[Floris888]

Im thinking , to buy Q5. Im very noob , to this kind of new hobby. This thing will improve sound to my source ?, in that case a smartphone.?

 

[Floris888]

First , i was going to try X5 III , but i have read about, a lot of issues firmware.Then i discovered the Q5 .Best in my budget.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

Im thinking , to buy Q5. Im very noob , to this kind of new hobby. This thing will improve sound to my source ?, in that case a smartphone.?

It depends on what you understand by "improvement". What do you think is lacking in your smartphone? What headphones do you use? What smartphone do you have? What genre of music? How old are you? What are the last three numbers of your id card?

Later: OK, the last two questions were a joke, but you need to tell us more in order to help you

 

[stemplar]

Did anyone try the Q5 docked into Fiio K5? Impressions vs. the AM5?
@FiiO is the K5 being discontinued? It is no longer available at my retailer. Is a new Fiio dock amp coming?

They write about it in the K5 (HeadFi) forum. search for it. (although strong but not favorable for the voice character)

 

[stemplar]

First , i was going to try X5 III , but i have read about, a lot of issues firmware.Then i discovered the Q5 .Best in my budget.

Yes, I like it very much.
The AM3B module, balanced output, is very good. (for the HD650 )

 

[MidSmoothness]

So I just received both my Fiio Q5 and Hifiman Edition X V2 today and I’m in love with this combo. It sounds phenomenal and i’m definitely set for a few years.

 

[amrbadrawy]

A side note: While the device is high quality and feels premium in every aspect, the chromium shiny chamfer scratches easily, like it literally got scratched from the included pouch after using it for three times :/

 

[Zodler]

I also got 2 points of scratch on it and I'm very careful always. Now I'm using their case.

 

[Metalomaniac]

I'm considering moving from a DAP (Cayin N5II) to this as the Cayin has awful UX and weak 3.5mm plug.

How solid and reliable is the 3.5mm jack? My Cayin is already loose after just eight months of use.

My current phone has only SBC BT; is it worth upgrading to a phone which has aptx? I might just use wired mode, although I don't trust the mini-USB to last for years in daily use.

 

[MyrenJobrah]

Can anyone comment on the quality of the iphone lighting dongles' DAC vs an external DAC such as the fiio Q5?

I have an iphone 8, beyerdynamic Xelento, and bought the fiio Q5 - I really like the fiio, but I don't really notice a difference in sound quality between the dongle and the Q5. the main benefit of the Q5, to me, is the bass boost, and maybe the gain. I'm just using spotify.

I'm just not sure if the fiio is really worth it if I can get away with a lightning dongle. the Xelentos aren't particularly hard to drive either, so the amp function isn't really useful.

 

[Sonic Defender]

...but I don't really notice a difference in sound quality between the dongle and the Q5.

I think that you answered your own question already when you said the above. Ultimately it is your ears that matter so even if ten people came and told you they heard a difference would you feel differently? I think as a device the Q5 is wonderful sounding, I love the quality and stability of the Bluetooth, and I love that there are different amplifier modules available. Somebody else may not have those needs, or share those appreciations, and that is just fine.

trust your own ears, but also think about when the Q5 might provide a solution for you that the iPhone and dongle couldn't. Might you need the power down the road if you opt to try a more difficult to drive headphone or IEM?

 

[toughnut]

Had same setup, most for Bluetooth and toying with DSD. IMHO, it’s marginal improvement with Q5. Sharper imaging, better layering and overall smoother sound. Slight background hiss. Overall maybe 5-10% improvement? But yes, Xelento is easy to drive and sound great out of anything.

Can anyone comment on the quality of the iphone lighting dongles' DAC vs an external DAC such as the fiio Q5?

I have an iphone 8, beyerdynamic Xelento, and bought the fiio Q5 - I really like the fiio, but I don't really notice a difference in sound quality between the dongle and the Q5. the main benefit of the Q5, to me, is the bass boost, and maybe the gain. I'm just using spotify.

I'm just not sure if the fiio is really worth it if I can get away with a lightning dongle. the Xelentos aren't particularly hard to drive either, so the amp function isn't really useful.

same

 

[PanzerIV]

I have a question which for some reason appears to be extremely hard to find the answer and I can hardly believe that I'd be the only person wondering this... I have a (Fiio X5 III and II) which is ALREADY suppose to have a very good DAC inside as it's in the main reason to buy such device because otherwise I would be using any cellphone with a crappy internal rather than DAP.

Since I'm suppose to have a high-end DAC already in the X5, I bought a while ago a (Fiio A5) to replace the (E12) I had. I haven't noticed a sound quality difference between both version of X5 but I did between the E12 and A5. I would have a hard time believing the amplifier section from the (Fiio Q5) would be any better than the A5 if the whole unit is about the same size, yet they had to use more space for the battery and also to fit a DAC somewhere inside of it.

Therefore the logic would be that the only reason you'd be paying twice more for the Q5 would be for the DAC rather than a "better amp" and since I use a X5 III rather than a cellphone to listen at music, using the DAC from the Q5 instead of the one from the X5 would be like changing 4x25¢ for 1$ right?

I'm trying to find an even better portable amp than the A5 with a major improvement so I don't feel like throwing money out the window. I now have the (Audeze LCD3) and they recommended me something that can push 500mW at 110Ohm which appears to be very hard to find :/

 

[evolutiontheory]

I just got the FiiO Q5 and using with my HE-400 and iSine20. So far I am loving it.. Music is a lot more spacious and full now. Now my purchase of iSine20 feels justified!!!

1) Is there a way to eq while using the Q5? I run the music on spotify using mac/iphone via bluetooth.
2) How do I check the battery level?

 

[FiiO]

I just got the FiiO Q5 and using with my HE-400 and iSine20. So far I am loving it.. Music is a lot more spacious and full now. Now my purchase of iSine20 feels justified!!!

1) Is there a way to eq while using the Q5? I run the music on spotify using mac/iphone via bluetooth.
2) How do I check the battery level?

Dear friend,

You could adjust the EQ in your music player to see if it helps.
You could check the battery level when connecting the Q5 with the mobile phone via Bluetooth. From FiiO music-settings-FiiO BT control-FiiO Q5:

Best regards