FiiO KA15 vs Hidizs S9 Pro

Both are dongles, both at $109.

The FiiO KA15 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the Hidizs S9 Pro on 560.

Through the balanced sockets the FiiO KA15 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here and the Hidizs S9 Pro on 564. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.

Both makers publish a power rating. FiiO KA15 publishes at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω; Hidizs S9 Pro 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 KA15 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.

What the labels mean.

6 headphones reach 100 dB on the FiiO KA15 but not on the Hidizs S9 Pro — Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA, Moondrop PARA 2, 3 more.

560 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 KA15 has +36 dB of headroom there against +28 dB. 8 dB is about 5.8 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.

The hiss columns are empty for Hidizs S9 Pro because that maker publishes no output noise figure.

These two cost the same, $109, so price settles nothing. Out of the 567 models here, the FiiO KA15 drives 6 models to 100 dB — and on the other side there is no such advantage at all.

Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.

Each in full: FiiO KA15 and Hidizs S9 Pro.