[Cevisi]

Yeah, use UAPP for music player, IMO FiiO Music is not up to the task yet.
That heating with BT use is strange... My Q5 is a bit warm when used in BT mode in my pocket but nowhere near "hot".

i usally stream whit tidal

Was expecting a lot more from this unit to say the least!.....less soundstage than ES100 - maybe I'll just stick with that & NX4. Keep us posted regarding balanced output?

it has really good separation betteri then es 100 and its a wide stage but i get whit the es 100 the feeling of a wider stage and airier. but the bass really outperformes every other bass i ever heard so much tighter and punchier whit all the details.

the bass boost changes not really somthing on the bass it just eqs the mids and highs down so that it is more pronounced

 

[rsung]

Hi rsung, sorry I wanted to ask how do you know where your Q5s is - what tracking service are you using. All I can find is still in Hong Kong. Thanks

My order has been sent using Speedpost, so when I enter in my tracking number on their site it tells me the package arrived in Singapore 2 days ago. Based on the previous AM3D order, I'm expecting the package to sit in Singapore for 3-4 days before it's flown over to the UK, and I'm then hoping it will be delivered the next day in Scotland.

I'm currently using the Q5 + AM3D with my phone and Sennheiser IE800 S earphones and thoroughly enjoying the sound, so really looking forward to seeing what differences the Q5S will make.

 

[Ghawke]

My order has been sent using Speedpost, so when I enter in my tracking number on their site it tells me the package arrived in Singapore 2 days ago. Based on the previous AM3D order, I'm expecting the package to sit in Singapore for 3-4 days before it's flown over to the UK, and I'm then hoping it will be delivered the next day in Scotland.

I'm currently using the Q5 + AM3D with my phone and Sennheiser IE800 S earphones and thoroughly enjoying the sound, so really looking forward to seeing what differences the Q5S will make.

Thanks, i can now see that Parcel Force have been notified that the Q5s is about to leave for the UK. I have been using the AM3D with the X7ii but I cannot use the dock function. And I liked the AM3D so much and I liked the dock that the Q5s was the only option, going to link the Q5s to my M6.

 

[DSpezzia]

Thanks, i can now see that Parcel Force have been notified that the Q5s is about to leave for the UK. I have been using the AM3D with the X7ii but I cannot use the dock function. And I liked the AM3D so much and I liked the dock that the Q5s was the only option, going to link the Q5s to my M6.

Where did you get that info from. It's still not tracking on parcel force for me

 

[Csakipityuba]

Is the DAC in the Q5S a big step up from X3II? Thinking of an upgrade from X3II+A3 to X3II+Q5S.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

Is the DAC in the Q5S a big step up from X3II? Thinking of an upgrade from X3II+A3 to X3II+Q5S.

Yes, sell the X3 II, sell the A3, get the Q5s and a decent phone, so you can take advantage of the hi-res Bluetooth codecs.

 

[Ghawke]

Where did you get that info from. It's still not tracking on parcel force for me

I use - https://t.17track.net - to track with the EX tracking number FiiO gave me. Then I tried the number on Parcel Force tracking and I get - Your parcel is being prepared for export and will soon be leaving its origin country. There was nothing at all from Parcel Force yesterday, they were not even able to say if the item existed. I put my order in at 10am on the 24th July, and it was dispatched on the 25th, but it did spend time hanging around China and Hong Kong. Still the delivery time is 7 to 15 days, and if one takes that from the date of dispatch I am getting though Fiio, the delivery time so far has only been three days, so it could arrive within the 7 days delivery estimate although calendar days it has been much longer.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Sometimes I think it would be better to not have tracking - we just torture ourselves checking for status updates, then getting bummed out for a couple of days because it hasn't progressed. Then you get excited because it'll say 'cleared customs', then you get bummed out again because they often pre-clear customs before they even leave the country of origin.
I have found that checking different tracking services, like 17track does sometimes bring up more up to date results than from the big shipping company tracking

 

[Ghawke]

Sometimes I think it would be better to not have tracking - we just torture ourselves checking for status updates, then getting bummed out for a couple of days because it hasn't progressed. Then you get excited because it'll say 'cleared customs', then you get bummed out again because they often pre-clear customs before they even leave the country of origin.
I have found that checking different tracking services, like 17track does sometimes bring up more up to date results than from the big shipping company tracking

Oh, I so agree. My DM7s arrived so quickly that I was bummed out that I did not get the chance of entering the tracking cycle of excitement/depression/anger/excitement. I did find 17track very good at keeping me in the cycle with the Q5s delivery.

 

[starman93]

Glad to see Fiio coming back to a stripped down design(reason why i have always preferred DAC/Amp combos to DAPs) with a killer amp section focusing only on music.Bluetooth,NFC,streaming ,i personally don't care..

