FiiO K7 Desktop DAC and Amplifier

l'm an audiophile who knows there is A LOT of snake oil in this business. A LOT. Now, having said that, the k7 deserves the $200 asking price. If you have a good sound-card, the k7 will be a mild improvement, but sure enough an audible improvement. Don't expect night and day differences, but you'll find some. Whether you like the new sound signature more than your sound-card, that's another story. The k7 will offer slightly more refined sound, but similar 'technicalities.' Where the k7 is a real upgrade is in having a dedicated volume control knob. The volume is digital so the knob has no end to it (you can keep on spinning it once it has reached its max). My unit didn't have a very noticeable delay (as some reviewers stated). Perhaps that has to do with how powerful/fast your computer is (?). Some people also find the volume odd because for the first (almost) 1/4 of it, you don't hear anything (on less sensible HPs). Fiio engineers did this on purpose: this way, users of very sensitive IEMs will not have a problem adjusting the volume to their preferred level. The k7 (unlike any sound-card that l'm aware of) offers balanced connections so you can give that a try. Personally, l did hear the difference. My HPs did open up with the balanced inputs (4.4mm and 4pin XLR). If you've been into this hobby for a while (if your brained has been trained to notice these sound nuances), you'll notice that right away. Then there's the extra power in case you need it. Some people may prefer to keep their sound-card over the k7 in favor of having more 'desktop free space.' l get that. Personally, l have a volume ring on my keyboard, but l much prefer having a knob. Besides, it's easier to plug/switch HPs from the k7 (likely placed on your desk near your mouse) than from the back of the PC, under the desk. Does the k7 get hot? Not at all (room temperature 80ºF). *Now, let's address the elephant in the room: the Fiio k9 ESS* I guess the AKM version is equally good too, but l haven't tested that one so my words will refer to the k9 ESS (non-pro). If you wonder, I didn't want a slower pace sounding device, that's why I was only interested in the ESS version. k7 VS k9 ESS: The difference between the k7 and the k9 ESS aren't mild or subtle, but very significant. We're talking about a product (k7) that has its own sound signature (warmer, slower, more bass where there shouldn't be, small soundstage), but that plays on the budget league VS a product (k9 ESS) that plays in the HI-FI realm. The k9 will be a noticeably improvement in the soundstage, dynamics, clarity and rest of the audio attributes. Example: on the k7 the HD800s treble is harsh; plug them to the k9 and the treble becomes oh so beautiful. Mind you, k9 ESS is 'fast.' The music will play faster than on the AKM which has the 'normal pace' tunning. You may like a faster pace more or less, but you'll certainly notice the difference in speed. This is supposed to be an attribute of the ESS chips (regardless of the system implementation). Have you ever heard people saying something like, "buy the best HP you can then spend the rest on a DAC-amp?" Nonsense. Once you have a good pair of HPs ($300-$500), trust me, they will sound noticeably different when paired to the k7 VS the k9. Example: You'd think my old, yet great sounding Hifiman HE-400 (non s, etc. just plain 'HE-400') sound great when connected to the k7 and also my sound-card. Now, plug them to the k9 ESS and let me read your mind: "Holly guacamole! Now we're talking business." Yes, those are your own words ;-) If my budget was $1000, l'd rather get a k9 ESS and a $300-500 HPs than spending $200 on the k7 then $800 on a HP. Even better, l'd buy the k9 ESS new (to test it for yourself in case you want to return it, and to have the always SO important WARRANTY just in case) then spend the rest of the budget on a 'second hand' headphone (in good condition with replaceable earpads). Amplifiers come defective even when new (l've already sent 2 back, the very k9 ESS l'm talking about which had a defective 'optical in' and a k9 ESS Pro), however headphones rarely fail (although they also do it seems; it never happened to me). l know l digressed quite a bit, but l hope you enjoyed my 'on the fly, all over the place' review of the Fiio k7. Remember: "Buying cheap is expensive" or the German version "We're too poor to buy cheap." Save for the k9 ESS, buy it new (return, warranty), enjoy it for years to come. Hope this helps!

