[Yammy]

I'm not sure if this is just me, but when I enable mic passthrough, music does not pause so I'm still not able to take advantage of the mic passthrough and hear someone I'm trying to talk to.

If I try pausing my music before trying to enable the mic passthrough, it the mic passthrough doesn't get enabled at all.

I think the behavior should be similar to other products where music is paused when enabling mic passthrough (or at least give us the additional setting in the app)?

 

[jasonb]

I velcrod my 5K back onto my AKG K371 to use in this way again. I had been using my 5K wired to an iPhone for the last several months.

 

[JTon]

Hi folks, does anyone know the wiring standard used for 2.5mm TRRS output?

T=L+?
R=R+?
R=L-?
S=R-?

 

[DeJaVu]

Hi folks, does anyone know the wiring standard used for 2.5mm TRRS output?

T=L+?
R=R+?
R=L-?
S=R-?

It is:
R-
R+
L+
L-

 

[DBaldock9]

Hi folks, does anyone know the wiring standard used for 2.5mm TRRS output?

T=L+?
R=R+?
R=L-?
S=R-?

I've created a little chart, to help when assembling plugs & jacks.
The pin location on the lower section is representative of the solder-side view (of the connectors that I use) -
.

 

[JTon]

@DeJaVu @DBaldock9 thanks!
Appreciate the replies. I was also able to confirm this in the user guide (should have RTFM first)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z7sMD4v_8P1zYGW7-hrHvHVJRdm-3bQA/view?pli=1
Page 19.

 

[Tom Brown]

I'm trying to buy a 5K in Canada. It seems there may be some availability issues? Is there a shortage of inventory?

Can someone help me understand the best way to get hold of one in the great white north?

 

[JTon]

I'm trying to buy a 5K in Canada. It seems there may be some availability issues? Is there a shortage of inventory?

Can someone help me understand the best way to get hold of one in the great white north?

You can buy direct from Qudelix website or Amazon.com (US site not canadian). Looks In stock on the website? I haven't checked amazon

 

[Tom Brown]

Thank you for the ideas. I ordered from Amazon.com as per your suggestion. Qudelix appears to force PayPal who want to keep my CC on file which is not OK. Amazon already has my CC so I tolerate them... for now.

 

[jasonb]

So I recently got the Aful Performer 8, and the plan was to just use them with an Apple Lightning dongle (for ease and simplicity) if I felt they needed no EQ. Well they need no EQ, but they still sound better on the wired Qudelix 5K. I’m not the best at describing sound, but they just sound much better (in every way) to me on the 5K. It has nothing to do with the 5K having more power available. With these IEMs I’m literally using 3-6mV according to the Qudelix app. The volume is in the -45 to -52dB area since these IEMs are pretty sensitive. So it must just be because of the ESS DAC chip and just cleaner power.

So I’ll be continuing to use my 5K wired to my iPhone as a DAC/amp.

 

[Wgibson]

Hello all, check this out. Usbc Qi wireless charging receiver pad and a little kapton tape. The board is a bit too wide, but a wood veneer shell/case might be doable. This one is 5v 2A, probably overkill, there are smaller 1A boards/coils I might try. But hey, if it works it works.

 

[Tom Brown]

I'm not sure if this is just me, but when I enable mic passthrough, music does not pause so I'm still not able to take advantage of the mic passthrough and hear someone I'm trying to talk to.

If I try pausing my music before trying to enable the mic passthrough, it the mic passthrough doesn't get enabled at all.

I think the behavior should be similar to other products where music is paused when enabling mic passthrough (or at least give us the additional setting in the app)?

Respectfully, I do not think this is what pass-thru is about.

I love how pass-thru works. It enables me to wear IEMs while cycling. IEMs would not be safe without this feature as noise is safety when riding a bike. With pass-thru sound, it's easy to set up the perfect mix of music and safety.

I'm retired now but I used to use a Radsone ES-100 which has the same feature. It was ideal to be able to mix in a low amount of external audio. It was like walking around in a cloud of music. If someone mentioned my name, I immediately knew it. This feature let me be as deep or shallow in "the zone" as I preferred.

Pass-thru mic audio is like walking around in a cloud of music. It's a sensation I had never heard before. The sound is great, hard hitting, and everything we have come to expect from portable audio... but you still hear everything being said in the room. I absolutely adore this feature.

One word of caution: learn to either say nothing or speak quietly while using pass-thru audio.

 

[xSDMx]

With the Prime Day deals, I'm getting the itch to buy a separate, dedicated desktop DAC/AMP. Does anyone have any recent experience comparing the Qudelix 5K to some $200-300 desktop DAC/AMP units? In particular, I'm looking at the SMSL C200, Topping DX-3, and iFi Zen. I'm driving the HD660S and M1570C, so not particularly hungry. Are there any real benefits in my situation? Is the USB input more stable? Someone give me an excuse to buy more gear!

 

[Tom Brown]

Quick first impression of the Qudelix 5K. Tested with a bunch of IEMs, Senn HD-58X, Hifiman Sundara 2020.

I don't want to do a deep dive into subjective SQ comparisons as I feel that is low value but I would say the Radsone ES-100 and Qudelix 5K sound about the same. The 5K has an edge on bottom end at high volume. It has noticeably more power when pushed but I don't do that much so meh....

The 5K seems to have an edge in clarity but not one that is immediately noticeable. I've only had the 5K for one day but I can tell the 5K is less fatiguing over time than the ES-100. This is a welcome improvement. I suspect that is due to a modicum of improved cleanliness.

I don't think there is much difference from amp to amp and even less DAC to DAC. I'm not saying they are all the same but any half way decent quality DAC/amp can sound good.

The Qudelix software is a God send. The Radsone app is good but the Qudelix app is fantastic. Kudos to the Qudelix software team. Auto-EQ is epic and makes the 5K a slam dunk, IMO. Thank you for this.

Battery management is excellent. I love the 80% charge limit option. I also love the slow 200mA charge rate limit. Fast charging kills batts and isn't needed with the battery life of modern gear.

I'd like to mention I am happy with the case. I like metal, beauty, and solid feel as much as anyone but I'd rather have improved bluetooth performance and lightness. This thing is going to spend it's life clipped to the collar of my shirt and it's perfect for that.

Some pals have portable DAC/amps. We've all tried each other's gear. I admire the solid feel of a heavy DAC/amp but the weight would have it going in my pants pocket which would neccessitate a longer cable. I imagine it would be an annoyance. My buds curl their lip at the format of the little plastic DAC/amp and I respect that. To each their own.

 

[Tom Brown]

With the Prime Day deals, I'm getting the itch to buy a separate, dedicated desktop DAC/AMP. Does anyone have any recent experience comparing the Qudelix 5K to some $200-300 desktop DAC/AMP units? In particular, I'm looking at the SMSL C200, Topping DX-3, and iFi Zen. I'm driving the HD660S and M1570C, so not particularly hungry. Are there any real benefits in my situation? Is the USB input more stable? Someone give me an excuse to buy more gear!

My desktop stack is Topping P50/D50s/A50s. Probably sounds about the same as the DX-3 you cite. A quick comparison does not reveal a sound difference between the 5K and Topping stack but I've only A/B compared them for a few minutes.

In fact, if I was doing it again I would get the 5K and not bother with the Topping stack or any desktop audio hardware. The Topping stack is great but the 5K is more than sufficient for my needs. I suspect a desktop stack will be more relevant for people with power hungry headphones but the 5K is great with my Sundara (bal cable)/HD58X (bal cable)/IEMs.