Cowon Q5W + SPDIF + iBasso D1 (review)

[Audelic Norm]

Got a Cowon Q5W last week and have put a system together.

Cowon Q5W>SPDIF>iBasso D1>DT770-Pro

I took the supplied multi-cable and wrapped it up tightly, only leaving the RCA SPDIF plug free. Shrinkwrap was then used to seal the cable bundle to the iBasso D1. The two were then stacked and held together with two large thick rubber bands. This is a quick fix until I make a custom SPDIF cable and case. Total system is about the size of a coke can.

Cowon Q5 vs iBasso D1 vs Drinks Can

Even though this setup is a little large I can't stop taking it around everywhere I go. This is because the sound just keeps blowing me away again and again. I just can't stop listening to my music. I had to throw away about 40% of the mp3s in my collection because it revealed flaws that were too glaring to stand (<190br). Hearing a high quality digital recording is like listening to pure heaven. It is just that clear and revealing (source and amp are under clean battery power). Soundstage is as wide and clear as your top of line headphones will permit, with the limiting factor being the quality of the DAC/AMP used. The SPDIF signal out of the Q5 must have a really clean and low jitter clock.

This system is a dream come true and the convergence of a lot of technology. I would rate the sound quality as the best I have ever heard from a portable system. Even without an external amp the sq is really good from the Q5. I would rate it better than the Cowon D2. I did an A/B with the headphone out from an iTouch. Well, the iTouch did sound really good, but after getting the eq on the Q5 to sound more like the iTouch, I realized the iTouch may be trying to stack the deck as it seems to inflate the mids a bit. This may be to help it better match the supplied headphones that come with the device. The Q5 had a better low range and controlled bass punch with very clear highs. The soundstage sounded larger from the Q5. The iTouch sounded more tuned for pop with a musical smaller compressed dynamic range. Going back to the iBasso put the headphone out from both to shame. To get the full benefit of this, good headphones are a must.


With a 60gb capacity I have put on about 2600 songs and about 40 feature length movies. However, I will have to go back and remux the movies with soundtracks at a 190 bit rate or better, since the sound is just that good now. Watching a movie with big booming sound effects and the DT770s is incredible. Every person I let try has that classic “Wow” reaction. They are all saying the same thing, "That sounds just like a real theater!"

This whole set up cost me about $1025 so far. I want to roll opamps and try modding the DT770s to make it sound even better

[OverlordXenu]

Don't make me want one more. I need to upgrade my computer.

[GUNS]

Thanks for the review Norm! I should be receiving my Q5W sometime next week which i am really looking forward to. I wonder if making a dedicated cable would help the sound out just that little bit more hmm. Please keep us posted with the cable by the way! Would you think about making a few extra to sell? I'd be very interested if so.

[goober-george]

Wow, I'd make excuses to travel, just so I could use that thing. Nice portable theater system.

[Caribou679]

Is their a line out on the player?

I do not have SPDIF , can it be used with headphone jack > amp> hp?

So the Cowon is wireless!! Nice...

[Cowon_1]

Originally Posted by Caribou679

Is their a line out on the player?

I do not have SPDIF , can it be used with headphone jack > amp> hp?

So the Cowon is wireless!! Nice...

The SPDIF is the "line out" a pure digital line out..connected to the rear digital inputs on the iBasso D1.

[Caribou679]

Originally Posted by Cowon_1

The SPDIF is the "line out" a pure digital line out..connected to the rear digital inputs on the iBasso D1.

OK, I will repeat my question:

I do not have a SPDIF input on my Go Vibe 7 amp. It's analog!

Is there a line-out on the Cowon player? Will I need a lod to get the line-out? Or will I need to use the headphone jack to go to my headphone amp?

regards,

[Musicboy]

I would like to have a rig like the cowonq5w>iBasso>headphones, but i need a smaler and less expensive player than the cowon q5w. Any suggestions?

[Audelic Norm]

Originally Posted by Caribou679

OK, I will repeat my question:

I do not have a SPDIF input on my Go Vibe 7 amp. It's analog!

Is there a line-out on the Cowon player? Will I need a lod to get the line-out? Or will I need to use the headphone jack to go to my headphone amp?

Yes, there is a pure analog line out. Please see page 7 of the manual.

http://download1.iaudiousa.com/JetAu...nual_1.0EN.pdf

[BlindTiger]

is that the wifi antenna sticking out?
and, that is one sweet piece of audio/video equipment.
I'm hoping some post holiday focus groups will come my way to finance this.

[Audelic Norm]

Sound Quality Update:

I did a long A/B comparison between my laptop with Foobar and USB to the iBasso D1 and the Q5W with SPDIF to the D1. First both were set to flat EQ and no DSPs. Since the iBasso was set to the same volume for both, SPL levels were the same. The exact digital files were played from both sources.

At first Foobar had a more musical and richer sound. Speraration was less and soundstage was tighter. Melodic notes were expressed in such a way that they came in front of the complexities of sound below. The bass was very smooth and clean but lacked some punch and reverb. It was more recessed and less detailed. The highs were very crisp and a little bright. A rasp sounded like a rasp with the rise and fall you expect.

