K9 PRO ESS
FLAGSHIP DESKTOP DAC AND AMPLIFIER
High performance DAC ES9038PRO*2 | THX-AAA 788+ Tech | Dual femtosecond clocks Qualcomm QCC5124 | Supports LDAC/aptX adaptive/aptX HD | Truly balanced design Dual voltage linear transformer | Wide connector selection | App control
Inside the K9 Pro ESS are 2 ES9038PRO DAC chips, specifically designed for maximum performance in desktop-grade equipment. One ES9038PRO chip, with all of its 8 parallel outputs, is used for each channel to achieve richly detailed sound with minimal distortion.
The THX AAA 788+ chips used in the K9 Pro ESS provide exemplary details and dynamics no matter if you are using low or high-impedance headphones. The K9 Pro ESS can produce an undistorted 1100mW* under a 300O load, and an undistorted 2100mW* under a 32O load, 50% higher than the original THX AAA 788 amplifier chips.
*As tested in FiiO Labs under balanced out.
Fully differential, fully balanced design
Fully differential signals go through the DAC, volume adjustment, and amp for a truly balanced design. Such a design ensures minimal interference between different components in order to fully maintain all details and large dynamic swings in music for unmatched sound quality.
Six-stage audio circuit, to reveal every last detail
Every audio signal goes through a mammoth 6-stage circuit to reproduce music as faithfully and as detailed as possible
Separated analog and digital sections, partitioned design
The PCB of the K9 Pro ESS uses a partitioned layout, wherein not only the power supply and signals are separated, but the analog signal loop is also put in an independent section, guaranteeing the integrity of the audio signal being processed.
Electricity is the mother of sound, so special attention was paid to optimizing the K9 Pro ESS’s power supply to ensure excellent sound. The K9 Pro ESS’s linear power supply, with its low-frequency transformer and 4 massive 4700uF capacitors, makes sure that the rest of the system gets abundant clean power.
Immensely robust, Linear power supply
Electricity is the mother of sound, so special attention was paid to optimizing the K9 Pro ESS’s power supply to ensure excellent sound. The K9 Pro ESS’s linear power supply, with its low-frequency transformer and 4 massive 4700uF capacitors, makes sure that the rest of the system gets abundant clean power.
Just pure sound, Isolated digital and analog power delivery
The digital portions of the K9 Pro ESS physically receive power separately from the analog portions, for effective shielding against audio interference between the two circuits. This ensures pure and faithful reproduction of your music.
* Due to the instability of the supply chain, some materials may be replaced due to shortage. The accompanying drawings are for reference only.
Quality and quantity, LDOs for each circuit stage
Besides the special high-performance linear power supply, the power stabilization and filtering within the audio circuit is also a big contributor to the K9 Pro ESS’s excellent sound. Specifically, in each stage of the audio circuit, ultra-low-noise LDOs are employed for voltage regulation.
A dual-mode clock management design is utilized for the K9 Pro ESS. Under USB and Bluetooth decoding, dual asynchronous femtosecond clocks are used, while under optical and coaxial decoding, automatic PLL clocks are employed. A more precise clock management system makes it easier to handle any kind of source and maintain the maximum quality possible.
The K9 Pro ESS supports the unfolding of MQA tracks, allowing you to listen to high-resolution audio files that are not only reasonably sized, but also retain master-level sound quality that bring you directly into the recording studio.
*With an appropriate music player supporting MQA, the K9 Pro ESS supports up to 8x unfolding
The K9 Pro ESS employs the Qualcomm QCC5124 to handle Bluetooth duties, with support for formats such as LDAC, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive. This chip ensures that Bluetooth connections are both reliable and quick, satisfying both the low latency needs for games/videos and the high bitrate necessary for high-resolution audio.
* Bluetooth format support: AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX LL/aptX HD/LDAC/aptx Adaptive
Adjusting the volume may look like a simple concept, but a good execution of it is crucial to an excellent audio experience. The ADC curve reconstruction method of volume adjustment used in the K9 Pro ESS effectively minimizes any left-right channel volume imbalance and noise. It also results in a smooth change of volume across all levels. This attention paid to the simple process of volume adjustment is just another layer to making sure you truly savor your music with the K9 Pro ESS.
Le K9 Pro ESS prend en charge le déploiement des pistes MQA, vous permettant d'écouter des fichiers audio haute résolution qui sont non seulement de taille raisonnable, mais conservent également une qualité sonore de niveau maître qui vous amène directement dans le studio d'enregistrement.
* Avec un lecteur de musique approprié prenant en charge MQA, le K9 Pro ESS prend en charge jusqu'à 8 fois le dépliage
Le K9 Pro ESS utilise le Qualcomm QCC5124 pour gérer les tâches Bluetooth, avec prise en charge de formats tels que LDAC, aptX HD et aptX Adaptive. Cette puce garantit que les connexions Bluetooth sont à la fois fiables et rapides, satisfaisant à la fois les besoins de faible latence pour les jeux/vidéos et le débit binaire élevé nécessaire pour l'audio haute résolution.
* Prise en charge des formats Bluetooth : AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX LL/aptX HD/LDAC/aptx adaptatif
Le réglage du volume peut sembler un concept simple, mais une bonne exécution de celui-ci est cruciale pour une excellente expérience audio. La méthode de reconstruction de la courbe ADC de réglage du volume utilisée dans le K9 Pro ESS minimise efficacement tout déséquilibre de volume et bruit de canal gauche-droit. Il en résulte également un changement de volume en douceur à tous les niveaux. Cette attention portée au processus simple de réglage du volume n'est qu'une autre couche pour vous assurer que vous savourez vraiment votre musique avec le K9 Pro ESS.
RGB Indicators Around the Volume Knob
The RGB indicators surrounding the volume knob can light up differently depending on the current sampling rate during playback.
DIAL IT IN WITH THREE GAIN LEVELS
Choose between high, medium, and low gain with a physical switch to fit exactly your needs when listening to your particular pair of headphones. Thanks to the pure hardware gain circuit, even when listening at low gain with high-sensitivity headphones, both dynamic range and musical fidelity remain uncompromised.
PLENTIFUL CONNECTORS TO CHOOSE FROM
Front: XLR 4-pin, 4.4mm balanced, 6.35mm single-ended headphone outputs
Rear: 4.4mm balanced line in; coaxial, optical, Bluetooth, RCA, USB input; RCA SE out and XLR*2 balanced out
Side: USB Type-C port
REFRESHINGLY MODERN, CUSTOM STAND
The included custom stand not only reduces the amount of space the K9 Pro ESS takes on your desktop, but it also allows for more efficient heat dissipation through convection—making the stand a true example of both form and function.
Versatile Connections for Various Setups
- Drive power-hungry headphones (USB desktop audio + headphones)
- Connect to home audio setup (USB desktop audio + active speakers)
- Side-mounted Type-C port for easy connection to mobile devices
- RCA + XLR balanced line out (for active speakers, monitor speakers, external amplifiers)
- Connect to mobile devices (players, computers)
- App-controllable desktop amplifier: Built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology allows you to use the FiiO Control app to control functions such as filter selection, channel balance, etc., even when not in Bluetooth mode.
Skip site navigation
