FiiO K3
Bass Boost, gain switch, USB-DAC
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
29 reviews
Total buy recommendation
For me, a clear must-have when consuming music or gaming on the PC. simply WOW what this box does with the sound. The only disadvantage for me is the lack of a 6.3 mm connection. You don't notice the bass boost was there until you disable it. I have never heard anything like it in my whole life. The bass blends in beautifully with the sound and never feels overbearing or unrealistic in any way. It gives the whole sound an extra depth that is totally missing when you listen to it without the bass boost. Total recommendation to buy.
Pro
- Quality
- This bass, which is present but not distracting
- Sound
- Connections
Contra
- No 6.3 mm connection
Big sound, small package
High quality audio anywhere, via usb C (no need for additional power input, even works directly with my Pixel 2 (draining quite a bit of battery though)
Pro
- small
- accurate sound
- usb-c
Contra
- bit pricey
DAC / AMP combo at its best.
Excellent DAC / AMP combo. Outstanding performance for such a small object.
Excellent DAC, allowing you to experiment with DSD.
Linux plug and play compatible.
Used with headphones ranging from 40 to 300 ohms and manages to power them without any problems.
Precise and rewarding volume control with metal knob.
Two gain levels.
Capable of passthrough on a Raspberry PI for example for DD / DTS sound via optical output, remarkable!Sounds very good, but still need to try it with other headphones
With my headphones (Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 32ohm), I saw minimal improvement over my Thinkpad's headphone jack.
Pro
- Full sound
Top
Practical and beautifully small
It does what it is supposed to do, namely amplify the headphone signal on the laptop. What I would have liked instead of the many outputs is an additional input for mobile phones, etc.
Good for the price... You get what you Pay.....
I use the K3 as an amplifier to boost the sound of my mobile phone. Simply connected via USB C cable and it works flawlessly. Definitely an upgrade of the sound. Of course there are better DACs but then they cost a lot more. For my purpose, however, tip top!
Top
I find the K3 very good. Meets my needs.
The only problem is that the K3 has to be switched on and off when setting the PC.
But this is not a problem for everyone. I have written to FIIO to ask them to update the software.Pro
- Design
- Sound
- Features
Contra
- Startup Problem
Super simple installation. Top sound. Price io
That's what I call plug and play! Plugged in, headphones in and turned the wheel and bang super sound. I'm actually used to the following from my studies: "If it's too easy, it's wrong" ^^. A pleasant change for a change.
Pro
- Plug and Play
- Hi Res Sound is the hammer
Contra
- Maybe the cable is too short. But it does not bother me now
Cool thing
Hear the unheard.
A new sound experience.Pro
- clear sound
- Rotary control for volume
Contra
- Not made for mobile phones
- not super super loud
- too many outputs. only need the analogue outputs
Recommanded
For the price you pay you cannot ask more! Solid built, good genaral performances
Small, well-made and super performance. A really successful "successor" to the E10k.
Super USB DAC-AMP in a small form factor.
Use it with the DT 1770 Pro and the DT 990 Pro, each with an impedance of 250 ohms. The volume is a lot better than the E10k --> (higher output power than the E10k).
Attention: Line Out (rear, 3.5mm) and headphone connection (front 3.5mm) should not be used at the same time or a load should not be connected to both connections at the same time!
What is also confusing: In the device manager, the K3 is displayed under the name Fiio Q-Series, but this is a driver "bug" with the agreement of the manufacturer.Pro
- Impeccable processing quality
- Lightweight and yet sturdily built
- LEDs on the volume control light up red / blue or yellow ... depending on the sample rate
- Dust cap on SPDIF / Toslink connector is attached
- Plug & Play --> after installation of the driver
- Operation in USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 mode (also works on USB 3.0 socket)
Contra
- The switches for the bass and gain - amplifier are difficult to access
- User interface of the driver / software is confusing
Easy to use, top quality audio
Perfect for listening to your Lossless CD, HiRes
Pro
- Small
- Intuitive
- Multi output
Excellent audio converter
Pro
- Sound
- Intuitive
- Plug and Play
- Dimensions
- Material
Good sound
Pro
- Solid construction
- Easy to use
Good performance, a bit pricey
Overall a good product within the Fiio line. Price is still important, but performance are good. Just be aware that this product works only for PC/Mac, not with your mobile phone!
