I used a DONGLE for 100 days

For 100 days I ditched my desktop DAC and AMP setup for... a dongle?

Measurement Index

How to read headphone measurements

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[scotteaton]

This is a great video! Very encouraging. Recently I decided that my Qudelix 5K was all I really need. This is great confirmation. Thank you.

[tomas_m]

Then there's a plentiful community of reality deniers who just refuse to believe that tech keeps progressing and electronics is getting cheaper and something that costs a couple hundreds today can entirely outperform something for what they paid thousands a decade ago

[morallytainted]

I've been using the Lotoo Paw S2 for over a year now and it has been my go to dongle. It still hasn't completely replaced my entire setup but for day to day listening it's the first thing I grab. The Paw S2 pairs great from my Focal Clear to the Thieaudio Oracle.

[prodigy_xd]

I have a "modular" setup where each item fixes the shortcomings of another device. I have a DAC that feeds into a Headphone Amp and into a Monitor controller at the same time.

The DAC volume and source i control with my keyboard, like you, and if i wanna switch to speakers i unmute the monitor controller (which has a big nice attunation knob + xlr combo) and if i want to listen on headphones i have my dedicated headphone-amp to deliver enough power to anything (and also has a big analog knob). I also have a dedicated noise filter on the main line to never run into interferrence issues. Another piece to the puzzle.

This leaves me flexible in the DAC i choose. I can unplug my outputs from the dac and hook it up to a dongle, audio interface or a computer, etc.. and don't need to throw away a working DAC/AMP Combo device, just because it doesn't have this or that for a certain situation.

I did all that because i was never really satisfied with DAC/AMP hybrid products. They are either lacking inputs, or power, or USB support (no volume control, drivers), don't have a line out, the knob is digitally controlled, etc etc.. always something.

So i am all for little gadgets like that! Yes, i call it a gadget. To me a DAC isn't some magic device that needs to be super expensive. It is just a converter. Not the centerpiece. It is a single trick pony. I don't mean that in a negative way, but a DAC should focus on being a DAC instead of trying to be everything (and failing at it). In return opens the doors for more efficient designs and i hope more companies embrace it.

iFi really is onto something with their lineup, although the shape of their products is a bit odd but it basically is "modular". If you want bluetooth, buy the blue thing, if you want phono, buy that thing, and it all is the same form factor and has the necessary connectors to work together.

I think we need more "modular" products that don't try to be THE ONE and instead offer flexibility with good connectivity. That also means you are not limited to a single company (and hope they make a MK2 of your favorite, semi-perfect, hybrid one day).

[duncanny]

Loved to hear of this. Given me a lot to think about!! Well done! 😂

[atzedevries]

Very true. Been doing this now for 2 years. Only one thing though, get the Qudelix 5K. Also as PEQ, bluetooth and built in battery.

[PKAPE]

Bought Cayin RU7 to pair with my LCD-X. Love the analog sounding. The RU7 also makes my HD6XX sound incredible when doing a line out to Jotunheim 2.

[davestevens]

I bought Qudelix 5K based on Andrew's experience with it and have been very happy. Use mostly with IEMs or earbuds. It does drive my AKG K-361 well enough. Save my old school Samuels SR-71 Blackbird for really rocking out.

[taidee]

It's interesting stuff for sure. I've recently acquired the Fii0 Q11, and this thing can drive headphones like the HD 600 just fine, let alone the IEMs, all this for next to nothing.

[JeffJacquesmd]

I have the Queststyle M15. Great little dongle, able to drive the V2 Diana’s and the Focal Radiance fairly well

[IM-ntql]

Hey DMS. The m15 is my main dac/amp and I absolutely adore it, amazing piece of gear! Haha your review makes feel very justified about the purchase😀...Something to keep your eye out on is Questlye CMA18 which is their latest yet to be released portable dac/amp. I definitely will be!

[audio_tron]

Agree totally on sound. On form factor, however, my DAP elegantly stores and plays back lossless files of rare CDs I ripped. Suppose I could listen to the transcoded AAC via Apple Music’s iCloud Music Library, but I’d also lose my DAPs handy playback control buttons and end up scrolling social feeds on my iPhone. All that said, it is tempting to ditch the bulk of a DAP and pickup a Q5K or M15.

[carminedesanto]

Nice, I’ve got the IFI Go Blue and it’s great ..No dongle hanging off my phone ..or I can run it as a dongle .
Have a great weekend..as for me ..I like a nice headphone stack 😎

[SomeGuy-xqkv]

True, the small footprint is so handy to bring dac/amp along. Some dongles can make your headphones "wireless" with Bluetooth as well.

[SheepDude-qpux]

I'd love to see the new qudelix t71 reviewed. Has much more power and a lot of dsp capability in the same form factor and price range.

[tylou]

Got the iBasso DC04 pro last week and been loving it. It works well with HD25, DT1990, HD6XX, DT770 and SR325. Incredible for the size of the device.

[jameskegen]

I would still just take a qudelix as a preamp into any amp that i wish. It has such a low noise floor (inaudible) that you can use it directly into anything with the standard 2V/4V that any conventional dac outputs. You get the benefit of PEQ which outways any advantage of queststyle has. And no, wavelet is not stepless. It uses a 128 band filter, and measurements have shown there are inaccuracies in how it eq's that 64bit hardware enconded qudelix solution doesn't have. It being LDAC removes the convince of the queststyle being one box solution because its still attached to your phone.

[kevinwlf]

I would like to see something akin to that, but with a single knob for analog gain. Most solutions often wont have the same performance and that's the only thing holding me from going to this route. Even better if I could get a mic input (a real, XLR or maybe mini XLR to keep the size small), and keep top notch performance, that would be the dream.

[RobbieKhan]

I got the M15i model yesterday and well, it beats the Fiio K7, Topping DX3 Pro+, both I returned recently due to issues driving my Ananda Nano. This beats them in basically every area. For the price, and if you don't need optical in etc, then this I don't think has any competition, especially with current mode drive vs voltage, so seemingly any IEM or headphone out there can be driven loud.

The sound is also very organics/analogue if you liked the NAD sound from the Bee days of the late 90s and early 200s, then this is that sound, just without the audible noise floor hiss that is typical of pure analogue.

[phantomplastics]

The Questyle M15 with the Arya Organic is magical. Best DAC dongle with great headphones. Stunning and satisfying. Even better via the May KTE and Bliss.