Fiio KA13 Portable USB DAC and Headphone Amp

The FiiO KA13 made its name as the little dongle with desktop mode: a sub 20 gram USB DAC that can push 550mW per channel when you let it draw full power. For anyone whose IEMs or headphones need more than a phone jack ever offered, it is one of the best value upgrades in portable audio.

Type and Technology

The KA13 is a portable USB DAC and headphone amplifier using dual CS43131 DAC chips and dual SGM8262 op amps. It decodes PCM up to 384kHz/32bit and native DSD256, and its 3.5mm jack doubles as a coaxial SPDIF output. Desktop mode raises the power ceiling when connected to a stronger USB source.

Sound Character

The KA13 sounds clean and energetic with a near neutral balance and a touch of smoothness from its Cirrus Logic chips. With 550mW balanced on tap in desktop mode it drives planar IEMs and mainstream full size headphones convincingly, far beyond what its size suggests.

Build and Features

A CNC aluminum shell with a clear status LED keeps things simple: no screen, just reliable plug and play with phones, computers and consoles. Both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs are onboard, and at 56.3 x 22 x 10.5 mm and 18.5g it adds nothing to your pocket.

Best For

Value focused listeners who want balanced output and real power without spending three figures. It slots neatly under the KA15 and KA17 in our portable DAC/Amps collection; find the rest of the range in the FiiO collection.

What's in the Box

• FiiO KA13
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• USB-C to Lightning cable
• USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Quick start guide

Specifications