Thanks! I do stammer and blunder with words and in fact many non native English speaking audiences have advised me that they have trouble discerning the words, a proper sub will help them in many ways
I agree with you about the synergy with the BD 990 Pro. I use the Q11 with my 250 ohm version and it is a very comfortable mix. Good work on your review. Thanks.
Thanks for the review Andy. Would be very interested to hear you review more of these 'portable' dac/amps or possibly even desktop devices in the future!
Wow ! What a great review ! I am very impressed with your style ! I definitely subbed and look forward to catching up on your channel. Thanks for the information that you supplied in this video. It definitely validated my 50.00 US purchase.
Hello Andy, Thank you for your channel, based on your reviews and recommendation, I have bought a few IEMs and some portable DAC/AMP with excellent results and thanks again. My latest addition is the Fiio Q11, I love the sound of it, it really fits my contemporary jazz music. I do have a question that I really can't figure it out myself. I hope your expertise can help me or any one of your followers can help me as well. When Q11 connects to my Samsung Note 20 Ultra, LG G7 ThinQ and iPhone 6 plus with the supplied short (directional cables) work perfectly good and sounds wonderful for the price. Now the issue : The supplied cables are so short so I bought the longer Fiio LT-TC4 directional cable, NO sound coming out from the Q11 (followed the directional arrow), However, it works with both LG and iPone as mentioned earlier with the RBG light at the front being purple(charging stage?) instead of solid blue but it still works so no problem. Why it does not work with Samsung ? Did I buy the wrong cable ? Fiio also has the LT-TC3. Any cable recommendation will be helpful too, best will be 1 m ( I have also tried some non-directional Usb-c to Usb-C cables without any success) Sorry for the long comment/question Your help is greatly appreciated. Jack
Hi Jack. Congratulations on your purchase of Q11. On the cable situation, it sounded to me that the issue might be unique to Note 20 Ultra if you are not having issues on LG G7 and even iPhone 6 Plus. I would investigate the OTG settings on your Samsung phone, this is not the first time I am hearing Samsung owners voicing issues with connecting to external DAC for various reasons, not just Q11 for most recently with ONIX Alpha too. I don't have neither Samsung phones nor FiiO LT-TC4 with me so it will be hard to imagine what could go wrong. But I suggest you start with that phone settings
Thanks for this! A useful discussion with good comparisons to other amps and sound stage. I'm getting the q11 myself this week to drive Beyerdynamic DT 1770 and 1990 so I look forward to being a bit more portable with them rather than tied to the desk.
Excellent review, the best and most professional I have been able to observe. I just bought the Q11 thanks to your review, if it were possible I would really like you to use the Filters, although as you suggested I use the NOS. Do you think the Q11 can move the HE400SE effectively? Greetings from Guatemala!
My pleasure Guillermo. Really appreciate it. You have a good day there. PS: Yes Q11 can drive HE400SE really well, in fact I would say Sennheiser HD650 is a bit harder for Q11 but really both of them still sounding great to me
Is there a way that i can draw power straight out of my pc without constantly charging it? Im afraid if it will destroy the battery fast if i connect it to my pc very often
Yes you can, what you need to do is look for USB cable that's intended for Audio only, which does not charge connected device. You may need to search for this in AliExpress or locally,
If you look in the background, you would see that I have HiFiMan HE400SE Stealth which I also used with this Q11. So I am very familar with it. And yes, Q11 synergize and drive HE400SE really good
Hi Andy, you helped me with your advice more times so please can you tell me which DAC is better to my Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X headphones? Fiio Q 11 or mentioned ibasso DC04 pro.
Thanks Milo. In this case I am more inclined to favor DC04Pro but really between the two, both are more than competent to synergize with DT990, because both offer smooth dynamics. I prefer DC04Pro a bit more because it is smaller yet perform big
Hi Andy, your reviews are quite detailed especially with the songs that we can relate to. I’m currently using Q7 and Mojo 2 for my IEMs which include Fatfreq SE & Mini, UM Mest ll, Gaea, RSV… how do you compare Q11 & Megatron with Q7 and Mojo 2 just in sound quality? Thank you in advance for your kind reply!
@@maxt.1726 I can't speak for Q7 as I never used it. But MOJO2 is for those loving highly tuneable Hi-Fi sort of DAC, play with EQ and stuffs like that, that alone would make both Q11 and Megatron looked Jurassic, but then I am the type of users who never use EQ so the added features is not applicable for my intended usage. Suffice to say, I prefer MOJO1 type of analog sound over MOJO2, a very personal preference, and even that I prefer DACport HD Ovidius B1,, RU6, FC6, DC04Pro and Megatron over everything else, again a very personal choice that clicks to my taste
Hi again watching this video I found Fiio software also has USB direct access like the hiby you have already suggested i already have Fiio BTR3 so thank you very much 🙏🏼
Thanks for the support!. At the max of $300 I think you may be able to get JDS Labs Atom2 DAC and Amp shipped to you, to me that's the best for Sennheiser HD series for anything under $500
Thank you Andy. Great review here. I love your style. I hope you had a good Easter. I would love to buy the Q15 right now, but it is pretty expensive. So I came here for your review. I have a pair of Focal Clear MG Pros. It seems like a great step in the right direction and maybe I will buy the Q15 later... any thoughts on this? Thanks so much and God bless you.
Thanks Brian. Wishing you a great Easter too. Q15 is one exceedingly solid DAC/Amp and I love everything it has to offer, be it for portable or desktop usage, so I think saving up for it would be good. Just hold on to what you have now and when the time comes, get Q15. I have never tried Focal Clear headphones so it will be hard for me to imagine how it sounds like, lol. But I am sure Focal being so popular would be something that performs as the reputation suggests
Wow Andy thank you for this very sound advice. Yes I had a great Easter. Our church did a service in a local park and our worship team in which I play guitar supplied music! It was fun! 100s of kids participated in our Easter egg hunt. Thanks again for your kind reply. You really are very talented and I appreciate your reviews and look forward to hearing more from you. 🖖
Andy …Another awesome review. So looks like Megatron has an upper hand in sound stage than q11 . Quick question. I understand Megatron is a powerful dac for $50 but is it sonically better than ibasso dc04 pro ? Which sounds better ?
Very close. Megatron however doesn't act kindly to sensitive IEMs or anything that is efficient with power. DC04Pro on the other hand is already natively more forgiving to those stupidly sensitive IEMs. I can't choose and say which one is better than the other, they both are amazing in their own right
@@donglemadness sounds good Andy . If sonically they are the same , then dc04 pro gains upper hand for being ultra portable unlike Megatron…which is Mega in size.😊
What a great review Andy. It help me to pick this dac amp. I'm still curious tho how Q11 compare along the other dac dongle, because I didn't find it in your dongle ranking list. Maybe you can add it later or simply how many star you would rate the Q11?😃
Thanks for the review Andy, i have some questions, if you would compare Q11 to something like TE shio or ibasso dc04pro in terms of sound quality, which one would you recommend? Does being dual dac chip have more benefit than single dac chip in this case? As i’m going to pair it with iphone 13 Iem: aful p5, gallileo, aria (all in 3.5mm)
It’s neutral sounding, so it won’t color the sound of your IEMs. No boosting of frequencies. It is very powerful tho and will effortlessly drive what you have. As far as dual chips, maybe better dynamics and for the use of balanced and low sensitivity IEMs.
Q11 is better than SHIO sound wise and technically too. But DC04Pro offers slightly more refined dynamics handling and will offer better versatility with practically anything where Q11 may not be as comfy with "warmer" sounding partners
I see.. thank you for the answers and information @AndyAudioVault @Rodney Almond, well dc04 pro would be the best option to go if available locally here with normal price 😅, if not i might take the q11 then.
