Home Amps/DACS FiiO K7 Review – An Improvement Over The K5 Pro?

FiiO K7 Review – An Improvement Over The K5 Pro?

by Stuart Charles Black
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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…

Today’s review of the K7 will cover everything: build, features, sound, a comparison to the K5 Pro, and more. 

By the end of this article, you should have a clear idea of what it is, how it sounds, what it’s capable of, and if it’s ultimately worth a purchase based on features, versatility, and more.

For those interested, at the very, end, we’ll discuss how to use the K7 with DSD files and Tidal Masters as well.

With that, let’s dive in!

What Is It?

FiiO’s K7 is a combo headphone amplifier + DAC + Preamp rolled into one.

A DAC (digital-to-analog converter) converts the binary information (1s and 0s) that your computer understands into analog sound that you understand.

The headphone amplifier section of the K7 then amplifies the sound for your listening enjoyment.

In addition, the unit also acts as a preamp meaning you can connect it to separate active speakers like the Presonus Eris e3.5, FiiO SP3, etc.

Build & Ergonomics

We’ll get into its features more in a bit, but for now, let’s discuss build.

Weighing in at a robust 610g and made of aluminum alloy, the K7 is sleek, solid, substantial, and feels more rugged than its older brother K5 Pro.

FiiO also made it more intuitive, replacing the vague input switch with a button that cycles through your connection options.

This easy-to-read interface with bright white LED indicators ensures less time finding the correct setting and more time listening to music.

 

FiiO K7 Review

CNC Machining

The K7 also utilizes what’s known as CNC Machining (Computer Numerical Control) in its construction.

Thanks to the precision of CNC technology, every detail of the K7 is meticulously shaped and crafted with the utmost accuracy and consistency.

This process ensures that the housing, connectors, and various components of the device are durable, sleek, and aesthetically pleasing.

The application of CNC machining in the FiiO K7 offers several benefits:

Precision

First and foremost, it guarantees unmatched precision and repeatability, ensuring that each unit produced adheres to the exact specifications set by the design.

This results in a consistent, high-quality product that meets the demands of audiophiles and enthusiasts.

Furthermore, the CNC construction enhances the device’s structural integrity, contributing to its longevity and robustness.

Additionally, the smooth and seamless finish achieved through CNC machining adds a touch of sophistication and elegance to the K7, making it a visually striking addition to any setup.

 

Having owned the K5 Pro since 2019 without a single issue, and now the K7, I’m confident that FiiO’s CNC method of manufacturing products has a lot to do with their longevity.

Features

FiiO K7 Review

FiiO K7 ReviewPerhaps the best reason to buy a K7 is its feature set, allowing you multiple input and output options based on your needs.

With its RCA Outputs, Inputs, Coaxial Input, Optical Input, and USB Type-B jack, you can connect it to almost anything in a home studio or home theater environment as it’s incredibly versatile. 

I typically use mine with my PS4, PC, Turntable, FiiO SP3, etc., and its RCA outputs/inputs mean you can use it as just DAC into a separate headphone amplifier, or just a headphone amplifier into a separate DAC.

Simply snag some RCA to RCA cables or RCA to mini and you should be all set.

Next to the input button is your High/Low Gain switch, and beside that, the output switch.

  1. LO – This will be used with your balanced 4.4mm headphones/wiring.
  2. PRE – This is the preamp section and will be used to connect to separate active speakers like the Presonus Eris e3.5s.
  3. PO – This will be used with your unbalanced (single-ended) headphones/wiring.

If you have any questions or need clarification on something, don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below or contact me. I’d be happy to help you get set up!

Sound

  • Playlist/Headphones Used: Here!
  • Source(s): Spotify, FLAC, DSD, PS4, etc.

FiiO K7 Review

With an Output Impedance of less than 1, the K7’s “sound” can be classified as fairly neutral, providing a clean backdrop for your music and plenty of power; ≥2000mW at 32Ω (balanced), 1220mW at 32Ω (unbalanced), and 560mW into 300Ω. This is more than enough for any headphones you may be using.

Moreover, SINAD (Signal to noise and distortion) easily surpasses the 90dB standard at 120dB, ensuring a squeaky clean sound free of noise and other miscellaneous artifacts.

