Introduction

FiiO is a stalwart in the personal audio market, having enjoyed an established presence longer than most brands we have covered here. It also happens to be way bigger than the vast majority of audio brands still in operation today with product lines spanning not only IEMs and music players it is known for but also headphones, speakers, and DACs + amplifiers directly targeting the PC desktop space. FiiO releases so many products each year that it puts out an annual roadmap which I always go through to see what to expect. For example, recently we saw the new portable DAC/amp generation including the Q11 and the KA13, with the desktop sources getting similar treatment soon after. One thing that immediately caught my eye in the new product schedule was the K19 flagship DAC/amp which was meant to upstage the impressive K9 Pro ESS at the top of FiiO’s desktop source line—outside of the new R series that also includes network streaming—and brings with it a new design language as well as promising many exciting features.

The stock photos on this page already suggest the new FiiO K19 is a departure from the usual horizontal tank that the K9 series has been going for, with a vertical mount and integrated display on a much slimmer chassis. As with other recent FiiO launches, it comes in two color options allowing users to have black or white color-coordinated gear on their desktop. FiiO also promises full parametric EQ that is saved onboard as well as a dedicated DSP engine for mobile or desktop configuration, allowing you to fine-tune the headphones and IEMs connected to the K19 as you desire. Expect also to see everything but the kitchen sink when it comes to input and output options here and, of course, this should be a flagship DAC/amp given the use of two ES9039PRO DACs feeding an op-amp based amplifier setup capable of delivering up to 8 W per channel! Such is the nature of this product that I can’t even share screenshots of the spec sheet without taking over the entire page, so I will allow you to peruse through this page in your free time as we begin this review. Thanks to FiiO for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp!