The new Fiio renaming of its line with the assignment of individual letters to different categories of products begins to get a little confused. Just recently, I reviewed a low-cost portable DAC / Q1 amplifier, like they , although - in theory - K should have stationary desktop DACs and amplifiers, and it's hard to call K1 stationary. But, in general, this is not so important, because K1 turned out to be not only a small and inexpensive, but also a very interesting device, and now I will tell about it.
The format of the "DAC-flash drive" is already far from being a novelty, the development of modern circuitry makes it possible to place quite a good DAC with a microcircuit-amplifier in a very small amount, which was used by many manufacturers. Fiio in this segment has not yet had the developments, the same E07K and Q1, despite the small size, still much larger in size (primarily because of the battery). Therefore, K1 is designed to become the company's first product in an ultra-compact form factor.
The chipset is typical for Fiio, in the role of DAC stands PCM5102, familiar from the set of company products, from player X1 to DAC E17K. Complement his amplifier TPA61332A and SA9023A in the role of USB-interface. Of course, the 9023 does not support very high resolutions, K1 is limited to 96 kHz and 24 bits, but this does not require a driver for this kid.
Price list made very affordable, the device is expected to sell for about $ 40.
Specifications
- DAC: TI PCM5102
- Shelter: TPA61332A
- USB interface: SA9023A
- Frequency range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
- Output power: 75 mW @ 16Ω, 35 mW @ 32Ω
- Maximum output voltage: 3.25 Vp-p
- Maximum output current: 35.93 mA
- Total harmonic distortion + noise: <0.01% (1 kHz)
- Signal to noise ratio: ≥100 dB
- Channel imbalance: <0.3 dB
- Channel separation: ≥70 dB
- Output Impedance: ≤1Ω
- Input: MicroUSB
- Output: 3.5 mm TRS
- Power: from the USB port
- Supported signal: up to 96 kHz / 24 bit
- Dimensions: 50 mm × 20.5 mm × 8 mm
- Weight: 11.3 g
Packing and design
This time Fiio decided to use a transparent plastic packaging, it allows you to immediately see the K1 from all sides. Despite the simplicity, it looks good. In the box in addition to the device you will find a short MicroUSB-cable and instruction.
K1 is quite well assembled, here they did not try to save on matches. The body is made of aluminum with plastic plugs at the ends. For K1, an interesting titanium gray color was chosen. On the back of the device, for some reason, they attached a clip to attach to the strap of transparent plastic. I do not quite know why anyone might want to attach the K1 to the belt, but if desired, this clip can easily be disconnected.
Fiio decided not to make a USB plug, instead they made a MicroUSB connector and put a small cable in the kit, in my opinion, it's more convenient when working with PCs and laptops than constantly sticking out of the USB port of the device.
The K1 interface is extremely simple, it simply does not happen. On the one hand, the USB connector, on the other - a small LED that turns on when you work, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. There is not even a volume control, it is assumed that the source computer will be responsible for this.
Unfortunately, K1 does not work with most smartphones, because at the time of connection it requires more power than the host device, although for constant operation of the K1 it's enough power that the smartphones give out when connected via USB. Judging by the feedback on the forums, with some smartphones this DAC all the same starts and works. Fiio said that in the future they will fix this problem (as I understand, the fix will be hardware), but at the moment K1 compatibility with smartphones is not guaranteed, so we have to consider K1 as a device intended exclusively for PC.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones:
- Oppo PM-3
- Dunu DN-2000J and Titan 1
- Lear LUF-4F and LHF-AE1d
- Ambient Acoustics AM10
K1 immediately captivates the size, it's hard to believe that in a device the size of an average flash drive you can place decently sounding stuffing, however Fiio could do it.
To begin with, who does not need this device? First of all, it will not suit any DAC / amplifier owner with a price somewhere from $ 100. These devices will definitely be better.
Also, K1 is not needed for those who need to get really high quality of sound, where the costs will be greater and the devices are more expensive.
