FiiO R9 Desktop Streamer DAC Amp – Dual ES9038PRO, 7.3W

The FiiO R9 is built for desktop listeners who want one device to handle streaming, digital-to-analog conversion, headphone amplification, and line-level preamplification without a tangle of separate boxes. At its heart sits a dual ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC paired with an 8-channel THX AAA 788+ amplifier delivering 7300 mW per channel into 32 Ω through a four-way fully balanced architecture. A five-stage fully-connected HiFi audio path routes the signal through carefully tuned IV, low-pass filter, gain, pre-amplification, and current expansion stages, with OPA2211 silicon-germanium op-amps keeping the noise floor low across five selectable gain levels — from sensitive IEMs up to demanding planar magnetic headphones.

A 6-inch 2160 × 1080 portrait touchscreen running open Android gives the R9 a smartphone-like interface, with Roon Ready preinstalled and LDAC Bluetooth for wireless sources. The rear panel offers an unusually broad selection of connections: dual RCA and XLR line outputs, optical and coaxial digital I/O, HDMI ARC, a LAN port for NAS streaming, USB 3.0, and an SD card slot. Headfonics reviewers highlight the R9's exceptional output power and versatile I/O as standout strengths. The unit is available in Black or Silver with a mirror-polished metal front and honeycomb-vent side panels.

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