iFi Go Blu vs Fiio BTR5 vs Qudelix 5K vs Radsone ES100 - One of these blew my mind
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Radsone ES100: earstudio.store/products/es100
Fiio BTR5: www.fiio.com/btr5
iFi Go Blu: www.headphones.com/products/i...
Qudelix 5k: www.qudelix.com/products/qude...
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00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Build Quality, Form Factor, Connectivity & Battery
09:44 - Amp & DAC Sections, Power
11:24 - Sound Quality
12:22 - Features & Functionality (reasons to buy)
20:46 - Rant About EQ
23:10 - Conclusion
![Jordan Adetunji - KEHLANI REMIX (feat. Kehlani) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EeJ8n5PxFGE/mqdefault.jpg)
Qudelix 5K + etymotic er2se + crin eq preset = awesome
Qudelix 5K + sundara 2020 + balanced 2.5mm cable + oratory eq preset = great
Nice
Q5K users: don't forget, there is a browser extension for chrome, so you can access all your settings in the browser instead of messing with your phone's app. This obviously only works if you're (USB) connected to your PC.
Wow, I didnt know. Thx for the headsup, will go play with that now ;-)
Thx man
Wish I'd a known that a year ago, the Q5k app works with android v8 and up. Yet another feature shows up for free. This little amp is invaluable to me, works with my planars as well as everything else. It's the swiss army knife of pocket amps, literally. I compared to the BTR5 and kept the Q5k.
Yes on chrome you open the extension it like a Web page and save the page as an app and put it on your task bar, perfect
In the midst of the audio industry, this is soooo cool see 🎉
If the clip is really important to you, don't overlook the BTR5. Its removable clip feels a bit fragile, but can fit on the BTR5 4 different ways. That's a bigger deal than you might think at first: you can wear it jack up, jack down, and with the buttons on either side.
Yes, but it breaks, and I can tell that to you first hand. Much preferred the btr3k clip.
@abhitejvelore I've had my BTR3K in its clip since September 11 2020 and can attest to its sturdiness so I'm sad to hear the BTR5 clip breaks easy . I was thinking to get the BTR5 OR BTR7
@@DroidLocks6971 I'd recommend the qudelix 5k, much better app, sturdy construction. It's not premium like with glass and all, but it's very sturdy and has great range.
Qudelix 5K is essentially a sequel to the es100 mk2. It was created by the developer that creator the es100 after they parted ways with Radsone to create their own company, Qudelix.
This is very interesting.
Interesting indeed.
Yes, that’s why there are similarities on form factor, features, and UI design.
I say Radsone made a mistake letting this guy leave but, hey good for us!
Great video. I’ve had my EarStudio m100 for a while and I love it. I’ve worn the finish of it in places. Had my eye on the qudelix for a while and you just pushed me over the edge. Thanks. Now I just wish some desk top dacs would have the same functionality
look who’s here! man how do you get the time to watch other youtubers🤯
Yes, my ES100 is great. Picked 1 up after watching your review.
@@DavidZack-Jeephead does it sound better than the btr3k or 5th gen ipods sir ?
I have the Qudelix 5k.
Great experience with them.
Loved watching the great video, very informative and detailed !!! Thank you !
I really needed this video. Thanks!
Absolutely fantastic review. Thank you!
I would recommend the qudelix 5k especially for gamers since it supports mic inline on usb mode (just like a sound card but way more functionality and performance) and also can take calls on my pc without taking my pc38x. It just do everything.
Do you think the latency is good for games?
Team Qudelix!
I've been trying to get people to go for the qudelix over the btr5 for over a year now. I'm glad that they're finally getting the recognition that they deserve.
Not sure how the others work but I love how it sets itself up. I have it connected to my PC USB but also have it setup via bluetooth on my phone on LDAC.
If I'm playing something on the PC, it plays through, but then if I want to switch to my phone, the bluetooth automatically kicks on. It's nice
@@iKaGe01 It also has insane range
It was back in stock as of yesterday last I checked. Briefly on Amazon but still on the qudelix pGe6
Is it also a Usb dac for in my computer with Headphones?
Is it a match for a audioquest cobalt? :)
I've been looking into getting this style of dac amp and this review was useful, though I do think a more thorough evaluation of battery life would have been helpful. Thanks for the video!!
