It seems that the longest construction of FiiO finally saw the light. Announced a few years ago, the top-end portable DAC and amplifier Q5, having undergone several redesigns and concept changes, has become a real embodiment and will soon be on sale.
I, perhaps, in this review I will not ask the question "why in general in our age of the heyday of portable players of all sorts someone might need a large mobile DAC with an amplifier for headphones?". Judging by the fact that the same CEntrance products are in demand, there are connoisseurs of such devices. Plus I suppose that for FiiO to release Q5 in some way became a "matter of honor", because it was with the portable DAC / amplifier E7 that the company began to rise to the top.
What is Q5? First of all, there is quite a serious mobile DAC with two AK4490EN and a fully balanced circuit. For USB is responsible XMOS, providing all the newfangled buns, including DSD256, along the way received MFi-certification, which provides trouble-free operation with iOS-devices. Do not forget the optical / coaxial inputs, if suddenly you have some sort of source lying around for them. The idea of Wi-Fi had to be discarded (according to FiiO, it was very noisy), but for wireless enthusiasts, Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX was provided. In theory, the CSR8670 is able to use Bluetooth 5.0, and FiiO even provided the possibility of updating the firmware of the wireless module, but I would not expect that such an update will necessarily be released. So we take for granted what is already there: 4.2 and aptX (well, AAC for iOS).
With an intensifying part, the question was also solved quite efficiently: Q5 is simply compatible with the X7 / X7II modules and equipped with AM3A (out of the box) well-proven AM3A ( details about this module are in the review FiiO X7II ). If you want, you can change the Q5 feed using all the breakthrough modules that have already been released in FiiO, but with a portable harvester, in my opinion, the feasibility of this scenario remains in question.
This includes a hybrid volume control, a milled aluminum housing, a very good design, a capacious battery, a sophisticated filtering system for powering all components, and so on and so forth. In general, all applications for seriousness in Q5 is, however, and the price tag of $ 350 to that very much obliges.
Specifications
- DAC: 2 × AK4490EN
- USB interface: XMOS XU208
- Bluetooth: CSR8670
- OU: OPA1642 × 2, AD8620 + OPA926
- Maximum resolution: up to 384 kHz / 32 bit, DSD to DSD256
- Recommended load impedance: normal output 16Ω ~ 150Ω, balanced output 16Ω ~ 300Ω
- Inputs: linear / coaxial / optical, USB
- Battery: 3800 mAh
- Operating time on one charge: > 25 hours in amplifier mode,> 10 hours in DAC mode
- Bluetooth: 4.2 with support for aptX, AAC, SBC
- Weight: 195 g
- Dimensions: 124 mm × 64 mm × 16 mm
Linear output
- Frequency range: 5 Hz ~ 90 kHz (-3 dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥97 dB @ 1 kHz
- Signal to noise ratio: ≥115 dB
- Voltage: > 1.8 Vrms
3.5 mm output
- Frequency range: 5 Hz ~ 50 kHz (-3 dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥73 @ 1 kHz
- Signal to noise ratio: ≥115 dB
- Output Impedance: <1.4Ω
- Voltage: > 6 Vp-p
- Power: ≥160 mW @ 32Ω, ≥24 mW @ 300Ω
Balance output
- Frequency range: 5 Hz ~ 50 kHz (-3 dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: <0.001% @ 1 kHz
- Channel separation: ≥99 @ 1 kHz
- Signal to noise ratio: ≥115 dB
- Output Impedance: <2Ω
- Voltage: > 10.5 Vp-p
- Power: ≥440 mW @ 32Ω, ≥93 mW @ 300Ω
Packing and delivery kit
Here everything is traditional for FiiO: a two-layer box, good polygraphy, a sticker for checking for originality and everything else that we have seen so many times.
Inside is the Q5 itself and accessories:
- two sets of rubber rings of different sizes for attaching the combine to the source
- Silicone gasket for dividing gadgets into a "sandwich"
- mesh pouch for piling Q5
- short Micro-USB-Lightning-cable for connection to iOS
- long USB-Micro-USB cable for charging or connecting to a PC
- screwdriver for replacing amplifiers and a set of spare screws
- coaxial adapter
- optical input adapter
- short analog wire with two angled 3.5 mm jacks
- instructions and warranty cards
In general, the package bundle is quite good, but a lot has not been included in it, FiiO has already released (or soon promises to release) many extra buns:
- Leather Case
- leather case for sharing Q5 and iPhone
- WM-Port cable for connecting to Sony devices
- Micro-USB-Micro-USB and Micro-USB-USB-C cables for Android phones
Design and management
The appearance of the Q5 was a success: an interesting combination of matte and polished (with longitudinal texture) metals, an ideal fit of all the seams, perhaps, in quality and appearance, if not the best mobile DAC, then one of the leaders of the race for this title. Actually, even the insert from leatherette on the back panel is not capable to spoil the appearance. It is worth noting that FiiO could not resist, and slightly spiked the player with stickers (golden "HighRes" and a couple of gray stickers with "additional information"), but I think that their problems will not be reduced.
