Fosi Audio K5 Pro Gaming DAC Amp Full Review
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Versatile and robust DAC Amp from Fosi Audio optimized for Music, Gaming and pretty much everything else!
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:19 Build & Contents
02:18 DAC Structure & Configuration
05:55 Features & Sound
14:06 Social Media Performance
15:35 Gaming Test
21:20 Comparisons
26:50 Conclusions
Get Fosi Audio K5 Pro at:
my.e1personalaudio.com/produc...
fosiaudioshop.com/collections...
Shot On:
- Canon EOS R6 Mark2
- Canon EF 50mm F1.2 L USM (Primary)
- Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L USM (Secondary)
- ATOMOS Ninja V (Canon CLOG3 ProRes HQ 4K50P)
My Tidal Playlist:
tidal.com/browse/playlist/ba3... - Věda a technologie
That was the best review on web of this product, thank you
Thank you!!! 😁
I'm interested in how to enable the optical out. 😉😉
It's really versatile! And bass and treble knob are really useful! Great review Andy
It is Peter!. I am addicted to tweaking the Bass/Treble knobs haha. So much fun. And Thanks!
I discovered your channel recently. What exquisite work and full of details.
I also have a Sennheiser HD 650 so comparisons and tests are great for me.
Thank you very much and congratulations once again for the excellent work.
A hug from Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)
Saludos
Your review is absolutely so true. I paired this DAC with my HD599se.
This headphone is listed as 50 ohm and has a warm signature, wierd thing is that if you pick all settings for a 130 ohm then this headphone starts shining, it's advertised as an entry level audiophile but if you know it, it punches right into medium category easily.
I have a few other DACs which add warmth and sound great. This Fosi DAC is flat out neutral and crisp. I would never use it with any iem, in fact I will exclusively pair it only with open back headphones.
I thought I would return it if it didn't work for me. And I am never leaving this DAC, for only one reason. The stereo separation and soundstage width is so good I was speechless. It's not at all artificial, it feels like the best feature they don't advertise.
I subscribed to your channel. You actually reviewed this device, everyone just read out the soecs and stop there, you did deep research before you presented your findings. Thank you my good man.
Thanks so very much. You honor me with this feedback. Have a great weekend there, and enjoy the music!
Noice I have the hd599 too and i bought this dac yesterday because the volume is to low on my motherboard, glad to know that I will prob get way more then what I was expecting from this dac
Thank you for you Video and Infos. Have a nice Day :)
Thanks, you too!
Fantastic review thank you 👍
Thank You! 😁😁
I have one and it is truly brilliant for the price.
Hello Andy! Recently discovered your channel and I must congratulate you for such detailed and informative work. Recently I've purchased a a k5 pro, at the moment I have a Philips SHP 9500 with modded earpads for gaming, but I plan to make an upgrade in the near future. In your opinion, what would be a decent choice to pair with the k5 pro? (Budget is arround 150 - 200 dollars). Thanks!
Thanks man. If you want to spend up to $200, the I would recommend that you try a magnetic planar and in fact for just up to $100, you can get HiFiMan HE400SE Stealth version which is an amazing headphone both for music and gaming
спасибо за информацию, много полезного
My pleasure. Cheers
Hi Andy another great informative video, I'm thinking of adding this to my collection based on your recommendation for gaming one question I have is you mentioned the volume 16 out of 100 for this and 11 for the Megatron so is this based on maxing out the volume on the device and controlling the volume output on windows into your Fostex?
Thank you
Thanks, yes that is correct, Max on the K5 Pro and adjustment done on PC side, USB 3.0 connection
Thank you Andy for your quick response as always
Hey Andy I have bought this dac/amp as per your recommendation and it sounds very good paired with the Truthear zero blue moving from my motherboard audio
I am planning to save up and upgrade to the supermix4 and i am torn between smsl c200 and the topping dx3 pro+
Which of the 2 would you recommend?
