Reddit mentions of Fiio K1 Portable Headphone Amplifier&DAC and USB DAC, Titanium

I have never cared about having wireless earbuds. It's one more thing you have to charge (and the batteries will eventually die), the audio quality suffers because the DAC in the earbuds is typically crap, and with these new earbuds that are separate pieces it seems they would be very easy to lose. Imagine you're walking down a busy street, one of them pops out accidentally, lands in the road and immediately gets run over.

Most phones have nixed a headphone jack now, so you're honestly better off getting a decent USB DAC / headphone amp and a pair of in-ear monitors. For example:

Fiio K1 24-bit 96Khz USB DAC / Amplifier - $40
Works great, doesn't really drain your battery any more than you would listening to music normally. It's also tiny, light, and has a clip to attach to your clothing. Note that you'll need a USB-C OTG cable, which is another $5 or so.

KZ ZS10 Pro In-ear Monitors - $48.99
I have these, and they sound quite simply amazing. In-ear monitors of this quality were once very expensive, but now we can get them directly from China without a big brand name attached. They have a nice long cord that is replaceable, and they are very comfortable.

This is far less than the cost of the high end wireless earbuds...we're still under $100 total, and if you've never experienced 24/96 audio you don't know what you're missing. Tidal will stream at that quality level, but you probably only want to do that on Wifi. Alternatively, you can take FLAC files around with you on your phone, which is what I do. The whole setup is easy, lightweight, and cheaper than wireless while giving you amazing sound quality that you can never get with any wireless headphones.

I'm /u/whitefeather14's friend. If it's solely for headphones and you're not looking to spend a lot, then I would strongly recommend something by Fiio. I have an older one, the FiiO E7. They don't sell this one anymore, but they have a newer one called the FiiO E70k. I haven't personally used it, but I can only assume it's like mine but better.

If it's a little more than you want to spend, then I'd look at the Q1. I've heard good things about these as well.

These are nice, because they double as a USB dac and a portable headphone amplifier. Which means if you're traveling or something you can plug your phone into it and still get the amplifier out of it, no need for a USB source.

If that doesn't interest you, then there's the FiiO K1, which is just a USB DAC, and does not have an analog 3.5mm input, only the micro USB.

Now, understand that any of these aren't going to be the greatest DAC ever. Sub $100 is pretty cheap for a DAC, and I'm pretty sure these are all 24-bit, with 32-bit being more or less the best you can get (There's some debate on whether or not you can hear a difference, but that's entirely a different conversation.)

If you do want something a little more pricey and nice, the Schiit Modi DAC and Magni amp are really quite nice. They also have a Amp/DAC combination for $80 which I haven't heard anything about, but Schiit is pretty good.

The one /u/whitefeather14 said is a PreSonus AudioBox USB. You probably don't want this, as it is primarily an audio interface for recording instruments and microphones, and isn't a dedicated DAC, though the DAC is pretty nice, and as a bonus has a 1/4in headphone out as well as two 1/4in outs for L/R powered speakers, such as studio monitors, if that's of any benefit for you.

As for the SMSL one you posted, I have also heard good things about that one, though it's a desktop unit and does not have an analog 3.5mm input.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to help.

Yes, there are many great headphones that have a high sensitivity and low impedance. They will work flawlessly with your onboard sound codec.

However, if you have a cheap motherboard with a badly shielded codec, these headphones will pick up electromagnetic interference from the motherboard's southbridge components. You'll hear a constant "hissing" sound. In this case a small DAC/AMP like the FiiO K1 will work wonders.

For a recommendation you should edit your post and follow the format

It's the Fiio K1

If you want to do WiFi streaming, install $3.50 BubbleUPnP on the phone and use the Windows 10 built-in DLNA streaming. If you're on Ubuntu you can install pulseaudio-dlna and use it as output from sound settings. I'm sure there's something for Mac as well.

For USB, what you're looking for is called a USB DAC. If you're really strapped for cash and don't have fancy tastes in sound quality, or quality headphones, then one of these $5-7 puppies will take care of it. Quality is touch and go, some may be DOA and need replacing, but they'll get the job done. You can also go for a $20 Signstek (PCM2704), but I wouldn't recommend more expensive ones without knowing what headphones you're using and what you want from them.

