[bonyjam]

Hi seniors and guru,

My Fiio M11 just died and am looking to buy either the Fiio Q5s or the BTR5.

I mainly stream Spotify via Bluetooth LDAC codec from my mobile phone to my M11 in the pass and want to continue to be able to do so with the Q5s or BTR5.

I am using Sony MDR-1A or the Meze 99 Neo both driven in balanced mode as my daily driver when i commute.

My questions are:

1. Can both the Q5s and the BTR5 support Bluetooth receiving from phone?
2. Do both the Q5s and BTR5 support LDAC codec?
3. I know the Q5s will drive my headphone well, but can the BTR5 be able to drive them to reasonable loud volume well?

 

[bonyjam]

I chance upon some info on my queries.
Yes, both unit support Bluetooth streaming from phone and support LDAC.
I am not sure about if BTR5 can drive the MDR-1A well but I have decided on the Q5S instead.

Sorry for the false alarm. I should have done more research prior to posting the questions.

 

[megabigeye]

Don't know if you've already purchased the Q5S, but, yes, the BTR5 should drive the MDR-1A easily.

Even though it sounds very good, I'm not a huge fan of the BTR5-- battery life stinks, soft-/firmware are wonky-- but you might also check out the Qudelix 5K that just came out. I haven't heard/used it yet, but most of what I've read has been very positive. I'm not sure about the 5K's availability at the moment, though.

 

[bonyjam]

Thanks megabigeye for your kind advise.
Sorry for the late response as I was busy with work.

I have not purchase any BTR5 or the Q5S as I am also looking at other option.
Thanks for sharing about the Quelix 5K. they look slick and elegant.

 

[mmazzotta99]

Had a Btr5 question.... hooking up a btr5 to a vintage stereo system (speakers amp and preamp)? Is there a way? Is it advisable? Also what “Select Bluetooth codec”?

I figured the 3.5mm port is 80mw@32omhs (which is better for a preamp than the 2.5mm port balanced 240mw@32ohms)

should I connect to aux or cd? Or something else. It is a nakamichi ca5 preamp

 

[megabigeye]

Had a Btr5 question.... hooking up a btr5 to a vintage stereo system (speakers amp and preamp)? Is there a way? Is it advisable? Also what “Select Bluetooth codec”?

I figured the 3.5mm port is 80mw@32omhs (which is better for a preamp than the 2.5mm port balanced 240mw@32ohms)

should I connect to aux or cd? Or something else. It is a nakamichi ca5 preamp

Connecting the 2.5mm balanced output to the RCA on the back of your stereo will cause the BTR5 to go into short circuit protection mode-- the battery will die quickly and it'll probably get pretty warm to the touch. It's not a good idea to do this.

Unless your stere requires at least 2V input, the 3.5mm output should work, but the volume might be lower than, say, a full sized CD player or DAC.

You can connect to either the "CD" or "AUX" inputs; they're the same thing, only named that way so you know which source is plugged into which input.

"Select Bluetooth Codec" allows you to choose which Bluetooth format you want to use: AAC, APTX, APTX-HD, LDAC. iPhones only support AAC, so of you're using Apple, just stick with this. Android supports many different codecs depending on the phone. Most people think LDAC sounds best, but it has some connectivity issues and doesn't support EQ on the BTR5; also, the battery will not last as long on LDAC. APTX sounds good to me, though others claim that LDAC and APTX-HD sound better; both support EQ on the BTR5.

 

[mmazzotta99]

Connecting the 2.5mm balanced output to the RCA on the back of your stereo will cause the BTR5 to go into short circuit protection mode-- the battery will die quickly and it'll probably get pretty warm to the touch. It's not a good idea to do this.

Unless your stere requires at least 2V input, the 3.5mm output should work, but the volume might be lower than, say, a full sized CD player or DAC.

You can connect to either the "CD" or "AUX" inputs; they're the same thing, only named that way so you know which source is plugged into which input.

Appreciate it.

I have it plugged into the 3.5mm now and it works.
Thoughts on Select Bluetooth codec? They have about 6 options

 

[megabigeye]

Appreciate it.

I have it plugged into the 3.5mm now and it works.
Thoughts on Select Bluetooth codec? They have about 6 options

You're welcome!

I updated my last post to answer that part of your question.

 

[megabigeye]

Oh yeah. Apple computers support SBC (which is no longer listed in the FiiO apps) and AAC. Stick with AAC.
Windows computers generally only support SBC, which is too bad because most people say it sounds bad. You might consider a Bluetooth transmitter in this case.