Short answer
Both are dongles, $29 against $20.
The FiiO KA11 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the JadeAudio JA11 on 547.
| Specification | FiiO KA11 | JadeAudio JA11 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 200 mW | 30 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 43 mW | 6.4 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 22 mW | 3.2 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 11 mW | 1.6 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.7 Ω | 0.5 Ω |
| Output noise | 1.7 µV | 1.7 µV |
| Price | $29 | $20 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 547 |
| As published | FiiO KA11 | JadeAudio JA11 |
|---|---|---|
| Outputs | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm (TRRS, supports CTIA/OMTP in-line controls) |
| Connection | USB-C or Lightning (separate editions), attached cable | USB-C, attached Type-C cable |
| Formats | PCM 384 kHz/32-bit, DSD256 | PCM 384 kHz/32-bit, DSD128 (DoP only; no native DSD) |
| Microphone | No in-line microphone support | In-line headset microphone and remote supported (calls, recording); enable in FiiO Control app |
| Weight | 8.5 g | 5 g |
| Dimensions | About 44.5 x 9.7 x 10.5 mm; cable about 65.5 mm | About 11 x 9 x 90 mm (body, cable included) |
Copied from the makers’ own pages: jadeaudio.com/details, jadeaudio.com/details, fiio.com/newsinfo/928503.html. Battery life is the maker’s own test figure.
| Load | FiiO KA11 | JadeAudio JA11 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. FiiO KA11 publishes at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω; JadeAudio JA11 at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 300 Ω only the FiiO KA11 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
19 headphones reach 100 dB on the FiiO KA11 but not on the JadeAudio JA11 — Beyerdynamic DT 880 Edition (600Ω), Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω), HiFiMAN HE-6se V2, 16 more.
3 headphones are left alone by the JadeAudio JA11 under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the FiiO KA11 (Campfire Audio Chimera, Moondrop Armature Art 12, Softears Volume).
547 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Shure SE846: FiiO KA11 has +35 dB of headroom there against +23 dB. 12 dB is about 16 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
Hiss below about 20 dB SPL is inaudible in a quiet room.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | FiiO KA11 headroom | JadeAudio JA11 headroom | FiiO KA11 hiss | JadeAudio JA11 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +35 dB | +23 dB | 19 dB | 19 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | +3 dB | -1 dB | -1 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +21 dB | +12 dB | -3 dB | -3 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +16 dB | +8 dB | -7 dB | -7 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +14 dB | +5 dB | -8 dB | -8 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +9 dB | +1 dB | -14 dB | -14 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +5 dB | -3 dB | -18 dB | -18 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +3 dB | -5 dB | -20 dB | -20 dB |
The FiiO KA11 costs $9 more than the JadeAudio JA11. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 19 more models driven to 100 dB.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper JadeAudio JA11 leaves 3 models alone under the one-eighth rule that the FiiO KA11 does not, which is the part worth checking against your own headphones before paying the difference.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: FiiO KA11 and JadeAudio JA11.