With that said, if there’s one issue I have with the K7, it’s this:

It takes a bit of knob-turning to get to the right volume level.

I was shocked to find that with my K702 on low gain, I had to turn the dial to roughly 2-3 o’clock.

With the K5 Pro on middle gain, I’m only at 11, and with low gain I’m at roughly 12 with the same headphones.

I don’t know if FiiO is expecting most people to use balanced headphones, but it also could simply be a matter of how they design their volume potentiometers nowadays. 

The K9 Pro’s volume knob also took quite a bit of turning to reach an acceptable level.

From FiiO’s website:

“Thanks to ADC curve reconstruction, experience a smooth 112 steps of adjustable volume free of channel imbalances and noise – ensuring that every note is faithfully reproduced.”

Aside from some clear market-speak, this seems legitimate when you consider that it matches up with my experience.

There’s virtually no imbalance at lower volumes and it’s a rather smooth turn from quiet to louder.

Still,

many people are going to be a bit disappointed in having to pump that dial, and in all honesty, I was a bit taken aback by it as well.

This reviewer on Amazon described it as a “laggy volume control” and I’m assuming he means the same kind of thing I’m pointing out.

It simply feels like you’re doing a lot of turning even though on paper the unit technically has more power than the K5 Pro.

It’s important to remember that I’m kind of nitpicking a little as you’ve still got high gain + the balanced feature which kind of mitigates the “issue” to an extent.

FiiO K5 Pro vs. K7

FiiO K7 BT Review

  • The K7 is slightly larger length-wise.
  • The K7 has the THX stamp. Related: What is THX AAA Technology In Audio & Video?
  • The K7 has a balanced 4.4mm jack.
  • The K7 lights up in a rainbow of colors upon initial startup (Turn the knob).
  • The K7 is a bit heavier at 610g vs. 436 for the K5 Pro. You’ll notice the K7 feels more durable in your hands.
  • The K7 displays teal instead of blue for all files below 48kHz.

Sound Differences

In short, there are none. The K5 Pro had an output impedance of roughly 1.2Ω and the K7’s is advertised as under 1.

This essentially means both are fairly neutral, and the difference isn’t enough to result in any sort of significant discrepancy.

Both will provide a clean backdrop for your music, but you may consider the K7 if you plan to run balanced headphones.

Final Verdict

FiiO K7 Review

FiiO’s K7 is an excellent upgrade over the K5 Pro, providing a balanced 4.4mm headphone output, more power, a better user interface, and a brighter, crisper-looking halo light (Teal = 44.1, Yellow is anything over 48k, Green = DSD).

While I find the THX stamp of approval fairly gimmicky, I think that overall, the K7 is a better purchase although both products are still excellent.

That said, is FiiO’s K7 BT a better value than both the K5 Pro and K7?

 

 

 

Learn More:

 

 

 

FiiO K7

Price: Check Amazon! | Check Apos! | Check FiiO! | Song Playlist: Here!

In The Box

Power Cable x1

Power Adapter x1

USB Cable x1

Quick Start Guide x1

Warranty Card x1

FiiO K7 Review

Specifications

  • DAC: AK4493SEQ*2
  • Decoder: XMOS XUF 208
  • Amplifier: Dual THX AAA 788+
  • Outputs: 6.35mm/4.4mm
  • Inputs: USB/TOP/COAX/RCA
  • Output Power 1: ≥2000mW (32Ω, balanced/THD+N < 1%)
  • Output Power 2: ≥1220mW (32Ω, single-ended/THD+N <1%)
  • Output Power @ 300 Ohm: 560mW
  • Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥120dB (A-weighted, UAC)
  • Noise Floor: PO<4.4μV (A-weighted, UAC); BAL < 7.7μV (A-Weighted, UAC)
  • Output Impedance: <1Ω (32Ω load)
  • Weight: 610g
  • Dimensions: About 120mm x168mmx55mm
  • Materials: Aluminum Alloy, CNC finish

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this FiiO K7 Review and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.

