FiiO JadeAudio KA1 ES9281AC Pro MQA

Fiio KA1 USB DAC

Fiio KA1 USB DAC Review

 

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Employed in the KA1 is the ES9281AC PRO chip from ESS, which combines a USB audio interface, DAC, and amplifier into one package. When combined with the multi-layered HDI gold-plated PCB it is on, a highly capable low-noise power supply system, and a low-jitter independent crystal oscillator, the result is lower crosstalk and higher efficiency through lower power consumption.

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Meanwhile, the KA1 has been officially certified by MQA to be truly capable of MQA rendering! It includes MQA Renderer technology, which can connect to an MQA Core signal (from TIDAL streaming service, FiiO Music App or any other MQA enabled music services or media players) and completes the final unfold of an MQA file. The FiiO Music App has basically completed an account registration and MQA subscription.

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The difference between the KA3 and KA1 is that each KA1 comes with a fixed cable with either a USB Type-C or Lightning port, which can save more internal space and make a more compact body. As a result, there are two editions of the KA1, Type-C and Lightning editions. Each includes a corresponding adapter. By using this adapter, you can connect the KA1 to your computer.

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In addition, the KA1 is made of aluminium magnesium alloy, which went through rigorous working processes to finally achieve a stable construction with a delicate and high-end texture. The all-metal sealed construction also makes for strong anti-interference. Along with the KA1 is a silver-plated monocrystalline copper cable, whose low impedance and high conductivity help to greatly reduce signal loss and distortion when transmitting audio. Two colours are available: Black/Dark green.

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Specs

  • Body dimensions: About 40x15x8mm
  • Cable length: About 70mm
  • Weight: About 10g
  • Colors: Classic black, Dark green
  • DAC chip: ES9281AC PPO
  • Input: US3 Type-C or Lightning
  • Output: 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Output power: 45mW
  • SNR: 114d
  • THD+N: 0.0005%
  • Audio format support: PCV 32bit/384kHz DoP DSD64/128 Native DSD64/128/256
Price: 49.99 $