Hi I love your energy and the depth to which you have reviewed this DAC. Because of you I’m considering buying it. But it’s going to be paired with a Hifiman Sundara. Do you think it’ll produce a loud enough volume? My priorities are basically Volume output and portability. (I’ve read some reviews saying the DAC couldn’t produce a loud enough output even with the impressive specs so I’m confused)😕
Thanks. First you need to factor in that some people require more loudness than others. I have known a few people who needed double the volume level to match their normal listening needs, if I were to use their loudness level, I can go deaf. Then it depends on how you run the DAC, if you use good USB power from USB 3.0 especially if on PC then you will get lots of power and headroom. To me Q11 is powerful even for Fostex T40RP MK3 which is harder to drive than Sundara. Assuming that you have similar loudness tolerance as me, then yes it will drive Sundara properly with good loudness. But if you are like the others who needed such high volume, then I would say get something like iFi Diablo or Burson Audio Playmate2
Great video! Would this be a great buy for my Hifiman Edition XS? I currently have a topping dx3 pro+ for my desktop setup, I'm looking for a portable dac/amp to drive them on the go. Can you suggest something else at around the same price point or these would work well already? Thanks
Thanks. I personally haven't tried Edition XS so it is hard to imagine how does it sound like. But Q11 being so very versatile, I am sure you can get good synergy from it. Otherwise you can aslo consider iBasso DC04Pro if you looking for even small form factor but with big sound
Great review,as always! And I love the T shirts \m/ :D. I have a dillema between getting this Q11 or the Hiby FC4. Can you please help me just to pin point the general differnces in sound the department between these two,to say so. Power vise its obvious,its more than enough for my IEM collection on both. I use Tidal master mostly for listening,i have the ifi hip dac 2 and the go link and they are Ifi flavoured dac/amps (i love them) but I want to try something neutral . I will appreciate some advice. Thank you!
Thanks! 😁. The most apparent differences between FC4 and Q1 is the sound characteristics at which FC4 would appear crisper edged and less organic, more focus on analytical temperament. Q11 is less clinical which also makes it a bit smoother in comparison to FC4. Power wise both are 4 Vrms performers so absolutely no issues with practically all type of IEMs. You should get FC4 if you are going to use Tidal Masters, Q11 don't handle MQA
@@donglemadness Thanks a lot for the prompt answer! That helped me a lot to have a clearer understanding of these two devices. Your contribution to the audio comunity is well recieved and very helpful. Keep up the great work! \m/
I forgot whose review it was but someone did mention about the noise floor and it was pretty silent plugged to an Andromeda, the usual benchmark IEM for noise floor detection
Hi Andy, love the review! Im looking for a dac upgrade for my heyday with 4.4mm balanced, so which dac perform best with the heyday, is dongle dac like dc04 pro would be enough or would you recommend dacs with more power like q11, ifi hipdac2, or even desktop dac amp? Thank you!
Thanks, Heyday sounds the best with CEntrance DACport HD or HIBY FC6. But iBasso DC04Pto does it as good too. I would pick iBasso DC04Pro over many other DACs
Hi great video and detailed review. I wonder if you could please help me. I need either a DAP or USB DAC to connect to a Audison F8.9 DSP in my car. However the Audison only has Optical Toslink input. I therefore need it to have Optical Light on its output. I was thinking of the A&K SR35 but it only has Analogue on its 3.5mm output jack and no Optical. Can you recommend one that would work?
Hi Andy great review just want to ask I listening to music in my android device mainly using Spotify.. The problem with using usb dongle on android devices is unlike windows pc.. I get low volume on android.. While on windows pc the volume is so loud.. Do you think that with this fiio q11 I can get much better volume on my android device?
The problem is running Spotify on Android will be subjected to Android SRC limitation unless you bypass it using HIBY Music App or UAPP, that's why you get low volume. Q11, yes can solve the volume issue for you as it offer lots of headroom
Hi thanks for the review, i'm going to buy q11 but this video is already 5 months ago. Is it still revelant until now, or do you have any better reccomendation for this price range?
Hi Andy ! I love audio. I have a problem need your help. My phone has Usb-c 2.0 port but my phone does not have Usb OTG feature. So, can i connect Fiio Q11 DAC/Amp or other DAC/Amp to my phone to listen Hi-Res music ? Thanks Andy, good day 😊
This is hard to say, USB 2.0 is fine for USB audio to connect to external DAC, but if you are certain your phone does not support OTG then it is highly likely you will not be able to use any external USB DAC/Amp (bit just Q11 but everything else)
hello friend, I'm from Brazil, I really liked your channel and now I'm a new subscriber.. I always follow the part where you review dongles.. wow this darkthrone shirt with the logo in red is really cool, I wanted one of these but I didn't I think... Godflesh,sonzera..I'm a big fan of old school death/black metal.....big hug...
@@donglemadness I kindly ask, I would like to see the topping g5. in an upcoming review. I think about buying it. so I prefer to see your review of it first.. big hug...
Q11 and KA5 sound is closely matched and similar in terms of quality. So probably without doing A-B side by side tests, you would not be able to tell the difference. Saludos!
Hi, I want to ask something. Between Fiio Q11, Ibasso DC04 Pro, Hiby FC4, Tanchjim Space, which one is better in terms of sound quality? regardless of the shape and extravagant power used. Or if you want to make a special video on the DAC comparison, I will really look forward to it, on the other hand the prices for the DACs above are also almost the same.
Between all that you mentioned, DC04Pro is the one that tops them all. Overall better tuning, balance and analog presentation. But we are talking about hairline differences here because Q11, FC4 and Space are already operating at very high level of sound quality. As with any hobbies and gadgets, the rules of diminishing returns applies and most of the time the difference from A to B are subtle at best. Just watch my review on RU7 if you want to see some comparisons
Great review! New sub, I have a question, I have the epos h6pro which audio quality it’s pretty nice, non hard to drive I think, but these are headsets and came with a mic, so, ¿does de Q11 allows me to use the mic in the pc with a “Y” splitter?, I know that the megatron could allow me to use the mic of the headset, I’m a gamer so mic it’s important to speak with my friends while we play, sorry for my bad English in advance. Greetings from CO 🇨🇴
Q11 does not support MIC unfortunately. For gaming with MIC if you need a single DAC that has MIC then you will have to look for something else like the Fosi Audio K5 Pro
@@donglemadness I’ve heard that the fosi sounds bad compared to other similar ones, also I read on some reviews of the megatron, that he could uses microphone with a splitter, what do you think, thanks by the way 🙏🏽
Since the Q11 can be used as an independent amplifier, can i ask if you've ever tried pairing the Q11 with other DACs like Hiby fc6 or the Fiio Q15 to see if it changes the sound quality?
What I do know, Q1 does not offer AUX Line in (input) and can't operate as a pure analog amplifier, so I never tried to connect it to any other DAC or dongles, there's no Line In to plug them into
Hello, Thanks a lot for the review ! This or the FiiO Ka5, for best audio quality ? And the power? To drive a Shure Aonic 40 and a DT770 pro 80 ohms (with an iPhone 14 Pro), Thanks a lot again !!
My pleasure. The thing is, both KA5 and Q15 uses the exact same dual CS43198 inside. So practically both are on equal terms with sound tuning and quality. Except that one has battery and the other much smaller
@@donglemadness ok thanks !!! Is there enough power to drive dt770 pro 80 ohms, Shure Aonic 40 (i think it’s ok) and (perhaps I’m gonna take it one day) with the Sennheiser 560s ?? The Q11 isn’t a little bit most powerful to drive those headphones) ? Does Dt 770 pro need to be driven by an ampli Dac to have enough power in sound ?
@@Labeilibfoflne DT770 80 ohm isn't that demanding as compared to what I have tested KA5 with, which are Sennheiser HD650 300 Ohm and Fostex T40RP MK3, both are way more than double the harder to drive than DT770. So yes even KA5 can do the job perfectly for as long you drive it from the 4.4mm BAL side with high gain
@@donglemadness okay, i wondered because those DT headphones have a poor sensitivity responsness. And for the 4.4mm, it needs an 3.5 > 4.4 mm adaptator ?