Very useful review, amazing commentary
Good comparison, thanks. Just ordered a used Qudelix
Really enjoyed your review, too many reviewers don't actually come to a logical conclusion and I liked how you showed those differentiating factors. My use case is when I'm walking around town I just want to use my nicer iems with my Pixel 6 that doesn't have a headphone jack. I think the iFi GO blu may be the way to go for simple just grab it and go - and I think the knob is pretty cool looking.
dang this is the one I've been waiting for.
Brilliant review.
I agree with your qudelix evaluation. A brilliant headphone amp.
Qudelix-5K is my go to option because of the customization but also because the range on the Bluetooth is Really Good.
Great explanation. Thank you!
I also use my Q5k as my on-the-go usb-dac with my laptop. Bought an aftermarket 2.5 balanced cable for my trusted HD600s and off we go. I found the buttons hard to use at first, but after a few months you get used to them, and now i can operate them blindly. So yeah, I like my qudelix.
I consider buying 5K for my HD 600 too, do I need to buy a balanced cable or can I go for stock cable, unbalanced?
Levels of dry humor about clips are 100% clipping!
Thx for the review btw
Great review
The Qudelix 5K is one of the few items that I will instantly buy again if it should break, especially for this price. Great hard and software (the app). This should be the industry standard for wireless audio.
Just picked the 5k up .Now need to lean how to adjust the PEQ.
Agreed. It was out of stock, so I pulled the trigger for the BTR5.
@@jb678901 It's often out of stock. But Fiio also makes good products, yeah.
good luck. there is 0 availbility of q5k nowdays
I've been daily driving the BTR5 for about two years. Cycling to work, at home on my laptop, as a Bluetooth for my hifi.
It sounds and works great.
I tend to use the 2.5 balanced output.
There is a noticable difference in volume and sound quality.
It's been out in the rain, out with me drinking and survived everything.
Same here I've had mine for 2 years now and it works fantastic. I wish the EQ was more extensive and worked with LDAC though that's my only complaint about it.
@@johnmcafeedidntkillhimselfm.ooo
@@johnmcafeedidntkillhimselfm.ooo
@@johnmcafeedidntkillhimselfm.ooo
@@solehahmustafa5580 M.OOO
Very helpful comparison. 👍
Great review! I love the BTR5 as I don’t care about EQ, but like the fact I can pair to both my iPhone and iPad and switch source by pressing play! I also like that I can run it off usb-c for lossless if I’m chilling on my sofa with my HD6XX or Elegia.
I would totally get the btr5 as I also don't care about EQ, but I do about BT range and I've read the Qudelix wins here. I have the Qudelix for a year so far so good, very satisfied but looking for a second device as back up. Is the btr5 BT connectivity bad?
This was actually pretty good. God job!
Thanks Andrew! This was a very helpful and well timed review for Christmas. I wanna give my mom a starter audio setup, but being blind, she won’t get much use from all the EQ and app features. Now to select a midfi headphone to pair with the iFi 😁
6xx maybe or one of the other Sennheisers if they also have the 3 raised dots on bottom of head band for left side, that way you mom will always be able to easily identify the correct way around.
Try the Sony MDR-1AM2. Great gateway headphone into Hifi, price is ok, build quality and presentation oozes high end, light, compact, can take it on the go, easy to drive and has the kind of mainstream tuning and solid performance that will wow most people just getting into hifi sound. Super versatile too, great for both music and movies and non fatiguing, can wear them for hours. There are cheaper and possibly better from a purist standpoint (like the Drop 58X, 6XX, etc.), but the quality of the sound of those is perhaps too subtle for the beginner to appreciate from the start. The Sony’s just have the complete package plus the wow factor sound for the newbie. It’s what got me started on my journey (actually the original, the 1A, since replaced by the M2). My 2 cents. Best of luck!
@@adrianmorrish8494 I decided the 650s and the iFi. I hope it’s efficient enough driver to reach sufficient sound level outta the little guy, but the iFi could bring it to a safe level for her so she can still hear some surroundings, being so open back. I hope that model has the Braille, that’d be a brilliant touch!
