The R2R DAC architecture is renowned for its unique and cherished sound quality, making it a favorite among music enthusiasts. FiiO K11 R2R DAC: amzn.to/3YmlMTy $159.99
As an aside and for your info, SMSL SP200 is also, apparently, configured around an R2R architecture and is about the same price as this unit. It also has quite a good review and measurements on the audiosciencereview site, but no FiiO R2R review as yet. Have a great weekend, Sir, and take care.
@@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391 FYI, tomorrow the final review drops. If you decide to get one, there is a link in the description. Thanks so much for tuning in.
Looking forward to your deep dive on this one. Been learning a little about R2R dacs out of curiosity. I’m sure I’ll learn much more after your review. Thanks 👊🏽🎶
I pre-ordered this about a month ago. I do like the sound of R2R. I also have a Dennifrips Pontus coming in tomorrow so that should be an interesting comparison. I will keep you posted. Thanks Norman for your support.
I've had this K11 R2R for a few days. I exclusively listen to headphones (Edition XS) at my desk. I really enjoy this DAC. It's just got the right vibes to groove to music. It makes music feel "live" in a way, like you were in the studio when it was recorded but not the recording itself. In contrast my Fiio K7 is great for when I want to pick out everything I'm trying to hear but it doesn't groove as much as it's little R2R brother. Now I really want try a Bifrost to see if it can combine best of both worlds.
Now this is a positive for me, as you know, an R2R is on my wish list. I can't wait to hear your full review and comparison to your D30, and hopefully, it will help me decide if I need this for my headphone listing and is a worthy replacement for my D40 Pro. Thank you so much for your perspectives and for sharing them with us all. Have a wonderful week ahead, Sir.
@@OldGuyHifi Yes Sir, your Loxjie D30. I am sure your in-depth review will be excellent. As an aside there is only one FiiO K-11 left on Amazon at present! 😂😂😂 So I guess I will have to wait a little longer. Thank you, Sir.
@@OldGuyHifi Just as an aside for your information, SMSL SP200 headphone amp is also structured around R2R architecture and also around the same price on the secondhand market. The SP200 has a quite good review and test measurements on the audiosciencereview web site, but no FiiO R2R yet. Take care and have a great weekend, Sir.
Ed - I picked one of these up and it was delivered yesterday. Wow, this thing sounds phenomenal! Blown away. Not just the DAC section but as a preamp and headphone amp as well. It’s nuts. When you review this, make sure to mention that there is a K11 delta sigma version that came out a while ago and now a K11 R2R version. People are getting these mixed up in forums and comments. Needs to be clarified so people know what they are buying. Kind of a dumb of Fiio named them the same - K11.
I am so glad you are enjoying it. I know. I am not sure I mentioned the two models. They did the same thing with the K9, with the new AKM 4499 set and one with the ESS 9038Pro. Two totally different sounds. They market to gamers. I offered to help them with the audio community. We will see.
Thank you Ed, I’m hyped to listen to music with your enthusiasm, every time you mention a listening session of 1-3hours it boosts my jets to make time to enjoy my collection. The channel is growing and you’ve earned it my friend! 🎉🎉🎉
Hi Ed. Wow, seems to be an attractive product especially at the price. Always appreciate your take and observations. Really liked the graphics, helps me understand some of what is going on.
I've been finding my ESS-based DAC a bit fatiguing for long listening, and I've been thinking of an R2R DAC for some time - but so far they've been too expensive to risk buying before listening. That makes this one really exciting, and I look forward to your deeper thoughts on it.
Alan, Thanks for tuning in. I have noticed that it is sounding different (better?) as I let cook. I think the unit may have a longish break in. I will report back in the full review.
I think I learned more in this short video than from many longer ones. Though part of that is realising how little I understand about audio hardware. It often feels like you need to be an electrical engineer to properly choose between the many DAC and AMP options out there. It is especially good to see this kind of overview of relatively inexpensive equipment as very high end gear is not an option for many people. I wonder how the individual costs of the electronic components scale with the price of the end products, though I appreciate there is more to the cost than the circuitry. I bought the Xduoo Xa-10 a couple of years ago and chose it over other products mainly because of the number of I/O options. I'm not an audio engineer and can't describe how good or bad it is compared to anything else, except to say I am very happy with how it sounds and, to me, it was very good value for money. Though it would definitely be interesting to hear an electrical engineer's opinion on its circuitry and audio performance, if you ever have a chance to try one out.
Thank you so much. I am glad you got something positive from the video. In all the years I have been involved in Hifi I have only run across relatively few EEs that worry about sound. I think that they are more focused on achieving a desired set of measurements rather than an unmeasurable subjective criteria such as "sound quality." There have been a few visionary EEs & designers over time and they are the famous ones. I am so glad you are happy with the sound of your system, after all, if you enjoy your music that's all that matters. Thanks for the kind words and your view.
Wow! This is a really cool DAC for the price. I’m curious if the rear RCA out is controlled from the front knob as well. Great for those of us without a pre amp. Looking forward to your full review!
Yes. It has a pre-amp function. That said I would discourage anyone from using a DAC as a pre. Digital volume controls tend to create phase anomalies and DACs with analog volume use cheaper non-linear potentiometers. Something like a Schiit Sys would be better. Thank you for the view and comment.
@@OldGuyHifi Thanks for your advice about the pre function on the DAC. I’ll use a high quality pre stage like that Sys for attenuation. Don’t want phase issue changing the music. Thanks again! Edit: Adding question. Does the way the Dragonfly red changes its volume prevent phase issues?
Sorry Michael, I just saw this. Sometimes the comments can be tough to manage. TH-cam doesn't really help either. I don't know if it does. I have a Dragonfly Red and never really noticed it. I only ever used on the plane and outdoors so.... Thanks for the comment. Again I am sorry I didn't catch this.
After I saw this video yesterday, I spontaneously ordered this device. I just couldn't resist 😄 I will connect it to a tube amplifier and use a Wiim Mini as a streamer. How is it possible to produce R2R so cheaply? Are there any new production processes? Thank you for the video. I immediately subscribed the channel.
As with all technology, it gets refined and less expensive. Thank you so much for supporting the channel. BTW, I would put this little beauty up against other "Fun Fi" cousins double. It is good. My full review will be next week.
Have you experienced the Dayton Audio MTA200? My father-in-law is trying to make an informed decision for an affordable streamer and I suspect the DAC in the Dayton will be better than most "budget" streamers. Thank you for the informative videos!
Stephen, I would not count on the internal DAC in the Dayton unit. They don't publish the type and manufacturer of the chip which to me is a red flag. If your father in law went with a WiiM Pro Plus, that would be a better DAC and it is a very nice streamer. Let me know what you decide. Thanks for the view and comment.
Steak & Wine always makes for a great product review. I should know with all the Single Malt I drink doing my Videos. I think you are 100% correct on the "return to ladder DAC's". A la the 1980's/ 1990's. At that price, I don't think DSD/SACD playback and lack of an I2S connector shows it's a perfect starter DAC. Great Video as always ED ! Any luck with the Black Ice Audio folks ?