If you do, I can recommend the $40 FiiO K1, $65 SMSL SD793-II or $75 FiiO E10K, but if you do that you should also look into putting $50-200 into decent headphones and you're probably not looking for that.

Whatever you do DO NOT get USB headphones. Decent ones are expensive, cheap ones are absolute crap. A $5 DAC like above and a $25 pair of Sennheiser HD202 will be better and can be replaced separately or even taken apart and repaired if they break.

They're fine on your laptop but suck on your phone, so you want something for your laptop?

Well anyway, for portable use I'd say try out the Fiio K1. $40

If you'll use it only on your laptop then there's the FX-Audio Dac X6. $65

You could get a cheap dac/amp like the Fiio K1, so you won't be limited to USB headphones.

If you want a headset, the Kingston HyperX Cloud is a solid choice.

If you need a basic Starter AMP/DAC, [FiiO K1] (https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG) or [Schiit Fulla] (http://schiit.com/products/fulla)

If you want a Better starter AMP/DAC when you get better headphones in the future and possibly want speakers as well, [FiiO E10K] (https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=pd_sim_23_21?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00LP3AMC2&pd_rd_r=MNNRBCB735A2MXBD3XHA&pd_rd_w=SUoRO&pd_rd_wg=3Gad4&psc=1&refRID=MNNRBCB735A2MXBD3XHA), [SMSL M3] (https://www.amazon.com/SMSL-Audio-M3-Powered-Decoder/dp/B019Y5TR6O/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1481332017&sr=1-1&keywords=smsl+m3), [Schiit Fulla 2] (http://schiit.com/products/fulla-2) or [Micca Origen+] (https://www.amazon.com/Micca-OriGen-High-Resolution-Preamplifier/dp/B01BURJVOC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)

EDIT: SMSL M3 can drive passive speakers, though the Micca Origen+ can drive powered speakers if that helps

You can use a Fiio K7 DAC which is a small, portable USB DAC. You would just need to purchase a short micro USB to USB type-c cable in order to connect it. I use this on my Axon sometimes

[FiiO K1](FiiO K1 Portable Headphone Amplifier and USB DAC, Titanium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DRuBzb11C3AGP)

I found this from this article and is by far the DAC that suits my taste the best, both looks wise, as well as price-wise, but look at the article, and see if there's something that's more you. (Also you might need an OTG cable, please contact me when you decided on the DAC, and need help choosing an OTG cable)

Edit: There's also this somewhat expensive USB-C DAC, which if you can justify the cost, might be the better choice!

Yes, there are a fair amount of other options. https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487044557&sr=8-1&keywords=Android+dac

You'll get a lot better audio quality using a USB DAC compared to just the standars aux out.

I'd recommend sending that back if you can and investing in something slightly meatier like this i'd imagine that logitec thing is very low powered. I'd also maybe look at different kernels for the 5x like franco which will give you much more gain also

If you are looking for a quality budget portable DAC/Amp.. FiiO is a popular choice. FiiO K1 maybe?

I've been researching portable dac/amps and here are a few to check out.

Fio K1- Its one of the most popular and well reviewed portable dacs at the moment. 24-bit/96khz dac/amp that is supposed to be well balance with a low noise floor for about $40.

Dragonfly Red / [Dragonfly Black] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F7L3I14/ref=dp_sp_detail?psc=1) . All the reviews and impressions I've read for these devices are that the Black not bad, but Red completely blows it away in terms of sound quality but is also about double the price at around $200.

SMSL IDEA / Sabaj Da2 - Made by the same factory and using the same chipset under different brand names. These have also been getting rave reviews due to being sub 100 dacs but have the sound quality of much more expensive dacs. Also both come with usb-c otg cables. Both seem to be more favorited than the Dragonfly. Both can be found on amazon with the IDEA being a little more expensive than the Da2.

Things to keep in mind are that there are some glitches when some of theses are connected to android phone which have work arounds.

*Hissing or screeching when plugging into phone: Start music first and then plug in dac. Changing the usb mode to midi works for some people as well.