Amazing DAC/Amp for the price! 2000mw through balanced 4.4mm output; plenty of power even with single-ended output (6.3mm; I'm using the 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter until my balanced cable arrives). Clean power and clean sound; no detectable distortion when running to my HiFiMan Edition XS Headphones. Gets very loud; enough to add 6db headroom, put +5.5db low shelf EQ, and listen to even semi-quiet Classical recordings at substantial volumes. Sounds WONDERFUL! I highly recommend FiiO and came from a portable KA13 which was also top-notch. The K7 produces more bass and better volumes without distortion compared to the KA13. If you have the capability to use a Desktop DAC, I highly recommend the K7 over the KA13 for quadruple the power output and no distortion; the KA13 distorts slightly at near max to max volumes, which was necessary for some material. Headroom wasn't much of an option with the KA13. Gets slightly warm after 15-30 minutes of use, but is just a little warm to the touch. The KA13 gets hot, and I suspect could overheat in some scenarios. The K7 seems like it will never overheat.

I think this is sort of the sweet spot for dac's and price. I have to admit that I no longer have it but have moved up to the k9. I don't feel like there was a huge change in sonic clarity or sound stage. There was a difference in both but not to the tune of another $300 tbh. I think the bigger differences where in the xlr output and bluetooth connectivity with the k9. Either is still a balanced dac topography and a decent akm chip. A lot of people will play up DAC's to be a major change to sonic clarity, but the reality is they are all small nuance things that you notice over time. The reality is that I ran for decades with on board chip sets, and found my motherboard had known issues on it later. Since that time I played with most of the FIIO line up and found that I like the k9 best, but they are all minor changes. I've used both with a rotel amp and a set of DIY scan speak speakers as well as meze empyrean headphones. The larger irony is that I changed the rotel amp for a douk audio and noticed little difference there as well. The reality is that you get more flexibility, options, and connectivity with the k9 and a small bump in sound quality. If you don't need all the options this is a sweet spot.

I love this little thing. I bought it for the office, just needed something small, cheap, sounds good, and works well for the office and this ticks all the boxes. I love that you can save money by not getting BT which for my use case is unnecessary. I like the smooth knob, LED around it, build quality, and most importantly the sound and power it produces. I use it with my Focal Elegia at the office and things sound clear, dynamic, fun, and detailed in a way that I think most people would be impressed with. For a compact, all-in-one, starter amp/dac combo I don't think there is anything better. Honestly I don't think most people would ever need anything more than this unless you need certain ports or power this may not be able to provide. At home I have both a SMSL SU-10 hooked up to a Aune S17Pro, and previously came form a Schiit Asgard/Modius stack. Before that I came from a JDS Labs amp/dac combo unit. The headphones I have include Meze Empyreans, HE1000V2, ZMF Auters, HD660s, and Focal Elegia headphones. Is it possible to get better or a different sound signature than this with spending more? Probably, but not by much and that that point you are really just searching for that specific sound signature or to get those last couple % to reach perfection. This thing is great and would highly recommend to anyone looking to get into dedicated amp dacs.

Any of these are going to greatly improve the sound over plugging your headphones directly into the mini-jack on a computer. Listening was done with a few different headphones but mostly with beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Closed-Back Studio Headphones. Music source was a laptop connected to the DAC/Headphone Amp via USB. If an external power supply was included, I used that. If not, power came via USB. I've kept notes on my impressions brief and included comparisons amongst the DAC/Amp's in this list. They are listed below in my order of preference with my favorites at the top. If you want flowery vocabulary I'm sure in depth reviews are available out there on the web. Headphones make the greatest difference in sound - spend more on them, if necessary. The DAC/Amp is secondary but does add its own flavor to the music. --- iFi Zen DAC V2 | Desktop Digital Analog Converter (Listening only with "TRUEBASS" off.) Very good. Slightly better than the FiiO K7. Better vocal clarity and slightly fuller bass. I ended up comparing this with the FX-Audio DAC-X6 head to head, which continued to surprise me as I put it up against significantly more expensive competitors. Across several hours and many pieces of music, I prefer the iFi... but the difference is infinitesimal. Possibly the iFi has a little more punch to the bass? Maybe a bit more space ans separation? If you're working to a budget, get the FX-Audio and put the extra cash towards better headphones. FX-Audio DAC-X6 Mini HiFi 2.0 Digital Audio Decoder DAC This thing is good. Surprisingly good. I ended up putting it head-to-head with amps costing three times its price. Slightly warmer sound, with slightly less detail in the vocals than the iFi Zen Air, but more space in the music, and more enjoyable to listen to. Slightly better clarity than the Topping. FiiO K7 Full Balanced HiFi DAC Headphone Amplifier This is indeed better than the K5 version. Vocals are more lifelike. And a particular emphasis on the mid-treble heard in the K5 is absent. There is more separation between the instruments. Very close call with the iFi V2, with my preference going to the iFi for better vocal clarity and slightly fuller bass. iFi Zen Air DAC Not quite as good as the V2, but close. Closer than the FiiO K5 is to the K7. There is, again, a comparative emphasis in mid-treble and the vocals get a bit lost. The sound is slightly thin compared to rivals at this price point. FiiO K5 Pro Headphone Amps Portable Desktop DAC and Amplifier Not quite as good as the K7, but at half the price one cannot really complain. Vocals are not quite as lifelike and there is more mid-treble - but not in a good way. Topping DX1 Mini Stereo DAC Headphone Amplifier Combo Very good little unit. Bass is slightly overemphasized. Fosi Audio K5 Pro Gaming DAC Headphone Amplifier I thought this unit was DOA. Turns out that you must long press the volume knob to turn it on. (Short press to select input.) Not terrible, but not as musical as the others in this test. Also, the only one with bass and treble knobs. And only a mini-jack - no 1/4" jack. Pro-Ject Head Box S2 Digital This DAC/Amp had an issue that makes it unlistenable. The sound is very nice... but... there's some faint static. Only in the music, not in silence. A faint crackling.... Can't have that.