Pro
- Dimensions
- Performance
- Design
Contra
- Pricey
- Only for Pc/Mac
Good when it works
Pro
- Decent DAC
Contra
- Randomly disappears from windows as audio device
Small practical thing that does its job well
I use the K3 for my amplifier, but even without the amplifier I am thrilled with the quality. The clicking and slight noise that came from my sound chip is finally gone and I recommend a DAC to anyone who has the same problem.
Toent good, but cracks when switching between applications by default
When switching between applications (pausing Youtube, then unpausing Spotify), the DAC immediately goes into sleep mode, which causes an audible crackle, and can only be configured away under Windows:
http://fiio.me/forum.phpvery good, great sound, a little more output power would be appreciated.
mp3 music revived
Computer output sound is fuller and clearer throughout the frequency range
Does the job.Pro
- Clear sound in all frequencies
- Better than the PC sound card :-)
Contra
- Small lack of gain
Improves hi-fi quality
The improvement brought by the K3 compared to the integrated sound card is proportional to the quality of the source, with CD recordings, flac files, good mp3 or wav, the improvement is obvious.
When used with DT 700 pro 80 ohm headphones, I notice a better precision and spatial definition, the sound is less flat, more pleasant to listen to.
For youtube or other highly compressed recordings, I often don't see the difference, and unlike good recordings I often have to turn up the sound levels, at least with the headphones on the 3.5mm jack of the Fiio K3. The balanced headphone output would offer a little more power.
The switches for increasing gain and bass are effective but not very usable for hifi, as they would need to be adjusted more finely, a very rare option even on much more expensive equipment.Super compact DAC. Perfect for the laptop
Pro
- Super Bass boost
- Balanced sound
- Power supply via USB
Is it really worth it?
This DAC gives out too crisp of a sound; too dry/ not warm. This aspect of the DAC annoys the ear on the long-run, to the point that I would rather use the on-board pc DAC rather than this one.
I recommend saving the money to buy a higher-end DAC around 200 - 500 bucks.
Then again, it depends on your own expectations and money.
If you are a true music enthousiast and you want to try out a DAC to improve your experience, trust me skip this one.
For anyone else, if this is your current budjet, then I recommend at least getting the Fiio K5 Pro and not this one.Pro
- Does make more detail
Contra
- But sound is clearly too dry
- Annoys the ear
- Very tiring fast
Top
A top product in itself, but there is often a problem with the connection after restarting the PC. However, this problem can be avoided by changing the USB mode to 1.1.
Pro
- USB C
- Sound quality
Contra
- Connection problems after restarting the PC
very noble but...
Unfortunately, the small K3 doesn't have enough juice to fill a DT990 250ohm, it simply lacks the power, the DT990 simply needs more.
Unfortunately, I had to return the small K3 and order a Fiio K5 Pro.
The difference is gigantic, (also the price😢) the K5 makes my eardrums burst at about 11 o'clock volume setting, so 10 o'clock is also sufficient 😁👍
Nevertheless, the device and the quality are excellent, if it works with your own headphones. Not every model needs so much juice, unfortunately you only notice it when you listen to it at home.Pro
- Very solid workmanship
- Size
- Inputs
Contra
- Availability
- due to Corona high price
- Power
Price / performance is right
I bought the Fiio K3 to operate the PC in connection with my home stereo. The K3 works perfectly with both Linux and Windows. With Windows, the driver can be installed from the Fiio homepage, but it was not necessary for me.
The sound through the amplifier is very high resolution and clear. The build quality is outstanding and all the necessary accessories are included.
The reason for the deduction of one star is that the sound was too "digital" for my system. The "warmth" was missing, which was especially noticeable with more analytical speakers (in my case Elac with ribbon tweeter). In a system with KEF speakers, the result was less extreme and better.
I did not test the K3 with headphones.Pro
- Very good quality
- Price / Performance
- Easy installation on the PC
Contra
- May not be suitable for all speakers
This is NOT a headphone amplifier!
The device may be incredibly super, but it is NOT a headphone amplifier. A headphone amplifier plugs into the headphone output of a device and amplifies/enhances that signal. The FiiO K3 does not do this, because you can ONLY connect it to your computer via USB, where it then acts like an external sound card.
I do NOT understand why digitec cannot accurately name such an essential difference!
Disappointing!
And you can never get the packaging open enough to return the thing!Pro
- Good sound card with many outputs
Contra
- ONLY one USB input
- can ONLY be used on the computer, not with any other device.
