Congtats on the purchase!
Please come back with some impressions after some time if possible 
Especially on the usability side. Are you Android or iOS user?
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I’m curious how you like it.
Cute lil baby Panda 
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I guess it’s better than a waifu 
Probably is a waifu to some folks though.
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@astr0 … Odd that they are focusing on smaller & lighter on the P1 MAX 2. I just hope it keeps that flatter treble tuning.
Today was the perfect day. I took it off to run my wife to a couple doctor appointments, and the first one got rescheduled, so I had some listening time.
Fiio KA17 on Android
- it is stupidly easy to use - I am mostly using this on my phone, and just USB-C from my phone into the port on it ( cable included is decent too ). I turned the volume down, and switched to low gain. the only Fiio app integration appears to be for the EQ ( which I don’t use, and there is an EQ on/off in the menu ).
- the desktop mode is a “more power” switch - It basically doubles the output power, and I am running in low gain already. This has enough power for nearly anything that you could want, and might be overkill for my gear. My most powerful desktop amp outputs 1300mW, but I never turn that past 11 o’clock on the dial.
- the orange USB port is just a power port, and it stops drawing over the other one - For saving a phone battery this seems cool. I was able to charge my phone wirelessly while powering the KA17 with another cable
- my only complaint is that the function button can’t be setup as a play/pause - I think that it can’t until they integrate with the mobile app better. Short press is display on/off, long is menu access. It is also wired to my phone, so it they are inches apart and it is not an issue.
- there is a rotate display option - This was genius. Where I will likely use it at my desk, the display was upside down, but there is an option to rotate it.
- the case is color coordinated - I bought the blue one and the case was a lighter blue faux leather
The sound on the KA17 is very good, it seems neutral with maybe a hint of warmth. When I turn on desktop mode, all that extra power does what you expect, the bass hits with more authority, and the stage seems a bit wider.
I am enjoying cracking out my favorite IEMs, and I can say they all sound better on the KA17 than my other DAC/Amp do. I tend to say my best sources are the MT-604, Topping DX1, and Fiio BTR5, but this is better than those. If you wanted to replace a desktop setup with this you could. I am guessing that some of the larger options ( G5, Q11 ) might be impressive in their own way, but the power and size makes the KA17 an impressive value ( 650 mW for $150 ). It is smaller than the BTR5, but twice as thick.
I gave it whirl with my HE400se, which is my most power hungry set, and to put it to the test I ran it off my phone. It was the only thing that I felt like wanted power, but once I had it in high gain, and desktop mode on, it had lots of extra headroom, and I could have gone with either and been happy with the sound. I pulled out the S12, which is one of the few things I own cabled to 4.4mm, and it was pretty satisfying, desktop mode was a bit intense on that set, but it can be a bit too spicy at volume.
The squares are 1cm, and that is a BTR5 for scale ( all out of bananas )
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Ditto, keep the treble and bump the mid and sub bass a few db and this is a winner
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The literal only thing I would change about the OG pandas is the fit - if they can fix that and maybe just smoothen out the treble a bit, they’ll have a winner.
The issue with the OG Pandas is that it had such an amazingly unique tuning, how do you follow it up with a second set? You don’t wanna change the tuning too much because that’s the special sauce behind the name. We shell see.
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I just purchased P1 Max and waiting for it to arrive. 84$ was too good of a price.
Regarding its treble, have you tried pairing it with a really smooth source? FC6 comes to mind.
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For $84, they punch way way way above their price point. Depending on what you’re looking for in an IEM, they might also be the best under $100.
I have tried a smoother source with them and my favorite playback just happens to be with the FiiO BTR7. It’s the perfect balance between techs and musicality.
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Gotcha.
What about mesh filters?
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I really like it. It is the most ergonomical cable I have used so far… It’s very soft and flexible and not tangly at all… Also it looks super cool
From a sound perspective the overall presentation is very clean without added warmth and there’s a shift towards the uper frequencies making them more enhanced but without sounding harsh.
It seems to remove some of the midbass bloat from Legend Evo or maybe better said it does not add anything to that range like a copper cable potentially would.
Only dislike I have is that the “lightweight” accessories are not that lightweight at all and you can feel the weight of them pulling down the cable making it just a little bit uncomfortable behind the ear. The part of the ear hook is braided aswell making it a bit edgy (see picture)
I think it would have been better to twist the cables for the earhook as you can see it with some bigger cores.
I therefore started using the cable with my Kinda Lava and in that combination it is not uncomfortable at all so it’s a win afterall
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What about them?
Looks like it already has a stainless steel filter on it.
I assume he means modding it, brother
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A 300 grade damper should do away with that slight 2k peak sticking out without affecting the rest too much.
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How much of that 8k Peak can be attributed to measurement artifact do you reckon?
Probably is somewhat accurate as the peak is pretty wide and not that narrow.
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I was going to mention it but didn’t… but as you’re specifically asking after this aspect of them, I do hear the 8k peak, and it’s one reason (the main one for me) for why I don’t like this set.
A lot of tuners add an 8k boost to either flat or L shaped tunings to balance things out. I can assume from people’s responses and how common of a choice this is, that for most ears that’s necessary and is a wise decision for a lot of anatomies/sensitivities.
For mine it doesn’t balance things out, it just suddenly overexaggerates 8k in the mix artificially and annoyingly. It’s been the Achilles heel of a lot of warm/bassy/immersive sets I would have otherwise loved.
Edit: RIP Rosefinch for the same reason
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That’s a really great breakdown of the situation so thank you.
How effective is EQ in reducing? Too much resolution eliminated in the process?