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Which of these fits your needs best? Do you think the K7 is worth the money? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…

All the best and God bless,

 

 

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

Can’t decide which headphones to purchase? Interested in a complete buyers guide outlining over 40 of the best options on the market? Click on over to the best audiophile headphones to learn more!!

Be sure to also check out my Reviews and Resources page for more helpful and informative articles!


How to Play Tidal Masters

If you want to play files above 48kHz in Tidal, you can. You’ll just have to enable exclusive mode.

Exclusive Mode

  1. Click on the 3 bars in the upper left corner inside Tidal.
  2. Go to File > Settings > Streaming.
  3. Scroll down to where it says “Sound” and “Sound Output”.
  4. Click (More settings) to the right.
  5. Now just tick the button to exclusive mode and the formats will change according to the file.

Now the Halo light will turn yellow for any master files inside the program.


How To Listen To DSD With The K7

Most DSD files you’ll have to pay for, but there are some free downloads that I used for testing and comparing.

You get the following formats for Jenna Mammina (pictured below):

  • 24/192kHz – FLAC
  • 24/192 – WAV
  • 16/44 – WAV
  • 24/48 – WAV
  • 24/96 – FLAC
  • 24/96 – WAV
  • DSD128
  • DSD256
  • DSD64

For John R Burr’s “Quarter Tones”:

  • 16/44 – WAV
  • 24/96 – FLAC
  • DSD128
  • DSD256

The website is BlueCoastMusic.

You can see in the above image the files I used in 2019 for FiiO’s K5 Pro.

You will have to make an account, but the process is fairly painless.

Steps

  1. Sign up for an account at bluecoastmusic.com using your email address.
  2. Go to the https://bluecoastmusic.com/free-downloads page and ‘Add to cart’.
  3. Complete the checkout process (you won’t be charged anything, but you will get a link in your account).
  4. While you’re logged in, go to your “Downloads” tab and you’ll find the link to download.
  5. Download the folder to a location you can find on your computer. It will be a ZIP file.
  6. Unzip the file and the files should be inside. Extract the files.
  7. Use your software player to play and figure out what plays and what doesn’t play in your system.

You’re not quite out of the woods yet.

Now that you have some DSD files, you’ll need a special player to play them. 

FiiO K7 Review

I’ve found that the best option is Audirvana. You can set up a free trial here.

After it’s downloaded, follow these steps:

  1. Extract the zipped files you downloaded from BlueCoast to your desktop.
  2. Open the Audirvana app.
  3. Click Settings in the upper right-hand corner.
  4. Click Library, then click “Add Folders.” Select the appropriate one.
  5. Click the Audio Tab. IMPORTANT: Do not use WASAPI or you won’t see the correct halo colors on the K7. You must use the ASIO driver. If you can’t click it, just press the unlock button at the bottom right corner to release exclusive mode. Audirvana, like Tidal, locks exclusive access to the audio output for optimum quality. Other applications are silent as long as this access is locked. This can be a bit of a pain, but once you get used to how it functions it’s not too bad.
  6. Play a file and enjoy!

If you don’t use FiiO’s ASIO driver, you’ll notice the DSD64, 256, and 512 options (above) will be greyed out and the color will only change to Yellow (indicating anything above 48kHz).

It’s also important to note that the K7, unlike the K5 Pro, actually does NOT support DSD512 (The image above is the settings for the K5 Pro).

Below you can see the K7’s settings that do not include 512:

I spoke with Sunny over at FiiO about it and she gave me this explanation:

So they didn’t include 512. Big deal.

The majority of people aren’t going to give 2 craps about this, but as always, your mileage may vary.

People hardly ever buy FLAC CDs in the store anymore, why would they pay for some $99 downloads? Yes, that’s right, you read that correctly.

I was curious to see what they’re charging for some other DSDs on BlueCoast and it’s quite ridiculous.

I’m sure there are other cheaper downloads, and if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment down below.

Photo Gallery

FiiO K7

5

Build

5.0/5

Features/Versatility

5.0/5

Sound

5.0/5

Power Output

5.0/5

Pros

  • Great build
  • Incredibly versatile
  • Fantastic overall value/price to performance
  • Clean backdrop for music

Cons

  • Volume turning may be a bit jarring

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34 comments

TOAST January 11, 2023 - 5:26 pm

Cheers for another great in-depth review.
I was fortunate to get a K7 Pro as a Christmas present. Availability in the UK is very patchy at the moment.