With regard to your caveat at 2:14, resistor networks can be used to natively decode DSD, but the architecture of the resistor network for DSD decoding is different from the R2R ladder architecture for PCM decoding. A single DAC can use an R2R ladder for PCM decoding and a separate resistor network for DSD decoding. The Audio-GD R-1 NOS is an example of a commercial DAC that does this. According to Underwood HiFi "R-1 NOS is a fully balanced discrete r2r ladder DAC using 8 group fully discrete R-2R DA converters implementing in balanced mode. There are 4 fully discrete native DSD decoders that also work in balanced mode." Cayin uses a discrete resistor network for decoding DSD natively in the Cayin RU7. From Cayin: "Fully Balanced Resistor Networks Discrete 1-Bit DAC for DSD Format Purposively designed micro-miniaturized 1-bit DAC circuit from discrete components... The 1-bit DAC circuit is a resistor network composed of 128 pcs (4x32) high precision Thin Film Resistors, this is closely resemble to the discrete DAC of our N7 DAP... All digital audio signal will convert to designated DSD format (DSD64/DSD128/DSD256) before feeding to the discrete 1-bit DAC circuit."
I have the Cayin RU7 and it converts all PCM signals to DSD and it lets you choose between DSD64, 128, or 256 for the conversion. It sounds amazing but it is a bit different than my Hiby RS2 DAP (running in USB DAC mode from my pc). I think I prefer the Hiby RS2 for music but the RU7 was really great for gaming, movies and TV, huge sound stage. I still prefer the RU7 to my other Sabre DAC's for music and it's for sure the best dongle DAC I've tried. But it's nearly $300 and the Hiby RS2 is $450-500 (it is a very basic DAP tbf). I can't wait to see how the full review of this Fiio K11 R2R ends up. At $159, if sounds anything like the Hiby RS2, I'm going to buy it for sure.
Chris, Thanks for sharing your configuration. I will need about a week or so to really give this a fair shake and see. I am noticing that as I let it run, it is smoothing out a bit. Nothing definitive but it is warming up some. I just need a bit more time with it. Thx.
Can't wait for follow on and I imagine you're gonna love the A-75...I've talked to Thomas a number of times, really a great guy and couldn't be happier for him, to trust his arm to do an Integrated Amp...bit alas he made the sense of why he hasn't so far and might never. I look forward to his TS-Voyager speakers in the not too distant.
James, I agree with you. A Galion integrated would be awesome. Maybe he would do a hybrid Tube solid sate pre-amp? Thanks for stooping by and sharing your insights.
@@OldGuyHifi No Pro Blema... And it could depending on the sound stage as to who gets my money when the Ball drops on my dumping my present sort of system between Gisheli and this unit.
Trust me. Get the Geshelli. No contest. I am a big fan of that AKM hybrid chipset and Geshelli has the best sound most affordable implementation out there. I am purchasing one for my self to add as a reference DAC next to the Bifrost. It is that good.
I don't even know what those three letter acronyms mean, but it sounds like a good thing to me! I like subscribe and left a silly message as is the way of the algorithm of TH-cameeA
bougt the Fio k11 r2r, at first played it from Wiim pro plus with coax or optical input to the Fio. It opens up the mid and brings the sound further forward out of the speakers. However it lost some detail in the highs. Now bought the Wiim Ultra and play with usb to the Fio R2R now it sounds a lot cleaner, bass is fast, used eq in the Wiim ultra to boost the highs a little, extra, lower the 4k a bit so it sounds warmer. Now it plays to a Cayin mk34 tube amp. Finally this R2R dac impresses me... my first R2R dac is now in the chain and I am keeping it there. Thx to this review one of the first available, convinced me to buy it.
The standard WiiM units mini to Pro + don't have any internal jitter reduction circuits. They are know to have timing issue which smears the sound. The Ultra is much better. I am glad you are enjoying and thank you for the update.
matter of taste, the Fio opens up the mid and gives the sound more soundtage and brings it further out the speakrers. The Wiim ultra dac gives more laid back sound signature with little more detail in the highs. Wiim ultra - usb out - Fio K11 R2R sounds more musical and lively, now updated the Fio with Brzhifi linear power suppky, that is worth the upgrade simular as doing the same with a Wiim pro plus
This evening compared the Fio k10 r2r (upgraded with Brzhifi 12vdc 25w linear power supply) - analog output with rca silver coated Nordost odin clone cable and the Wiim ultra analog output with Nordost odin golden copper rca clone cable, both to my Cayin mt35 mk2 plus tube amp....the weird thing now...when i switch between the inputs, there is not a lot of audible difference between the Fio R2R ladder dac or the Ess delta sigma dac from the Wiim ultra... while before with the original switching powercsupply the audible difference with the Fio was way bigger... certainly in the midrange... i am a bit lost now, as total different dac technologies sound pretty much alike on my tube amp...
Hey Ed, I'm very curious about this one as well! I tried the original K11 with the single CS chip and found it lacking detail. But this R2R version does sound compelling. Thanks for the info. I might have to get this one too!
Rick, for the money it is good. I would say it is much better than any other "Fun Fi" Delta-Sigma DACs at this price point and maybe better than ones costing double. I am not a fan of ESS so this is a great alternative to DACs that use Sabres. The headphone side is pretty good also.
Interesting. Looking for a headphone amp for my bedroom. Don't want to spend a ton of money for it. I have been considering a Schiit Migard and Modius combo.
I haven't had a chance to try it out with headphones yet. It doesn't appear to have much power. I plan on listening with HPs so look for my review soon. Thanks for the view and comment.
These are my recommended Test Tracks: 1) Nora Jones - Come Away with Me - Shoot The Moon (Original Release, HDtracks version); 2) Rebecca Ferguson - Freedom - I Hope (Live from Air Studios, TH-cam version); 3) Rebecca Pidgeon - The Raven - Spanish Harlem; 4) Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - Blue in Green; 5) Cai Qin (Tsai Chin) - Beautiful Voice - Just Like Your Tenderness; 6) Andreas Vollenweider - Book of Roses - The Grand Ball of the Duljas (feat. Christian Siegmann, Daniel Pezzotti, Dodo Hug, Sue Mathys, Regina Günthard). By the way, I prefer over-sampling mode with the DACs I own.
A couple vids ago you mentioned (correct me if I’m wrong) that r2r needs to have all those resistors matched perfectly and that’s partially why those dacs are expensive, now this comes along so cheap, and with your explanation of how it works and I’m even more surprised by the price, how’d they do it! Definitely looking forward to the full review, and how it compares to Geshelli products? thanks Ed!
Brian, As with all things technology related the price of making it goes down over time. Also the resistors are 1% tolerance where on a device like the Denafrips Pontus the resistors are .0005% tolerance. Funny enough, I am listening to a Pontus as I type this. Review soon. The FiiO sounds good. I think better than any Delta-Sigma chip Chi-Fi DACs up to $300. It doesn't threaten the Geshelli stuff. I don't think any Chi-Fi Delta-Sigma chip DAC up to $1000 touches Genos stuff. He is a great designer. I should have the FiiO review out next week. Thanks for all you support.
