The FiiO KA17 black portable USB audio adapter is a remarkable device. It comes with a special desktop mode, which can be easily activated by the dedicated D.Mode switch. Once enabled, it automatically fine - tunes the DAC, amplifier power supply, and power output. With enough USB power and desktop mode on, its four THX headphone amps work in parallel, delivering up to 270mW+270mW for single - ended output and 650mW+650mW for balanced output. The adapter uses two new ESS ES9069Q flagship DACs powered by fourth - gen 32bit HyperStream technology. These chips offer higher performance, lower power consumption, and less digital noise, ensuring a pure audio background. Handling USB tasks is the 16 - core XMOS XU316, a rare find in audio dongles. It provides lower latency, stable signal transmission, and great compatibility. Paired with dual crystal oscillators, it can handle various digital audio sources. Key features include 650mW+650mW strong thrust in machine mode, dual - channel flagship DAC ES9069Q * 2, ten - segment high - precision PEQ adjustment, a professional - grade XMOS 16 - core XU316, four - way fully balanced THX AAA 78 amp, a multi - level HiFi audio architecture, and an anti - crosstalk design of the digital - analog split board. Specifications: It weighs about 33.5g, supports driver - free mode, full MQA decoding, has L/H gain levels, a 0.91 - inch OLED display. It can support PCM up to 768kHz/32bit, DSD up to SD512 (Native) and DOP256, and SPDIF up to 96kHz/24bit. Hardware solutions are DAC: ES9069Q*2 and USB decoding: XMOS XU316*1. Volume is controlled by physical buttons, and its dimensions are 64 × 27.7 × 12.7mm. It supports desktop mode, has a channel balance of <0.2dB, shows transfer format, volume, gain, etc. on the display, supports firmware upgrade via USB, and the recommended impedance is 8 - 150Ω for PO and 8 - 300Ω for BAL.
Using the FiiO KA17 is quite easy. First, connect it to your device via USB. If you want to get the most out of it, activate the desktop mode by using the D.Mode switch. This will boost the performance and power output. When connecting headphones, make sure they are within the recommended impedance range (8 - 150Ω for single - ended and 8 - 300Ω for balanced). You can adjust the volume using the physical buttons. As for maintenance, keep it clean and dry. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures or humidity. If you need to update the firmware, just connect it to a computer via USB and follow the instructions. And always use a stable power source to ensure smooth operation.