I’ve got a query about the perceived difference between using the normal 6.35mm headphone jack versus the balanced 4.4mm. My trusty Philips Fidelio X3 is the only set in my collection that has a balanced cable, although I had to invest in a right-angled 2.5 to 4.4 adapter to get it working with the K7.
The most immediate difference I noticed was the increase in volume on balanced, with the dial placed in the exact same spot. Some very subtle differences that I’ve picked up are a slight improvement in instrument separation, and a delicate boost to the crispness + detail in the treble delivery.
Would these findings be consistent with your experience of using a balanced connection, or my are my ears picking up some bullshit, or is this something unique to the characteristics of these particular Fidelios? I know that you don’t have an X3 on hand, but you must’ve compared the two connection types on an AKG or Sennheiser in the past.

Toast

Reply
Stuart Charles Black January 14, 2023 - 1:54 am

Hey Toast!

Great to hear from you and glad you’re enjoying the K7. Your impressions are almost verbatim my own regarding balanced. In addition to the obvious boost in overall power output, I do perceive balanced as slightly cleaner and crisper, perhaps a bit better overall resolution and timbre, and all the stuff you mention.

That said, I do think it’s incredibly subtle and it still could be a placebo. That is to say that if a dac has balanced options, it’s always nice but I’m not sure I personally care all that much? It’s pretty tricky. I’m not entirely one way or the other on this, but I plan to keep on listening and see if my thoughts change any. Also, be on the lookout for an article about balanced vs. unbalanced in the near future as I think it will help a lot of folks starting out.

Do keep in touch in the meantime with any additional feedback and/or questions.

Talk soon,

-Stu

Reply
TOAST January 14, 2023 - 5:35 pm

Ah, good to know that my observations are not isolated to this particular set of ears.

I would’ve gone for the K5 Pro, but fortunately remembered that there was a balanced cable, sitting unused, in the X3’s box. The K7 is a really nice bit of kit, and I’ve been enjoying using it over the past two weeks.
My X3 is now exclusively connected via balanced, and its 3.5mm cable is relegated to storage.
I wonder whether many reviewers/critics of the Fidelio X3 ever bothered to test it out via the supplied balanced 4.4mm Pentacon.

I am looking forward to reading about your more detailed impressions of Normal vs. Balanced connections.
Aftermarket/custom balanced cables look to be quite the investment, so I wonder whether it’s worth getting one for other sets in the collection. Modification to the actual headphone is required in some cases.

Toast

Reply
Stuart Charles Black January 14, 2023 - 6:09 pm

Yeah man! And don’t worry, I’m not trying to …butter you up or anything. xD

HAha *ahem*

Yeah the K7 is pretty neat and sweet. Always love FiiO products which is why I recommend them so often.

Reply
TOAST February 18, 2023 - 12:07 pm

Okay, I’m back to sing more praises for the K7 Pro, no buttering required!
I’ve been plugging in my old + formerly retired (in-ear) earphones, and the K7 doesn’t pick up any background hum or static noises from the computer.
The QOGIR E09K and K5 Pro seemed to have shielding issues, or produced internal low level feedback/vibrations.
It’s very refreshing to have a device that can output a very clean signal.

Stuart Charles Black February 22, 2023 - 4:43 pm

Can I call you powdered toast man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln9oxGf_cos

K7 is awesome!! I’m listening to it now actually 😀

Rohan February 12, 2023 - 4:25 am

Hi Stuart,

Dac / Amp required for HD6xx. Mostly using through usb to connect my phone. ( Not for desktop use).

Which one do you recommend Fiio K7 or Zen Dac V2 ?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black February 15, 2023 - 2:22 am

Hey man! def K7 as it’s more versatile and better value to me. I think the V2 is a bit overpriced in today’s market but it’s still a pretty good option for gaming.

