FiiO KA17 vs Topping DX3 Pro+

102 facts in comparison

Based on 179 Reddit opinions. Close race—DX3 Pro+ edges ahead.

179 opinions
DX3 Pro+ leads by 1pts
FiiO KA17
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.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
Topping DX3 Pro+
82%
B+
Based on
249 Redditors
Winner

Topping DX3 Pro+

~$199
106 opinions

tldr; Compact Topping. Bluetooth, decent power. Desktop saver.

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Sound QualityFeatures & ConnectivityAmp PerformanceNoise & InterferenceBuild Quality
🎵SOU
FEA
AMP
🔇NOI
🔧BUI
98
Points
66
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
94%42%
Features & Connectivity
100%33%
Amp Performance
100%100%
Noise & Interference
0%
Build Quality
0%

Why is Topping DX3 Pro+ better than FiiO KA17?

  • Higher Reddit score (82% vs 81%)
  • Compact
  • Bluetooth
  • Good value
Based on 415 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the DX3 Pro+

Winning by 1 points (82% vs 81%)

Compact
Bluetooth
Good value
High confidence (415 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 415 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

FiiO KA17
8.1/10
166 mentions
DX3 Pro+
8.2/10
249 mentions
AMP SECTION
FiiO KA1710.0/10
DX3 Pro+10.0/10
FEATURES
FiiO KA1710.0/10
DX3 Pro+3.3/10
SOUND QUALITY
FiiO KA179.4/10
DX3 Pro+4.2/10
VALUE
FiiO KA170.0/10
DX3 Pro+8.9/10
BUILD QUALITY
FiiO KA17N/A
DX3 Pro+0.0/10
NOISE
FiiO KA17N/A
DX3 Pro+0.0/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

FiiO KA17: 2|DX3 Pro+: 1
Amp Section
FiiO KA17100%
DX3 Pro+100%
FeaturesFiiO KA17
FiiO KA17100%
DX3 Pro+33%
Sound QualityFiiO KA17
FiiO KA1794%
DX3 Pro+42%
ValueDX3 Pro+
FiiO KA170%
DX3 Pro+89%
Build Quality
FiiO KA17N/A
DX3 Pro+0%
Noise
FiiO KA17N/A
DX3 Pro+0%
FiiO KA1781%
DX3 Pro+82%
Close race - DX3 Pro+ edges ahead by 1 points

Key Specs

SpecFiiO KA17Topping DX3 Pro+
DAC Chip
Dual ESS ES9069Q
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
Topping DX3 Pro+Winner
📏 Compact
📶 Bluetooth
💰 Good value
⚡ Powers most things

Topic Battles

FiiO KA17: 2|Tied: 3|DX3 Pro+: 0
🎵Sound Quality
FiiO KA17 wins
FiiO KA17
94%
DX3 Pro+
42%
Features & Connectivity
FiiO KA17 wins
FiiO KA17
100%
DX3 Pro+
33%
Amp Performance
FiiO KA17
100%
DX3 Pro+
100%
🔇Noise & Interference
FiiO KA17
DX3 Pro+
0%
🔧Build Quality
FiiO KA17
DX3 Pro+
0%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Topping DX3 Pro+

Best Praise
+5 pts
HD 660S2 and Topping DX3 Pro+ (the goat)
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+14 pts
I bought the Topping DX3 Pro+ last week and within 24hours is just died, stopped detecting any input source so I returned it to Amazon disheartened. I really loved the sound but immediately noticed some quirks which should not have been quirks like not being able to change volume display between % and dB, or the fact that the lowest display brightness differs between both MX and DX which bothered me. The Custom menu on the DX also has limited options compared to the MX3s, why? No reason for it! So someone recommended the Fiio K7, more powerful, balanced output, no display or faff, no remote, just a big dial and loads of power. I love the headphones out of the MX3s, but it's obvious the HD650s want more power than what the 100mW x2 @ 300 ohm MX puts out, I have to put the MX at -2dB to match the loudness of the K7's dial at 3 o'clock and that's just with the 6.35mm output which is 140mW @ 300 ohms. Had the 650s since 2014 and finally now getting the most out of them, balanced and 540mW 😎
r/headphones
View
3 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
View
Top 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
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

FiiO KA17
Topping DX3 Pro+
$150$180$210Jul '25Aug '25Oct '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Mar '26Apr '26Apr '26Low: $144.99Low: $169.15Current: $199
FiiO KA17
All-time low: $144.99(2025-11)
Topping DX3 Pro+
All-time low: $169.15(2022-11)

Which is Better?

Too Close to Call

Both products have nearly identical approval ratings (82% vs 81%). Choose based on your specific needs and preferences.

Why DX3 Pro+
  • Better Value for Money (89% vs 0%)
  • More discussed (249 vs 166)
Why FiiO KA17
  • Better Features (100% vs 33%)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

36%Positive
Positive
36%
Neutral
57%
Negative
7%
Based on 249 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

37%Positive
Positive
37%
Neutral
56%
Negative
7%
Based on 166 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Topping DX3 Pro+ or FiiO KA17?
Based on 415 Reddit comments, Topping DX3 Pro+ has a slight edge with 82% positive sentiment vs FiiO KA17's 81%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Topping DX3 Pro+ or FiiO KA17?
Both have similar approval ratings (82% vs 81%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Topping DX3 Pro+?
Reddit users highlight: Compact. Bluetooth. Good value. With 249 mentions and 82% 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 415 Reddit comments: 249 about Topping DX3 Pro+ 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.

179 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 7/12/2026