@@Labeilibfoflne The Fostex T40RP MK3 sensitivity is way lower at 91 dB. No, don't use adaptor from 3.5mm to 4.4mm, it can heat up the DAC. Do it properly with proper 4.4mm BAL cable
Hi Andy Wanted to know if the Q11 will be able to power my Sennheisser HD 598 without issue or should i go for a better DAC for a marginal increase in price
And just one more thing is the KA 13 better or the Q11. I am a guy who listens to instrumental music and music with good soundstage. Which one can I go for ?
Hi Andy! I am looking to buy my first Planar magnetic Headphones and I've decided to go with HifiMan HE400SE. I have a xDuoo Link2 Bal. Would it be enough to drive the HE400SE to its full potential with a balanced cable? Or should I get Fiio Q11 along with the new Headphones? I was thinking of getting something like Topping G5 in coming months which would give me Bluetooth, better battery life, better sound and much more power. What would suggest? Use Link2 Bal for few months and get G5 later or just get a Q11 and use it with HE400SE? Thanks in advance!
Between Link2 BAL and Q11, they are both equally competent to drive HE400SE properly. At this stage it is no longer about power, it is about synergy and you are asking me about the full potential of HE400SE - from my own experience, then my answer would be CEntrance DACport HD or HIBY FC6, both equally amazing at making HE400SE sing, and now, so does Aune Yuki, Colorfly CDA-M1P and FiiO Q15. I have never tried Topping G5 but my past experience with Topping house sound tuning, they tend to be bright and borderline sterile, perhaps I could be wrong but with HE400SE being paired to such source, the end results could be very bright and perhaps even metallic sounding
@@donglemadness wow! Thanks for such a detailed response. So, if I'm understanding it correctly, gains wouldn't be huge going from Link2 Bal to Q11? Currently, I don't want to go beyond 100$ for DAC-AMP and if Q11 isn't a significant enough stepup from Link2 Bal, I would save and get something from that you suggested, later.
Hey Andy I just got Fiio Q11 but it dont peers with phone the Fiio controler app don't reconigze him even my pc don't reconigze him after update frimware i have no ideea how to actually put on it in work...😭
Someone else from here has dyed problems with the 11, mine updated it and it no longer works, now it is recognized as BRAVO HD FW UPDATE, someone has an idea of why this happened
Hey Andy! I tried more several times to fix it and... I figured out that the codec bluethooth apears in bluethooth connection on phone so the third party application Fiio Control I think he don't recognize Q11 because of data transfer cable so i found Fiio LT-TC1(type C to type C adaptor) to may think will put in to work...because the stock cables are cheap and broke...what do you think?Thank's for your guidience...🙏❤
Hello andy, could you tell me if the q11 can run he440se at 100% using 4.4? Or maybe its better picking up a Fosi Q5 (desk amp, do not has balanced outputs) or a Thuthear Shio (smaller dongle)?
I saw your review for go link and now this one, so good your approach to review listening real time. Have you tested ifi uno? I returned uno cause was some pop sounds when I watch CZcams videos, now i am crazy for a desktop portable amp. I am between Q11 and K3, but afraid that doesn't give what i expect. But this Q11 looks modern and good value.
Thanks Kaue. No I havent tried UNO so I can't comment on that one yet. Q11, definitely is a very solid DAC/Amp especially when you consider the quality it offers on for the price asked
Hello Mr.Andy, should I go for Fiio Q11, Megatron or Ibasso DC03/04 pro ? I am planning to pair one of them with my Headphones which are DT990 (32 ohm) and HD58x and some IEMs like HBB Khan, Moondrop Chu, Tanchjim Ola and Re400 (pretty sure these are easy to drive). Which is the best Dac/amp for my HD58x and DT990? Thank you
If you are doing mostly stationary, Megatron is an easy recommendation, it is cheap, most powerful and versatile with anything. But if you want portability, then DC04Pro/DC03Pro gets my vote over Q11
I know my question is not apple to apple, but I still want to ask. fiio q11 when compared to dongle dacs like tanchjim space, which sound quality is better?
Hey Andy, looking for a portable dongle to use on the go with a little more power for occasional over ear duty. Been eyeing the Tanchjim Space but I'm concerned with RFI noise from the antenna which my shanling UA3 suffers from. Can you recommend anything? Preferably neutral flat. Too bad i wouldn't fit this fiio into my pocket ^^ Thanks!
If you move around a lot and your phone always attempt to boost the GSMM/3G/LTE/4G signals, it will introduce RF jitters to the data stream of audio on most dongles. One way to combat that is to use shielded and better protected USB cables. for my own personal usage, I have found that iFi Orange colored USB cables that came with iFi GO Bar and iBasso CB18 cables seems more resistant to RF interferences. So it may be a good idea to look for suitable USB C cables first because the majority of RF interferences occur at that segment. Other than that, you may consider using VE Abigail Pro which is neutral and offer superb cable construction, no RF interferences from my phone
Hi Andy. Looking at the comment, it seems you recommend Megatron over Q11, so i plan to buy the former to use it with my laptop. Will it solve hissing issues that I curently have? I have Studio4 but can only use it with phone (ip13pm with Apple dongle) because it hissed when connected to laptop (direct 3.5mm).
Megatron is probably not something you want if eliminating floor noises is what you after. With anything under 64 Ohm you will hear the floor noises. Q11 on the other hand is more silent with sensitive stuffs. You can also consider VE Prime DAC which is my reference now
What if Fiio Q11 is compared to iBasso DC04Pro using high impedance(470Ω) but 98dB/1mW full size headphones, which is better in terms of sound quality?
I have tested both with 50 Ohm 91dB magnetic planars and 300 Ohm headphones, I like what I am hearing more from DC04Pro running on 4.4mm BAL with High Gain NOS
So I can plug it into the USB-C port on my PC, play music, and then plugin my headphones and turn it up loud? Does it need drivers for the PC? Or I just plugin with the long usb cable into PC and it lets me stream into it? Thank you!
Q11 is PNP by default. Any WIndows 10 and above should just play it off the bat. Tune the Windows Volume to 100 and adjust the volume purely on Q11. However, you will need FiiO drivers when you want to push for ASIO for DSD playback
Hey Andy! Thank you for your help last time i rethink the ideea and i purchased the HIFIMAN DEVA PRO WIRED"in best price buy" insted of HE400SE and want to drive them with Q11...is there any issues? i never have some planar magnetics headphones... and thenically info say will be drived well....🤔
I would not know for sure as I don't have R70X. But some of my friends have mentioned that R70X is in fact sounding good already with even smaller dongles, so for Q11 which is rated higher in power than most dongles, I don't think it will be an issue
Can Fiio DAC-AMP Q11 warm an HIFIMAN H400se...if i just want to use it with an phone instead of dedicate sound board... 🤔 in that area were they have trouble...?Thx❤Is that setup good...🤔
Great sounding and put together dac amp but it simply won't connect up to the Fiio control app on my Oppo find X2 and looking at the reviews of the app on the Google playstore a lot of people have issues with the app, I'm using the correct supplied USB C to C data cable?? Shame because I wanted to try the filter settings etc I'm guessing there's no equivalent app for windows that I also use this on Any ideas Andy??
Try another USB cable, some cables may behave differently. The moment you have proper cable attached and also with proper USB cable orientation, it will work and FiiO app control will work
Hi Andy , tried other cables and no joy at all my oppo android phone just won't recognise the Q11 I think it's an issue with OTG settings within the phone settings I've tried everything. I connected my PC to the Q11 with the supplied shorter usb to usb c data only cable and no issues so I know it's not the cable
Great video. I have a question please. I bought this amp. and the dt990 pro 250ohm, to compare. Ok the sound i like, but the volume is exactly the same from balanced, and from unbalanced input. Is that OK? Because i thought(from the technical characteristics) the balanced is more powerful than the unbalanced 3.5. Thank you.
Thanks!. The thing is, do you use a separate 4.4mm BAL cable or are you using and adapter?. On some amps, the 3.5mm and 4.4mm BAL can have equal power if they are intentionally designed that way. After all we have some of the most powerful DAC amps still running on 3.5mm SE exclusively, I have stopped regarding 4.4mm BAL as the measure for quality and performance, the same thing can be achieved by 3.5mm SE as well
@@donglemadness I'm using an adapter from Ifi. The sound quality is excellent, but the power level is just enough, not really high,for me. So better to buy a separate 4.4 mm bal. cable ,because i need a little pain to my ears 😆.Thanks a lot for your advice!
