Introduction
There is no introduction needed for FiiO as they are already one of the best producers in the portable audio segment but not much is known about their sister company Jade Audio who is more focused on a value product. Jade Audio products such as their E1 TWS, EA1 and EA3 that are a sort of a hidden gem in the budget arena as they have a good price to performance ratio. Fiio has decided to pair up with Jade Audio to make a comeback in their K series with the all new FiiO x Jade Audio KA3 ending their long hiatus from this segment since 2015 with the K1 that has a special place in my heart as they were one of my first portable amplifiers back then. They are packed with features along with a flagship portable DAC chip from Sabre, the ES9038Q2M along with a wallet friendly price that is very accessible. Red Ape Headphones Store has kindly provided us with the all new KA3 for an honest feedback on this product and we appreciate the opportunity that they have given us. How will they perform on this hyped segment of dongles that is very saturated? We shall find out.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the FiiO x Jade Audio KA3;
- Product type : DAC and headphone amplifier
- DAC Chip : ES9038Q2M
- Input : 1x USB-C
- Outputs : 1x Single-ended Jack 3.5mm
- 1x Balanced Jack 4.4mm
- Output power : Single-ended: 130mW @ 32Ω
- Balanced: 240mW @ 32Ω
- Noise floor : Single-ended: 3.9µV / 4.2µV Balanced: 4.4µV / 4.3µV
- Supported sampling rates : PCM up to 32bit 768kHz and DSD up to DSD512
- Dimensions : 56.3 x 20.2 x 12mm
- Weight : 17.5g
- Colour : Black
- Package : 1x USB-C to USB-C cable and 1x USB-C to USB-A cable
Retail Price & Where To Get
The FiiO x Jade Audio KA3 can be purchased at Red Ape – Headphone Store or Official FiiO AliExpres for only RM379.00. Purchase Link :
Red Ape – Headphone Store Shopee : https://invol.co/cl7yyct
Red Ape – Headphone Store LAZADA : https://invol.co/cl7yydk
FiiO – Official AliExpress : https://invol.co/cl7yye1
Packaging & Accessories
The KA3 packaging is a simple packaging that is straight to the point with a holographic theme. It is small and well packed neatly with the necessities all included. Inside we will find a rather good looking twisted cable USB C to C cable and a USB type A to USb C female for usage on PC or laptop. Overall it is quite neatly packaged and given the low price of the KA3, it is acceptable.
Design
The design of the KA3 is rather solid and designed very well with a full metal body with a gold coloured top and bottom plate. They have a decent weight to them and they felt very solid while not being too heavy like the Astell & Kern PEE51.
On the input at the bottom is a standard USB type C that I very much prefer over the cumbersome micro usb and USB C has a better lifespan. On the output side on the top we have a 3.5mm and a very welcomed 4.4mm output for a more stable connection, power and a better sound quality. All the plugs are very well implemented as they are tight and very secure. At the body of the KA3 there is a circular RGB light working as a sampling rate indicator where blue is 48khz below, yellow 48khz above and green for DSD.
The KA3 has been equipped with a portable flagship DAC chipset from the legendary chip manufacturer Sabre, the ES9038Q2M and they are known for their high performance with a low noise floor. The KA3 boast a support for a full DSD playback up to 768k but they lack support for MQA which might deter some users but it is fine for me as long as they sounded great. There is no volume control here so volume adjustment is done via the source.
One of the main attractions of the KA3 is that they are configurable via FiiO’s own app, the FiiO control app that is available in android or IOS free of charge. They are able to adjust the gain, the output impedance, the 7 types of filters, channel balance as well as the RGB lights adjustments. They are very user friendly and very well implemented.
They have no battery inside and they will draw lower from the source. With smartphones, battery draining is quite evident but still acceptable for me as I am still able to use it for a whole 8 hours with my XiaoMi Mi10 on low gain.
Gears Used for Comparisons
- FiiO M11Plus LTD
- Hidizs S9 Pro
- Questyle M12
- Avani ALC5686
- Abigail CX31993
- Beyerdynamics Xelento
- Jerry Harvey Audio JH13V2 pro
- KBear Aurora
- Blon A8 Prometheus
- Smabat Proto 1.0
- Blur daBass custom earbud
- Toneking TO600s
- Sennheiser HD600
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The KA3 has a typical sound signature of the Sabre based DAC as they sounded very clear, detailed and clean to start with. They possess a very low noise output that has no hissing and they sounded very quiet even with high sensitivity in-ears. Their presentation is a bright sound signature with a neutral bass and midrange giving out a pure bright sound that is slightly cold to listen to. They are very powerful and with a high gain selected on the FiiO control app, they are able to drive high impedance gears with ease.
