Some notes on Fiio KA17

[CuriousAli]

There are some conflicting info on Fiio KA17, so I'm providing these for those who may get confused about Fiio's KA17 features and limits:

1. It now has a web interface you can control on your computer, Mac or PC, which lets you customize the PEQ. There is still the Android app too.

2. You can only update its firmware using Windows, so far its web control panel doesn't offer this feature.

3. After one of the firmware updates, you can use both UAC V1 and PEQ.

4. You can use PEQ on the SPDIF Coaxial output too.

5. You can't use UAC V1 with SPDIF out, that's very frustrating, I needed to use it as digital out for my PS5, and now I see it doesn't work.
When you turn on the SPDIF, it switches back to UAC V2.

6. For SPDIF out they provide a schematic here:

11.How to use SPDIF output in KA17?-FIIO---BORN FOR MUSIC

www.fiio.com

And the ready made cables for that 3.5mm to RCA Coaxial cables are hard to find.
What I have found is you can use a simple 3.5mm to RCA adapter, just don't insert it all the way in, use it like this:

7. This one is not specific to this DAC, but a limit of macOS, on macOS can only use DSD using DoP, and it can only handle up to DSD 256 via DoP.
Not that I care about DSD, it was just an experiment.

 

[guigui]

Do you like it?

 

[WondrousHippo]

I have the KA15, so I have two notes/questions:

1) You might not like the PS5 experience anyway — the KA15 doesn’t account for the default reduced USB volume issue. I haven’t tested SPDIF with UAC1 myself.

2) Does the SPDIF output convert everything to 44.1 kHz for you on the KA17?

 

[CuriousAli]

Do you like it?

It sounds good (can't say better or worse than other DACs, seemed detailed and transparent) and has interesting features like PEQ and SPDIF out, but to be honest I regret buying it a bit.
As a portable DAC/Amp it gets a little too warm, it hasn't overheated for me so far, but it is too warm for me to put in my pocket and forget about it, if you compare it to Apple's dongle for example.
As a desktop DAC/Amp it is better as you are not going to touch it and feel the warm case of it, but it has outputs just for headphones, no line out for speakers, so that is limiting you, although I have connected its headphone out to speakers too for testing and of course it works, I mean it doesn't do both at the same time.
If only it had SPDIF + UAC 1.0 at the same time it would be my perfect digital out for my console to my Audient Audio interface, but it only offers SPDIF out for UAC 2.0 support.

I have the KA15, so I have two notes/questions:

1) You might not like the PS5 experience anyway — the KA15 doesn’t account for the default reduced USB volume issue. I haven’t tested SPDIF with UAC1 myself.

2) Does the SPDIF output convert everything to 44.1 kHz for you on the KA17?

1) I don't listen to loud volumes so it was loud enough for me, have you tried both high gain and desktop mode and it still wasn't good for KA15?

2) I don't think so, its manual says it supports up to 96 kHz on SPDIF and I tried setting it to 96 kHz and my Audient interface received 96 kHz. On macOS there is this utility called Audio MIDI Setup which allows setting sample rates for each device, while SPDIF out was on it allowed me to select up to 192 kHz too, but my Audient device doesn't support more than 96 kHz so I don't know if it really works.

 

[WondrousHippo]

1) I don't listen to loud volumes so it was loud enough for me, have you tried both high gain and desktop mode and it still wasn't good for KA15?

Yes, my test case was specifically my Audeze LCD-2C with EQ which is really the max of what the KA15 can do, and it was noticeably quieter on PS5 than other sources, but this has been an issue requiring workarounds since the PS4 days, unfortunately. The Qudelix-5K has a mode that handles PS5 properly.

 

[CuriousAli]

Yes, my test case was specifically my Audeze LCD-2C with EQ which is really the max of what the KA15 can do, and it was noticeably quieter on PS5 than other sources, but this has been an issue requiring workarounds since the PS4 days, unfortunately. The Qudelix-5K has a mode that handles PS5 properly.

I see, I wasn't aware of this issue.

 

[CuriousAli]

Giving an update regarding firmware update only possible with Windows, their latest 2.21 firmware update comes with a Mac app to apply it too.
Unfortunately it still doesn't allow coax out with UAC v1.0.

 

[lewdish]

Do you know if KA17 supports inline mic?

