[hamhamhamsta]

Hello, apparently it is as you say, I was investigating and watching the post of the Fiio BTR3, many people compare it with this ES100 apparently has a very good quality and not only that until the application that is worth it is not something that They put him there because yes.
The only thing I do not understand is that because the ES100 would be better if it has the DAC AK4375a and the BTR3 has the AK4376A, the new version, does it really change the sound if I use it with 2.5 mm? The truth is that I never use headphones with 2.5 mm balanced, I do not have at this time but next month I plan to buy some Fiio F9 if they have.

I would say all considered, 3.5 mm unbalanced is about 75%-80% of 2.5 mm balanced in term of sound quality. Just get ES100 and prepared to be blown away by amazing sound quality.
Use LDAC for best result. It also has very good EQ if you are into that. Feed it at least FLAC for best result, but most of my songs are still mp3 320 kbps and they sounds bloody good.

 

[SuperNovaGoesPop]

is the Fiio Q1MkII that bad?

No...but let me put it this way: Fiio went with a new scheme and decided to include both balanced and single-ended capabilities with the Q1mkII along with the Q5. The balanced output if the Q1mkII is very nice and has a good bit of power for what it is, while the single-ended output is now significantly weaker and just not that great...it's literally less than half as powerful as the original Q1mkII for what you would be using it for and not good at all for a whole lot of full sized headphones. General rule of thumb is that with the Q1mkII, balanced is fine if you can do that, while single-ended use is more for just IEMs.

Point in case...q1mkII at 32ohms is like 75mw, q1mkI at 32ohms is 190mw, e17k at 32ohms is 200-220mw, and the nx4dsd is 290mw at 32ohms.

I would own a Q1mkII if the single ended output wasn't so low...e17k is where it's at between the two devices if you're using a common 3.5mm cable and want a new dac/amp under $100.

 

[Zerohour88]

No...but let me put it this way: Fiio went with a new scheme and decided to include both balanced and single-ended capabilities with the Q1mkII along with the Q5. The balanced output if the Q1mkII is very nice and has a good bit of power for what it is, while the single-ended output is now significantly weaker and just not that great...it's literally less than half as powerful as the original Q1mkII for what you would be using it for and not good at all for a whole lot of full sized headphones. General rule of thumb is that with the Q1mkII, balanced is fine if you can do that, while single-ended use is more for just IEMs.

Point in case...q1mkII at 32ohms is like 75mw, q1mkI at 32ohms is 190mw, e17k at 32ohms is 200-220mw, and the nx4dsd is 290mw at 32ohms.

I would own a Q1mkII if the single ended output wasn't so low...e17k is where it's at between the two devices if you're using a common 3.5mm cable and want a new dac/amp under $100.

basically its because the unbalanced is a bit underpowered compared to balance? It did came up when me and a friend needed to get some USB DAC, decided on the NX4 DSD (also got a Breeze Audio SE4 DAC that was super cheap) since it was ultimately worth the extra cost.

I have to say that the reason I usually recommend the Fiio Q1MkII is because its a recent model from Fiio, a proven company with solid build and sound quality. Going yolo, I'd just tell people to get the Sabaj DA3 or SMSL IQ (unfortunately, due to head-fi effect, those things are also a bit marked up like their predecessors, the DA2 and IDEA, after getting good impressions/reviews).

 

[Galeonero]

Hey buddy,

I can help you out a good bit with this...stay away from the Q1mkII, as it is really only going to shine with headphones that run on a balanced cable. As for the e17k, I would say that you should go for it. I currently have one and think it's a great little device. It'll power what you have and is 100% perfectly compatible with Android devices...grab a Fiio CL06 cable while you're at it for your phone. Indeed, you can snag one new for $90-100 and often for less on ebay; it's quite the steal right now since they're being phased-out. I honestly don't believe that you need anything more, and the onboard screen and loads of options will be nice to have.

Aside from the e17k, I also have the Topping NX4DSD...it's very nice and also a perfect solution for Android devices. It does sound a bit different and has its own characteristics, with more power...but you may not need that extra power or to spend that extra $60 or so.

If you're just after a nice little device to use with your phone and PC whenever you feel like it, then the e17k is a very, very nice starting point as a first dac/amp. Again, if you want to cap it at about $100, I don't think you could find anything else out there that would really beat it as far as overall value.

Bluewave Get is nice, and I have one, but I really feel that wired devices outclass these little bluetooth dac/amps in terms of what they bring to the table in useable features and often overall sound quality. I almost always find myself going to a wired setup unless I'm using the Get out in public and clipped to a set of headphones.

Hello, if the Q1 Mark II already discard it because it would have to buy a special cable and it's a lot of trouble already.
The Fiio E17k from what I saw is an excellent option has a good power and the option to load or not, so it would not have compatibility problems.
And if my question is whether a Bluetooth device can have the same or better quality than a dac / amp in this case the Fiio E17k.
The idea is that it is an all-terrain device as much for home as for outside and go to the faculty in subway or other sides.
What worries me if I wear a Fiio E17k is comfort, I do not know if it would really be a problem so many cables, I think I should throw myself more to a DAP or Bluetooth device because of this.