Review: Questyle Audio QP1R - With Multiple Headphone and IEM Pairings

[raypin]

Those that haven't met @moedawg140 face to face do not know how much of a warm, and knowledgeable guy he is - a true asset to the head-fi community!!

Moe, thank you for taking the time out over the past couple of days to sit with me, no matter what happens in the future, I will always remember your sheer unadulterated enthusiasm and dedication to this what we call a hobby - heck, anyone reading the first post of this thread will see that, even with their eyes shut!

You Sir, are a legend in the making!

Thank You.

mmmm.....I don't have to know him on a personal level to know that he is my kind of headfi friend or friend in audio. He had me with his impressions of the Pandora's Hope VI and the TH 900, headcans that I truly treasure. It was just spot on. Keep up the excellent work.

 

[mscott58]

I don't know Moedawg - looks like you slacked a bit on this one. Almost no detail or information. 

 
But seriously, well done my friend. With both you and Brian singing the praises of the QP1/R I'll have to make sure I spend more time with it at the next CanJam. Played with it a bit in SoCal, but didn't have as much time as I would have liked.
 
See you in Denver? 

Cheers 

 

[moedawg140]

  Fantastic review Mo. My wife and I loved meeting you yesterday at Canjam, London and discussing further. And thank you so much for sharing your player for 20 minutes!

 
Thank you Andrew!  It was a pleasure meeting you both at CanJam.  You both seem like a happy loving couple, and I hope your enthusiasm for each other rubs off on my fiancée and I! 
 
Happy to share what bliss I experience with others - hope you liked the HE1000 + QP1R combination!  Hope to see you both next year at CanJam So Cal!

 

  Thanks for spending time with me too yesterday, it's a great sounding DAP, very impressed but as discussed the 
text on the screen needs to be bigger

 
It was nice spending time with you as well!  I relayed the information regarding a possibility of choosing text size to the powers that be.  Hopefully there will be a firmware created that will allow an increase in text size. 
 

  mmmm.....I don't have to know him on a personal level to know that he is my kind of headfi friend or friend in audio. He had me with his impressions of the Pandora's Hope VI and the TH 900, headcans that I truly treasure. It was just spot on. Keep up the excellent work.

 
You are a lucky fellow to own both the Hope VI and the TH-900.  Just the way the TH-900's earcups are made are just about worth the price of admission alone!
 

  I don't know Moedawg - looks like you slacked a bit on this one. Almost no detail or information. 

 
But seriously, well done my friend. With both you and Brian singing the praises of the QP1/R I'll have to make sure I spend more time with it at the next CanJam. Played with it a bit in SoCal, but didn't have as much time as I would have liked.
 
See you in Denver? 

Cheers 

 
I'll try to add more so it will be up to your standards. 

 
Not really "praises" per se, but it is quite simply a fantastic sounding device that needs to be heard.  The most up to date version has been reworked from SoCal, as power output of the QP1R has changed positively dramatically and sounds even more crisp and transparent than before.
 

---

 
Quote:

Those that haven't met @moedawg140 face to face do not know how much of a warm, and knowledgeable guy he is - a true asset to the head-fi community!!

Moe, thank you for taking the time out over the past couple of days to sit with me, no matter what happens in the future, I will always remember your sheer unadulterated enthusiasm and dedication to this what we call a hobby - heck, anyone reading the first post of this thread will see that, even with their eyes shut!

You Sir, are a legend in the making!

Thank You.

 
Really means a lot to me, those words,  [u][color=#0563c1]@Duncan.[/color][/u]  It was so nice to meet and hang out with you as well!  Always nice to finally meet and share what we love regarding music and the glorious reproduction of music with fellow posters that we only see on virtual ink - and then being able to meet in the flesh is truly an honor I'll never forget.
 
Thank you as well for being an integral part of the community, as sometimes being a moderator can be a thankless stewardship.  I applaud you!
 
I look forward to hearing more thoughts from you regarding the MR and the QP1R.  I'll be adding a little bit regarding the pairing as well in the near future, but I can tell our thoughts regarding the two when we discussed them at CanJam are pretty similar.
 
CanJam Volunteer and Head-Fi'er Çağın (pronounced chaa-UUun), Maurice, and Head-Fi Moderator Duncan @ CanJam London

 

[velvetx]

I am going to try to audition these as soon as the shop that carries it gets them.  Thanks for the review and sexy looking DAP.

 

[reddog]

Where can I find the Questyle Audio Qp, I would love to order one?

