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63 About this deal
FiiO Q3 uses the highly reputed THX AAA Amplifier Technology. Previously used for the replaceable amplification module for the Q5s, FiiO this time they used it at the heart of their Q3. The fully balanced THX amp module has a patented feed-forward error correction topology paired with rigorous OP-Amp components. It helps the Q3 to achieve a powerful output capability. The Q3 also shows low distortion, rich bass, and an overall outstanding music experience.
While just finishing my Hip-Dac review before taking the Q3 into testing but the Fiio didn't disappoint with most things in fact it worked much cleaner with IEMs even my Higher impedance headphones worked to a decent point but don't expect miracles its a portable after all and they all don't have the XP5's amazing power. The Q3 seems well suited to low Ohm cans and IEMs even sensitive ones. On a Windows computer, no problem too, my Desktop computer automatically recognized the Eagle, running Windows 10, the same for my laptop. But, for previous generation users, (Windows 7, Vista) you may have to install the FiiO USB Driver. Moreover, since FiiO provides both Apple and Android/rest of the world cables, you will be able to use it with almost any available smartphone. I tried it on my good old iPhone X and a fresh new OnePlus, both worked flawlessly once linked through the USB port. Perfect! A convenient modular solution which includes power supply, and can operate from a single 3.6V battery.
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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. Fortunately, battery life didn’t drop down, even if FiiO uses a new THX circuit. In single-ended mode, connected through the USB port to my iPhone, I could use the Q3 for almost a full week, on a single charge.
I never thought I would write these words for a THX-AAA based DAC and headphone amp combo, but for the first time I’ve felt warmth coming out of such a device, it definitely felt smoother sounding compared to THX equipped SMSL SH-9, SP200, Drop THX-789 and to Benchmark HPA4, you name it. Of course, its internal amplifier section is absolutely colorless and straight as a line, but that velvety sounding AKM chipset started to blossom showing its true character. As a whole, Q3 is slightly on the warmer side, with a great rendition of the midrange that helped tremendously with V-shaped IEMs. Later after I’ve returned home, I discovered that is does some great things with Hifiman headphones, it paired really well with Arya and I am pretty sure it does the same with their HE400i or Sundara. I can listen to such a soothing and relaxing performance all day long and in all fairness, Q3 is not really about sharp defined leading-edges or about fast and snappy dynamics but more about the simplest things like listening to music and not caring about the technical aspects. There isn’t even a smallest hint of brightness or dryness, I find its midrange performance juicy and meaty sounding, it draws a lot of attention into this region and not a whole lot on its highest registers which I found good, but not great. I this regarding, I strongly believe their wireless BTR5 is better as it has a cleaner and more extended treble, but it is also sharper compared to Q3. It is really my first time experiencing a warmer presentation from a THX module equipment DAC and headphone amp combo and I really encourage other manufacturers trying different combinations and sound signatures. It is really boring when all THX units are sounding pretty much the same. At the rear side of the device are two screws, two switches (one for bass and one for charging on/off), the multifunctional button for “Gain” & “DAC Filter” selection and the USB-Type-C port for both data and charging purposes. One more note, the Q3 does support MQA, but I do not use Tidal or a similar service that delivers MQA; I use Apple Music which does support Lossless but not MQA. So I did not test this feature. Battery Life My smartphone is equipped with a Hi-Fi DAC according to its 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:
Regarding the two filter settings they mostly affect higher frequencies with the one sounding more firm and well defined and the other more rounded and soft.
The Q3 MQA coming this time is literally not a new product, but only a product with small changes due to chip shortage. It is for meeting the needs of users, providing them with another option other than music players and USB dongles. Reduction of harmonic, intermodulation, and crossover distortion by up to 40dB, resulting in a realistic and fatigue-free listening experience
Design & Build Quality
If you think about it, every musical instrument has its birth, grows its shape, as it chooses its skin—metal, wood, glass, reeds—and develops its own unique tone/timbre. Though there are various families—woodwinds, brass, strings, keyboard, idiophones, friction instruments, and percussion—that share, within the families, similar to overlapping voices. And there are literally hundreds of different instruments with unique voices. Perhaps, the various Hi-Fi and headgear companies in world are much like musical instrument makers, in that they attempt to give a voice—warm, neutral, bright, detailed, Class A, transparent, a combination thereof—and a form—tubed, solid state, reflex loaded, planar, etc.—to their various creations, recreations. Think of a company. Now think of its voice and its form. They all have voices, they all have forms. This brings us to a relatively new voice and form for me—FiiO. The FiiO's volumetric cube—sound stage—is quite large and, at times, holographic, in that it spans good depth and height and width and, yet, is intimate when called to be so. Positioning and layering are also quite good as is image solidity and there is very good transparency and thus detail retrieval. Though the best and the more expensive across this category would, no doubt, extract more detail, nuance, and microdynamics.
Considering that its Reference design can output up to 168 mW of power in 32 Ohms and Q3 outputs 160mW of power in the same impedance, it is safe to say that FiiO squeezed the most out of these modules. Since FiiO used two stereo modules, its internal amplifier topology is fully balanced and in the same impedance Q3 is outputting almost double the power on its balanced outputs, 300 mW to be more precise. If you are new to THX AAA modules, these are reducing harmonic, intermodulation and crossover distortion by 20 to 40 dB and are offering a true to life, realistic and a fatigue-free listening experience. THX AAA modules accomplishes that by using a patented feed-forward topology to null conventional distortion and noise levels, resulting in the world’s most linear sounding amplifiers.Besides that, an analog bass booster that is adding 6 dB of gain somewhere between 20 and 300 Hz is used by the help of OPA2322 op-amp. Its volume control works in analog domain and thanks to a NJU72315 low-noise and ultra-low distortion volume control chip, you’ll have a great channel balance even at lower volumes with ultra-sensitive IEMs. The FiiO’s volumetric cube—sound stage—is quite large and, at times, holographic, in that it spans good depth and height and width and, yet, is intimate when called to be so. Positioning and layering are also quite good as is image solidity and there is very good transparency and thus detail retrieval. Though the best and the more expensive across this category would, no doubt, extract more detail, nuance, and microdynamics. Bass 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. Mids gave me no issues and everything came through super clear and detailed. Vocals were a pleasure to listen to as well. I never ran into sibilance with female vocals on brighter mid focused headphones.
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