@@jasminahmetovic140 I don't know about the PS5. I use it for my PC. I bought the 80 ohm variant, because the higher one requires more power to drive than the K11 can give.
thanks for explaining balance as a concept lol , buying the Linsoul SIMGOT SuperMix 4 rn and was frantically looking on how to get it compatible with the 'balanced' port. appreciate the videos so much
Been using a standard soundcard for years but recently has started popping. Finally moved to a USB DAC and chose the k11. I have the some 7hz timeless and some old, but still going ATH-MSR7. Puts me more into the audiophile lite/beginner category and now wish i had moved to a dac/amp combo sooner.
There is an issue with Optical IN regarding the FiiO k11 - V122 firmware will not fix the problem either. Essentially, audio will dip randomly - then rises to the adjusted level of dB. Great video. Rocking a 384k Hz format! Thank you for clarifying the differences in filters! :)
There is now a new firmware version v114 and contains the following updates: 1. Optimize the problem that USB DAC playback has a probability of automatically recovering after 1 ~ 2 seconds of discontinuous sound; 2. Optimize the problem that the sound output may be delayed by 2 seconds during the first playback; 3. Optimizing the playback of certain tracks will cause noise problems.
Got these a while ago (before the R2R release) for about 94 USD to use with my laptop (USB) and game console (optical). No issues so far. Although I haven't used the high gain yet. Only driving the more efficient headphones right now. FYI I just leave the filter off (6). My Tanchjim Origin gets a bit bright with the filters. And filter off just sounds best to my ears.
I tried the k11 and had horrible clipping issues. Sent it back for a replacement and it too had horrible clipping issues so sent it back and got the topping d3x pro+ and love it. I have seen so many praising the k11 and when i was having the clipping issues and searched on it i see some others with the same issue so i have no clue.
Got this to run with Virtuoso Pros. Medium gain, filter 6 (3 sounds good for *some* songs and scenarios, not all), a bit of added base over your preferred EQ and slightly higher treble. Love it.
I had the modi/magni and then the modious/magnius stack. I got the SMSL 8s stack and have not felt the need to switch. I always preferred separates, not that there is anything wrong with all-in-ones. My Home Theater is also Marantz separates.
Nice review, thank you so much. I'm going to take a chance on this, strictly for the DAC. I'm going to drive a pair of Audioengine A5+ powered speakers for music and daily audio use. I've got the Audioengine D1 DAC right now, but not really impressed (well, let's just say meh.) One big issue with the D1 is low volume sound quality. I have to crank the A5's up quite a bit before they start to sound good. This is with the D1 volume @ ~90-95%. I guess the old saying goes "we shall see." If nothing else at least this gives me a few options than I don't have now. Again, thanks so much for sharing.
@GadgetryTech Is there any chance you will review the newly released K11 R2R from FiiO? I'm considering buying it to play Apex with the Simgot SuperMix 4, but I only trust your reviews.
Hey. Great list and very informative! Thank you! I've just gotten into iem ps5 gaming and it look like I'll be picking up the k11 for its usbc input. Question: did I understand you correctly that if you use the k11 with a ps5 and say I use iems with an antlion or kimura mic, then I won't be able to pass-through the mic? If so, then I'd need to use the blutooth mic that you mentioned, correct? Lastly, I'll be gaming on my couch. Which headphone extension cable do you recommend and should everything still work correctly if I use it? Thank you so much in advance for your response.
Thank you as always for your time, efforts, and sharing this equipment with us all. I know you probably get many comparisons questions, but I would be interested in your opinion on this unit versus the Sound Blaster X5. Thank you in advance for your reply. Take care, Sir.
Thanks Simon! This has a noticeable amount of extra power, and has a slightly more bright/punchy sound profile. The X5 is just loaded with features this does not have of course. Both units have a low noise floor, so SNR isn't an issue on either.
Would you recommend this over the EPOS/Sennheiser GSX 1000 in terms of which has the better sound-staging effect and overall effect to sound quality? I'm not much into audio stuff, but I clearly recall the GSX 1000 being highly recommended in the past for the clarity and excellent sound-staging effect it can give.
@@GenoMusicafter much testing I’ve found that filters 1, 3 and no filter 6 are my preferred options. But I slightly prefer filter 1 so have stuck with that.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter. I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences. 4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening. 6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding. 5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6.. 1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning 3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal 2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds. 4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter. I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences. 4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening. 6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding. 5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6.. 1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning 3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal 2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds. 4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter. I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences. 4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening. 6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding. 5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6.. 1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning 3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal 2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds. 4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
Excellent Review! I just bought a set of the Audeze MM-100's and I'm trying to figure what amp/dac to get for them...any recommendations? I am trying to decide between the FiiO K11, DX3 Pro+, Schiit Stack or the iFi Hip Dac 3. I will mostly be using them for gaming.
@@divacroft1034 you would think but they are very quiet on everything accept my MBP and even that I would prefer about 10% more volume....Audeze recommends minimum power of 100mW, with a recommended power of 250mW....with 18Ω impedance I need something with an output impedance of 2Ω or lower
This DAC/Amp sounds amazing, but there's one issue with it that's kind of annoying. For some songs, particularly those with hard bass drops, this amp cuts out momentarily. They've yet to fix this, to my knowledge, with firmware. I still use it daily, and this doesn't happen often, but if you can find a track that triggers it you can reproduce it consistently. The most obvious example is Retronik by The Swing Bot. See if you can get FiiO's attention on this Joe!