Yes of course, Dioko scales well with good sources and the fact that Q11 the s neutral, you will hear uncolored feed from it, retaining Dioko sound signature
There's an option. Buy any USB C cable extension to whichever length you need and at the side where you connect to Q11, you use the Audio only USB C cable, it will not charge because the short cable will not pick up power for charging from the extension. Audio only cables are available from ddHiFi or FiiO
@@donglemadness I just bought mine from HiFiGO and they had a good deal if you spent more then 500$ so I bought my big bro some 7Hz timeless. Thanks for all your great content I bought Fiio Q11 because of you and absolutely love them. They should sponsor you
Exceptional? that's such a high expectation. But putting in the element of price to performance ratio, yes Q11 would work great with DT770 Pro, the sound signature of DT770 would synergize well with Q11
No it does not. And that's why in cable section I talked about using the shorter cable to prevent continuous charging when attached to PC. Not ideal but that's what FiiO manage to squeeze in to keep Q11 price affordable
@@donglemadness never mind about this... I remembered that there is a battery-powered DAC with the bypass feature, but I can't seem to remember which brand and model is it 😅
@@donglemadness thanks andy. One last question, i still confused to choose between dc04pro or ovidious b1, i do have balance 4.4 cable for my iems, but I don't mind to use single ended only, which one is better pick between the two for sound quality only?
@@sarajevocx B1 is actually more powerful despite capped at 2 Vrms. B1 offers 410-430 mW of power each channel. But you must take into account B1 is not easy on sensitive IEMs and you will hear floor noises on those IEMs. Also B1 is a bit more finicky with USB exclusive mode on Android. DC04Pro is much more versatile and user friendly on top of sounding amazing
@@donglemadness so in what part does the Q11 better than DC04Pro? i'm using DC03Pro right now and planning to upgrade for DAC with 4.4mm jack. I really like your #donglemadness videos. It's really detailed and helped a lot for me to decide which DAC to buy
I have a Question for dongle dacs, do these ever become legacy hardware and become unusable in modern systems, like being not supported and stuff like that? the ibasso dc04 pro dac said it needed drivers and also had a new app. So I am curious whether they last long if maintained well physically but are phased out in the software and driver side
I don't think so. Almost all of the 140 DACs that I have tested will plug and play into Windows 10 and 11 without any need for specific drivers. Native Windows USB drivers and they worked perfectly. The only time you want to use specific drivers is when you start to tweak for ASIO usage or anything like that. And I doubt that going forward Windows gonna make it difficult by not supporting UAC1 or UAC2 of which it will make practically anything older to be useless. DC04Pro works flawlessly in Windows 10 without the need to install any drivers. The app for the tweaks are on Android and you just need to install iBasso UAC app because you want to tweak it, otherwise it will plug and play too without any issues
Honestly dude no reason to point out how to turn on subtitles, your English is great and it is very easy to understand everything you're saying!
Thanks! I do stammer and blunder with words and in fact many non native English speaking audiences have advised me that they have trouble discerning the words, a proper sub will help them in many ways
@@donglemadness oh okay I had no idea, if that's the case it definitely didn't come across in this video!
@@Withnail1969 ???
Im english and have no issue understanding you, and i enjoy your reviews 👍
I appreciate that!
Wow your reviews are amazing and the way you describe the music is quite eloquent. Thank you!
Wow, thank you! 🙏
I agree with you about the synergy with the BD 990 Pro. I use the Q11 with my 250 ohm version and it is a very comfortable mix. Good work on your review. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing Michael ✌
Thanks for the review Andy. Would be very interested to hear you review more of these 'portable' dac/amps or possibly even desktop devices in the future!
My pleasure. If I can get them, of course I would love to do transportable and battery class DAC/Amps as well. Cheers.
@@donglemadness what is the product dimensions?
@@skeletronxxprime6277 www.fiio.com/q11_parameters under General Specifications you will find the size etc
Wow ! What a great review ! I am very impressed with your style ! I definitely subbed and look forward to catching up on your channel. Thanks for the information that you supplied in this video. It definitely validated my 50.00 US purchase.
My pleasure
Really appreciate the detailed power information here. I went through many a review before finding this. Thanks for the analysis - much appreciated!
My pleasure
Fantastic review.
I like this kind of video. Hope to see more affordable portable DACs reviews. Thank You for this video.
Wow! Such an articulate review! Thanks
My pleasure!
nice sound description listening to songs, this way we can also make an idea of what you talking about.
Yep. It does makes things more relatable. Thanks!
Hello Andy,
Thank you for your channel, based on your reviews and recommendation, I have bought a few IEMs and some portable DAC/AMP with excellent results and thanks again.
My latest addition is the Fiio Q11, I love the sound of it, it really fits my contemporary jazz music. I do have a question that I really can't figure it out myself. I hope your expertise can help me or any one of your followers can help me as well.
When Q11 connects to my Samsung Note 20 Ultra, LG G7 ThinQ and iPhone 6 plus with the supplied short (directional cables) work perfectly good and sounds wonderful for the price.
Now the issue : The supplied cables are so short so I bought the longer Fiio LT-TC4 directional cable, NO sound coming out from the Q11 (followed the directional arrow), However, it works with both LG and iPone as mentioned earlier with the RBG light at the front being purple(charging stage?) instead of solid blue but it still works so no problem.
Why it does not work with Samsung ? Did I buy the wrong cable ? Fiio also has the LT-TC3.
Any cable recommendation will be helpful too, best will be 1 m ( I have also tried some non-directional Usb-c to Usb-C cables without any success)
Sorry for the long comment/question
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Jack
Hi Jack. Congratulations on your purchase of Q11. On the cable situation, it sounded to me that the issue might be unique to Note 20 Ultra if you are not having issues on LG G7 and even iPhone 6 Plus. I would investigate the OTG settings on your Samsung phone, this is not the first time I am hearing Samsung owners voicing issues with connecting to external DAC for various reasons, not just Q11 for most recently with ONIX Alpha too. I don't have neither Samsung phones nor FiiO LT-TC4 with me so it will be hard to imagine what could go wrong. But I suggest you start with that phone settings
@@donglemadness Wow....Thanks Andy, OTG is the problem.....now the longer LT-TC4 works beautifully with the Q11.
Thank you so much !!!
Awesome. Great to hear it is working now
A true poet, as it sounds. Thank, you, AndyAudio. - The Acoustic Rabbit Hole
My pleasure
Thanks for this! A useful discussion with good comparisons to other amps and sound stage. I'm getting the q11 myself this week to drive Beyerdynamic DT 1770 and 1990 so I look forward to being a bit more portable with them rather than tied to the desk.
My pleasure. And enjoy!
Excellent review, the best and most professional I have been able to observe.
I just bought the Q11 thanks to your review, if it were possible I would really like you to use the Filters, although as you suggested I use the NOS.
Do you think the Q11 can move the HE400SE effectively?
Greetings from Guatemala!
My pleasure Guillermo. Really appreciate it. You have a good day there.
PS: Yes Q11 can drive HE400SE really well, in fact I would say Sennheiser HD650 is a bit harder for Q11 but really both of them still sounding great to me
Is there a way that i can draw power straight out of my pc without constantly charging it? Im afraid if it will destroy the battery fast if i connect it to my pc very often
Yes you can, what you need to do is look for USB cable that's intended for Audio only, which does not charge connected device. You may need to search for this in AliExpress or locally,
Hiii, I need to move some hifimanHE400se, will this device do it right? they have these specifications: 91db, 32ohms
If you look in the background, you would see that I have HiFiMan HE400SE Stealth which I also used with this Q11. So I am very familar with it. And yes, Q11 synergize and drive HE400SE really good
Hi Andy,
you helped me with your advice more times so please can you tell me which DAC is better to my Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X headphones?
