Fiio began specializing in the high-end section two years in the past, and that led to a deluge of premium merchandise, together with DACs, IEMs that used a mix of three totally different driver models, and community streamers. Whereas these merchandise have been aimed on the high-end section, they nonetheless delivered an important feature-set, and undercut their rivals by a substantial margin.
Nothing illustrates this as a lot because the K9 Professional DAC; Fiio did all the best issues with the product, and having used it for over a yr and a half, I am satisfied that there is not something higher at this value level. The one draw back is that the K9 Professional nonetheless prices $849, making it inaccessible to a mainstream viewers.
That is the place the K9 comes into the equation. Fiio rolled out the K9 final yr, and on the outset, there actually is not a lot of a distinction between the usual mannequin and the K9 Professional; each use related ESS DACs, THX amps, Bluetooth connectivity with the identical set of codecs, and an equivalent design. The distinction is that the K9 is accessible for $499, simply over half the asking value of the K9 Professional.
Clearly, Fiio designed the K9 to fit into the mid-range section, filling the void between the $200 K7 and $849 K9 Professional. However by retaining the identical design and quite a lot of the identical options as the more expensive K9 Professional, Fiio is operating the chance of cannibalizing its high-end product, as a result of after utilizing the K9 for six months, I do not actually see the necessity for purchasing the K9 Professional.
Beginning with the design, the K9 makes use of the identical chassis because the K9 Professional, and that is one thing Fiio is liable to doing. It did the identical with the K7, which retained the chassis of the K5 Professional, and on the time, the model famous it was to avoid wasting manufacturing prices and make it simpler to get the product out the door.
Clearly, the model is utilizing the identical technique right here, and the K9 is sort of equivalent to the K9 Professional. The one distinction is the dearth of the Professional branding on the entrance of the unit, and the quantity dial that dominates the entrance fascia would not have gold accents. That stated, the labels beneath all of the connectors and button at the moment are in white and have higher distinction, and so they’re considerably simpler to learn. This continues to be a problem on the K9 Professional, with the gray labels merging with the black chassis, making it arduous to make out any of the markings.
The K9 has the identical connectors up entrance, so that you get a balanced 4.4mm port, 4-pin XLR that has a mud cowl, and a single-ended 6.35mm connector. The standing LED highlights the mode in use, and you should utilize USB, optical, coaxial, line in, and Bluetooth. On the backside, you get the facility button, achieve toggle — excessive, medium, and low — together with an enter selector, and output toggle that permits you to use the K9 as a devoted DAC, headphone out, or in a configuration that sees it appearing as a preamp.
Provided that the K9 makes use of the identical black chassis because the Professional mannequin, it would not actually draw a lot consideration to itself. Each side of the unit have a vented design to ship passive airflow, and that is wanted as a result of there isn’t any lively cooling. You get the identical THX branding on the high, but it surely is not embossed, and the brand new Fiio emblem is etched above.
It is on the again the place issues get attention-grabbing, with the K9 providing the identical set of connectivity choices because the K9 Professional. You get an antenna to ship a steady Bluetooth sign, and there are USB-B, coaxial, and optical inputs together with a 4.4mm balanced and the standard RCA. You additionally get RCA and 3-pin XLR out.
The one factor lacking on the K9 is USB-C connectivity, and MQA rendering. Whereas I’d have preferred to see USB-C, it is not a giant deal, and truthfully, you get a ton of different ports on the DAC. MQA is used largely by Tidal, and as the usual itself is out of favor, its omission would not really imply something.
What I like in regards to the K9 retaining the identical design is that it may be mounted in a horizontal or vertical orientation, and also you get a stand within the package deal that permits you to mount it vertically. Coming in at 5.7lb (2.6kg), it’s simply as heavy because the K9 Professional, and it is not designed with portability. The package deal accommodates a USB cable, 3.5mm to six.35mm connector, and an extra fuse.
The FiiO Management app continues to be nice, and it provides you exhaustive management over nearly each space of the K9. You may see the lively mode, choose Bluetooth audio codecs, alter the lighting across the quantity knob, set EQ, and alter the channel stability.
Coming to the audio aspect of issues, the K9 makes use of two 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9068AS DACs. The two-channel DAC sits one tier beneath the ES9038 Professional that is featured within the K9 Professional, however you do not actually discover a lot in the best way of distinction between the 2 in every day use. You as soon as once more get two THX AAA 788+ amps, and the K9 makes use of the identical Qualcomm QCC5124 Bluetooth modem as its costlier sibling to ship Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
Speaking about Bluetooth, you get all of the audio codecs you may ever want: AptX, AptX LL, AptX HD, AptX Adaptive, and LDAC. The LED mild on the quantity knob adjustments based mostly on the codec in use, and it’s a good visible indicator.
When utilized in USB mode, the K9 is ready to go as much as 768kHz/32-bit over PCM and DSD512. That goes all the way down to 192kHz/24-bit over coaxial, and 96kHz/24-bit through optical. The K9 is an all-in-one machine, and it has loads of energy to drive nearly any audio machine, together with probably the most demanding planar headsets. Conversely, it is ready to energy delicate IEMs with none points in anyway — all you may have to do is ready the achieve to low.
The K9 is ready to ship as much as 1W of energy at 16Ω, 1.5W at 32Ω, and 200mW at 300Ω over the 6.35mm port. Switching to the balanced 4.4mm and XLR ports, you get 1W of energy at 16Ω, 2W at 32Ω, and 780mW at 300Ω. I examined the K9 with loads of headsets, together with the excellent Audeze MM-500, Audeze LCD-GX, and Fiio’s FT3, FT5, FX15, and Dan Clark Audio’s Aeon X. The DAC did an impressive job with each machine, and as I stated firstly, I do not see the necessity to justify paying a premium for the K9 Professional any longer.
Fiio DACs normally ship a clear sound with none coloration, and the K9 is not any totally different. Like all nice DACs, it simply will get out of the best way, and permits audio units to shine; utilizing the MM-500 with the K9 was simply as pleasing as with the K9 Professional. Sure, the K9 Professional delivers a greater low-end when testing with the identical headsets, and it has cleaner mid-range and elevated highs. That stated, the variations are barely noticeable, and in all honesty, the K9 does simply nearly as good a job in every day use.
The place the K9 stands out is by pitting it towards the K7; on this scenario, the variations are simply noticeable. The K9 delivers a significantly better soundstage and dynamics, and you’ll instantly discover the distinction in tonality between the 2 DACs — the K9 is simply capable of ship a vibrant sound that you do not get with the K7.
Finally, the K9 provides one of the best worth in Fiio’s intensive DAC catalog. It has a lot of the options that made the K9 Professional an impressive alternative, and one of the best half is that it prices simply $499. That is fairly the discount contemplating simply what you are getting with this DAC.
The K9 has an analogous feature-set as the more expensive K9 Professional, however you need not pay as a lot, making it an important alternative in Fiio’s DAC catalog.