Reply
ROHAN February 22, 2023 - 5:24 am

Can Fiio K7 Drive HD6xx ? or I need to look for Amp as well?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black February 22, 2023 - 4:43 pm

K7 is perfectly fine for 6XX!! 🙂

Reply
TOAST February 26, 2023 - 4:35 pm

#Can I call you powdered toast man?#

Mmm, the site wouldn’t allow me to reply directly.
Sure, more powder the better. I remember being weirded out by that cartoon back in the Nineties.

I bought a balanced cable for the HD 599 SE, and there was no perceivable change in sonic properties beyond the large volume increase. No magic unlike the awakening of the X3.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black February 27, 2023 - 4:16 pm

Really glad you understand the simple concept that balanced isn’t going to cause any “pitching of tents.” It’s simply louder. That said, my brain kind of perceives this slightly more refined, cleaner edge, but again, this could just be a placebo.

And LOL. Same. My best friend from back then and I are actually watching through some of these old shows again like Rocko, Ren & Stimpy, etc. and *Hank Hill Voice* I’ll tell you what, there are a lot of interesting messages contained therein. An absolute joy!

Reply
TOAST February 27, 2023 - 8:42 pm

There are a rare couple of reviews/impressions where the person states that the Fidelio X3 really needs the balanced cable to truly shine. Who knows if their ears picked up some innate mojo as well.
I’d like to blame the 599 SE’s lower sensitivity and/or less technical driver…but it could all be, as you said, a placebo effect.

I had to watch all of the strange cartoons and a friend’s house; my parents didn’t have cable and therefore no access to the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon UK channels. It’s weird to look back on it, but the BBC only started airing The Simpsons in 1996!

Reply
Stuart Charles Black February 28, 2023 - 6:34 pm

Yeah I mean balanced is a strange thing. The concept of reverse polarity is definitely scientifically sound in what it achieves with regard to noise elimination, so if given the choice with say, studio monitors and an interface, I’ll likely always opt for balanced. With headphones, to me, it’s a bit different as I’m not sure if there’s enough of a perceivable difference to go ape sh** over. But if you asked me if there was? I’d lean towards yes but maybe nod and shake my head at the same time lol.

“All of the strange cartoons” LOL. That’s about right. I don’t know how old you are, but growing up in the 90s with all of those classics was incredible. And that’s not to mention other non-cartoon shows like Pete and Pete. The nostalgia sometimes gets too real.

I know I’m a product of my era like everyone else, but man, I don’t know if 90s Television will ever be matched.

And the Simpsons. Heh. That’s one of those shows that just won’t die kind of like Spongebob. If you remember Rugrats, they really tried to milk that for all it was worth but it just got so bad they had to pull the plug. Those first 3 seasons were unrivaled. Still one of the longest-running cartoons in history. I think like it’s 8th or something.

And if you couldn’t tell I’m a huge nerd about these sorts of things.

Reply
TOAST February 28, 2023 - 10:57 pm

Yeah, I think that my balanced adventures will end with getting cables for any set that’s already internally wired for it. I’m in no rush to make modifications to the K702, X2HR or HP151.

I’m currently navigating through my late thirties, so I was definitely a child of watching cartoons in the 1990s, although I couldn’t catch everything due to not having cable/satellite at home.
I burned out on The Simpsons back in the early 2000s.
The BBC only aired the early Rugrats seasons, so I never got to see how things got drawn out.
I remember being weirded out by the Red Guy from Cow & Kitchen, and wondering how this character could’ve possibly been approved for Kids TV. Johnny Bravo was also erring on the racy side at times.

Here’s a loose list of animated stuff I watched back then:

The Tick, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, The Adventures of Tintin, Babar, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, 2 Stupid Dogs, The Adventures of Mario, The Adventures of Batman, The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Biker Mice from Mars, Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars!, Transformers (VHS only), He-Man, Captain Planet, Thundercats, Danger Mouse, Doug, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb & Dumber, Earthworm Jim, Eek! The Cat, The Gogs, Inspector Gadget, The Animals of Farthing Wood, The Legend of White Fang, Rupert, Star Wars: Droids, Star Wars: Ewoks, Madeline, Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, The Magic Roundabout, The Snowman, Dogtanian, Danger Mouse, Bananaman, Felix the Cat, M.A.S.K., Rocko’s Modern Life, Sharky & George, and Ulysses 31.
I’m sure that I’m forgetting several other shows…

I also watched a lot of Anime in France (Club Dorothée!), but that’s a story for another time.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black March 1, 2023 - 12:50 am

So great man! Thanks for all the cool ideas for shows to potentially watch/analyze. I’m actually starting a YouTube channel about all things film/television/cartoons. Kind of like a video essay format about different ideas and perhaps the hidden messages contained therein.

