If you'd like to your music to take you higher, FiiO has just the thing: a ladder. Its new K13 R2R DAC contains resistor ladder decoding technology that promises to deliver a luxurious audio experience - and there's a porthole on top so you can take a peek at the electronics as you enjoy their output.
The resistor ladder is a "painstakingly designed" array of resistors that FiiO says decodes audio with a more natural and organic sound, and it's been paired with the firm's proprietary error correction algorithm to deliver precise matching and linearity with ultra-low distortion. FiiO reckons that the result combines sonic accuracy with warmth and natural flow.
The K13 R2R features an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) + DSP system that takes care of the digital signal processing, oversampling and clocking, and it supports PCM up to 1,536kHz and DSD1024.
With 2,400mW of power, the K13 R2R can handle sensitive IEMs and full-powered planar headphones, and there are selectable gain levels capable of powering headphones with 600-ohm resistance.
There are balanced XLR and 4.4mm headphone outs, a single-ended 6.35mm headphone socket and balanced and single-ended line-outs for active monitors, making this a very flexible DAC indeed. FiiO says it's not just a DAC but a platform: it has a XMOS XU316 USB receiver and features USB, optical, co-ax and I²S inputs to deliver very wide connectivity and compatibility.
The new FiiO K13 R2R will go on sale this month, September 2025, with an RRP of $319 / £279 / €319 (about AU$570).