reliable then the software/firmware train wreck of a FiiO K9 Pro

 

[PandaAnonymous]

Any Topping AIO seems to be more reliable then the software/firmware train wreck of a FiiO K9 Pro

It seems that, considering a90 because a30 pro has holes and I don’t like that.

 

[avoidwork]

It seems that, considering a90 because a30 pro has holes and I don’t like that.

I have an a90; i wouldn't choose it over the k9 due to a subjective difference - the a90 is pretty boring to listen to, unless you have headphones that work better with the negative feedback circuit; grado & focal seem to be in this group.

since i've stopped trying to use the k9 as an mqa decoder i've had no issues. it's software issue is seemingly compounded by all retailers claiming it's an mqa decoder (including official distributors) - I don't know why this happened but it's basically self sabotage.

 

[Lupin]

I have an a90; i wouldn't choose it over the k9 due to a subjective difference - the a90 is pretty boring to listen to, unless you have headphones that work better with the negative feedback circuit; grado & focal seem to be in this group.

uh huh...

 

[avoidwork]

uh huh...

whats the issue?

 

[PandaAnonymous]

I mean K9 pro can save me some socket and you can plug PC and phone on the K9 pro, but there is EX5, Dx3 pro+ from topping, which cost a fraction of what K9 pro is.

 

[Fg RAMP]

It's no secret that a stack like D30Pro/A30Pro objectively performs better and is cheaper. As John mentioned before, as soon as you get into AIO territory concessions need to me made. You don't get an AIO for pure objective performance, you get an AIO for the simplicity of having everything in one box and the form factor that comes with it.
I'm not aware of any AIO that beats a stack when it comes to performance.

I’m interested in the K9 Pro because it’s one of the only devices I have found that would pair all my sources (turntable via iFi ZEN Phono, coaxial out from pro audio interface, and iPhone/iPad) with my destinations (powered speakers and headphones).

Is there any other AIO that has balanced analog input (XLR or 4.4mm), coaxial digital input, balanced preamp output (XLR or TRS), and 4.4mm balanced headphone output?

The only alternative I have found is the Sennheiser HDV 820, but it’s over three times the price of the K9 Pro in Canada.