l'm an audiophile who knows there is A LOT of snake oil in this business. A LOT. Now, having said that, the k7 deserves the $200 asking price.If you have a good sound-card, the k7 will be a mild improvement, but sure enough an audible improvement. Don't expect night and day differences, but you'll find some. Whether you like the new sound signature more than your sound-card, that's another story. The k7 will offer slightly more refined sound, but similar 'technicalities.'Where the k7 is a real upgrade is in having a dedicated volume control knob. The volume is digital so the knob has no end to it (you can keep on spinning it once it has reached its max). My unit didn't have a very noticeable delay (as some reviewers stated). Perhaps that has to do with how powerful/fast your computer is (?). Some people also find the volume odd because for the first (almost) 1/4 of it, you don't hear anything (on less sensible HPs). Fiio engineers did this on purpose: this way, users of very sensitive IEMs will not have a problem adjusting the volume to their preferred level.The k7 (unlike any sound-card that l'm aware of) offers balanced connections so you can give that a try. Personally, l did hear the difference. My HPs did open up with the balanced inputs (4.4mm and 4pin XLR). If you've been into this hobby for a while (if your brained has been trained to notice these sound nuances), you'll notice that right away. Then there's the extra power in case you need it.Some people may prefer to keep their sound-card over the k7 in favor of having more 'desktop free space.' l get that. Personally, l have a volume ring on my keyboard, but l much prefer having a knob. Besides, it's easier to plug/switch HPs from the k7 (likely placed on your desk near your mouse) than from the back of the PC, under the desk.Does the k7 get hot? Not at all (room temperature 80ºF).*Now, let's address the elephant in the room: the Fiio k9 ESS*I guess the AKM version is equally good too, but l haven't tested that one so my words will refer to the k9 ESS (non-pro). If you wonder, I didn't want a slower pace sounding device, that's why I was only interested in the ESS version.k7 VS k9 ESS:The difference between the k7 and the k9 ESS aren't mild or subtle, but very significant. We're talking about a product (k7) that has its own sound signature (warmer, slower, more bass where there shouldn't be, small soundstage), but that plays on the budget league VS a product (k9 ESS) that plays in the HI-FI realm.The k9 will be a noticeably improvement in the soundstage, dynamics, clarity and rest of the audio attributes. Example: on the k7 the HD800s treble is harsh; plug them to the k9 and the treble becomes oh so beautiful.Mind you, k9 ESS is 'fast.' The music will play faster than on the AKM which has the 'normal pace' tunning. You may like a faster pace more or less, but you'll certainly notice the difference in speed. This is supposed to be an attribute of the ESS chips (regardless of the system implementation).Have you ever heard people saying something like, "buy the best HP you can then spend the rest on a DAC-amp?" Nonsense. Once you have a good pair of HPs ($300-$500), trust me, they will sound noticeably different when paired to the k7 VS the k9.Example: You'd think my old, yet great sounding Hifiman HE-400 (non s, etc. just plain 'HE-400') sound great when connected to the k7 and also my sound-card. Now, plug them to the k9 ESS and let me read your mind: "Holly guacamole! Now we're talking business." Yes, those are your own words ;-)If my budget was $1000, l'd rather get a k9 ESS and a $300-500 HPs than spending $200 on the k7 then $800 on a HP. Even better, l'd buy the k9 ESS new (to test it for yourself in case you want to return it, and to have the always SO important WARRANTY just in case) then spend the rest of the budget on a 'second hand' headphone (in good condition with replaceable earpads). Amplifiers come defective even when new (l've already sent 2 back, the very k9 ESS l'm talking about which had a defective 'optical in' and a k9 ESS Pro), however headphones rarely fail (although they also do it seems; it never happened to me).l know l digressed quite a bit, but l hope you enjoyed my 'on the fly, all over the place' review of the Fiio k7. Remember: "Buying cheap is expensive" or the German version "We're too poor to buy cheap." Save for the k9 ESS, buy it new (return, warranty), enjoy it for years to come. Hope this helps!

