FiiO KA15 Review

In this article we review the FiiO KA15, another all new super compact dongle DAC/Amp from the brand, priced at just $109 USD.

Disclaimer: The FiiO KA15 was sent to us, free of charge, by the brand in exchange for our honest opinion.

About FiiO

Established in 2007, FiiO has become a powerhouse in the audiophile realm, offering an impressive line-up of affordable and high-quality products. From IEMs, headphone amps, DACs, to DAPs, FiiO has consistently delivered top-notch devices, setting benchmarks for other brands to follow like the FiiO M23, the mighty FiiO Q7, or the everlasting E10K, which has remained on the market for over a decade.

An unceasing saga of success, propelled not only by a steady flow of high-end devices but also by the introduction of smart, budget-friendly products. Their latest series of USB DAC/Amps is a prime example—compact dongle-sized gadgets that hark back to the venerable FiiO E5 and E3, first revealed over a decade ago. An expansive range that includes the delightful FiiO KA13 the formidable FiiO KA5, the diminutive FiiO KA1 and KA2, and the lovely KA17 we had the chance to listen to a few weeks ago.

And if that line-up already seemed very complete to me, the brand pushed even further this year, with the introduction of two new entry-level dongles :

• The FiiO JA11, which we reviewed a few weeks ago and appeared as “a solid improvement over your basic dongle”, even if not ground-breaking.

• The FiiO KA11, still entry-level but packed with much more power and advertised as a real portable DAC/Amp thanks to the CS43131 chip and improved circuitry.

And now a last one? :

• The FiiO KA15, an upgraded version of the KA5, embedding a super tiny screen, an improved circuitry, super-low consumption modes and a cassette-player like design

The new swiss army knife of portable DAC/Amp? Time to find out

About Jade Audio

Unlike the KA17 I previously reviewed, and like the KA5, the FiiO KA15 is part of the Jade Audio subsidiary, under the classic FiiO range.

A quick resume from the brand, so we can all get the same info:

“Jade Audio” is a subsidiary brand of FiiO Electronics Technology Co., LTD. It is a stylish, technological, and youth-oriented brand aiming to provide high-quality yet cost-effective audio products with an excellent listening experience for the younger generation all around the world. The entity’s Chinese name is derived from “翡声” (Fei Sheng), meaning “the sound of Jade”. The name “Jade Audio” conveys our mission towards providing consumers with a crisp and pleasant listening experience while maintaining audio fidelity

As a matter of fact, there are now more and more Jade Audio devices such as:

• FiiO JA11 : a DAC/Amp with proprietary DSP (reviewed)
• FiiO KA11 : a DAC/Amp with a single CS43131 chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA1 : a DAC/Amp with a single ES9281AC Pro chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA2 : a DAC/Amp with a dual CS43131 chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA3 : a DAC/Amp with a single ES9038Q2M Pro chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA5 : a DAC/Amp with a dual CS43198 chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA15 : a DAC/Amp with a dual CS43198 + dual op-amp (today’s review)
• FiiO KA13 : a DAC/Amp with a dual CS43198 chip (reviewed)
• FiiO KA17 : a DAC/AMP with a dual ES9069Q chip – not really Jade, but I’ll put it there(reviewed)
• FiiO FF3 : a new-gen earbud with a 14.2mm large dynamic driver (reviewed)
• FiiO FF5 : same but different earbud with a 14.2mm large dynamic driver (reviewed)
• FiiO Q11 : a portable DAC/AMP with a battery, replacing the Q3 (reviewed)
• FiiO JW1 : a new-gen earbud, wireless (reviewed)
• FiiO JH5 : a hybrid IEM packing 1 DD and 4BA (reviewed)

Design & Build Quality

Casing

Out of the box, three things struck me with the FiiO KA15:

• it’s (super) small, much more than I expected, even compared to the KA11 I reviewed a few weeks ago,
• it’s (super) fancy, and this is one the best-looking DAC/Amp I ever had the chance to hold from the brand
• it’s a mini-walkman, with the same button layout and according screen configuration, just super tiny

A little box of joy, that ditched the rugged design of the KA5 for a sleeker/funnier one, enjoying the same meticulously CNC milled, anodized and polished, all-metal body found in all and every FiiO DAC nowadays. And, if my full-black KA15 looks kind of stealth on the go, the blue version is a lot more vibrant with its two tone design, mimicking the FiiO CP13 – in the best possible way.

And, I’ll state it one more time: it’s super tiny; okay, not the extent of the KA11, but still. End to end, the KA15 is just 55 mm long (without the cable), 25 mm wide, 11 mm thick, and just 21g heavy, making it supremely portable, even without a bag. Again, even if those measurements do not include the detachable USB-C cable, the DAC remains a bliss to carry in a jean’s pocket, a jacket, or simply stuck to your phone if you’re ok with QI-wireless charging.

Really nice!

Build Quality

Like every product recently released by the brand, the FiiO KA15 is absolutely flawless in this regard. I’d even dare to say that this DAC, is one the best design the brand ever produced.

« Sky Blue » or « Midnight Black » full-metal body with a blue faceplate for the prior version, embossed FiiO logo in the back, screw-less design, and an amazingly satisfying 0.96in screen that looks amazing, even under the sunlight.

In hand, the result is even more impressive, thanks to that smooth rectangular design, and clicky button on the side. I won’t say that it’s as bullet-proof as the previous KA5, but you could definitely drop it and it shall come out unscathed (I don’t recommend any of that of course).