Love your videos audio gears and gaming videos ♥️
Thanks!. Unfortunately I have no experience with either C200 or DX3Pro, but I can recommend JDS Labs Atom 2 Amp and DAC if you looking for upgrades
hey Andy, nice review as always. Actually im looking for a budget friendly desktop amp/dac for gaming (fps mainly) and found K5 Pro, Fiio E10K TC and ifi Uno. Which one would you prefer? Or it is okay if i buy portable dac/amp like truthear shio, DC03 pro to go with my pc? Any other amp/dac suggestion would be great as well
Sound like you need K5 Pro or Megatron, both designated for gaming as well and both friendly with price. If you want a bit more compact solution, then DC03Pro definitely fits the bill, just remember that DC03Pro or SHIO does not support MIC like K5 Pro or Megatron. Cheers.
@@donglemadness okay cool. thanks for the feedback 👍
lol. this review is adding to my ever-expanding choices! i read some reviews saying that it lacks end to end extension-- is that true? coz i was considering the sk01 and sk02, but they don't have a mic out. the mic out is a REALLY nice bonus. and if this sounds great or at least comparable to the sk, i'd choose this instead.
Yes that's true. This K5 Pro doesn't extend that far on both end of the spectrum but it's really not a deal breaker if you looking for reliable DAC/Amp
Hi Andy, thanks for the review. 👌
Would you still recommend the prime DAC + RA2B-FE over the Megatron? Will only be using it with harder to drive headphones so the noise floor isn't a concern.
My pleasure, yes absolutely Prime DAC+RA2BFE especially if you are pushing to squeeze every last ounces of headphones, Prime DAC is like a refined Megatron and not just because it is cleaner at floor noise
Another cool review Andy . How do you compare it against dc04 pro. I know dc04 pro is not Hifi sounding unlike k5pro, but was wondering which was more resolving.
Thanks. DC04Pro is both Hi-Fi yet analogue sounding, a difficult balance to achieve and exhibited only by 5 Stars rated dongles (except M15 and DC03 Pro of course). DC04pro is more resolving
@@donglemadness Awesome . Thanks Andy !
@@donglemadness Andy , finally after a 15 day long wait was able to listen to Megatron. It’s so good and cannot believe it’s only $50. I have many headphones and no hissing at all with any. Except for volume control and bulky size , it’s so resolving . A/b comparison with dc04 pro , I like the cheaper Megatron better. I used dc04pro only in NOS Mode. I tried both 3.5 and 4.4 ports. I also like the line out sound on Megatron when paired with an amp. Sounds like honey . I listened to some Indian songs , and it’s awesome . Thanks for the suggestion Andy . The price and quality for products such as these are indeed making audiophile quality affordable to everyone and not just for a few. You have any other VE product suggestion? They also sent me a Monk plus ear buds as a compliment and they are also good.
@@itellsri That cool Dan. You should know that VE already released an improved version of Megatron which is basically a dual DAC version of the same internals. And improved in a few areas as well.I have one I am testing now and already it is steadily taking over from Megatron as my regular PC DAC. You should also check out VE Asura 3.0, if you are into earbuds, or VE Supernova if you want great sounding headphones
@@donglemadness oh I wish I checked with you as I could have purchased the dual dac version. I am really not into ear buds as many of my friends got tinnitus after using earbuds . But they are travel friendly. When at leisure I always rely on my good old headphone’s like sennheiser or he400se. But thx for the info. I will surely checkout SuperNova for sure . By the way what’s your take on that Megatrn with dual dac . Is that more resolving than single dac ? What’s the product name as I don’t in VE site . Is it called PRIME DAC ?
hey andy, i saw a fosi k5 pro review on audiosiencereview, and they have a measurement of this unit and its not neutral at all, very far from it in fact, do you have that problem in your unit? that review was written on late 2022 and i wonder if fosi fixed the problem with newer unit.
I am not into ASR so I am not privy with measurements. To my ears, my K5 Pro sounded neutral as when tested with equally neutral and transparent IEMs like Etymotic ER4SR
@@donglemadness thanks for your insight!
hello, what is the better choice for listening black metal with beyerdynamics dt 770 pro 80 ohms (megatron, k5 pro, fiio q11 or something else) ?