I’ll check that out but it never triggered for me! I drove it really hard with the HE100SE on some bass heavy tracks and never had clipping issues. What volume do you have to be at? I’ll try that song tonight and report back.
@@GadgetryTech Definitely check it out. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with power. It's some kind of... almost clipping sort of effect with the tracks themselves. The effect is identical on my HD650 as it is to the Kiwi Quintet, just for example. At any volume. It's the only DAC/Amp I own that does this, but it's also the best sounding DAC/Amp I own so I've just been living with it since it's fairly rare.
Couple of other notes. I had my unit replaced, and the replacement does the exact same thing. Also, if you change the UAC to 1 it'll solve the issue, but of course that's not ideal using it with Windows.
@@GadgetryTech I just went to test it again myself, to pick out a good timestamp in the song where this starts occurring, and oddly enough it's no longer doing it at all. I tested this extensively a couple of months back, and now I wonder if it was related to something else I've since changed without realizing. Still, worth checking for yourself. Regardless of the cause, if this is either "fixed" or something that was uniquely happening to me, this is a very near perfect dac/amp at this price point. That strange bass clipping issue was my one and only complaint. EDIT: Never mind. When I switched from medium to low gain, just to see if was happening in low gain, it started doing it again. Switched back to medium gain, continued to do it. High gain, still does it. Not sure how, but switching between gain levels caused it to start happening again.
Is it possible you had a pre production copy and they changed some stuff before the proper release? Mine came with the firmware you mentioned. Maybe they tweaked the filters too… I know 6 is not good for the games I play. Battlefield 2042 and Hunt both lose a lot of sound detail, depth and verticality in the sound field with that roll off.
Compared to the k7 - ignoring the price difference, what are the biggest differences (apart from max power). I have the k11, but switching between lineout and phoneout is starting to get tedious without a dedicated switch
Review for the audio technica apos ath-r70x refine for gaming sir? Couldn't get the Schiit Gunnr here in the south east Asia side. Looking for the FiiO :)
Hey, I don't really know if you will have the time to awnser this question. But I am french, and I am using the Edition XS from Hifiman. Here the Atom 2 stack is too expensive, do you think that the K11 will be a good buy, or will I miss something in my audio experience with it combined to the XS?
Was almost set to buy this, but then realized I overlooked the mic input piece. Neither this, topping dx3 pro+, or schiit magni unity have mic in. But then looking at like schiit Hel 2, soundblaster g6, or epos gsx 1000, neither of those have RCA/line out for speakers. Ugh, i feel stuck. Looking for one dac/amp combo that does it all for 200ish or less
@@ronald0122 fiio K11. No regrets. Though if I was doing it again I might go with schiit magni unity for the simple/quick toggle switches on the front to switch Po/lo and gain. Little more money tho.
@@Rustydude2030 thanks. how do you handle your mic though? i need a mic input so maybe i should just get the gsx 1000 v2. what filter setting are you using on the k11 btw?
@@ronald0122 I bought a blue yeti during prime day for $69. Plug via USB direct to PC. I use filter 1. Tired 7 too but can't tell the difference between 1 and 7 so jist go with 1 since it's what Joe recommended. 7 is supposed to be no filter.
My purpose for using this would be as a DAC, performing decoding for a CD player and a WiiM pro streamer. I do like the fact that it also serves as a headphone amp. Would this perform well in these capacities, and what other products might I keep in mind?
Great vid, Just a quick one hopefully you can answer this for me; I was looking at using this as a PC Dac and then connecting the RCA outputs to my amplifier and using all my audio through that. Does the DAC default to outputting to the headphone if i plug in and then if i unplug it goes through the RCAs? if not how does that function work? Hopefully i didn't miss it within the video
Hey Joe, just wondering if you will be reviewing the FiiO K19 as well? On the fence of going from K5 Pro up to it, would love to hear your review of it
Trying to upgrade my PC audio setup from my 10+ year old logitech 2.1 system. New to more advanced audio stuff. Looking at a set of small powered studio monitors and maybe eventually a sub. Something like Audioengine A2+ or PreSonus Eris 3.5. Can I run those through the fii0 K11 in addition IEMs and/or my gaming headset (steelseries nova7)? Looks like has L/R RCA out so those would be for speakers. But where would sub go? Wondering how this compares to Soundblaster x4...
Hi Tech, I was wondering if the Fiio K11 Amp Dac would sound even better with the Ksc75s on the Ps5? They sound really good stock but is it worth getting a Dac/ Amp for them or do you have other recommendations? Awesome video by the way!!
Hello, I have a Hifiman Arya Stealth and the Fiio k11, would it be beneficial to use 4.4mm instead of 6.35mm? If you don’t mind is there any compatible cables you recommend? Thanks.
