Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Mids: great layering and good spaciousness. The mids blend perfectly with the rest of the spectrum. The soundstage is excellent even at high volume, or with high-demanding headphones. The THX AMP really makes a difference compared to the prior model and everything sounds sharp and effortless. Campfire Audio, Chord Electronics, Dan Clark Audio (antes MrSpeakers), EAR Micro, Eleven XIAudio, Enleum, FiiO, FIR Audio, Focal, Focusrite, Fostex, Grado, HarmonicDyne, HeadAmp, Hifiman, JBL, Kefine, Kiwi Ears, Klipsch, LETSHUOER, Mark Levinson, The XMOS XU208 is a 32-bit multicore microcontroller that brings the low latency and timing determinism of the xCORE architecture to mainstream embedded applications.
Overall sound profile is natural and pleasant with an even tonal balance and good extension just rolling off at the extremities of both ends. The FiiO Q3 whether placed between iPAD, iPhone, or Mac performed brilliantly and easily with a number of IEMs / headphones—FiiO FH5, iBasso IT00, VISION EARS EVE2020, Meze 99 Classics. For the review the FiiO Q3 was paired, primarily, with the FiiO FH5 and the Meze 99 Classics. To those measurements, you can add the USB-C cable, or USB-C to 8-Pin if you’re using an iPhone like me (all provided by the brand) and the silicone straps designed to be attached between your phone, and the Q11. Thanks to that, the DAC can easily be carried on the go, recreating the decade old audiophile sandwich, something that some of you may never have tried before! Build Quality One of the best features of FiiO's Q line is the use of an analogue potentiometer volume knob that is very much to our liking. Since 2007, FiiO has been pushing further and away to become one of the top players. And you know what? After more than 10 years of hard work, I think they achieved their goal as the once unknown brand is now on every mouth and ear.The dac chip used is AKM's new efficient AK4462 with decoding support up to 768kHz/32bit PCM and DSD512. Mids: The Midrange presents very clear and detailed , vocals had a good presentation with no sibilance even on boarder line IEMs.
The various DAC/Amps were partnered to a MacBook Pro, or an iPAD, or a Samsung S10, all were ROON enabled, with the Meze 99 Classics, the FiiO FH5, and the VISION EARS EVE2020 as selected headphones/IEMs. The FiiO Q3 whether placed between iPAD, iPhone, or Mac performed brilliantly and easily with a number of IEMs/headphones—FiiO FH5, iBasso IT00, VISION EARS EVE2020, Meze 99 Classics. For the review the FiiO Q3 was paired, primarily, with the FiiO FH5 and the Meze 99 Classics. Lastly, we want to talk about the sound of FiiO Q3 and iFi Hip DAC 2. The former Hip DAC was very well-known for its warm sound signature, and we can still feel it on the Hip DAC 2, but it is more moderate now. There is an improvement in clarity and separation but still mid-forward. On the other hand, Q3 is best if you prefer articulation and a wide soundstage. The frequency response feels more controlled and modest, but the Hip DAC 2 is just as good. FiiO Q3 Vs iFi Hip DAC 2FiiO offers with the Q3 a very compact and affordable DAC/Amplifier with great specs like the THX AAA28 Amplifier Module or the XMOS208 Chip for Native DSD up to 512x and lots of output options that has been crowned with a sound capability that performs wide above its price tag. The Q3’s bottom face from left to right (oriented for reading) features 1) a Bass Boost toggle-button (Off/On) 2) a Gain/Filter pushbutton 3) a USB-C port for both charging and data transfer and 4) a Charge toggle-button (Off/On). A short press of the Gain/Filter pushbutton switches between low/high gain (light on), while a double-tap allows one to cycle between sharp and slow roll-off filters. The Q3's 1800 mAh battery provides for up to 10 hours of continuous play, with a 2.5 hour charging time to fully refresh the FiiO Q3. The FiiO Q3 comes with the new THX AAA28 amplifier module that promises high power with low distortion. Q3 is able to produce 150mW@16Ω, 160mW@32Ω & 19mW@300Ω over Phone Out, while the Balanced Outputs deliver 180mW@16Ω, 300mW@32Ω & 35mW@300Ω. Lows have a nice small boost that gives a little fun bump to low end on most headphones. Over ears or iems that sound lean in the low end won’t be fixed by the Q3. The bass boost can indeed help with lean sounding audio gear. The bass creeped into the lower mid range a little too much for my taste so I’d leave it alone if bass is adequate enough.
The various DAC/Amps were partnered to a MacBook Pro, or an iPAD, or a Samsung S10, all were ROON enabled, with the Meze 99 Classics, the FiiO FH5, and the VISION EARS EVE2020 as selected headphones / IEMs. My results are pretty close to the specs that have been shared by FiiO, which I think are pretty good for such a small device. I have tested the battery life with the FiiO FH3 and FiiO FH7 In-Ear Monitors under the following condition; In sum, the THX AAA™ technology appears to reduce overall distortion, increase efficiency and thus battery life, while being able to scale—requirement match—"any headphone or in vehicle amplifier." My review experience with the Q3 would appear to validate the above.
It has digital volume control, just like the Q1 mk2, which is a must have for me. In this case, there's a potentiometer but the analog audio signal doesn't pass through it, it's encoded to digital and then the digital value is used to control the output volume. This ensures there's no channel unbalance, which is a common thing when the signal passes through a potentiometer, specially with low volumes The Q3 is full bodied reaching low enough with good impact and layering while offering adequate levels of resolution and detail without compromising a lot. Minimal bias current and highly efficient power management to optimize and extend device battery life. The usb receiver is XMOS XUF208 the same used at the flagship Q5S supported by dual crystal oscillators.
Scalability that allows incorporation into any headphone or in-vehicle amplifier design, with the flexibility to match the required fidelity, output power, and price point. MQA, Master Quality Authenticated is the latest technology where we get high-res performance in small file sizes. The updated FiiO Q3 version now supports full MQA unfolding allowing the users to listen to the true master quality performance as the artist intended while recording. There are small improvements here and there: smoother mids, better bass control, and a fairly wider soundstage. Layering is definitely better though and 3D effects seemed more natural, even more with the FA9. No distortion whatsoever, even when you max out the volume to drive high-end headphones. In hand, the result is even more impressive, thanks to that textured body and smooth edges. You could definitely drop it, or step on it, and it shall come out unscathed (I don’t recommend any of that of course), my only worry being the small low/high gain toggle. Yet, after two weeks in my bag, with no protection whatsoever, I’m happy to confirm that the Q11 came out unshattered, and the toggle is still there, unbroken. On the phone side, iPhone users may want to buy a suitable cable, especially for Hip DAC 2, for it doesn’t provide the cable, but once you get the correct cable, they will work seamlessly too. We instantly prefer the FiiO because of its accessories, so you can hook the device regardless of whether you have an iPhone or Android phone. FiiO Q3 and iFi Hip DAC 2 Battery LifeInternally the Q3 is completely renovated with all components and circuit arrangement being brand new. The FiiO Q3 was partnered to the iOs brothers—iPhone and iPad—and output through the following IEMs and headphones—iBasso IT00, FiiO FH5, Meze 99 Classics, and the VISION EARS EVE2020. The FiiO Q3 is the third iteration of the mighty Q1, the entry-level portable DAC/AMP from the brand. Think of it as a battery-powered K3, as both devices share lots of quirks and features.
Great Deal 
New Comment