Qudelix 5K Reference DAC AMP

Product Information

AUTOMATIC BATTERY CARE: 5K manages the battery for maximum life cycle, not for the time. Furthermore,5k draws its system power directly from USB when working as a USB DAC. In other words, 5K does NOT draw any power from the battery when charging. It helps keep the battery life longer, and it ensures the same battery charging time even while streaming audio. The 5K can sound very dynamic and impactful, especially from the balanced output, while it presents a well extended and spacious soundstage that is not too holographic or layered but it has an excellent positioning accuracy. In everyday use, the first hurdle is memorizing the button press commands and which button does what. As a declaimer, I'am not very experienced in the world of external DACs, therefore my view might be a bit limited. Also, the following sound impressions have been made exclusively using LDAC and a USB connection only.

Bluetooth:​Generally pretty stable, though it is more stable over aptX than LDAC for me over longer distances. It is very easy to use and is capable of getting the most out of the 5K, controlling the volume, output, codecs used, power supplied, sound quality... it even has a graphic and parametric equalizer, 10 bands, which works, even if the source is Bluetooth. I have the BTR5, which is metal and glass, as well as the Qudelix. It has very poor range, compared to the Qudelix. It's fine, if you are right beside it, but Qudelix continues to work in the next room where the BTR5 starts to cut out. The general sound signature is decently detailed and somewhat warm. Not a hint of the olden ES9018’s icy tinge.So far, I didn't really have to plug it to a charger during the day - the battery life is more than enough, even when I travel. Connecting it to a PC for some one-hour listening session in the evening replenishes all the juice it needs. The very transparent nature of the 5K makes sure that the user is essentially listening to the sound character of the earphones and not the source itself. Despite the fact that the body is made of plastic, with the exception of the clamp, its high rigidity gives a rather hard feeling. Even, with the paint, it seems that its body is completely metallic. When connected to my PC via USB C (I do recommend getting a magnetic plug for it, makes your life whole much easier) it immediately starts working as a main audio device. So far, I haven't experienced any glitches or anything like that. Latency is good. As seen in the app, one can expect up to 2VRMS SE and 4VRMS BAL out of the 5K. It’s a smart rating for a portable device, as battery power means limited voltage.

Overall, the listening experience is very palatable with all headphones. The copious DSP options allow me to craft correction curves, which, in my opinion, make the greatest sonic improvement. I can effortlessly wrangle the Monarch’s treble peak and add the missing sparkle on the Arias. So, once you configure the EQ using the app, you no longer need to launch the app to see if the EQ runs or not. For the most IEMs, The 2V RMS output would be too much. The 1V RMS mode offers the best power efficiency at the same sound quality as the 2V RMS mode. 2V RMS Mode With Bluetooth, there are no noise complaints, although, with Apple devices, the AAC codec isn’t as detailed as LDAC but is still more than enjoyable. Qudelix 5K won’t win any awards for sharp looks, so all you need to do is listen! I will go as far as to say that pairing the Qudelix 5K with naturally warm-sounding headphones can be too much. With the Moondrop Aria, I approached that line. The Monarch Mk1 are a better match and let me appreciate the detail retrieval of both devices.

Addendum​

We've tried many DACs and Amplifier ICs and found ESS9218p is the best option for our goal. Besides the sound quality, the primary advantage of ESS9218p is that the built-in amplifier delivers the maximum output voltage up to 2V RMS. Furthermore, it supports the 1V RMS option at the same sound quality to save power consumption. I've seem from people that own both the qudelix and competition (BTR5), that que 5K presents way better range. The bass is tight and controlled with excellent definition and layering but with a slightly lean and dry texture.

The Qudelix mobile app displays the real-time active LDAC bitrate. Qudelix-5K is the only receiver that provides accurate bitrate information.

To pair the 5K via Bluetooth, simply turn on the device and enter pairing mode. At this point, the red light and the blue light come on alternately to indicate this status. It is recommended that LDAC mode is chosen from the Smartphone, for maximum sound quality. I have no issue whatsoever with the construction, for me it is far better than the BTR5. The things I would say the BTR5 is better for is the buttons, they are bad on the Qudelix, and the screen on the BTR5 is handy, to be able to see volume and what it is connected to. Mentioning a person that on purpose instills excessive and extreme force to purposely damage electronics, just for views and money....not at all a realistic or real world scenario. No one bends their phones like that, and certainly not a small form factor device like this DAC can even bend as such. This is the lowest battery life portable DAC i have ever had. I do use it in single DAC mode, not Dual which eat more power. The battery of the 5K, is 500mA, from Li-Polymer. Only a current of 200mA is required to charge it, a current which limits the device itself. This means that the entire charge takes 2.5 hours (pure and simple mathematics). The included battery charger can be activated at will, except when the battery charge is less than 20%, in which case it will be activated automatically, provided it is connected to a USB.

DAC: Dual ES9218P SABRE HiFi®. The 3.5mm output works in single DAC, only. Dual DAC is only available for 2.5mm output. Features: Parametric EQ isn't in the app yet, but that's supposedly coming next month. Volume buttons on your IEM's cable won't work (yet). You can select the codecs from the Qudelix app, which is nice if you have one of the few aptX Adaptive devices as otherwise it prioritizes LDAC, it seems. The app has about as many features as the Radsone ES100's app, with more to come, and anyone who had the ES100 knows that it got some fantastic post-launch support. After having it for nearly a week, I can say that it sounds really good to me. Of course, you have your thoughts before you have it and after you have it. I also like the fact in the app, they're very honest about the specific things it can do so that people don't get delusional. Just as it is. The app has many, many functions. Very complete app. And as they say, the quality of the music does not worsen if you lower the volume, but it stays the same, except lower.

Conclusion​

In practical terms, the power output should be enough for most dynamic headphones and more sensitive planars, depending on how much headroom is sacrificed to the gods of DSP. It should be noted that the current status of the device is also stored in the internal memory and when it is switched on again, the system remembers this status. As far as the build quality of the unit goes, it's a tiny smart looking and solidly put together unit. The 4 button interface is definately better than other bluetooth amps I've used in the past, the functionality of which can reprogrammed via the app to suit your preference. My only gripe is that they are a little fiddley to press because they are small. The 5K, stays in the middle, although closer to the profile of the DA3, but clearly improving the resolution level, the cleanliness of the sound and the delicacy of the reproduction. The DA3, however, can be unsettling because of its more punchy sound; with the 5K, you don't get the same feeling. The sound is analytical, but delicate, executed with calm, light, definition and a lot of sharpness. In this way, the notes are appreciated more separated, with more air. The result is bigger, as well as pleasant and not at all tiring. The scene looks bigger than its competitors, with a higher level of three-dimensionality, easily one step above the other two. It can be seen that, the sound is more mature and refined, with more dynamics and transparency, which gives it a more absolute neutrality, allowing a more prolonged use, without neglecting the pleasure that causes its analytical capacity, totally peaceful and calm.