On my MacBook I’m seeing a max DSD of 256 showing in the Audirvāna settings when I use USB and connect my older FiiO KA3 but only 128 with a new FiiO K11. Does the dongle DAC have some additional capabilities that are lacking in the desktop DAC?
Welcome @mrossi,
The information you are asking for is readily available on the FiiO site:
Small USB DAC and Amplifier KA3
For the KA3 the max DSD sampling rate over USB is DSD512. Since the Mac uses DoP (DSD over PCM) the max DSD sampling rate you can play via your MacBook is DSD256 which is correctly reported by Audirvana.
For the K11 the max DSD sampling rate over USB is DSD256. The max DSD sampling rate you can play via your MacBook here is DSD128 which is also correctly reported by Audirvana.
From the info from FiiO you can also see that the max. PCM rate (via USB) for the dongle DAC is 32bit/768kHz and for the desktop DAC 32bit/384kHz.
So to answer your question: Yes the dongle DAC has some additional capabilities compared to the desktop DAC.
Sorry for the follow up but seeing that my headphones are low impedance and my speakers are active (ie both easy to drive), it seems that the K11 offers no benefits, or am I missing something.
Technically the K11 does not offer higher sample rates. But soundwise? Only your ears can decide that. I don’t know if you have the FiiO K11 R2R or the ‘regular’ K11.
The Ka3 is based on a ESS DAC chip. The ‘standard’ FiiO K11 is based on a Cirrus Logic chip and the FiiO K11 R2R is based on a resistor ladder DAC. Also the power supply and the analog section in the K11 differ from the Ka3.
Therefore all 3 FiiO models sound probably quite different from each other. It depends completely on your own taste and there is no standard answer which is better.
The K11 supports PCM sample-rates to 384/kHz…
The DSD over PCM (DoP) PCM carrier sample-rate for 1-bit 11.2MHz PDM (DSD256) is 24/705.6kHz… You will not be able to play DSD256 files via DoP 1.1 via USB.
Because the K11 supports DSD256 native…
The only way to play DSD256 files on your MacBook and K11 is to use an Ethernet connection and send the files natively via UPnP to a streamer that supports the DSD .DFF file format… However you will be able to play 1-bit PDM 5.6MHz (DSD128) files via DoP 1.1 USB, because the DoP PCM carrier sample-rate is 24/352.8kHz.