TL;DR: For $200 in 2023, You cannot get a better-sounding, more well-rounded amp/DAC combo unit. And thus, you could not pick a better "budget" amplifier for your first foray into audiophilia. Also, if it's your first headphone amp - welcome to the rabbit hole. Follow me down. The Fiio K7 is insanely flexible. It has balanced (4.4mm) and unbalanced (6.3mm) outputs and 4 input options (RCA, coaxial, optical, USB). It has 2 gain settings to assist with powering harder-to-drive headphones. It can even function as a pre-amp/DAC for another amp like a tube. Does it sound as expansive as the sound coming out of my $2400 Sennheiser HDV 820, on my HD800S headphones? No. But it's about 85-90% of the way there... and that's incredible value. The sound signature is clean and neutral as you'd expect from a THX AAA 788-based amp. No coloration that I could discern. Power is reasonable, and with the gain options, most headphones shouldn't have an issue. To get my HD800S as loud as I wanted (which is pretty loud) on the balanced output, I did need to use high gain (maxed out on the low gain just below my threshold), but I couldn't hear any distortion from it. Some high-end planars might top out close to the max power... but if you're rocking those, bump up your amp game at that point just a tad... ha. I can't quite knock a star for the stupid volume knob stepping - but I was tempted! Volume adjustment is not smooth/linear, but instead adjusts up and down in small steps as you roll the knob. Think of it like adjusting volume on a typical TV or other device. It's in steps - and overly-big ones it feels like, at times. Not a massive dealbreaker, but every once in a while I find myself wishing I could have an in-between step in sound volume. I've never had a knob-based amplifier cut this corner before, and it's maddening... but livable. Rant over. The FiiO K7 punches above its weight, and trades blows with combo units in the $400-500 range in various categories. The bar has been raised, and for the price, this is an excellent value.

I am not an audio "expert" in any way, and I am an audiophile newcomer, but I must say that after powering my HD 600s with these, there is so much "room" for the music to expand itself, without any distortion or cluttering of the audio. The USB connector is a type B to A which is fine for me, but others may prefer it being a type C. The build quality of this AMP/DAC is amazing, it is built entirely from aluminum with CNC finishing, and everything else like the volume knob, switches and buttons just feel expensive. Nothing feels cheap, and it is a sturdy compact, little unit. The volume knob acts, obviously, as a volume knob but also as an on/off switch. Switching between on and off gives a nice, satisfying click, and when turning the unit on there's a subtle RGB coloring show going on, which switches to a solid color which isn't too bright, depending on your music's sampling rate. Blue: 44.1KHz/48KHz, yellow: 88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384KHz, and green: DSD64/128/256. In terms of power, there's really nothing these couldn't power. You have enough power for any headphone you'll plug in, which is great. The gain switch works well, and doesn't cause any distortions when setting it to high. A balanced feature at this price range, from what I've seen, is super RARE, which means you have incredible value for money, making this a future-proof AMP/DAC. You have guards in place to protect your headphones and your ears, as well as unit protection. The volume knob takes a second to adjust, since it has a guard against sudden, accidental high volumes. If you're looking for an AMP/DAC combo, this is the one to go for!

Why did you pick this product vs others?: This DAC is not bad, but the big problem after buying is that the Fiio website seems to be permanently down, or to have huge gaps in service... which means that support and firmware downloads, etc are no longer available. I would definitely not recommend a company who can't maintain their website for customer support.