Hey Andy, I’ve had the Q15 for a couple of months. I couldn’t be happier. This thing is an absolute beast, from its build to its sound. My best before the Q15 was the ifI Gryphon. The Gryphon is no slouch it is no match for the Q15. Power, sound, build the Q15 sweeps the floor with the Gryphon. Excellent review. TonyTex aka Akros brought it to my attention last fall. I saw top of the line AKM I knew I had to get one. I couldn’t be happier. Your review is spot on imho. I do love your reviews because you get in to the nitty gritty of what makes these things tick. I learn something new with each review you publish. Thank you Andy. 🎻🎸✌️😊
Keep up the good work your passion really shines through your videos and I enjoy your work. I’ve been following you since I got the VE SIE and megatron. What a lovely combo that is with the impedance adapter. Thanks for the recommendation the SIE is my favorite set by far in the 100 range. Long live analog!!!! 🤘
I'm loving all of these reviews!! i have been looking for reviews on this and the btr15. i must say i am so glad i found this channel and will be coming to this channel more and more as i see what is coming out and seeing what is posted. I love the honesty and the transparency on all these reviews!! loving your channel!!!
Its my first time watching one of your review videos, I really like that you demonstrated how you use this product while out and about rather than simply talking about the product as other reviewers tend to do. I have paused the video @3:02 to comment as this really stood out as a real positive, +1 Subscriber from Australia. 🤔 btw, I also really like cargo pants, they are so practical with all their pockets.
Hey thanks for the support!. Oh yes that cargo pants is my favorite, for a gadget nerd like me, I can fir in so many stuffs, LOL. It is a Levi's Cargo Pants by the way, quite thick
Great review Andy, I ordered one last night based on your review, I tried to use the Mojo 2 as a mobile source but it doesn't work very well in ones pocket, even if it and the phone are in different pockets. The BTR7 is a good pocketable source, but doesn't sound as good as the Mojo 2. The Mojo 2 is now connected to a Burson Soloist 3XP which is a great combo. If the Q15 has some Chord and Burson elements to its sound, but is also mobile, then I'm in for a real treat.
Thanks. Q15 offers denser and less edgy sound compared to Mojo 2, a bit more musical and less emphasis on technicalities (but it is still very technical nonetheless)
This DAC-Amp has quietly gone under as none of the "big channels" are ready to review this majestic work of art. I wanted FiiO Q7 but didn't want something that comically large. So when this came up I went at it on the first day to get it. This is pretty much endgame level good with Senn HD 600 or Hifiman Sundara.
For MP145, since it is so very versatile with synergy, you can expect great results from both Yuki, Q15 and M12i, all of them organic natural sounding with rich sound notes and analytical at the same time, so just pick whichever one and you can't go wrong with any one of them
I’m wondering which to get (right now I have a btr7, qudelix 5k and a shanling m3 ultra dap). I was wondering between questyle m15, fiio q15, hiby fc6 or Cayin ru7. Mainly for iems, but I also have a fiio ft3 350ohm and an edition xs….oh and a beyer dt990 pro 250ohm but I don’t enjoy cymbals smashing the side of my face lol.
Such a wide choice, but since you consider Q15 in the bunch, then get Q15 and you get everything in one package. Otherwise I would narrow it down to FC6/M12i/BTR15 for something more portable, and a bit more preference to BTR15 if you need MIC and wireless convenience. FC6/M12i/BTR15/Q15 will all synergize great with DT990 Pro
I have the colorfly m1p and absolutely loved this device. Can I ask what improvement can I expect from using the fiio q15? I will assume that this fiio will not sound as rich and analog as colorfly. Mainly use with phone/dap and iem.
Q15 as you can see in the timbre chart practically identical to M1P and DACPort HD in analog sound timbre. It is velvety smooth/rich as would be expected from a properly tuned AKM DAC, on top of it it has improved technicalities over M1P especially with imaging/micro resolution
9:02 i'm a bit confused here. when you set it to desktop mode and it's not charging the battery, can you just supply power to the q15 through the USB charger? So for example, if I connect one USB to the phone and one USB to a USB charger (plugged to a wall), can the q15 just use the power from the USB charger (wall) or does it still drain battery from the phone?