To take full advantage of have a usb dac alot of people recommend this app: USB Audio Player PRO

Also the inline remote controls and mic on headphones won't work with these.

What are some other good amps for the DT 770 80 ohms? I got these headphones today and I don't see the great quality everyone is talking about. (Also my first "audiophile" headphones).

I would like to keep the price under $70.

Would the Fiio K1 be good for budget?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0189EVGAG/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1UG27DD7KR2HI

Never heard it personally, but here are some useful observations:

• 100 mW power per channel given 32 ohm load isn't super high, but it's relatively good for the price. For reference, the Fiio K1 (similarly priced ~$40) outputs 35 mW given the same load.
  
  
• The biggest issue is the 5% THD... this is undoubtedly in audible range. I'm guessing this is in max volume, which is not very likely for somebody to be listening in, but 5% is a lot.
  
  
• This appears to be amp only, no DAC. Even at a budget price-point, I think that having a DAC accompany an amp is necessary for good performance. Without a DAC, you'll most likely have to double-amp in some occasions (i.e. you're amplifying an already amplified signal, resulting in the distortion of the first amp being amp'd as well).
  
  With this said, I'd recommend going for a Fiio K1 or saving up for a more powerful DAC and amp. Depending on your headphone, you might not even need an amplifier.

No one needs this, just get a Fiio DAC. It sounds better and is cheap as peanuts.

You may want to read about soundstage vs imaging in headphones. Soundstage being the ability of the headphones to reproduce a sound as being far away from your ears, imaging being the ability to reproduce sounds happening on the "x axis", if you will, with pinpoint accuracy.

Imagine the sound of a fly buzzing from your left ear to your right ear. Good soundstage representation will allow you to tell how far is that fly, while good imaging will let you hear where that fly is at any given moment.

Now, the SHP9500 didn't impress me either, and you have a point on unrealistic expectations. I know for sure my first "good" headphones didn't blow me away.

That being said, your laptop soundcard may be dragging them down a bit. I wouldn't recommend anything more than a Fiio K1 for easy to drive headphones. It's a tiny piece of hardware, but it's way better than any integrated soundcard.

I don't have any experience with the PC360, but both the 598 and the AD series are great headphones. If you plan to use the primarily for gaming, any of the ADx00 would get my vote.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-DAC-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452617519&sr=1-4&keywords=dac+amp&refinements=p_72%3A1248879011

Are there any opinions about this?

Has anyone tried the Fiio K1?

Wondering basically how it stacks up to the more expensive Schiit Fulla or Fiio e10k.

I saw dalethorn's review, he seemed to like it a lot!

The only risk is that the one built into your computer is better than that one. There are certainly more expensive ones available (like the FIIO K1) but the one you linked should work.

Advice on the FiiO K1? I just want a usb-3.5mm converter, but an amp/dac at $40 is pretty good as far as I can tell!

Actually, this one: https://www.amazon.ca/K1-Portable-DAC-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=pd_sim_107_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=81ZRXHVCE597A1V26AXF

Clips on nicely to my jeans and I got 2 different sized micro-usb to usb-c cables from Amazon or Monoprice, I forget. A short 6 inch and a longer 3 foot. I use the short one mostly and just clip it to the inner pocket, then run the headphone cable to that.

https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-DAC/dp/B0189EVGAG - K1 is $40 on Amazon. I'd say go for it, M50x doesn't need a lot to get to its full potential.

something like the Asus xonar U3 for 50 bucks[usd] or less | and an OTG cable.. maybe a rubberband to keep it bundled to phone || here's a really small one
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TI6TEU4 || Fiio
https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=pd_sim_23_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BBRSX85JMWX8J3C2HNMK

I'm not sure if there's a lot of quality headphones in this price range, but this might help.

Alternatively, you may want to look into headphone DACs/Amps, such as:

https://www.amazon.com/Fiio-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-DAC/dp/B0189EVGAG

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

They should help with the volume. You could try the free software Peace Equalizer and increase the "preamp" value (be careful, it may cause severe clipping).

Behringer U-Control UCA202 $30

FiiO K1 $40 or FiiO E10K $75.