Hey man. Been loving your videos. I just picked up the h6pro for 49.99 on Amazon. I could not pass up on that. I was curious do you think I should a get Dac/amp for them even though they are easy to drive. I'm trying to find the schiit hel 2 plus to talked about but they vanished or something. Would you still recommend this over the schiit if I'm able to find one. Thanks man. You're awesome
Yes off course and that fact amp is soundblaster g6 stereo 5.1 7.1 and passthru of dolby atmos dts it covers your phone your pc your game console your TV set I game with openback h6pro and g6 it's wonderful
I currently use a Soundblaster X4 with a pair if Audio-Technica ATH R70X (470ohm) with my PS5, would the K11 offer a noticeable upgrade over the X4 or should I stick with the X4? The R70X are single ended, not using them with a balanced cable Thanks and keep up the great content
Hi joe I play on ps5 only I been using the arctic nova pro wireless over the astro a50x I think I like those better they probably even sound better on pc because of sonar software but they also sound amazing for ps5 you have that dac you can tune in the sound what's your opinion astro a50x or the nova pro wireless thank you
Don’t how you can say that DX3Pro+ has great bass impact. To me it has almost no bass on any openback I’ve tried, even old Fiio K5 Pro sounds much better to my ears. And yes, I’ve tried switching filters and gain, it had pretty much no effect. Didn’t try it, but I’ve heard that smsl c200 is a much better option
I mean I suppose it depends on what you have. Compared to the Zen Air and K11, the DX3 had the strongest bass. This is partly due to a less bright top end which tilts towards bass more
@@GadgetryTech I guess so, I was AB comparing it to Fiio K5 Pro and Topping DX5 Lite. Don't even want to know how K11 and Zen Air sound if DX3Pro+ is better. Since to me it lacked bass, and was a bit too bright. Fiio K7 and SMSL C200 seem like a much better option for the same price.
I agree on everything you said in the video, but iFi Zen Can Signature (Standard) + iFi Zen One Signature stack is still just KING! for gaming, the 3D/XSpace function on the (iFi Can) is just AMAZING! when it’s about gaming, you keep your stereo sound output but it just makes that little difference that makes the sound so much BETTER! it’s like night and day in difference. F*** virtual surround sound like Atmos, Stereo and Xspace beats it BIG! time and the burr Brown chip from iFi helps a lot with big treble spikes from many headphones and this is without mentioning Xbass also 🙌🏻 The FiiO K11 is hands down the best dac/amp combo in that price range. All that said, great review like always, you are hands down the best reviewer on TH-cam when it comes to products like this 💯
Perhaps my ears are not very sensitive and I cannot hear the effect of 3D/XSpace. May I ask what your specific feeling is when you hear this? For example, how does it feel to use it in games, and what specific improvements have it made? What does it feel like to use it in music?
I just bought the sennheiser hd660s2 and FiiO k11 but can’t figure the best setting for gaming. I’m currently using the Corsair virtuoso xt and I use ur tuning from ur video and they currently sound better then sennheiser. Should I just stick to the Corsair?
Would you recommend using a dac or amp for wireless headphones such as the turtle beach stealth pros for games such as call of duty? Not entirely sure hope this isn’t a dumb question :)
What do you think about the topping dx3 pro plus vs k11 fiio? Im deciding between the two and im coming from creative soundblaster x4. Would these be upgrades? My headphone uses are gaming on pc for the majority and music quite often. I have sundara openback, dt770, hd599 and tygr 300r.
@@ronald0122 I went with the dx3 pro+. Coming from a lower end creative which is still good. The dx3pro has more clarity and detail in comparison and excels more at louder volumes. Terms of customization the soundvlaster x4 has more cause they have an app with eq and all that and the profiles can be saved but if you have a PC I would get the dx3 pro and if you want to eq there is a ton of PC software to do so but it's so crystal clear I don't even care to touch eq.
Thank you, btw do you know the audient id4? its what i use at the moment for gaming but i feel like i cant hear above or below me in fps games especially Fortnite. Would this be an upgrade for that?
Thank you for providing another insightful review, as always. Your content consistently delivers exceptional value through very thorough comparisons and insightful recommendations. Personally, I began my journey with the DX3 Pro+ and later transitioned to the D70 Sabre DAC paired with the A70 Pro amp, a setup I truly appreciate. Once again, I sincerely appreciate your efforts and contributions to the audio hobby we've come to love.
I can't balance my sound on the K11, I use the 6.35mm port. When I try to balance left and right it only affects volume. Does anyone have the same problem?
i have a Goxlr and as of late headsets are giving me discomfort so i planned to swap into IEMs made my purchase thanks to one of your previous videos do you think that IEMs work well with Goxlr or should i try something else
I have a HD490 Pro. I mainly play valorant. Which is the best option? FiiO K11 vs ifi Zen Dac v2 vs Topping DX3 Pro+. PS: I’m currently using ARC from Mayflower Electronics. Is it worth the upgrade? Or is it an “upgrade”?
@@GadgetryTech I have some question regarding setting up the Amp/Dac with my HD490 Pro. 1. Balanced vs Unbalanced output which one I should use? 2. Gain level. Low Mid or High? I actually pulled the triggered right after you recommending it to me. Thank you very much!
I’m not sure whether to get 4.4mm balanced or 3.5 mm unbalanced cables with my Ziigaat Doscincos IEMs to go with the K11. The impedance of these iems is 11 ohms at 1khz and 16 ohms resistance.
