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 number 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 decisions 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 completely different scale, and the KB3 is aimed on the funds section. The keyboard is available for $149 on Amazon, and whereas that is so much 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 underneath the Jade Audio label, very similar to the KA1, KA2, KA3, KA5, KA11, and KA13 DACs and JT1 headset. Jade Audio merchandise are aimed toward a youthful viewers, and the main target is to ship a great worth. I examined many of the merchandise branded underneath the Jade Audio umbrella, and I am but to run into one which I did not suggest — 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 us take a look at how the KB3 holds up as a keyboard. My day by day driver is Offended 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 customary 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 cut back sound resonance inside the chassis.
The KB3 would not have anyplace fairly the identical degree as bounciness that could be a attribute of the perfect gasket-mounted keyboards just like the Keychron Q1 Pro. If something, it’s simply as inflexible as an everyday mechanical keyboard, and if Fiio did not explicitly point out that it’s utilizing a gasket design, that truth 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 would not fairly have the identical really feel as different mechanical keyboards on this section, which use all-metal designs. That mentioned, I did not see any points with construct high quality by any means.
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 proper, and apart from a small Fiio emblem 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 perfect out of the RGB lighting results. The keycaps have a matte end and are nice to make use of, and if something, I choose 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 undoubtedly has so much to supply.
It would not fairly have the identical easy tactility as the dearer Gateron switches, nevertheless it holds up extremely effectively inside the KB3. And for those who do not like the texture of the linear change or wish 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 would not really hook up with the software program. The keyboard reveals up within the VIA gadget checklist, nevertheless it would not join, so I wasn’t in a position to customise the keys and tailor RGB lighting.
That mentioned, the keyboard has a number of preset RGB lighting results out of the field, and you may regulate the brightness of the RGB LEDs or disable them solely. Fiio did a great job with secondary legends, and you may change RGB results through keys F1 by F4, and use F9 by F12 to regulate music playback.
The keyboard connects through a removable USB-C cable, and what I like is that you simply 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 number of similarities to the KA13 when it comes to 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. General, the bundled DAC is a wonderful alternative 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 respectable 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.