Ya that makes sense and in my mind nothing comes close to Geno’s stuff, and I just upgraded my regular j2 to a socketed version and I’m sure I’ll be even more in love with it on Monday when it gets back from Florida, can’t wait to fall down the op amp rabbit hole yay!
Neat, but I picked one up to try out and it didn't really sound any better than a Schiit Modi 3. However, it didn't sound worse, so for the money it's a good entry level headphone amp/DAC. If you were looking for something to take to work or traveling, it's a good value. If it had RCA inputs so I could hook up my Loki, that might have been interesting, but it doesn't. If you already have a entry level DAC/amp, this isn't going to be an upgrade. Great video! Cheers!
Great channel... New sub from the Philippines. I would like to suggest if you can get it, to pair this R2R dac with Fiio's linear power supply PL50 and maybe make a new video about any gains or not in your system. It is pricey tho in comparison to the great price of this dac.
Wow! All the way from the Philippines. The last time I was in Manila was 1974. I was not in the military. One of my classmates in prep school lived there and we went for Easter holiday. I am sure a great deal has changed since then. My strongest memory is of the people, Everyone was so kind and nice. Great suggestion. With this price level unit, I don't think the results could justify the additional price. Maybe on a unit like the K9 AKM, which is on its way to me now, the power supply could have a worth while impact. I did try it with an iFi iPower X supply and it made virtually no noticeable improvement. As a budget unit, it is fine just as it is. Thanks for watching and sharing your suggestion Daniel.
@@OldGuyHifi As for local music suggestions, we do have a rich variety to choose from and we do have alot of great artists... But I would suggest something a little different for a change. 'Pamugun' is a choral piece and this is just TH-cam quality but this shows our culture more, I feel, than pop or rock. Hope you enjoy: th-cam.com/video/7N8nXygVizk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aa2-795hTEnqbAac
I'll be very interested into your deeper dive into this DAC, I'm hoping to upgrade from my SMSL SU1 before too long. Didn't you also mention an $80 DAC that you could change op amps? Thanks!
I do have a neat little $80 unit. I will compare the two. The $80 unit video is shot. I am just waiting for the manufacturer to get it up on Amazon. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Neil, I doubt it. FiiO seems to be targeting gamers with their products and marketing. This may however cause some others to jump into the R2R space. Only time will tell. Thank you.
Very interesting product i must say. I currently own a smsl do300 ex akm based dac/headphone amp. I do enjoy its natural timbre compared with ess based dacs. Coming from a topping e50 to the smsl was a definite jump in the right direction! Ive been curious about r2r dacs and what they can add to my system. Imo a dac is second only to the speakers as the most improtant separate. I wander how this dac would pair with a more neutral amp like these fosi v3 monos that have recently come out.
I don't have first hand experience with the Fosi v3 so I will be hard pressed to form a definitive conclusion. I do have some neutral gear here Like the Cambridge EVO150. I know they are not in the same category but, it is what I have currently. I will list all the gear I use in the review. Thanks for tuning in and commenting.
Yes. I must say that mass produced, entry level R2R products concern me. Will it dilute the market with poor performing units? Or, will the ability to build these precision devices mean great performance at lower prices? Only time will tell. I should have my review done in a week or so. I want to have enough time to figure this out. I also have Denafrips Pontus in for review so that might be interesting. Stay tuned...
It can be used as a preamp with volume control, it can be used as a regular DAC without volume control and of course it can be a headphone amp with volume control. I hope that helps. Please feel free to ask questions anytime. What are you considering? Thanks for the great question.
Using a Topping D70s and an Aune 18th with a Sparkos OpAmp and Aune's linear PS and both are nice and play at the same level. An Aune without the Sparkos is nothing special btw. Like the small form factor. Each is a source component for a Keces E40. Ideally, whatever upgrades or equipment I buy I am going for the small form factor. I use Dali Opticon 1s, have Triangle Zetas (similar to Color series) and a Cambridge MinX XL. I have more expensive gear but I really good results with the small stuff. Considering a Closer OGY among a few other select small speakers which supposedly give very good stage depth and separation although, like I stated, the budget gear ain't bad. If I go for the OGY, I might opt for a decent budget tube amp. So, interested how well this little R2R might handle stage depth, width and separation, including tonality, etc. While I use a sub with the small speakers, its more more fill in and its satisfying both in terms of SQ at my listening SPLs as well as size. There are a few larger amps and/or monos for consideration but staying away from 40# and over behemoths. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I take it after the conversion that SACD/HDCD disc would sound about as they should once converted?
Nice gear. I need some time to figure this little DAC out. I have been letting cook since Saturday and it had smoothed out some. Fingers crossed. Yes. The conversion from DSD to PCM to my ear makes no difference. Even though I have 500+ DSD rips I don't care that much about them. I am pretty satisfied with Red Book. Great comment and thx for watching.
@@OldGuyHifi Thanks! Will do. Went with a 12V 4 amp chi-fi unit. This is a good test to see if r2r is for me. Was strongly considering the Holo Cyan 2, Ladder Schumann or Musician Pegasus 2 but wasn't really ready to put serious money at it just yet.
@@markusrayan Be careful. I have a friend who got the Ladder Schumann and had service issues. It took a very long time to get it resolved. I have a Pontus here as well and should be getting Laiv DAC soon. I am impressed with this little FiiO unit. I think it is better than any other Chi-Fi units with Delta-Sigma up to $300 maybe $350. Keep me posted on your thoughts. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi Yeah been hearing the Schumann has a worrying amount of qc-issues sadly. Very curious hearing how the FiiO stacks up to my current Exposure 2010S2 DAC. Old unit but seems to hold up pretty decently, especially the discrete analog stage continues to impress me even though the Wolfson DS-chip isn't really anything special by todays standards.
@@markusrayan I think you hit on the big issue for current DACs, i.e., the analog sections. Few are truly discrete. I have a Wolfson DAC in my Cambridge AXR100 that I think sounds very nice. Check out my video about how the DAC chip isn't really important any more. Thanks.
Bryan, I considering the quality of those headphones, I might recommend some a bit better. I have not yet done any headphone listing with it yet, I will, so watch this space for my conclusion. Also, FYI< I have a Sparkos Gemini Headphone amp on its way to me and should have it this week. Keep an eye open for that review in a few weeks. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Now can this be connected to an eversolo dmp-a8? Right now I have the eversolo connected to my avr. I know the eversolo dmp-a8 has a external dac connection, but I just don't know enough about dacs like this yet. Thank you in advance
@@OldGuyHifi yea i I'm hearing such good things about the fiio wanted to try it. The eversolo dmp-a8 has akm 4499 dacs. The eversolo does sound amazing. So you think it would be a step backwards and thank you. Im going to subscribe
@@donwojtanowski140 I kind of do think that. I am fascinated by that AKM chip set. It is a real game changer in the units I have heard it in. It is a hybrid switched resistor multi bit Delta-Sigma dual chip DAC that is current based rather than voltage based like its biggest rival. I think it sounds amazing. So much so I bought a unit with that chip. Check out my review of the Geshelli J3 Pro. Thx.
it's nice to see R2R at this price point but to me it's just hardware emulation and I just can't see it sounding better then a good ds dac, they also don't measure well so theres that. I will have to hear it to really give a valid opinion tho.