The K1 does not yet suit the owners of expensive top headphones. This kid is surprisingly good at even with medium-sized models, but for good headphones you need a better device. The reverse is also true: for the cheapest headphones K1 is also not needed.
K1 does not suit lovers of bass, there's no bass boost, and there's more bass than there is, he will not add. And finally, K1 is not needed by people who are satisfied with the quality of the built-in sound of their computer, there is no wow effect K1, so if you are not sure that you need to improve the resolution and dynamics of your PC's sound (in this area it brings improvements to K1 ), then save money on buying.
On the one hand, it seems that the device is very niche. On the other hand - K1 is exactly what most ordinary listeners want to improve their computer's sound. Add to it good headphones-gags, spending on it still somewhere from 40 to 80 dollars, and get a good set for everyday use. Lightweight, portable, inexpensive.
Below when describing the sound of K1, I will make a discount on its price, consider this.
In general, the sound K1 - a little light, gravitating toward neutrality. He has a good resolution and speed. Compared to the built-in output of the MacBook Pro (I think it can be considered a more or less good solution in the notebook world), K1 offers a more assembled bass. At first, it seems that it is smaller, but in fact it is not so, the smoothed rumble is reduced, clarity and density improves. Medium frequencies acquire more physicality, they sound more detailed. A small emphasis on the joint of midrange and high-frequency makes the sound light and airy. HF a little bright, but not prohibitive, working out good for its price.
With K1, the character of instruments is better transmitted, they sound more natural, the imaginary scene becomes wider, and the sound sources are not so crowded on it.
In the most sensitive headphones-earplugs, you can hear a small background noise (for example, in 16Ω Titan 3 with their sensitivity of 110 dB / mW). It is audible only in silence, but during music it slightly spoils quiet moments, blurring the "black background" and worsening the depth of the scene. However, already on 32Ω models this problem is not present.
The closest and more expensive competitor, the K1 - Fiio Q1 offers a darker sound with a slightly underlined bass and at the expense of higher power fits better with low sensitivity headphones.
Compatibility
Picking up the headphones for the K1, it is better to avoid the two extremes - too tight and too sensitive models. Out of curiosity, I connected to the K1 HiFiMan HE-400S, the result was quite decent, although not comparable to serious amplifiers. Well with the K1 showed mass models in the face VSonic VSD3, Ostry 6 series of both modifications, Lear LHF-AE1d. Especially I liked the combination with VSonic Gr01. Genre preferences for K1 is not, he more or less well wins most styles, except for the most difficult.
As usual, a few examples
Led Zeppelin - Boogie With Stu. Very successfully with K1, the remaster of one of the best Zeppelin albums sounds. For connoisseurs of exceptionally correct sound, there are rips from first-press vinyls and tracts at a price of $ 3,000 or more. But for this enjoyment of your favorite music, this small DAC will suffice, which benefits from a modernized track, transmitting most of the nuances.
Megadeth - A Tout le Monde. A successful reef, a good tune, a charismatic vocalist. In general, everything for which we love the work of Comrade Mustaine in a concentrated form. Fiio K1 shows itself well, bodrenko playing this track, although for more brutal genres, it will, perhaps, light.
Bruce Dickinson - Tears of the Dragon. For me, Bruce's solo work is still more interesting than the Iron Maiden albums recorded without him. Of course, "maiden" is always "maiden", and the albums with Blaise are very interesting musically, but in terms of the vocals the group lacked Dickinson, who at that time was recording masterpieces like "The Dragon's Tear." K1, of course, a bit short of the transfer of the bass line, but it effectively emphasizes the vocals, and this is the main thing in this track. You understand why.
conclusions
A very good budget device for those who want to improve the sound without spending a lot of money on it. This is a sampler of audiophile, which allows you to understand whether you should even think about more expensive and high-end devices. Of course, it's unfortunate that K1 does not support smartphones (although I believe that this support will be added at some point), but it is also quite good as a travel companion for a traveling music lover.
The article is based on materials .
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