Soundstage
The soundstage of the KA3 is average at best and they sounded better here with their 4.4mm output. They have a decent width but height is pretty average. They have a holographic sound and their sound positioning is quite good. In live performances or movies, they are able to give a lifelike performance with an accurate reproduction of sound. Headroom is decent with a small room with an intimate feel to it.
Separation and Timbre
Sound separation on this KA3 is actually pretty good with layerings done very well. They sounded very clear without any hint of congestion and jammed packed with details. They are able to handle busy tracks with ease and give your gears a good imaging without any veil. Timbre is rather spot on accuracy but sounded a little cold especially on brassy instruments.
Drivability
This is where the KA3 strength lies, their driving power. They are able to juice out a respectable power output and are able to satisfy over ear headphones like the HD600 or a 600ohms earbuds with ease on the high gain. On in-ears or normal earbuds, low gain has ample driving power with more than enough volume. Overall they are very powerful for the size and loudness is almost the same with the FiiO M11Plus LTD which is simply awesome for a DAC/amplifier of that size.
The Bass (Low)
Bass that the KA3 is able to give your gears is clear and detailed without any bass boost. They do extend the sub-bass mildly but bass is mostly unaltered in their quantity. Bass response is agile and they sounded quite energetic. Bass rumble has a tighter, sharper response with a faster decay making their bass a little more energetic. The pace that the KA3 gives has a faster attack especially on the mid-bass. The bass is slightly on the thinner siddle for my taste making bass light in-ears or headphones a little soulless. Overall the bass is clean, pure and detailed giving out a clinical performance but quantity wise a little lacking.
The Mids
Midrange on the KA3 has a neutral, bright and clear tone to it. They sounded natural without any colouration added to their presentation. Macro details here are superb and the micro details are average but still have the presence. Vocals sounded crystal clear and they perform the best on female voices but on some male voices, they might sound a tad bit on the thinner side and with a lower voice tone they sometimes sounded a little emotionless. Midrange here is a very analytical type that sounded slightly cold but they have all the details and clarity needed for a critical listening without any congestion occurring.
The Highs
The high range of the KA3 is where the KS3 truly excels as they truly inherited the bright Sabre chip sound with a minimal hump in their treble. They sounded very smooth and polished without any shout or harshness occuring in their presentation. Details in the high range are superb and everything sounded very clear without any metallic highs present. Their strong high range presence made this KA3 a bright performer and they pair very well with a dark or warm type of gears but with a bright gear like the Heart Mirror, they will be a little piercing with certain tracks. They do have the right amount of sparkle and have some crispness in their treble region also sounding quite airy and the range is extended very well. Trebles are portrayed with an accurate tone and theys sounded quite natural in my listening experience. Overall, the KA3 provides an accurate, smooth and a strong treble for extra clarity in your music.
Comparisons
VS Hidizs S9Pro
Hidizs most powerful dongle has a similar ES9038Q2M chipset with a 2.5mm balanced output and they sounded a little warmer and neutral than the KA3. Built on the KA3 is a little more solid but the S9Pro is lighter in weight. Both have almost the same specifications and they do not support MQA playback. Both of them drain the smartphone battery by a great margin equally. Both have amazing driving power, especially on the balanced output. The S9Pro is slightly more expensive than the KA3 and the KA3 has the ability to tweak via FiiO’s application.
The High range on the KA3 has better quantity and quality than the slightly neutral high range of the S9Pro. Clarity here is similar but details in the KA3 have the edge. Extension on both are similar and both of them are bright in nature.
Midrange on the S9Pro has a better body and depth giving a slightly warmer feel especially on vocals. Clarity in the midrange of the KA3 is slightly better but they sounded a little thin versus the S9Pro. Details on both are again quite similar.
Bass on the S9Pro sounded a tad bit deeper and had a better presence in a small margin. Both had the same impact weight but the S9Pro sounded deeper than the KA3. Sub-bass on the S9Pro has more body.
Soundstage is very similar with the same width and height. They sounded better on the balanced output. Though both of these products have similar specifications, they sounded quite different with the KA3 having a more clinical performer and the S9Pro a more neutral performance.
VS Questyle M12
The Questyle M12 from Korea has also a Sabre chipset but they are a ES9281AC which is a lower tier than the ES9038Q2M. Inside they have a patented amplification method that they named Current Mode Amplification. They only have a single 3.5mm output but they do have MQA support and an auto gain select that works very well. Driving power on the KA3 has the edge and they are stronger. Price wise, the M12 is priced almost twice the asking price for the KA3 but they are half the size and do not drain your smartphone battery significantly.
Bass on the M12 has more body and depth to it and they sounded more present. Sub-bass on the M12 sounded a little deeper as well. Clarity and details in the bass is better on the KA3.
Midrange on the M12 sounded more intimate and has a more emotional feel to it. The midrange on the M12 also sounded a little more forward and thicker but details on the KA3 are better.