How are they sounding paired with a computer and not a ps5? And to drive say beyerdynamics 990x or 560 headphones is the amp enough? Used the zendac before and u said that it has less power so the fiilo should be able to drive the headphones
What would be a good DAC for the Antlion Kimura DUO? I need two ports for 3.5mm mic and audio out. I know I could use the Schiit products but are there any others?
Hey bud how do these pair with the orchestra lites ? I currently have the ifi zen dac 3 pretty mid thinking about returning it and getting this it looks promising
Don't expect stronger bass if that's what you're after. Orchestra Lites are a tad bright so this will definitely sound incredibly clear. I'd consider a little EQ for fine tuning. I'm not sure how this compares directly to the Zen Dac 3 though. Sorry!
@@GadgetryTech thanks bud I ordered it not looking for bass I mainly play FPS like apex and valorant just look for very clean sound for them footsteps if that delivers i can save $100 by switching from the dac 3
Barely getting into audio setups i was wondering if i can combine this with a goxlr mini? idk how it would be setup i already have the goxlr so need to make a use out it
just wondering, what options do i have for a DAC/amp that has the ability to listen to optical input from console and pc audio from USB simultaneously?
7 seconds in and he told us the price I like this guy
IT PUTS THE LOTION ON THE DAC
After seeing this review i purchased the k11 along with DT770 pros... just awesome work
Same exact purchases. Very excited to see how it plays
@@foulball3 Hows the the setup is it good?
@@jasminahmetovic140 Absolutely fantastic. Literally the best audio I've ever heard.
@@foulball3 Really even on ps5? because ill use it on ps5/pc? will u mind to share which one u bought dt 770 pro 80 ohm? or different one?
@@jasminahmetovic140 I don't know about the PS5. I use it for my PC. I bought the 80 ohm variant, because the higher one requires more power to drive than the K11 can give.
thanks for explaining balance as a concept lol , buying the Linsoul SIMGOT SuperMix 4 rn and was frantically looking on how to get it compatible with the 'balanced' port.
appreciate the videos so much
Thank you for the great video. The HEL+ is back in stock.
Been using a standard soundcard for years but recently has started popping. Finally moved to a USB DAC and chose the k11. I have the some 7hz timeless and some old, but still going ATH-MSR7. Puts me more into the audiophile lite/beginner category and now wish i had moved to a dac/amp combo sooner.
There is an issue with Optical IN regarding the FiiO k11 - V122 firmware will not fix the problem either. Essentially, audio will dip randomly - then rises to the adjusted level of dB. Great video. Rocking a 384k Hz format!
Thank you for clarifying the differences in filters! :)
There is now a new firmware version v114 and contains the following updates:
1. Optimize the problem that USB DAC playback has a probability of automatically
recovering after 1 ~ 2 seconds of discontinuous sound;
2. Optimize the problem that the sound output may be delayed by 2 seconds during
the first playback;
3. Optimizing the playback of certain tracks will cause noise problems.
Got these a while ago (before the R2R release) for about 94 USD to use with my laptop (USB) and game console (optical). No issues so far. Although I haven't used the high gain yet. Only driving the more efficient headphones right now.
FYI I just leave the filter off (6). My Tanchjim Origin gets a bit bright with the filters. And filter off just sounds best to my ears.
Any tutorials on how to set it up and equalize and that type of stuff? Great content btw.
I tried the k11 and had horrible clipping issues. Sent it back for a replacement and it too had horrible clipping issues so sent it back and got the topping d3x pro+ and love it. I have seen so many praising the k11 and when i was having the clipping issues and searched on it i see some others with the same issue so i have no clue.
If you have to chose woud you use this or a zen dac v3? both the same price and using with sennhiser 490 pro on a PC?
Got this to run with Virtuoso Pros. Medium gain, filter 6 (3 sounds good for *some* songs and scenarios, not all), a bit of added base over your preferred EQ and slightly higher treble. Love it.
I had the modi/magni and then the modious/magnius stack. I got the SMSL 8s stack and have not felt the need to switch. I always preferred separates, not that there is anything wrong with all-in-ones. My Home Theater is also Marantz separates.
Great review. Been eyeing the K11 as an upgarde to my K5 Pro, and the addition of the balanced port and additional port might just sway me to buy it.
on the same boat here, but the K11's balanced port's output power is similar to the k5 pro's SE port.
Enjoying the review
Fiio fiii fo fum, these look badass to get this kind of stuff when I was younger would have been unattainable.. lol
Thank you… seems really good for the value
Nice review, thank you so much. I'm going to take a chance on this, strictly for the DAC. I'm going to drive a pair of Audioengine A5+ powered speakers for music and daily audio use. I've got the Audioengine D1 DAC right now, but not really impressed (well, let's just say meh.) One big issue with the D1 is low volume sound quality. I have to crank the A5's up quite a bit before they start to sound good. This is with the D1 volume @ ~90-95%. I guess the old saying goes "we shall see." If nothing else at least this gives me a few options than I don't have now. Again, thanks so much for sharing.
Keep up the good work. Cheers
Nice profile pic bro
FiiO is on fire across the board. What a fantastic company.
They've been releasing some big hits lately for sure!
