FiiO has had a busy 2023 after launching a number of products, and the Chinese audio manufacturer shows no signs of slowing down this year. What’s interesting about Fiio’s presentation last year is that it entered a number of new categories, and it’s continuing that trend into 2024 with the launch of the KB3, a mechanical keyboard with a built-in DAC.
The KB3 debuted late last year, joining headsets like the FT3 and FT5 in building out Fiio’s desktop portfolio. The mechanical keyboard market has never been stronger, and if you want a spacer-mounted keyboard with tons of customizability, there are dozens of great options. By adding a DAC to the mix, Fiio hopes to make the KB3 stand out in a big way.
Fiio isn’t the only brand to decide to go this route – Moondrop also launched a keyboard with a DAC last year. But Fiio operates on a completely different scale, and KB3 is aimed at the budget market. The keyboard sells for $149 on Amazon, and while that’s a steep price for a mechanical keyboard, the addition of the DAC turns it into a 2-in-1 keyboard without much resemblance.
Before we get started, a little introduction to the brand. Sold under the Jade Audio label, the KB3 is very similar to the KA1, KA2, KA3, KA5, KA11 and KA13 DACs and the JT1 headphones. Jade Audio products are aimed at a younger audience with a focus on providing good value. I’ve tested most of the products under the Jade Audio brand and have yet to come across one that I wouldn’t recommend – the $29 KA11 dongle DAC is particularly outstanding.
I’ll get into the DAC aspect soon, but before that, let’s see how the KB3 performs as a keyboard. My daily driver is Angry Miao’s ridiculous Cyberboard R4; the keyboard has a unique design and sells for $750. The KB3 has a softer design and is smaller considering you get a keyless configuration.
The top plate is made of aluminum alloy and has the same brushed metal texture as Fiio’s high-end products such as K9 Pro DAC. Like other gasket-mount keyboards, the KB3 uses two layers of acoustic foam along with silicone gaskets and damping layers to reduce sound resonance within the chassis.
Nowhere does the KB3 achieve the same level of flex that’s a characteristic of the best spacer-mount keyboards, like the Keychron Q1 Pro. If anything, it’s just as sturdy as a regular mechanical keyboard, a fact that wouldn’t be obvious if FiiO didn’t explicitly mention that it uses a washer design.
Another issue is the choice of materials. KB3 uses a plastic bottom shell, which feels different from other mechanical keyboards in this field that use all-metal designs. That said, I didn’t notice any build quality issues.
Fiio’s design itself isn’t too over the top, the KB3 has a minimalist aesthetic that looks great. The only design feature is the red accented volume knob on the right side, and you can’t see any branding other than a small Fiio logo next to the F12 key.
The keycaps are undoubtedly the highlight of the show, and Fiio provides a transparent design that can take full advantage of the RGB lighting effects. The keycaps have a matte finish, which is very nice to use, and if anything, I prefer these to the Glacier keycaps that come standard on the Cyberboard. The keys have standard OEM outlines, with markings on the F and J home keys, and the clear design does an excellent job of diffusing light.
Fiio bundles the KB3 with Gateron’s G Pro 3.0 yellow switches, and they’re a perfect match. The linear switch is a pleasure to use and features a high actuation point (50g), 2mm pre-travel and 4mm total travel. Having used Gateron’s Box Ink V2 Black and Oil King switches extensively over the past 12 months, the G Pro 3.0 Yellow certainly has a lot to offer.
It doesn’t have the smooth tactile feel of the more expensive Gateron switches, but it works very well in the KB3. If you don’t like the feel of linear switches or want to use a different switch, you can easily replace them.
Like other keyless designs, the KB3 has 81 keys; you don’t get a dedicated numeric keypad, and the navigation keys are limited to insert, delete, page up, and page down. While I’m glad to see the keyboard has VIA integration, it doesn’t actually connect to the software. The keyboard shows up in the VIA device list, but it won’t connect so I can’t customize the keys and customize the RGB lighting.
That said, the keyboard has a lot of preset RGB lighting effects out of the box, and you can adjust the brightness of the RGB LEDs or disable them entirely. Fiio does a great job with secondary legends, and you can change the RGB effects with the F1 to F4 keys and adjust music playback with F9 to F12.
The keyboard connects via a detachable USB-C cable, and I like that it has two USB-A passthrough ports, so if you want to connect other accessories, you can do so easily.
Speaking of audio, there are two ports on the left side of the KB3: a single-ended 3.5mm connector and a balanced 4.4mm connector. It uses a Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip combined with an SG Micro SGM8262 amplifier to handle frequencies up to 384kHz/32-bit via PCM and DSD256.
There’s no shortage of power, with the DAC delivering 170mW at 32Ω via a 3.5mm port and up to 550mW at 32Ω via a balanced 4.4mm port. The KB3 is capable of driving any IEM on the market as well as more demanding headphones, I’ve used it with Fiio’s own FT3 headphones and JH5 monitors and it holds its own.
I’ve tested every DAC Fiio has released in the past 18 months, so I know the brand’s tuning and sonic characteristics. The KB3 has a lot of similarities to the KA13 in terms of sound, which isn’t surprising when you consider that they share the same hardware. The DAC delivers clean sound and a wide soundstage, and overall you get good dynamics.
The KB3 tends to deliver pleasantly vibrant bass, accompanied by natural mids and clear highs without any hiss. Overall, the bundled DAC is an excellent choice if you want the ability to drive demanding headphones while delivering engaging sound.
Ultimately, KB3 is a unique product that combines two niches into one. It’s a nice mechanical keyboard in its own right, and the inclusion of a DAC makes it even more desirable. As a 2-in-1 device, it has no challenge in this category.
FiiO KB3 HiFi Audio Mechanical Keyboard
If you want a mechanical keyboard, the KB3 is a great choice. The spacer-mounted design isn’t as springy as some others in this segment, but that’s offset by the fact that there’s a built-in DAC.