FiiO KA17 is the new flagship DAC/amplifier in USB dongle format, replacing the FiiO KA5
FiiO KA17 is equipped with an innovative desktop mode and an external dedicated Type-C power port. When there is sufficient power supply via USB and the external power port is connected to the adapter, stationary use is enabled, automatically adjusting the DAC, gain power and headphone amplifier to a high performance state, fully unlocking the potential and power of the device.
As the flagship model, the KA17 is the first USB dongle from FiiO to use the THX amplifier circuit. It uses the architecture of the new THX AAA 78+ amplifier with a configuration of 4 channels fully balanced + 8 channels of parallel connected operational amplifiers. This architecture significantly increases the output power. In desktop mode, the balanced power of the KA17 can reach 650 mW + 650 mW, approaching the power of a desktop amplifier, with more dynamic characteristics and better control, and full sound reproduction.
The FiiO KA17 uses two new ESS DACs, the ES9069Q, based on the fourth-generation 32-bit HyperStream architecture. It achieves higher performance and lower power consumption by further reducing digital noise inside the DAC, achieving a noticeably wider dynamic range of 130dB and -120dB THD+N. The presentation is impressive and the background sound is cleaner.
The KA17 is also equipped with a professional-grade chip. 16-core XMOS, XU316, which is rarely used in USB dongles. It offers lower latency, more stable transmission, better compatibility and supports up to 768kHz/32bit, native DSD512 decoding and full MQA decoding. Paired with dual audio crystal oscillators, it can precisely adapt to different sources and sample rates.
The FiiO KA17 uses a 0.91-inch monochrome display that can intuitively indicate various functions. In addition, together with the physical buttons, you can easily adjust various settings such as screen orientation, filters and the display off timer.
In addition, the KA17 is one of the few USB dongles that support PEQ settings. It supports ten adjustable frequency bands, allowing users to fine-tune the EQ bands, gain level. The compact enclosure features multi-stage HiFi audio architecture, analog and digital boards are isolated to prevent crosstalk, 3-stage 10-channel power design, and comes with a case-colored faux leather case. There is also built-in thermal protection and SPDIF support.