Whenever there is a supply of power is fed to Q15 on the 2nd USB port marked in orange/red. Q15 will never draw from the host or your phone. So yes it will not drain the battery of your phone
@@AndyAudioVaultCan you advise, I use it in the car, I need a music player or DAC, with a good musical presentation, I listen mainly to rock pop, so that there is a good dense bass, naturally I will connect it to the speakers through an amplifier.
DC Elite is flatter and more neutral with lows and mids. As noted in my review here Q15 offers enhanced neutral sound frequency for Mids and Lows, making it richer sounding with imaging and texture, it is also more analog than DC-Elite. Technical wise they are pretty much on par
At this level, both at the upper tier of things, it is more like different tuning. Mojo 2 focuses a bit more on technicalities and as mentioned in this video, being a bit brighter sounding too, Q15 is smoother, richer with sound texture and more organic sounding. Which sound style you prefer more will determine which one you like better
Hey Andy are you wearing Prescription Oakley Trajectory? I don't think I will buy the FiiO Q15. I do have the FiiO M23 (purchased arriving today), which you gave a good review and you gave an excellent review for FiiO FA19 also purchase (arriving today).
@@AndyAudioVault I see, thank you. I own Q15 and I think it's a great sounding device. On the other hand I do not like how Fiio treats customers. Releasing a product that clearly has not been tested enough from a software perspective.
Very Nice Little Amp. The other one that looks promising is the upcoming $699 Questyle CMA18 (ouch that price !). I don't know if the CMA18 will be competitive due to the price being even more than the Chord Mojo2. A 3 way shootout between the CMA18 , Mojo2 and Q15 would be very interesting. I have a feeling that the Fiio will be a better value since it is half the price.
Binge-watching all your videos which i missed recently .... Andy again a request if possible please review The Fosi Audio SK02.. and did you get the FiiO KA17 or the KA11 yet?
Hey Andy. How is the sound of this compare with FC6? I got the FC6 through your review and I love it but most of my gears are 4.4 so I'm trying to get a dac with 4.4 with a wide soundstage.
Thanks. Check again 15:58 at Sound Timbre and you would see how close Q15 is with FC6 when it comes to sound signature, Q15 is practically on par with DACport HD and Colorffly CDA-M1P when it comes to sound timbre, texture richness and temperament. And you are right, this is like having FC6 with 4.4mm BAL if you prefer to use 4.4mm BAL since your cables are mainly 4.4, Q15 also as noted in my review, is like having more open staging with a bit more of headstage versus FC6 and DACport HD
Does it make sense to connect my audio source (from TV) to a DAC/AMP and then to the A/V Receiver to get better quality? If so, what Fiio product do you recommend for this purpose? Thanks.
Depending on what you are feeding it. Assuming that the source (the TV) is feeding high resolution audio then yet it makes perfect sense to use an external DAC to patch up with AV amplifiers, you will get better quality tham what most TV internal DAC could do. I personally use Coaxial data out to the external DAC. Q11 is one of the many that you can use for this purpose
You mean KA17? while both Q15 and KA17 are great with imaging and resolution, I find that KA17 will be more suited for spatial holographic presentation which means it will also be more suited for FPS/TPP type of gaming, Q15 however is superior with natural timbre which is more applicable for music and immersion
@@AndyAudioVault ah, I'm wondering if the noise floor rises when you set it to ultra high gain mode. From what I understand, when you set it to desktop mode by connecting it to the wall via a USB charger and bypassing the battery, it shifts into ultra high gain mode, and I'm guessing that could raise the noise floor
I am heavily considering this thing after doing a quick demo of it. Have you done thorough comparisons to the iFi Gryphon? That’s the DAC/Amp I currently have but I am considering on selling it for this.