Fiio Q 11 or mentioned ibasso DC04 pro.
Thanks Milo. In this case I am more inclined to favor DC04Pro but really between the two, both are more than competent to synergize with DT990, because both offer smooth dynamics. I prefer DC04Pro a bit more because it is smaller yet perform big
Great answer as always. Big thanks to you again.
Thank you Andy for a great review!👍👍👍
My pleasure Max. You have a great Sunday there!
Hi Andy, your reviews are quite detailed especially with the songs that we can relate to. I’m currently using Q7 and Mojo 2 for my IEMs which include Fatfreq SE & Mini, UM Mest ll, Gaea, RSV… how do you compare Q11 & Megatron with Q7 and Mojo 2 just in sound quality? Thank you in advance for your kind reply!
@@maxt.1726 I can't speak for Q7 as I never used it. But MOJO2 is for those loving highly tuneable Hi-Fi sort of DAC, play with EQ and stuffs like that, that alone would make both Q11 and Megatron looked Jurassic, but then I am the type of users who never use EQ so the added features is not applicable for my intended usage. Suffice to say, I prefer MOJO1 type of analog sound over MOJO2, a very personal preference, and even that I prefer DACport HD Ovidius B1,, RU6, FC6, DC04Pro and Megatron over everything else, again a very personal choice that clicks to my taste
@@donglemadness Million thanks!
Hi again watching this video I found Fiio software also has USB direct access like the hiby you have already suggested i already have Fiio BTR3 so thank you very much 🙏🏼
My pleasure :D
Great reviews, thank you for sharing.
My pleasure
What amp/dac combo in your opinion has the best synergy with hd650? Lets say maximum 300$. Btw great review. Subscribed!
Thanks for the support!. At the max of $300 I think you may be able to get JDS Labs Atom2 DAC and Amp shipped to you, to me that's the best for Sennheiser HD series for anything under $500
Hey Andy awesome review. Where would you place this in the dongle madness with respect to sound quality only. Thanks.
If I have to put it on @donglemadness scale, sound wise this is a solid 4.5 Stars performer
Thx
My pleasure
Thank you Andy. Great review here. I love your style. I hope you had a good Easter. I would love to buy the Q15 right now, but it is pretty expensive. So I came here for your review. I have a pair of Focal Clear MG Pros. It seems like a great step in the right direction and maybe I will buy the Q15 later... any thoughts on this? Thanks so much and God bless you.
Thanks Brian. Wishing you a great Easter too. Q15 is one exceedingly solid DAC/Amp and I love everything it has to offer, be it for portable or desktop usage, so I think saving up for it would be good. Just hold on to what you have now and when the time comes, get Q15. I have never tried Focal Clear headphones so it will be hard for me to imagine how it sounds like, lol. But I am sure Focal being so popular would be something that performs as the reputation suggests
Wow Andy thank you for this very sound advice. Yes I had a great Easter. Our church did a service in a local park and our worship team in which I play guitar supplied music! It was fun! 100s of kids participated in our Easter egg hunt. Thanks again for your kind reply. You really are very talented and I appreciate your reviews and look forward to hearing more from you. 🖖
Hey great review brother pls suggest whether to get btr5 2021, ibasso dc04 pro or q11 I am new in my audiofile journey and want a versatile product
Andy …Another awesome review. So looks like Megatron has an upper hand in sound stage than q11 . Quick question. I understand Megatron is a powerful dac for $50 but is it sonically better than ibasso dc04 pro ? Which sounds better ?
Very close. Megatron however doesn't act kindly to sensitive IEMs or anything that is efficient with power. DC04Pro on the other hand is already natively more forgiving to those stupidly sensitive IEMs. I can't choose and say which one is better than the other, they both are amazing in their own right
@@donglemadness sounds good Andy . If sonically they are the same , then dc04 pro gains upper hand for being ultra portable unlike Megatron…which is Mega in size.😊
great review, thanks 🤞
No problem 👍
Thanks for the review! Think that's an outstanding product, especially when you got a Headphones and Not IEM's to drive.
Thanks Marcel. Versatile indeed. Even for IEMs at LO gain, Q11 is a very solid DAC
What a great review Andy. It help me to pick this dac amp. I'm still curious tho how Q11 compare along the other dac dongle, because I didn't find it in your dongle ranking list. Maybe you can add it later or simply how many star you would rate the Q11?😃
Thanks. Q11 sound wise is comparable to FiiO KA13, same tuning. It is not listed in #donglemadness because it is not a dongle 😁
@@donglemadness ah i see thank your for the answer 😅🙏🏻
Thanks for the review Andy, i have some questions, if you would compare Q11 to something like TE shio or ibasso dc04pro in terms of sound quality, which one would you recommend? Does being dual dac chip have more benefit than single dac chip in this case?
As i’m going to pair it with iphone 13
Iem: aful p5, gallileo, aria (all in 3.5mm)
I have same questions, waiting for answer from Mas Andy here 🙂
It’s neutral sounding, so it won’t color the sound of your IEMs. No boosting of frequencies. It is very powerful tho and will effortlessly drive what you have. As far as dual chips, maybe better dynamics and for the use of balanced and low sensitivity IEMs.
Q11 is better than SHIO sound wise and technically too. But DC04Pro offers slightly more refined dynamics handling and will offer better versatility with practically anything where Q11 may not be as comfy with "warmer" sounding partners
I see.. thank you for the answers and information @AndyAudioVault @Rodney Almond, well dc04 pro would be the best option to go if available locally here with normal price 😅, if not i might take the q11 then.
i wanna buy TE shio 😁 but i Will try Fiio Q 11 😁
80 USD for 650mW BAL is craaaazy cheap, and it can drive my HE400SE decently. what a steal
Hi I love your energy and the depth to which you have reviewed this DAC. Because of you I’m considering buying it. But it’s going to be paired with a Hifiman Sundara. Do you think it’ll produce a loud enough volume? My priorities are basically Volume output and portability.
(I’ve read some reviews saying the DAC couldn’t produce a loud enough output even with the impressive specs so I’m confused)😕
Thanks. First you need to factor in that some people require more loudness than others. I have known a few people who needed double the volume level to match their normal listening needs, if I were to use their loudness level, I can go deaf. Then it depends on how you run the DAC, if you use good USB power from USB 3.0 especially if on PC then you will get lots of power and headroom. To me Q11 is powerful even for Fostex T40RP MK3 which is harder to drive than Sundara. Assuming that you have similar loudness tolerance as me, then yes it will drive Sundara properly with good loudness. But if you are like the others who needed such high volume, then I would say get something like iFi Diablo or Burson Audio Playmate2
@@donglemadnessReally appreciate the swift response Andy! I’m definitely leaning towards purchasing this DAC now. Cheers! 💛
We’re you running 4.4 balanced or 3.5 single ended on your HD650..? Great review. Thank you.
8:23
Thanks David, 90% of the time I always use the 4.4mm BAL
Great video! Would this be a great buy for my Hifiman Edition XS? I currently have a topping dx3 pro+ for my desktop setup, I'm looking for a portable dac/amp to drive them on the go. Can you suggest something else at around the same price point or these would work well already? Thanks
Thanks. I personally haven't tried Edition XS so it is hard to imagine how does it sound like. But Q11 being so very versatile, I am sure you can get good synergy from it. Otherwise you can aslo consider iBasso DC04Pro if you looking for even small form factor but with big sound
Great review,as always! And I love the T shirts \m/ :D. I have a dillema between getting this Q11 or the Hiby FC4. Can you please help me just to pin point the general differnces in sound the department between these two,to say so. Power vise its obvious,its more than enough for my IEM collection on both. I use Tidal master mostly for listening,i have the ifi hip dac 2 and the go link and they are Ifi flavoured dac/amps (i love them) but I want to try something neutral . I will appreciate some advice. Thank you!