 

[CuriousAli]

Do you know if KA17 supports inline mic?

I don't think it does, it isn't mentioned on its specs and when it is connected to my Mac, checking Audio MIDI Setup app, it only shows it as an output device, input tab is disabled for it.

 

[Overseas]

If only use it for PHONE streaming, does it interfere with Wavelet settings ? Also, do I need to mess with laptops to update versions, if I only use it for PHONE ?
So, I do not need Fiio EQ, I intend to use Wavelet dedicated headphone presets.

 

[Overseas]

Looking for a balanced portable with ESS DAC. Not needing MQA, nor optical out, not even PEQ on the dongle.
So.... how does KA17 compare to Ifi Go Link Max ?!

 

[CuriousAli]

If only use it for PHONE streaming, does it interfere with Wavelet settings ? Also, do I need to mess with laptops to update versions, if I only use it for PHONE ?
So, I do not need Fiio EQ, I intend to use Wavelet dedicated headphone presets.

The EQ settings on KA17 can be set to bypass (so switching to an actual EQ while playing music won't cut the sound dramatically) or completely turned off.
I haven't used Wavelet, let me know if there is something I can check with it to let you know if it works as expected, but if your question was about turning the builtin EQ off, you can do it easily.
About firmware updates, so far I have only seen this option using Mac/Windows firmware update tools by Fiio, I don't think you can update the firmware using your phone.
But I don't think it is going to get many firmware updates from now? It already have had a few major updates.
And there has been months between each update.

Looking for a balanced portable with ESS DAC. Not needing MQA, nor optical out, not even PEQ on the dongle.
So.... how does KA17 compare to Ifi Go Link Max ?!

I haven't used iFi Go Link Max, but I just checked its specs and compared to KA17, Go Link Max has less output power for headphones, I don't know if you have any headphones needing that extra power though?
I guess if you don't need that extra power, probably the iFi one uses less power from your phone, but that's just a guess, and there are two usb ports on the KA17 which you can connect one of them to a power bank so it won't take much power from your phone.
As for THD+N, I think KA17 has an edge using balanced output, but not sure if the difference can be heard?
Go Link Max has better SNR in its specs page, even though KA17 has a newer chip, but I think both have more than enough.
Fiio KA17 is one of those dongles that goes to sleep if not used for a while and can take half a second to wake up and sometimes you may hear a little pop while it wakes up (not heard it lately though, I used to hear it more before), I don't know how iFi Go Link Max behaves in this regard.
Hope the above info helps!

 

[Overseas]

Clear. Anyway, seems that I can get a brand new Ifi Go Link Max for 50 euro, as I do not need all the options of Ka17 (Mqa, optical, Eq and so on).

 

[Overseas]

But, but... it seems a pain in the but(t) to get a simple balanced jack cable 4.4mm to 2x3.5mm...

 

[CuriousAli]

But, but... it seems a pain in the but(t) to get a simple balanced jack cable 4.4mm to 2x3.5mm...

Hmm, I think the same 4.4mm is used for Fiio KA17 too, right? So they both have this cable trouble.

 

[Overseas]

I have to say that yesterday I tried the HP out of my Yamaha A-S 1100 (no EQ and no corrections on Yamaha )and that's all I need. Hope it's not distortion what i hear but if it is... so be it. Well, the chain is made of Wiim streamer + Topping E50 DAc, so Fiio K11 and Ifi Go Link Max are no match.

 

[jkim]

I have to say that yesterday I tried the HP out of my Yamaha A-S 1100 (no EQ and no corrections on Yamaha )and that's all I need. Hope it's not distortion what i hear but if it is... so be it. Well, the chain is made of Wiim streamer + Topping E50 DAc, so Fiio K11 and Ifi Go Link Max are no match.

According to your amplifier's headphone output spec:

it basically supplies maximum 0.9 Vrms into 32 Ohm load. For sensitive headphones, this should be adequate.

If you need more power, note that 0.9 Vrms is usually what cheap dongles can do these days.

As I mentioned in this review, a portable DAC/HP amp based on an ESS DAC chip is rare. The ifi Go Link Max seems to be a good choice which should be able to drive most of the headphones out there except some power hungry ones.

 

[dukduk671]

How do you access this web interface for the EQ?

Edit: found my own answer, but would’ve been nice if it was in OP. https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/