For DT770 Pro, I would go for Q11. With Megatron or K5 Pro the sound can be a bit bright for DT770 Pro
hi, I found fosi k5 pro for a 68$ and I have dt 770 pro 250 ohms. can it handle my dt very well and full power? and do u recommend me to get it ? thanks a lot
Power wise yes K5 Pro can handle DT770 250 Ohm easily, I have tested K5 Pro with harder to drive headphones like 300 Ohm Sennheiser HD650 and even more demanding Fostex T40RP MK3 magnetic planar
I'm quite surprised that you're an avid gamer, too! Have you heard of the Aiyima DAC A2? I think it's similar with the Fosi Audio Q4 DAC. It's one of the cheapest desktop Dac amp out there usually around $30-40. I'm wondering if they will be good enough for IEMs and Headphones such as the SHP9500. Let me know your thoughts.
I will need to try the Aiyima DAC A2 first in order to have some thoughts on it, cheers
@@donglemadness hopefully you can try out one, soon! Cheers.
Ordered my aiyima dac a2 also cant wait! I hope it will revive my kz pr2, if not last option would be k5 pro or ve megatron.
@@Fear_BFG I can say it can power the PR2 Sufficiently. I just bought it recently. And if you hate its treble, you can use its EQ knobs to boost bass and reduce treble.
@@RussTeeRider wow! That im happy to hear, ill just have to canvass eartips and good cable,eyeing on the spiral dots and nicehck 16 core cable.
I only use my Beyerdynamic headphones with my MacBook Air M2. I wanted to use the K5 Pro Dac to simply add a bit of bass to my headphones or change the overall sound result a bit.
I received the Fosi Audio K5 Pro and am trying to connect it to my Mac.
The problem is that I can't turn on this DAC, I don't know what connection I should make.
I have the impression that the connection cables provided are insufficient. In the box there was only a USB-A cable at one end and USB-C at the other end: what is this cable for? I plugged the USB-A end of this cable into the computer and the USB-C end into the Fosi Audio, but nothing happens, nothing turns on.
There is also in the box another thinner cable with, at one end, two 3.5 mm jacks (i.e. audio + microphone) and at the other end a female socket for 3.5 mm jack.
Finally, the box also contained a cable with special optical plugs I think.
The only way to power the K5 Pro is from USB 5V feed shared with the Audio Data stream from the host. If it is not powering up, then the issue could be that the 5V feed may be lacking in Wattage or even voltage. If you have another PC you can try especially USB 3.0, you can test this. The cable is more than sufficient, all it need is a USB A to C. The Y split cable as mentioned in my video is for Headphone that has split MIC connection to it, K5 Pro is a dedicated MIC 3.5mm device hence the extra port but you use the Y cable to attach an integrated MIC headphones. And yes the last cables are optical for legacy audio feed to another DAC
I'm having issues with my seinheiser game one headphone/mic and discord. My voice input is very low and I have gone through all my windows 11 volume controls and discord, everything is maxed out, mic is close to my mouth but still people can't hear me loud enough. It is very frustrating. Would this K5 pro help improve my voice volume output?
Yes it can
Hi, I have a Marantz CD6005 cd player, can I connect using coaxial cable from the Marantz to the coaxial input on the Fosi K5 Pro?
Yes, I believe that should work if your CD6005 is capable of accepting coaxial feed
@@donglemadness The Marantz CD6005 has a coaxial and optical out. Thanks for the prompt reply!
hello😀, did you test it with the hifiman he400se? Do you think the K5 Pro can play it?
Yes it can, but the sound can be a bit brighter and energetic with the Treble, but you can also easily tune it down and then boost the Bass and Mids, then you get good balance
review ibasso dc06 please.
I hope so too!
Do you think there is a difference in connecting it to a wall outlet instead of the USB port on the PC?
Totally depends on how clean the wall power is, also on the USB power rating. USB PD 3.0 is of course more powerful than USB PD2.0
Would it be better to connect to a amp or pre amp? I want to be able to drive high end headphones.
K5 Pro already have the power to drive many high end phones directly. Power not an issue. Just perhaps a matter of synergy. Unless of course you are driving something like HiFiMan Susvara, then it is a different story
@@donglemadness would you recommend this one or the fiio New k3?
@@revplays6471 I would not be able to compare, I don't have a K3
Would it be better to connect this to a PC via optical or USB?