@GadgetryTech Is there any chance you will review the newly released K11 R2R from FiiO? I'm considering buying it to play Apex with the Simgot SuperMix 4, but I only trust your reviews.
Hey Joe, same, just wondering if you think the R2R is the way to go for gaming.
@@usmankhalid990
Yes, I bought R2R and all good. Never compared it to the non-R2R version so can’t even know how it is compared to that one.
@@swordxi how do you like it for Apex? Does it improve the super mix 4 a bunch vs a non amp/dac setup
What do you recommend for the PC settings?
Schiit is pronounced Skaheeeeet 😊😎 Loved your review. Very informative.
Great review. Need more videos from you. You're great !
Hey. Great list and very informative! Thank you! I've just gotten into iem ps5 gaming and it look like I'll be picking up the k11 for its usbc input. Question: did I understand you correctly that if you use the k11 with a ps5 and say I use iems with an antlion or kimura mic, then I won't be able to pass-through the mic? If so, then I'd need to use the blutooth mic that you mentioned, correct? Lastly, I'll be gaming on my couch. Which headphone extension cable do you recommend and should everything still work correctly if I use it? Thank you so much in advance for your response.
What you think on the k11 R2R version, versus the regular k11?
Thank you as always for your time, efforts, and sharing this equipment with us all. I know you probably get many comparisons questions, but I would be interested in your opinion on this unit versus the Sound Blaster X5. Thank you in advance for your reply. Take care, Sir.
Thanks Simon! This has a noticeable amount of extra power, and has a slightly more bright/punchy sound profile. The X5 is just loaded with features this does not have of course. Both units have a low noise floor, so SNR isn't an issue on either.
@@GadgetryTech Thank you very much for taking the time to reply, Sir, and your insights. Much appreciated. Take care.
Would you recommend this over the EPOS/Sennheiser GSX 1000 in terms of which has the better sound-staging effect and overall effect to sound quality? I'm not much into audio stuff, but I clearly recall the GSX 1000 being highly recommended in the past for the clarity and excellent sound-staging effect it can give.
I think this is a far more capable product when it comes to power delivery. If you don't need any microphone support, I would prefer this.
When will you review the K19, its soundstage and imaging are truly superb. Upgraded from K11 to K19 and love it.
Picked up a K11 and paired it with a pair of Sennheiser HD660S and it sounds excellent!!
Which filter type do you use?
@@GenoMusicafter much testing I’ve found that filters 1, 3 and no filter 6 are my preferred options. But I slightly prefer filter 1 so have stuck with that.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter.
I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x
Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences.
4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening.
6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding.
5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6..
1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning
3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal
2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds.
4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter.
I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x
Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences.
4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening.
6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding.
5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6..
1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning
3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal
2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds.
4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
@@GenoMusic Update on my last comment. In terms of the filters and a lot more testing, IMO the best spatial audio and directional awareness comes from using either (4) Slow roll-off, Phase-compensated filter and (6) Non over-sampling filter.
I have been testing with the following headphones (Truthear Crinacle Zero Red IEMs, Sennheiser 660s2, and Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro x
Rated in this order from best to worst for Call of Duty MW3 and Warzone. This is my opinion following my own testing and preferences.
4 - Very wide and precise sound stage with good imagining, verticality. excellent for both FPS, Music and critical listening.
6 - Similar to 4 in terms of sound stage, imagining and verticaliy and other points mentioned, but with some slight roll-off of the highs but very natural sounding.
5 - Flattens the frequencies response across the audible range so not as dynamic sounding, but performances well in terms of imagining and distance, maybe a little tighter in terms of width compared to 4 and 6..
1 - Wide stage with good distance but less precise and muddy in terms of exact positioning
3 - Somewhere in between 1 and 2 not ideal
2 - Good directional audio, but with a much tighter sound stage making the sound stage congested and harder to determine exact proximity of sounds.
4 and 6 offer the most spacious sound stage with excellent directional audio. I hope this helps and saves some time.
Excellent Review! I just bought a set of the Audeze MM-100's and I'm trying to figure what amp/dac to get for them...any recommendations? I am trying to decide between the FiiO K11, DX3 Pro+, Schiit Stack or the iFi Hip Dac 3. I will mostly be using them for gaming.
also have the mm-100 for gaming. the clarity is awesome, using them on ps5 with a soundblaster x G6 amp. mostly for COD, super immesive.
that is 18ohms...nokia3310 can run that thing with no amp lol
@@divacroft1034true, but soundblaster has filters for footsteps etc…
@@divacroft1034 you would think but they are very quiet on everything accept my MBP and even that I would prefer about 10% more volume....Audeze recommends minimum power of 100mW, with a recommended power of 250mW....with 18Ω impedance I need something with an output impedance of 2Ω or lower
Add fiio k7 to your options / instead of dx3
This DAC/Amp sounds amazing, but there's one issue with it that's kind of annoying. For some songs, particularly those with hard bass drops, this amp cuts out momentarily. They've yet to fix this, to my knowledge, with firmware. I still use it daily, and this doesn't happen often, but if you can find a track that triggers it you can reproduce it consistently. The most obvious example is Retronik by The Swing Bot. See if you can get FiiO's attention on this Joe!
