FiiO K1 Portable Amplifier and DAC

Smaller and better for less
Connect the K1 to the computer for an instantly gratifying musical experience, the K1 has no battery and does not require any drivers - true plug and play.

Smaller than many thumb drives, the featherweight K1 weighs a mere 11 grams!

USB-Dongles don’t take up a lot of space and they’re small and light. Just a few weeks ago we looked at the Dragonfly V1.2 and compared to that the K1 actually is even smaller. The reason for that is simply: as you have to connect the K1 with the help of a USB cable, the USB connector isn’t there. That part measures around 1cm, so the K1 really is small and measures only 50 x 20.5 x 8mm. I actually prefer using a cable compared to sticking the unit directly into a USB-port. I remember killing a USB-port on one of my former laptops and the JitterBug + DragonFly combo also almost killed a USB port on my laptop. “Luckily” it was the NightHawk’s cable that broke and not the port.

Fiio K1’s body is made out of grey aluminum and only weighs 11.3gr making it extremely portable. I’m not really sure why Fiio added a clip on it because you could keep it in your pocket just as easy. Let me know in the comments if there’s something I’m missing about this. Build quality-wise the K1 is just like any other Fiio product: extremely well done for the money you’re paying for it. I have to admit I’m not a fan of the see-through plastic clip though, but it can be “removed” (attention though, chances are you‘ll break the clip). You’ll find the standard female mini-USB on one side and a 3.5mm headphone plug on the other side. A tiny blue LED right next to the headphone port shows you if the Fiio K1 is in use or not.

The Fiio K1 does have a typical sound and I have to say that it took quite some time getting used to coming from the very clear and slightly forward sounding Audioquest DragonFly. The Fiio K1 itself is on the smoother and warmer side of neutral but shouldn’t be called a warm sounding unit. Compared to the Fiio gear from a few years ago, this K1 even sounds rather neutral. The K1 has full bodied but slightly lifted bass presence and bass isn’t always of the tightest kind. The mids are smooth and musical but just like the bass and treble aren’t the most layered. What is missing most is depth and separation. Fiio K1’s sound isn’t rather concentrated but the detail levels are fairly good. The K1’s treble is soft and smooth and isn’t that extended, clear or crisp. Treble is very easy and relaxed to listen to.