Better USB, you use optical only if you are feeding legacy old DAC which does not have USB capabilities
Hola,mejorará mi edifier S2000 mk3?
It depends on what you use now. If you are using direct from laptop or PC, then this DAC/Amp is better for your Edifier
I bought. Dac fosi audio k5 pro, and the microphone of this hyperx cloud silver hx-hscl-sr headset didn't work... 😔 I don't think it's compatible
HyperX Cloud Pro Gaming Headset - Silver seems to have inline audio controller which may be incompatible, do you use the Fosi Y splitter cable?
@@donglemadness Yes, I tried using the Y splitter cable, and it still didn't work, a very negative surprise, unfortunately I didn't have this information when I bought the k5 pro. And it's something that seems to have no solution.
@@donglemadness "There's actually 3 types of TRRS (tip ring ring sleeve) 3.5mm plugs.
There's the Camcorder AV type which isn't used for headphones.
CTIA/Apple
&
OMTP/Nokia
You probably need a CTIA/OMTP adapter - they're very cheap.
I can't be 100% sure about this, as I do not own any CTIA/OMTP products as far as I know, but it's the likely culprit. "
Someone in another video gave this information, do you think this could be it?
@@richardmendes2176 Tht's sad to hear
@@richardmendes2176 That may be it
Is there a latency while gaming ?
No, this is not like a wireless DAC, the response is real time
Is there any noise when you use iem?
Check 04:34 and I covered on that part, tested with super sensitive IEMs
@@donglemadness thanks
Yes, every set of IEM's I have has a very audible white noise present. Doesn't matter the input, COAX / OPT / USB all introduce a blanket sound. I don't get this sound when connected directly to the source or when using a dac dongle with a phone. This is talked about on other videos reviewing this dac as well as on reddit forums.
Hey, i have a problem with it. When i plug in my mic (Fifine K688), my IEMs start to have this little stuttering noise and when i join a Discord call my mic sounds muffled and very far away. Do you have a fix for that?
My IEMs are Kiwi Cadenza btw :).
I wish I know, it could be an issue somewhere with the input. Try another MIC to test if you can, otherwise it could be an indication the product might have issues
@@donglemadness Yeah so i tried my Rode nt usb and it had no problems. It was the Fifine and i might sell it now
Oh and also seling the dac/amp
If I connect it with iPhone/iPad, how is the battery consumption?
I would not know as I don't have any Apple products with me
@@donglemadness what about android?
@@prachwatcharaphan7332 You can expect 7-8 hours max on a 4000 mAh Android
I want these for my headset use for gaming, but can I use the optical connection to push sound to a soundbar when I'm not running a headset while plugged into my PC through USB. My PC doesn't have an optical port? The soundbar is a Sony HT SF200F that has HDMI ARC, Optical, and Bluetooth, but the Bluetooth is very laggy. Thanks
Yes, it is a simple optical to optical transport. So the K5 Pro can feed another device that can accept optical in
@@donglemadness Thanks Andy!
I'm hearing floor noise when connecting any IEM to my K5 pro gaming dac. Not exactly sure why your unit is not introducing white noise. This seems to be the common complaint with this cheap unit.
That's a sign of grounding issues that could creep in from the PC/Wall power, if that happen, there will be floor noises
Thank you for a kind reply. I’m well aware of grounding as I am an electrician. The audio is being run through fiber optic cable. I’m using high-quality sets of IEM’s. I’ve gone as far as running the dac/amp through a battery bank as to not introduce any interference. Still left with a decent white noise floor. We may have been given different devices with the same shell. You’re a reviewer and probably received one for free. I purchased mine from Amazon.
The cheaper Fosi stuff is really a gamble, it’s either perfect or not. My copy is superb but I got awful lucky. It’s a good travel DAC for me due to my job.
yea, i cant use it due to the floor noise, quite unacceptable to me
Plug it into a powerbank and test.. grounding issues are like plague which earn a bad reputation for very decent onboard audio.
name of mic? plz
LENSGO LYM-DMM1
@@donglemadness I have this dac. But i have bought ifi zen dac v2. I can read bu forum k6 pro gaming is bad