Control elements from different sides posted a lot. On the right side are the volume control, the power button with an indicator in it and a separate LED with the inscription "DSD" (I think its functionality is obvious). The volume control is very high-quality, with a pleasantly tight turn, here we use a hybrid circuit familiar from other products, which ensures smoothness, noiselessness and no unbalance of channels. The "corporate style" is also sustained: the red ring around the power button, the diagonal riffle of the RG handle are everything that the designers of the company like to like to pay attention to recently.
On the left side there are three playback control buttons, unfortunately, they work only with Bluetooth-connection, which is strange, because even the E18 was able to transmit control signals via USB. The middle button also turns on / off Bluetooth and activates the "pairing" mode, and the bottom button cycles cyclically the signal sources. There is also a small hole for dumping, but I have never felt the need to use it. Also on the left side is the second "charging" MicroUSB-port. Unlike the lower, serving for data transfer, this one is intended for charging. However, if you want, you can change their functions in some places, using the application (about it below).
The upper panel contains two switches - bass boost and gain, and two sockets - a linear output and a combined line input / optics / coax. As in the previous developments of the company, the strengthening of the bass works quite accurately and does not turn the sound into a world championship in high-speed flatulence, as it often happens with other manufacturers. "Bust" operates exclusively with the midbasa region and below, gently adding sound to a fraction of the mass and corporeality.
The lower side of the device is allocated to the gain module, Q5 is fully compatible with the X7 (II) modules, so that if desired, the future owner can change the power and supply of his device within a fairly wide range, using all 6 amplifiers. In the drain, the Q5 is equipped with the same AM3A as the X7 of the second generation, but, apparently, due to a different design of the preamplifier, is able to develop with this module a little more power. As in the older players of the company, at the interface of the amplification module and the main "carcass" there is an indicator strip, glowing in different colors. Here it signals about the selected input and power state (possible color combinations are carefully listed on the leaflet). If desired, the display can also be turned off, but in this combine it is not as bright as in the players, so it does not irritate me personally.
Since I did not want to overload Q5 with the FiiO buttons, and it would be nice to give the flagship users more options, the company decided to transfer some of the settings to the application. FiiO Music, released together with the Q5 announcement last fall , was the application. When Q5 is connected, a separate item appears in the player menu that opens the settings. What is most interesting, to connect for this player must be exclusively on Bluetooth, wire connection does not work. Also left behind "and the Android users, about them in FiiO promise to think somewhere" in the first half of 2018 ". What settings can I change here?
- swap functions of USB-ports
- select digital filter (5 pieces available)
- channel balance
- turn off the LED
- off timer when idle
You can also see the battery level, unfortunately, FiiO did not implement a protocol that allows the iPhone to show the level of charge of the connected device, so this screen is the only place where this charge can be estimated before the red color of the indicator notifies you that it's time to recharge.
Fortunately, the battery here is quite capacious, despite the high power, in the DAC mode through any of the inputs Q5 works somewhere 10 hours and 15 minutes, and in the amplifier mode - more than 24 hours, although I do not think that someone will use it exactly. Full charging requires 3 hours and 20 minutes.
If we talk about the wireless interface (its stability, about the sound - below), then put it for 10 meters with a margin, as well as scripts like "phone in one pocket, DAC - in the other." Communication is maintained stably, I have never heard any interference. In the manual there is a warning about a possible worsening reception if you close the upper part of the device with a hand, but for my problems I had to close the top part of Q5, where the antenna is located, with both hands. In general, the problem "you do not hold it", it is unlikely to be relevant here.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03 , Meze 99 Classics , Audio Zenith PMx2 , Noble Kaiser Encore , Campfire Audio Andromeda , 64 Audio U12 , HUM Pristine and others. As transport used iPhone 6 Plus with FiiO Music and MacBook Pro 2016 with Audirvana by Bluetooth and by wire.
To begin with a little about Bluetooth, I've already touched on this topic a couple of times in previous reviews, but I think this should be repeated too. Used here aptX is a lossy codec, and at this point most discerning audiophiles, contemptuously wrinkling their nose forget about the device. In practice, well-implemented aptX-receivers, coupled with a quality DAC and amplifier, provide a very small "quality drawdown". It is certainly audible, but in the overwhelming majority of cases I am ready to put up with it, acquiring portability and mobility in return. In Q5 implemented a competent scheme in which a digital signal from a Bluetooth chip is fed directly to the AK-skins, bypassing the built-in CSR8670 decoder. Naturally, to describe the sound, I still used the option with a wire connection (it should be evaluated at most), but the wireless connection worsens the picture very little.
