FiiO announced its first desktop headphone amplifier this week, the FiiO K11 R2R. It shares the SR11 streamer’s sleek form factor and offers a compact desktop headphone solution. The FiiO K11 features 6.35 mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs with coaxial, optical, and USB-C inputs. An RCA output is also available. The K11 R2R also features a 1.1-inch (28mm) LCD VA display, which can display information about the audio file being listened to.
The K11 has a multi-function knob which controls the unit with power on/off, menu settings and volume.
The K11 features four channels and 24-bit DAC technology, which claims to offer lower noise in its architecture. The audio signal is processed through a digital audio bridge, which is processed by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a configurable integrated circuit. From there, the signal passes to the DAC for decoding. Then, it passes to a pair of op-amps (OPA1642) that amplify the signal to a further pair of op-amps (SGM8262) that offer single-ended and balanced outputs at three gain levels, supporting headphones of all impedance levels.
FiiO K11 R2R is available in either black or silver from late July, priced at £149. A rather eye-catching red version is promised later this year. FiiO notes the illuminated logo on the top illuminates to identify the sampling rate.
FiiO K11 rear