FiiO K9 Pro ESS, Flagship Desktop All-in-One DAC/AMP With ESS DAC Chipset
FiiO has released a brand new ESS DAC variant for its flagship K9 Pro Desktop all-in-one DAC/AMP solution, presenting you the all-new FiiO K9 Pro ESS. While the OG K9 Pro was designed with AKM AK4499 DAC chip, the limited availability of AKM DAC’s in the industry has led FiiO to design another variant with different DAC architecture.
FiiO has designed this new K9 Pro ESS with a dual- DAC chipset featuring two high- performance ES9038 Pro flagship- grade DAC chips. ES9038Pro is a high- profile 8- channel DAC that provides unmatched performance with industry- leading Distortion and SNR ratings. Originally, the K9 Pro had a single AK4499 DAC chip(obviously due to limited availability), but the new K9 Pro ESS is designed with a Dual DAC chipset for better resolution and flagship- level performance. FiiO has designed the K9 Pro with a desktop- grade THX AAA amplification chipset. It consists of two THX AAA- 78+ amplifier chips for a clean and powerful output stage.
Features
– High- Performance Dual DAC Chipset(2xES9038 Pro).
– Clean and Powerful THX AAA 788+ amplification circuit.
– Premium XMOS XU208 USB processor.
– Dual independent femtosecond clocks.
– Qualcomm’s latest QCC5124 Bluetooth chip.
– Supports high- resolution LDAC, APTX HD, AptX Adaptive wireless transmission codecs.
– Fully balanced design.
– Dual voltage linear transformer.
– Supports MQA unfolding.
– Precise volume adjustment.
– Three gain modes.
– Multiple input/output options.
– Application control.
– High- Quality Aluminum chassis.
– Aluminum Volume Wheel with PVD Gold- plated Edges.
Technical Parameters
– Power supply: AC+Built- in linear power supply.
– Digital inputs: USB/Coaxial/Optical/Bluetooth.
– Analog Input: RCA/4.4mm Balanced.
– USB B and USB C connectors.
– Headphone outputs: 4- pin XLR/4.4mm Balances, 6.35mm single- ended.
– Line- out: RCA/XLR.
– Seven Digital Filters.
– PCM Decoding: Up to 32- Bit/384kHz.
– DSD256 native decoding.
– Audio clock: High- precision PLL+Dual crystal oscillators.
– Output power(SE): 2.1W(16Ω), 281mW(300Ω).
– Output power(Bal): 2.1W(32Ω), 1.1W(300Ω).
– THD+N: ≤0.00025%.
– SNR: ≥129dB.
– Line level: Up to 5Vrms.
K9 Pro Now Got Dual ESS DAC’s For High-Resolution Sound Decoding
FiiO has designed the new K9 Pro using two high-performance ES9038 Pro DAC chips from Sabre Technologies. The ES9038 Pro is a flagship-grade 8-channel DAC that is capable of providing ground-breaking performance in decoding high-resolution audio signals. FiiO has upgraded the K9 Pro ESS from the OG K9 Pro in terms of DAC count, the OG K9 Pro has only a single AK4499 DAC, the latest K9 Pro here has dual ES9038 Pro DAC Chips. With the help of this new DAC chipset, the K9 Pro ESS achieves ultra-low THD+N(<0.00025%) and high SNR(>129dB) ratings ensuring a super-clean performance.
Powerful Signal Amplification Circuit
Consisting of two high-performance THX AAA 78+ amplifier chips, the K9 Pro ESS provides a clean and powerful output signal. It brings the best out of our connected headphones/in-ear monitors with its clean output power signal. There is no noticeable background noise or distortion even with highly-sensitive headphones and in-ear monitors, simply plug in your favorite headphones on the K9 Pro ESS and indulge yourself in an extraordinary sound experience.
Precise Design Profile
FiiO has years of expertise in designing HiFi audio products. They have designed the new K9 Pro ESS with a fully differential circuit in which the signal goes through the DAC, Volume, and AMP sections in a fully balanced manner. It also has a six-stage audio circuitry to ensure the users get the best possible sound performance. The analog and digital circuits have separated designs with partitions for clean performance.
Dual Independent Femtosecond Clocks
FiiO has featured dual independent Femtosecond clocks to provide a precise clock management system. It makes it easier to handle different sources while maintaining maximum quality performance.
True MQA Support With Hi-Res Signal Decoding
MQA, Master Quality Authenticated is the latest technology where we get high-res performance in small file sizes. K9 Pro ESS supports full MQA unfolding allowing the users to listen to the true master quality performance as the artist intended while recording. Apart from these high-res MQA Support, the K9 Pro also supports high-res 32-Bit/384kHZ PCM as well as native DSD256 decoding.
High-Resolution Bluetooth Support
FiiO K9 Pro ESS features Qualcomm’s latest QC5124 Bluetooth processor chip. It not only provides a stable, reliable Bluetooth connection but also brings support for high-resolution wireless codecs including LDAC, APTX HD, AptX Adaptive, and more. Simply connect your smartphone or any other media device with Bluetooth support and feed the audio signal to the K9 Pro ESS over a Wireless Bluetooth connection.
The K9 Pro AKM Vs The K9 Pro ESS
The core difference between the OG K9 Pro AKM and the latest K9 Pro ESS will be the Dual DAC chipset with the latest K9 Pro ESS. With a Dual DAC chipset configuration, we get to experience the power of dual ES9038 Pro DAC chips producing crisp resolution and details. We have got 7 digital filters now on the new K9 Pro ESSS, it also has an aluminum alloy volume knob with PVD Gold-plated edges. K9 Pro ESS has got a better, improved look. The new K9 Pro has also got slight improvements in the power output ratings. Other features such as Bluetooth, gain level, are identical on both devices.
Price & Availability
FiiO K9 Pro ESS is released at the same price as the OG model, available for just 799.99$.
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