[newworld666]

Question 1: If you use an AutoEQ setting, are you able to use the Graphic equaliser to fine tune it or does the PEQ allow you to do something similar?

You can adjust any of the autoEQ profile to your own taste ... with all PEQ parameters available.. I wouldn't use a Graphic EQ parameter.

 

[sgtbilko]

You can adjust any of the autoEQ profile to your own taste ... with all PEQ parameters available.. I wouldn't use a Graphic EQ parameter.

It may be a matter of 'try fiddling with it and see' - As i've never had to adjust PEQ, I'm not that familiar with it. I've been using Neutron player elsewhere, where i've set up the autoeq then adjusted that with a graphic equaliser. Time to learn it properly I guess

 

[lewisl]

I watch/read few reviews on 5k vs GoBlu, and the consensus seems like GoBlu is a better device, no wonder given the higher price.

But, the flexibility and freedom provided by 5k's eq is undeniably impressive, and for some people, essential.

I been using 5k for close to a month now, and i cannot imagine living without it (the peq). I might be getting a better dac/amp (mojo2 seems nice) in the future, but 5k will always be my daily driver, hopefully for a very long time.

Love mine. Took a while to dial in all settings. Can be very challenging to disconnect bluetooth on one device and then pair with another device. That is a fundamental bluetooth flaw (among many) but given the intelligence of the Qudelix they could perhaps do more to improve pairing.

Other than that it's amazing. PEQ is great. Balanced is great. Other than bluetooth bandaids, I could use a bit more power for one of my headphones but it would be hard to maintain all the other good features with more power: light weight, small size, long-ish battery life. I'd accept more grams of battery for a bit more power but that depends on the chips used as Qudelix sources the amplifier chips. Probably enough room in the existing case...

The app is challenging because of all the settings, but they do a good job with both the manual and the in-app explanations. The EQ implementation is simply excellent. The Chrome app is just great and easy to connect via usb C.

 

[amonmeiz]

Love mine. Took a while to dial in all settings. Can be very challenging to disconnect bluetooth on one device and then pair with another device. That is a fundamental bluetooth flaw (among many) but given the intelligence of the Qudelix they could perhaps do more to improve pairing.

Other than that it's amazing. PEQ is great. Balanced is great. Other than bluetooth bandaids, I could use a bit more power for one of my headphones but it would be hard to maintain all the other good features with more power: light weight, small size, long-ish battery life. I'd accept more grams of battery for a bit more power but that depends on the chips used as Qudelix sources the amplifier chips. Probably enough room in the existing case...

The app is challenging because of all the settings, but they do a good job with both the manual and the in-app explanations. The EQ implementation is simply excellent. The Chrome app is just great and easy to connect via usb C.

Totally agree with what u said. For iem, the power is sufficient, but it still struggle to power the hungry Final Audio E3000. Could be better.

Same goes with battery, i charge it in the end of the day, with my phone, so i don't mind. But it could be better.

And that's it. Other than that 2 minor issues, couldn't be happier with 5k.it serve all my needs & does it well.

 

[jsmiller58]

I watch/read few reviews on 5k vs GoBlu, and the consensus seems like GoBlu is a better device, no wonder given the higher price.

But, the flexibility and freedom provided by 5k's eq is undeniably impressive, and for some people, essential.

I been using 5k for close to a month now, and i cannot imagine living without it (the peq). I might be getting a better dac/amp (mojo2 seems nice) in the future, but 5k will always be my daily driver, hopefully for a very long time.

Interesting, I would like to know how folks conclude the GoBlu is a ”better” device than the 5K… I don’t own the GoBlu, so I am not asking in order to debate, but to understand. I own the BTR5 and the 5K, and I conclude that while I far and away prefer the BTR5 from a physical build and day to day usage perspective, the 5K wins with superior Bluetooth range and capabilities of the app, and availability of EQ/PEQ over LDAC. I would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a sound perspective. Overall, if I could have only 1 of these 2, I would pick the 5K.