The reason to upgrade to Q15 is to get a more natural and richer sounding output, but technically both of them are really on par, and Q15 offers more features including a very good LDAC decoding, yes you lose portability, but KA17 is already very solid as it is
I never tried BTR7 so I would not know. But to give you an idea I see Q15 being on par to FiiO desktop DAC/Amp of K9 and I even prefer Q15 more for being smaller and richer sounding
Hi Andy, I just got Symphonium Helios and I needed some power so I was deciding between Q15 and Mojo 2. For now I have decided for Q15...even Mojo might be better sounding 😆🙋♂️♥️
It's a good choice. IMO Mojo 2 is not necessarily better sounding, it is more technical but Q15 offers more realism and organic element to the tonal/timbre presentation and richer too with sound texture. I would pick up Q15 over Mojo 2 all the time
Hi Andy, Comparing the ESS chip (in Burson) to AKM DAC Combo AK4191+ AK4499EX (in FiiO), Can you hear a difference in the Soundstage / Imaging / layering / Holographic presentation? (There's a claim in favor of the AKM). Thank you
The chip type does not influence the soundstage wise that much, it is the implementation of the analog amp stage that determine the final width. Having said that, Between my Burson Audio Playmate 2 and FiiO Q15, they offer similar width as far as I can hear, with a bit more of vertical width and height on the Playmate 2
@@AndyAudioVault Hi, The Fiio K9 AKM (AK4191 + AK4499EX inside) compared to the Mytek Liberty DAC ii (ES9038 chipset inside) and the reviewer said: "The Mytek DAC is a Little more accurate in the placement in the stage, and has s little bit better depth and layering", so it's not a rule of thumb really. It's very individual. Thank you
Just have a look at my shared Playlist. Alison Krauss is a good example. And also if you listen to Black Metal from Burzum, he uses a lot of E Minor guitar chords on top of his vocals being sharp sounding
Hi Andy. I ordered the Q15 and will have it tonight! I have a lot of confidence buying this due to your excellent review here. I like the AKM chips which is a big part of why I am buying this particular unit. Do you find that the software has any issues? I use a iPhone 13. I have heard people have issues with the Fiio app. Other than that I think I am really going to enjoy this unit! Thanks.
I personally don't find any issues with the app. The majority of things can be done with the built-in controls Q15 offers. I think the reported issues are mainly related to PEQ and I practically never use PEQ or EQ, so I don't encounter any issues there
Q15 is superior especially with sound texture richness,, outright power, analog timbre and balance between musical/analytical. W4 is exceedingly competent with technicalities but to me just a bit lacking with sound texture and timbre, so if you ask me, Q15 is superior
If i already have a dap hiby r6 III do you recommend me this device for headphones like senn hd660 s2 and hd800s? Or my hiby can deliver enough power for those headphones? Thanks
Power is not an issue here as R6 III already offers all the power you need. You swap DAC/Amps to try different synergy and tuning, different experiences
@endrizo you can also change the omp amp of the xd05 bal 2 but the gain though it only has hi-lo compared to Q15's 4/5 stages. Bal 2 uses ESS and FIIO is AKM. I hope Andy can get hold of the Xduoo for comparison
You can laugh but i know what im talking about. Ive had the Fiio M15s which is better than the q15. I compared the M15s to my AK sp1000 and it took 5 min to send the M15s back, no chance. The Elite on the other hand stands to the sp1000 better than the M15s. There is no way the q15 is better sound wise.
Hey Andy, I’ve had the Q15 for a couple of months. I couldn’t be happier. This thing is an absolute beast, from its build to its sound. My best before the Q15 was the ifI Gryphon. The Gryphon is no slouch it is no match for the Q15. Power, sound, build the Q15 sweeps the floor with the Gryphon. Excellent review. TonyTex aka Akros brought it to my attention last fall. I saw top of the line AKM I knew I had to get one. I couldn’t be happier. Your review is spot on imho. I do love your reviews because you get in to the nitty gritty of what makes these things tick. I learn something new with each review you publish. Thank you Andy. 🎻🎸✌️😊
A beast indeed, it is like HIBY FC6 on steroids, lol. And thanks! 🤘🤘
I already have the HiBy for earphones but I may use this FiiO with 🎧
hey what headphone you connect to q15?
So if I'm just using iems.. This is overkill?
