[MidSmoothness]

Thanks for the feedback, Brooko. I read in your AM2A review that at the time, "If I had to choose just two modules of all of the ones FiiO has on offer at the moment, I'd probably go AM3 and AM2A" - though I did read some later comments in other threads where you felt the AM2A was too warm. I imagine your tastes changed over time as you had more experience with the modules.

Could you shared your current thoughts on AM5 vs AM2A?

Thanks again.

I don’t own the AM5, but I did just get my AM2A in and I like it a lot. I wouldn’t say that it is overly warm at all. I’ve got it paired with my Moondrop Kanas Pro at the moment and if has great synergy.

 

[Brooko]

I don’t own the AM5, but I did just get my AM2A in and I like it a lot. I wouldn’t say that it is overly warm at all. I’ve got it paired with my Moondrop Kanas Pro at the moment and if has great synergy.

Warm compared to the others. Shows in the higher harmonic distortion too. Nothing wrong with that - a lot of people love it. I have some amps which excel in 2nd order harmonics, and a nice warm tonality. Most of the time though I’d rather have a linear amp.

If you have any 4.4 terminated headphones, you’ll probably like the AM3B too

 

[MarkF786]

Have a comparison in the works for all the modules. Hopefully only a week or two away. Reason I recommended the AM5 over the AM2A to you was that the AM5 has slightly more power, but is cleaner for IEMs - and you wanted one module to do both (didn't you?). I may have mis-read your question?

Yeah, I'm looking for one module for use with headphones (HD800S, Elear, HD580/600/650/58X) and IEMs (Solaris, Andromeda, SE846, EX1000). Though I do have balanced cables for most of them, I tend to stick with unbalanced most of the time.

I look forward to reading your upcoming comparison.

 

[dannyvstheworld]

Hi guys, if you have both AM3A and AM1, could you comment a bit on the pairing with high sensitivity IEMs (like Andromeda), especially regarding the hissing?

Actually the AM3A is pretty quiet, with only faint hissing that is more or less on the same level as Mojo; but I’m super sensitive to hissing so any marginal improvement is welcomed.

 

[Brooko]

Sorry Danny - I have the modules, but no Andromeda

 

[toughnut]

90 minutes to upgrade the firmware, with 25+ years field experience???? Took my wife 10 minutes to do it, while she was mixing cake batter.

Said the guy who is married to Russian KGB hacker

I have same frustration with the software and I’m not amateur either. The broken software make me look like one.

Anyway, my unit is under RMA for past month and response stop from @FiiO. Hope to get it back soon....

 

[dannyvstheworld]

Sorry Danny - I have the modules, but no Andromeda

Thanks anyway. The Andros are hiss monsters and, guess what, the quietest DAC I’ve tried so far.. is FiiO BTR3.

 

[dannyvstheworld]

Said the guy who is married to Russian KGB hacker

I have same frustration with the software and I’m not amateur either. The broken software make me look like one.

Anyway, my unit is under RMA for past month and response stop from @FiiO. Hope to get it back soon....

Have yet to update the film ware since I only had my Q5 last night.. But I was really on the verge of returning it after multiple tries and still couldn’t find the Q5 in the FiiO music app. As I searched for the solution the most useful advice I’d seen was.. keep trying! And thankfully it worked!

I guess it’s ok for the hardware/ software to have some glitches once in a while, but updating the manual in a timely manner always helps. It’s not like I had to search this thread to know that the set up from Q5 in FiiO music app has been moved from settings to settings -> FiiO BT control, and, even weirder, I’ll never know that I could change the filter setting if I hadn’t read the Headfonia or Headfonics review, because it’s not even mentioned in the manual or in the website.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

Have a comparison in the works for all the modules. Hopefully only a week or two away. (...)

Great! I was just going to ask you about that modules comparison, because I remember you said somewhere that you are going to do that. I recently bought the HD 6XX and I'm ok with the volume level the AM3A provides on high-gain single ended. I am around 12 o'clock and it is loud enough for me. And I don't feel I'm missing anything in any frequency range. But when I compared the AM3A with iFi Micro iDSD BL, iFi had a very distinct warmer and punchier signature with rounder high-mids, which I also liked. So I'm interested on how the AM5 sounds compared to AM3A and iFi. I'm very curious about your FiiO modules comparison. I'd like a FiiO module that sounds more like the Micro iDSD BL.

 

[Brooko]

Great! I was just going to ask you about that modules comparison, because I remember you said somewhere that you are going to do that. I recently bought the HD 6XX and I'm ok with the volume level the AM3A provides on high-gain single ended. I am around 12 o'clock and it is loud enough for me. And I don't feel I'm missing anything in any frequency range. But when I compared the AM3A with iFi Micro iDSD BL, iFi had a very distinct warmer and punchier signature with rounder high-mids, which I also liked. So I'm interested on how the AM5 sounds compared to AM3A and iFi. I'm very curious about your FiiO modules comparison. I'd like a FiiO module that sounds more like the Micro iDSD BL.

The three warmest are AM5, AM2A and AM3B. I'll try to remember to do a comparison with the iDSD when I get close to finishing the edit.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

The three warmest are AM5, AM2A and AM3B. I'll try to remember to do a comparison with the iDSD when I get close to finishing the edit.

Great, thanks! Do you have the Micro iDSD Black Label or the silver one? I had a listen to the Black Label.

 

[Lay.]

I have AM3A and AM3B. AM3A balanced is warmer and punchier than single ended (more power?). AM3B is warmer than AM3A. AM3B balanced is my personal favorite. Tested mostly with HD660S and HD800S

Edit: AM2A corrected to AM3A

 

[Brooko]

Great, thanks! Do you have the Micro iDSD Black Label or the silver one? I had a listen to the Black Label.

I have the silver (original). Paired with an iUSB and an iTube (for my active monitors)

I have AM2A and AM3B. AM2A balanced is warmer and punchier than single ended (more power?). AM3B is warmer than AM2A. AM3B balanced is my personal favorite. Tested mostly with HD660S and HD800S

AM2A isn't a balance module.

 

[Lay.]

I have the silver (original). Paired with an iUSB and an iTube (for my active monitors)


AM2A isn't a balance module.

My bad.... AM3A and AM3B

 

[Floris888]

Hello , im thinking to stack my Q5 with an audio player.Because im not happy using with a phone , because( text messaging , phone call). Budget 200-300 euros.Anny sugestions!?