I'd have to say there is a discernible SQ difference with the ES100. Is it night and day? No. But I've compared the two with the same IEMs and headphones, and the 5K drives them better and I think has an edge in SQ and some features (especially the onboard settings storage) and it's actively being developed. It has some things that I am not a fan of, namely the buttons (which are worse than the ES100 and I didn't think that was possible) and the clip, but overall I'm a big fan.
The Qudelix-5K thread
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monsieurfromag3
1000+ Head-Fier
Depends what you‘re looking for, the ES100 is fine and a pleasant listen but I’d say the 5K is a marked improvement on clarity and dynamics. EQ capabilities are also a big step forward.
jasonb
Headphoneus Supremus
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More clarity and dynamics are always good.
I agree with this. I wasn't a big fan of the ES100 SQ wise and used it for convenience only. I have a working ES100 that is now rarely used (no issues with the clip like others have had) but I much prefer the SQ and clarity of the 5K (and the EQ is great). For me, there is a noticeable difference. Very happy with my 5K.
jasonb
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Now I'm excited!
The buttons are pretty terrible and annoying...way too easy to press. I liked the idea and the streamlined look but not the execution.
jsmiller58
Headphoneus Supremus
Really? That’s not the case on the older V30.
Have you tried in the usual settings (not developer settings) to tell it to employ “best sound quality” as opposed to “most stable“? For me that always gets me a LDAC on my V30, and “most stable” setting gives me aptX.
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jsmiller58
Headphoneus Supremus
I have the ES100, BTR5, and Qudelix 5K... as to sound quality, well, I won’t enter that debate because unless we do these tests as blind A/B there are just too many things that can influence the outcome. I would say pick the device that meets your usage the best. The real difference that I can tell between these three is the PEQ on the 5K. Beyond that there may be output power considerations if you are driving something more than a pair of IEMs. There are also “lifestyle” considerations such build quality (BTR5) versus size (ES100, 5K) for example. Also maybe the 5K has the best BT range, but if the device is always going to be on your person that may not matter as much as if you intend to have the source stationary while you walk about with your BT receiver...
OK, flame on, I can take it!
OK, flame on, I can take it!
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Yes, i posted it here and on the official forums a while back. Qudelix support got a V60 to test it and sent me the following instructions, which I am posting again below since it has been awhile and someone might have the same issue I did. It has to do with the V60 having both aptX Adaptive and LDAC. Their support team is really great btw.
From Qudelix:
"We finally got the LG V60 in our hands.
As we checked, it seems LG V60 remembers the connected device supported codec list.
Please follow the steps below.
- 5K App --> Codec --> Remove/Uncheck aptX Adaptive
- Reboot 5K.
- Remove/Forget the 5K out of V60 paired device list.
- Repair 5K to the V60.
Then, you will see the LDAC HD Audio option in Bluetooth paired device setting.
Hope this helps you."
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monsieurfromag3
1000+ Head-Fier
The V30 doesn’t support Adaptive so best quality defaults to LDAC.
Lokiiami
100+ Head-Fier
Battery is amazing. Manage to squeeze 10hrs on 2.5mm balance port whereas the BTR5 6.5hrs
jsmiller58
Headphoneus Supremus
That makes sense! So aptx Adaptive is considered (at least by the V60) as higher quality than LDAC? If you have had the chance to listen to the two codecs, what is your opinion of the differences?
Agreed. The buttons is the one glaring drawback of the 5K, IMO. However, it's not a dealbreaker for me. Lovin' my 5K.
Yes, can confirm! The Qudelix support people are awesome!
