Some of you may remember that a few months ago we reviewed the Fiio K9 Pro, a complete DAC/amplifier designed to requirements of most audiophiles. We already told you back then that although what we had in our hands was undoubtedly a high-performance unit capable of offering us exceptional sound, perhaps its price (800 euros) set it apart from a good group of fans.

The same does not happen with its “little brother”: the Fiio K5 Pro ESS which we are analyzing today. With more modest features, however, for just over 200 euros, it offers us everything we need to enjoy a musical experience first level.

In this sense, the Asian brand offers us in this DAC/AMP a compact model made of aluminum and with dimensions of 120.5 x 130 x 55 mm and a weight of 436 grams, we can place it next to our digital sound source without having to take it into the room.

On its front, we find a large wheel that adjusts the volume, a selector in which we can choose between three different inputs (USB, Optical and RCA) and another in which we can “play” with up to three gain levels and this allows us to use its built-in amplifier k get up to 10 extra decibels. On the other side of the volume control wheel, we find a 6.35 mm Jack connector, with which you can enjoy our music on headphones.

The Fiio K5 Pro ESS does not offer a 3.5mm jack. so if our headphones are of this type, we have to use an adapter, which in our experience usually does not offer exceptional performance… so our recommendation is that in that case you also get headphones that have this type of connector. Unlike K9 Pro This model also does not offer Bluetooth connectivity, which is actually the least important thing for us. In any case, it is indicated for headphones between 16Ω and 300Ωwhich is her strength 1.65W (16Ω) and 1.5W (32Ω)while the output impedance is less than 1.2Ω.

On its back we find the physical inputs we mentioned above, the power supply and the RCA output with which we can connect, for example, a pair of speakers. In this case, it is important to note that if we want to listen to music through headphones, we must make sure that we turn off the speakers, because if we do not do this, the music will be played on all channels. It’s something that caught our attention because this type of device usually differentiates one output from another when it detects that we’ve plugged in headphones. It’s nothing serious, but it’s a detail to consider.

A midrange that sounds spectacular

In addition to fewer connectivity options, the big difference that we find compared to what the k9 Pro offers us is in the chips that the brand uses for sound processing. In that case, if we were talking about the most advanced on the market, here we will have to “make do” with mid-range chips… which we can assure you will continue to offer excellent results.

In this sense, sound processing is handled by the chip AKM AK449, which, despite the fact that, as we have theoretically indicated, it is a mid-band, allows processing up to 32-bit sound. However, the jewel in the crown is in its decoding chip. USB XMOS XUF208 which accept numbers up to 768 kHz and native DSD decoding, designed for the most demanding audiophiles who want to play digital music of the highest quality.

The combination of both chips provides great fidelity and sound quality that we certainly cannot match on our PC, much less on our smartphone. In general, the FiiO K5 Pro offers a very clean and warm, with bass that is more punchy from the start than entry or even midrange amps, as well as very clean and smooth mids and highs that don’t appreciate finesse. But we liked it the most wide dynamic range and how it allows us to distinguish the subtleties of different instruments, allowing us to experience the music as if we were at a concert.

If, on the other hand, the use of this device is intended for games, without a 3D processor chip, it can subtract some integers from the experience they offer. some specific sound cards. But if we are interested in sound quality and enjoyment of music, at this price there are not many competitors on the market that can beat this Fiio K5 Pro in this area.

Conclusions

If you’re reading this analysis, it’s probably because you already know you want to improve the way you listen to your digital music and you are thinking of buying a DAC.

If so, you’ve probably found that you can find options on the market that start at 60 euros and can cost you more than 2000. So finding an in-between option with a great price-quality ratio is actually more difficult than it seems.

But this is exactly what the Fiio K5 PRO ESS offers us: a DAC/AMP that may not be equipped with the best chips on the market or perhaps we would like it to include some other connection option, but in exchange it allows music fans to enjoy excellent sound quality, without having to spend a lot of money.

It is sold in a dedicated retail channel on Amazon if you are interested €239.