The Q5W with SPDIF had a greater soundstage and instrument separation was very wide. The bass had more punch and reverb, with greater detail and tightness. The mid bass seemed to cloud the mids a bit. Melodic tones were no longer put in front, but fell into middle with everything else, competing to be heard. Likewise the highs were more recessed and put more in the background. A terrific amount of detail was there, but the notes seemed to be in competition with everything else. I would say the Q5/SPDIF was more wider, detailed, neutral and colder. Foobar/USB was more compressed, brighter and musical.

Then I added the Crossfeed DSP to Foobar and listened again. Well what would you know? Soundstage became much greater and instrument separation became wider. I then added a room reverb DSP and the bass became more punchy and tight. The highs became more recessed and melodic tones fell back into everything else. Comparing Foobar with the DSPs and the Q5 now, they both sounded more similar. The Q5 sounded better as I think the room reverb DSP in Foobar had too much impact on the sound. With just the crossfeed DSP in Foobar engaged, they both sounded really good, with Foobar still leading because it had a more enjoyable musical sound. The Q5 still had greater clean detail and separation. The Q5 has such a clean battery power supply that it results in a more sterile and clean detailed sound out. The Q5 is more solid state sounding.

The net result is that Foobar still rates as the best sounding source compared to the two. However, the fact remains that it is impractical to carry a laptop around to listen to my music on the go. For that the Q5 is the next best thing. By tweaking the EQ settings and bumping up the mids, I was able to bring out a more warmer, musical sound. The shear amount of detail and great soundstage makes the Q5/SPDIF/iBassoD1 almost too revealing at times. When a high quality digital recording is fed through it, it sounds almost too good to be true. It is like the first time you listened to your first set of high-end headphones; you hear things you never knew were in the music before. The downside is that no one part is over emphasized by much and this makes it sound a little less musical. However, once you get use to this kind of sound, this kind of detail is highly rewarding.

Also, more impressions rate the Q5 as having better sound quality over the Cowon D2.

Sound Qaulity: Q5 Versus D2 - iAudiophile.net Forums

[Audelic Norm]

Originally Posted by BlindTiger

is that the wifi antenna sticking out?

Yes, you need to take out the antenna to pick up a decent wifi signal. I would rate it about half as good as my laptop for signal reception. The upper part of the antenna is flexable, while the lower part is metal. There is metal joint at the base that allows you to bend it up so it is not sticking straight out like shown. This joint looks so fragile, I don't like to use it unless I really need to.

[Woof]

Audelic Norm,

Newbee's 1st post here. Great review, the first I've seen that gives me hope for the Q5's audio abilities.

I've been looking for a source for my particular needs and the Cowon seems to come the closest. I appriciate any comments or direction that anyone has to offer.

1. Lossless audio mass storage for both portable and home theater use. As it stands, the Q5W 60gb is ok to start out with and the DIY 120gb HD upgrade will help in the future.

Portable to me means a digital connection (s/pdif) to A/V receivers located in various rooms/buildings, a vehicle connection (line-out is ok), and an occasional headset (wired or bluetooth...but only if BT audio quality is half decent?).

The home theater app is trickier: a fully dedicated, acouticly treated room with theater seating, projection system and a half-decent audio system (pre/pro, dedicated amps, VMPS RM-40 main speakers, subs, floor shakers, etc..). A very "clean" digital output signal is needed for this application. In this situation it's job #1. Can anyone compare the Cowon's digitial out with say a good quality standalone CD/DVD player's s/pdif or hdmi audio output?

2. Display. I need some sort of display at the HT "sweet seat" chair with easy power & digital audio connection. A docking station (aka Archos 605) doesn't seem like it would work well with the theater seating and I don't want to run the projector to navigate a menu. Media servers and the like would certainly do the job but I would have to have some sort of video monitor at the sweet seat plus it doesn't solve the portability problem without duplicating efforts.

3. Does anyone know if the equalizer and/or audio effects are only on the analog outputs or do they also affect the digital out?

4. I have concerns about the UI. Not so much over the use of an older WinCE OS as I am the Cowon app. It just doesn't seem as refined, user friendly and pleasing to view as some of Cowon's other products. Anyone think that they will issue upgrades to the UI with larger finger button options, launch buttons across the screen (aka D2, A3, 605 style) instead of itty red bitty ones down the sides, bigger window(s) for album art, Playlists, Coverflow equivilant, etc.?

It seems the Q5W comes a little closer to my needs than the Archos 605. I'm not finding any particularly warm/fuzzy comments regarding the 605 analog outs and no comments on the "cleanliness" of the digital out.

Any assistance will be greatly appricated.

Woof

[OverlordXenu]

1b. I'm pretty sure it has bit-perfect output, and that's all that matters.

[bubbagump]

this is such a sweet setup. thanks for taking time to post the review. Most every D2 owner feels some sort of A2/3 or Q5 remorse. Its only offset by the size/bulk savings I enjoy!