Fiio has significantly increased its product offerings over the last 18 months, and while the brand has dabbled in new categories with the introduction of the R7 all-in-one network streamer and FT3 over-ear headset, its core focus remains on DACs. And there's been no shortage of excitement in this area; the BTR7 continues to be the best overall choice if you want a Bluetooth DAC for under $250, and the high-end K9 Pro does such a good job that it's been a mainstay on my desk for nearly a year now.
So when Fiio sent over the K7, I figured it would be closer to the manufacturer's other budget offerings. If you look at the spec sheet, you'll notice that it is largely identical to the $149 K5 Pro in design and feature-set, with the key addition being a balanced connector. With the K7 retailing for $199 on Amazon, I just thought it would have the same sound characteristics as the K5 Pro but with a fully balanced architecture that would make it more enticing to those that want a 4.4mm port.
