Which KEYSION Portable DAC? 01 vs 02 vs 02 Pro Compared, With Buying Advice
All three get asked about in one breath: "What's the difference, which one do I buy?" This article puts the specs into a single table and gives a straight answer.
- KEYSION 01 (CNY 219, USD 33): the entry model, PCM 384kHz, built to give IEM listeners the cleanest possible source.
- KEYSION 02 (CNY 349, USD 53): the workhorse, PCM 768kHz + 361mW - IEM-first with room for over-ears.
- KEYSION 02 Pro (CNY 499, USD 76): the flagship, 551mW - the answer for high-impedance and planar headphones.
| Spec | 01 | 02 | 02 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output power | — | 361mW | 551mW |
| PCM decoding | 32bit/384kHz | 32bit/768kHz | 32bit/768kHz |
| DSD Native | 64/128/256 | 64/128/256 | 64/128/256 |
| Signal-to-noise | 130dB@3.5mm | 130dB@4.4 / 125dB@3.5 | 135dB@4.4 / 130dB@3.5 |
| Distortion | -115dB@3.5mm | -115dB (both ports) | -121dB@4.4 / -118dB@3.5 |
| Noise floor | 0.85μV@3.5mm | 1.02μV@4.4 / 0.85μV@3.5 | 1.30μV@4.4 / 0.99μV@3.5 |
| Impedance matching | 16-600Ω | 16-600Ω | 16-600Ω |
| Ports | 3.5mm | 3.5mm + 4.4mm | 3.5mm + 4.4mm |
The key to this table is the power row: the 01 has no rated power figure because its design target is IEMs, and the price gap between the 02 and the 02 Pro lives almost entirely in power and extreme SNR. Decoding (DSD256) is identical across all three - nobody got shortchanged.
- IEMs only, straight from the phone: the 01. The line's lowest noise floor at 0.85μV pairs perfectly with sensitive IEMs, and 384kHz is plenty for streaming lossless.
- IEM-first, occasional over-ears: the 02. 361mW is enough for over-ears under 250Ω, and 768kHz future-proofs the spec in one step.
- High-impedance / planar / desk-plus-mobile: the 02 Pro. The 551mW reserve is what keeps big dynamics from collapsing at this DAC first.
There is a fourth road: if the budget is genuinely tight and the need is just "a clean signal from my phone", the H-Turbo S2 (CNY 59, USD 9) cable-style DAC amp also solves it - at the cost of a lower performance ceiling and material grade.
- "Higher specs are always better" - you may not own a single 768kHz file; budget spent on specs you cannot use is better spent on power.
- "Lower noise numbers are always better" - the difference between 0.85 and 0.99μV sits far below the audibility threshold; do not lose sleep over it.
- "A DAC will transform my sound" - it fixes hiss, power and decoding; the biggest share of sound quality is, and always was, the headphones themselves.
FAQ
Do all three have a 4.4mm balanced port?
Not all three. The 02 and 02 Pro offer 3.5mm single-ended + 4.4mm balanced dual outputs; the 01 has a single 3.5mm output only. If you want balanced, start from the 02.
The 01 has no power rating - can it drive over-ears?
The 01 is designed for IEMs. Low-impedance portable over-ears will make sound, but power and control fall short of the 02 / 02 Pro; long-term over-ear users should not start at the 01.
Which one is safe to buy now if I plan to upgrade headphones later?
Planning to go over-ear within a year - start at the 02. Already locked onto high-impedance planars or full-size cans - go straight to the 02 Pro and skip the upgrade churn.
Can all three work as an external sound card for a computer?
All of them. Type C into the computer; on Windows use WASAPI / ASIO exclusive output, on Mac it is plug and play.
