It seems that the longest protracted FiiO finally saw the light. Announced a few years ago, top-end portable DAC and amplifier Q5, having undergone some redesign and changes of the concept, has found the real embodiment and will soon be available.
I guess this review won’t wonder “why in our age of the flowering of portable players of all sorts some may need a great mobile DAC and headphone amplifier?”. Judging by the fact that the same products CEntrance demand, connoisseurs of such devices is. Plus I suppose that for FiiO to release Q5 in some way became “a matter of honor”, because it is with a portable DAC/amp the E7 began the rise of the company to the top.
What is Q5? In the first place — quite a serious mobile DAC with two AK4490EN and fully balanced scheme. USB XMOS is responsible for providing all new-fangled buns, including DSD256, simultaneously received MFi certification ensures trouble-free operation with iOS devices. Not forgotten, and optical/coaxial inputs if suddenly you have overlooked some source for them. The idea of Wi-Fi had to be dropped (according to FiiO, too much noise), but for fans of besprovodnoy provided 4.2 Bluetooth with aptX. In the theory used in CSR8670 Bluetooth 5.0, FiiO and even provided the ability to update the firmware of the wireless module, but I wouldn’t count on the fact that such update will definitely be released. So take for granted what you already are: 4.2 and aptX (and AAC for iOS).
With the amplifying part of the question decided is also quite effectively — Q5 just working with modules for X7/X7II and come out of the box well-established AM3A (details about this module is the review of FiiO X7II). If desired, the flow Q5 can be changed using the huge amount of modules already released in the FiiO, but with a portable processor, in my opinion, the feasibility of this scenario remains in question.
This made the hybrid volume control, the case of milled aluminium, very good design, capacious battery, a complex filtration system supply of all units, and so on and so forth. In General, all applications on the seriousness of the Q5 is, however, a price tag of $ 350 to very much oblige.
Specifications
- DAC: 2 × AK4490EN
- USB interface XMOS XU208
- Bluetooth CSR8670
- OH: OPA1642×2, AD8620+OPA926
- Maximum resolution: up to 384 kHz/32 bit, DSD up to DSD256
- Recommended load impedance: normal output 16Ω ~ 150Ω, balanced output 16Ω ~ 300Ω
- Inputs: line/coaxial/optical, USB
- Battery: 3800 mAh
- Working time on single charge: >25 h in booster mode, >10 h in DAC mode
- Bluetooth 4.2 with support for aptX, AAC, SBC
- Weight: 195 g
- Dimensions: 124 mm × 64 mm × 16 mm
Line out
- Frequency range: 5 Hz ~ 90 kHz （- 3dB）
- Total harmonic distortion+noise: <0,001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥97 dB @ 1 kHz
- The ratio signal/noise: ≥115 dB
- Voltage: >1.8 Vrms
3.5 mm output
- Frequency range: 5Hz ~ 50kHz （- 3dB）
- Total harmonic distortion+noise: <0,001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥73 @ 1 kHz
- The ratio signal/noise: ≥115 dB
- Output impedance: <1,4 Ω
- Voltage: >6 V p-p
- Power: ≥160 mW @ 32Ω, ≥24 mW @ 300Ω
Balanced output
- Frequency range: 5Hz ~ 50kHz （- 3dB）
- Total harmonic distortion+noise: <0,001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥99 @ 1 kHz
- The ratio signal/noise: ≥115 dB
- Output impedance: <2Ω
- Voltage: >10.5 Vp-p
- Power: ≥440 mW @ 32Ω, ≥93 mW @ 300Ω
Packing and delivery
Everything is traditional for FiiO: double-layer box, good printing, sticker to check for originality and everything else we have seen.
Inside himself is Q5 and accessories:
- two sets of rubber rings in different sizes for attaching the harvester to the source
- silicone gasket to separate the gadgets in the “sandwich”
- mesh pouch on the puffs for storing Q5
- short Micro-USB to Lightning cable to connect to the iOS
- long USB to Micro-USB cable for charging or PC connection
- screwdriver to replace the amplifiers and a set of spare cogs
- coaxial adapter
- adapter optical input
- short analog cable with two right angle 3.5 mm Jack
- instructions and warranty cards
In General, the package is not bad, but a lot were not included, FiiO has already released (or will release soon) a lot of extra buns:
- leather case
- leather case for sharing Q5 and iPhone
- cable WM-Port to connect to Sony devices
- cables Micro-USB to Micro-USB and Micro-USB to USB-C for Android phones
Design and management
Appearance Q5 turned out well: an interesting combination of matte and polished (longitudinal texture) of the metals, perfect fit of all joints, perhaps, the quality and appearance is, if not the best mobile DACS, then one of the leaders of the race for this title. In fact, even insert leatherette on the rear panel is not capable to spoil appearance. It is, however, noted that the FiiO could not resist, and slightly popcicle player stickers (gold replacement “HighRes” and a pair of gray stickers with the “additional information”), but, I think, to bring them not be a problem.