Owen, This is a nice sounding unit. I am not a big fan of entry level DS chip sets form ESS. They have what I call "Sabre glare." This is actually decent sounding with out that DS harshness. Is it better than other DACs in it price range? Maybe a bit. Just so you know, I don't care about measured performance. I am a subjective reviewer and only care about the way it sounds. At this point it time all DACs measure better that any human can hear so it is a moot point to me. Thank you so much for viewing and sharing your thoughts.
@@OldGuyHifi some people like distortion, I have heard ess DACs done extremely well but I will say I know what you mean with that glare but in the last few years newer products don't seem to have that and I do find AKM to be better most of the time, whatever you enjoy happy listening.
Good question. Tough choice. Both are great. My problem is that I have a new DAC that hasn't hit the market yet. It costs $80 and has swappable op-amps. I have rolled the op-amps and it sounds very good. For now I would give the nod to the K11 because in addition to being a good R2R DAC it is also a full on balanced headphone amp that is quite good. Bang for buck. I do like the AKM chip set in the SU-1 though. Yikes. Punt!
@@OldGuyHifi Intriguing lol 😂 the industry is putting out products faster than before and I’m not complaining. Just want to see what this R2R sound is like.
If the budget allows try it. Use my Amazon link and if you don't like return it. I bought it to review, planning to return it and wound up liking it and keeping it. Like I needed another DAC. Apparently 10 DACs isn't enough. I have a problem it seems.
I am subscribing, hoping you will not turn into the cheap audioman,.I understand reviewers have expenses, but I expect some honesty on reviewed products, There are many reviewers turned into sellers, they claim for example ,that a two hundred dollars device sound very similar and close to others costing 10K or more. People eventually will find out.
I really appreciate you subscribing. Thank you. I have no desire to be the Cheap Audio Man. Randy is a good friend of mine and he can have that space. I just want to talk about interesting products that sound good and can make people happy listening to music. Let me know how I do. Thx.
You said Sabre dac glare? A statement like that is generalizing that all Sabre Dacs have a glare sound to them. That's an irresponsible statement as that's just simply not true considering it's not just about the chip it's about the full implementation that gives the Ultimate Sound of a component
If the sonic characteristic resides in the design of the chip then the implantation can't ameliorate it. I hear the same thing in every Sabre DAC I have listened to over the last 5 years or so. As I say at the beginning of every video, my reviews are subjective. I am far from the only reviewer who has heard and mentioned that same sonic character. Thanks for tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifi that's extremely interesting, iWatch countless Hi-Fi reviewers that have been in the game no offense but much longer than you and all of them mention that the sound doesn't just come from the chip itself it's from the full circuit implementation. Just ask Steve Guttenberg....etc
Thank you for you comment. BTW, Steve hasn't done a ESS DAC review as a component in at least the last 5 years. He did a headphone amp stack but that was it. I have been in and out of the Hifi industry for over 50 years. I only started the channel after I retired.
I don't know yet as I have not yet used it as a headphone amp. I don't have that model of Beyerdynamic so I can't say for sure. My headphones are, Sony MDR-V6 32 at 32Ω & Sennheiser Drop 6XX at 300Ω. The Drops are closes to model you mentioned. Give me sometime to get trough all of it. Great questions. Thanks.
The R2R DAC architecture is renowned for its unique and cherished sound quality, making it a favorite among music enthusiasts. FiiO K11 R2R DAC: amzn.to/3YmlMTy $159.99
And it's good marketing, in this case. For a DAC/amp at this price point, it's a good value, nothing special.
@@vcp93 Agreed. I do think I like it better than most ESS Delta-Sigma DACS in and around this price point. Thanks for watching.
As an aside and for your info, SMSL SP200 is also, apparently, configured around an R2R architecture and is about the same price as this unit. It also has quite a good review and measurements on the audiosciencereview site, but no FiiO R2R review as yet. Have a great weekend, Sir, and take care.
Yes! R2r for the masses
Could be. Thanks for watching and commenting
This is what I've been waiting for.
@@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391 FYI, tomorrow the final review drops. If you decide to get one, there is a link in the description. Thanks so much for tuning in.
Looking forward to your deep dive on this one. Been learning a little about R2R dacs out of curiosity. I’m sure I’ll learn much more after your review. Thanks 👊🏽🎶
I pre-ordered this about a month ago. I do like the sound of R2R. I also have a Dennifrips Pontus coming in tomorrow so that should be an interesting comparison. I will keep you posted. Thanks Norman for your support.
I've had this K11 R2R for a few days. I exclusively listen to headphones (Edition XS) at my desk. I really enjoy this DAC. It's just got the right vibes to groove to music. It makes music feel "live" in a way, like you were in the studio when it was recorded but not the recording itself. In contrast my Fiio K7 is great for when I want to pick out everything I'm trying to hear but it doesn't groove as much as it's little R2R brother. Now I really want try a Bifrost to see if it can combine best of both worlds.
Wow, just maybe exciting times are coming , Can’t wait to hear the full review. Thank you again always enjoy your channel.
Thanks for watching!
Now this is a positive for me, as you know, an R2R is on my wish list. I can't wait to hear your full review and comparison to your D30, and hopefully, it will help me decide if I need this for my headphone listing and is a worthy replacement for my D40 Pro. Thank you so much for your perspectives and for sharing them with us all. Have a wonderful week ahead, Sir.
Simon, Thank you. Are you referring to my Loxjie D30? I promise you a good comparison. Thank your sir.
@@OldGuyHifi Yes Sir, your Loxjie D30. I am sure your in-depth review will be excellent. As an aside there is only one FiiO K-11 left on Amazon at present! 😂😂😂 So I guess I will have to wait a little longer. Thank you, Sir.
@@OldGuyHifi Just as an aside for your information, SMSL SP200 headphone amp is also structured around R2R architecture and also around the same price on the secondhand market. The SP200 has a quite good review and test measurements on the audiosciencereview web site, but no FiiO R2R yet. Take care and have a great weekend, Sir.
Ed - I picked one of these up and it was delivered yesterday. Wow, this thing sounds phenomenal! Blown away. Not just the DAC section but as a preamp and headphone amp as well. It’s nuts. When you review this, make sure to mention that there is a K11 delta sigma version that came out a while ago and now a K11 R2R version. People are getting these mixed up in forums and comments. Needs to be clarified so people know what they are buying. Kind of a dumb of Fiio named them the same - K11.
I am so glad you are enjoying it. I know. I am not sure I mentioned the two models. They did the same thing with the K9, with the new AKM 4499 set and one with the ESS 9038Pro. Two totally different sounds. They market to gamers. I offered to help them with the audio community. We will see.
