FiiO has been a nostalgic soul of late, having released a Walkman-inspired portable cassette player and a Discman-esque portable CD player into a world that waved goodbye to those audio devices many moons ago. The digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) is one of the more contemporary audio devices in the Chinese manufacturer’s portfolio today, but it has still managed to give its latest one a retro flair: the all-new KA15 is a portable DAC that resembles a tape recorder – and not only in its compact cuboidal shape but also with its one-inch colour screen’s graphic interface. And we thought British brand iFi was the king of cool DAC designs!
FiiO makes several portable USB DACs, from the USB-C KA13 to the Bluetooth-enabled BTR13 – all with the purpose of being the sound-enhancing middleman between your phone or laptop and headphones. The KA15 shares that ambition, its conversion stage built around two Cirrus Logic CS43198 chips that support 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD256 files.
A USB-C input makes it compatible with a range of phones, computers and laptops, including the iPhone 15 and new iPhone 16, while both 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm jacks cater for a wide range of wired headphones. The former can also be configured as a coaxial output for connecting it to a higher-end unit if you so wish.
“Competition amongst audio dongles is becoming increasingly intense, and FiiO knows that only “innovation” can make them stand out,” reads the official FiiO KA15 product page. But it isn’t only in its vintage aesthetic where the KA15 separates itself from its competitors. It also boasts a Parametric EQ, a more sophisticated and customisable type of EQ adjustment than those found in most affordable digital audio devices. The ten-band EQ essentially lets the user tweak the frequency response and sound they hear through their headphones, controllable through either a dedicated web interface or FiiO’s Control app (compatible with Android devices only).
The app is also where Android users can adjust channel balance, set the theme and brightness of the screen, and select between two volume modes: a 60-step quick adjustment or a 120-step fine adjustment. (The latter can also be achieved on the device itself.) Above the pair of on-unit volume keys (which double as track skippers) on the side panel of the metal chassis is a Desktop Mode, too, allowing the KA15 to be powered by an external source to deliver up to 560mW through the balanced headphone output to satisfy the most power-hungry headphones.
Speaking of power, FiiO claims the KA15 is a super-efficient device, with real-time voltage and current monitoring allowing for dynamic power adjustment, and playback status recognition that can adjust the overall power consumption and impact your connected device's battery life less.
A smart and fun little device for just £100/$109, eh?
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