Qudelix-5K Bluetooth USB DAC AMP with LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, AAC (Dual ES9219 3.5mm Unbalanced & 2.5mm Balanced Output)

The 5k is a one-of-kind, highly configurable, reliable, portable bluetooth dac, which you can fully manage via software, on mobile nonetheless, via its app. The app, as well as the dac itself, really, are just perfect. Fully-featered, contioniously updated, and from an obviously passionate team.What truly distinguishes the 5k from competitors, and seems seldom mentioned, is that this thing just f***ing works, always, just how you want it to, on pc AND mobile.If nothing else, know this.You will not be dissatissfied with the audio listening experience it provides.For Android, especially, it really is the best, dac available, full-stop.There are plenty of competiting products with better specs, but hardware isnt everything. Optimization is essential.Crysis made that clear for video games, and the 5k makes it evident for audio.Such an exquiste, universabaly-reliabile and steadfastly- cohesive listening experience, no matter the enviromment, is offered by none other dac. No matter what operating system, software, or hardware you use it with, it does not dissapoint.Additionally, its support is unrivaled. Built by truly passionate developers. Look at the app's update and dac's firmware update changelogs, really. Now look at those from similar products. Insane. No other competitors offer such frequent, high-quality improvements to the users experience at no extra charge.Just one purchase guarantees users will get years of dependable, optimal use out of their device. Thanks to the frequent, high-quality, and most importantly free, improvements, and fixes to all users experience over time provided by the qudelix team.*Highlights*-Equalizer Settings are stored on device, no need to ever even touch them again after the first time. You get the same sound signature always. No swapping devices and suddenly it changes.-Syncs audio volume PERFECTLY no matter what. Regardless, If you change it via hardware buttons or software bars, on PC or Mobile.------------*Important Note for PC users**Desktop operating systems dont have native support for and need third-party software to unlock full ad2p bluetooth protocol compatbility/functionality. You Can't use ldac on Windows without it.(lookup: "AlternativeAD2P Driver")**On a side note, using it, you can also force SBC audio/ connection settings, and I was able to get the 5k to maintain an overclocked SBC output bitrate of over ~1.1Mb/s. Sounded better than LDAC. Insane. That software really is a game changer for windows bluetooth listening.

After upgrading from a LG V30 to a phone that doesn't have a headphone jack (Thanks Samsung -.-) I needed a DAC that could drive the planar magnetic HifiMan HE-560 v4 that I use daily, and this seemed to fit the bill, having the output power needed to drive these hungry headphones (it also works well with my higher-impedance Sennheiser HD 650). I've seen the FiiO BTR5 as well, and my first impression on getting this was just how much lighter and smaller the 5K is; feels like half the size. You do miss out on the premium-feeling glass and nice display, but the 5K still seems well built.It also sounds great on both 3.5mm and 2.5mm TRRS; one of the best features I think is that you have two digital volume controls; basically, you can set a volume 'cap' on the 5K itself and then use your Android volume controls to step within that zone. The on-device steps are 0.5dB each which makes finding that 'perfect' volume easy.One caveat is that the on-device controls are a bit fiddly to get used to; when I first got it in the box I struggled to figure out how to even turn it on and off, since all you get are two rockers, a red LED on one side, and a blue LED on the other. If you open the app and go to the 'MISC' section, you can see what actions the buttons are bound to and do a bit of customization as well. I don't touch them often except to pause/skip, adjust volume, or power on/off, so it works well enough for that.Speaking of the app, this is one that I actually consider beneficial - it lets you change the volume and set up EQ, but it also lets you configure a lot of things inside of the firmware, like what codecs to advertise, what bitrate to use for USB, and what input to prefer (you can have two Bluetooth devices connected at once, and it'll play audio from either one at a time, not mixed). All of the defaults are fine, but clearly a lot of technical thought has gone into exposing these settings to the user, which I appreciate. Showing the LDAC bitrate was particularly useful when I was trying to figure out why sometimes my tablet sounded worse (looks like it was dropping to 330Kbps).Overall, it's a puny portable, USB+Bluetooth DAC that sounds great and is filled to the brim with features for those who want to tinker with the way it sounds.P.S. For those looking for the 2.5mm pinout, it's (from the base to the tip) L-, L+, R+, R-. Couldn't find it anywhere, not even in the docs...

I recently picked up the Qudelix 5k, and so far, it’s been a great addition to my setup, especially for on-the-go quality audio and PC gaming.I’ve been using both Bluetooth and USB connections, and they both work flawlessly. The Bluetooth connection is stable, with no noticeable lag, and when I need the lowest latency for competitive gaming, the USB connection is perfect. No dropouts or issues at all.The roster of preset EQ is a great addition, letting me tweak my IEM’s with so much ease. The design is sleek and comfortable for long sessions, and the battery life is more than enough for extended playtime.Overall, I’m really happy with the Qudelix 5k so far. It’s a solid choice for both gaming and everyday listening, offering great versatility and sound quality. Highly recommend it!