Controls with different sides placed a lot. The right side has the volume control, power button inscribed into it and a separate indicator of svetodiody says “DSD” (I think its functionality is obvious). The volume control is very good, with a nice tight course, it uses already familiar in other products a hybrid scheme, providing smooth, quiet operation and absence of unbalance of the channels. Seasoned and “corporate style”: red ring around the power button, diagonal ribbed handle RG — all the things that I like to draw the attention of designers.
On the left side placed three buttons control the playback, unfortunately, they work only when the Bluetooth connection, which is weird because even the E18 was able to convey the control signals and USB. The middle button also serves to activate/deactivate Bluetooth and activate the “pairing” and the bottom switch cycles through input sources. There is also a small reset hole, but I never felt the need to use it. Also on the left side is the second charging MicroUSB port. Unlike the bottom, which secures data transfer this is designed to charge. However, if you wish, you can change their function places using the app (read about it below).
The upper panel contains two switch — bass boost and gain, and two jacks — line output, and combined input line/optics/coax. As in the previous developments of the company, the bass work is pretty neat and not make a sound in the world championship speed flatulence, as it often happens with other manufacturers. Boost operates exclusively with the region of the midbass and lower, gently adding the sound bit of weight and physicality.
The bottom side of the device reserved for the amplification module, Q5 is fully compatible with modules X7(II), so if you want the future owner can change the capacity and supply of their device in a fairly wide range, using all 6 released amplifiers. “In stock” Q5 equipped with the same AM3A, and X7 of the second generation, but apparently due to the different design of the preamplifier is able to develop with this module a little more capacity. As senior players of the company, at the junction of the amplification module and the main “bodies” placed a strip-indicator that illuminated in different colors. Then she indicates the selected input and power status (possible color combinations carefully transferred to a leaf-liner). If desired, the indication can also be disabled, but that processor it is not as bright as in the players, so personally it does not irritate me.
So as to overload the Q5 buttons FiiO does not like, and to give users the flagship more options would be nice, the company decided to move some settings to the app. App this was the FiiO Music, released along with the announcement of the Q5 last fall. When you connect the Q5 in the player menu appears a separate item that opens settings. What is most interesting to connect this player should only over Bluetooth, a wired connection is not working. Also left behind, and Android users about them in the FiiO promise to think is somewhere “in the first half of 2018”. What settings can I change?
- swap function USB ports
- to choose a digital filter (5 pieces)
- channel balance
- to turn off the led
- off timer when idle
Here you can see the battery level, unfortunately, FiiO did not implement the Protocol, allowing iPhone to show the battery level of the connected device, so the screen is the only place where the charge can be assessed before the red indicator will alert you when it’s time to charge.
Fortunately, the battery here is quite capacious, in spite of the high power mode DAC through any of the inputs Q5 works around 10 hours 15 minutes, while in booster mode — less than 24 hours, although I don’t think someone will use it that way. A full charge requires 3 hours and 20 minutes.
If we talk about the wireless interface (its stability, about the sound below), then the required 10 metres it can withstand with the stock, as well as scenarios like “phone in one pocket, DAC in the other.” The communication is stable, noise I never heard. In the instructions there is a warning about a possible deterioration of the reception, if you obscure the top part of the device but I problems needed to close the upper part of Q5, where the antenna with two hands. In General, the problem of “you are so keep it” is unlikely to be relevant here.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03, 99 Meze Classics, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda, 64 Audio U12, HUM Pristine and others. The transport used iPhone 6 Plus with FiiO Music and MacBook Pro with Audirvana 2016 through Bluetooth and wire.
First, a little about Bluetooth, I already touched on this topic a couple of times in previous reviews, but I think this too should be repeated. There used aptX codec is lossy, and at this point, most discerning audiophile, contemptuously wrinkling his nose, forget about the device. In practice, a well implemented aptX receivers, coupled with high-quality DAC and amplifier, provide a very small “drawdown” quality. It is definitely audible, but in the vast majority of cases I’m willing to put up with her, getting instead the portability and mobility. Q5 is implemented in a competent scheme in which the digital signal from the Bluetooth chip is fed directly to the AK-shki, bypassing the built-in CSR8670 decoder. Of course, to describe the sound, I still used the variant with connection by wire (it is necessary to evaluate the maximum), but the wireless connection degrades the picture very much.