I went from the Ifi zen v2 stack to the Q15 and I couldn’t be happier. So glad I got a proper amp for my IEM’s. Sweet Godflesh shirt btw!
I can totally relate to that. Cheers 🤘🤘
Keep up the good work your passion really shines through your videos and I enjoy your work. I’ve been following you since I got the VE SIE and megatron. What a lovely combo that is with the impedance adapter. Thanks for the recommendation the SIE is my favorite set by far in the 100 range. Long live analog!!!! 🤘
I'm loving all of these reviews!! i have been looking for reviews on this and the btr15. i must say i am so glad i found this channel and will be coming to this channel more and more as i see what is coming out and seeing what is posted. I love the honesty and the transparency on all these reviews!! loving your channel!!!
Thanks. You made my day. Really appreciate the support 😃. Cheers
Just received it yesterday, bought it after watching your review satisfied with the sound, very natural and organic. Thanks
Awesome. Enjoy your music!
I love the close-up and the way you have shown both points of view. I wish more reviewerswere like yours.
I appreciate that!
Its my first time watching one of your review videos, I really like that you demonstrated how you use this product while out and about rather than simply talking about the product as other reviewers tend to do. I have paused the video @3:02 to comment as this really stood out as a real positive, +1 Subscriber from Australia. 🤔 btw, I also really like cargo pants, they are so practical with all their pockets.
Hey thanks for the support!. Oh yes that cargo pants is my favorite, for a gadget nerd like me, I can fir in so many stuffs, LOL. It is a Levi's Cargo Pants by the way, quite thick
best reviewer i have heard for a long long time.....love your work Thank you.
Wow, thanks!😁
Andy,i bought one yesterday,like new,with almost 2 years guarantee,at half price!
I cant wait to arrive to me!💪💪
Great review Andy, I ordered one last night based on your review, I tried to use the Mojo 2 as a mobile source but it doesn't work very well in ones pocket, even if it and the phone are in different pockets. The BTR7 is a good pocketable source, but doesn't sound as good as the Mojo 2. The Mojo 2 is now connected to a Burson Soloist 3XP which is a great combo. If the Q15 has some Chord and Burson elements to its sound, but is also mobile, then I'm in for a real treat.
Thanks. Q15 offers denser and less edgy sound compared to Mojo 2, a bit more musical and less emphasis on technicalities (but it is still very technical nonetheless)
Thanks for the clarification, still really looking forward to it@@AndyAudioVault
how would you compare the q15 with the mojo 2? @@zenboy2000
Thanks for your review q15 😊. I got one. Organics and nature sound. Fantastic!
Enjoy!
this fiio q15 sound fantastic now for me also akm is something special....very very good
Great review!I need the same trousers 😄The Q15 is on my short list with the Shanling H5 (smaller and with support of SD card)
I'm waiting also comparison this two DAC, with same chip, but the price still win fiio Q15, fortunately i got andy's review, thankyou andy 🙏🙏🙏
Excellent review mate!!!!. If you get the chance do review the Xduoo XD05 Pro
Thanks!. If I can get hold of one, absolutely want to review XD05 Pro, looks impressive on paper
@ANDY AS YOU SUGGESTED I BUGHT FIIO Q15 TODAY.. THANK YOU SO MUCH
Mu pleasure
@donglemadness as you suggest 1st I bought cayin ru6, then final audio a5000, hifiman Arya stealth and now Fiio Q15
great content and great review Andy hoping to get the Q15 down the road or by the end of the year, already have the Fiio dongles the KA13 and KA17
Thanks man
Waitting for Fiio Ka17 review
Me too... please Andy 🙏😊
Would be interesting if you could review and compare the IBasso D16 Taipan
I would be VERY interested in that one too 😁😁
Tried q11 and just blown away
But this is another level lest see if I can try them out
This DAC-Amp has quietly gone under as none of the "big channels" are ready to review this majestic work of art. I wanted FiiO Q7 but didn't want something that comically large. So when this came up I went at it on the first day to get it.
This is pretty much endgame level good with Senn HD 600 or Hifiman Sundara.
Victoria Concordia Crescit. COYG
Have you tried it with iems?
