Five Things You Should Know About The New FiiO K11 R2R: K11 R2R Vs K11

FiiO recently launched the latest variant for its highly acclaimed K11 Desktop DAC/AMP, the K11 R2R. The OG K11 actually came out back in 2023, the device got some amazing feedback from its users, especially for its clean, transparent sound profile, strong output power, and compact design. With the new launch of R2R variant, FiiO has implemented a fully differential 24-Bit R2R resistor array network resulting in a smoother and more organic tone with the new variant. In today’s blog we are going to read what are the changes that we have with the new K11 R2R compared to the OG K11. We are going to discuss five things that you should know about the K11 R2R compared to the OG Model. Let’s not waste any more time and get our reading glasses on and begin ahead.

True R2R Promising Smoother Sound Profile:-

FiiO K11 R2R brings us the goodness of a fully-differential R2R Resistor Network Array DAC Architecture. The OG model featured a delta-sigma DAC from Cirrus Logics featuring a high-end CS43198 DAC chip. Both are highly capable setups supporting full PCM 32-Bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256 audio signal decoding. The K11 R2R setup consists of 48 resistors per channel with a four-channel design. There are a total of 192 high-precision ultra-thin film resistors with 0.1% accuracy and low-temperature drift between them. R2R DAC setups are known for their smooth, organic sound profile, we expect the same from the K11 R2R. On the other hand, the OG K11 was praised for its clean, transparent sound nature as well. It would be worth experimenting how it stands in from of the newer K11 R2R in terms of sound performance.

Non-Oversampling and Oversampling, Dual Operating Modes:-

The K11 R2R has dual operating modes featuring NOS(Non-Oversampling) and OS(Oversampling) modes. This is exclusive to the R2R version and is not available at all on the previous one. Both these modes are easily switchable on the K11 R2R. They actually offer two different sound profile or we can say sound characteristics on the R2R variant. We have the NOS mode that maintains the original sample rate of the sound signal while processing and then we have the OS mode that oversamples all the signals to 384khz during the processing. The NOS mode projects a smoother, musical presentation while the OS mode packs a cleaner and more detailed sound presentation.

Same Output Options, Slightly Lower Output Power:-

Both the K11 and the K11 R2R feature the same output options. We have dual line-out options featuring RCA and Coaxial digital output, and then we have dual headphone output options as well featuring 6.35mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced ports. The output power is slightly lower on the new R2R variant with an output thrust rating of up to 1300mW per channel(4.4mm balanced), this one used to be 1400mW on the OG K11, and the Single-ended 6.35mm port has an output power rating of 460mW per channel, this one used to be 520mW on the OG K11. However, we must add that this minor decrease in the output thrust won’t be noticeable in everyday usage. The K11 R2R still holds enough juice to drive high-power requiring transducers with ease.

Identical Input Options, Newer USB Support:-

Both the K11 and the K11 R2R feature the same input port options featuring USB Type-C, Coaxial, and Optical ports. Users can connect them with a variety of devices. The USB port here on the K11 R2R is now upgraded to newer generation with faster transfer speeds. The OG K11 houses a previous generation USB 2.0 Type-C port.

Newer Model, Newer Price:-

FiiO K11 R2R sees a slight bit of increase in the pricing department. The OG K11 is available for $129.99, and the newer K11 R2R is available for $169.99. For an extra $40, we are getting the magic of R2R along with NOS/OS dual operating modes, etc. Both the K11 and the K11 R2R offer spectacular performance as dedicated HiFi audio DAC/AMPs. So which one of these two is going to be your favourite now??