It would be really cool to explore some of these because, to be honest, I haven’t heard of some of them. People think cartoons are mindless entertainment but it goes way deeper in my opinion. You just have to be paying attention to what the creators are trying to say. Rocko is a prime example of that and I have around 7 pages of the script for the video written as of this comment. Real fun stuff!

I’ve tried to get into anime a few times and while I appreciate it, I don’t watch it nearly as much. I watched some of Death Note, DragonBall, and basically the whole Attack On Titan series, but other than that it’s sporadic. Any good rec as something to get started with?

Reply
TOAST March 1, 2023 - 9:56 pm

A few of those cartoons might’ve only been shown in the UK/Europe back then.
Good luck with the YT endeavour. That’s a lot of material to chew through.

I’m not really all that up-to-date with modern anime, as I’ve only really watched a few shows from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
Dragon Ball (plus DB Z) is an easy recommendation, and you’ve already made a start on it.
The Gundam series is great if you enjoy big robots blowing stuff up. I would recommend Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket as an entry point to the series, even if it’s considered to be a ‘side’ story.
Evangelion also features big robots, albeit icky ‘n’ gooey.
I enjoyed the silliness of Ranma ½ when I was a pre-teen.
Lupin III is very stylish.

Anime movies are usually a nice starting point, over making somebody watch multiple seasons of crazy shit.
You’ve likely viewed some of these over the years.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Akira (1988)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) – prepare to weep
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Metropolis (2001)
Spirited Away (2001)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Reply
Stuart Charles Black March 6, 2023 - 5:52 pm

Nice! I will def keep those in mind. And thanks for the support. It IS a lot to chew through. I’m 7 pages into the Rocko script and kind of burnt out LOL. Still, I really enjoy long-form content and I know a lot of others do as well. There’s something about really pouring into an idea and fully fleshing it out that satisfies like a snickers. Or Powdered Toast Man. XD

Reply
Victor March 8, 2023 - 2:32 am

Nice review, Stuart!

Just one question… at the unbalanced output, does the k5 pro really get higher volumes?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black March 8, 2023 - 4:03 am

Victor,

Thank you! This is a really weird and tough situation because I’m turning the knob less on the K5 Pro to get louder volumes and turning more on the K7. As mentioned in the review, even despite that, the K7 has more power on paper, and the potentiometer according to FiiO is designed differently so I’m pretty sure that’s what accounts for the discrepancy in real-time.

I hope that helps. I’m messing with it right now and to get an equal amount of loudness, the K5’s knob is around 2 ‘o clock while the K7’s is around 3. Both are on the lowest gain setting.

In any event, keep me posted with any additional questions you may have.

-Stu

Reply
Wojciech March 17, 2023 - 5:18 pm

Ok – if I have K5 Pro – is it worth to upgrade to K7?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black March 17, 2023 - 5:47 pm

Hey there! As mentioned in the article, if you run balanced headphones or plan to run them primarily, then yeah. If not, I’d say no. They’re almost the same thing outside of that and sound identical. The other subtle differences were also outlined. Let me know if that helps.

Reply
Wojciech March 17, 2023 - 10:04 pm

Yes – thank you! I don’t own balanced headphones. Maybe only Fiio K9 Pro ESS would be a nice upgrade then.

Reply
Stuart Charles Black March 18, 2023 - 12:31 am

My pleasure! Yeah if you’re going to upgrade, I’d probably skip K7 and go straight for K9 as it offers a lot more flexibility.

Reply
Nick April 21, 2023 - 7:50 am

Question about connecting active monitor speakers Focal Alpha 80 Evo via balanced output on Fiio.
Will there be any benefit from that, and should I invest in DAC that has balanced outputs?
Right now I have these connected to Tr-Amp DAC through unbalanced RCA.