This time Fii decided to make (well, or so it turned out) a really neutral sound with a bias in almost monitored pitch. Naturally, I am now talking about the "drain" version - the change in the gain module or even the banal inclusion of bass boost changes the situation if not at the root, it is very noticeable.
LF at Q5 are fast, have good biting and depth. If you are accustomed to adding mass or some accents on the lower part of the range, by default this combine will not give it, but since there are not even one option to change the sound here, I think anyone can find the right bass submission option. "Bottom" here has a beautiful texture and very decent for this price category, the division of tools.
The midrange is also fed in an unadorned manner, which causes the main feature of Q5 sound - high sensitivity to the quality of materials. And the quality here is not so much high resolutions and other shamanisms, and mastering and information: the recording must have a proper imaginary scene, save all the emotions and not be compressed to the state of the brick. In this case, this harvester will please the listener with an ideal transfer of all the nuances of the track, an excellent three-dimensional imaginary scene that is much larger than the middle one, both deep and wide, with emotionality - all those for which we love beautiful music.
I think the experienced readers of the reviews can already imagine and high-frequency performance of Q5: detailed, bright "top", with a pleasant resolution, the presence of layering and fine-tuning of attacks. Attenuation, however, is slightly shorter than it should be, but this is not audible on all tracks. In general, for HF-sensitive people, this harvester may not be suitable (although a neat selection of headphones works wonders), but for fans of natural filing, the "top" here will be very, very very OK.
Compare the Q5 with the players, I will not, the benchmark is the FiiO X7-II, the top CAI of FiiO is roughly equal to it "in terms of", although it offers a different feed, I think this is still a planned action - a real monitor sound. But comparisons with a couple of DACs, of course, can not be avoided.
CEntrance BlueDAC. The closest competitor and for the price, and the possibilities, and the sound. If we remove from consideration the design and some non-sound possibilities, and to speak about the sound, we can say that these two devices are actually somewhat similar. Both offer a neutral, detailed and monitor sound. But the BlueDAC is slightly deeper on the bass and has a slightly higher resolution in almost the entire range. On the side of FiiO - the price and the mass of additional features.
Cozoy Takt Pro. Relatively new from Cozoy has already surprised many with a very natural sound in a very compact package. Again, discarding the price and functional difference, and at the same time not taking into account the power, it turns out that the product Cozoy offers a less analytical feed with a slightly greater emphasis on LF and slightly lower resolution. In general, from this comparison, it is easy to extrapolate and the difference with Cozoy Rei.
Compatibility
The reserve for power Q5 without problems is enough for almost any headset, and for most - do not even have to include a high Gain. Even with fairly tight isodynamic models, Q5 shows itself at a very decent level (especially with a balanced output). "The reverse side of the coin" - almost complete absence of noise when wired even with sensitive IEM. When I connected via Bluetooth with Andromed, I still managed to hear a quiet background noise, but only in pauses between tracks, so I'm inclined to consider this a very good result.
Stylistically Q5 is completely universal, here the main thing is that the potential owner should be drawn to a monitor, neutral feed. Critical to the level of material is high, somewhere 8 on a 10-point scale.
Of course, the review would be incomplete without sample tracks
Tune-Yards - ABC123. I decided, then, to expand my range of interests, and then more and more jazz in the collections, with rare inclusions of rock and classics, so I had to move in the direction of strange genres called "indie." And here at once - a beautiful track for demonstrating the neutrality of Q5: collected tight drums, a volume record, saturated with various "chips" melody, in a word - there is where to go for a decent DAC.
Marvin Gaye - Distant Lover. After wandering around the indie section, I was bored and decided to return to something more familiar, but not yet tired. Therefore, the following was extracted the performer's track, which alone can serve as an ideal test for midrange. But even here the monitor and technical presentation of Q5 shows itself in all its glory: the smallest nuances of voice, emotions, melodies - everything is played out properly and without blemishes.
Steven Wilson - Refuge. Well, to finish the selection wanted something all the same familiar and long native, here came to the aid section "The best rock releases of 2017", I hesitated for a long time between Wilson and Plant, but you see the choice yourself. Complex because of the external restraint melody does not constitute a problem for Q5, perfectly acting out both the introduction and the more dynamic main part.
conclusions
I do not quite see who makes up the target audience of portable DACs, although their sales show that this is purely my misunderstanding, and there is a demand for them. So I do not know who you are, mysterious users of the top mobile "harvesters", but another very interesting model appeared on the market, which clearly will compete with the recognized "pillars" of this segment.
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