Thanks! 😁. The most apparent differences between FC4 and Q1 is the sound characteristics at which FC4 would appear crisper edged and less organic, more focus on analytical temperament. Q11 is less clinical which also makes it a bit smoother in comparison to FC4. Power wise both are 4 Vrms performers so absolutely no issues with practically all type of IEMs. You should get FC4 if you are going to use Tidal Masters, Q11 don't handle MQA
@@donglemadness Thanks a lot for the prompt answer! That helped me a lot to have a clearer understanding of these two devices. Your contribution to the audio comunity is well recieved and very helpful. Keep up the great work! \m/
I use tangzu zetian wu heyday. High gain or low gain, which one should i use on fiio q11?
For Heyday, use High gain as just like most other planars, Heyday will scale well with more power
Nice Review 😁
Thanks! 😁
A question is there any noise floor on sensitive IEM's? I might've missed it in the video 😅
I forgot whose review it was but someone did mention about the noise floor and it was pretty silent plugged to an Andromeda, the usual benchmark IEM for noise floor detection
@@vianhoho19 thank you!!
6:15
@@Rsalmond83 just as i thought i missed it thanks
At 06:17. I did mentioned it was silent for sensitive IEMs. Thanks
Hi Andy, love the review! Im looking for a dac upgrade for my heyday with 4.4mm balanced, so which dac perform best with the heyday, is dongle dac like dc04 pro would be enough or would you recommend dacs with more power like q11, ifi hipdac2, or even desktop dac amp? Thank you!
Thanks, Heyday sounds the best with CEntrance DACport HD or HIBY FC6. But iBasso DC04Pto does it as good too. I would pick iBasso DC04Pro over many other DACs
Thank you for your kind response, will go pick the dc04 pro soon
Hi great video and detailed review. I wonder if you could please help me. I need either a DAP or USB DAC to connect to a Audison F8.9 DSP in my car. However the Audison only has Optical Toslink input. I therefore need it to have Optical Light on its output. I was thinking of the A&K SR35 but it only has Analogue on its 3.5mm output jack and no Optical. Can you recommend one that would work?
Thanks. Q11 does not have Optical out. Check Reiyin USB DAC instead if you need Optical feed
Hi Andy great review
just want to ask
I listening to music in my android device mainly using Spotify..
The problem with using usb dongle on android devices is unlike windows pc.. I get low volume on android.. While on windows pc the volume is so loud.. Do you think that with this fiio q11 I can get much better volume on my android device?
The problem is running Spotify on Android will be subjected to Android SRC limitation unless you bypass it using HIBY Music App or UAPP, that's why you get low volume. Q11, yes can solve the volume issue for you as it offer lots of headroom
Hi thanks for the review, i'm going to buy q11 but this video is already 5 months ago. Is it still revelant until now, or do you have any better reccomendation for this price range?
Thanks. For the asking price it is hard to find a better set to matched Q11 overall values. So yes I see it as still very relevant
Thank you so much!
Hi Andy !
I love audio. I have a problem need your help. My phone has Usb-c 2.0 port but my phone does not have Usb OTG feature. So, can i connect Fiio Q11 DAC/Amp or other DAC/Amp to my phone to listen Hi-Res music ?
Thanks Andy, good day 😊
This is hard to say, USB 2.0 is fine for USB audio to connect to external DAC, but if you are certain your phone does not support OTG then it is highly likely you will not be able to use any external USB DAC/Amp (bit just Q11 but everything else)
hello friend, I'm from Brazil, I really liked your channel and now I'm a new subscriber.. I always follow the part where you review dongles.. wow this darkthrone shirt with the logo in red is really cool, I wanted one of these but I didn't I think... Godflesh,sonzera..I'm a big fan of old school death/black metal.....big hug...
Peace! 🤘🏼🖤
@@donglemadness 🤟💪🎧
@@donglemadness I kindly ask, I would like to see the topping g5. in an upcoming review. I think about buying it. so I prefer to see your review of it first.. big hug...
@@cobretti666_ I will do a review on it if I can get it. No promises
@@donglemadness thanks,my friend.. 🤟💪🎧
Hi, between this one and the ka5 wich is better? Saludos desde México
Q11 and KA5 sound is closely matched and similar in terms of quality. So probably without doing A-B side by side tests, you would not be able to tell the difference. Saludos!
@@donglemadness muchas gracias
Hi, I want to ask something. Between Fiio Q11, Ibasso DC04 Pro, Hiby FC4, Tanchjim Space, which one is better in terms of sound quality? regardless of the shape and extravagant power used.
Or if you want to make a special video on the DAC comparison, I will really look forward to it, on the other hand the prices for the DACs above are also almost the same.
Between all that you mentioned, DC04Pro is the one that tops them all. Overall better tuning, balance and analog presentation. But we are talking about hairline differences here because Q11, FC4 and Space are already operating at very high level of sound quality. As with any hobbies and gadgets, the rules of diminishing returns applies and most of the time the difference from A to B are subtle at best. Just watch my review on RU7 if you want to see some comparisons
Great review! New sub, I have a question, I have the epos h6pro which audio quality it’s pretty nice, non hard to drive I think, but these are headsets and came with a mic, so, ¿does de Q11 allows me to use the mic in the pc with a “Y” splitter?, I know that the megatron could allow me to use the mic of the headset, I’m a gamer so mic it’s important to speak with my friends while we play, sorry for my bad English in advance. Greetings from CO 🇨🇴
Q11 does not support MIC unfortunately. For gaming with MIC if you need a single DAC that has MIC then you will have to look for something else like the Fosi Audio K5 Pro
@@donglemadness I’ve heard that the fosi sounds bad compared to other similar ones, also I read on some reviews of the megatron, that he could uses microphone with a splitter, what do you think, thanks by the way 🙏🏽
@@juanjacho8894 Sound bad? I can only say what I hear and Fosi is anything but bad. Megatron is a great option too if you need MIC
@@donglemadness thank you a lot for your answers, I’ll might have a look on Fosi 👍🏽
Does Anyone can tell me which is better between Fiio Q11 or Hiby FC4?
FC4 offers a bit more more crisp imaging while Q11 offers a bit more of smoothness with dynamic presentation. But if you need more power, Q11 has it
Since the Q11 can be used as an independent amplifier, can i ask if you've ever tried pairing the Q11 with other DACs like Hiby fc6 or the Fiio Q15 to see if it changes the sound quality?
What I do know, Q1 does not offer AUX Line in (input) and can't operate as a pure analog amplifier, so I never tried to connect it to any other DAC or dongles, there's no Line In to plug them into
@@donglemadness ah, thanks for the clarification 🙏
Have you tried SMSL SAP-11, Topping NX4 DSD, Topping NX7, Schiit Magni+ and Fiio K5 Pro?
No unfortunately
Hello,
Thanks a lot for the review !
This or the FiiO Ka5, for best audio quality ? And the power? To drive a Shure Aonic 40 and a DT770 pro 80 ohms (with an iPhone 14 Pro),
Thanks a lot again !!
My pleasure. The thing is, both KA5 and Q15 uses the exact same dual CS43198 inside. So practically both are on equal terms with sound tuning and quality. Except that one has battery and the other much smaller
@@donglemadness ok thanks !!! Is there enough power to drive dt770 pro 80 ohms, Shure Aonic 40 (i think it’s ok) and (perhaps I’m gonna take it one day) with the Sennheiser 560s ??
The Q11 isn’t a little bit most powerful to drive those headphones) ?
Does Dt 770 pro need to be driven by an ampli Dac to have enough power in sound ?
@@Labeilibfoflne DT770 80 ohm isn't that demanding as compared to what I have tested KA5 with, which are Sennheiser HD650 300 Ohm and Fostex T40RP MK3, both are way more than double the harder to drive than DT770. So yes even KA5 can do the job perfectly for as long you drive it from the 4.4mm BAL side with high gain
@@donglemadness okay, i wondered because those DT headphones have a poor sensitivity responsness.
And for the 4.4mm, it needs an 3.5 > 4.4 mm adaptator ?