This time in FiiO decided to do (or it happened by itself) is really neutral sound with a bias to almost monitor the flow. Of course, I’m talking about the stock version — changing of the amplification module or even banal enabling bass boost changing the situation, if not fundamentally, it is very noticeable.
NCH the Q5 is fast, have good hlestkost and depth. If you are accustomed to the addition of mass or some accents on the bottom of the range, by default, this harvester will not, but as options to change the sound there is not one, I think anyone can choose a suitable version of the submission of the bass. “Bottom” here has excellent texture and very decent for this price range separation of instruments.
Mid-range is also available in unembellished manner that provides the key feature of the Q5 sound — high sensitivity to the quality of the materials. And the quality here is not so much high resolutions and other shamanic operations, and mastering and information: entry should have the correct imaginary scene, preserve all the emotions and not to be zakompressirovano to brick. In this case, the harvester will delight the listener the perfect every nuance of the track, an excellent three-dimensional imaginary scene significantly more than the average depth, and width, emotions — all those that we love beautiful music.
I think experienced readers of reviews can imagine and HF in the performance Q5: detailed, bright and “top” with a nice resolution, the presence of stratification and excellent study of attacks. Attenuation, however, is a bit shorter than it should be, but it’s not audible on all tracks. In General, sensitive to the RF-range of people, the processor may not be suitable (although careful selection of headphones works wonders), but for lovers of natural flow “up” there will be very OK.
Compare the Q5 with the players, I will not, a benchmark is the FiiO X7-II, top Capos from FiiO approximately equal to “the level”, although a different pitch, I think, is still scheduled action is to assess the reaction of customers to really monitor sound. But comparisons with a couple of DACs here, of course, can not be avoided.
CEntrance BlueDAC. The closest competitor in price and features and sound. If you remove from consideration the design and some nezvalova opportunities, and to talk about sound, we can say that these two devices are really similar. Both offer neutral, detailed, and monitor sound. But BlueDAC slightly deeper in the bass and has a slightly higher resolution almost throughout the range. Side FiiO price and many additional features.
Cozoy Takt Pro. Relatively new from Cozoy has already surprised many with a very natural sound in a very compact package. Again, dropping the price and functional difference, and at the same time and not given the power, it turns out that the product Cozoy offers less analytical flow with a little more emphasis on bass and slightly lower resolution. Overall, from this comparison it is easy to extrapolate and the difference with Cozoy Rei.
Compatibility
Reserves of power Q5 without any problems enough for almost any headphone, and most of them don’t even have to turn on high Gain. Even with a fairly tight isodynamic models Q5 shows itself at a very good level (especially with the balanced outputs). “Downside” — the almost complete absence of noise for a wired connection, even with sensitive IEM. When connected via Bluetooth with the “Andromede” I still managed to hear a quiet background noise, but only in the pauses between the tracks, so I tend to think this is a very good result.
Stylistically, the Q5 is fully universal, the main thing — to potential owner tended it to a monitor, neutral serve. Critical to the level of the material is high, about 8 on a 10-point scale.
Of course, the review would be incomplete without tracks-examples
Tune-Yards — ABC123. I decided, therefore, to expand your range of interests, and more jazz in the stacks, with a few splashes of rock and classical music, so I had to move in the direction of the strange genres, called “indie”. And here at once — a great track to demonstrate neutrality Q5: assembled tight drums, a voluminous record filled with different “chips” melody, in a word — is where carousing decent DAC.
Marvin Gaye — Distant Lover. After wandering around the indie section, I was bored and decided to go back to something more familiar but not more ubiquitous nauseam. Therefore, the following has been extracted track by which alone can be the perfect test for CQ. But here, monitoring and technical supply Q5 shows itself in all its glory: the smallest nuances of voice, emotion, melodies — all played properly and without flaws.
Steven Wilson — Refuge. Well finish the collection I wanted something still familiar and a long time native, here came to the aid of the category of “Best rock releases 2017”, I hesitated between Wilson and plant, but the choice that you have. Challenging due to the external restraint, the melody is not a problem for the Q5, well win back and join, and more dynamic main part.
Insights
I don’t quite follow, who are the target audience of portable DACs, although their sales show that it — only my lack of understanding, and the demand for them is. So I don’t know who you are, mysterious users of the top mobile combine harvesters, but in the market there is another very interesting model, which obviously will compete with the recognized “pillars” of this segment.
PS If you like music and/or actively interested in the topic of portable audio — subscribe to my channel @PortaFi Telegram, where I am able to announce the reviews, sometimes I share news, thoughts and good music.
Review of FiiO portable DAC Q5 — the ship that waited so long
Pavel Dmitriev