One more question about balanced output, but this one is about using it to connect to active monitors Focal Alpha 80 evo’s.

Right now I’m using unbalanced RCA from earmen tr-amp dac/amp to speakers.
Is there any logic in investing in DAC with balanced output for connecting to XLR inputs on Focals?

Reply
Stuart Charles Black April 22, 2023 - 3:11 pm

Hey man!

I saw your other 2 comments and consolidated them here + fixed the typo you mentioned about how you were utilizing FiiO’s unbalanced connections.

As for your question of if there are any benefits?

To that I lean towards yes, but they are incredibly subtle and almost marginal. In other words, it could just be a placebo but FWIW, I do feel as though balanced is slightly cleaner and more refined sounding. Take that with a grain of salt though as most of the time you likely won’t care.

That said, I do run balanced from my audio interface into studio monitors as sort of a default (but also because most interfaces only utilize balanced outs).

The science behind it (i.e. reverse polarity) is sound and correct, it’s just that in practice you may not notice it all that much unless, like me, you’re really going back and forth/attempting to hear differences that may or may not be there.

As far as FiiO and balanced (i.e. what you mentioned in your comment) it would have to be a FiiO K9 Pro if you were going to go that route. The K5 Pro and K7 don’t have balanced outs, unfortunately.

As far as headphones and utilizing them balanced, the same sort of thing applies as with speakers in my opinion. It’s definitely worth it to at least try it out and see what you think, but I’ll just tell you that I’m never going to lose sleep if I don’t have balanced cables on hand. It just doesn’t matter all that much to me since, as I mentioned, the differences are super minuscule.

Hope that helps!

Keep me posted with questions.

-Stu

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Jorem July 23, 2023 - 2:20 am

Hi Stuart, thank you for your content, been learning a lot about audiophile stuff here. Am planning on getting an HE400SE and seems it will require a an amp. The options I’m considering are Zen DAC, Topping DX3+ pro and Fiio K7. Saw your comment regarding the Zen so that’s out, what would you recommend over the other two? I am also just using Spotify to play music, should I just go for the cheaper and more basic DX1 or Zen Air? Thank you.

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Stuart Charles Black July 26, 2023 - 2:21 pm

Hey Jorem!

My pleasure. Definitely get the K7. I haven’t heard the Zen Air but the feature set on the K7 is fantastic. It will be something you hold onto for a long time. I’ve had my K5 Pro here since 2019 or so and it gets daily use.

Keep me posted on everything!

Cheers,

-Stu

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John August 27, 2023 - 3:55 pm

Hi Stuart, just want to say thank you for your in depth reviews and quality articles, much much appreciated. Went with the K7, awaiting delivery, ‘thelp us.

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Stuart Charles Black August 29, 2023 - 12:11 pm

John,

It’s my pleasure! Please keep me posted on your findings and experience with the wonderful K7. Many blessings.
-Stu

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Juan January 16, 2025 - 12:25 pm

Congratulations on your blog and work.
I have a question, I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.
In the section Configuration #2. Where it talks about connecting amplified speakers to the line output and headphones simultaneously to the 6.35mm jack. In what position should I put the PRE, PO… knob? Would the volume control also work for both? Thank you very much.

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Stuart Charles Black January 18, 2025 - 10:14 am

Juan,

Thank you so much for stopping by and for the kind words! For connection to active speakers, you’ll use the PRE. Headphones can be plugged in simultaneously and the volume control works, but if you want to listen through headphones, flick the switch back to PO. Hope that helps! Keep me posted.

-Stu

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Juan January 20, 2025 - 7:05 pm

Thank you very much for your response, very kind and clear. On Friday a friend told me to buy the Zen and it’s really great, it allows you to pass sound through RCA to speakers or a subwoofer and at the same time use headphones.
God bless you!

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Stuart Charles Black January 22, 2025 - 9:01 am

God bless you as well Juan! My pleasure 🙂 Yeah, the Zen is fine. A bit overpriced now, but still good. Have you already purchased it?

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