FIIO KA17 Balanced Portable DAC Headphone Amplifier Blue

With its KA17 balanced portable DAC headphone amplifier, FiiO unveils a compact high-performance device. The KA17 incorporates high-quality components such as two ES9069Q DAC chips and an XMOS XU316 USB interface. Added to this is an amplifier stage based on THX AAA 78+ technology and no fewer than 8 AOPs. Thanks to these components, the KA17 is able to decode high-resolution PCM 32bit 768kHz, DSD512 and MQA streams, while offering substantial output power of up to 2x 650mW @ 32 ohm 1% THD+N. In terms of connectivity, the KA17 benefits from a USB-C connector and two outputs: a jack 3.5mm headphone output and a jack 4.4mm balanced output. In terms of aesthetics and ergonomics, the KA17 features a sturdy CNC-machined aluminum shell, a dot-matrix screen for displaying playback information and navigating settings, as well as side-mounted control buttons for volume control.

FiiO KA17: an amplifier stage based on THX AAA 78+ technology

Already used in the M11 Pro and M11 Plus, THX AAA 78+ technology is also present in the KA17. Here, it is coupled with the use of 8 AOPs working in parallel in a 4-channel symmetrical configuration for high output power and detailed sound reproduction quality. Indeed, its output power reaches up to 2x 650mW on its balanced 4.4mm jack output and up to 2x 270mW on its 3.5mm jack output.

FiiO KA17: a circuit comparable to high-end audiophile DAPs

Digital and analog signal processing are performed on two separate PCBs, isolated to avoid any interference. Crystal oscillators bring a high level of precision to digital signal processing, while analog processing benefits from an LPF + BUF + BUF structure.