The Qudelix-5K thread

[raduray]

I've had the Qudelix 5K for a week and it took a little while to get it to work with my iPhone 13 and Apple Music set to lossless streaming. Here are some findings that might help:

1. Streaming via Bluetooth worked fine out of the box.
2. Music via USB was problematic.
Took some time to find a lightning to USB cord that works. This one does: https://tinyurl.com/42kz3mvz
It turns out that setting USB DAC FS to 44.1/48/88.2/96 KHz does not work. Only 44.1 KHz setting works. So then, what's the advantage of iPhone to Qudelex via USV over Bluetooth?
3. Even though music streams via lightning to USB, still need Bluetooth connection for the iPhone Qudelix App to see the device.

Note that when I connect to my MacBook Pro, I can change USB DAC FS to 44.1/48/88.2/96 KHz. But if I then go connect the Qudelex to my iPhone it won't work again until I switch to 44.1.

Comments and suggestions, particularly about the sampling rate limitation would be welcome.

 

[Hypops]

I've had the Qudelix 5K for a week and it took a little while to get it to work with my iPhone 13 and Apple Music set to lossless streaming. Here are some findings that might help:

1. Streaming via Bluetooth worked fine out of the box.
2. Music via USB was problematic.
Took some time to find a lightning to USB cord that works. This one does: https://tinyurl.com/42kz3mvz
It turns out that setting USB DAC FS to 44.1/48/88.2/96 KHz does not work. Only 44.1 KHz setting works. So much for lossless.
3. Even though music streams via lightning to USB, still need Bluetooth connection for the iPhone Qudelix App to see the device.

Comments and suggestions, particularly about the sampling rate limitation would be welcome.

While you may have found a USB cable that "works," it may be the reason you can't go above 44.1. As you've already discovered, finding a USB cable that plays nicely with iPhones is no easy task. It could be something else limiting the sample rate, but if you've already exhausted the settings in the 5k and on your phone, the cable is where I'd look next.

 

[speedingcheetah]

I've had the Qudelix 5K for a week and it took a little while to get it to work with my iPhone 13 and Apple Music set to lossless streaming. Here are some findings that might help:

1. Streaming via Bluetooth worked fine out of the box.
2. Music via USB was problematic.
Took some time to find a lightning to USB cord that works. This one does: https://tinyurl.com/42kz3mvz
It turns out that setting USB DAC FS to 44.1/48/88.2/96 KHz does not work. Only 44.1 KHz setting works. So much for lossless.
3. Even though music streams via lightning to USB, still need Bluetooth connection for the iPhone Qudelix App to see the device.

Comments and suggestions, particularly about the sampling rate limitation would be welcome.

Apple's Lightning port can not provide enough power to use a USB device such as a DAC (even though the DAC itself has a battery). You MUST use a POWERED adapter the most reliable adapter is the Official Apple "USB 3 camera adapter" that has a Lightning in (for power) and a usb A port (for accessory). Using that, the 5K works fine over usb in full 96khz wired mode. If you are stuck seeing 44.1, then you are in fact still using bluetooth connection. Using the Apple camera adapter while connected to a charger, been working fine with my 12PM for years. I also have a iPad mini that has a usb c port, and with that, just a straight usb c to usb c cable works, as that port provides sufficient power.

(note, that adapter, or any other so called "USB 3.0" speed to lighting adapters are misleading, as, Lightning itself, only support USB 2.0 data speeds.)

 

[raduray]

Duplicate

 

[raduray]

Apple's Lightning port can not provide enough power to use a USB device such as a DAC (even though the DAC itself has a battery). You MUST use a POWERED adapter the most reliable adapter is the Official Apple "USB 3 camera adapter" that has a Lightning in (for power) and a usb A port (for accessory). Using that, the 5K works fine over usb in full 96khz wired mode. If you are stuck seeing 44.1, then you are in fact still using bluetooth connection. Using the Apple camera adapter while connected to a charger, been working fine with my 12PM for years. I also have a iPad mini that has a usb c port, and with that, just a straight usb c to usb c cable works, as that port provides sufficient power.

(note, that adapter, or any other so called "USB 3.0" speed to lighting adapters are misleading, as, Lightning itself, only support USB 2.0 data speeds.)

I can turn off Bluetooth at the phone and still get music to play via the Qudelix even I can no longer see it on the app.

 

[raduray]

Apple's Lightning port can not provide enough power to use a USB device such as a DAC (even though the DAC itself has a battery). You MUST use a POWERED adapter the most reliable adapter is the Official Apple "USB 3 camera adapter" that has a Lightning in (for power) and a usb A port (for accessory). Using that, the 5K works fine over usb in full 96khz wired mode. If you are stuck seeing 44.1, then you are in fact still using bluetooth connection. Using the Apple camera adapter while connected to a charger, been working fine with my 12PM for years. I also have a iPad mini that has a usb c port, and with that, just a straight usb c to usb c cable works, as that port provides sufficient power.

(note, that adapter, or any other so called "USB 3.0" speed to lighting adapters are misleading, as, Lightning itself, only support USB 2.0 data speeds.)

Apple's camera adapter means no (or limited) portability if I have to connect to a power source. Do you know if the new iPhone with the USB C connector will support higher speeds to the DAC?

