Qudelix-5K Bluetooth DAC & Headphone Amp

[Pondewal]

Hi, I'm currently using an apple dongle with my iPhone and iems. How do you think the sound quality will compare to using a Q5K over Bluetooth (aac)?

 

[staticV3]

Hi, I'm currently using an apple dongle with my iPhone and iems. How do you think the sound quality will compare to using a Q5K over Bluetooth (aac)?

With EQ off, it'll sound about the same.
With some intense A/Bing, you may be able to tell them apart.

If you use the 5K's EQ, then substantially better (depending on the headphone).

 

[Pondewal]

With EQ off, it'll sound about the same.
With some intense A/Bing, you may be able to tell them apart.

If you use the 5K's EQ, then substantially better (depending on the headphone).

I like the idea of it so I can be untethered from my phone. Although, don't want to compromise a notable sound quality.
Will EQ really make an improvement if you're already happy with the tuning of your iem/headphone? I'm using moondrop blessing 2 dusk.

 

[staticV3]

Will EQ really make an improvement if you're already happy with the tuning of your iem/headphone? I'm using moondrop blessing 2 dusk.

It depends. How much have you experimented with EQ and different target curves so far?

I did a lot of that and for me, the Dusk would be perfect I think, so no real improvement with EQ.

With experimentation, you on the other hand may find a way to improve the sound with EQ.

The good thing is that you don't need a Qudelix for this.
You can use EQApo on Windows (free) or SoundSource on Mac (free trial) and any skills and knowledge you gain there will carry over, should you decide to buy the Qudelix.

 

[SiW]

USB DACs, no, but I could take the optical out or RCA from the TV into a DAC with optical/RCA input. Still leaves me in a bind though as I’d need to connect it to the 5K. The TV has Bluetooth but the latency is noticeable, even with the higher polling rate enabled on the 5K. I’m mainly looking to use the 5K solely for EQ.

I use an optical to Bluetooth transmitter and works great.

 

[Mokal]

You can increase the microphone gain in Input>Mic Gain.

Hey, thanks for the response. I got that maxed out, but it's still pretty quiet at least when testing with discord mic check and people can barely hear me.

 

[Asking Dumb Questions]

If I'm using the Q5K as a wired Dongle with the Phone, is there any settings I should Change for Best use case?

 

[Jimbob54]

If I'm using the Q5K as a wired Dongle with the Phone, is there any settings I should Change for Best use case?

You might want to allow it to play all sample rates rather than resampling multiple sample rates to one. Doubt it makes much if any actual difference though.

 

[Asking Dumb Questions]

You might want to allow it to play all sample rates rather than resampling multiple sample rates to one. Doubt it makes much if any actual difference though.

Do you happen to know if I can have he BT to NOT turn ON when I attach it to the phone via Wired?

 

[Jimbob54]

Do you happen to know if I can have he BT to NOT turn ON when I attach it to the phone via Wired?

I think it will always try and pair BT when on (so you could switch your phone bt off) but you can set input priorities to be usb before bt in terms of what plays back.

 

[t$$]

Do you happen to know if I can have he BT to NOT turn ON when I attach it to the phone via Wired?

1. Install the 5K configuration app, either the store app for mobile or the chrome extension https://www.qudelix.com/blogs/5k-dac-amp
2. Make sure the 5K is connected (select CONNECT DEVICE in the upper right if not)
3. Select INPUT on the left
4. Select the BLUETOOTH tab
5. Under the section "BLUETOOTH MODE FOR USB DAC"
6. Select "Bluetooth Off (until next power on)"

 

[Asking Dumb Questions]

1. Install the 5K configuration app, either the store app for mobile or the chrome extension https://www.qudelix.com/blogs/5k-dac-amp
2. Make sure the 5K is connected (select CONNECT DEVICE in the upper right if not)
3. Select INPUT on the left
4. Select the BLUETOOTH tab
5. Under the section "BLUETOOTH MODE FOR USB DAC"
6. Select "Bluetooth Off (until next power on)"

Do I need to do this every time I connect the Q5K to the Phone via Wired?

 

[CedarX]

Do I need to do this every time I connect the Q5K to the Phone via Wired?

