Fiio Q5 Powerful Versatile bluetooth device.

I want to say a very big thank you to Fiio for letting me do a review of their latest Fiio product, the Q5 Bluetooth headphone amp/Dac.

I have been listening to Fiio ever since they first launched their product, they have come a long way from a few cheap portable amps to some of the best amp/Dac/DAP in today’s market for a very reasonable price. They have been improving and changing their product range but they have never change one thing. The urge to charge an exorbitant price in their lineup even after winning many awards over years. I also want to commend their customer service (for helping to track the “lost FedEx Package”). FedEx suddenly found the lost package on the last day of Feb.

I have been using wireless music device ever since wireless Bluetooth becomes popular. During the early days of Bluetooth, they are mainly used for answering calls and not exactly for music. Well, that has been changing since the last 3-4 years with Sony launching the MW1 Bluetooth for headphones complete with FM radio and SD cards. The sound was “Ok’ish”, wasn’t; too bad for traveling. But then, Astell and Kern came into the pictures when they launch the AK XB10 promising “audiophile” sound quality. It was not cheap, I paid $189 for it. This was the first Bluetooth device that made me dig Bluetooth music streaming even more. I was addicted to wireless from then on. The sound quality from AK XB10 is still pretty good even by today’s standard.

I finally got the Centrance BlueDac after reading rave reviews and was recommended by some very experienced head-fi (who has very good ears lol). I was blown away by the number of details and “audiophile” tuning of BlueDac. It was very impressive for Bluetooth. So when Fiio launched the Q5, I swear I am gonna have to hear this since it’s cheaper, and have more function. So in today’s review, I will be comparing the Fiio Q5 to Centrance BlueDac since the AK XB10 is not in the same price league. The Centrance BlueDac cost $399 while Fiio cost $349. A $50 differences.

To keep the review short, I will not be posting the specs here. As for the accessories, I will not write much about it or how much each adaptor or leather case cost. I decided to just post pictures of all the accessories. You can get all the specs from Fiio website http://fiio.net/en/products/83




So let us head straight to what really matter. The built, features and sound quality.


Built Quality.

Oh my goodness, the Q5 screams high-end all over the place. From the smooth analog volume knob to the feel of the button and the sharp edges of the aluminum body feels very expensive. It reminds me of the original AK240 (yeah, I burnt a $2,499 hole in my wallet) super quality built with a hefty weight to it. There is nothing cheap at all. The cheapest feel is the faux leather at the back of the device. It’s a plastic that looks like leather. I think its suppose to prevent scratching when putting it on the table since the wholedevice is made of aluminum. I can already see some minor scratches on the devices, so I do recommend the leather case (sold separately).



Comparing to Centrance BlueDac built, the BlueDac is made out of biodegradable plastic, feels very light and very fragile (I already break it when I accidentally drop it). Obviously, these 2 companies have very different philosophies. Centrance is promoting earth-friendly material and featherweights portability as it weighs only 120g. To be honest, I love the light weight of the Bluedac, but not a fan of biodegradable plastic. All in all, I prefer the heavier built quality of Q5. See pictures below for comparison.







Input and Output

In this regards, the Q5 wins hands down in the number of options. The Q5 has an Optical, COAX line in, a dedicated line out, a single ended 3.5mm headphone jack and a balance 2.5mm output, USB connection and an optional WM-PORT support (using Fiio L27 cable for all of sony’s diehard fans). The BlueDac is much simpler. It consists of a single ended 3.5mm, 2.5mm balance, and a USB connection. There are no optical or Coax support.



The sound.

This is what both companies describe their sound;

Fiio describes the Q5 sounds as smooth, pleasant yet detailed due to its high signal-to-noise ratio and low distortion.

Centrance describes their sound as a reference-quality audiophile listening device. The sound is so awesome, you will hear detail in the music you never thought was there.

As far as my experience goes, I don’t normally agree with what all these marketing talk about how great they are, but in this case, I have to agree to both of them. The Fiio Q5 sound exactly what Fiio describe, if you were to ask me to put into my own words, I will say the Fiio gives you a nice warm clarity with a very natural sound full of details. Nothing issharp or unbalance, no sibilance, no harshness, just pure warmth clarity.

Since both use the same brand DAC AK4490, only differences are Q5 has 2X of AK4490EN (yes with an EN). The sound tuning is more similar than different, but since this is an audiophile headphone forum, I will post even small differences here. Both amplifiers are dead quiet and have a black background. I used my hiss detector (Noble K10 CIEM) and could not hear any hiss in both devices. Sames goes for Shure SE846 and UE18PRO CIEM (25ohm).

