FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier – The third of the bunch

FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier, as the name suggests, is part of the so-called FiiO KA Series from the Chinese specialist for personal audio devices FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd, between the FiiO KA1 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier and the FiiO KA3 Small USB DAC and Amplifier. If the manufacturer’s description is anything to go by, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier is more in line with its big brother than its little brother, which means that FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is not only describing it as a purely mobile solution, but also as a genuine hi-fi solution.

FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier – Extremely Compact and Lightweight

Once again, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier is a very compact, even tiny, and lightweight solution that is easy to take with you wherever you go, measuring just 40 x 15 x 12 mm and weighing a mere 12.3 g. The KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier is a compact, lightweight solution that is easy to take with you wherever you go.

A robust design with an aluminium housing ensures that the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier can withstand on-the-road use.

Two variants – USB-C or Apple Lightning Connector

The new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier has inherited one special feature from its little brother, namely the permanently connected cable. In order to be able to use this solution with a wide variety of mobile devices without additional accessories, the manufacturer offers two versions, one with USB-C and one with Apple Lightning connector. The cable has a practical length of 70 mm.

In principle, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier is compatible with Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS.

D/A converter from Cirrus Logic Inc.

Two D/A converters from Cirrus Logic Inc. are at the heart of the signal processing of the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier, so the manufacturer calls it a Dual Decoding DAC Chip CS43131.

These are capable of processing signals in Linear PCM with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, and DSD up to and including DSD256. Accordingly, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier naturally bears the hi-res audio logo of the JAS Japan Audio Association as well as the CEA Consumer Electronics Association.

A special feature is that the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier has a user-selectable filter, with five types to choose from. These can be selected directly via the FiiO Control App, which is available for Apple iOS and of course also for Google Android.

Balanced output stage

The new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier has an output stage that allows the user to connect headphones symmetrically, in the form of a 4.4 mm PENTACONN.

According to the manufacturer, 153 mW at 32 ohms are available here, which is sufficient power to operate a wide variety of headphone models without any problems.

Simple operation

As we already mentioned, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier can be controlled via the FiiO Control App for Google Android and Apple iOS, which means that there are no controls on the device itself.

Only a status LED can be found here, which can shine in various colours via an RGB controller. This makes it possible to see at a glance which signals are present and in which resolution.

Prices and availability

According to the manufacturer, the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier will soon be available in specialist shops. However, we do not yet have a concrete price for the local market.

Getting to the point

With the presentation of the new FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier, the product line of portable D/A converters and headphone amplifiers from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. finally becomes a completely new product series, namely the FiiO KA Series. The latest addition, the FiiO KA2 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier, is positioned right in the middle of this product line. Although it adopts one or two features of its little brother, the FiiO KA1 Compact Portable DAC and Amplifier, in principle it is more oriented towards its big brother, the FiiO KA3 Small USB DAC and Amplifier.