Fiio K9 AKM's Review - Beefed up Q15!
General/Build/Packaging
Fiio needs no further introduction. I have tested and reviewed several products from the brand and I have good experience with their products in general. I have their desktop dac/amp with me today, the Fiio K9 AKM which houses AK’s flagship DAC, the 4191+4499EX as well as a plethora of components within the unit itself.
The build quality is very solid and premium looking, no sharp edges and the necessary functions/buttons are located on the front panel, output selector, gain switch, input selector, standby/mute switch are all on the front panel. Volume knob turns smoothly and it feels very controlled, so no sudden jump in terms of volume.
There’s also a side USB C port which in my opinion is a nifty feature whereby when you want to connect your phone or DAP as source, you do not have to reach to the back for the USB B cable instead just use a Type C to C.
The packaging itself is good and nothing to complain about, a USB B to A cable, and also power cord are included, very well protected. There is also a stand that allows you to place the K9 AKM vertically if you’re having some constraint on your desk.
Let’s take a look at the specifications below:
Specifications
DAC: AK4191EQ + AK4499EX
Decoding chip: XMOS XUF 208
Amplifier: Two THX AAA 788+
Bluetooth chip: QCC5124, Bluetooth 5.1 Bluetooth format support: LDAC/aptX Adaptive/aptX HD/aptX/aptX LL/AAC/SBC
Outputs: 6.35mm/4.4mm/XLR-4/RCA/XLR
Inputs: USB/OPT/COAX/RCA/4.4mm
Output power 1: L+R≥2000mW+2000mW (32Ω balanced/THD+N＜1%)
Output power 2: L+R≥780mW+780mW (300Ω balanced/THD+N＜1%) SNR: ≥124dB (A-weighted, UAC)
Noise floor: PO＜8μV (A-weighted, UAC); BAL＜9.3μV (A-weighted, UAC)
Output impedance: ＜1Ω (32Ω load)
Weight: approx. 2660g
Dimensions: 200×224.5x72mm (without feet)
Comprehensive accessories K9*1, mains cable*1, headphone plug adapter*1, USB data cable*1, feet*6, fuse*1, stand*1, quick start guide*1, voltage selection card*
IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review
Sony MV1
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
Letshuoer EJ07
Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio K9 AKM -> Tidal
Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio K9 AKM -> foobar 2k (tracks ranging from 16-44 to 24-192)
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Sound Impression (Slow Filter and no EQ/PEQ USB in Mode)
The K9 AKM has been burned in for approximately 50 hours prior to writing this impression. The sound of the K9 AKM is nothing but amazing. Dead silent background, zero noise. I’m not saying it will make a bad sounding/ badly tuned IEM turn good, it simply makes what is already good a step further and eeking out every bit of hidden potential your IEM/headphone have. The K9 AKM is quite neutral to my ears if you’re using the Fast Filter, i prefer it to be slightly coloured hence i’m using the Slow Filter as stated, there’s a slight lift on the lows, but the overall listening impression to me is that it is natural and the technicalities are very impressive.
Soundstage is largely dependent on the transducers and mastering of the songs, but K9 AKM does render the soundstage very open and let you have a good perception on the stage size in terms of depth, width and height.
Imaging is absolutely excellent with very good separation and layering, instruments can be pinpointed easily and they sound like they each have a space of their own and not mushed together.
Pairings
Letshuoer EJ07
Pairing the Soloist with the K9 AKM is nothing but fun, the bass is definitely elevated, it has more punch now and better extension, it is tight and the texture is good as well, all these without messing with the mids and highs, this is evident when listening to Gojira’s Amazonia, the double paddle especially has more punch
The mids are slightly forward and doesn’t sound that recessed
The treble sounds more open and the imaging and detail retrieval is just amazing, i can definitely hear the notes that i need to focus more previously in order to hear it, the K9 AKM does it with ease, Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious ( The Dark Knight )
Soundstage has more width and depth, doesn’t sound that 2D anymore
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM
The Twin Pulse is neutral with slight warmth on its own, based on my listening impression pairing it with K9 AKM, the soundstage is definitely “bigger” than before, imaging that is already good has been taken a step further with excellent separation as well as layering, simply amazing
Bass is slightly faster, but the rendered texture is also improved
Not much changes on the mids, perhaps the vocal positioning is slightly being pushed forward
Imaging and separation is very good as you can clearly pinpoint the instruments easily
Sony MV1
This particular pairing is the most interesting to my ears
The MV1 itself is leaning towards neutral and slight warm, with a slight lift on the mid bass
Listening to MV1 with the K9 AKM, bass has better control and tighter, while retaining the punch, i also noticed a slightly better sub bass extension
Slightly better separation and imaging, in terms of detail retrieval, not much changes
Soundstage has very good width and depth to it and seems to image better as well
Comparison (Earmen ST-AMP)
Uses different DAC chip (ES 9280) and has lesser power output compared to K9 AKM
The sound signature is leaning towards clean sounding and uncolored
Feature wise, the ST-AMP is rather minimal and straightforward in terms of input and output, a 4.4 balanced and quarter inch headphone output, 4.4 balanced input and RCA input, whereas the K9 AKM sports a plethora of inputs and outputs, which i’m not gonna be mentioning as you can refer to the specs that i have posted above
The ST-AMP to my ears sounds very natural and sometimes a little too plain if you’re craving for some coloration, bass is not being emphasised, the mid range is very natural, treble is smooth but retains enough energy, but ST-AMP’s star of the show lies within the amplification, i have tried using K9 AKM’s DAC line out to the ST-AMP and it brought out every bit of details that the AKM DAC’s capable of
All in all, as a DAC/AMP, the ST-AMP does a good enough job, but K9 AKM does it a whole lot better as a DAC/AMP
Final Thoughts
Having tested and used the K9 AKM for several months prior to publishing this review, the K9 AKM definitely has what it takes to make a statement in the fast moving market with various competition. The K9 AKM is a very versatile product sporting various inputs and outputs. The K9 AKM’s sound will please most listeners out there who are looking for natural with a slight coloured sound.
The power output is definitely sufficient for most IEMs and headphones out there which are not power hungry. (Tested with the headphones which I owned, Hifiman Sundara Open Back, Hifiman Edition XS, Hifiman Sundara Closed Back, Aune AR5000, as well as Sony MV1). In terms of sound, it is definitely not neutral yet the coloration is somewhere in between and quite balanced overall. Fiio App compatibility is a welcoming feature as well, it allows you to set the filters as well as EQ/PEQ, and also the indicator light surrounding the volume knob.
All in all, the K9 AKM is a very capable dac/amp coupled with a good line out capability,hence the K9 AKM gets a recommendation from me.
*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support.
Head over to their official AliExpress Store and official website if you are interested in getting one:
Fiio K9 AKM Purchase Link - Non Affiliated
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