Just curious: why do you want the BT to not turn "on" when attached to the phone via USB?
I set the Q5K input priority to "USB DAC", so it automatically switches to USB as soon as I connect it to my iPhone (via an USB/Lightning "OTG" cable, ddHiFi TC28i, etc.). Keeping the BT "on" allows me to control the Q5K via the App (does not seem to work via USB on the IOS App; I haven't checked on Android) but the digital "bits" are coming from USB.

 

[Sheygetz]

I'm trying to get my head around a couple of things here. What sets the Q apart from other dongles is
A it offers a Bluetooth connection, but only between the dongle and the phone not the dongle and earbuds.
B is seems to have amazing EQ capabilities.

When I use a corded headphone I do not particularly mind another piece of cord between the phone and the dongle. I really do wonder if I'm missing anything here, it seems so superfluous to have a Bluetooth dongle.

I do use earbuds alternativly to my DT 880 (250), but for the earbuds the Q won't be any use, so I guess this is no reason for me to acuire a Q. For earbuds I would have to rely on EQ capabilities of either the music app - currently Hiby - or the earbud app. Which raises the question, is there a music app that has EQ abilities similar to the Q?

What I'm trying to say I guess is if I can get a music app which gives me the EQ capabilities, then I can buy just any dongle for instance the Ibasso dc04 or even an Apple thingy. No?

Please do point out any mistakes in my thinking so far and if you have any suggestions, comments please do say so. Thanks for reading!

 

[DJBonoBobo]

I'm trying to get my head around a couple of things here. What sets the Q apart from other dongles is
A it offers a Bluetooth connection, but only between the dongle and the phone not the dongle and earbuds.
B is seems to have amazing EQ capabilities.

When I use a corded headphone I do not particularly mind another piece of cord between the phone and the dongle. I really do wonder if I'm missing anything here, it seems so superfluous to have a Bluetooth dongle.

I do use earbuds alternativly to my DT 880 (250), but for the earbuds the Q won't be any use, so I guess this is no reason for me to acuire a Q. For earbuds I would have to rely on EQ capabilities of either the music app - currently Hiby - or the earbud app. Which raises the question, is there a music app that has EQ abilities similar to the Q?

What I'm trying to say I guess is if I can get a music app which gives me the EQ capabilities, then I can buy just any dongle for instance the Ibasso dc04 or even an Apple thingy. No?

Please do point out any mistakes in my thinking so far and if you have any suggestions, comments please do say so. Thanks for reading!

USB Audio Player Pro

 

[Jimbob54]

USB Audio Player Pro

Agreed as long as poster understands its limited to Qobuz and Tidal (or local files of course) as sources.

 

[Lunafag]

I'm trying to get my head around a couple of things here. What sets the Q apart from other dongles is
A it offers a Bluetooth connection, but only between the dongle and the phone not the dongle and earbuds.
B is seems to have amazing EQ capabilities.

When I use a corded headphone I do not particularly mind another piece of cord between the phone and the dongle. I really do wonder if I'm missing anything here, it seems so superfluous to have a Bluetooth dongle.

I do use earbuds alternativly to my DT 880 (250), but for the earbuds the Q won't be any use, so I guess this is no reason for me to acuire a Q. For earbuds I would have to rely on EQ capabilities of either the music app - currently Hiby - or the earbud app. Which raises the question, is there a music app that has EQ abilities similar to the Q?

What I'm trying to say I guess is if I can get a music app which gives me the EQ capabilities, then I can buy just any dongle for instance the Ibasso dc04 or even an Apple thingy. No?

Please do point out any mistakes in my thinking so far and if you have any suggestions, comments please do say so. Thanks for reading!

With Qudelix you can have the same EQ in every app, in every device even. No need to worry about apps that don't have EQ, that a system update broke your system-wide EQ, that EQ applications themselves produce different frequency response from the same filters, etc.

 

[Sheygetz]

Agreed as long as poster understands its limited to Qobuz and Tidal (or local files of course) as sources.

I only ever listen to local files. A lot of classical and acoustic music btw

 

[Sheygetz]

With Qudelix you can have the same EQ in every app, in every device even. No need to worry about apps that don't have EQ, that a system update broke your system-wide EQ, that EQ applications themselves produce different frequency response from the same filters, etc.

If I use earbuds with Hiby the Qudelix eq would take effect?

 

[Jimbob54]

If I use earbuds with Hiby the Qudelix eq would take effect?

By buds you mean wireless? Then no, it won't. Uapp with eq can be played over BT though. As for that matter, can wavelet if the player software is supported.