FiiO Q5, Flagship DAC/Amp, an Dual DAC, USB/Optical/Coaxial/Line in, share the same amp module with X7.
Mar 22, 2018 at 9:32 AM Post #1,563 of 3,173
Be careful how you stack them. The R3 is a glass back and will likely fracture if too much stress is put in it via bonding. Pota pita or something like that would work good
I hope that Hiby will offer a simple cover/case for the R3.
Yes, pota pita I used in the past - nice stuff.
 
Mar 22, 2018 at 2:30 PM Post #1,565 of 3,173
Hi guys,
I was wondering what the pros and cons are of having a smartphone and DAC vs a dap?
Well, to me the reason is better sound quality in the same price niche in general.
I still consider my Master (MSRP ~$1450) is having better SQ than any DAP on the market today if you pair it with a 1-2 driver BA or low impedance multidriver. I could not find anything close, at least. It also works perfectly as a DAC/Preamp in parallel.
 
Last edited:
Mar 23, 2018 at 5:11 AM Post #1,566 of 3,173
Hi, yes I mean the Q5 is in pairing mode. Through the headphones I hear it say “pairing”. The iPhone does not detect the Q5 from the Bluetooth list, but does see other devices in the area. The Q5 is right next to the iPhone. I’ve tried holding the pairing button down for 5 seconds so it goes directly into pair mode and forgot previously paired phones, same result.

Again, sometimes after a while the Q5 pops up in the Bluetooth list, but when I try to pair with it my phone says it can’t.

I’ve tried using my MacBook Pro (2018) and iPad. Same results.

Tried powering off all devices and turning them back on. Same results.
Dear friend,

After pairing the Q5 for the first time, would it shows at paired devices list in your iPhone? If yes, you could hold the pairing button for 2s to turn on the Bluetooh in the Q5 first(Blue light shows up), then choose the Q5 from paired list to see if it helps?

Best regards
 
FiiO Stay updated on FiiO at their sponsor profile on Head-Fi.
 
https://www.facebook.com/FiiOAUDIO https://twitter.com/FiiO_official https://www.instagram.com/fiioofficial/ https://www.fiio.com support@fiio.com
Mar 23, 2018 at 7:32 AM Post #1,567 of 3,173
Dear friend,

After pairing the Q5 for the first time, would it shows at paired devices list in your iPhone? If yes, you could hold the pairing button for 2s to turn on the Bluetooh in the Q5 first(Blue light shows up), then choose the Q5 from paired list to see if it helps?

Best regards

Hi — it’s not in the list of paired devices on my iPhone. Every time I try to pair with my phone, my phone says pairing failed so it does not save to list of paired devices.

Holding the Bluetooth button on the Q5 for only two seconds causes the blue light to start flashing. After maybe 5 or 10 more seconds (of not holding the button) the Q5 switches into pairing mode (blue/red light).

It’s sounds like I probably need to send it back to Amazon for a replacement.
 
Mar 23, 2018 at 2:15 PM Post #1,568 of 3,173
Is this going to be a worthy upgrade from my creative sound blaster e3?
I use Bluetooth only and wasn’t into audio when I got it but 4 years later it is coming in handy because it has a notable improvement over my iPhone 7.
I really only wanted to spend $200-$250 for a portable dac/amp with Bluetooth and this is $350 so it would have to be a very noticeable upgrade. I cannot find any portable dac/amp under $250 with the Bluetooth feature that’s an upgrade from my $100 E3.
I do not like stacking and do not need balanced or more power since I use it for my Campfire Lyra II and UE900s which I use around the house and the grocery store/road trips/dog walks daily which is why I don’t want to stack and need Bluetooth
 
Mar 23, 2018 at 2:35 PM Post #1,569 of 3,173
Is this going to be a worthy upgrade from my creative sound blaster e3?
I use Bluetooth only and wasn’t into audio when I got it but 4 years later it is coming in handy because it has a notable improvement over my iPhone 7.
I really only wanted to spend $200-$250 for a portable dac/amp with Bluetooth and this is $350 so it would have to be a very noticeable upgrade. I cannot find any portable dac/amp under $250 with the Bluetooth feature that’s an upgrade from my $100 E3.
I do not like stacking and do not need balanced or more power since I use it for my Campfire Lyra II and UE900s which I use around the house and the grocery store/road trips/dog walks daily which is why I don’t want to stack and need Bluetooth

I see Creative Sound as a gaming company, that's just me but if the Q5 is expensive There the A&K XB10
https://www.amazon.com/Astell-Kern-Portable-Bluetooth-Amplifier/dp/B01M0PDYF4

and this, here a review against each other- https://www.ebay.com/p/Nexum-Aqua-W.../5010537221?var=552426272423&iid=253283424315
https://www.ebay.com/p/Nexum-Aqua-W.../5010537221?var=552426272423&iid=253283424315
 
Mar 23, 2018 at 4:45 PM Post #1,570 of 3,173
I’ve had my Q5 for about a week now and just wanted to give my impressions so far. I tried it with my SE535s (Red), Edition 8, and LCD-2 (Rev 2). I’ve tried both Bluetooth and wired to my iPhone 7 with lightning cable. Both connections sound pretty similar, IMO. I’m playing mostly ALAC files, so YMMV. Best pairing is actually the LCD-2, to my surprise. Worst pairing is the Edition 8, which in a way, does not surprise me.

I use the high gain for the LCD-2, maybe I should try the same with Edition 8. I’m at pretty much 12 o’clock with LCD-2. I’m at about 11-11:30 on the 535s, but on low gain.

I listen to mostly pop, rock and R&B, with a sprinkling of almost everything else. I find the strength of this unit to be the vocals, which is of utmost importance to me. The bass on the 535s does slightly bleed into the mids, which isn’t ideal, but not a deal breaker. I need to give another listen with the Edition 8s, but I found the treble to be a little too bright on them.

The LCD-2 sounds just right and very close, if not a little recessed, compared to my desktop setup of Violectric V200 + Yulong D100. On that setup, I’m usually at 11 o’clock with the LCDs. Pretty impressive.

Overall, I’d have to say I’m very happy with the Q5. I would like the app to be available for iPad. The price and ability to easily connect to my iDevices sold it for me, along with the excellent sound, of course. If you’re in nyc, I recommend you check it out at Audio46 in Manhattan. They have a bunch of stuff to audition and the people are cool.
 
Mar 24, 2018 at 3:00 PM Post #1,571 of 3,173
Hello,

I’ve had my Fiio Q5 for just over a week. Really enjoying it with my Shure SE 846’s. Curious what everyone is getting on battery life. Bluetooth, or Direct Connection. Thanks I n advance for any input.

Michael
 
Mar 24, 2018 at 9:45 PM Post #1,572 of 3,173
Is there any chance Fiio will ever release this in a different color, say black? I have E17k Alpen 2 and I would be excited to purchase a Q5 but find the dark grey just blah, and things like that kinda matter to me. I was looking into a HA 2 SE for the form factor, leather, quality and style but am enticed obviously by bluetooth, power and compatibility of Q5.
 
Last edited:
Mar 25, 2018 at 5:03 AM Post #1,575 of 3,173
Is there a case for the Q5? I don’t want to beat it up.
q5ta.jpg
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top