@@Labeilibfoflne The Fostex T40RP MK3 sensitivity is way lower at 91 dB. No, don't use adaptor from 3.5mm to 4.4mm, it can heat up the DAC. Do it properly with proper 4.4mm BAL cable
Hi Andy
Wanted to know if the Q11 will be able to power my Sennheisser HD 598 without issue or should i go for a better DAC for a marginal increase in price
Q11 and a lot of dongles now can power your headphone properly, no worries
Thank you so much Andy
And just one more thing is the KA 13 better or the Q11. I am a guy who listens to instrumental music and music with good soundstage. Which one can I go for ?
Hi Andy! I am looking to buy my first Planar magnetic Headphones and I've decided to go with HifiMan HE400SE. I have a xDuoo Link2 Bal. Would it be enough to drive the HE400SE to its full potential with a balanced cable? Or should I get Fiio Q11 along with the new Headphones? I was thinking of getting something like Topping G5 in coming months which would give me Bluetooth, better battery life, better sound and much more power. What would suggest? Use Link2 Bal for few months and get G5 later or just get a Q11 and use it with HE400SE? Thanks in advance!
Between Link2 BAL and Q11, they are both equally competent to drive HE400SE properly. At this stage it is no longer about power, it is about synergy and you are asking me about the full potential of HE400SE - from my own experience, then my answer would be CEntrance DACport HD or HIBY FC6, both equally amazing at making HE400SE sing, and now, so does Aune Yuki, Colorfly CDA-M1P and FiiO Q15. I have never tried Topping G5 but my past experience with Topping house sound tuning, they tend to be bright and borderline sterile, perhaps I could be wrong but with HE400SE being paired to such source, the end results could be very bright and perhaps even metallic sounding
@@donglemadness wow! Thanks for such a detailed response. So, if I'm understanding it correctly, gains wouldn't be huge going from Link2 Bal to Q11? Currently, I don't want to go beyond 100$ for DAC-AMP and if Q11 isn't a significant enough stepup from Link2 Bal, I would save and get something from that you suggested, later.
Hey Andy I just got Fiio Q11 but it dont peers with phone the Fiio controler app don't reconigze him even my pc don't reconigze him after update frimware i have no ideea how to actually put on it in work...😭
I think you need to contact FiiO on this issue, I have no idea what could have happened there, sounds like post FW update issues
@@donglemadness Ok thank you!😃
Someone else from here has dyed problems with the 11, mine updated it and it no longer works, now it is recognized as BRAVO HD FW UPDATE, someone has an idea of why this happened
I think it is best to check with FiiO support, it seems you have experienced FW update failure
Hey Andy! I tried more several times to fix it and... I figured out that the codec bluethooth apears in bluethooth connection on phone so the third party application Fiio Control I think he don't recognize Q11 because of data transfer cable so i found Fiio LT-TC1(type C to type C adaptor) to may think will put in to work...because the stock cables are cheap and broke...what do you think?Thank's for your guidience...🙏❤
Great to hear you found the fix
Hi Andy, how long till the review of Fosi ds1? It seems to be in progress for more than a month.
My plan for DS1 and Dawn to have them released next week. Thanks for being patient with me
@@donglemadness Can't wait! Hopefully more people can see your channel.
Hello andy, could you tell me if the q11 can run he440se at 100% using 4.4? Or maybe its better picking up a Fosi Q5 (desk amp, do not has balanced outputs) or a Thuthear Shio (smaller dongle)?
Yes it can, no issues at all
Thanks!👍
I can get the dc03 pro/Megatron for around 50 USD, whereas the q11 is for 80 USD. What should I pick to power my letshuoer s12? Thanks, Andy.
DC03Pro and Megatron is what I will pick over Q11 every time for anything, but this is my personal choice
I saw your review for go link and now this one, so good your approach to review listening real time.
Have you tested ifi uno? I returned uno cause was some pop sounds when I watch CZcams videos, now i am crazy for a desktop portable amp. I am between Q11 and K3, but afraid that doesn't give what i expect. But this Q11 looks modern and good value.
Thanks Kaue. No I havent tried UNO so I can't comment on that one yet. Q11, definitely is a very solid DAC/Amp especially when you consider the quality it offers on for the price asked
Hello Mr.Andy, should I go for Fiio Q11, Megatron or Ibasso DC03/04 pro ?
I am planning to pair one of them with my Headphones which are DT990 (32 ohm) and HD58x and some IEMs like HBB Khan, Moondrop Chu, Tanchjim Ola and Re400 (pretty sure these are easy to drive).
Which is the best Dac/amp for my HD58x and DT990? Thank you
If you are doing mostly stationary, Megatron is an easy recommendation, it is cheap, most powerful and versatile with anything. But if you want portability, then DC04Pro/DC03Pro gets my vote over Q11
I know my question is not apple to apple, but I still want to ask. fiio q11 when compared to dongle dacs like tanchjim space, which sound quality is better?
Pretty much the same I would say, at least to my hearing, quality is similar
Hey Andy, looking for a portable dongle to use on the go with a little more power for occasional over ear duty. Been eyeing the Tanchjim Space but I'm concerned with RFI noise from the antenna which my shanling UA3 suffers from. Can you recommend anything? Preferably neutral flat.
Too bad i wouldn't fit this fiio into my pocket ^^
Thanks!
If you move around a lot and your phone always attempt to boost the GSMM/3G/LTE/4G signals, it will introduce RF jitters to the data stream of audio on most dongles. One way to combat that is to use shielded and better protected USB cables. for my own personal usage, I have found that iFi Orange colored USB cables that came with iFi GO Bar and iBasso CB18 cables seems more resistant to RF interferences. So it may be a good idea to look for suitable USB C cables first because the majority of RF interferences occur at that segment. Other than that, you may consider using VE Abigail Pro which is neutral and offer superb cable construction, no RF interferences from my phone
Hi Andy. Looking at the comment, it seems you recommend Megatron over Q11, so i plan to buy the former to use it with my laptop. Will it solve hissing issues that I curently have? I have Studio4 but can only use it with phone (ip13pm with Apple dongle) because it hissed when connected to laptop (direct 3.5mm).
Megatron is probably not something you want if eliminating floor noises is what you after. With anything under 64 Ohm you will hear the floor noises. Q11 on the other hand is more silent with sensitive stuffs. You can also consider VE Prime DAC which is my reference now
What if Fiio Q11 is compared to iBasso DC04Pro using high impedance(470Ω) but 98dB/1mW full size headphones, which is better in terms of sound quality?
I have tested both with 50 Ohm 91dB magnetic planars and 300 Ohm headphones, I like what I am hearing more from DC04Pro running on 4.4mm BAL with High Gain NOS
So I can plug it into the USB-C port on my PC, play music, and then plugin my headphones and turn it up loud? Does it need drivers for the PC? Or I just plugin with the long usb cable into PC and it lets me stream into it? Thank you!
Q11 is PNP by default. Any WIndows 10 and above should just play it off the bat. Tune the Windows Volume to 100 and adjust the volume purely on Q11. However, you will need FiiO drivers when you want to push for ASIO for DSD playback
It is working at miliwatts - So not even 1 watt? Can it make stuff loud when maxed out?
Very loud
I am using Kinera odin 2.0, do u have any DAC to recommend, usually listening youtube music or spotify from iphone or macbook
Q11 is one of them that I would recommend. If you are looking for a bit of portability and BT, FiiO BTR15 is another one
Hey Andy! Thank you for your help last time i rethink the ideea and i purchased the HIFIMAN DEVA PRO WIRED"in best price buy" insted of HE400SE and want to drive them with Q11...is there any issues? i never have some planar magnetics headphones... and thenically info say will be drived well....🤔
I don't see any issue there
@@donglemadness 😉👍
Can I use this with the PC while charging? I kinda understand that with the USB A to C cable, but I'm not sure if I misunderstood
Yes of course you can
I just wondering does the Q11 can drive ath R70X at 470ohm ?