I’ll check that out but it never triggered for me! I drove it really hard with the HE100SE on some bass heavy tracks and never had clipping issues. What volume do you have to be at? I’ll try that song tonight and report back.
@@GadgetryTech Definitely check it out. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with power. It's some kind of... almost clipping sort of effect with the tracks themselves. The effect is identical on my HD650 as it is to the Kiwi Quintet, just for example. At any volume. It's the only DAC/Amp I own that does this, but it's also the best sounding DAC/Amp I own so I've just been living with it since it's fairly rare.
Couple of other notes. I had my unit replaced, and the replacement does the exact same thing. Also, if you change the UAC to 1 it'll solve the issue, but of course that's not ideal using it with Windows.
@@GadgetryTech I just went to test it again myself, to pick out a good timestamp in the song where this starts occurring, and oddly enough it's no longer doing it at all. I tested this extensively a couple of months back, and now I wonder if it was related to something else I've since changed without realizing. Still, worth checking for yourself. Regardless of the cause, if this is either "fixed" or something that was uniquely happening to me, this is a very near perfect dac/amp at this price point. That strange bass clipping issue was my one and only complaint.
EDIT: Never mind. When I switched from medium to low gain, just to see if was happening in low gain, it started doing it again. Switched back to medium gain, continued to do it. High gain, still does it. Not sure how, but switching between gain levels caused it to start happening again.
@@NotTheOnlyMattAround Were you using Equalizer APO with auto-clip enabled? It usually makes the same behavior you're dealing with
Is it possible you had a pre production copy and they changed some stuff before the proper release? Mine came with the firmware you mentioned. Maybe they tweaked the filters too… I know 6 is not good for the games I play. Battlefield 2042 and Hunt both lose a lot of sound detail, depth and verticality in the sound field with that roll off.
Compared to the k7 - ignoring the price difference, what are the biggest differences (apart from max power). I have the k11, but switching between lineout and phoneout is starting to get tedious without a dedicated switch
Review for the audio technica apos ath-r70x refine for gaming sir? Couldn't get the Schiit Gunnr here in the south east Asia side. Looking for the FiiO :)
Hey Joe, thanks for the review, really appreciate it! Which filter do you think I should use for CoD Warzone? Would it still be filter 1?
Hey, I don't really know if you will have the time to awnser this question. But I am french, and I am using the Edition XS from Hifiman. Here the Atom 2 stack is too expensive, do you think that the K11 will be a good buy, or will I miss something in my audio experience with it combined to the XS?
Will the pre out always default to the loudest volume setting?
What is the difference between this and new K11 R2R? Will there be a complimentary video on that?
Was almost set to buy this, but then realized I overlooked the mic input piece. Neither this, topping dx3 pro+, or schiit magni unity have mic in. But then looking at like schiit Hel 2, soundblaster g6, or epos gsx 1000, neither of those have RCA/line out for speakers. Ugh, i feel stuck. Looking for one dac/amp combo that does it all for 200ish or less
what did you buy bro
@@ronald0122 fiio K11. No regrets. Though if I was doing it again I might go with schiit magni unity for the simple/quick toggle switches on the front to switch Po/lo and gain. Little more money tho.
@@Rustydude2030 thanks. how do you handle your mic though? i need a mic input so maybe i should just get the gsx 1000 v2. what filter setting are you using on the k11 btw?
@@ronald0122 I bought a blue yeti during prime day for $69. Plug via USB direct to PC. I use filter 1. Tired 7 too but can't tell the difference between 1 and 7 so jist go with 1 since it's what Joe recommended. 7 is supposed to be no filter.
Whats the difference between this one and the r2r version?
r2r has more warm sound , there is no much diffrence just buy the cheaper one
My purpose for using this would be as a DAC, performing decoding for a CD player and a WiiM pro streamer. I do like the fact that it also serves as a headphone amp. Would this perform well in these capacities, and what other products might I keep in mind?
Just bought Kiwi Ears Orchestra lite would you recommend the k11 for gaming and music purpose with them?
I use the kiwi ears orchestra lite with a steel series dac amp lol ima try this one
what about the ifi zen dac V2? over here its $20 more than the fiio k11?
Great vid, Just a quick one hopefully you can answer this for me; I was looking at using this as a PC Dac and then connecting the RCA outputs to my amplifier and using all my audio through that. Does the DAC default to outputting to the headphone if i plug in and then if i unplug it goes through the RCAs? if not how does that function work?
Hopefully i didn't miss it within the video
Hey Joe, just wondering if you will be reviewing the FiiO K19 as well? On the fence of going from K5 Pro up to it, would love to hear your review of it
Trying to upgrade my PC audio setup from my 10+ year old logitech 2.1 system. New to more advanced audio stuff. Looking at a set of small powered studio monitors and maybe eventually a sub. Something like Audioengine A2+ or PreSonus Eris 3.5. Can I run those through the fii0 K11 in addition IEMs and/or my gaming headset (steelseries nova7)? Looks like has L/R RCA out so those would be for speakers. But where would sub go? Wondering how this compares to Soundblaster x4...
Thanks for the review i've been looking for an upgrade for my fiio k3 and this looks like what i need.
