Specs
- Frequency response: 5 – 50kHz (AM3A module)
- SNR: 115dB
- THD+N: 0.001%
- Power output: 160mW (32-ohm, unbalanced) / 440mW (32-ohm balanced)
- Bluetooth connectivity: 4.2, AptX, AAC
- Battery: 3800mAh
Packaging
The Q5’s packaging is typical of nearly all of Fiio’s other devices. The mostly black and white colour scheme of the outer-sleeve is easily recognisable. Fiio also makes a bit of a point to highlight the fact that the Q5 has support for the AptX Bluetooth format, as a lack of this feature has been a sore point on their previous devices.
Removing the outer-sleeve and lifting the lid of the main box reveals the Q5 neatly tucked away within a protective plastic bag. Underneath is where we find all the extra bits and bobs that come bundles with the device.
What’s in the box?
- Fiio Q5
- Micro-USB to Lightning cable
- COAX cable
- 3.5mm analogue interconnect
- USB charging cable
- Amp module removal tool (screw driver)
- 4x rubber stacking bands
- Soft carrying/storage pouch
Accessories
As always, Fiio includes a number of extras with the device. We get almost everything we need.
There are 4 included cables in total (only 3 pictured), one of which is a Micro-USB to Lightning cable used to connect the Q5 to an iOS device. Unfortunately there are no cables included to allow you to connect a device that has a Micro-USB or USB Type-C port, which is a real shame.
The included COAX adaptor cable is great for connecting the Q5 to some other source device in the event that a connection via USB isn’t possible.
The perforated soft carrying/storage pouch doesn’t exactly scream “premium” at you, but the fact that there’s at least something included to help protect the device is nice nonetheless. A very familiar accessory here is the screw driver used to remove the amp module, as it seems to be the exact some one that’s included with the X7 Mark II.
Design
To some extent, the Q5’s design follows a deliberate theme along with Fiio’s X7 Mark 2. But, in other aspects it’s a totally new device for them. Whilst it sticks to the same principle of having a modular amplification stage, the rest of the design is more conservative than that of the X7 Mark 2. Think of it like a combination between the x7 Mark 2 and their A5 amplifier.
The Q5 doesn’t have as many striking angles and lines, but it’s still a very modern and attractive look nonetheless. The front of the device has a really nice-looking brushed finish/texture, whereas the rest of the body has a matte metallic finish – the same finish that’s found on the X7 Mark 2.
Another similarity is the glowing LED section that’s visible from between the main chassis and where the amp module is connected to the chassis.Moving onto the right-side we get an analogue volume control (which feels and looks very similar to the one found on the A5), there’s also a power button (the same one that’s found on the X7 Mark 2), and a DSD indicator which lights up when the Q5 detects that a DSD data stream is being fed to it.
Along the top we get a high and low gain switch, a bass boost switch, and an input combo port. Here you have a choice of connecting a 3.5mm COAX input, a 3.5mm Optical input, or a regular 3.5mm analogue input if you only want to use the Q5 as an amplifier.
The left-hand side houses a couple of multifunctional buttons. When in Bluetooth mode, and only in Bluetooth mode, these buttons will act as regular play/pause and skip buttons. But, as they cannot be used for those purposes when not in Bluetooth mode, the play/pause and skip forward buttons have been assigned additional functionality. The play/pause button is used to switch the Q5 into or out of Bluetooth mode, and is also used to put it into pairing mode. The skip forward button, on the other hand, is used to cycle between the various input modes (except Bluetooth). However, this can only be done as long as there is no USB input connected to the Q5.
The rear doesn’t feature anything of particular interest other than a faux leather pad. This is somewhat similar to what we’ve seen on the OPPO HA-2 and HA-2SE. It’s unclear if Fiio intended for this design element to help avoid getting scratches onto the main body of the Q5, or if it’s simple for aesthetics. If it is intended for the former, it’ll be interesting to see how well it holds up over time. Will it start to peel off after a bit of wear and tear, or will it prove to be quite resilient to daily usage?
Functionality
The Q5 is a pretty straight forward device to use if you’re an iOS user. Just connect it up and start playing music from your favourite music app. For Android-users, though, things aren’t always as simple. In some cases the Q5 will work flawlessly, whereas in other cases the Q5 will try to charge itself from the connected device, resulting in a major battery drain on that source device. I tried to connect the Q5 to a Shanling M2s, Hidizs AP60, Samsung Galaxy S7, and even a Nokia 8 Sirocco, but all of them showed this charging issue.The Q5 isn’t just a simple DAC though, as it’s got a couple of features up its sleeve. First up is the modular design which enables you to swap out the amplification circuitry. This is the exact same feature that is found in Fiio’s flagship X7 and X7 Mark II music players, and the Q5 even uses the same amp modules as those devices.
Then we also get Bluetooth functionality. The Bluetooth 4.2 module implemented in the Q5 does offer both AptX and AAC compatibility, but unfortunately neither AptX HD nor LDAC. Performance-wise the Q5’s Bluetooth connectivity is OK, not great. Bluetooth’s maximum range is around 10m (33ft), and the Q5 cana chieve that as long as there are no obstacles in the way (and that includes your own body). Put practically any obstacle i the way and you’ll cut that range right down to around 5m or so at best.
One really cool feature is, when the Q5 is connected to an Android or iOS device via Bluetooth, you can use Fiio’s own music player app to apply various changes to the Q5.
You can select between a few different digital filters, you can change the channel balance, and you can also opt to turn off the Q5’s LED lights.