@@benjamincraig7198 yes it will drive them but get your mom a balanced cable as the single ended stock cable into the 3.5 port will be lacking power. If it doesn’t have the 3 raised dots get some of those tiny self adhesive round plastic feet u can get to stop things sliding on a slippery worktop and put one of those on. Sure your mom will love the present 👌🎄🌲🎄
@@adrianmorrish8494 Thanks for such a kind and thoughtful response. I've been thinking more and more, testing out the 650s on various sources (Iphone, Fiio M11, XA-10, and computer). They are about as efficient or slightly less than my HD800S. She needs to be able to hear, so I wouldn't want her to listen so loud anyways. Anyway, the upgrade potential here is immense. I think DMS has talked about how high impedance headphones have more scaling with better and better sources while having less THD. Not sure if this is true, but they seem to open up so so so much on a desktop amp.
They do come with the 3 dots on the left cup, so no need for this cleaver work-around, but I may do this for some of my own headphones.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
The Qudelix 5K is great & very versatile, for those in the UK you can get it from Elise Audio for only £115.
Happy listening
I have had the Q5K for well over a year now. I have taken it with me on most car rides for BT functionalty in my older car. Used daily at my desk with a Sundara. It works really well, it has REALLY good LDAC range... like across my home good. The battery has heald up fine, and it even survived a full drop into water (full submersion for a good few seconds) without any issue while being on when the drop happened. The old rice trick was used and it still works like a charm. And imo a little bonus is that it's a smaller company that manufactures and works in South Korea with really good customer support. When I contacted them they always responded to me well and genuinly tried to help. Personally think its by far the pick of the bunch.. especially when taking into account that when its plugged into a PC via USB there is more power available to drive the headphones. I don't know how much more but its notacible on my Sundara when I used it unbalanced. After switching to balanced I can't really go high enough or it just hurts to know, but I would assume the same.
What do you mean? Balanced should supply more power to the headphones.
@@BuzzingGoober I might have been unclear, but yes it does have more power on balanced output.
I want something with the functionality of the 5K, the build quality of the BTR5, and the volume wheel of the Go Blu.
Me too.
There are some great music apps with headphone profiles and detailed eq.
So it's like a pick your poison.
Shanling UP4 has the build of the BTR 5 and a wheel for controls, plus it has a dual dac boost mode that gets you a little more power in single-ended mode. the boost mode drives my Argons and my HD600s surprisingly well. highly recommended.
Bought the BTR5 a few months back and the Qudelix 5k just arrived. It's a night and day comparison for me. Qudelix seems to be more feature rich, and the app has ton of config options for gearheads. Sound feels more immersive and rich, regardless of whether I'm using it as a USB or BT DAC/amp. And not really sure how, but the 5k seems to be more power efficient.
Does the 5k also support NFC? I personally really like the simplicity of connecting it just by holding it against my phone, without having to mess with pairing, turning Bluetooth on etc.
@RE-Gaming Not that I'm aware, but I've only paired it once and it auto connects every time it turns on.
@@re-gaming3913 nfc on btdacs are useful for the first pairing, but than its useless.
@@Balazsnyikov_Cz it's still useful because i had a bt speaker and when i held my phone against the nfc thing it automatically turned on the speaker, activated Bluetooth on my phone and had a connection instantly. That's what I like about NFC connection
What headphones you using with it?
Still rocking my battered little triangular PONO with balanced dual 3.5mm headphones setup. Love the little thing. Currently using shureSE846,,HD700,FOCAL ELEGIA and LCD X(2021).
Haha, still rocking my LG v20 and v60, with various wireless and wired headphones.
Excellent LG music app and even better USB audio music app with morphit headphone profiles and eq.
Would love to eventually get one these though.
I love the sleek modern look of the FiiO.
Especially the BTR3K because that one is even smaller than the BTR5.
Yea I owned the fiio but the eq was what made me switch to the q5k,also the range was bad. My bro wanted high quality bluetooth too so that was the final decision. I use 3 different eq settings for my car and 2 other headphones cuz like resolve I'm treble sensitive. Nice that you covered bluetooth products since most people cant take there audio setup outside.
hey , how to connect them with our car , via phone ? . because im using youtube music
I just bought fiio Btr5 but some features i doesn't like it 1) whenever we connect type c to mobile the multifunction buttons can't work, & 2) is too much bulky for hanging kindly request you please suggest me which one Dac better? ifi go blu, q5k or continue with btr5?
I wish Fiio would implement a parametric eq in their app, that would be a huge selling point. I own the btr3k and it's fine, but the stock eq functionality is pretty limited
flopper eq
@@edwinbeta2806 magic 8 ball 😁, btr5 dosent support LDAC or AUX with EQ because the chip set dosent.
