[Giru]

I've had this thing since the morning and lemme tell you: I've never heard my IEMS like this from an all in one source before. Even from a desktop DAC like the RME ADI-2 (granted the rme is not a player).
The sound is clean, powerful and detail oriented while still maintaining a sense of realism and musicality. Detail levels are far better than many mid tier DACs (easily bests the topping D70 and the ADI-2)

I'm surprised at how good this is compared to the AD-2. Not only can this drive bigger and higher Z cans well but can make em sing (R70X, HD650, NDH20). The ADI-2 in comparison sounds thin and lifeless (loose bass too). High impedance IEMs and earbuds also have a different verve with the QA390. The amp on this is pretty good but i think the main champion on this unit is the DAC section and the player/source component. Playing .wav files directly from the internal player is a world of difference when compared to streaming over usb from an android phone/pc. My CD rips sound near similar to my daphile PC on the desktop rig. Extremely impressive.

This unit is a sleeper. Jeez louise! Where has this been?

 

[Asakurai]

I had a chance to listen to the Q390 yesterday for an hour or so and I was extremely surprised with the SQ (as well as the build) on offer. Very engaging sound with emphasis on transparency and neutrality.
I'm just not able to wrap my head around why this doesn't have much traction. It sounds soo good for a portable (or transportable). Anyone from here still own this/using it?
I'll be getting some detailed hands on time with it this weekend. Looking forward to put this against the Fiio M17.

how does QA390 fare against M17? don't have a chance to listen M17 yet xD

 

[Giru]

how does QA390 fare against M17? don't have a chance to listen M17 yet xD

The QA390 is more detail oriented with a tonality that veers towards "reference" grade sound. I think the designer had just one thing in mind when making the device: technical superiority at all costs. This is exactly what it sounds like.
As far as local playback and USB DAC mode goes, I've not heard anything better than the QA390 (Esp with the Extreme firmware).

The M17 is a different story. It's tuning is more musical and sounds decidedly warmer (as compared to QA390). Detail levels are quite good if not better than the QA390. In DC mode it has almost equal amount of power as the 390 but is also a bit sharper/hotter in high gain mode with demanding headphones (doesn't have the same ease as the QA390 with high impedance headphones).

I think both devices are not really a fair comparison. They have completely different tech, design, implementations and use case. The QA390 is pretty bare bones in terms of software and features (doesn't even have the option to make playlists). On the other hand, the M17 is a full blown modern android device with all the bells and whistles you can wish for and more. However, the QA390 has sound quality that rivals several 1K desktop DAC-Amps while the M17 is a souped up DAP (a very good one at that) but it won't and can't replace your desktop setup.

TLDR; the QA390 is better if you want the best possible sound, the M17 is for someone looking to get the most features and convenience without compromising much on SQ.