[jasonb]

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.

The 5K is definitely plenty for IEM’s. My current daily IEM needs only 2-5mV for my listening volume according to the Qudelix app. I’m listening to the Aful Performer 8 at -45 to -52dB on the Qudelix 5K in single ended 3.5mm. -60 is as low as it goes.

 

[Yammy]

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.

Makes sense, but it could be a configurable setting rather than only being used for awareness while listening to music.

I was gifted some noise-canceling wireless buds (Samsung Galaxy buds?) and believe some noise canceling headphones have the behavior I describe. It'd be used for quick conversations with others without having to take out/off the IEMs/headphones. I find it somewhat difficult to hear what others are saying while my music is playing, especially because you it doesn't seem like you can adjust the pass-thru volume independent from the output volume.

 

[Tom Brown]

Makes sense, but it could be a configurable setting rather than only being used for awareness while listening to music.

I was gifted some noise-canceling wireless buds (Samsung Galaxy buds?) and believe some noise canceling headphones have the behavior I describe. It'd be used for quick conversations with others without having to take out/off the IEMs/headphones. I find it somewhat difficult to hear what others are saying while my music is playing, especially because you it doesn't seem like you can adjust the pass-thru volume independent from the output volume.

You can adjust the pass-thru volume independent of the music volume.

Qudelix App -> Input -> Mic and you will find all sort of options. I am confident you will be able to adjust it to your liking.

 

[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)?

Yammy,

I think I misunderstood your Q. I just re-read the above post and I think you mean pause the music when you receive a phone call. Pretty sure it can do that.

Or, do you mean pause the music when an ambient sound breaks the "squelch"?

Whatever the case, check out the app page that I cited above. You will find plenty of switches and knobs.

 

[Tom Brown]

I just finished mowing for 90 minutes. Had the 5K driving HD 58X (balanced cable, all foam removed, my own eq curve).

Sounded good to me. Had no problem driving a comfortable listening level over the John Deere clatter. The bare phone is OK but not in the same league as the 5K.

There is nothing wrong with rocking out while taking care of life's chores. Or, in this case, going country with the Bellamy Brothers.

 

[charlescc2]

I just finished mowing for 90 minutes. Had the 5K driving HD 58X (balanced cable, all foam removed, my own eq curve).

Sounded good to me. Had no problem driving a comfortable listening level over the John Deere clatter. The bare phone is OK but not in the same league as the 5K.

There is nothing wrong with rocking out while taking care of life's chores. Or, in this case, going country with the Bellamy Brothers.

Yep, love the HD58X with the Q5K.

Edit: Changing the phrasing of the question. Does anybody have experience going from using the Q5K over Bluetooth on Android (LDAC) to using it over Bluetooth on iPhone (AAC)? I understand that Android doesn't implement AAC as well as iPhone, so testing between LDAC and AAC on my Android might not be insightful. I only listen to Spotify music, either using HD58X or FiiO FH3, so nothing crazy, and I'm guessing/hoping there isn't a noticeable quality drop-off going to iPhone AAC.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Yep, love the HD58X with the Q5K.

Edit: Changing the phrasing of the question. Does anybody have experience going from using the Q5K over Bluetooth on Android (LDAC) to using it over Bluetooth on iPhone (AAC)? I understand that Android doesn't implement AAC as well as iPhone, so testing between LDAC and AAC on my Android might not be insightful. I only listen to Spotify music, either using HD58X or FiiO FH3, so nothing crazy, and I'm guessing/hoping there isn't a noticeable quality drop-off going to iPhone AAC.

I recently switched from an LDAC and aptX Adaptive capable Android phone to an iPhone. I listened intently and my takeaway is that AAC fed from an iPhone passes the perceptual test with flying colors. By which I mean that if I forget about specs and just pay close attention to what my ears are telling me, everything is in place and satisfactory. SBC is the only codec that fails at that for me.

iOS doesn’t resample, contrary to current Android, so you are saved from the single most destructive step in the audio path. Specialized audio codecs do far less damage than Android’s splashy conversion from 44.1 to 48kHz. I’d rather have a bitperfect 16-bit/44.1kHz file coded and decoded via AAC than a badly resampled file passed over 24-bit/96kHz LDAC.

It’s also worth noting that Spotify Premium natively uses 256kbps AAC, as they state here. So you’re in perfect sync.

 

[charlescc2]

I recently switched from an LDAC and aptX Adaptive capable Android phone to an iPhone. I listened intently and my takeaway is that AAC fed from an iPhone passes the perceptual test with flying colors. By which I mean that if I forget about specs and just pay close attention to what my ears are telling me, everything is in place and satisfactory. SBC is the only codec that fails at that for me.

iOS doesn’t resample, contrary to current Android, so you are saved from the single most destructive step in the audio path. Specialized audio codecs do far less damage than Android’s splashy conversion from 44.1 to 48kHz. I’d rather have a bitperfect 16-bit/44.1kHz file coded and decoded via AAC than a badly resampled file passed over 24-bit/96kHz LDAC.

It’s also worth noting that Spotify Premium natively uses 256kbps AAC, as they state here. So you’re in perfect sync.

Thanks, had no idea about Android resampling. And it looks like 256kbps AAC is only for their Web player, very high on mobile/desktop app being "equivalent to approximately 320kbit/s," seeming to mean Ogg Vorbis. No big deal to me either way, but between your experience and what I've read elsewhere since making that post, I don't think I have much to worry about with iPhone and AAC.

 

[Tom Brown]

Let's see if this is something....

For the last hour, I've been walking around the house with HD-58X and the Q5K clipped to the waist band of my underwear (no other clothes). I've noticed the 5K does get warm when driven hard.

I don't think this is a problem; just something I've noticed.

If Qudelix designers want further info, I can post logs and pics.

 

[superuser1]

Surely the engineers have to be in their underwear to ratify your results.

 

[Tom Brown]

To be clear, the device working beautifully. I do not share my neighbor Helen's view that this is a problem. I'm just mentioning the unit gets noticeably warm when driven hard near my unit.

 

[Tom Brown]

I would appreciate some help implementing the Harman curve with my HD-58X PEQ settings on the Q5K.
It seems odd I would need to manually create a confluence filter of the Harman curve combined with the Oratory1990 response curve of the HD-58X.
Is there an easier way? I don't see any Harman options in the headphone list.

 

[rlw6534]

I would appreciate some help implementing the Harman curve with my HD-58X PEQ settings on the Q5K.
It seems odd I would need to manually create a confluence filter of the Harman curve combined with the Oratory1990 response curve of the HD-58X.
Is there an easier way? I don't see any Harman options in the headphone list.

https://autoeq.app/

You'll have to enter the values manually.

 

[Tom Brown]

Whoa! That app does everything except key in the values. Absolutely brilliant!

I'm currently auditioning "Harman Over-ear 2018". It sounds a very subtle improvement over the Oratory1990 curve, to my ears.

Thank you, rlw6534.

 

[MickBenjamins]

Alright, I'm joining the party. I've just placed and order for the 5K