I wish fiio would allow more than one user eq setting on all their devices. I find very little excuse for this on these high-priced DAPs and BT sources. Pioneer/Onkyo had it down perfectly with a linear-phase parametric EQ and unlimited user presets
finally, someone made these comparisons.
Yo Mike! It feels like you made this video for me! I had the rego 6th gen then “upgraded” to the 9th gen recently. I’m in sales and visit schools a lot…it’s nice to pull out my iPad for notes but it was kinda big and I could just use my laptop at that point. Enter the mini…I was late picking this up but it is my savior for taking notes, playing games, reading news/books and general research. My ninth gen is more for drawing and note taking but I prefer the second gen pencil. I also use the big iPad when sharing things with customers and as a display on my Twelve South HoverBar at conferences. I agree it would be great to be able to use the mini as a second screen. I love the portability of the mini and take it everywhere with me.
Definitely wish the Shanling up5 was in the lineup.
I second this
My BTR5 2021 with Thieaudio L5 IEM has been my set up as I can’t afford expensive dac, amp, and headphones. I’ve been happy with this alternative to the point that I consider saving money for tribrid IEM instead of headphones.
I have had the Radsone (Mk I) since 2019 way before i got into actual audiophile stuff recently. The app is feature rich BUT it hasn’t been supported in 3 years at least on Apple. The battery only charges up to 70% now but still lasts a good while.
Excellent and useful review, thanks! I like that you differentiated use cases so well. Will point out that the Ifi Blu Go supports AptX LL (Low Latency) whereas the Qudelix supports the lower latency support in AptX Adaptive which is not quite as low but may be sufficient depending on your particular configuration. This isn't mentioned anywhere in the otherwise extensive comments, so I thought I'd point it out as a differentiator. I need something to use with the Steam Deck for gaming in addition to other uses, so LL support is a major plus.
No bluetooth solution is suitable for gaming, 130 ms low latency is not gonna cut it regardless
@@AT-vj2mz that's not accurate - not sure where you come up with 135ms as that's high. AptX LL has a 45ms target, and the new stuff that's being pushed by Qualcomm for 5.4 has a 25ms target I believe. BT can definitely be low latency for gaming, the Deck just can't do it right now.
@@gitv1ld targets are meaningless, rtings has real testing. Anything over 35 ms sounds like crap. Variable delay time on sound, sounds like crap.
There's a reason gaming headphones have usb bluetooth sticks, because apt x low latency has garbage sound quality and isnt even good enough for a $50 razer headphone
No one remotely competant at multi million dollar companies thinks its good enough. Not a single gaming company thinks its good enough, not even redragon who are so cheap they took a letter out of their name
@@AT-vj2mz those are real world numbers, don't over fixate on rtings. BT is fine with the right conditions. But you do you.
@@gitv1ld the sheer ignorance of arguing real life performance is less important than test numbers. Eat shit, people who cant admit they are wrong are pathetic.
The clip is absolutely essential to me. I have Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro that has an Fiio BTR3 clipped onto the headband, connected with a 15cm cable that just fits perfectly snuggly. Most people don't even see the Fioo, it just looks like wireless headphones. Prefect uninvasive conversion. Now I want to buy Beyerdynamic DT7000proX and I was debating whether I should get Fiio BTR7 or Qudelix 5K for it, and because of the form factor I'm leaning towards Qudelix. That's also how I found your video, by looking up comparisons between these 2. And you gave me some more options to consider and then reinforced my leanings towards Qudelix :D
I've had my Qudelix for a year now. Love it! I hope they make a more powerful unit in the future. Would like More headroom for headphones.
How has it been holding up? Thinking about getting one!
@@jesustsa1 I prefer the BTR5 for the buttons, battery life and base sound. Would still highly recommend Qudelix esp if you want to play with EQ etc. Can't lose either way tbh
@@sammyb_tcg3485 What do you mean by "base sound"? How is that better than the Qudelix?
Wow, excellent presentation, thank you. (and without the profanity that other reviewers enjoy)
I ended up buying the Qudelix a couple months while the btr5 was out of stock and I would like to say I'm really happy with it overall except for the umm funky button setup. Also I nice think about the Qudelix is that it supports ps5 through USB.
By connecting it to the controller?
