Fiio K11 R2R DAC/HPAMP measurements

[Peterinvan]

When reviewing this DAC/amp, please state whether it is in NOS or OS mode. It’s like two completely different DACs.

 

[BGMeek]

FWIW, I had the Fiio K11 R2R and felt that it sucked in both NOS and OS modes... albeit in slightly different ways :-/.

To 'sample or oversample' is a question that i as a user would rather not be bothered with. It's like the design engineers couldn't decide which is better??? So they punted and put in a switch to choose between 'sucks' and 'sucks less'. Sorry, but this DAC just seemed like a weird filter to me. I prefer the original analogue sound over this DAC's R2R output.

 

[gentlejax]

Anyone using this r2r with the Wiim Pro Ultra ?

 

[Alter.Nate.37]

Output impedance is around 3.1 Ohm for the unbalanced so 6.2 Ohms for the balanced output (calculation below). That may be an appreciable area of improvement with low impedance headphones.

So, very bad for 16 Ohm headphones?

 

[JIW]

So, very bad for 16 Ohm headphones?

Depends on the impedance variability of the headphones. 3 Ohms may still be okay, 6 Ohms is less certain.

 

[Alter.Nate.37]

Depends on the impedance variability of the headphones. 3 Ohms may still be okay, 6 Ohms is less certain.

well it's a planar, the Arya Organic, so it shouldn't have much variability but I don't want to play with uncertainty, I want to feel sure that I'm getting the best that these cans can give.
It's a pity because it has a nice format and very nice price and if it's better than the K11 R2R which I'm finding ok, and on top of that afaik it doesn't need extra PSU, it would have been nice.

What do you think?

 

[JIW]

well it's a planar, the Arya Organic, so it shouldn't have much variability but I don't want to play with uncertainty, I want to feel sure that I'm getting the best that these cans can give.
It's a pity because it has a nice format and very nice price and if it's better than the K11 R2R which I'm finding ok, and on top of that afaik it doesn't need extra PSU, it would have been nice.

What do you think?

Do you mean the Fosi SK02? Planar magnetics should be fine in terms of frequency response being unaffected but electrical damping is still compromised.

 

[Alter.Nate.37]

Do you mean the Fosi SK02? Planar magnetics should be fine in terms of frequency response being unaffected but electrical damping is still compromised.

Could you explain in easy terms what's this electrical damping and how it would affect the sound?
Anyway it seems like I have to let go of this one.
What a shame though. I've never seen any other portable DAC/Amp with more than 1Ohm of output impedance.

 

[Peterinvan]

Anyway it seems like I have to let go of this one.

Shame to let the K11R2R go before trying a different amp...

 

[skomi]

This device should be used as pure DAC ant not as headphone amp.

In this case I see only advantages.

 

[vinodk69]

I am using K11 R2R purely as DAC in NOS mode being fed from Wiim Ultra via Coax & going into Integra DRX 3.4 in 2 channel direct mode with OSD amp powering KEF Q150's. Regardless of what the measurements say, in my system I am enjoying music much more. Music sounds more lush & open with good bottom end. Have tried other DAC's such as Fosi ZD3 & SMSL SU-1 but I like my current combo with K11 R2R much better. Maybe I am hearing distortion but at the end of the day,measurements aside, you have to like what you hear.

 

[Deleted member 79552]

I am using K11 R2R purely as DAC in NOS mode being fed from Wiim Ultra via Coax & going into Integra DRX 3.4 in 2 channel direct mode with OSD amp powering KEF Q150's. Regardless of what the measurements say, in my system I am enjoying music much more. Music sounds more lush & open with good bottom end. Have tried other DAC's such as Fosi ZD3 & SMSL SU-1 but I like my current combo with K11 R2R much better. Maybe I am hearing distortion but at the end of the day,measurements aside, you have to like what you hear.

I’m using a K11 R2R as an outboard DAC with a FiiO R7 transporting into it. The K11 surely doesn’t measure nearly as well as the R7’s DAC does but I absolutely prefer it.

Texture, harmonics, layering. These things are details too. They happen in live venues whenever music is being made. There’s a reason R2R is becoming so popular and I don’t think it’s because it sucks.

 

[JSmith]

Texture, harmonics, layering.

These things are not the function of a DAC... there is zero difference between any competent DAC's.


JSmith

 

[yourmom210]

For those interested, just measured my unit's distortion profile, through a Topping E2X2 interface and REW. Think I did this right?

Really interesting distortion profile. This is on OS via line-out. NOS is basically identical. Wondering how much this might explain the smearing I hear?

At this point, I think I'd rather get my colorations from tubes. This was my first dedicated desktop DAC, wanted something interesting back when it first dropped. Used as a dedicated DAC into some Schiit tube headamps/preamps since last fall. But the clarity from the Topping is like night and day! Think I'll be selling this soon

 

[Deleted member 79552]

I’m likely to get pilloried here but before you 86 the K11 R2R it might be worthwhile for you to try upgrading its power supply. I did and it was one of the few times my non audiophile wife noticed.

I think there are issues with the included power brick. Yes the iPower X is meant to be an upgrade and as such nicer than the stock PS but it shouldn’t be this much. Either that or the K11 / iPower X have some serious synergy going on.

I felt as you do and was also going to move the K11 on. Not now though. For perspective I use a much more expensive FiiO R7 as a transport into the K11 because I think it sounds quite a lot better.

 

[JSmith]

I’m likely to get pilloried here but before you 86 the K11 R2R it might be worthwhile for you to try upgrading its power supply. I did and it was one of the few times my non audiophile wife noticed.

synergy

There are no words...


JSmith

 

[Deleted member 79552]

There are no words...


JSmith

Yes, synergy. You know, the thing that happens when input / output impedances match well, devices compliment each other, that kind of thing.

Are you saying that power supplies aren’t important?? On a forum about electronics????

At any rate my suggestion wasn’t for you. I hope it has value for the person it was intended to help.

 

[mermayer]

My setup currently consists of an iPad AIR M3 connected via USB to an RME ADI-2 DAC. Apple Music runs on the iPad, which outputs bit-perfect audio. When I use cross fading and the next song has a different sample rate, there is a dropout in the audio output because the DAC has to adjust the sample rate.
Can this be avoided with a FiiO R2R in OS mode?

 

[jkim]

My setup currently consists of an iPad AIR M3 connected via USB to an RME ADI-2 DAC. Apple Music runs on the iPad, which outputs bit-perfect audio. When I use cross fading and the next song has a different sample rate, there is a dropout in the audio output because the DAC has to adjust the sample rate.
Can this be avoided with a FiiO R2R in OS mode?

Bit-perfect playback is a myth. Any modern DAC with a proper reconstruction filter will internally oversample audio, anyway. If you play your collection of music files, use another app that supports fixed-rate (24/96 or 24/192) oversampling.

 

[Peterinvan]

My setup currently consists of an iPad AIR M3 connected via USB to an RME ADI-2 DAC. Apple Music runs on the iPad, which outputs bit-perfect audio. When I use cross fading and the next song has a different sample rate, there is a dropout in the audio output because the DAC has to adjust the sample rate.
Can this be avoided with a FiiO R2R in OS mode?

My K11R2R produces a click when the sample rate changes (but no significant drop out). This occurs in NOS and OS mode. It's a known "feature".
I run the K11 at low gain into my Loki+. This minimizes the click to a bearable level. The Vali3 amp is set to high gain.