 

[AxelCloris]

Where can I find the Questyle Audio Qp, I would love to order one?

 
Send a blank check to axelcloris@ilovemoney.com and I'll make sure you get one!
 
Or you could email info_usa@questyleaudio.com and get it without the unnecessary "middle-man fee."

 

[Duncan]

@Duncan
 ,
How is it when it feeds digital data through optical output to the Hugo?
I am considering this setup though something like an A&K player might be easier to use in terms of UI because there's been a lot of comments about the great SQ.
If there's not much of a difference I'll just go for a DAP with a good UI and a big touchscreen.

Thank you!

Oops, so transfixed with how I've been using it, I actually forgot that was a possibility!!

I'll have to see if I can find my optical to jack adapter!!

 

[raypin]

mmm....so I emailed Questyle China to find out where (in my neck of the woods) can I buy the QP1R. Silence. As silent as the Sphinx. So, I emailed Questyle North America. They responded by saying that it is now out in major markets (in North America) but they promised to answer my query. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting........

 

[Duncan]

mmm....so I emailed Questyle China to find out where (in my neck of the woods) can I buy the QP1R. Silence. As silent as the Sphinx. So, I emailed Questyle North America. They responded by saying that it is now out in major markets (in North America) but they promised to answer my query. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting........

If you are a detail freak, the wait will be worth it!!

For impartiality, depending on what is driven, some may find it (if the beta firmware ends up being final, ignoring the EQ that is being added) a little cold sounding (the AR M2 and QP1R are such polar opposites for example, so going from one to the other could cause shell shock!).

The QP1R drives the HE1000 fantastically, so, sum of the above story, add cold sounding (looking at you AKG) cans and you'll be scraping up your tooth fillings from the pavement, but add warmer sounding cans (HE1000 being prime example) to the mix, you'll be in an auditory place you didn't think was possible from a portable rig...

As much as MP3s are shunned on the most part in favour of FLAC etc. I find it funny that Sony (as example) lorde around their DSEE HX feature... Sort out the amplification section how Questyle have, and there is no need for such gimmicks, so clean and pure

 

[Vartan]

Nice review!
Can I use image + CUE on this DAP?

 

[DGCFAD]

  Nice review!
Can I use image + CUE on this DAP?

There is no ISO support at this time.

 

[Duncan]

Quick update from me as I have been a little quiet, the main thing that staggers me at this price point is just how clean the amplification stage is... I bought a Vorzuge Pure II+ to clean up the output of the ARM2 that I've been using, and that works a treat, but the headphone out of the QP1R is arguably even better than this TOTL portable amp!!

I do not believe that up to this point I've ever heard of a device that sounds better unamped, but there is a first time for everything!

I'm looking forward to receiving a mature firmware at some point soon so that I can review / form formal opinions, however short of the R&D folk at Questyle really borking that, I maintain most strongly that this will be the player to beat in 2015, 2016 and maybe beyond!

The heavier hitters in the DAP market should be running scared!

 

[Lad27]

... but the headphone out of the QP1R is arguably even better than this TOTL portable amp!!

 

 
Whoa! 
 
That really got my attention. As Vorzuge owner I know very well what this amp can bring to the party. 

 

[moedawg140]

Quick update from me as I have been a little quiet, the main thing that staggers me at this price point is just how clean the amplification stage is... I bought a Vorzuge Pure II+ to clean up the output of the ARM2 that I've been using, and that works a treat, but the headphone out of the QP1R is arguably even better than this TOTL portable amp!!

I do not believe that up to this point I've ever heard of a device that sounds better unamped, but there is a first time for everything!

I'm looking forward to receiving a mature firmware at some point soon so that I can review / form formal opinions, however short of the R&D folk at Questyle really borking that, I maintain most strongly that this will be the player to beat in 2015, 2016 and maybe beyond!

The heavier hitters in the DAP market should be running scared!

I wholeheartedly agree. I remember listening back to back with your AR-M2/Vorzuge amp and my QP1R and arrived at similar results as you.

I was reluctant to compare the QP1R to portable or desktop amps, but now that I have been able to compare a few, the QP1R does very well against portable and dedicated desktop amps. I'll be adding a few more amps and DAPs to the review as well in the near future.

 

[Duncan]

What I must say for those going to audition the player is that the amp stage takes a little while to bed in from my auditioning, it is clear sounding, that goes without saying, however for the first - as a guess, 50hrs, the midrange is thin / recessed (relatively) however, that does fill out with usage.