Then there’s another option which seems a bit odd. The Q5 has 2 separate micro-USB ports, and so within the app there’s an option to assign the one port to be a data port, and the other to be a charging port. So, of course, at first I thought this was the solution to getting the Q5 to work with my non-iOS devices without draining their batteries, but unfortunately that just wasn’t the case. I assumed that if I simply made the bottom port to be a data port that all will be golden, but nope. It didn’t change anything. So at this stage exactly what the purpose is of being able to make this change within the app is unclear to me.
Sound
To be perfectly honest, when I first unboxed the Q5 and gave it a quick listen, I rather enjoyed the sound. It had an easy-going character and absolutely no harshness in the upper registers.
But it’s when I sat down and compared it to other products that the initial sense of enjoyment started to fade. Perhaps that’s not quite the right phrase to use. The Q5 still had an enjoyable sound, but it just wasn’t quite as refined as I had initially thought.
It just goes to show that you really do need to spend a bit more time listening to these products before jumping to any conclusions. So let’s check out a couple of comparisons to see what I’m talking about.
Q5 vs Micro iDSD BL
Ok, let’s just jump straight to the big boy – the iDSD Black Label. The Q5 might have somewhat of a leg up on the iFi in terms of features and styling, what it can’t do is compete with it in terms of raw sound quality or power. Compared to the iFi the Q5 has a smoother and seemingly “softer” character. Instruments and other sounds just seem to lack some definition, and that leads to a less perceived instrument separation. That, in and of itself, affects the ability to place various sounds within the sound stage.
As a result, the Micro iDSD BL gives you a better sense of space – a property which become quite apparent when listening to orchestral music. That improved sense of space just gives your brain more clues as to the size of the orchestra.
Q5 vs xDSD
Yup, another iFi product, but a very important comparison to make. The Q5 and xDSD have a few key things in common with one another. Both offer numerous digital inputs, including Bluetooth, and both have both single-ended and balanced outputs. The difference there being that the Q5’s balanced connection is of the more popular 2.5mm variety, whereas the xDSD’s connection is 3.5mm. The Fiio is somewhat more feature-rich, but loses out in available power output and sound quality.Comparing the sound of these 2 devices proved to be quite an eye-opener. iFi are just so incredibly skilful when it comes to implementing genuinely good audio into a device. Side-by-side and in a volume-matched battle, the xDSD just sounds like the more competent of the 2 devices. I’d say that the xDSD sounds perhaps closer to the X7 Mark II than it does the Q5. There’s just less of that seemingly smeared smoothness, and instead a more focused and engaging sound coming form the xDSD.
Q5 vs. X7 Mark II and X5 3rd Gen
This was a very interesting comparison as it represents one of the biggest dilemmas for audiophiles when it comes to picking a portable rig. After you’ve been in this little game for a while you’ll inevitably find yourself asking the question “do I get a single source device, or do I forgo some portability and convenience and instead stack a DAC to a source device?”. Well, this question usually pops up when someone considers the cost involved.
Generally speaking, you’ll usually pay less for a DAC device than what you would for an all-in-one music player of equal sound quality.
I was really impressed with the sound quality of the x7 Mark II, especially when I compared it against the Micro iDSD BL, and so when I got around to comparing the Q5 to the X7 Mark II I felt that, as far as sound quality is concerned, the X7 sits somewhere between the Q5 and the iFi. So, if you’re trying to decide between the Q5 and the X7 Mark II, with regards to sound quality at least, my pick would be that the X7 is still a step up from the Q5.
So, what about the X5 3rd Gen?
As far as Fiio’s pricing scheme is concerned, this is perhaps the most important comparison to make. Depending on the region or various retail outlets, the Q5 and X5 are generally priced pretty close to one another. In some cases the X5 would cost a little more than the Q5, and in other cases it’ll be the other way around.
But, remember what I said earlier about similarly-sounding DAC devices usually costing less than standalone media players? Yeah, that rule is broken here.
Honestly speaking, I don’t think I’d be able to tell the Q5 and X5 3rd Gen apart in a proper blind test. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise though, as both devices seem to be using the exact same dual AK4490EN DAC chip setup. But, the fact that they are priced so similarly does come as a bit of a surprise. So, how would you then go about choosing between these 2 devices if they offer the same sonic quality and character?
Value
The value of the Q5 is going to come down to what your needs are. Let’s assume for a second that you’ve set yourself a budget of around $350 or so and you’ve narrowed your choice down to either getting the Q5 or the X5 3rd Gen. I can tell you right now to forget about the sound quality, as that property alone just isn’t going to be a deciding factor. Two of the three key aspects that will matter here though is convenience and functionality. The Q5 gives you the option to swap out amp modules if you need some more driving power, and can also decode DSD files up to DSD256, whereas the X5 only does up to DSD128. Another big plus, at least for myself, is that with the Q5 you don’t have to deal with Fiio’s software. I tend to be immensely underwhelmed with the software on their music players, so I consider not having to deal with that as being a positive.
One problem facing the Q5, though, is the fact that, unless you’re an iOS user, you simply don’t know for sure if the device is going to work properly with your source device. As mentioned, the Q5 was getting charged from all of the non-iOS devices I tried, and so, at least in my case, it just isn’t a practical device to use.
However, the biggest problem for the Q5 comes in the form of the iFi xDSD. Yes, it’s got an arguably less attractive design than the Q5 and will probably give you a bit longer total playback time, but it’s also got more power available and, more importantly, offers a step up in outright sound quality. That $50 or so jump in cost over the Q5 really does seem worth it for the sound. Also, all you need to connect the xDSD to your source device is the appropriate OTG cable in the case of Android, or the Camera Connection Kit for iOS devices. The xDSD also gives you the ability to decode MQA format files, whereas the Q5 lacks this entirely.
Overall, the Q5 does seem like a good value product nonetheless, it’s just a shame that Fiio seems more interested in making their products iOS compatible than showing the Android crowd some love.