Amazing review Andy 😁
Thank you! 🙏
Hi Andy, great review of an outstanding product. Thank you.
No worries, and thanks
Thank you for watching andy. Please recommend dongle or portable dac/amp, which is the best match for mp145 3.5mm. I'm thinking about yuki q15 m12i
For MP145, since it is so very versatile with synergy, you can expect great results from both Yuki, Q15 and M12i, all of them organic natural sounding with rich sound notes and analytical at the same time, so just pick whichever one and you can't go wrong with any one of them
I’m wondering which to get (right now I have a btr7, qudelix 5k and a shanling m3 ultra dap). I was wondering between questyle m15, fiio q15, hiby fc6 or Cayin ru7. Mainly for iems, but I also have a fiio ft3 350ohm and an edition xs….oh and a beyer dt990 pro 250ohm but I don’t enjoy cymbals smashing the side of my face lol.
Such a wide choice, but since you consider Q15 in the bunch, then get Q15 and you get everything in one package. Otherwise I would narrow it down to FC6/M12i/BTR15 for something more portable, and a bit more preference to BTR15 if you need MIC and wireless convenience. FC6/M12i/BTR15/Q15 will all synergize great with DT990 Pro
I have the colorfly m1p and absolutely loved this device. Can I ask what improvement can I expect from using the fiio q15? I will assume that this fiio will not sound as rich and analog as colorfly. Mainly use with phone/dap and iem.
Q15 as you can see in the timbre chart practically identical to M1P and DACPort HD in analog sound timbre. It is velvety smooth/rich as would be expected from a properly tuned AKM DAC, on top of it it has improved technicalities over M1P especially with imaging/micro resolution
@@AndyAudioVault
Thank you for your reply.
One more question please - does the fiio q15 sound as wide and spacious as the m1p or is it even more so?
9:02 i'm a bit confused here. when you set it to desktop mode and it's not charging the battery, can you just supply power to the q15 through the USB charger? So for example, if I connect one USB to the phone and one USB to a USB charger (plugged to a wall), can the q15 just use the power from the USB charger (wall) or does it still drain battery from the phone?
Whenever there is a supply of power is fed to Q15 on the 2nd USB port marked in orange/red. Q15 will never draw from the host or your phone. So yes it will not drain the battery of your phone
Btw this and topping G5.. to be used with hd660s2.. which one will you recommend? Tks
Q15 all the way. Make sure to use the 4.4mm BAL side
Yes Sir !!!
Would this pair well with the 6xx?
Yes
Most definitely Analytically reviewer in audio gadgets in TH-cam 🇵🇭💯😘😋👍👏👏👏👏✌️❤️🔥
😂 Thanks
What about btr7? Big different ?
No idea, I haven't tried BTR7. One thing I am certain, Q15 sets the standards for FiiO portable DAC/Amps
@@AndyAudioVaultCan you advise, I use it in the car, I need a music player or DAC, with a good musical presentation, I listen mainly to rock pop, so that there is a good dense bass, naturally I will connect it to the speakers through an amplifier.
I'm new, so this is good with iems? And can also drive headphones? I'm thinking headphones in desktop mode only, I hsvr hd650 and dt 1990 pro
Yes, perfect for both IEMs and headphones
Hi, how is this compared to DC Elite?
DC Elite is flatter and more neutral with lows and mids. As noted in my review here Q15 offers enhanced neutral sound frequency for Mids and Lows, making it richer sounding with imaging and texture, it is also more analog than DC-Elite. Technical wise they are pretty much on par
love my Q15 as well. Sounds really wonderful even compared to my Hifiman EF400 Desktop DacAmp. using Hifiman Arya Organic and Fiio FH-9
No joke, this Q15 competes with desktop stuffs
Really great review. Thanks. 😃
🙏
I have the chord mojo 2. Is this device an upgrade or not? You said the Q15 is more balanced?
At this level, both at the upper tier of things, it is more like different tuning. Mojo 2 focuses a bit more on technicalities and as mentioned in this video, being a bit brighter sounding too, Q15 is smoother, richer with sound texture and more organic sounding. Which sound style you prefer more will determine which one you like better
thanks, can you compare Q15 with the xDuoo xd05 bal2 please?