 

[MarkF786]

I received my Q5S yesterday and only got a brief chance to listen to it so far. Switching between the Q5 with the AM3D module and the Q5S with the AM3E module, I couldn't really hear any difference, using my HD660 with the 4.4mm jack.

I'll have to do a better A/B test when I have some time, for example:

- Connect the Q5 and Q5s to two different laptops.
- Volume match the outputs with a multimeter.
- Play the same track simultaneously.
- Quickly swap the headphone plug between the two devices to compare. I'd love to have a good A/B switch to toggle between them, but don't have anything to use at the moment.

Maybe before then, as I spend more time with both, a difference in sound might become apparent.

 

[Blotto80]

I really dig my Q5/Andro combo, thinking of grabbing a Q5s. Anyone have any experience with that? How’s the hiss? I find with the AM3A it’s fine SE but if I go balanced, I have to use an IEMatch 2.5.

 

[MarkF786]

So I did the A/B comparison of the Q5/AM3D vs Q5S/AM3E:

- I used Sennheiser HD660S headphones with the 4.4mm cable; it was just a convenient pair I had nearby with a 4.4mm connector.
- I volume matched the output with a Fluke multimeter.
- I connected the two devices to two separate Macs, and used Tidal set to HiFi mode.
- I started the same tracks simultaneously on both Macs.
- I swapped the headphone cable between the Q5 & Q5S, comparing the sound. Note, it still takes ~ 6 seconds to do the swap due to a relay that takes a couple seconds until it outputs a signal.
- I mainly used Peter Gabriel's So album, since I'm very familiar with it and it's dense and well recorded.

As I suspected, I couldn't really hear any difference. Maybe if I spend more time and used a variety of different headphones and IEMs, I might have found some differences. I'll likely try my IER-Z1R, Solaris, Andromeda, and SE846 soon, seeing if there's a different with those IEMs and impedance matching.

I'm sure someone with golden ears will proclaim a huge difference between the two, but for my ears they're close enough that I'd choose the device and module based on features and/or cost. I like the new Q5S' minor feature updates, and I like that the AM3E has all common headphone connectors (3.5, 2.5, 4.4) so this is what I'll stick with. I own most of the other amp modules as well, so I'll likely look to sell all the rest and stick with the Q5S/AM3E combo (and maybe keep the AM3D around for those days I want to tell myself it sounds better).

 

[Hinomotocho]

So I did the A/B comparison of the Q5/AM3D vs Q5S/AM3E:

- I used Sennheiser HD660S headphones with the 4.4mm cable; it was just a convenient pair I had nearby with a 4.4mm connector.
- I volume matched the output with a Fluke multimeter.
- I connected the two devices to two separate Macs, and used Tidal set to HiFi mode.
- I started the same tracks simultaneously on both Macs.
- I swapped the headphone cable between the Q5 & Q5S, comparing the sound. Note, it still takes ~ 6 seconds to do the swap due to a relay that takes a couple seconds until it outputs a signal.
- I mainly used Peter Gabriel's So album, since I'm very familiar with it and it's dense and well recorded.

As I suspected, I couldn't really hear any difference. Maybe if I spend more time and used a variety of different headphones and IEMs, I might have found some differences. I'll likely try my IER-Z1R, Solaris, Andromeda, and SE846 soon, seeing if there's a different with those IEMs and impedance matching.

I'm sure someone with golden ears will proclaim a huge difference between the two, but for my ears they're close enough that I'd choose the device and module based on features and/or cost. I like the new Q5S' minor feature updates, and I like that the AM3E has all common headphone connectors (3.5, 2.5, 4.4) so this is what I'll stick with. I own most of the other amp modules as well, so I'll likely look to sell all the rest and stick with the Q5S/AM3E combo (and maybe keep the AM3D around for those days I want to tell myself it sounds better).

I appreciate your honest opinion - it is easy to get excited with a new toy and make wild claims.
Please let us know if your experience changes after longer listening time, whether it be burn in or something you didn't initially notice

 

[Zerocool20]

I've been a Fiio fan for the longest time, I have 3 on my collection. My first dac amp ever was the Fiio E7, then when E17 came out I also bought one. Then my last Fiio was X5 gen3, just sent it to your repair center in China to fix the volume knob. I'm planning to buy the Q5s or M11pro, what I like about the new Q5s is the new dac. I liked how the ak4490en sounded in my Fiio X5 gen3, since this is an upgraded dac I'm sure it will sound a lot better than the previous generation. Some features that I don't have on my current gadgets will be a welcome addition like Q5s ability to become a bluetooth receiver. Through aptx HD I can pair it with my phone and control everything from there and listen to a hifi source. Another reason why I need a new portable dac amp is so that I can connect it to my TV through the spdif in when watching movies. Lastly and one of the best features Q5s that I like is the ability to pair it with a thx amp which AM3D. I'm sure the stock amp is good but pairing it with a thx certified amp would be an endgame dac amp. Hopefully I'll be lucky to win one of the prizes .