![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/unnamed-file-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat exactly has changed?<\/h2>\n
The changes affected the processor, now it is AK4452, the new XMOS XU316 chipset and MQA support.\u00a0Both models, new and old, have the same battery – 1800 mAh.\u00a0Fiio claims that the new version works longer, due to more efficient energy consumption, up to 12 hours instead of 10 – in USB mode, up to 23 hours instead of 18 – in amplifier mode.\u00a0An interesting update in my opinion is support for UAC 1.0, this update allows you to expand the scope of the device by connecting it to Android TV and various game consoles via USB.\u00a0By the way, this is my first DAC that works with the TV (running Android) without any problems.\u00a0Other models that I had, for example, Fiio K3, K5, Shanling UA1 (first version models), Hidisz S9 Pro, different models from SMSL, all of them had problems when playing with Android TV, such as stuttering,\u00a0cliques, etc.\u00a0Both models, Q3 and Q3 MQA have almost the same power output.\u00a0The new version has a slightly better signal-to-noise ratio.\u00a0Now more details about the characteristics.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Traditionally, the device comes in a stylish black package.\u00a0Inside the box, you can find the device itself, which pleases.\u00a0Unlike the Q3, the new version has silicone rubber bands for fixing to the phone.\u00a0Silicone pad, warranty card and instructions.\u00a0Cable:<\/p>\n Fiio Q3 MQA does not differ in appearance from the Q3.\u00a0The body is metal, covered with black matte paint.\u00a0Like all Fiio products, it is made very qualitatively.\u00a0On the front panel there is a Line in 3.5 mm, which is an unbalanced standard output for headphones, next to it is a balanced 2.5 mm and a balanced 4.4 mm.\u00a0There is also a volume control and a light indicator on the front panel.\u00a0The meaning of the color on it:<\/p>\n Also, flashing of any color indicates the charging process.\u00a0On the back there is a bass boost switch, a Gain button, a USB C socket and a charging switch.<\/p>\n The design is very laconic and well thought out.\u00a0I like everything, except for the volume control.\u00a0Agree that the device will be lying on the table for most of the time, or tightly adjacent to the phone, or to any surface.\u00a0In this case, it is extremely inconvenient to turn the volume control.\u00a0At the same time, he scratches the phone or the surface on which it lies.\u00a0That is, every time you need to adjust the volume, you have to move it away from the adjacent surface.\u00a0I personally don’t know why it exists at all, when we all have software volume controls.<\/p>\n The X-shaped silicone rubber allows you to securely attach the amplifier to the phone.\u00a0It can also be done with the help of silicone rings that come in the kit.\u00a0In my opinion, the convenience is average.\u00a0Dongles, plugs – “flash drives”, in my opinion, are much more convenient, more compact.\u00a0But they have a minus – the lack of a battery.\u00a0Devices like the Q3 are designed to solve this problem and do not take power from the phone.<\/p>\n This device is more likely a forced response to the lack of a 4462 processor, which was used in the old version, than it is really a new device.\u00a0Fiio claims that the new processor (4452) is better than the old one, but one can only agree if it concerns energy consumption.\u00a0In order to at least somehow justify the “new” version, in addition to changing the processor, Fiio added MQA support.\u00a0Otherwise, we have the same old Q3.<\/p>\n The Q3S has an output power of 160 mW on the usual unbalanced output and twice as much on the balanced output, which is enough to rock more than 80% of headphones.\u00a0For headphones with a resistance of 300 ohms and higher, I would recommend looking at more powerful alternatives.<\/p>\n This DAC supports PCM decoding up to 384 kHz, while the old Q3 model supported up to 768 kHz, DSD up to 256 instead of 512. It turns out that the new model has taken a step back here, due to the fact that the new processor cannot process such extreme streams , as the old AKM4462 processor did.\u00a0The question is whether you need it.\u00a0However, MQA support has been added.<\/p>\n The device can work as an amplifier, for this it uses a 3.5 mm socket, where a two-sided 3.5 mm cable is inserted (included).\u00a0The signal is sent to the amplifier, to the 3.5 mm jack and exits through any balanced jack.\u00a0In this mode, the battery life is significantly increased compared to the DAC + amplifier mode.<\/p>\n An interesting nuance, the USB-C cable will work only in a single “correct” combination, not only the direction, but also the side is important.\u00a0Pay attention to the arrows, further by intuition.<\/p>\n I personally highly recommend the free application for Android – Hiby Music, it works perfectly, including with Q3s.\u00a0Native playback of DSD and MQA without lags and dances.\u00a0Quality player.<\/p>\n Obviously, the Fiio engineers initially prioritized the most natural, natural transmission of the recorded material.\u00a0Fiio loves live music, this can be seen in their headphones, DACs, amplifiers.\u00a0The same cannot be said about electronic music, music where the bass, by design, occupies almost the main place.\u00a0But this claim applies more to their headphones.