I have both the ES100 Mk1 and Qudelix 5K. I enjoy both. The ES100 is a bit warmer overall because of the AK4452-3 chip (so it works a bit better with brighter iems), but the Qudelix can often sound a bit more detailed. I tend to listen to both equally. Where I find the Qudelix really outperforms the ES100 is in Bluetooth range. I listen using LDAC from my smartphone and have found that the Qudelix performs better (with no dropouts, over a larger distance) than the ES100. I can leave my phone outside my apartment (when downloading music via my neighbors WiFi) and go inside to cook or use the washroom, without any sound dropouts or disconnection. My ES100 will often stop playing or stutter when I move away from my phone and when I temporarily move indoors. It struggles to stay connected through doors and walls. Another advantage of the Qudelix compared to the others mentioned. I've read and watched numerous reviews on all the others mentioned in this review and it's often been mentioned that the Qudelix has the better Bluetooth range of them all.
Super helpful comment!
I have the BTR5 and I use it at work with decentish IEMs. It has a built in speaker so I end up (in my opinion) getting better sound quality than most BT headphones.
I use the es100 as my in car adapter for playing music from spotify of my phone. I has a lot of good options on the app for different applications so suits me very well.
I switched from the BTR5 to the ifi a couple months back and am thrilled with the purchase. The firmware update procedure could be easier but otherwise it’s been flawless for me.
I much prefer the xbass and xspace button over futzing with an eq, it sounds great and is more powerful, has 4.4 balanced output, and allows full volume and playback controls when in wired mode.
That last one is a big deal for me actually, most devices offer that in Bluetooth mode but once you wire it in the playback controls don’t work…they do on the ifi.
Hei Andrew would you have any interest in making a review of hifi iem bluetooth adapters such as and considering that the FiiO UTWS5 have come to the market? thanks for this great review
Very well done....
I have the Grado SR80's and the Sennheiser HD650's at home I use the Little dot MKIII and absolutely love the sound. Which would be the best for these two cans? I also have the Etymotic ER 2....
I believe the XSpace function on the GoBlu also implements a bit of crossfeed between the left and right channels
So the Qudelix and it's presets are in a way like GPS and preset routes for popular destinations for someone. You can automatically use a GPS' preset routes, but they don't help one develop a sense of direction.
You come up with a valid observation though, somedays one device sounds better than another. That is a real thing because I experience that phenomenon all the time. So I guess today saber sounds better then akm. Good help is what I hear tomorrow though
What about the Shangling UP5? It also gets very good reviews. How would it compare to the Qudelix 5K?
Thanks for the comparison and your insight in each of the devices
The GoBlue has a very warm signature, very lively/fun sounding, boomier with the bass boost, but I ended up returning it in favor of the Qudelix which I had compared it with side by side. The dual sabre dac implementation on the Qudelix was very refined, neutral, more detailed and incisive sounding, and I found that preferable ultimately. It is obviously the better value at half the price, but I was willing to keep the iFi at double price if it had won me over on sound. It might have been a nice alternative sound signature to have in my dap collection but another reason I returned it was because it couldn't be used wired with my iPhone (this device draws too much power). So for me, it wasn't worth keeping when I had the Qudelix. But don't let my experience dissuade from trying it out yourself as the device is really well made and it does have a fun sound.
How did you and do you use them? Do you take the Qudelix out with you on the go? If so is it conveniently portable? Or do you use it/them at home?
@@veritas2022 Qudelix has a clip on it which is convenient. There's a $15 rubber magsafe wallet on amazon that you can tuck the qudelix5k into, which I personally use with it. That makes it perfectly portable and ergonomically nice to use. I use that at home and portably along with my Khadas Tea.
Did you use the 4.4 or 3.5 mm output on the ifi go blu?
@@veritas2022 that's a really weird way to say lol that's like saying do you take your phone out or your wallet or your keys on the go 💀 like it's a really small portable device the size of gum can be used on the go or home 😂 I've been doing that for 5 years with no issues
@@owenwijaya108💀💀💀 I swear audiophiles are just like autistic peeps
After my Hedd Type20 studio monitors, the Qudelix 5K is by far my best audio purchase till date. Nowadays I only ever buy gadgets that let me EQ. Even the Hedds are run through an RME Adi2Pro, with it's very useful parametric EQ abilities.
I'm only down with dongles when I can eq
I have the btr5 and the es100 and I really hope they get a refresh with the 4.4 and better more power. On another the note the btr5 is the perfect length and shape for the tiny pocket on jeans.