Thank you Ed, I’m hyped to listen to music with your enthusiasm, every time you mention a listening session of 1-3hours it boosts my jets to make time to enjoy my collection. The channel is growing and you’ve earned it my friend! 🎉🎉🎉
Ryan, Thanks so much. Give your pup a big rub for me.
Glad to see your channel growing. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for your support.
Thanks for the break-down of dacs. Makes the hobby more fun when understanding the parts and what they do.
I am glad you liked the video. Thank you.
Great initial commentary on this affordable R2R DAC … Thank you
Glad you liked it! Thanks.
Hi Ed. Wow, seems to be an attractive product especially at the price. Always appreciate your take and observations. Really liked the graphics, helps me understand some of what is going on.
Thanks for watching Chris.
Yes! R2r for the masses
Keep up the great work, looking forward to more content.
Thanks Jim.
I've been finding my ESS-based DAC a bit fatiguing for long listening, and I've been thinking of an R2R DAC for some time - but so far they've been too expensive to risk buying before listening. That makes this one really exciting, and I look forward to your deeper thoughts on it.
Alan, Thanks for tuning in. I have noticed that it is sounding different (better?) as I let cook. I think the unit may have a longish break in. I will report back in the full review.
@@osliverpool no risk. You will love it.
Thanks folks, it sounds like there may well be one of these in my shopping basket in the not-too-distant future.
Great presentation! Loved it! Subscribed. Can't wait for the full review!
That review should be out mid week. I just finished filming and editing. Hit: I am keeping it.
I think I learned more in this short video than from many longer ones. Though part of that is realising how little I understand about audio hardware. It often feels like you need to be an electrical engineer to properly choose between the many DAC and AMP options out there.
It is especially good to see this kind of overview of relatively inexpensive equipment as very high end gear is not an option for many people. I wonder how the individual costs of the electronic components scale with the price of the end products, though I appreciate there is more to the cost than the circuitry.
I bought the Xduoo Xa-10 a couple of years ago and chose it over other products mainly because of the number of I/O options. I'm not an audio engineer and can't describe how good or bad it is compared to anything else, except to say I am very happy with how it sounds and, to me, it was very good value for money. Though it would definitely be interesting to hear an electrical engineer's opinion on its circuitry and audio performance, if you ever have a chance to try one out.
Thank you so much. I am glad you got something positive from the video. In all the years I have been involved in Hifi I have only run across relatively few EEs that worry about sound. I think that they are more focused on achieving a desired set of measurements rather than an unmeasurable subjective criteria such as "sound quality." There have been a few visionary EEs & designers over time and they are the famous ones. I am so glad you are happy with the sound of your system, after all, if you enjoy your music that's all that matters. Thanks for the kind words and your view.
WOW. Sounds like a real R2R where some "R2R" dacs are a hybrid that does chip processing before the ladder. Waiting to hear a full review on this.
Give me week or so to listen to it. Thanks.
Thanks for the review. Nice to learn about DAC tech and new audio gear.
You bet Marc. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Wow! This is a really cool DAC for the price. I’m curious if the rear RCA out is controlled from the front knob as well. Great for those of us without a pre amp. Looking forward to your full review!
Yes. It has a pre-amp function. That said I would discourage anyone from using a DAC as a pre. Digital volume controls tend to create phase anomalies and DACs with analog volume use cheaper non-linear potentiometers. Something like a Schiit Sys would be better. Thank you for the view and comment.
@@OldGuyHifi Thanks for your advice about the pre function on the DAC. I’ll use a high quality pre stage like that Sys for attenuation. Don’t want phase issue changing the music. Thanks again!
Edit: Adding question.
Does the way the Dragonfly red changes its volume prevent phase issues?
Sorry Michael, I just saw this. Sometimes the comments can be tough to manage. TH-cam doesn't really help either. I don't know if it does. I have a Dragonfly Red and never really noticed it. I only ever used on the plane and outdoors so.... Thanks for the comment. Again I am sorry I didn't catch this.
@@OldGuyHifi Hey no problem man! 😉 Have a nice day!
Ed, great review on the headphone amp, but I'm waiting on the mystery dac. Congratulations on all the success.
The mystery DAC won't drop for a bit. The manufacturer hasn't uploaded it to Amazon yet. Text me your email. I have a surprise for you.
After I saw this video yesterday, I spontaneously ordered this device. I just couldn't resist 😄 I will connect it to a tube amplifier and use a Wiim Mini as a streamer. How is it possible to produce R2R so cheaply? Are there any new production processes? Thank you for the video. I immediately subscribed the channel.
As with all technology, it gets refined and less expensive. Thank you so much for supporting the channel. BTW, I would put this little beauty up against other "Fun Fi" cousins double. It is good. My full review will be next week.
Have you experienced the Dayton Audio MTA200? My father-in-law is trying to make an informed decision for an affordable streamer and I suspect the DAC in the Dayton will be better than most "budget" streamers. Thank you for the informative videos!
Stephen, I would not count on the internal DAC in the Dayton unit. They don't publish the type and manufacturer of the chip which to me is a red flag. If your father in law went with a WiiM Pro Plus, that would be a better DAC and it is a very nice streamer. Let me know what you decide. Thanks for the view and comment.
Steak & Wine always makes for a great product review. I should know with all the Single Malt I drink doing my Videos. I think you are 100% correct on the "return to ladder DAC's". A la the 1980's/ 1990's.
At that price, I don't think DSD/SACD playback and lack of an I2S connector shows it's a perfect starter DAC. Great Video as always ED !
Any luck with the Black Ice Audio folks ?
Yes. Soon. I talked the Jamie the other day.
With regard to your caveat at 2:14, resistor networks can be used to natively decode DSD, but the architecture of the resistor network for DSD decoding is different from the R2R ladder architecture for PCM decoding. A single DAC can use an R2R ladder for PCM decoding and a separate resistor network for DSD decoding. The Audio-GD R-1 NOS is an example of a commercial DAC that does this.
According to Underwood HiFi "R-1 NOS is a fully balanced discrete r2r ladder DAC using 8 group fully discrete R-2R DA converters implementing in balanced mode. There are 4 fully discrete native DSD decoders that also work in balanced mode."
Cayin uses a discrete resistor network for decoding DSD natively in the Cayin RU7.
From Cayin:
"Fully Balanced Resistor Networks Discrete 1-Bit DAC for DSD Format
Purposively designed micro-miniaturized 1-bit DAC circuit from discrete components...
The 1-bit DAC circuit is a resistor network composed of 128 pcs (4x32) high precision Thin Film Resistors, this is closely resemble to the discrete DAC of our N7 DAP...
All digital audio signal will convert to designated DSD format (DSD64/DSD128/DSD256) before feeding to the discrete 1-bit DAC circuit."
Great info. It is just at this price we have to temper our expectations. Thank you for the great comment.