The sound signature of Q5 isn’t fully neutral as it’s a bit more to the warmer side but not overly done. There is a pretty good linearity and balance across the spectrum. Nothing sticks out, just very balanced. The strong points are having a stronger bass than most of my other portable amps like headamp Pico slim, Centrance BlueDAC/dacport slim and AK XB10. Yes, the strongest bass among these amps with the bass switches off. I don’t recommend using the bass switch as it completely muddle the bass and veil the trebles. This is no sub-bass switch, it’s a midbass switch so everything sounds even warmer with an already warm signature. However, if you have a treble centric IEM with midbass dip, this switch could totally change the game. I would rather have it when I need it than not having it at all.








Other strong characteristic includes full richness and good treble extension. The soundstage width and depth is fairly good for a Bluetooth portable device. The Q5 present music in a very smooth but yet lively accompany by occasional sparkle here and there.Yes, it’s slightly warm, more like sunset cozy warm making it a very versatile musical portable amp/Dac There is quite a good precisions and a respectable amount of resolutions even though its warm. A healthy dose of everything, very balanced.

I especially love the bass of Q5, the bass has a fair amount of body and richness yet tight and fast enough which really gives a good impact. Bass can go really low and maintains stability throughout. I do wish the midbass is a tad lesser as it does bleed very slightly into the mid. Yes, very very slight. The bass is never overpowering and yet one would never feel it’s not enough. There is a good sense of depth and width with great instrument separation and extension. I would say that the mid is quite romantic yet with a sense of energetic flow within it. This is a very musical amp.

Treble is pretty robust but not too overly done. You get a sense of great energy and natural tuning with zero sibilance. No harsh peak, or crazy sparkle here. For those looking for higher treble energy, for low-level listening should look for the BlueDac as it has a more neutral tuning.

Fiio comes with an optional case to bundle with your iPhone 6/7/8. Just not IPhone X.







FIIO IOS apps

The Q5 is equipped with a companion app. This apps allows one to make full use of the AK4490EN dual Dac by changing the low pass filter to the following mode.



The sound immediately change when you click one of the filters option. That being said, this is not a huge differences like an EQ. It’s a minute differences in sound shaping and it does not change the overall signature. It’s a fun thing to have. I generally prefer sharp Roll-Off filter as I am using mainly UE18PRO CIEM. It’s gives the overall harmonic and overtone a kick!


This app is quite impressive since most companion apps that comes with bluetooth devices are really simple. Fiio app has the most features I have seen so far. There is an option to also do a channel balance. I really wish they include an EQ like the Earsonic ES100. Well, I am sure they will in the near future. Sony has it, BEO has it, Jaybird has a full band EQ, so Fiio, please include one in your next app upgrade.

   

Comparison with Centrance BlueDAC.

In short, I would say their sound quality are both are in the same league even the DAC is from the same company. The major differences are in the amps. The Q5 comes with a variety of options but for this review, I am going to use the AM3A since its bundle together. The Bluedac is no pushover in this regard since Centrance decided to include the AmpExtreme, a powerful, custom, class-A headphone amp in it. This Amp extreme is their best portable HiFi amplifier yet and has tons of rave reviews from major hifi publications. So which is better? The answer lies in your preference of musical tuning. If you are going after a more neutral tuning where your focus is on overtones and harmonics, then you should audition the Bluedac. The bass slam, impact and treble extension are more pronounced. If you prefer more warmth yet powerful bass response, a romantic mid with natural treble accompany by good clarity, then go for the Q5. I suspect most audiophile would like the Q5 more due to the more powerful bass and musical tuning. I am not saying the Bluedac sound artificial, no, far from it, in fact, it just as natural with a more neutral tuning. Both amps are very detail, both wins!

Conclusion.

Overall, I think the Fiio Q5 is 2 steps ahead in the wireless game. The reason does not lie in the sound quality since Bluedac is just as good, but more on the huge amount of options and features. The Q5 wins hands down on connectivity, has a forward, back, play, pause button and just scream high end just by looking at it. There is also an option for the beautiful custom fit leather case, different amplifiers to match your headphones and the volume rocker is just amazing. This is a dream wireless device that everyone has been dreaming for a long time until Fiio makes it a reality.

A reality not only for the rich kid but includes everyone with its resonable entry price point. I suspect the Fiio Q5 may win the 2018 best bluetooth audiophile device of the year. A gamer changer setup.

Thank you for reading and a very big thank to Fiio. I appreciate the 10 days of fun!. 谢谢你 FIIO!