My pleasure. Unfortunately I don't have XD05 BAL to compare, sorry
Hey Andy are you wearing Prescription Oakley Trajectory? I don't think I will buy the FiiO Q15. I do have the FiiO M23 (purchased arriving today), which you gave a good review and you gave an excellent review for FiiO FA19 also purchase (arriving today).
Congratulations on your purchase! Yes I am using prescription glasses all the time including this Trajectory
Nice review, thank you. Too bad you didnt mention software issues with Q15, EQ is almost unusable through USB until Fiio fix it.
The reason for that was that, I never use EQ on any of my audio gears, so from that perspective I really don't know there was even an issue with EQ
@@AndyAudioVault I see, thank you. I own Q15 and I think it's a great sounding device. On the other hand I do not like how Fiio treats customers. Releasing a product that clearly has not been tested enough from a software perspective.
Very Nice Little Amp. The other one that looks promising is the upcoming $699 Questyle CMA18 (ouch that price !). I don't know if the CMA18 will be competitive due to the price being even more than the Chord Mojo2. A 3 way shootout between the CMA18 , Mojo2 and Q15 would be very interesting. I have a feeling that the Fiio will be a better value since it is half the price.
Yep on price alone for a flagship DAC/Amp, Q15 is hard to beat
Hy Andy, have you try Fiio KA17 DAC Dongle? I'm curious about sound quality that dongle has. The output power about 2 x 650mW Bal
No, I don't have it yet
Do you think would you be using Q15 more than BTR15 when on the go/outside (with IEMs)?
Sound wise yes, but BTR15 being able to do calls because it has MIC making it more practical, so it is a hard choice to make here
Also clipping Q15 to your belt and controlling it with one hand without looking might get difficult ;).
Binge-watching all your videos which i missed recently .... Andy again a request if possible please review The Fosi Audio SK02.. and did you get the FiiO KA17 or the KA11 yet?
I don't have any of them with me and I don't know when, so I can't promise anything. Thanks for your support, always ✌✌
Hey Andy. How is the sound of this compare with FC6? I got the FC6 through your review and I love it but most of my gears are 4.4 so I'm trying to get a dac with 4.4 with a wide soundstage.
Thanks. Check again 15:58 at Sound Timbre and you would see how close Q15 is with FC6 when it comes to sound signature, Q15 is practically on par with DACport HD and Colorffly CDA-M1P when it comes to sound timbre, texture richness and temperament. And you are right, this is like having FC6 with 4.4mm BAL if you prefer to use 4.4mm BAL since your cables are mainly 4.4, Q15 also as noted in my review, is like having more open staging with a bit more of headstage versus FC6 and DACport HD
Thank you Andy.
Those this dac support usb output? Where I can connect it to a vehicle usb input
Yes the USB C is the primary output from this Q11, assuming that your car system can accept USB in then it will work
@@AndyAudioVault thanks for the info
@donglemadness I was referring to the q15 not the q11.
Does it make sense to connect my audio source (from TV) to a DAC/AMP and then to the A/V Receiver to get better quality? If so, what Fiio product do you recommend for this purpose? Thanks.
Depending on what you are feeding it. Assuming that the source (the TV) is feeding high resolution audio then yet it makes perfect sense to use an external DAC to patch up with AV amplifiers, you will get better quality tham what most TV internal DAC could do. I personally use Coaxial data out to the external DAC. Q11 is one of the many that you can use for this purpose
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you very much for your informative reply, and great videos as always!
which one is best combine for fa19 for pc gaming this one or fa17?
You mean KA17? while both Q15 and KA17 are great with imaging and resolution, I find that KA17 will be more suited for spatial holographic presentation which means it will also be more suited for FPS/TPP type of gaming, Q15 however is superior with natural timbre which is more applicable for music and immersion
Nice review as always.
Wondering how it compares to iFi Gryphon 😁
Thank you!
I have the q15 and the gryphon. Both are excellent. But the q15 has that special sauce that the gryphon is lacking. Andy’s review said it best.