I have the Cayin RU7 and it converts all PCM signals to DSD and it lets you choose between DSD64, 128, or 256 for the conversion. It sounds amazing but it is a bit different than my Hiby RS2 DAP (running in USB DAC mode from my pc). I think I prefer the Hiby RS2 for music but the RU7 was really great for gaming, movies and TV, huge sound stage. I still prefer the RU7 to my other Sabre DAC's for music and it's for sure the best dongle DAC I've tried. But it's nearly $300 and the Hiby RS2 is $450-500 (it is a very basic DAP tbf). I can't wait to see how the full review of this Fiio K11 R2R ends up. At $159, if sounds anything like the Hiby RS2, I'm going to buy it for sure.
Chris, Thanks for sharing your configuration. I will need about a week or so to really give this a fair shake and see. I am noticing that as I let it run, it is smoothing out a bit. Nothing definitive but it is warming up some. I just need a bit more time with it. Thx.
This is a sub for me, damn, Guy, you know stuff!
Welcome to the channel. Thank you very much.
Can't wait for follow on and I imagine you're gonna love the A-75...I've talked to Thomas a number of times, really a great guy and couldn't be happier for him, to trust his arm to do an Integrated Amp...bit alas he made the sense of why he hasn't so far and might never. I look forward to his TS-Voyager speakers in the not too distant.
James, I agree with you. A Galion integrated would be awesome. Maybe he would do a hybrid Tube solid sate pre-amp? Thanks for stooping by and sharing your insights.
@@OldGuyHifi No Pro Blema... And it could depending on the sound stage as to who gets my money when the Ball drops on my dumping my present sort of system between Gisheli and this unit.
Trust me. Get the Geshelli. No contest. I am a big fan of that AKM hybrid chipset and Geshelli has the best sound most affordable implementation out there. I am purchasing one for my self to add as a reference DAC next to the Bifrost. It is that good.
Hello ED, I just found you and love how you explain everything and wondering what state you are in?
Thanks for tuning in. I am in Illinois. You?
@@OldGuyHifi Puyallup Wa
The Sea-Tac area is very nice.
Hi Al!
Nice video. FYI Chord uses proprietary FPGAs as well.
I do know that. I just forgot cause I do almost zero prep for these videos. Like you couldn't tell! Thank you Mr. Needham, sorry Al, oops Jonathan.
I don't even know what those three letter acronyms mean, but it sounds like a good thing to me!
I like subscribe and left a silly message as is the way of the algorithm of TH-cameeA
Thank you. It means Resistor to resistor. Basically meaningless. For me it is how it sounds. Plain & simple. Thanks for helping the algorithm.
Well done sir. 🎉❤😊
Thank you my friend.
bougt the Fio k11 r2r, at first played it from Wiim pro plus with coax or optical input to the Fio.
It opens up the mid and brings the sound further forward out of the speakers. However it lost some detail in the highs.
Now bought the Wiim Ultra and play with usb to the Fio R2R now it sounds a lot cleaner, bass is fast, used eq in the Wiim ultra to boost the highs a little, extra, lower the 4k a bit so it sounds warmer. Now it plays to a Cayin mk34 tube amp. Finally this R2R dac impresses me... my first R2R dac is now in the chain and I am keeping it there. Thx to this review one of the first available, convinced me to buy it.
The standard WiiM units mini to Pro + don't have any internal jitter reduction circuits. They are know to have timing issue which smears the sound. The Ultra is much better. I am glad you are enjoying and thank you for the update.
@@stefsnijder8282 how did you connect the wiim ultra to this?
Would you say that the sound is better than the internal dac of the wiim ultra?
matter of taste, the Fio opens up the mid and gives the sound more soundtage and brings it further out the speakrers. The Wiim ultra dac gives more laid back sound signature with little more detail in the highs. Wiim ultra - usb out - Fio K11 R2R sounds more musical and lively, now updated the Fio with Brzhifi linear power suppky, that is worth the upgrade simular as doing the same with a Wiim pro plus
@@stefsnijder8282 I am going to check out that power supply. Thanks.
This evening compared the Fio k10 r2r (upgraded with Brzhifi 12vdc 25w linear power supply) - analog output with rca silver coated Nordost odin clone cable and the Wiim ultra analog output with Nordost odin golden copper rca clone cable, both to my Cayin mt35 mk2 plus tube amp....the weird thing now...when i switch between the inputs, there is not a lot of audible difference between the Fio R2R ladder dac or the Ess delta sigma dac from the Wiim ultra... while before with the original switching powercsupply the audible difference with the Fio was way bigger... certainly in the midrange... i am a bit lost now, as total different dac technologies sound pretty much alike on my tube amp...
Hey Ed, I'm very curious about this one as well! I tried the original K11 with the single CS chip and found it lacking detail. But this R2R version does sound compelling. Thanks for the info. I might have to get this one too!
Rick, for the money it is good. I would say it is much better than any other "Fun Fi" Delta-Sigma DACs at this price point and maybe better than ones costing double. I am not a fan of ESS so this is a great alternative to DACs that use Sabres. The headphone side is pretty good also.
Interesting. Looking for a headphone amp for my bedroom. Don't want to spend a ton of money for it. I have been considering a Schiit Migard and Modius combo.
I haven't had a chance to try it out with headphones yet. It doesn't appear to have much power. I plan on listening with HPs so look for my review soon. Thanks for the view and comment.
These are my recommended Test Tracks: 1) Nora Jones - Come Away with Me - Shoot The Moon (Original Release, HDtracks version); 2) Rebecca Ferguson - Freedom - I Hope (Live from Air Studios, TH-cam version); 3) Rebecca Pidgeon - The Raven - Spanish Harlem; 4) Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - Blue in Green; 5) Cai Qin (Tsai Chin) - Beautiful Voice - Just Like Your Tenderness; 6) Andreas Vollenweider - Book of Roses - The Grand Ball of the Duljas (feat. Christian Siegmann, Daniel Pezzotti, Dodo Hug, Sue Mathys, Regina Günthard). By the way, I prefer over-sampling mode with the DACs I own.
I will put those in a Tidal Playlist a bit later. Thank you so much.
A couple vids ago you mentioned (correct me if I’m wrong) that r2r needs to have all those resistors matched perfectly and that’s partially why those dacs are expensive, now this comes along so cheap, and with your explanation of how it works and I’m even more surprised by the price, how’d they do it! Definitely looking forward to the full review, and how it compares to Geshelli products? thanks Ed!
Brian, As with all things technology related the price of making it goes down over time. Also the resistors are 1% tolerance where on a device like the Denafrips Pontus the resistors are .0005% tolerance. Funny enough, I am listening to a Pontus as I type this. Review soon. The FiiO sounds good. I think better than any Delta-Sigma chip Chi-Fi DACs up to $300. It doesn't threaten the Geshelli stuff. I don't think any Chi-Fi Delta-Sigma chip DAC up to $1000 touches Genos stuff. He is a great designer. I should have the FiiO review out next week. Thanks for all you support.
