New Dac the FiiO K13 R2R: Early Impressions

[Jasonovich]

Oh nothing like that, I was in the Energy Management Team, I managed the utility accounts, ensuring that we procure the best deals from our suppliers, so our Council Tax payers and local businesses are not hit so hard. 🙂

PS. We buy in bulk so it's cheaper and we're into recycled energy which has a positive impact on the local environment...but hey ho...all in the past now 🙂

 

[Al ears]

PS. We buy in bulk so it's cheaper and we're into recycled energy which has a positive impact on the local environment...but hey ho...all in the past now 🙂

Recycled energy?
Does hifi work on second-hand electricity?

 

[Jasonovich]

Recycled energy?
Does hifi work on second-hand electricity?

😜
Recycled energy is usually sourced from domestic waste, waste from farms and sewage.
Also from brown hydrogen, solar power feeding back into the national grid etc.
Yes it's possible, some of your energy is second hand! 🙂

 

[Al ears]

😜
Recycled energy is usually sourced from domestic waste, waste from farms and sewage.
Also from brown hydrogen, solar power feeding back into the national grid etc.
Yes it's possible, some of your energy is second hand! 🙂

If someone else is using my old electricity I want a rebate....
😎

 

[woodbar]

If someone else is using my old electricity I want a rebate....
😎

More to the point, does second hand energy, especially Brown Hydrogen affect the sound profile?

Not much good spending loadsa money on an LPSU and then feeding with a dirty supply. 😕😈

 

[Revolutions]

K13 owners: did anyone happen to compare with a Chord Qutest?

 

[Jasonovich]

K13 owners: did anyone happen to compare with a Chord Qutest?

Turan compared the K13 to Chord DAC, not sure if it was the Cutest.
Check the YouTube video.

View: https://youtu.be/lTNFjqzkVe4?si=LWdMEBJVQym7ZvR6

 

[Revolutions]

Turan compared the K13 to Chord DAC, not sure if it was the Cutest.
Check the YouTube video.

View: https://youtu.be/lTNFjqzkVe4?si=LWdMEBJVQym7ZvR6

Thanks Jason. A quick scan it's the Mojo 1. Seems he likes the K13 above all the over units he owns/tested.

In a surprise to everyone, the correct answer is 'find a dealer & demo both' 😂

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks Jason. A quick scan it's the Mojo 1. Seems he likes the K13 above all the over units he owns/tested.

In a surprise to everyone, the correct answer is 'find a dealer & demo both' 😂

Totally agree, ideally demo them both.
The K13 seems to be punching well above it's weight.

There are a lot of interesting R2R DACs on the market such as the Laiv uDac, Denafrips Enya and Gustard R26, but far more pricer.

Not too much R2R competition it seems at £350+
R2R isn't for everyone, there are plenty of Chipset and bespoke FPGA alternatives on the market which are as good.

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks Jason. A quick scan it's the Mojo 1. Seems he likes the K13 above all the over units he owns/tested.

In a surprise to everyone, the correct answer is 'find a dealer & demo both' 😂

This five year old video, goes into great depth - probably the most comprehensive Chord Qutest review.

View: https://youtu.be/bUhc2sn6UkQ?si=HS_CUIqA74yQL9fn

 

[Stuart.W.D]

K13 owners: did anyone happen to compare with a Chord Qutest?

The praise around the K13 comes from how convincingly it delivers that R2R-style warmth and musical flow at a very approachable price, plus the fact that it’s a feature-packed unit. For the money it’s easy to see why people get excited about it, hence why I purchased one. The Chord Qutest, on the other hand, plays in a different space it’s cleaner, and leans neutral. They don’t get compared all that often because, realistically, they’re built for different expectations and budgets.

If you’re already in Qutest territory budget-wise but are curious about what a proper R2R implementation can do, I’d steer you toward something like the LAiV Crescendo Verse, especially if you’ve got headphones capable of scaling with it. If your focus is strictly a DAC and you want that classic R2R character done right, the Denafrips Ares 15th Anniversary Edition is a more purist choice.

But if your ceiling is £500 and you just want to enjoy music without overthinking it, the FiiO K13 R2R DAC is an easy recommendation, it gives you a taste of that richer, more “analog” presentation without the financial commitment. It's a great Dac and is easy on the eyes.

 

[Jasonovich]

The praise around the K13 comes from how convincingly it delivers that R2R-style warmth and musical flow at a very approachable price, plus the fact that it’s a feature-packed unit. For the money it’s easy to see why people get excited about it, hence why I purchased one. The Chord Qutest, on the other hand, plays in a different space it’s cleaner, and leans neutral. They don’t get compared all that often because, realistically, they’re built for different expectations and budgets.

If you’re already in Qutest territory budget-wise but are curious about what a proper R2R implementation can do, I’d steer you toward something like the LAiV Crescendo Verse, especially if you’ve got headphones capable of scaling with it. If your focus is strictly a DAC and you want that classic R2R character done right, the Denafrips Ares 15th Anniversary Edition is a more purist choice.

But if your ceiling is £500 and you just want to enjoy music without overthinking it, the FiiO K13 R2R DAC is an easy recommendation, it gives you a taste of that richer, more “analog” presentation without the financial commitment. It's a great Dac and is easy on the eyes.

There's also the DR70 R2R £359 from Gustard's budget sister brand Audalytic.
According to one respectable YT reviewer it betters everything in it's price range bar none.

It doesn't have a headphone amp like K13 but to make up for this omission, it has a built in streamer.
I suspect Audalytic is steering us to purchase it's complimentary headphone amp HP70 £300, which BTW has received favourable reviews.

The combination of the two, obviously exceeds the costs of the K13 substantially - almost 2:1 but if you don't need a headphone amp or if you want a proper headphone amp and separate DAC, the DR70 is an excellent alternative.

 

[Revolutions]

Thanks @Stuart.W.D & @Jasonovich appreciate the thoughts & suggestions.

I suppose this is probably where I hit the limit or what interests me. They all do the same thing, they are DACs. I know some have filters & some have headphone amps, but I just want to know how one sounds vs another in a similar setup (if there’s any difference at all). I’m less interested in what technology they deploy to get there, just which one delivers the kind of sound I love.

Maybe I’m an outlier, but I’d like to see more head to head reviews of great products, rather than compared by price point (or by distortion measurements 😉)