More at [z]GUIDE[s] \\\ PORTABLE DAC & AMP COMBOS and [z]GUIDE[s] \\\ DAC & AMP COMBOS

i use https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487355438&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio+usb+dac in the car, but as of late i havent really been using it. if you like i can sell it to you with usbc > micro usb. message me

Check out the FiiO K1

https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG

It's a nice addition to your PC audio setup at a very low cost.

Alright, well just give them a week or so of listening and then go back and try your other pair of headphones. You should be able to tell a difference.

The only thing I could recommend would be like a portable DAC/AMP along the lines of this but, that's just more money. I'm also not 100% on how well it would help the headphones.

You could try asking over in /r/headphones?

This will likely work for you. I use the big brother to this (Q1) and it really improved the sound on my Chromebooks (Flip and Toshiba CB2).
http://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG

Budget: ~$150, maybe $200 maximum.

Source: This is tricky. I recently broke the headphone jack on my phone, so I'm possibly looking into a budget-oriented DAC to use with my Nexus 6, or using an old Galaxy S3 as an mp3 player. Might also try to fix the N6.

Isolation: More would be preferred. I ride the bus a lot.

Type: Around-ear, closed headphones would be best.

Current: Nothing to speak of.

Balance: I definitely enjoy a good amount of bass, and I like a V-shaped response.

Preferred music: I listen to a good variety of music. I'm into a lot of house, but also enjoy some hard rock/punk stuff.

Basically I'm looking for a comfortable fitting headphone with good bass response. I'm not sure if springing for a DAC is worth it, especially as I'll be using these on the bus/on the go and I can't carry around a big DAC, but I'm very open to options (must work with Android).

So far I've looked into ATH-M50x's which seem to be a good fit for what I'm looking for. I tried on a pair recently and they didn't quite have the bass I'm looking for but I'm hoping to boost that a bit with an EQ or DAC.

As for a DAC, the Fiio K1 seems like a good idea but there's mixed responses on Android compatibility.

Thanks in advance!!

https://schiit.eu.com probably over $100 with shipping. The FiiO K1 is around $50 https://www.amazon.de/FiiO-K1-Digital-Wandler-Kopfh%C3%B6rerverst%C3%A4rker/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=sr_1_20?srs=1681735031&ie=UTF8&qid=1493197023&sr=8-20 96kHz/24bit

>Are you confident that this could be the solution?

Yes, this is the purpose of an AMP, and all portable DACs have built in AMPs since they are needed for it to work. A portable DAC will connect over USB and output over 3.5mm. A portable AMP will take a 3.5mm in and output over another 3.5mm connector.

 

Portable DAC & AMP: Fiio K1 (75mW @ 16 Ohms) $39.98

Much more powerful one: Fiio Q1 (190mW @ 32 Ohms) $69.99

 

Portable AMP only: Fiio A1 (78mW @ 16 Ohmes) $27.99

More powerful one: Fiio A3 (450mW @ 16 Ohmes / 270mW @ 32 Ohmes) $59.99

I sent you a message. Don't worry about purchasing a sound card. If you have good speakers, get a DAC or DAC/amp combo which can be used with speakers and headphones. If you get headphones without any sound enhancements, get a headphone amp/DAC like: Schiit Fulla or Cambridge Audio DacMagic XSor Micca OriGen+ or Topping TP D2 TP-D2 or FiiO E10K or FiiO K1 or FiiO A3. Get the Sennheiser PC 363D headset instead. It has it's own sound card built-in. It's currently on sale on Amazon for only $169. I paid about $270 for mine just a few months ago. It has a built-in sound card/DAC.

If you don't wanna spring for an E10K, you could try this: [http://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG?ie=UTF8&keywords=fiio q1&qid=1464371661&ref_=sr_13&sr=8-3](http://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG?ie=UTF8&keywords=fiio q1&qid=1464371661&ref=sr_1_3&sr=8-3)

Where were you last week?! I just dropped 40 bucks on this. Kinda kicking myself.

This gets you started

https://www.amazon.com/K1-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Titanium/dp/B0189EVGAG/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1485208058&sr=8-25&keywords=headphone+dac+amp