Ya that makes sense and in my mind nothing comes close to Geno’s stuff, and I just upgraded my regular j2 to a socketed version and I’m sure I’ll be even more in love with it on Monday when it gets back from Florida, can’t wait to fall down the op amp rabbit hole yay!
@@Brian_Romska Have fun with that. Let me know how it goes.
Neat, but I picked one up to try out and it didn't really sound any better than a Schiit Modi 3. However, it didn't sound worse, so for the money it's a good entry level headphone amp/DAC. If you were looking for something to take to work or traveling, it's a good value. If it had RCA inputs so I could hook up my Loki, that might have been interesting, but it doesn't. If you already have a entry level DAC/amp, this isn't going to be an upgrade. Great video! Cheers!
I do think I like it better than most ESS Delta-Sigma DACS in and around this price point. It is a decent unit at a fair price. Thanks for watching.
Great channel... New sub from the Philippines. I would like to suggest if you can get it, to pair this R2R dac with Fiio's linear power supply PL50 and maybe make a new video about any gains or not in your system. It is pricey tho in comparison to the great price of this dac.
Wow! All the way from the Philippines. The last time I was in Manila was 1974. I was not in the military. One of my classmates in prep school lived there and we went for Easter holiday. I am sure a great deal has changed since then. My strongest memory is of the people, Everyone was so kind and nice. Great suggestion. With this price level unit, I don't think the results could justify the additional price. Maybe on a unit like the K9 AKM, which is on its way to me now, the power supply could have a worth while impact. I did try it with an iFi iPower X supply and it made virtually no noticeable improvement. As a budget unit, it is fine just as it is. Thanks for watching and sharing your suggestion Daniel.
@@OldGuyHifi Great to know about the iFi thanks for the info!
@@OldGuyHifi As for local music suggestions, we do have a rich variety to choose from and we do have alot of great artists... But I would suggest something a little different for a change. 'Pamugun' is a choral piece and this is just TH-cam quality but this shows our culture more, I feel, than pop or rock. Hope you enjoy: th-cam.com/video/7N8nXygVizk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aa2-795hTEnqbAac
Thank you Daniel. I am sorry for the late reply I was on the road over the weekend. I will listen to this piece first chance I get. Thank you so much.
I'll be very interested into your deeper dive into this DAC, I'm hoping to upgrade from my SMSL SU1 before too long. Didn't you also mention an $80 DAC that you could change op amps? Thanks!
I do have a neat little $80 unit. I will compare the two. The $80 unit video is shot. I am just waiting for the manufacturer to get it up on Amazon. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Maybe they will come out with a standalone R2R balanced DAC? That would be very cool!
Neil, I doubt it. FiiO seems to be targeting gamers with their products and marketing. This may however cause some others to jump into the R2R space. Only time will tell. Thank you.
@@OldGuyHifi Well - one can only hope that they take what they have already done and sell it to audio enthusiasts, who are thirsty for an R2R DAC?!
Agreed. It is funny because now I have two R2R DACs in house. The FiiO and a Pontus. Two ends of the spectrum.
Very interesting product i must say. I currently own a smsl do300 ex akm based dac/headphone amp. I do enjoy its natural timbre compared with ess based dacs. Coming from a topping e50 to the smsl was a definite jump in the right direction! Ive been curious about r2r dacs and what they can add to my system. Imo a dac is second only to the speakers as the most improtant separate.
I wander how this dac would pair with a more neutral amp like these fosi v3 monos that have recently come out.
I don't have first hand experience with the Fosi v3 so I will be hard pressed to form a definitive conclusion. I do have some neutral gear here Like the Cambridge EVO150. I know they are not in the same category but, it is what I have currently. I will list all the gear I use in the review. Thanks for tuning in and commenting.
Subscribed!
Thankful!
Chord Qutest is FPGA as well.
Yes. Sorry I forgot that.
@@OldGuyHifi No worries. Just throwing it out there. Love your takes on equipment.
It's insane.
I know! Thanks.
That is really shocking! I already promised Rachael that I was buying a J2 from Geshelli otherwise this would be mine. LOL
Mike, Buy the Geshelli. No question about it. I am buying one myself.
unbelieveable how affordable even r2r resistor ladder dacs have become..
Yes. I must say that mass produced, entry level R2R products concern me. Will it dilute the market with poor performing units? Or, will the ability to build these precision devices mean great performance at lower prices? Only time will tell. I should have my review done in a week or so. I want to have enough time to figure this out. I also have Denafrips Pontus in for review so that might be interesting. Stay tuned...
Can you use it as a preamp or a dac for your main system or just headphones. Sorry I’m new about this dac stuff
It can be used as a preamp with volume control, it can be used as a regular DAC without volume control and of course it can be a headphone amp with volume control. I hope that helps. Please feel free to ask questions anytime. What are you considering? Thanks for the great question.
@@OldGuyHifi thanks
@@dougg1075 Anytime. I am happy to help.
Using a Topping D70s and an Aune 18th with a Sparkos OpAmp and Aune's linear PS and both are nice and play at the same level. An Aune without the Sparkos is nothing special btw. Like the small form factor. Each is a source component for a Keces E40. Ideally, whatever upgrades or equipment I buy I am going for the small form factor.
I use Dali Opticon 1s, have Triangle Zetas (similar to Color series) and a Cambridge MinX XL. I have more expensive gear but I really good results with the small stuff. Considering a Closer OGY among a few other select small speakers which supposedly give very good stage depth and separation although, like I stated, the budget gear ain't bad.
If I go for the OGY, I might opt for a decent budget tube amp. So, interested how well this little R2R might handle stage depth, width and separation, including tonality, etc. While I use a sub with the small speakers, its more more fill in and its satisfying both in terms of SQ at my listening SPLs as well as size. There are a few larger amps and/or monos for consideration but staying away from 40# and over behemoths. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I take it after the conversion that SACD/HDCD disc would sound about as they should once converted?
Nice gear. I need some time to figure this little DAC out. I have been letting cook since Saturday and it had smoothed out some. Fingers crossed. Yes. The conversion from DSD to PCM to my ear makes no difference. Even though I have 500+ DSD rips I don't care that much about them. I am pretty satisfied with Red Book. Great comment and thx for watching.
@@OldGuyHifi With good system synergy, red book can rock.
Agreed. Thanks.
waiting for your opinion on that think
Thank you so much.
Interesting. How good could the resolution be considering R2R topology and its small form factor? 🤔
We will see in my final review soonish. Thanks for returning and commenting.
Wow!
Yes. Wow.
Well dang it, gone and bought one! Can you tell me the voltage and current rating of the PSU? Need to buy a proper regulated one.
12 Volts, 2 amps, 24 watts. Let mew know if that makes a difference. Thanks for sharing your upgrade idea.
@@OldGuyHifi Thanks! Will do. Went with a 12V 4 amp chi-fi unit. This is a good test to see if r2r is for me. Was strongly considering the Holo Cyan 2, Ladder Schumann or Musician Pegasus 2 but wasn't really ready to put serious money at it just yet.