Is there a simple synopsis like that which can explain why the “consensus” is that the GoBlu is superior to the 5K?

 

[lewisl]

Interesting, I would like to know how folks conclude the GoBlu is a ”better” device than the 5K… I don’t own the GoBlu, so I am not asking in order to debate, but to understand. I own the BTR5 and the 5K, and I conclude that while I far and away prefer the BTR5 from a physical build and day to day usage perspective, the 5K wins with superior Bluetooth range and capabilities of the app. I would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a sound perspective. Overall, if I could have only 1 of these 2, I would pick the 5K.

Is there a simple synopsis like that which can explain why the “consensus” is that the GoBlu is superior to the 5K?

I have this question, too:
- is it the precision volume knob?

 

[amonmeiz]

Interesting, I would like to know how folks conclude the GoBlu is a ”better” device than the 5K… I don’t own the GoBlu, so I am not asking in order to debate, but to understand. I own the BTR5 and the 5K, and I conclude that while I far and away prefer the BTR5 from a physical build and day to day usage perspective, the 5K wins with superior Bluetooth range and capabilities of the app, and availability of EQ/PEQ over LDAC. I would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a sound perspective. Overall, if I could have only 1 of these 2, I would pick the 5K.

Is there a simple synopsis like that which can explain why the “consensus” is that the GoBlu is superior to the 5K?

Some people can hear the difference between dac. I personally can't.

People praise ifi blu (or ifi products in general) for having warmer, fuller sound. Maybe that's what makes it "better" than 5k.

 

[jsmiller58]

Some people can hear the difference between dac. I personally can't.

People praise ifi blu (or ifi products in general) for having warmer, fuller sound. Maybe that's what makes it "better" than 5k.

Interesting, warmer fuller sound on the GoBlu vs the 5K implies a tuning / filter difference, which I can completely understand. On the Lotoo S1 and S2 threads there were comparisons to the L&P W2 dongle with much the same characterization, and it came out that Lotoo had reduced frequencies above 12KHz, resulting in that warmer sound compared to the W2 which didn‘t attenuate the higher frequencies and thus sounded “brighter”. I can understand people wanting that warmer sound, if they like it, but for me I would prefer to have the sound unaltered and then apply EQ to my taste.

Anyway, I am not speculating that this is what iFi has done on the GoBlu, just pointing out that having EQ / PEQ available to make the sound suit your taste is - in my opinion - better than having the manufacturer force that sound on you. As such I would guess - and I do stress guess - that you could EQ the sound on the 5K to match what you get on the GoBlu but since I don’t own a GoBlu I can’t be 100% confident of that.

Anyway, it’s all good, and it‘s all interesting!

 

[amonmeiz]

Interesting, warmer fuller sound on the GoBlu vs the 5K implies a tuning / filter difference, which I can completely understand. On the Lotoo S1 and S2 threads there were comparisons to the L&P W2 dongle with much the same characterization, and it came out that Lotoo had reduced frequencies above 12KHz, resulting in that warmer sound compared to the W2 which didn‘t attenuate the higher frequencies and thus sounded “brighter”. I can understand people wanting that warmer sound, if they like it, but for me I would prefer to have the sound unaltered and then apply EQ to my taste.

Anyway, I am not speculating that this is what iFi has done on the GoBlu, just pointing out that having EQ / PEQ available to make the sound suit your taste is - in my opinion - better than having the manufacturer force that sound on you. As such I would guess - and I do stress guess - that you could EQ the sound on the 5K to match what you get on the GoBlu but since I don’t own a GoBlu I can’t be 100% confident of that.

Anyway, it’s all good, and it‘s all interesting!

I in the same belief to, that a peq is more versatile, effective & interesting features to have, than a specific tuning done by company.

