Head to head ยท Headphones

FiiO KA5 USB DAC Headphone Amp vs HiFiMAN Sundara

Reddit prefers HiFiMAN Sundara โ€” higher sentiment (57% vs 55% positive).

FiiO KA5 USB DAC Headphone Amp
#2 in Headphones

FiiO

FiiO KA5 USB DAC Headphone Amp

$119.99

55

Pros

  • +Can drive aune ar5000
  • +favourite dongle

Cons

  • โˆ’sounded bad with high gain
  • โˆ’distortion with high gain
  • โˆ’underpowered for them
โ€œThe M21 sounds really similar to my KA5, which is my favourite dongleโ€
r/DigitalAudioPlayer
#2 in HeadphonesReddit favorite

HiFiMAN

HiFiMAN Sundara

57

Pros

  • +Great for instrumental music
  • +Violin hits different
  • +Great for eq
  • +Excellent value (refurbished)

Cons

  • โˆ’Replaced in the mindshare by many other headphones
  • โˆ’Too relaxed tuning for gaming
  • โˆ’Sounds flatter in game
  • โˆ’Gunshots lack punch in game
โ€œThere's no way the Sundara has been recommended so much it's top 5 in 2026. It's so hard to believe that just because it's been replaced in the mindshare by so many other headphones for years now.โ€

Specifications

SpecFiiO KA5 USB DAC Headphone Amp with 3.5mm and 4.4mm OutputsHiFiMAN Sundara
Driverโ€”80mm Planar Magnetic
Frequency Responseโ€”6Hzโ€“75kHz
Impedanceโ€”37ฮฉ
Typeโ€”Open-back
Weightโ€”372g
Connectivityโ€”3.5mm (with 6.35mm adapter)
Driver Typeโ€”Planar Magnetic
Price$119.99โ€”
Reddit sentiment55%57%
Mentions97