GREAT review, detailed enough to get a good picture of what to go for.👍👍 Does anyone have a recommendation for which would work best with the 7Hz Timeless? Thanks...
I have btr5 2021, quedelix 5k. Both are great with the timeless. I'd have to give the edge to the q5k, especially if you are using 2.5 balanced. The bass SLAPS. It just has so much more energy and detail.
Timeless/Q5K is my go everywhere, listen to all the genres, all day set up.
@@mfo7611 THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Now, I just have to offload the BTR5 I JUST got this week..🤔 And yes, the 2.5 balanced jack is noticably better 👍
@@David_Watts You're welcome! I've had both for almost 2 months and devoted lots of time to both, carrying each as my only dac, indoors and outdoors, for a week or more and trying multiple headphones and iems. The Btr5 sounds smooth and a bit more like the audio is processed (but in a good way, I'm fond of it). The Q5 is better when you get to higher volume levels (but does distort near the top). To me, they sound completely different. Out of the box and for lower volume, the BTR5 just sounds amazing (plug in the USB c for a real treat). That being said the Q5 for taking out in the world, riding bikes and commuting... it can't be beat.
To me, The final selling points of the Q5 over the Fiio:
Lightweight, highly customizable with a great app, excellent Bluetooth that is able to maintain higher bitrate ldac in more scenarios. More voltage to the iems, higher energy sound. This one can kill your ears or your iems if you screw up. Timeless, 2.5, after market cable, Monster sound.
Nicely Done.
Not sure you had a chance to try the bluetooth on the Go Blu and walking away from the source ?
For me after 6 feet I lost connection on one devise and around 10 feet on another.
Had to return the unit. Now looking at the 5K.
Qudelix is also really nice because they keep adding features through firmware updates. They also have a nice mic interface which also is useable on USB. And ow yeah.. the range... (And agree the buttons suck..)
Qudelix allows you to use the inline mic on your iem cable: game, set and match!
how sucky we talking here, throw across room, Stamp on it and set it on fire or well that's a little Awkward? I like the buttons on my btr5, I changed the vol buttons to be double click for next and prev track, hold to Inc or Dec vol is slow though
@@adrianmorrish8494 the feel is not that great and buttons are symmetrical on both sides, only separated by led color, if the led is on. This might cause you to pause the song instead of rasing the volume. But i kinda thing the buttons are the worst thing of the device, but not a deal breaker unless you're very sensitive to this button feal
How is the mic quality? How close does the device need to be for acceptable quality?
@@hyedefinition1080 i don't have people complaining yet and sometimes is on my desk, about a meter. I believe the Qualcomm chip handels the mic and they are pretty good at making you understandable. But it absolutely not studio quality.
4:13 that was low key hilarious lol loved that bit
The BTR5 screen is so useful. You really just have to touch the app once and after that you can do everything on the device itself.
In terms of equalization apps I would suggest power amps system equalizer, best I've used so far also features the beautiful parametic equalizer. :)
Some graphs with different headphones with the ifi bass boost and x space on and off would be nice to see thanks.
I bought the Q. It’s my first outboard DAC. It took me a minute to figure out how to get it functioning to my tastes. But once I did I spent an hour comparing the sound to my straight iPhone with various types of music. My IEMs are custom UE designed for stage but the Crin UE settings worked nicely. EQing is also fun, just playing with frequencies and learning where things sit in a track. In general, the Q5k gives spaciousness and detail. It’s funny because I do like what my iPhone does with bass guitars, there is a tightness that is very pleasing. I couldn’t replicate it with the Q5K. But no matter, the sound and flexibility of using the Q5k is a big upgrade and educational in the bargain. I do not like the buttons at all and the get hit when I try to put it in my pocket, annoying. Perhaps there’s a lock I’m unaware of, I still have a lot to learn about the unit. Bluetooth sounds good though I did get the cables to plug everything in. Lots more to explore but I can recommend the Q5k for someone just getting in to this DAC world or a pro who wants a tiny DAC to throw in their luggage.
How about soundstage? Im deciding between 5k and btr7, Is the soundstage much better deeper in btr7 ? I want to feel better soundstage after i buy one of them
I just ordered the Qudelix 5k the day before after doing some reading on all of these online..... was afraid a little bit to watch your video that you would recommend something else, and that I'd have to cancel my order..... Thankfully you didn't!
