Fiio had a busy 2023 on the again of a number of product releases, and the Chinese language audio producer has no indicators of slowing down this yr. What’s attention-grabbing about Fiio’s exhibiting final yr is that it entered a whole lot of new classes, and it is persevering with that pattern into 2024 with the introduction of the KB3, a mechanical keyboard that has a DAC built-in.
The KB3 debuted on the finish of final yr, and joins the likes of the FT3 and FT5 headsets in constructing out Fiio’s desktop portfolio. The mechanical keyboard market has by no means been stronger, and there are dozens of nice selections if you need a gasket-mounted keyboard with loads of customizability. By including a DAC to the combo, Fiio is seeking to differentiate the KB3 to a substantial diploma.
Fiio is not the one model that determined to go this route — Moondrop additionally rolled out a keyboard with a DAC final yr. However Fiio operates at a completely totally different scale, and the KB3 is aimed on the funds section. The keyboard is accessible for $149 on Amazon, and whereas that is loads for a mechanical keyboard, the inclusion of the DAC turns this right into a two-in-one that does not have many parallels.
Earlier than we get began, a phrase on the branding. The KB3 is bought below the Jade Audio label, very similar to the KA1, KA2, KA3, KA5, KA11, and KA13 DACs and JT1 headset. Jade Audio merchandise are geared toward a youthful viewers, and the main target is to ship a very good worth. I examined a lot of the merchandise branded below the Jade Audio umbrella, and I am but to run into one which I did not advocate — the $29 KA11 dongle DAC specifically is excellent.
I am going to get to the DAC facet of issues shortly, however earlier than that, let’s take a look at how the KB3 holds up as a keyboard. My day by day driver is Indignant Miao’s ridiculous Cyberboard R4; the keyboard has a singular design and prices $750. The KB3 has a way more subdued design, and it’s on the smaller facet contemplating you get a tenkeyless configuration.
The highest plate is common out of aluminum and has the identical brushed steel texture because the K9 Professional DAC and different high-end Fiio merchandise. Like different gasket-mounted keyboards, the KB3 makes use of two layers of sound absorbing foam together with silicone gaskets and a dampening layer to scale back sound resonance throughout the chassis.
The KB3 does not have wherever fairly the identical stage as bounciness that may be a attribute of the very best gasket-mounted keyboards just like the Keychron Q1 Professional. If something, it’s simply as inflexible as a daily mechanical keyboard, and if Fiio did not explicitly point out that it’s utilizing a gasket design, that reality would not have been apparent.
One other quibble is the selection of supplies; the KB3 makes use of a backside case that is made out of plastic, and it does not fairly have the identical really feel as different mechanical keyboards on this section, which use all-metal designs. That stated, I did not see any points with construct high quality in any respect.
Fiio did not go overboard with the design itself, and the KB3 has a minimalist aesthetic that appears nice. The one design aptitude is the red-accented quantity knob that is positioned on the best, and aside from a small Fiio brand subsequent to the F12 key, you aren’t getting any branding.
The keycaps are the particular star of the present, with Fiio providing a clear design that brings the very best out of the RGB lighting results. The keycaps have a matte end and are nice to make use of, and if something, I favor these to the Glacier keycaps that come as normal on the Cyberboard. The keys use the usual OEM profile with markers on the F and J homing keys, and the see-through design is terrific at diffusing mild.
Fiio bundles the KB3 with Gateron’s G Professional 3.0 yellow switches, and so they’re a superb pairing. The linear switches are pleasant to make use of, and so they have a excessive actuation level (50g) together with a 2mm pre-travel and 4mm whole journey. Having used Gateron’s Field Ink V2 Black and Oil King switches extensively over the course of the final 12 months, the G Professional 3.0 yellow positively has loads to supply.
It does not fairly have the identical easy tactility as the more expensive Gateron switches, however it holds up extremely properly throughout the KB3. And should you do not like the texture of the linear swap or need to use one thing else, you’ll be able to simply swap them out.
Like different tenkeyless designs, the KB3 has a complete of 81 keys; you aren’t getting a devoted quantity pad, and the navigation keys are restricted to Insert, Delete, Web page Up, and Web page Down. Whereas I used to be excited to see that the keyboard has VIA integration, it does not truly connect with the software program. The keyboard exhibits up within the VIA gadget record, however it does not join, so I wasn’t capable of customise the keys and tailor RGB lighting.
That stated, the keyboard has a whole lot of preset RGB lighting results out of the field, and you may alter the brightness of the RGB LEDs or disable them completely. Fiio did a very good job with secondary legends, and you may change RGB results through keys F1 via F4, and use F9 via F12 to regulate music playback.
The keyboard connects through a removable USB-C cable, and what I like is that you just get two USB-A passthrough ports, so if you wish to join different equipment, you are able to do so with ease.
Coming to the audio facet of issues, the KB3 has two ports on the left: single-ended 3.5mm and a balanced 4.4mm connector. It makes use of a Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip mixed with an SG Micro SGM8262 amp, and it handles as much as 384kHz/32-bit over PCM and DSD256.
There isn’t any scarcity of energy, with the DAC offering 170mW through the three.5mm port at 32Ω, going as much as 550mW over the balanced 4.4mm port at 32Ω. The KB3 is ready to drive any IEM available on the market in addition to demanding headsets, and I used it with Fiio’s personal FT3 headset and JH5 screens, and it held its personal.
I examined all of the DACs that Fiio launched over the past 18 months, so I am conscious of the model’s tuning and sound traits. The KB3 shares a whole lot of similarities to the KA13 by way of the sound, and that is not astonishing when you think about they share the identical {hardware}. The DAC delivers a clear sound with a large soundstage, and also you get good dynamics general.
The KB3 tends to ship a vibrant low-end that is pleasant, and that is joined by pure mids and clear highs with no trace of sibilance. Total, the bundled DAC is a wonderful selection if you need one thing that may drive demanding headsets whereas delivering an attractive sound.
In the end, the KB3 is a singular providing that mixes two niches right into a single product. It’s a first rate mechanical keyboard in its personal proper, and the inclusion of a DAC makes it that rather more fascinating. As a two-in-one gadget, it’s unchallenged on this class.