Can i ask how is the noise floor/hissing on the Fiio Q15 with sensitive iems?
I have tested it with 2.9 Ohm hybrid IEM with 121 dB of sensitivity, zero floor noise, total silence
@@AndyAudioVault ah, I'm wondering if the noise floor rises when you set it to ultra high gain mode. From what I understand, when you set it to desktop mode by connecting it to the wall via a USB charger and bypassing the battery, it shifts into ultra high gain mode, and I'm guessing that could raise the noise floor
I am heavily considering this thing after doing a quick demo of it. Have you done thorough comparisons to the iFi Gryphon? That’s the DAC/Amp I currently have but I am considering on selling it for this.
I don't have Gryphon so I have no idea how they would compare, sorry
Is it worthy to sacrifice portability from KA17 and upgrade to Q15?
The reason to upgrade to Q15 is to get a more natural and richer sounding output, but technically both of them are really on par, and Q15 offers more features including a very good LDAC decoding, yes you lose portability, but KA17 is already very solid as it is
Great review as usual, I wanted to ask you which filter do you prefer among those available? Thank you.
Thank you. Most of the time I use Slow filter, but really at least to my own hearing, these filters don't influence much at all
Hi Andy. Nice review. I am pkanning to buy the q15 as an uograde to my BTR7. Is the q15 an upgrade to the BTR7 ?
I never tried BTR7 so I would not know. But to give you an idea I see Q15 being on par to FiiO desktop DAC/Amp of K9 and I even prefer Q15 more for being smaller and richer sounding
Hello,
Does the PEQ in the FiiO Control App working also with streaming services like Qobus or Tidal?
Thanks 🙏
I don't think it will work with MQA in Tidal, Qobuz I don't know
Hi Andy, I just got Symphonium Helios and I needed some power so I was deciding between Q15 and Mojo 2. For now I have decided for Q15...even Mojo might be better sounding 😆🙋♂️♥️
It's a good choice. IMO Mojo 2 is not necessarily better sounding, it is more technical but Q15 offers more realism and organic element to the tonal/timbre presentation and richer too with sound texture. I would pick up Q15 over Mojo 2 all the time
Thank you Andy, I also ordered 64audio U4s...wonder how that's gonna sound ♥️✌️
Good review 👍
Thank you 🙏
Hi Andy,
Comparing the ESS chip (in Burson) to AKM DAC Combo AK4191+ AK4499EX (in FiiO), Can you hear a difference in the Soundstage / Imaging / layering / Holographic presentation? (There's a claim in favor of the AKM).
Thank you
The chip type does not influence the soundstage wise that much, it is the implementation of the analog amp stage that determine the final width. Having said that, Between my Burson Audio Playmate 2 and FiiO Q15, they offer similar width as far as I can hear, with a bit more of vertical width and height on the Playmate 2
@@AndyAudioVault Hi,
The Fiio K9 AKM (AK4191 + AK4499EX inside) compared to the Mytek Liberty DAC ii (ES9038 chipset inside) and the reviewer said: "The Mytek DAC is a Little more accurate in the placement in the stage, and has s little bit better depth and layering", so it's not a rule of thumb really. It's very individual.
Thank you
Andy, could you share tracks you use for testing pinna glare?
Just have a look at my shared Playlist. Alison Krauss is a good example. And also if you listen to Black Metal from Burzum, he uses a lot of E Minor guitar chords on top of his vocals being sharp sounding
Compared to q11?
Q15 provides improvement over what Q11 provided, especially with resolution and sound texture
@@AndyAudioVault ok, how about q15 compared to Onix Alpha?
I hope you review Calyx K DAC Dongle in 2024 too...😃
Noted
Can you compare with cayin ru7?
Just like comparing RU7 vs FC6, except that Q15 is like a supercharged FC6, it has richer sound texture and analog tonality a bit more than RU7
@@AndyAudioVault thank you very much for the quick reply!