I bought the BTR5 a while ago and really like it but now I'm thinking of buying the IFI GO BLU just for the bass boost,
I don't really mess with EQ and I barely use the app although the app does have some cool features like limiting the BT codecs or enabling car mode (which turns the BTR5 on or off when it is connected to a power source).
Other features I like about the BTR5 is the balanced input and the fact that it can act as a USB C DAC as well as a BT one.
If you have the btr5 you can set the same bass boost from the ifi in the eq settings
@@hamez01 The ifi bass boost is analog
The 5K is Swiss Army Knife of pocket amps. This should be in the top 10 audio products
IR would be... just awesome
I already have the Bttr 5 and it is powerful enough to drive my go to portable headphones which are the Sony Z7-M2 and Grado 325 .
The IFI Go Blue would be an upgrade option if it were powerful enough to drive my more difficult to drive Headphones unfortunately it is not .
So until one is offered with a Watt or more I'm sticking with my BTR 5.
Actually the IFI xDSD Gryphon might be my next upgrade that addresses my Bluetooth and power needs
I have both the qudelix 5k and es100 mk2. One is used in my car (night and day with my cars audio) and the other is at home with my IEMS or over the ear headphone.
Great and useful comparison thx. I have had the btr5 since they came out aka silver one, it supports dual pairing so can link to say my android dap and my work iphone ar same time as calls will pop through, ifi dosent support dual pairing and it's LDAC range is terrible unless using balanced or adaptive LDAC, I didn't find aptx-hd much better. I have been trying the go blue for a couple weeks it dosent have the same slam as my btr5 on my 6xx or Sundara, also btr5 has a black background in balanced mode which is what I use if headphones support it, go blue has quite a lot of hiss with sensitive devices in balanced mode same as other lower end ifi devices. What sort of HP's did the go blue drive that the btr5 couldn't out of interest as my Sundaras and 6xx's in balanced and hi gain, I can only get to 40 max out of 60 before reaching damaging volume.
I enjoy the Qudelix 5k, I even bought one for my daughter, the thing feels like a tank, it's industrial in its feel (even the packaging is a simple brown box 😂) and yet amazing in functionality. With continuous firmware updates that keep adding more improvements and functionality.
When you say it feels like a tank that actually causes concern. A tank as in it's resilient or because it's "chunky"? Do you take it on the go with you when using iem's? or do you use it at home with headphones?
How has it held up
..... For all y-tubers... A caption with names of products when presented 'd b SUPERNICE
5k bc I plan on using hd58x kph40 fideliox2 iems and the eq aspect really has my attention as well as an amp/dac for my car where I'll be able to set custom eq profiles as well
Funny thing with Q5k.
I've owned for a year now and the buttons have kinda gotten worse feeling at some point. But now they're as good if not better than they were initially.
Just a solid device all around.
Sounds like my optical fingerprint scanner on my v60.
I bought the go blu mostly for the on the go play. If i need to change eq, i use power amp equalizer for fine tuning. Best versions of both the qudelix and goblu
I loved that hilarious clip bit 🤣
Thank you for detailed explanation. It is beneficial for me as Im starting my adventure with DACs and Hi-Res audio. Could you please advice if I will buy BTR5, will I be able to listen Tidal MQA playing on the iphone 13 pro/MacBook pro and transmit it via LDAC to my headphones wirelessly ?
The 2021 edition of BTR5 supports MQA. For me, that was the deciding factor.
I like BTR5 for having mic input and it’s really pretty.
Agreed 100% bro..Wired mic input is SO overlooked by other OEMs
Qudelix 5k also has mic input. But yes more manufacturers should add this functionality.
What is your microphone arm? If it is expensive, do you recommend a cheaper version of it? This one seems robust and flexible.
I want Qudelix now OMG
Funny is that we spent 30 years without EQ ( those who were using were considered crazy) and all Of a sudden, EQ is absolutely a no brainer feature. How can someone live without EQ?…
Haha, please speak for yourself, EQ for home audio and car audio were highly popular during the 80's and 90's.It was after fully digital sound cards show up in early 2000's that most audio manufacturers forgot about manual EQ's. I personally never stopped using EQ's.
Have had the q5k for like over a year. Have barely used it, didn't realize what I had. Nice to know I picked a 💎.
