[diadack]

Just got the Q5s today because my SP1000m bricked itself and I have to say I am very impressed. It comes close in SQ to my desktop setup.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Sure. This is actually cable I've got for Mojo in the first place (hence it is USB2): Ultraviolet 8 USB 2.0. Mojo is a lot more "vulnerable" to poor USB cables from my experience than Fiio.

Currently I also have ifi iusb3 in my setup too. Honestly speaking, in my case, both changes did not made a real difference, maybe added something, but sometimes it is hard to tell. Fiio factory cable isn't that bad but in my case Wireworld cable sits better (tighter) in AM3E. Secondly keep in mind that USB ports are of different qualities and different transports can have very different interference as well so your experience can vary from mine a lot.

When connecting to Android mobile I am using Fiio CL06 OTG cable. Works well enough that at the moment I am not looking for replacement. It actually works well with other portables DACs/AMPs pretty well too from my experience.

What really did an important improvement of a sound in case of Fioo Q5s was switching from unbalanced to balanced output. Even with FH5 the difference is not only audible but changes a lot. So in the end I am listening from Fiio daily using only balanced output. From my testing, depending on your IEMs there may not be an audible difference between Fiio LC-4.4C and LC-4.4D cable (and LC-4.4D is not even listed on Fiio page anymore) but I would strongly advice to hear both and than decide. However for me the LC-4.4D has better ergonomy due to how cable is designed.

BTW: the bluetooth part of Q5s is really great IMHO. I never experienced any disconnections even when travelling so I treat BT interchangeably with USB. Saves you some hassle when you are on the go.

Agree that the balanced cable made a huge difference with my FH7 and the Q5s. Before my balanced cable arrived I was ready to return the Q5s honestly. Now I love the setup. The only thing now is I need to get a 4.4 to 3.5 stereo adapter so I can still use my FH7 with my other non-balanced amp I like still.

Another thing with some of the recent issues we have seen with power in this thread I finally experienced one yesterday for the first time and I had to do a factory reset on my Q5s. It would power on but not connect to my phone via USB or Bluetooth. The bluetooth function would not even enable when I tried to activate it. I was finally about to list my Q5 for sale but now this has me histant again and maybe holding on to it for a little while longer as I have never in two years experienced that type of issue with it.

 

[SupperTime]

The 1st gen q5 is so so silent with sensitive iems, is the 2nd gen just as silent.

Wish I didn't have to sell it just wanton a desktop amp now

 

[pedrothelion]

Can someone compare the sound quality between X7 and Q5S? I am not sure which one to get since X7 can also be used as a DAC, if they sound the same, I may want to stay with x7 instead.

 

[Damz87]

How's everyone's battery life on their Q5s? Mine sucks. If I fully charge it and turn it off, the battery will drain in about 24 hours. Actual use time in USB mode I get about 4 hours. Is that normal?

 

[alekc]

While how long the battery lasts during playing depends on few factors, I would say there is something wrong if you turn off your device after fully charging it and it will discharge within a single day. Mine keeps batter charged for at least few days after complete charging. I never left it without use for more than that so I don't know for how long it will keep battery in turn off mode but it definitively should not be 24h only.

 

[Hinomotocho]

How's everyone's battery life on their Q5s? Mine sucks. If I fully charge it and turn it off, the battery will drain in about 24 hours. Actual use time in USB mode I get about 4 hours. Is that normal?

Do you leave the USB cable plugged in? After owning the xDSD and having the same issue I noticed when unplugging the USB cable after use the battery lasts much longer so I have always just unplugged the cable since getting my Q5s.

 

[SupperTime]

How's everyone's battery life on their Q5s? Mine sucks. If I fully charge it and turn it off, the battery will drain in about 24 hours. Actual use time in USB mode I get about 4 hours. Is that normal?

The original q5 had a better sources battery

 

[KopaneDePooj]

How's everyone's battery life on their Q5s? Mine sucks. If I fully charge it and turn it off, the battery will drain in about 24 hours. Actual use time in USB mode I get about 4 hours. Is that normal?

Try a pin hole reset. Maybe some stuck process is draining the battery.

 

[dhwitz]

Crazy story: I bought a Fiio Q5 on Amazon and they sent me a Q5S! It was supposed to be used and the Q5S box has barely any marking on it so I assume they just thought it was the Q5 (non-audio related seller)

Anyways, I'm curious what situations you guys bring your Q5s around in. I was originally going to try and use this for portable, high-end audio but I find myself not wanting to bring around my IEMs (Tin P1s) and having alternatives at my desk. Alternatively, if anyone has any good IEM recommendations to pair this with, I'd love to hear.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

The original q5 had a better sources battery

I agree my Q5 had much better battery life than my Q5s. I know the internals are a bit different so it most likely was never going to get the same life but it seems worse than it should be.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Does anyone have issues with keeping a stable USB connection with their Q5S? I didn't right away when I got it but it has almost gotten worse over time. I thought it was my cable so I bought the Fiio USB-C cable https://www.amazon.com/Fiio-CL06-Type-Micro-Cable/dp/B07DLQ2XYZ and it arrived over the weekend and it seems almost worse. I can't pick up my phone and amp at all or it loses connection. It is very annoying. Almost worried it is the AM3D amp module USB-C connection. Going to try comparing it to me Q5 this evening and see if I still have the issue.

 

[pedrothelion]

Hello, how is the DX220 iBasso's DAC section compaired to Q5s? I am undecided between which to choose between the two. Thank you!

 

[raif71]

Does anyone have issues with keeping a stable USB connection with their Q5S? I didn't right away when I got it but it has almost gotten worse over time. I thought it was my cable so I bought the Fiio USB-C cable https://www.amazon.com/Fiio-CL06-Type-Micro-Cable/dp/B07DLQ2XYZ and it arrived over the weekend and it seems almost worse. I can't pick up my phone and amp at all or it loses connection. It is very annoying. Almost worried it is the AM3D amp module USB-C connection. Going to try comparing it to me Q5 this evening and see if I still have the issue.

am3d side is micro usb, right? I have thus far connect sony nw-a45 to the Q5s using Fiio wmport to micro-usb cable and the usb connection is fine. Put it in my pocket and moving the 2 units around does not disturb the connection. Of course I use 2 supplied rubber bands that came with Q5s to hold the player and Q5s together.

 

[FiiO]

Does anyone have issues with keeping a stable USB connection with their Q5S? I didn't right away when I got it but it has almost gotten worse over time. I thought it was my cable so I bought the Fiio USB-C cable https://www.amazon.com/Fiio-CL06-Type-Micro-Cable/dp/B07DLQ2XYZ and it arrived over the weekend and it seems almost worse. I can't pick up my phone and amp at all or it loses connection. It is very annoying. Almost worried it is the AM3D amp module USB-C connection. Going to try comparing it to me Q5 this evening and see if I still have the issue.

Dear user,

You could check by connecting the Q5s to other device like computer via USB as well. If the issue still remains, it may be a hardware problem with the usb port of the Q5s.

Best regards