FiiO KA17 vs WiiM Ultra
95 facts in comparison
Based on 623 Reddit opinions. WiiM UltraWiiM Ultra leads by 10 points.
623 opinions
WiiM Ultra leads by 10pts
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
91%
A
Based on
1,276 Redditors
Winner
WiiM Ultra
~$329
550 opinions
tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the WiiM Ultra. With 92% positive sentiment across 1,278 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.
Check prices🎵SOU
⭐FEA
⚡AMP
🔇NOI
🔧BUI
98
Points
81
Points
Score by Category
Sound Quality
94%83%
Features & Connectivity
100%87%
Amp Performance
100%75%
Noise & Interference
—100%
Build Quality
—57%
Why is WiiM Ultra better than FiiO KA17?
- Higher Reddit score (91% vs 81%)
Based on 1,442 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge
Reddit prefers the WiiM UltraWiiM Ultra
Winning by 10 points (91% vs 81%)
Higher Reddit score (91% vs 81%)
High confidence (1,442 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 1,442 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
FiiO KA17
8.1/10
166 mentions
WiiM Ultra
9.1/10
1,276 mentions
AMP SECTION
FiiO KA1710.0/10
WiiM Ultra7.5/10
FEATURES
FiiO KA1710.0/10
WiiM Ultra8.7/10
SOUND QUALITY
FiiO KA179.4/10
WiiM Ultra8.3/10
VALUE
FiiO KA170.0/10
WiiM Ultra8.1/10
BUILD QUALITY
FiiO KA17N/A
WiiM Ultra5.7/10
NOISE
FiiO KA17N/A
WiiM Ultra10.0/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | FiiO KA17 | WiiM Ultra |
|---|---|---|
Amp Section | 100% | 75% |
Features | 100% | 87% |
Sound Quality | 94% | 83% |
Value | 0% | 81% |
Build Quality | N/A | 57% |
Noise | N/A | 100% |
Category Wins
FiiO KA17: 3|WiiM Ultra: 3
Head to Head
FiiO KA17: 3|WiiM Ultra: 3
Amp SectionFiiO KA17
FiiO KA17100%
WiiM Ultra75%
FeaturesFiiO KA17
FiiO KA17100%
WiiM Ultra87%
Sound QualityFiiO KA17
FiiO KA1794%
WiiM Ultra83%
ValueWiiM Ultra
FiiO KA170%
WiiM Ultra81%
Build QualityWiiM Ultra
FiiO KA17N/A
WiiM Ultra57%
NoiseWiiM Ultra
FiiO KA17N/A
WiiM Ultra100%
FiiO KA17
81%
91%
WiiM Ultra
FiiO KA1781%
WiiM Ultra91%
WiiM Ultra wins by 10 points
Key Specs
| Spec | FiiO KA17 | WiiM Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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
WiiM UltraWinner
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
Topic Battles
FiiO KA17: 3|Tied: 0|WiiM Ultra: 2
🎵Sound Quality
FiiO KA17 winsFiiO KA17
94%
WiiM Ultra
83%
⭐Features & Connectivity
FiiO KA17 winsFiiO KA17
100%
WiiM Ultra
87%
⚡Amp Performance
FiiO KA17 winsFiiO KA17
100%
WiiM Ultra
75%
🔇Noise & Interference
WiiM Ultra winsFiiO KA17
—
WiiM Ultra
100%
🔧Build Quality
WiiM Ultra winsFiiO KA17
—
WiiM Ultra
57%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for WiiM Ultra
Best Praise
+28 pts“Really hoping WiiM comes out with some deals for the Ultra. Really want to get it but don’t want to pay full price.”
r/BudgetAudiophile
ViewTop Criticism
+21 pts“I've had the Wiim Pro Plus and the Ultra. I found that the only thing the Ultra added was a screen. The screen has limited functionality. Everything the screen does and more is on their home application. The screen is also too small to be used as an artwork display, it is also slow. It looks cool but not worth the extra money. Also, the Ultra does not work with AirPlay or Siri. I don't use Siri and AirPlay is limited to 48kbs, but at least it's there. I went withe the Ultra Pro Plus, and have not regretted it one bit.”
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
WiiM Ultra
📈Historical Price Data
FiiO KA17
WiiM Ultra
FiiO KA17
All-time low: $144.99(2025-11)
WiiM Ultra
All-time low: $263.2(2024-11)
Which is Better?
WiiM Ultra Wins
91%
Ultra
vs
81%
KA17
WiiM Ultra leads by 10 points based on 1,442 Reddit opinions.
Why WiiM UltraWinner
- Better Value for Money (81% vs 0%)
- More discussed (1,276 vs 166)
Why FiiO KA17
- Better Features (100% vs 87%)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
40%Positive
Positive
40%Neutral
57%Negative
3%Based on 1,276 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
37%Positive
Positive
37%Neutral
56%Negative
7%Based on 166 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, WiiM Ultra or FiiO KA17?
Based on 1,442 Reddit comments, WiiM Ultra is the preferred choice with 91% positive sentiment vs FiiO KA17's 81%. WiiM Ultra leads by 10 percentage points.
Should I buy WiiM Ultra or FiiO KA17?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, WiiM Ultra has stronger approval ratings (91% vs 81%). However, FiiO KA17 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about WiiM Ultra?
WiiM Ultra has 1,276 mentions on Reddit with 91% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
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 1,442 Reddit comments: 1,276 about WiiM Ultra 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.
623 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 7/26/2026