FiiO’s DAC line continues to grow
We’ve seen FiiO before, including the K7 in January, but they’re back with a new around $500 DAC called the K9. The FiiO K9 is more than just a headphone amplifier, it can handle both in-ear monitors and headsets with an impedance of up to 32 ohms. It has inputs similar to the K9 Pro ESS. Not just XLR, but USB, RCA, balanced 4.4mm, optical, coaxial and even Bluetooth. The output is equally impressive, with XLR, 4.4 mm balanced, single-ended 1/4 inch, which should cover just about any scenario imaginable.
The FiiO K9 is equipped with a SS Saber ES9068AS 32-bit 2-channel DAC, not as high-end as the K9 Pro ESS, but it can definitely handle most things. In addition, two Texas Instruments OPA1612 low-pass filters and two THX AAA 788+ linear amplifiers assist the DACs to ensure that the audio output can be controlled. TechPowerUp has a lot of good things to say about the FiiO K9 in their review, including Roon integration, but I wish the app included a decent parametric EQ.
