Distortion in high volumes feels lower than with the Q1, but it could be placebo as I don't have the equipment to measure this 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. The Q3 is sleek and reminiscent of some of FiiO's earlier DAC designs. The device itself is very light and portable, around the same size as an iPod. On the top panel, you have the three headphone outputs and a volume knob with indicator light. The volume knob feels very smooth and has just the right level of resistance. The bottom controls feature a switch titled "Bass," a gain pad button, a switch that enables USB charging, and a USB-C input/charger port. Overall, the design is very intuitive and simple, yet still provides a sizeable number of customization options. Design A convenient modular solution which includes power supply, and can operate from a single 3.6V battery. The lower treble region is slightly more emphasized and detailed compared to the upper treble area, which sound otherwise pretty good in this regarding. The general treble presentation is controlled and well adjusted, so that it doesn’t tire your ears even after longer listening periods. Instruments like hi-hats pronounced and do shows a good level of extension, while crash and ride cymbals are fast and detailed. Treble range has a very good speed in metal and jazz music and shows a good amount of intensity and brightness in genres such as EDM or Pop without to disturb your ears.

The better power output of the Q5S with AM3A module, for example, I felt gave slightly better results, though it’s main advance was that it could power full-sized headphones to quite loud levels, something the Q3 can’t do. The FiiO Q3 has a clear, strong and sharp upper midrange presentation with transitions that are in general fairly controlled. The upper midrange of the Q3 is well-tuned and doesn’t show any unnecessary over-sharpness/brightness that could tire your ears over time. From female vocals up to instruments such like violins and pianos, the extension, emphasis and detail retrieval of the Q3 is pretty good. Helped by a powerful USB receiver like XMOS XUF-208, Q3 can natively decode 32-bit 768 kHz PCM files and DSD512 material. You can find this exact chipset in most modern DACs, it is a very stable chipset which I never had a problem with. The Q3 is equipped with the latest generation of XMOS USB signal receiver chip and high-performance AKM DAC chip, the AK4462. It is capable of decoding PCM up to 32-Bit/768kHz, and DSD up to DSD512 natively. The output with Q3 connected to a normal smartphone or PC is buttery smooth, has powerful bass, crisp detailing, and lush vocals suiting different genres of music very well. Reduction of harmonic, intermodulation, and crossover distortion by up to 40dB, resulting in a realistic and fatigue-free listening experienceTreble: Honestly seems neutral and very detailed without added boost or harshness, it mirrored the source well. The FiiO Q3 is catering for all your needs with its three headphone outputs. It features 4.4mm and 2.5mm fully balanced output ports as well as a 3.5mm single-ended port. I did a review a few months ago and long story short, really liked the device which felt like a swiss army knife, for audio purposes. Here is an excerpt: If the FiiO Q3 is not being charged or working, it will enter standby mode automatically after 5 minutes to help to save more power with all indicator lights off. To wake up the Q3, you need to turn it off, turn it on, or connect it to a USB device.

Audio is complicated, and whatever you put the audio information in the equipment will affect it one way or another. Most of us are satisfied with the earphone or headphones’ sound from direct connectivity, but some may need more. Computers, smartphones, and tablets are built with DAC to let you listen to the audio file. It is a digital-to-analog converter, and while the general population is not familiar with it, they use it almost daily. Midrange is very engaging and higher frequencies are portrayed with a softer tone without rough edges.That said, I highly recommend the FiiO Q3 for the things it does so very well—technical upsampling/decoding abilities (at price point) and its beautiful, transparent rendering of music across all genres, and its design aesthetic. Bravo! Sometimes your computer or media player doesn’t have the adequate hardware to drive your headphones, so DAC like FiiO Q3 Vs iFi Hip DAC 2 are becoming necessary. This amplifier will help improve the audio quality and listening experience, especially for you with audiophile equipment. If you wonder which of these compact DACs to invest in, let’s see what they can offer below. Minimal bias current and highly efficient power management to optimize and extend device battery life 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.

Soundstage: was naturally open but average and perhaps a little more intimate than other THX amplifiers I have. The imaging is better than average with detail and accuracy to spare. Where they mostly differ is in the way the sound is presented from an amping point of view due to the totally different amplifier circuits. Like the Q3, and the old Q1, the FiiO gives you full volume controls on the Q11 allowing you to handle that aspect, directly from the device. No +/- button this time, all you have to do is turn the knob and the volume level will rise/lower accordingly, with the additional comfort of a gain switch, directly accessible. The usb receiver is XMOS XUF208 the same used at the flagship Q5S supported by dual crystal oscillators.Not only it offers greater headroom but it also takes advantage of the fully balanced circuit that sounds better with greater technical performance.