@@markusrayan Be careful. I have a friend who got the Ladder Schumann and had service issues. It took a very long time to get it resolved. I have a Pontus here as well and should be getting Laiv DAC soon. I am impressed with this little FiiO unit. I think it is better than any other Chi-Fi units with Delta-Sigma up to $300 maybe $350. Keep me posted on your thoughts. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi Yeah been hearing the Schumann has a worrying amount of qc-issues sadly. Very curious hearing how the FiiO stacks up to my current Exposure 2010S2 DAC. Old unit but seems to hold up pretty decently, especially the discrete analog stage continues to impress me even though the Wolfson DS-chip isn't really anything special by todays standards.
@@markusrayan I think you hit on the big issue for current DACs, i.e., the analog sections. Few are truly discrete. I have a Wolfson DAC in my Cambridge AXR100 that I think sounds very nice. Check out my video about how the DAC chip isn't really important any more. Thanks.
I recently purchased the Neumann NDH 30 and wondering to get this Fiio R2R unit for it, any thoughts? Thank you!
Bryan, I considering the quality of those headphones, I might recommend some a bit better. I have not yet done any headphone listing with it yet, I will, so watch this space for my conclusion. Also, FYI< I have a Sparkos Gemini Headphone amp on its way to me and should have it this week. Keep an eye open for that review in a few weeks. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
@@OldGuyHifi Okay, so there are better headphones you recommend at that price point and perhaps cheaper? 😄👍Can't wait for your review!
@@bryanbarajasBB The headphones are just fine. I just don't want you to short change yourself on sonic performance. Thanks so much.
Sounds Stage depth, width and instrument separation are important to me.
At this price we have to have realistic expectations. Thx for watching and commenting.
Yes. I understand. I'll just go with the Aune x8 VIII and Sparkos opamps.
Thanks for your reply.
@@korsux7865 I love those Sparkos op amps. I am going to be doing a video interview with Andrew & Geno Geshelli soon. Watch this space. Thx.
Do you think it's ok to connect it to my tube amp xDuoo mt604 through Fiio 4.4 mm headphones out hole?
You could try. I am not sure that there would be enough power. What is the input impedance of your xDuoo's balanced inputs?
Now can this be connected to an eversolo dmp-a8? Right now I have the eversolo connected to my avr. I know the eversolo dmp-a8 has a external dac connection, but I just don't know enough about dacs like this yet. Thank you in advance
Don, Yes it can but, I suspect the built in DAC on the Eversolo unit is far superior for sound quality. Good question. Thx
@@OldGuyHifi yea i I'm hearing such good things about the fiio wanted to try it. The eversolo dmp-a8 has akm 4499 dacs. The eversolo does sound amazing. So you think it would be a step backwards and thank you. Im going to subscribe
@@donwojtanowski140 I kind of do think that. I am fascinated by that AKM chip set. It is a real game changer in the units I have heard it in. It is a hybrid switched resistor multi bit Delta-Sigma dual chip DAC that is current based rather than voltage based like its biggest rival. I think it sounds amazing. So much so I bought a unit with that chip. Check out my review of the Geshelli J3 Pro. Thx.
it's nice to see R2R at this price point but to me it's just hardware emulation and I just can't see it sounding better then a good ds dac, they also don't measure well so theres that. I will have to hear it to really give a valid opinion tho.
Owen, This is a nice sounding unit. I am not a big fan of entry level DS chip sets form ESS. They have what I call "Sabre glare." This is actually decent sounding with out that DS harshness. Is it better than other DACs in it price range? Maybe a bit. Just so you know, I don't care about measured performance. I am a subjective reviewer and only care about the way it sounds. At this point it time all DACs measure better that any human can hear so it is a moot point to me. Thank you so much for viewing and sharing your thoughts.
@@OldGuyHifi some people like distortion, I have heard ess DACs done extremely well but I will say I know what you mean with that glare but in the last few years newer products don't seem to have that and I do find AKM to be better most of the time, whatever you enjoy happy listening.
This Fiio K11 R2R vs SMSL SU-1 ?
Good question. Tough choice. Both are great. My problem is that I have a new DAC that hasn't hit the market yet. It costs $80 and has swappable op-amps. I have rolled the op-amps and it sounds very good. For now I would give the nod to the K11 because in addition to being a good R2R DAC it is also a full on balanced headphone amp that is quite good. Bang for buck. I do like the AKM chip set in the SU-1 though. Yikes. Punt!
@@OldGuyHifi Intriguing lol 😂 the industry is putting out products faster than before and I’m not complaining. Just want to see what this R2R sound is like.
If the budget allows try it. Use my Amazon link and if you don't like return it. I bought it to review, planning to return it and wound up liking it and keeping it. Like I needed another DAC. Apparently 10 DACs isn't enough. I have a problem it seems.
It sounds great, for me it's far better than su 1 .
I am subscribing, hoping you will not turn into the cheap audioman,.I understand reviewers have expenses, but I expect some honesty on reviewed products, There are many reviewers turned into sellers, they claim for example ,that a two hundred dollars device sound very similar and close to others costing 10K or more. People eventually will find out.
I really appreciate you subscribing. Thank you. I have no desire to be the Cheap Audio Man. Randy is a good friend of mine and he can have that space. I just want to talk about interesting products that sound good and can make people happy listening to music. Let me know how I do. Thx.
Thanks for this Ed. I'm very interested in hearing your in depth on this one. Seems like it could be a steal.
I am just hoping it is a better performer than similarly priced Delta-Sigma DAC. It might punch above its weight class. 🤞
You said Sabre dac glare? A statement like that is generalizing that all Sabre Dacs have a glare sound to them. That's an irresponsible statement as that's just simply not true considering it's not just about the chip it's about the full implementation that gives the Ultimate Sound of a component
If the sonic characteristic resides in the design of the chip then the implantation can't ameliorate it. I hear the same thing in every Sabre DAC I have listened to over the last 5 years or so. As I say at the beginning of every video, my reviews are subjective. I am far from the only reviewer who has heard and mentioned that same sonic character. Thanks for tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifi that's extremely interesting, iWatch countless Hi-Fi reviewers that have been in the game no offense but much longer than you and all of them mention that the sound doesn't just come from the chip itself it's from the full circuit implementation. Just ask Steve Guttenberg....etc
Thank you for you comment. BTW, Steve hasn't done a ESS DAC review as a component in at least the last 5 years. He did a headphone amp stack but that was it. I have been in and out of the Hifi industry for over 50 years. I only started the channel after I retired.
Will it work with DT1990 250O om with full support?
Are there better options in this price range?
I don't know yet as I have not yet used it as a headphone amp. I don't have that model of Beyerdynamic so I can't say for sure. My headphones are, Sony MDR-V6 32 at 32Ω & Sennheiser Drop 6XX at 300Ω. The Drops are closes to model you mentioned. Give me sometime to get trough all of it. Great questions. Thanks.
This is the worst R2R DAC that I've ever heard
How many have you heard that cost under $200?
@@OldGuyHifi Agree with you dude