 

[XTF1]

I can confirm that the 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz setting (aka auto sampling rate) does work with my iPhone and yes, it’s all about finding the right cable. In my case I use a ddHiFi TC28i adapter, but other cables work with no issue.

From an iOS device, you indeed need BT to configure the 5K through the Qudelix App: as said above, it does not work through the Lightning port—mostly due to Apple restrictions I believe.
But it does play without BT.

There is a setting to disable charging, so the 5K doesn’t need power from the iPhone, it all depends on the settings.

 

[raduray]

I can confirm that the 44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz setting (aka auto sampling rate) does work with my iPhone and yes, it’s all about finding the right cable. In my case I use a ddHiFi TC28i adapter, but other cables work with no issue.

The ddHiFi TC28i requires external power. Not very portable.

 

[Hypops]

The ddHiFi TC28i requires external power. Not very portable.

I use the ddHiFi MFi09s cable. Among the dozens of cables I've tried, it's been the most reliable and resilient. It is expensive, though (~$70).

 

[XTF1]

The ddHiFi TC28i requires external power. Not very portable.

No, it does not…

 

[raduray]

No, it does not…

I saw the charging port. Are you saying that it will work without that being connected?

 

[XTF1]

I saw the charging port. Are you saying that it will work without that being connected?

It’s not a charging port: the TC28i is ‘just’ a lightning to USB-C adapter. So you can use any USB-C cable you want (well… not the charging-only cables!).

I’m not promoting this adapter—there are plenty other fine solutions—but it’s one that does work with Lightning iThingies

 

[speedingcheetah]

All i can say is that i have never been able to get the 5k to work over usb, or any DAC for that matter, without a powered source adapter on iPhones. I alwys got "this device uses too much power" message on the phone unless i connected a power source.
The turn off charging settings for the 5K in the app, does just that, turns off charging, it does NOT turn off the DAC's behavior of drawing power from the USB bus when it detects a usb connection. That was confirmed on their own forms.

The only other modern Apple device i have is the ipad mini, and its usb c port works fine for any usb device i have directly connected to it.

The 5K is portable by design, as a BT DAC, and you already have that ability.
Using it as a wired DAC, is making it less portable, but you are pretty much out of luck with older iphones thanks to Apple's proprietary port, and needing to use a powered dongle. Or, spend time and $ trying to get a cable to work, and even then, may not work all the time. YMMV

 

[XTF1]

All i can say is that i have never been able to get the 5k to work over usb, or any DAC for that matter, without a powered source adapter on iPhones. I alwys got "this device uses too much power" message on the phone unless i connected a power source.
The turn off charging settings for the 5K in the app, does just that, turns off charging, it does NOT turn off the DAC's behavior of drawing power from the USB bus when it detects a usb connection. That was confirmed on their own forms.

The only other modern Apple device i have is the ipad mini, and its usb c port works fine for any usb device i have directly connected to it.

The 5K is portable by design, as a BT DAC, and you already have that ability.
Using it as a wired DAC, is making it less portable, but you are pretty much out of luck with older iphones thanks to Apple's proprietary port, and needing to use a powered dongle. Or, spend time and $ trying to get a cable to work, and even then, may not work all the time. YMMV

I don’t know if it’s your config. that is unique or mine… but I can ensure you that my 5K does work connected to my iPhone through an USB cable (and that TC28i adapter; with or without BT), with no power bank.

I have used other battery-powered DAC-Amp wired to my iPhone without getting the message “…uses too much power”. But again, the Lightning-USB cable/adapter you use does matter! Besides the TC28i, I also have a lightning/USB cable that came with Khadas Tea, and it also works fine (I think I have others cables in some drawer…)

I disagree with your statement that the DAC always draws power from the USB bus: there is always a USB bridge chip in between—sometime integrated into a DAC/Amp SoC. The DAC power can come from the USB bus, but also from a separate power supply, an integrated battery, or another source (separate USB connector for example).
For the 5K, the USB bridge function is handled by the QCC5124, the BT/USB/DSP chip, and the power can come the USB bus or the battery (the Qudelix T71 also has a mixed mode, where it can draw power from both).

I do get the message “…uses too much power” if I try to connect my ML 5909 headphones to my iPhone through USB-C + adapter. But that’s because the 5909 always tries to charge from any USB source—it’s not configurable unfortunately.

As for using the 5K wired to an iPhone, there a couple of valid reasons IMO:
1/ You get better sound quality than BT AAC.
2/ The 5K is one of the very few devices that effectively gives the equivalent of a system-wide PEQ for an iPhone, if you want a wired connection.

Now, I completely agree that the 5K is a portable device, and BT is the prime use case… But it is also perfectly usable wired!

 

[raduray]

As for using the 5K wired to an iPhone, there a couple of valid reasons IMO:
1/ You get better sound quality than BT AAC.
2/ The 5K is one of the very few devices that effectively gives the equivalent of a system-wide PEQ for an iPhone, if you want a wired connection.

Now, I completely agree that the 5K is a portable device, and BT is the prime use case… But it is also perfectly usable wired!

From a spec perspective, how is audio quality at USB 44.1KHz compared to BT?