I don't miss having a "better" eq on the btr5, I just use wavelet or poweramp which also work when I'm using my bt headphones. The btr5 has a little leathertte case you can get to protect it. I don't know what pants people are wearing when they complain about size, I can fit a small children my pants pocket 😄
ps sorry ladies I know you don't get proper pockets in your clothes.
Have you tried the Shanling UP4 and UP5? I think they would be comparable to these BT receivers as well.
Hi Andrew are you able to get the staus audio between pro earbuds? They promise amazing sound quality
Used to own go blu, but the hiss and bt range is killing me. Switched to qudelix, man dat range 🤤
Might consider again, I find no hiss at all, listening with 64Audio U12T and Focal Clear MG. Balanced and straight. Rumors are that there was a problem with some early units. I have had mine a week, and I cannot elicit any hiss at all.
@@stephendenagy3396 interesting, even ifi them self said nothing about this, yet.
The range on the Qudelix is so good I'm able walk all around the house without cutting out, and nothing has been able to give me such a crazy range.
Ok! I did finally hear some hiss! If you plug power in while listening and the source is noisy, you hear hiss while plugged in and charging.
I ordered a Qudelix based on this video.
Great video - thanks for the comparison! So, regarding these Bluetooth combos, I imagine they won’t sound as good as directly plugging into your phone seeing as it’s using Bluetooth for connection? Or is there virtually no noticeable difference in sound quality?
I can’t believe that was not covered in this review
Dude. It’s quite the opposite. Get your noisy phone out of the chain. This is why even lossy Bluetooth on these sounds better than tethered options.
You have to spend a lot of money before you get a DAC that can fix the noise coming from a phone or laptop. Many folks think their laptop as a source sounds just fine. They don’t know what they’re missing. Sound out of phones is completely inferior to sound from streamers. The Bluetooth setup is a compromise. And is getting better and better (less of a Compromise) over the last few years.
Generally speaking phones are not noisy. Laptop and desktop PCs are. Using a dongle from a phone is preferable to using a dongle from a PC.
Now as for comparing these Bluetooth adapters to wired dongles. It's actually an easy comparison since they can all be used hard wired. I don't own all the ones reviewed in this video but have the ES100 and Qudelix 5k. They do sound a bit better wired, but I was surprised how good they are over bluetooth when using LDAC. Of course it will be more noticeable with other codecs.
@@westernartifact580 The noise of phones and computers can be removed by using separate DACs and amps, which then sound better than Bluetooth.
I am so grateful for this video lol. I have an ES100, a BTR5, *and* a 5K and I've been eyeballing the Blu but I suppose I don't need to. But I am indeed an EQ hater...
Which 3 sounds the best for you?
I just glued a money clip on my ifi go blu, works perfectly well for me.
I bought the Qudelix because I work in radiation shielded rooms and it had longer Bluetooth range so I can stream while I leave my phone in the doorway and move through the room without hitting any dead spots. It also has the microphone passthrough (the others might have that too... I don't know) so I can receive calls while working. When I get home it serves as a Bluetooth receiver and a USB input, both if which the integrated amp in my main system lacks. It provides a full 2v line level, so the volume is similar to my other inputs. I didn't expect to use the EQ because I generally wouldn't buy a set of headphones if I didn't like sound profile, but with some headphones with more aggressive treble, where I used to switch headphones after an hour or two, I now just turn on the preset and extend the amount of time I can listen to I bought it to do a specific thing, but it has turned out to be the piece of Audio equipment I use the most
can one of these dacs connect to a smartwatch like Garmin venu2. cheers. find your vids very good
I have the Quedelix and didn't know they had presets for my Grado RS1-x... wow
Qudelix 5K in stock today. I just purchased one. Can't wait
Love the Qudelix. Paired with my TINHIFI T3 Plus IEMs. Love the combo and for $170 I think it's hard to beat
@@ericberkey6709 you think it will do something for my reshelled Shure 530s?
Love the features of the quedelix but i want the XSpace analog crossfeed function on the Go Blu. It is seemingly a fantastic option to have to apply to 50s 60s jazz recordings for example. Can the Quedelix match this or not?
Hahaha I didn't know people like me hatin using EQ existed. Thought I was special lmao. Great review. Cheers.
So, in terms of power, really how powerful is the iFi? I've been speaking to someone who insists the iFi can handle 95 percent or headphones, but who knows if that's true or not. I've looked at the specs and it is impressive for sure