I would not know for sure as I don't have R70X. But some of my friends have mentioned that R70X is in fact sounding good already with even smaller dongles, so for Q11 which is rated higher in power than most dongles, I don't think it will be an issue
Can Fiio DAC-AMP Q11 warm an HIFIMAN H400se...if i just want to use it with an phone instead of dedicate sound board... 🤔 in that area were they have trouble...?Thx❤Is that setup good...🤔
Yes it can, HE400SE will sound good with Q11
@@donglemadness Thank you!❤
is it a good choice if i use BD dt770 pro at 80ohm?
Yes of course
Am confused between fiio q11 and btr15. Any idea, sir?
BTR15 is a better unit overall
@@donglemadness thank you, sir..
So does it have aux like normal headphones?
No Line Out AUX. Just Phone Out
Can hifiman sundara headset q11 drive?
More than capable
Great sounding and put together dac amp but it simply won't connect up to the Fiio control app on my Oppo find X2 and looking at the reviews of the app on the Google playstore a lot of people have issues with the app, I'm using the correct supplied USB C to C data cable??
Shame because I wanted to try the filter settings etc
I'm guessing there's no equivalent app for windows that I also use this on
Any ideas Andy??
Try another USB cable, some cables may behave differently. The moment you have proper cable attached and also with proper USB cable orientation, it will work and FiiO app control will work
@@donglemadness Thank you Andy I'll give that a try👍
Hi Andy , tried other cables and no joy at all my oppo android phone just won't recognise the Q11 I think it's an issue with OTG settings within the phone settings I've tried everything. I connected my PC to the Q11 with the supplied shorter usb to usb c data only cable and no issues so I know it's not the cable
@@PL-ri3bz Yes, it is indeed your phone settings that you need to figure out now
Thanks for your time and patience Andy
Great video. I have a question please. I bought this amp. and the dt990 pro 250ohm, to compare. Ok the sound i like, but the volume is exactly the same from balanced, and from unbalanced input. Is that OK? Because i thought(from the technical characteristics) the balanced is more powerful than the unbalanced 3.5. Thank you.
Thanks!. The thing is, do you use a separate 4.4mm BAL cable or are you using and adapter?. On some amps, the 3.5mm and 4.4mm BAL can have equal power if they are intentionally designed that way. After all we have some of the most powerful DAC amps still running on 3.5mm SE exclusively, I have stopped regarding 4.4mm BAL as the measure for quality and performance, the same thing can be achieved by 3.5mm SE as well
@@donglemadness I'm using an adapter from Ifi. The sound quality is excellent, but the power level is just enough, not really high,for me. So better to buy a separate 4.4 mm bal. cable ,because i need a little pain to my ears 😆.Thanks a lot for your advice!
Works with a hifiman ananda?
Yes, just make sure you run from the 4.4mm BAL side on High Gain
How does this compare to the K3 new (2021)?
I wish I knew, I never tried K3 yet
@@donglemadness I just realised K3 is for desktop/laptop use and the Q11 to be portable with your phone.
I use 7hz Dioko. can this IEM be used well with Fiio Q11?
Yes of course, Dioko scales well with good sources and the fact that Q11 the s neutral, you will hear uncolored feed from it, retaining Dioko sound signature
@@donglemadness thank you very much ❤❤
Finding an audio only longer usb c cable for my Fiio q11 in the US is like trying to buy a unicorn. 😖
There's an option. Buy any USB C cable extension to whichever length you need and at the side where you connect to Q11, you use the Audio only USB C cable, it will not charge because the short cable will not pick up power for charging from the extension. Audio only cables are available from ddHiFi or FiiO
Plz plz plz do a Fiio ft3 review plz pretty please
Lol. I hear you. If I can get one, yes sure
@@donglemadness I just bought mine from HiFiGO and they had a good deal if you spent more then 500$ so I bought my big bro some 7Hz timeless. Thanks for all your great content I bought Fiio Q11 because of you and absolutely love them. They should sponsor you
nothing wrong for such a cheap dac amp
Will I get an exceptional listening experience with DT770 Pro on desktop setup?
Exceptional? that's such a high expectation. But putting in the element of price to performance ratio, yes Q11 would work great with DT770 Pro, the sound signature of DT770 would synergize well with Q11
@@donglemadnesseven with 250ohms 990 pro via SE connection?
@@eduardsantafe3385 Not the SE, you gotta use the 4.4mm which offer the max power
@@donglemadness So would I have to modify the Beyerdynamic to make them balanced?
@@eduardsantafe3385 Pretty much yes, you need to recable the termination if you want to use 4.4mm
Does this have battery bypass power mode when connected to PC? So it doesn't overcharge?
No it does not. And that's why in cable section I talked about using the shorter cable to prevent continuous charging when attached to PC. Not ideal but that's what FiiO manage to squeeze in to keep Q11 price affordable
@@donglemadness ah I see. What's the next cheapest portable DAC do you have in mind that has this battery bypass feature?
@@argoperdana6823 Sorry I am not well informed enough with battery powered DACs as I has been focused on battery-less dongles
@@donglemadness never mind about this... I remembered that there is a battery-powered DAC with the bypass feature, but I can't seem to remember which brand and model is it 😅
@@argoperdana6823 Fiio Q3 has a switch to turn off charging, also has THXAAA amp, but is ~ $50 more expensive than this, and has a bit less power.
For sound quality only, which one is better between Q11 vs DC04pro?
DC04Pro
@@donglemadness thanks andy. One last question, i still confused to choose between dc04pro or ovidious b1, i do have balance 4.4 cable for my iems, but I don't mind to use single ended only, which one is better pick between the two for sound quality only?
@@sarajevocx B1 is actually more powerful despite capped at 2 Vrms. B1 offers 410-430 mW of power each channel. But you must take into account B1 is not easy on sensitive IEMs and you will hear floor noises on those IEMs. Also B1 is a bit more finicky with USB exclusive mode on Android. DC04Pro is much more versatile and user friendly on top of sounding amazing
@@donglemadness well noted andy. Maybe i will get the dc04 pro.
Thank you so much.
@@donglemadness so in what part does the Q11 better than DC04Pro? i'm using DC03Pro right now and planning to upgrade for DAC with 4.4mm jack. I really like your #donglemadness videos. It's really detailed and helped a lot for me to decide which DAC to buy
How soon on Fiio KA5 review 😀
One week from now I think
@@donglemadness
Cool,thnx. I'm interested in this one because of the display, I'm just not sure how it will sound, seems a couple people like it.
I have a Question for dongle dacs, do these ever become legacy hardware and become unusable in modern systems, like being not supported and stuff like that? the ibasso dc04 pro dac said it needed drivers and also had a new app. So I am curious whether they last long if maintained well physically but are phased out in the software and driver side
I don't think so. Almost all of the 140 DACs that I have tested will plug and play into Windows 10 and 11 without any need for specific drivers. Native Windows USB drivers and they worked perfectly. The only time you want to use specific drivers is when you start to tweak for ASIO usage or anything like that. And I doubt that going forward Windows gonna make it difficult by not supporting UAC1 or UAC2 of which it will make practically anything older to be useless. DC04Pro works flawlessly in Windows 10 without the need to install any drivers. The app for the tweaks are on Android and you just need to install iBasso UAC app because you want to tweak it, otherwise it will plug and play too without any issues
@@donglemadness I see, thanks for the info.
Fiio q11 vs hiby fc4 vs shanling up4 2022 vs DUNU DTC 500 vs FIII K3S VS truthear shio vs shanling ua3 vs ovidius b1 vs ddhifi tc44c vs topping dx1
That's quite a lot to compare with, lol
@AndyAudioVault i just pick under 1.5m idr price, hahahaha
And where are the stars? Only dongles will get them? 😄
Different category, so different approach
현재 60달러정도면 살만할까요
Yes, that is a good price for Q11
@@donglemadness 얼마전에 60달러에 구매를 했습니다 너무 좋습니다 👍👍👍👍👍
@@donglemadness 질문 한가지만 더드릴께요 4.4 파워가 650mw라고 하는데 어떻게 맞을거 같으신가요?
@@user-ph6lk7eq5s 650 mW is already very powerful, will fir and synergize with anything
I see a price of $79
That's crazy cheap
Try 64