FiiO Q5 Bluetooth aptX and DSD-Capable DAC Amplifier for PC/MobilePhone with Coaxial/Optical/USB/Line/Bluetooth Input

I use Grado SR-325e’s with my iPhone, iPad and laptop. I thought the Grado’s really improved my listening experience and was quite surprised the level of detail, speration and imaging occurred during listening to all kinds of music. Then I read about compact DACs and how they improve every aspect of the listening experience and was compelled to try one. After weeks of investigation, I choose the Q5. WOW!! They were correct in a big way. When you arrive at this level, many times (from past experience) the chase for greater audiophile levels is staggering diminishing returns. Not so with this little Q5 .... plenty of power, fast and clean bass, detailed vocals (on one recording I could hear the crackling of a cigarette burning deep on a heavy drag, and a guitar pick bounce on the floor), accurate highs (not too bright or over amplified), fantastic imaging, and depth with plenty of headroom. I can honesty say the Q5 improved everything. Bluetooth was seamless and no dimished quality from Cabling to BT. I am so in love I am relistening to everything bc the experience is so rich and invigorating. If you’re not using a compact DAC, you should seriously consider it. There’s a whole new world awaiting you. Just take the step you’ll be seriously shocked what is hidden in your music.

I was looking for a DAC that would replace my OPPO HA-2 because OPPO has gone out of business. In no uncertain terms, does this item, listed as one of the best DACs on the market now, compare with the OPPO. There is so much more clarity and sharpness in the HA-2. The FiiO Q5 simply doesn't compare. The Q5 does not have the power or the articulation of the OPPO. If you can find an OPPO HA-2 used, you will be better served if you are looking for a great DAC for headphones. BTW, the FiiO Q5 is substantially heavier than that OPPO.

Not sure where to start here. This little thing is packed to the roof with options and inputs. It's beautifully machined and operates like butter. The sound signature? The music was new, black polished chrome. And came over the summer like liquid night.It's used with the HD650, ÆON Flow Closed, Momentum 2.0 and played with a bunch of other sets and IEMs. I've hacked and re-wired all my cans for balanced playback and recently bought the AM3B (4.4mm balanced) amp module. Very little difference between the 2.5mm AM3A and 3B, but it is there (I think?).I'll put it very simply without all the 'phile gibberish - it sounds absolutely fantastic.- Jet black background, dead silent- Bluetooth audio quality is probably 95% of wired and SQ difference only noticed with good FLAC files. Also, firmware update fixed the distance. It doesn't cut out like it did out of the box.- Fast, retrieves lots of detail, and presents little to no distortion when you crank the sucker up.- Bass boost is very tasteful and feels natural on bass-shy cans.- Overall, it is very respectful of the source material moving through it and an absolute pleasure to use at work and at home.The only gripe I have is that the bluetooth chip doesn't support LDAC or APTX-HD -- and never will. But who cares when the existing bluetooth sounds so good as-is.*** Great Job FiiO *** clap clap clap

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not attempt to evaluate this device without first updating the firmware from the FiiO website. The early firmware has issues with frequency response and bass boost not sounding right.I listen to all uncompressed, mostly 24-bit 96khz, music. Much of it comes from hdtracks.com. Almost all of it is recent remasters. So I'm somewhat picky. I also listen almost exclusively using a USB connection to my MacBook Pro.My previous setup was the Q1 Mark 1 going into ATH-40X headphones. I had that for two years and was generally very happy. Very simple and inexpensive.I've recently switched to the ATH-50X cans. Also not very expensive. Great value for rock music. I've had much more expensive headphones and ear monitors but never hit on anything worth keeping.OK, back to the upgrade to the Q5. Long story short, I probably should be using the Q1 Mark 2 but am too lazy to switch now. Q5 comments:PROS- noticeably more detail than the Q1 Mark 1 (no idea about Q1 Mark 2)- flexibility of Bluetooth- Bluetooth sound is excellent (keep reading)- well constructed- separate power button and volume control with nice feel (unlike the Q1 Mk 1)- buttons are easy to see and well located (unlike the Q1)- stock amp module has more than enough power for my headphones and sounds greatCONS- Micro USB connectors degrade over time, and this one is no exception. I have to avoid moving the unit too much and often have to air-blow out the hole or bend the connector. FiiO should switch to USB-C which is a more reliable electrical connector.- The device powers off after a while if idle. This makes sense in wireless mode, but this makes no sense to me when the device is charging. I really dislike having to power the thing back on so it reconnects with my computer. I have a message out to their support folks on this.- Bluetooth does not, that is, CANNOT, sound as good as the wired USB connection because high-resolution (24-bit, 96khz, for example) bits are not transferred without loss given the inherent bandwidth of the Bluetooth version used. Unlike other reviewers, I can hear the difference and it's noticeable. I'm guessing that the next revision of Bluetooth (5.x) should have enough bandwidth to fix this for good. I see that the new Q5S uses newer Bluetooth, so I may switch to that if it can deliver HD samples from my Apple devices.- The bass boost is too much. I'd like to see a variable boost. Maybe a 4-position switch or a POT.- The buttons can be confusing. It takes some time getting used to. Not intuitive. Forward/Reverse/Pause work only in Bluetooth mode. You have to press them for seconds sometimes depending on what you want to do. Weird. The Q1 buttons were much simpler and minimalist.- I find the light a bit hard to see, particularly from an angle. I'd rather see some clearer point LEDs.- I also find it a little annoying that there are two USB ports. I'm surprised the bottom port can't draw more current. Maybe they should have used USB 3.x.I'm keeping the Q5 because the sound is a noticeable improvement over what I had and I like the flexibility of the Bluetooth and possibly upgrading to headphones that need more power. I also like the idea that FiiO might come out with a better amp module and I could switch out the current one for $99 and get better sound. If I got the Q1 Mark 2, I'd always wonder if I the Q5 would sound better. 4 stars because of the cons I listed.