Hi Tech, I was wondering if the Fiio K11 Amp Dac would sound even better with the Ksc75s on the Ps5? They sound really good stock but is it worth getting a Dac/ Amp for them or do you have other recommendations? Awesome video by the way!!
whats that cube in the back right?? looks cool
Hello, I have a Hifiman Arya Stealth and the Fiio k11, would it be beneficial to use 4.4mm instead of 6.35mm? If you don’t mind is there any compatible cables you recommend? Thanks.
No benefit! Stick to the SE/unbalanced side for both and you're good to go.
Hey man. Been loving your videos. I just picked up the h6pro for 49.99 on Amazon. I could not pass up on that. I was curious do you think I should a get Dac/amp for them even though they are easy to drive. I'm trying to find the schiit hel 2 plus to talked about but they vanished or something. Would you still recommend this over the schiit if I'm able to find one. Thanks man. You're awesome
Yes off course and that fact amp is soundblaster g6 stereo 5.1 7.1 and passthru of dolby atmos dts it covers your phone your pc your game console your TV set I game with openback h6pro and g6 it's wonderful
I currently use a Soundblaster X4 with a pair if Audio-Technica ATH R70X (470ohm) with my PS5, would the K11 offer a noticeable upgrade over the X4 or should I stick with the X4?
The R70X are single ended, not using them with a balanced cable
Thanks and keep up the great content
fiio k11, or zen dac 2 (or 3 as its pretty much the same)?
Hi joe I play on ps5 only I been using the arctic nova pro wireless over the astro a50x I think I like those better they probably even sound better on pc because of sonar software but they also sound amazing for ps5 you have that dac you can tune in the sound what's your opinion astro a50x or the nova pro wireless thank you
A50X for bass/general music listening, but Nova Pro has more detail in some key frequencies for footsteps/directional cues
Don’t how you can say that DX3Pro+ has great bass impact. To me it has almost no bass on any openback I’ve tried, even old Fiio K5 Pro sounds much better to my ears. And yes, I’ve tried switching filters and gain, it had pretty much no effect. Didn’t try it, but I’ve heard that smsl c200 is a much better option
I mean I suppose it depends on what you have. Compared to the Zen Air and K11, the DX3 had the strongest bass. This is partly due to a less bright top end which tilts towards bass more
@@GadgetryTech I guess so, I was AB comparing it to Fiio K5 Pro and Topping DX5 Lite. Don't even want to know how K11 and Zen Air sound if DX3Pro+ is better. Since to me it lacked bass, and was a bit too bright.
Fiio K7 and SMSL C200 seem like a much better option for the same price.
I agree on everything you said in the video, but iFi Zen Can Signature (Standard) + iFi Zen One Signature stack is still just KING! for gaming, the 3D/XSpace function on the (iFi Can) is just AMAZING! when it’s about gaming, you keep your stereo sound output but it just makes that little difference that makes the sound so much BETTER! it’s like night and day in difference. F*** virtual surround sound like Atmos, Stereo and Xspace beats it BIG! time and the burr Brown chip from iFi helps a lot with big treble spikes from many headphones and this is without mentioning Xbass also 🙌🏻
The FiiO K11 is hands down the best dac/amp combo in that price range.
All that said, great review like always, you are hands down the best reviewer on TH-cam when it comes to products like this 💯
The new zen dac 3 dont have xapace
@@Pablinio You are right, I’m very disappointed 👎🏻 Then I would say FiiO K11 is a better buy if you don’t go for the bigger stack 🙌🏻
Perhaps my ears are not very sensitive and I cannot hear the effect of 3D/XSpace. May I ask what your specific feeling is when you hear this? For example, how does it feel to use it in games, and what specific improvements have it made? What does it feel like to use it in music?
what's the different betwen the k11 from fiio and the creative sound blaster X g6? is it worth buying the k11 if I allready own the g6?
Just ordered this to use with the Truthear Novas I ordered for Black Ops 6. The adapter in the box, is the 3.5 to 6.3?
For the mangrid tea pro would recommend using balanced or unbalanced port
I just bought the sennheiser hd660s2 and FiiO k11 but can’t figure the best setting for gaming. I’m currently using the Corsair virtuoso xt and I use ur tuning from ur video and they currently sound better then sennheiser. Should I just stick to the Corsair?
HD 490 PRO Plus
Get the mmx 300 pros
Would you recommend using a dac or amp for wireless headphones such as the turtle beach stealth pros for games such as call of duty? Not entirely sure hope this isn’t a dumb question :)
What do you think about the topping dx3 pro plus vs k11 fiio? Im deciding between the two and im coming from creative soundblaster x4. Would these be upgrades? My headphone uses are gaming on pc for the majority and music quite often. I have sundara openback, dt770, hd599 and tygr 300r.
what did you decide?
@@ronald0122 I went with the dx3 pro+. Coming from a lower end creative which is still good. The dx3pro has more clarity and detail in comparison and excels more at louder volumes. Terms of customization the soundvlaster x4 has more cause they have an app with eq and all that and the profiles can be saved but if you have a PC I would get the dx3 pro and if you want to eq there is a ton of PC software to do so but it's so crystal clear I don't even care to touch eq.
@@calebs2crazy are you using the default filter?
@@ronald0122 I can't remember. I think so because I don't remember the other ones being better. I'll check in a bit.
