FiiO KA17 Portable DAC & Headphone Amplifier USB Dongle - Blue

FiiO KA17 Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier - Dual ES9069Q, THX AAA 78 , 650mW Desktop Mode, 10-Band PEQ, MQA Full Decoding The FiiO KA17 is a compact yet extraordinarily capable portable DAC and headphone amplifier dongle that distills the engineering principles of FiiO's flagship digital audio players into a pocket-sized USB device. Built around dual ESS ES9069Q flagship DAC chips - powered by fourth-generation 32-bit HyperStream technology - and driven by a four-channel fully balanced THX AAA 78 headphone amplifier with 8 op-amps working in parallel, the KA17 delivers a level of sonic transparency, resolution, and output power that comfortably competes with dedicated portable amplifiers many times its size. The headline capability of the FiiO KA17 is its Desktop Mode, activated via a dedicated hardware toggle switch. With an external power source connected to the exclusive orange POWER IN port, Desktop Mode unlocks the KA17's full output potential: up to 650mW 650mW at 32Ω via the 4.4mm balanced output and 270mW 270mW at 32Ω via the 3.5mm single-ended output. This power headroom makes the KA17 equally capable of driving ultra-sensitive in-ear monitors and demanding full-sized over-ear headphones - a rare achievement for a device weighing only 33.5g. Digital processing is handled by the XMOS 16-core XU316 USB chip - rarely found in audio dongles at this price point - delivering lower latency, more stable signal transmission, and superior compatibility compared to conventional USB control chips. Dual crystal oscillators ensure precise clock management across all sampling rates. The KA17 supports PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit, DSD512 (Native), DOP256, and MQA Full Decoding via USB, as well as SPDIF output up to 96kHz/24-bit through the 3.5mm jack - allowing the KA17 to function as a digital transport feeding an external DAC. Audio performance figures are outstanding. In Desktop Mode via the 4.4mm balanced output: THD N below 0.0004%, SNR ≥126dB (A-weighted), noise floor below 2.2μV, crosstalk ≥114dB, and output impedance below 1.5Ω. Via the 3.5mm single-ended output in Desktop Mode: THD N below 0.0015%, SNR ≥123dB, and noise floor below 2.1μV. A channel balance of <0.2dB ensures perfectly symmetrical left-right audio reproduction. The KA17 features FiiO's 10-band high-precision parametric equalizer (PEQ), powered by the XMOS XU316 and accessible through the FiiO Control App (Android) or FiiO's web interface. Each of the 10 bands can be independently adjusted for frequency, gain, and bandwidth, allowing precise headphone correction, sound signature customization, and sharable EQ profiles. PEQ supports formats up to PCM 192kHz/24-bit. Additional features include 2 gain levels (Low/High), 2 volume adjustment curves, 2 volume step options (60-step or 120-step), 3 button operation modes, and an auto volume limit for hearing protection. The 0.91-inch OLED dot-matrix display shows transfer format, volume, gain, USB mode, and sampling rate in real time with a customizable orientation and sleep timer. Temperature and DC output monitoring systems protect both the KA17 and connected headphones from abnormal operating conditions. Each KA17 ships with a matching leatherette carrying case (black for Black/Titanium versions, blue for Blue version) and is compatible with the FiiO MagClip magnetic accessory for secure attachment to a phone during portable use. Available in Black, Blue, and Titanium.