I am not an audio "expert" in any way, and I am an audiophile newcomer, but I must say that after powering my HD 600s with these, there is so much "room" for the music to expand itself, without any distortion or cluttering of the audio. The USB connector is a type B to A which is fine for me, but others may prefer it being a type C. The build quality of this AMP/DAC is amazing, it is built entirely from aluminum with CNC finishing, and everything else like the volume knob, switches and buttons just feel expensive. Nothing feels cheap, and it is a sturdy compact, little unit. The volume knob acts, obviously, as a volume knob but also as an on/off switch. Switching between on and off gives a nice, satisfying click, and when turning the unit on there's a subtle RGB coloring show going on, which switches to a solid color which isn't too bright, depending on your music's sampling rate. Blue: 44.1KHz/48KHz, yellow: 88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384KHz, and green: DSD64/128/256.In terms of power, there's really nothing these couldn't power. You have enough power for any headphone you'll plug in, which is great. The gain switch works well, and doesn't cause any distortions when setting it to high. A balanced feature at this price range, from what I've seen, is super RARE, which means you have incredible value for money, making this a future-proof AMP/DAC.You have guards in place to protect your headphones and your ears, as well as unit protection. The volume knob takes a second to adjust, since it has a guard against sudden, accidental high volumes.If you're looking for an AMP/DAC combo, this is the one to go for!

I recently bought the Fiio K7, as an alternative to the Topping DX3 Pro + which I already had. Both of these DAC/AMP combo units have similar prices, and have great-sounding DACs built-in. The power they provide was more than enough to work well with my Sundara and T60RP Headphones. Although the differences are small; in the end, I like the K7 better for its bass response.Fiio K7Compared the the Topping DX3 Pro+, the Fiio K7 has a slightly punchier bass, and an overall warmer sound. And it never sounds muddy either. The treble and mids still remain very clear and crisp, making for a “fun” sound that I prefer. Additionally, the K7 has a balanced output which the DX3 Pro + does not have. This is great for my Sundara Headphones which I use with a balanced cable. On the downside, the K7 has an uneven volume control. For example, as I turn the volume knob to increase how loud it is, the ramp-up becomes exponentially much higher than what most people would expect. This sudden increase can catch new users off guard, but honestly it’s not a deal-breaker.DX3 Pro+The DX3 Pro+ has more definition especially in the upper-mids and treble. Bass presence is well-defined, but not quite as punchy compared to the K7. The sound is accurate, very clear, but without any embellishments. To me, the DX3 Pro+ sounds more “neutral” compared to the K7. Other features of the DX3 Pro+ include wireless connectivity via Bluetooth. You can pair this with your smartphone or laptop and play music wirelessly. It supports most of the expected wireless standards such as Apt-X, AAC, LDAC, etc. Another selling point is the fact that a remote control is included.ConclusionWhile I would choose the K7 over the DX3 Pro+ because of its better bass, the difference is very small. Choose the K7 for its slightly richer sound, or go with the DX3 Pro+ if you want a more neutral sound.

Hardware is nice and compact, but extremely powerful. Have this baby hooked up to a pair of Audioengine A2 speakers as well as a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros for my PC and the sound quality is phenomenal. Extremely convenient to be able to just switch outputs on the fly

Para un DAC/AMP de escritorio sin necesidad de transmisión inalámbrica es la mejor opción que he probado, sus componentes son de gran calidad, a nivel de los de gama más alta, con una excelente desempeño y sin complicaciones.

Lo compre para alimentar a mis cascos DT990pro de 250 Ohm y la verdad que de funciona genial, me gusta bastante el timbre del ampli y he ganado potencia con estos cascos, son algo puñeteros por la impedancia, abiertos etc. muy contento con mi setup actual, lo compraría de nuevo.

Gebruik deze dac versterker met de Hifiman xs. Dat is goed, maar koop er een gebalanceerde kabel bij en dezelfde koptelefoon wordt beangstigend goed. Geen reden om meer geld uit te geven voor audiofiel plezier...

Teknik detaylara girecek kadar bilgiye sahip değilim ama iyi bir müzik dinleyicisi olarak şunu diyebilirim ki Sennheiser 660s2 yi Fiio K7'de 4.4 mm dengeli giriş ile kullanmaya başladım. Daha önce İfi Zen Air Dac kullanıyordum çok kötü diyemem bu DAC için ama Fiio K7 kullanmaya başladıktan sonra kulaklık resmen 2-3 level atladı diyebilirim. Geniş sahne ve enstürman detayları büyük ölçüde arttı. Ayrıca kulak tırmalayan müzikler netleşti ve berraklaştı. Daha zevkle ve keyifle müzik dinliyorum.