High range on the KA3 sounded stronger and had more presence. M12 treble is crisper especially on the latest firmware and it extends a little more than the KA3. Clarity and details on both are similar but the M12 sounded more refined in this area.
Soundstage on KA3 sounded slightly wider but height on both are similar.
Synergy
Beyerdynamic Xelento
Beyerdynamic flagship IEM that houses just a single dynamic driver and they have a slight V shaped sounding earphones with a huge soundstage. They are costly but they are one of the most fun sounding earphones that I have ever tried with their huge bass response and superb clarity. Bass on the Xelento sounded slightly thinner but they have a boost in their clarity and details. Bass sounded a little more airy and more accurate. Sub-bass remains mostly the same, maybe sounding a little clearer. Midrange has a slight forwardness to it making the Xelento sound slightly more balanced overall. Details in the midrange sounds clearer with an improvement in the micro detailing. Vocals sounded more forward as well. The high range of the Xelento has a crisper and stronger presence but still retaining a high quality treble. They are not harsh or piercing in any way but they sounded stronger. Soundstage height remained mostly the same but they sounded a little wider and airier. Overall, they are a decent match with these flagship earphones giving them a more balanced presentation.
Etymotic ER3SE
The ER3SE from the legendary brand Etymotics and they only have a single balanced armature but they are dead accurate in their sound reproduction. Bass on the ER3SE sounded much clearer but remains the same in their amount. Sub-bass presence has increased and they sounded more enjoyable. Midrange on the ER3SE also sounds clearer but slightly thin at times. Details on the mids have increased slightly and micro details on the ER3SE sounded more prominent. High range has a more sparkle in their tone and they also sounded a little crisper. Clarity in the treble has improved and they sounded quite enjoyable. Soundstage wise, they sounded the same to me but they sounded just a little wider but in a small margin. Overall, they made my ER3SE sound more fun while still remaining as accurate as intended, though the mids is a little thin sounding.
Toneking TO600
A hungry beast of an earbud from Toneking and they are rated at 600 ohms and they needed a high gain on the KA3 to perform their best. Bass on the TO600 sounded much clearer and had a better impact. Sub-bass has a better presence with a slight tightness in their impact. Midrange sounded clearer and details in the presentation sounded much more polished. Vocals sounded a little more forward than usual and they sounded very clear. High range on the TO600 has a slower roll off making them sound extended. Details on the high range sounded better and clearer with a more sparkle to it. Treble sounded more accurate and natural here. Soundstage has improved by sounding wider and taller. Overall, they are a matching pair with the KA3 providing ample driving power to them with room to spare. The KA3 are indeed powerful especially on the balanced output
Sennheiser HD600
The classic open back headphones from the legendary headphones producers from Germany, Sennheiser. They are bright, clear and wide headphones to start with. Rated at 300 ohms, they are meant for a desktop setup and not really recommended for a portable use. Using this HD600, high gain and high impedance is selected on the KA3. Bass on the HD600 sounded a little tighter and clearer but sub-bass remains quite lacking. Midrange has a slight forwardness to it making them a little more intimate sounding. Clarity and details have improved by a little in th3 midrange. High range has a more energetic feel to it and sometimes they will sound a little harsh. Treble sounded a little more accurate. Soundstage remains the same but they sound a little more airy. Dynamics on the HD600 are a little lacking but they are acceptable on the KA3 as they are powerful enough to give the HD600 ample driving power from a small form factor. The KA3 indeed has the capabilities to drive power hungry headphones with an ample loudness to it but they do not release the full potential of hard to drive headphones.
Who Is It For?
The KA3 has some power in a small form factor and they are great for travelling consumers that want an ultra portable DAC/amplifier for their audiophile gears. They are a good match for treble heads and for those who wanted some extra clarity in their music. For detail freaks, they are an awesome product as they provide loads of details in the music played and everything sounded crystal clear on this KA3. Those who want intimacy and warmness in their gears will find this KA3 a little unsuitable as they are a clinical performer.
Final words
FiiO and Jade Audio have indeed produced a powerful dongle sized DAC/ amplifier that has all the power needed and then some for hard to drive gears also driving sensitive in-ears with ease without any noise. They are indeed a great companion for travel as they are small in size but packing a punch in the sound but bear in mind that they do draw some power from your smartphone. The price of the KA3 is indeed very wallet friendly and priced lower than other competitions. They are built like a tank and equipped with a flagship portable Sabre DAC chip, they are indeed a great product with a top class treble performance. Though the midrange and bass sounded a little thin, they compensated for them with a great clarity and details giving the music a touch of clarity that sounded super clean. With a specific application, FiiO control, they are very user friendly and provide all the useful settings that is truly a cherry on top of this product. FiiO and Jade Audio have certainly made a comeback in their K series and this KA3 is truly a welcomed successor.
I would rate this product a solid 4 stars over 5 stars
