FiiOK11 Compact Desktop R2R architecture DAC and Headphone Amplifier (Black)

I’m pretty sold on this. I’ve tried a few different DACs over the years and had a topping e30 before this one. Which itself is a very nice sounding dac, quite clinical but detailed with a good thump to the bass.I’m still not wholly convinced dacs sound hugely different to each other, that being said, you can quite easily hear a bad one. And this fiio isn’t that.I’ve got it paired with a musical fidelity a1 and Lintons so my whole system is pretty rolled off and “warm”; the fiio fits right in. I’ve been playing music for hours, and doing a lot more streaming than I’ve ever done before, I’ve not put a record on in a few days now. It’s smooth and has enough detail, but really, it’s just musical. I think a great sign of a decent system is when you just find yourself and others, tapping your feet, and I do this a lot when using the k11. I was curious to see if there were a difference between chip and resistor based dacs and I think there is. I don’t think it’s “night and day”, but I don’t see anyone saying they wouldn’t find this dac to be enjoyable.Not tried with headphones yet as have been using exclusively in line out with my 2 channel setup. But I’ll give it a go at some point.Right now, I’m just enjoying putting music on and sitting there with a glass of wine.Build quality is good, I like the knurled dial, feels solid.Only complaint I have is that I had issues pairing with the wiim pro as the fiio doesn’t seem to like playing at 192/24 with a coaxial cable. I tried few different ones and some were better than others, but all gave me brief dropouts. Playing at any other bitrate or using a toslink was trouble free, so that’s what I’m using. I don’t think it’s a fault of the k11 specifically, but perhaps something to do with r2r dacs in general.

Firstly, I do not use this as a headphone amplifier, so no comment on how good it is at that. But as a DAC to replace the built in one on my pre-amp, this is doing a sterling job.If you have a dull system with 'warm' speakers and like a bright detailed sound, then this is probably not going to be up your street. However if you are looking for a natural, non fatiguing sound with no accentuation or brightness in the top end, good midrange and a solid bass, then this is a very good choice.The soundstage an imaging of this DAC is very impressive with amazing depth and space.The is a lot of snobbery in the audiophile realm and if something doesn't cost as much as your average family saloon, it can't be any good. That is just b......kcs. So many reviewers always say 'at this price point' to emphasise that there are better, more expensive items available. While you can expect pricier equipment to general sound better than 'budget' items, this unit breaks those rules. At around £150, you will struggle to find anything for 10 times that can make music so enjoyable.If you are unsure about R2R DACS and don't want to spend a small fortune to discover if you like the sound, try this one, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Ordered this to feed some Adam D3V studio monitors from a Microsoft Surface Book and the R2R DAC of the Fiio K11 Pro brings a significant improvement in sound.Using RCA outputs to speakers analogue input using suitable cable (not supplied), the sound is wonderful. Clear, precise and more revealing. Great sound from the 4.4mm balanced headphone port on the front to some Fiio FH7 ear phones. Using some Sennheiser HD580 Precision headphones (which are harder to drive), the volume does not go so high but the gain can be increased using the small screen and knob on the front of the device.It comes with a usb-c cable, a 3.5mm to 4.4mm adapter and a US power cable. Users in the UK will need to use an international power adapter or acquire a suitable 12v power supply. I happened to have both of these available but would imagine it would be frustrating if you got this and didn’t!I’m giving it four stars rather than five, but only because of the power supply cable problem. Otherwise, I am loving it.

I can't recommend this highly enough! Absolutely amazing sound at any price...the fact it is only £150 is remarkable.My advice BUY one you will not regret it!!

Sounds great for the money

Better (louder, cleaner) than the standard output from my laptop.

worst dac ive ever heard - no bass - intrusive mid peak

Good quality and good service.