First thing to say , I have been extremely pleased in finding the audio grade of fidelity of this unit is quite high / surprising high , moreover then expected . Switch to something a little more demanding, though (such as GoGo Penguin’s Raven), and ‘natural’ and ‘unforced’ can become a little close to ‘undemonstrative’ and ‘undynamic’ for comfort. Instrument separation is great in both unit , the Fiio Q5s-TC paints the separation more decisely and easily to spot while listening , the Chord Mojo draws an organic picture in which you first turn your sight to that instrument then (instantly) can separate the different subject/s . se and 4.4mm balanced right? i only have one balanced IEM on 2.5 and plan on getting a 2.5 female to 4.4male. if i don't change my mind, my galaxy note 9 will be velcroed to this semi-permanently. Chord Mojo is a bit more basic , it does not offer bluetooth or wireless : unless upgraded ; it offers less or far less input-ouput options ; it weights a little less ; in regards to form factor and usability I would leave it to personal appeal , they are quite a different things one from the other and apart of a very good level performance or surprising so for being portables, they do not share so many similarities.

FiiO Q5S Review - Amp-up your smartphone - Soundnews FiiO Q5S Review - Amp-up your smartphone - Soundnews

A nerdy guy with a passion for audio and gadgets, he likes to combine his DAC and his swiss knife. Even after more than 10 years of experience, As the name suggests, the FiiO K5 Pro is an updated version of the first K5, which replaced the FiiO E09K. An affordable desktop DAC/Amp, designed to drive power-hungry headphones or act as a bridge for your hi-fi system. You will probably have to use EQ though, to lower the treble if you want to listen little bit louder. As far as I know, you can fix that little unruliness by changing the OPAMPs, but I hadn’t a chance to do this. If I get some, I’ll update this part, so for now – to be continued…

About FiiO

Lately I have been in a quest for ultimate sound quality on portability . I bought quite a lot of portable dac/amp solutions , including different usb dongles , bluetooth dongles , smartphones , and a Chord Mojo Dac/Amp ; and still have some of them . I am audiophile or audio enthusiast ; been training in piano and drums when younger ; have quite demanding ears and can't get along happy with my listenings if there's a weak bass rendition or a lean body or a too light timbral representation of instruments .

FiiO Q5S-TC Review - Headfonia Reviews

Change of the Bluetooth chip from CSR8675 to QCC5124 which supports the new aptX adaptive. Besides, EQ adjustment is available under all Bluetooth codecs, esp. LDAC. The bluetooth implementation is truly remarkable and with the LDAC codec engaged you will have a really hard time to tell the difference between wired and wireless.EDIT : after a little more listenings and A/Bing I would dare to say : while the bluetooth performance is good and better or slightly better then other dongles I have ( Qudelix 5k i.e. ) , and very customizable , the performance in wired mode as USB/DAC is definitely on another league . Of course the AM3D module is available with the micro USB port so current owners of Q5s can add the THX amp module sans the type C port. I have DT 770 as well, the 80 ohm version, not 250 however. They are compared to other headphones very "alive" and dynamic, with bass and treble. You will get good sound with Q5 series on this (if can power them well, i have my doubts for the 250ohm version, but you have other amplifiers which is good). Q5s and Q5s TC are considered very neutral, which with this headphones will be just right in my opinion, with bass, but not overwhelming and treble for good details. If you are looking for the 80ohm version, know that it is still hard to drive out of any phone/tablet and such. You will get sound of it them, but very weak. There are comparisons here between the different ohm versions here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gui...-dt770-dt990-models-more.513393/#post-6938759 XD-05 Plus has an excellent value, and with the added help and support for XTENIK and Mr. Steven, it is sure to impress and make you fall in love. It is small and portable, yet the sound it produces is grand and wide and that can be spotted from the first moments. It really resembles a high-quality desktop DAC and headphone amp unit.

FiiO Technology and Support - FiiO

I might go on more on how they are different for sound : as they are ; as anticipated if I had to judge for sound quality only it is not clear to me that one is better then the other ; sure it is that they are different things and hold different sound signature . All the magic happens here as this is the only place where FiiO engineers were given freedom to come-up with an interesting and good sounding device. Q5S is stuffed with lots of top components, many of which can be found in much more expensive designs. It should definitely be at your shortlist as it is one of the best available options at the market right now but even if you already own a Q5s then we suggest that you should try the separate AM3D module despite its dated micro usb port. Driving ability from the balanced output is very good and the FiiO Q5s TC can drive all the above mentioned headphones with ease and headroom so it can be sufficient for most use cases.

FiiO Q5s

The balanced out sounds better then the unbalanced out : it is tighter , more defined , both tonally and dynamically better , as expected . It is easy to hear. Also, the soundstage is better with other AMPs, but it still doesn’t shine. Matched with other amplifiers it is way easier to hear the sound from all around. Welcome the new adept of xDuoo portable DAC/amp series Just can’t stand sharing the overall impression pertaining to the conclusion at the beginning of the article. Some companies deserve the appreciation for their remarkable product with outstanding combination of clever R&D, functionality and smooth performance. Like with xDuoo XD lineup – it is the love from the first sight – starting with the design and ending with the feel of a great bargain.