<\/p>\n Today, it is quite difficult to hear a big difference between DACs that are at the same price.\u00a0Q3 MQA, in my opinion, is somewhere in the middle, maybe a little higher, in terms of DAC quality and amplifier power at a price of up to $150.\u00a0The device easily drives high-impedance headphones up to 300 ohms.\u00a0Fortunately, I had a Fostex TR-70 (250 Ohm) at hand.\u00a0I really like this Japanese company.\u00a0Q3 MQA, as I thought, such headphones rock easily, even when connected to the usual, unbalanced 3.5 mm.<\/p>\n Now more details about the sound.\u00a0Excellent work in the low-frequency range, the bass goes as low as possible with very good attack and dynamics.\u00a0The bass is collected and sharp.\u00a0There is no hint of turbidity and smearing both in the LF and in the entire range.\u00a0The middle range sounds very natural.\u00a0The upper range is well detailed, good separation of small details.\u00a0However, it has a slightly strange way of emphasizing higher 8 kHz.\u00a0The acoustic guitar has a slightly strange metallic echo, an accent at the very top, which I did not notice on other DACs.\u00a0This, perhaps, is the only nuance that I would like to note.\u00a0I think someone will find this a plus for themselves.<\/p>\n Q3 MQA has good, sufficient resolution over the entire range.\u00a0Fatigue is very low or absent at all.\u00a0Even on very bright HF tracks, the Q3s managed to show a good result.\u00a0Many records that I know well were played with all the “fat”, density and weight.\u00a0The width and depth of the scene is at a confident average level, considering the price tag.<\/p>\n A few words about bass amplification.\u00a0I frankly did not like the implementation of bass amplification.\u00a0The amplification works according to the principle of a primitive low shelf filter somewhere at a frequency of 100 – 120 Hz.\u00a0The result strongly depends on the recorded material and the headphones used, in most cases the amplification introduced an uncontrollable cloudy mass in the lower middle.\u00a0Although on some recordings, amplification gave a good result.\u00a0I preferred to leave it in the off position.<\/p>\n It will be correct to compare the Q3 MQA with the same devices at a similar price.\u00a0Unfortunately, I don’t have them.\u00a0Therefore, below I will mention a similar device without a battery.<\/p>\n As far as I can see today, the difference between\u00a0DACs\/amplifiers\u00a0at the same price, released in the same period of time, is minimal when it comes to sound.\u00a0They are separated by functionality, amplifier power and equipment.\u00a0The Fiio Q3 MQA at the same price with the presence of a battery has very few competitors.\u00a0For phone\/tablet use, I personally prefer dongles such as Shanling UA.\u00a0These are the smallest DACs with a built-in amplifier available on the market.\u00a0Dongles eat your phone’s battery, it’s true, but they are not inferior in terms of sound, they are much cheaper and significantly less than devices like the Fiio Q3S.\u00a0As a rule, they cannot boast of such a high output power as our amplifier, the question is whether you need it.<\/p>\n Personally, for me, Q3 MQA is an “incomprehensible” middle ground, not a stationary device, but also not quite portable.\u00a0If we are talking about better stationary devices at the same price, then my choice will be for such things as\u00a0Fiio K5 Pro\u00a0, because\u00a0they have Line Out output, coaxial and optical inputs.\u00a0Whether you need it or not is up to you.<\/p>\n We live in an amazing time when we can get Hi-Fi sound from a 10 x 6 cm box for just $150.\u00a0Fiio Q3s is a very bright device among a huge pile of\u00a0\u00a0portable DACs\u00a0\u00a0in the $100 to $200 range.\u00a0Which, in my opinion, is slightly above the middle, among similar devices on the market.\u00a0I am not aware of direct competitors of the Q3 MQA at the same price, with the presence of a battery, so it is possible to hint to some extent at its uniqueness.<\/p>\n Fiio is raising the level of its products by leaps and bounds, and we must admit, they are doing well.\u00a0They traditionally offer the maximum, or close to it, within the established price list, this applies to both the device itself and the equipment.\u00a0Unfortunately for them, competitors are not far behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two years ago,\u00a0Fiio\u00a0released the Q3, a DAC (digital to analog processor\/converter) with headphone amplifier.\u00a0Sharpened for use with portable devices such as phones, tablets, laptops, etc.\u00a0The device was very popular, thanks to the combination of functionality and price, and the presence of a battery.\u00a0The new, updated version \u2013\u00a0FiiO Q3s\u00a0MQA has the same external design and almost […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":150247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[642],"tags":[778],"class_list":{"0":"post-150240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hi-fi","8":"tag-reviews"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\nTechnical characteristics:<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPackaging and assembly<\/h2>\n
\n
Design and ergonomics<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nFunctional<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSound<\/h2>\n
Comparisons<\/h2>\n
<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Conclusion<\/h3>\n