Hi Andy. I ordered the Q15 and will have it tonight! I have a lot of confidence buying this due to your excellent review here. I like the AKM chips which is a big part of why I am buying this particular unit. Do you find that the software has any issues? I use a iPhone 13. I have heard people have issues with the Fiio app. Other than that I think I am really going to enjoy this unit! Thanks.
I personally don't find any issues with the app. The majority of things can be done with the built-in controls Q15 offers. I think the reported issues are mainly related to PEQ and I practically never use PEQ or EQ, so I don't encounter any issues there
@@AndyAudioVault Thank you for the encouragement!
hey Andy, for sundara and warm sound...fiio q15 or ifi zen dac V3?
Q15
Can i ask how you like the user interface of the Q15? I've heard some people say that the software is buggy.
I like it a lot. The ones saying it is buggy probably due to issues with PEQ, and I almost never touch PEQ at all so I don't get any issues
Andy, did you go through the filter option? Is it big diff?
For Q15, barely any difference at all if any
Hi Andy,
Can you compare it to xDuoo XD05 Pro sound wise? (with the AKM DAC card) (and with Sparkos SS3602 Op-amps if you can)
I wish I can help with that but I don't have neither one of them accessible to me. But if can get them, then yes I would do it. Thanks
Hi Andy should I buy FC6 on sale around 175 or should I stretch and get Q15? Will. It worth it?
$175 for FC6 is s steal. I love both FC6 and Q15 equally but with that price, FC6 is a clear choice if you ask me
Hi Andy, How do you compare Q15 to L&P W4 ?
Q15 is superior especially with sound texture richness,, outright power, analog timbre and balance between musical/analytical. W4 is exceedingly competent with technicalities but to me just a bit lacking with sound texture and timbre, so if you ask me, Q15 is superior
Many thanks for sharing your opinion
Review tempotec V3 sir
That DAP using AKM too
I can only review what I can get, if I can get it, yes of course
Terima kasih kerana tidak salah sebut "timbre" kali ini. 😅
Thanks
🙏
If i already have a dap hiby r6 III do you recommend me this device for headphones like senn hd660 s2 and hd800s? Or my hiby can deliver enough power for those headphones? Thanks
Power is not an issue here as R6 III already offers all the power you need. You swap DAC/Amps to try different synergy and tuning, different experiences
Sir Andy, for pure sound quality and soundstage ，you prefer this or Xduoo XD05 pro out of the box ?
Between Q15 and XD05 Pro, I personally choose Q15. But between Q15 ot XD05 T, that's a different story
Next review is -> Fosi Audio SK02 👌👌👌
That's my wish too
There's a similar device by Xduoo xd05 balance 2 with 1.5W power on the balance output. Anyone have tried it?
Он хуже fiio q15.
and the xd05 bal2 has optical input as well. q15 does not include optical. only coaxial
@endrizo you can also change the omp amp of the xd05 bal 2 but the gain though it only has hi-lo compared to Q15's 4/5 stages. Bal 2 uses ESS and FIIO is AKM. I hope Andy can get hold of the Xduoo for comparison
@@Maj0rTac0 yes i know. i wont get into thay craze of op amp rolling. a side by side comparison would be great.
@endrizo would you go with the q15 or the Xduoo if you were to decide
Sir, you really look like my uncle 😅
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I guess fiio k9 akm outperforms a little bit.😁
I guess it would, considering that K9 AKM is a flagship too with larger real estate and components
K9 akm is q15 on steroids, it sounds even better but is stationary device not portable so depends how you use it
I have this dac. it's not bad, but the sound quality is slightly worse than ifi go bar.
You seem like a fella I could for a drink and chill with.
🤘🏼😁
IBasso Elite eats all of them alive.
😂
😂
Doubt, but okay😂
You can laugh but i know what im talking about. Ive had the Fiio M15s which is better than the q15. I compared the M15s to my AK sp1000 and it took 5 min to send the M15s back, no chance. The Elite on the other hand stands to the sp1000 better than the M15s. There is no way the q15 is better sound wise.
@@karolkedzierski5824 yeah but... Andy has both q15 and dc elite. Your opinion is just an opinion. Glad to see that you like it tho
That's desktop size.
Yep, a brick still lol