It's more personal, and personally suit me better.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Interesting, warmer fuller sound on the GoBlu vs the 5K implies a tuning / filter difference, which I can completely understand. On the Lotoo S1 and S2 threads there were comparisons to the L&P W2 dongle with much the same characterization, and it came out that Lotoo had reduced frequencies above 12KHz, resulting in that warmer sound compared to the W2 which didn‘t attenuate the higher frequencies and thus sounded “brighter”. I can understand people wanting that warmer sound, if they like it, but for me I would prefer to have the sound unaltered and then apply EQ to my taste.

Anyway, I am not speculating that this is what iFi has done on the GoBlu, just pointing out that having EQ / PEQ available to make the sound suit your taste is - in my opinion - better than having the manufacturer force that sound on you. As such I would guess - and I do stress guess - that you could EQ the sound on the 5K to match what you get on the GoBlu but since I don’t own a GoBlu I can’t be 100% confident of that.

Anyway, it’s all good, and it‘s all interesting!

Slow DSD filters cut off some high frequencies as well.

 

[newworld666]

Interesting, I would like to know how folks conclude the GoBlu is a ”better” device than the 5K… I don’t own the GoBlu, so I am not asking in order to debate, but to understand. I own the BTR5 and the 5K, and I conclude that while I far and away prefer the BTR5 from a physical build and day to day usage perspective, the 5K wins with superior Bluetooth range and capabilities of the app, and availability of EQ/PEQ over LDAC. I would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a sound perspective. Overall, if I could have only 1 of these 2, I would pick the 5K.

Is there a simple synopsis like that which can explain why the “consensus” is that the GoBlu is superior to the 5K?

As my Quedlix 5K is around 7 hours lifetime, which is insufficient, I am now in trouble to use a light 12 hours BT solution 7 hours isn't a full day at all).
I enjoyed the power (deeper lower impacts with Sennheiser IE900) and the sound quality of the iFi Go Blu, but I just returned it to Amazon as there was some permanent amp hiss which was really annoying in the night at low level volume between tracks. In daytime, it was hard to catch it, but in the ambience of a bedroom, much easier to catch and really too disturbing.

 

[kadinh]

Interesting, I would like to know how folks conclude the GoBlu is a ”better” device than the 5K… I don’t own the GoBlu, so I am not asking in order to debate, but to understand. I own the BTR5 and the 5K, and I conclude that while I far and away prefer the BTR5 from a physical build and day to day usage perspective, the 5K wins with superior Bluetooth range and capabilities of the app, and availability of EQ/PEQ over LDAC. I would be hard pressed to tell them apart from a sound perspective. Overall, if I could have only 1 of these 2, I would pick the 5K.

Is there a simple synopsis like that which can explain why the “consensus” is that the GoBlu is superior to the 5K?

I have been using my old gen 1 BTR5 for the past 2 weeks until my UTWS5 came in; my coworker has the GoBlu and I ordered the 5k this week, should be here tomorrow.

my 2¢, the goblu has a lot of power and sounds very warm, almost to the point of too warm for me. i listen with all sound filters off. the small size and button functions are a big draw, but no clip or case with clip.

 

[kadinh]

here was some permanent amp hiss which was really annoying in the night at low level volume between tracks

were you by chance using the 4.4mm output? ifi is know for some hiss on the balanced output, but there is pretty much none on the SE output.

 

[newworld666]

were you by chance using the 4.4mm output? ifi is know for some hiss on the balanced output, but there is pretty much none on the SE output.

Yes all my cables (short or long) are balanced .. for 4 or 5 years now, I don't use any single ended cables or output.

 

[Haxion]

were you by chance using the 4.4mm output? ifi is know for some hiss on the balanced output, but there is pretty much none on the SE output.

Haven't tried a GoBlu, but I have an iFi xCan and there's definitely some level of hiss or high frequency electronic whine through the 3.5 output. You can reduce it by turning the volume up to 100% on the digital source and adjusting the volume with the knob, but it's still there and you can hear it at very quiet moments in songs. I can't hear anything like that on the 5K, in contrast.