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K.T.N
1264
Dec 31, 2015
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I was using it with a cheapie FiiO dac to get sound out of my TV. I found the FiiO to have a hardness in the midrange, however, so when I got an all-in-one PS Audio Sprout, the Q5 went back in the box.
Now that the Pro version of the Q5 is being introduced, I'm interested. But how does the amp sound with the new TI chip? The big selling point of the Q5 v2 for me was the analog like sound. I don't really need this version of the Q5 if it sounds like any of the other class D amps I already have.
And how does the new dac sound?
Edit:
Out of curiosity, I pulled out my Q5 v2 and put it back in the system. It's replacing a PS Audio Sprout. I had forgotten, but the older Q5 also does have a built in dac. I had forgotten that, as I was using the cheapie outboard FiiO dac instead.
Well, the PS Audio Sprout is in another league over the old Q5 v2 by a mile. The Q5 v2 sounds muffled, congested, small, and distant in comparison.
Also, there's a silibance and glare to "s", "z", and "f" sounds from the Q5 v2 that seem much more prominent than I remembered. Maybe it's because I'm just starting to use the onboard dac and the circuitry hasn't had a chance to burn in yet? I don't remember it being this silibant. It's a bit fatiguing, and I don't remember it being like that. The Sprout is head and shoulders better in this regard. Again, I'm hoping it's the dac circuitry that hasn't burned in yet.
I wonder how different the new Q5 Pro sounds if it does, indeed, use a different chip. Any thoughts on the sound signature of the TI chip?
Still, probably worth the $99.99 price for this quality of sound and the other features like built in dac and remote control. The Sprout is quite a lot better, but is around $500 retail, almost 5x more. The new TI chip may or may not raise the sound quality on this version of the Q5. I'm really curious to know.