FiiO KA17 vs SMSL SU-1
102 facts in comparison
Based on 276 Reddit opinions. SMSL SU-1SMSL SU-1 leads by 14 points.
276 opinions
SMSL SU-1 leads by 14pts
VS
81%
B+
Based on
166 Redditors
FiiO KA17
~$164.99
73 opinions
tldr; Flagship dongle DAC. Insane power, great PEQ, runs hot. The dongle that ate your desktop stack.
Check pricesVS
Reddit's Pick
95%
A+
Based on
390 Redditors
Winner
SMSL SU-1
~$84.99
203 opinions
tldr; Compact DAC. USB source, clean output. Basic but effective.
Check prices🎵SOU
⭐FEA
⚡AMP
🔇NOI
🔧BUI
98
Points
100
Points
Score by Category
Sound Quality
94%98%
Features & Connectivity
100%100%
Amp Performance
100%0%
Noise & Interference
—100%
Build Quality
—100%
Why is SMSL SU-1 better than FiiO KA17?
- Higher Reddit score (95% vs 81%)
- Compact
- Budget
- Clean output
Based on 556 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the SMSL SU-1SMSL SU-1
Winning by 14 points (95% vs 81%)
Compact
Budget
Clean output
High confidence (556 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 556 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
FiiO KA17
8.1/10
166 mentions
SMSL SU-1
9.5/10
390 mentions
AMP SECTION
FiiO KA1710.0/10
SMSL SU-10.0/10
FEATURES
FiiO KA1710.0/10
SMSL SU-110.0/10
SOUND QUALITY
FiiO KA179.4/10
SMSL SU-19.8/10
VALUE
FiiO KA170.0/10
SMSL SU-110.0/10
BUILD QUALITY
FiiO KA17N/A
SMSL SU-110.0/10
NOISE
FiiO KA17N/A
SMSL SU-110.0/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | FiiO KA17 | SMSL SU-1 |
|---|---|---|
Amp Section | 100% | 0% |
Features | 100% | 100% |
Sound Quality | 94% | 98% |
Value | 0% | 100% |
Build Quality | N/A | 100% |
Noise | N/A | 100% |
Category Wins
FiiO KA17: 1|SMSL SU-1: 4
Head to Head
FiiO KA17: 1|SMSL SU-1: 4
Amp SectionFiiO KA17
FiiO KA17100%
SMSL SU-10%
Features
FiiO KA17100%
SMSL SU-1100%
Sound QualitySMSL SU-1
FiiO KA1794%
SMSL SU-198%
ValueSMSL SU-1
FiiO KA170%
SMSL SU-1100%
Build QualitySMSL SU-1
FiiO KA17N/A
SMSL SU-1100%
NoiseSMSL SU-1
FiiO KA17N/A
SMSL SU-1100%
FiiO KA17
81%
95%
SMSL SU-1
FiiO KA1781%
SMSL SU-195%
SMSL SU-1 wins by 14 points
Key Specs
| Spec | FiiO KA17 | SMSL SU-1 |
|---|---|---|
| DAC Chip | Dual ESS ES9069Q | AKM AK4493S |
| USB Chip | XMOS XU316 (16-core) | — |
| Amp Chip | Fully balanced THX AAA 78+ | — |
| Output Power Balanced Desktop Mode | 650mW at 32 ohms | — |
| Sampling Rate Usb | Up to 768kHz/32bit, DSD512, MQA full decoding | — |
Key Highlights
FiiO KA17
⚡ Powers planars
🔧 Full PEQ onboard
🔥 Gets hot under load
💰 Premium dongle price
SMSL SU-1Winner
📏 Compact
💰 Budget
🔊 Clean output
🔧 Needs amp
Topic Battles
FiiO KA17: 1|Tied: 1|SMSL SU-1: 3
🎵Sound Quality
SMSL SU-1 winsFiiO KA17
94%
SMSL SU-1
98%
⭐Features & Connectivity
FiiO KA17
100%
SMSL SU-1
100%
⚡Amp Performance
FiiO KA17 winsFiiO KA17
100%
SMSL SU-1
0%
🔇Noise & Interference
SMSL SU-1 winsFiiO KA17
—
SMSL SU-1
100%
🔧Build Quality
SMSL SU-1 winsFiiO KA17
—
SMSL SU-1
100%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for SMSL SU-1
Best Praise
+14 pts“Thrift store DVD player with a good DAC like SMSL SU-1 will sound like a £1000 CD player. For £100.”
r/BudgetAudiophile
ViewTop Criticism
+1 pts“With a good $1000 DAC, sure, there will be imorovements. With SMSL SU-1, no I don't think so.”
r/BudgetAudiophile
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for FiiO KA17
Best Praise
+4 pts“Your hearing the intended tuning rather than the changes that come with your high output impedance sources. Run it balanced and use EQ. The KA17 is just straight up miles ahead of onboard audio, no matter what. And using almost all Bluetooth headphones wired bypasses the built in DSP that makes their tuning not total crap.”
r/HeadphoneAdvice
ViewTop Criticism
+1 pts“I’m experiencing popping and clicking sounds in the Tidal app when playing music in Exclusive Mode. I'm using a FiiO KA17 connected via a high-quality USB cable. I’ve also tried using a Type-C connection, but the same issue persists. The popping and clicking only occur with certain tracks, and only when Exclusive Mode is enabled. I’ve tried various fixes, including installing Soundkeeper, but nothing has helped. However, as soon as I disable Exclusive Mode, the issue disappears—even on the same problematic tracks. Has anyone else encountered this issue? And if so, how did you resolve it? For reference, my FiiO KA17 is updated to the latest firmware. My main settings are: Gain: Low Filter: Fast”
r/headphones
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
FiiO KA17
SMSL SU-1
📈Historical Price Data
FiiO KA17
SMSL SU-1
FiiO KA17
All-time low: $144.99(2025-11)
SMSL SU-1
All-time low: $67.99(2023-06)
Which is Better?
SMSL SU-1 Wins
95%
SU-1
vs
81%
KA17
SMSL SU-1 leads by 14 points based on 556 Reddit opinions.
Why SMSL SU-1Winner
- Better Value for Money (100% vs 0%)
- More discussed (390 vs 166)
Why FiiO KA17
- ⚡ Powers planars
- 🔧 Full PEQ onboard
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
51%Positive
Positive
51%Neutral
48%Negative
1%Based on 390 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
37%Positive
Positive
37%Neutral
56%Negative
7%Based on 166 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, SMSL SU-1 or FiiO KA17?
Based on 556 Reddit comments, SMSL SU-1 is the preferred choice with 95% positive sentiment vs FiiO KA17's 81%. SMSL SU-1 leads by 14 percentage points.
Should I buy SMSL SU-1 or FiiO KA17?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, SMSL SU-1 has stronger approval ratings (95% vs 81%). However, FiiO KA17 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about SMSL SU-1?
Reddit users highlight: Compact. Budget. Clean output. With 390 mentions and 95% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about FiiO KA17?
Reddit users highlight: Powers planars. Full PEQ onboard. Gets hot under load. With 166 mentions and 81% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 556 Reddit comments: 390 about SMSL SU-1 and 166 about FiiO KA17. Data was sourced from DACs community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
276 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 7/15/2026