Add to that a solid I/O – the KA15 coming with a multifunction buttons and volume controls – and a dual output (3.5mm + 4.4mm) and you’re looking at one of the best of the best little dongle available in this price range.

All in all, a very solid piece of work that inspires confidence and really gives a good impression.

Comfort and Specifications

Daily use

On a daily basis, it’s hard to get something simpler than the KA15, but for the geeks and tinkerers, their are numerous hidden options, available just to the press of a button.

If you just want some good old plug & play setup, just connect it to your phone, tablet, computer; insert your headphone jack, and you’re good to go. There were no issues with my iPhone 13 Pro Max + TC28i + KA15, same with my MacBook or even my Steam Deck: each time, the FiiO KA15 was immediately recognized by the source, and music came out almost instantly.

You’re even granted by a lovely animation, where the cassette begins to play, as soon as a sound begins – love that. It even stops when playback halts, completely useless but it does make me want to keep playing music so see it rotate.

And, like the KA17 and HiBy FC4, the KA15 comes with button volumes, allowing you to handle that aspect directly from the device. A feature that I consider mandatory nowadays, especially for an USB DAC.

In addition to that, the FiiO gets two additional buttons:

• a desktop mode slider, unleashing the full power of the amp, when associated with a powerful enough USB source
• a play/pause, multi-functional button (red coated) that allows you to access the in-depth menu of the DAC

A feature that was found on the previous model, allowing you to set custom curves with the help of  FiiO’s Control app, or change various things like the UAC mode, or the gain – this to ensure perfect compatibility with all of your sources (aka gaming consoles, computer, etc…)

Hold the menu button and you’ll get access to even more options :

• Roll-off filters 
• L/R Balance
• 60 or 120 steps volume settings
• UAC 1.0 / 2.0
• Class A/B or Class H amplification
• EQ settings
• …

Last but not least, like its predecessor , the 3.5mm output doubles as a SPDIF out!

Bundle and Accessories

Inside the box

Obviously, at a price this low, the FiiO KA15 doesn’t come with an extensive bundle, but it’s not terrible either.

In the box, you get :

• the FiiO KA15
• an USB-C to USB-C cable
• a lovely leatherette case, perfectly tailored for the DAC
• some documentations

So yeah, nothing fancy, but for the price, I won’t complain!

Specifications

Dual CS43198 + dual SGM8262

Once more, FiiO chose to rely on Cirrus-Logic DAC, the aforementioned CS43198 more precisely, found in plentiful of devices nowadays.

A very popular chip, issued from the MasterHiFi series and advertised as a “low power audio DAC with a high-fidelity headphone amplifier to provide a superior system-level audio performance”. A bold statement, but history prove that Cirrus know their stuff and many award-winning device still carry that one chip – usually two of them actually – and continue to hold a candle to the mighty ESS and AKM.

In fact, this chip is more of an SOC than a simple DAC, embedding all kinds of features like advanced 32-bit oversampled multi-bit modulator with mismatch shaping technology, or an Integrated GND-centered, enhanced by a dual set of SGM8262 Op-Amp for the power amp part. What’s even more interesting, is the fact that this time, you can switch between Class A/B and Class-D mode, in case you’d prefer a specific sound signature, in addition to the usual roll-off settings.

Add to that the ability to decode PCM signal up to 32bit/768kHz and even DSD256 files on the go, super low distortion (<0.00045%@32ohms), equally low noise floor (<1.7uV) and very good signal to noise ratio (>123dB), and you get a killer dongle.

More power, less power

Combining the tech introduced in the KA17 and the previous KA5, the FiiO KA15 delivers a lot more power than its predecessor, while draining a lot less when idle or in standby mode.

Thanks to the new low-power processor and high-precision chips, the DAC now features real-time voltage and current monitoring (that can be displayed on the main screen) and use 80% less power than before in pause mode and display a staggering 93% decrease in terms of power consumption, in standby mode. So either the KA5 was one hungy machine, or the new KA15 enjoys a far more polished circuitry – let’s hope it’s the second option.

But, the most interesting part isn’t this. No, where the KA15 really beats the “old” KA5, is by its sheer power, courtesy of the Desktop Mode introduced in the KA17 and KA11 before, allowing a steep 207% increase of power, head to head. That mean that now, in desktop mode and through the balanced output, the new DAC/Amp is able to deliver 560mW per channel, compared to the 265mW offered by the KA5.

Maybe not enough to power a planar up to the max, but for my Meze 109 Pro that was more than enough.

So let’s put that to the test!

Technical specs

• Type: USB DAC
• Model: FiiO KA15
• Screen size : 0.96 inch, color LCD
• Chipset: 2x CS43198
• Op-Amp: 2x SGM8262
• Frequency range: 20Hz – 20 000Hz
• Compatibility: PCM up to 32bit/768kHz – DSD up to DSD256
• SNR: 123dB
• THD (normal): < 0.0004%
• Output power (unbalanced): 50 (32 ohms classic mode) / 180mW (32 ohms desktop mode)
• Output power (balanced): 170mW (32 ohms classic mode) / 560mW (32 ohms desktop mode)
• Size: 52 x 25 x 11 mm
• Weight: 21 g
• Socket: USB-C
• Outputs: 3.5mm (jack) / 4.4mm (Pentaconn)
• Output impedance: < 0.7 ohms
• Price: $109

The article continues on page two, after the click here, or after the jump

Page 1: About the brand, design and build quality, Comfort, Bundle, Specs

Page 2: Sound performance

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