Short answer
Both are dongles, $79 against $75.
The Moondrop Dawn Pro reaches 100 dB on 561 of the 567 models here, the FiiO KA13 on 555.
| Specification | FiiO KA13 | Moondrop Dawn Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 50 mW | 125 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 10 mW | 27 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 5.0 mW | 13 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 2.5 mW | 6.7 mW |
| Output impedance | 1.7 Ω | 0.3 Ω unverified |
| Output noise | 2.5 µV | 1.5 µV |
| Price | $79 | $75 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 555 | 561 |
| Balanced | FiiO KA13 | Moondrop Dawn Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 260 mW | 500 mW derived |
| Power into 300Ω | 20 mW | 53 mW derived |
| Output impedance | 1.8 Ω | not published |
| Output noise | 4.6 µV | 1.3 µV |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 565 | 566 |
Through the balanced sockets the Moondrop Dawn Pro reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here and the FiiO KA13 on 565. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | FiiO KA13 | Moondrop Dawn Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Upper bound |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Upper bound |
| 300 Ω | Published | Upper bound |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Upper bound |
These two columns are not the same kind of number, and that matters more than the gap between them. FiiO KA13 publishes a power rating (at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω); Moondrop Dawn Pro publishes no power figure at any load, only a maximum output voltage, so every milliwatt in its column is a ceiling worked out from that voltage.
A ceiling assumes the amplifier holds that voltage into the load, and nothing on Moondrop Dawn Pro’s own sheet says it does. It is the most flattering reading available, and it is used here only because the alternative is a blank. Where the Moondrop Dawn Pro column looks the stronger of the two, treat the difference as unproven rather than measured. 24 of the 280 sources here are in that position, with no published power rating at any load.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the FiiO KA13 but not on the Moondrop Dawn Pro — Symphonium Zenith.
7 headphones reach 100 dB on the Moondrop Dawn Pro but not on the FiiO KA13 — Beyerdynamic DT 880 Edition (600Ω), Beyerdynamic DT 990 Edition (600Ω), HiFiMAN HE-6se V2, 4 more.
8 headphones stay below the audible-hiss threshold on the Moondrop Dawn Pro but cross it on the FiiO KA13 (64 Audio Fourte, Campfire Audio Andromeda 10, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 5 more).
554 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 Audio-Technica ATH-R70X: Moondrop Dawn Pro has +7 dB of headroom there against +3 dB. 4 dB is about 2.7 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 KA13 headroom | Moondrop Dawn Pro headroom | FiiO KA13 hiss | Moondrop Dawn Pro hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +30 dB damping | +29 dB | 22 dB | 18 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +10 dB damping | +9 dB | 2 dB | -2 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +15 dB | +19 dB | 1 dB | -4 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +10 dB | +14 dB | -4 dB | -8 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +8 dB | +11 dB | -5 dB | -9 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +3 dB | +7 dB | -11 dB | -15 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | -1 dB | +3 dB | -15 dB | -19 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | -3 dB | +1 dB | -17 dB | -21 dB |
The FiiO KA13 costs $4 more than the Moondrop Dawn Pro. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 1 more model driven to 100 dB.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper Moondrop Dawn Pro drives 7 models to 100 dB and keeps 8 below the audible-hiss threshold that the FiiO KA13 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 KA13 and Moondrop Dawn Pro.