@@calebs2crazy thanks again
Thank you, btw do you know the audient id4? its what i use at the moment for gaming but i feel like i cant hear above or below me in fps games especially Fortnite.
Would this be an upgrade for that?
Does anyone know if these will work well with active bookshelf speakers connected to a PC via USB? My current motherboard has inferior audio quality.
Thank you for providing another insightful review, as always. Your content consistently delivers exceptional value through very thorough comparisons and insightful recommendations. Personally, I began my journey with the DX3 Pro+ and later transitioned to the D70 Sabre DAC paired with the A70 Pro amp, a setup I truly appreciate. Once again, I sincerely appreciate your efforts and contributions to the audio hobby we've come to love.
I can't balance my sound on the K11, I use the 6.35mm port.
When I try to balance left and right it only affects volume.
Does anyone have the same problem?
Did you try clicking the dio into the setting before tuning
u think this is needed with the vzr model one?
i have a Goxlr and as of late headsets are giving me discomfort so i planned to swap into IEMs made my purchase thanks to one of your previous videos do you think that IEMs work well with Goxlr or should i try something else
Would you do a review on the magni unity with the dac
I have a HD490 Pro. I mainly play valorant. Which is the best option? FiiO K11 vs ifi Zen Dac v2 vs Topping DX3 Pro+.
PS: I’m currently using ARC from Mayflower Electronics. Is it worth the upgrade? Or is it an “upgrade”?
With the 490 Pro I would do the K11. That's a great pairing. Just make sure to do the firmware update and set it to Filter 3 and you're good to go
@@GadgetryTech I have some question regarding setting up the Amp/Dac with my HD490 Pro.
1. Balanced vs Unbalanced output which one I should use?
2. Gain level. Low Mid or High?
I actually pulled the triggered right after you recommending it to me. Thank you very much!
Hey is this enough for Hifiman Edition XS? Should I use the single or balanced output port?
this or the dx3 pro+ for iems like the supermix 4 and hd560 headset. gaming only
Would you choose this or the Qudelix-5K mostly going to be used with iems and gaming on my PC?
wich one is the best of the best , your advice DAC the better one?
Have a question for you. What cable do I have to use for my kiwi little orchestra to make it work on my PS5?
If you have to chose woud you use this or a zen dac v3? both the same price and using with sennhiser 490 pro on a PC?
I’m not sure whether to get 4.4mm balanced or 3.5 mm unbalanced cables with my Ziigaat Doscincos IEMs to go with the K11. The impedance of these iems is 11 ohms at 1khz and 16 ohms resistance.
Would this be upgrade from Topping DX3 Pro+?
Also what filter do u recommend using with Dx3 pro+?
I also want to know this
Fiio k7 is audio upgrade from dx3.
Does this Fiio r2r drive / power the beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm? Thanks for sharing!
How are they sounding paired with a computer and not a ps5? And to drive say beyerdynamics 990x or 560 headphones is the amp enough? Used the zendac before and u said that it has less power so the fiilo should be able to drive the headphones
What would be a good DAC for the Antlion Kimura DUO? I need two ports for 3.5mm mic and audio out. I know I could use the Schiit products but are there any others?
Hello!
I have a Zan Can that I mainly use it for gaming. Is it worth getting the k11 in this case?
Thanks!
Hey bud how do these pair with the orchestra lites ? I currently have the ifi zen dac 3 pretty mid thinking about returning it and getting this it looks promising
Don't expect stronger bass if that's what you're after. Orchestra Lites are a tad bright so this will definitely sound incredibly clear. I'd consider a little EQ for fine tuning. I'm not sure how this compares directly to the Zen Dac 3 though. Sorry!
@@GadgetryTech thanks bud I ordered it not looking for bass I mainly play FPS like apex and valorant just look for very clean sound for them footsteps if that delivers i can save $100 by switching from the dac 3
Barely getting into audio setups i was wondering if i can combine this with a goxlr mini? idk how it would be setup i already have the goxlr so need to make a use out it
Can I swap the cable out with anything type C? The included cable seems way too short. My desk is getting crowded lol.
Can we get a console setup vid , like with different options for each device or hardware
How does the sound compare to something like Ibasso DC Elite ?
Seems like the topping dx1 is still the cheaper and better "budget" options with usb power and small form factor.
Will be a good option to pair it with the Arete and yayin canon 2 for PS5?
just wondering, what options do i have for a DAC/amp that has the ability to listen to optical input from console and pc audio from USB simultaneously?
I just purchasse a FIIO k11 R2R paired with my old yeti usb mic and i can't figuer out how to moniter my voice while gaming without latency plz help.
would you recommend this for sennheiser hd58x??
Will this work with 600 ohm DT880?
This or the new schiit Magni unity?
Does this pair well with the SuperMix4?
edition xs + fiio k11 = 400 dollar combo only (also plus you can use the stock cable and not spend extra money)
Can it use two audio jack one for microphone audio monitor and one is for IEM?
Does it have a remote control?
It does not.
There is no physical switch so turning it off is bit of a pain. You need to hold the scroll wheel for at least 3 seconds.
Anyone paired this with the hifiman edition xs and do they get loud enough, or the k11 r2r