Fiio Q1 MKII

amazon Fiio Q1 MKII reviews

FiiO is a deeply plowed audio brand to launch trendy products at affordable prices, with the vast majority of new players struggling in the middle of a forest of cheap products. Fiio stands out in the market due to its excellent R&D, excellent customer service, and interactions. Continuing that tradition, FiiO recently introduced the Q1 MkII DAC/amp as another new option for the fledgling audiophile player. The most eye-catching customer point of this time of Q1 MkII is not new changes or updates but simply the short phrase “Infinity Sound.”

Infinity Sound is the product line of hardware devices launched in 2017 by Fiio; Q1 MkII is also among them. The new line of products includes a balanced connection (cable balanced with headphones), providing an option that stands out when compared to products priced under $100. Q1 MKII is also good news for Apple users when it is confirmed to optimize performance for iOS, the most important of which is the special MFi Certification from this giant.

From the outside, it’s easy to see that FiiO has learned to absorb user opinions and revised the design for Q1 MKII to be more suitable, no longer a bit rough like in the old Q1. The redesigned chassis is much smaller, thinner, and flatter. The product is also very suitable when worn against the back of a smartphone or music player, mainly because the edges are rounded, not sharp, and protruding as before. The machine’s weight also stops at only 100g with 99mm x 59mm x 12.5mm with the same new dimensions. Compared to the old model, which was 97mm x 56mm x 13.1mm, the Q1 MKII seems a bit longer and stretched out to the sides, but this is also the highlight that helps it form better when worn with a phone a slim design.

The entire body of the Q1 MKII still has the same metal material as the old version (the front and back are still plastic), but there is an additional layer of sandblasting for an easy-to-grip rough surface to hold more. FiiO also adds that this surface also has a feature to prevent smartphone EMI noise, but this has not been verified.

Q1 MKII, in addition to the old connection ports, is equipped with a 2.5mm TRRS output on the front of the machine, but some other controls such as the Gain or Bass Boost switch have been repositioned (to match the new circuit design). So users of the old version of Q1 will be easily confused when exposed to Q1 MKII. The product still uses the common micro USB connection. The overall front of the Q1 MKII includes a 3.5 mm unbalanced jack, a 2.5 balanced jack, a Line-in / Out switch in the middle, an LED indicator for DSD to play mode, a volume knob, and a power LED.

Q1 MKII has an upgraded battery to 1,800 mAh (1,400 mAh in the old version) for about 10 ~ 20 hours of use. This nominal level is quite low, and like FiiO is deducting the product when upgrading from the PCM5102 DAC chip to AK4452, plus the balanced output also wastes more power. Playing music at a high sample rate and bit depth will shorten the duration even further. Charging time is also up to 4 hours, so nothing is too outstanding.

Q1 MKII has officially parted ways with the Texas Instruments PCM5102 DAC chip to switch to a new chip, AK4452, with much higher performance, for signal processing up to 384kHz/32bit well as DSD Native up to DSD256. The new amp chip OPA926 (similar to the new AM3a amplifier module) of Q1 MKII is also many times more powerful than the old Maxim MAX97220 chip. Of course, Q1 MKII is still somewhat inferior to the X7II/AM3a combo, but its performance will certainly surpass the old Q1 version. Q1 MKII owns 3.5mm output power at 75mW @32Ω, and 112mW @16Ω for better IEM pull. Output balanced for more power with 220mW @32Ω and 240mW @16Ω, much better than its predecessor, slightly higher output impedance with about ＜1.2Ω (unbalanced) and ＜2Ω (balanced). This difference is quite large because the old version only had an output impedance of about ＜ 0.3 Ω.

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FiiO also integrates into Q1 MKII a Hybrid ADC Volume Control controller with an electrical signal management chip for two channels, limiting interference is one, limiting channel deviation is two. The first low-cost portable DAC/Amp equipped with this great feature, demonstrating Fiio’s serious investment.

The product’s packaging immediately impresses customers when it comes to bold words “Made for iPod, iPhone, iPad” and Apple’s MFi certification logo. Comes with the device are several stands with different sizes for users to arrange the machine in a suitable position for their sound system. Next is a micro-USB-Lightning cable and a 3.5mm L-type plug. Finally, the standard accessories include a 1m micro-USB cable (for charging and connecting to a computer). MacBook users with USB-C ports will have to use a separate adapter. FiiO also redesigned the carrying bag accessory to closely resemble the included pouch of amps from ALO Audio, providing a luxurious appearance and maximum protection for the Q1 MKII.

Set up Q1 MKII with Apple iPhone 6S Plus and Lightning cable, use ALAC, MP3, and FLAC tracks for easy and fast music playback; just “plug and play” is done. Although the Q1 MKII does not come with an OTG cable and is introduced as “Made for iPod, iPhone, iPad,” it is still extremely compatible with Android platforms that support digital audio or MAC and Linux platforms. With Windows operating system, users will have to download additional drivers to improve decoding performance for Q1 MKII.

The Q1 MKII has a refined sound quality and is much more balanced than the old Q1 version. It focuses on giving listeners a smooth and refreshing listening experience rather than something overly emphatic and technical. The product is significantly enhanced by the AM3a amp circuit, providing a thick, full, and easy listening with strong bass and moderate depth. Treble of Q1 MKII has good transient, not opaque and fuzzy like the old version; this helps the music more vivid. Test Q1 MKII with AKG N20 and F5 in-ear headphones via 3.5mm port for very good, balanced sound. No noise or background noise. With the above three headphones, my favorite is F5 and N20 because the blood and vitality of these two, when combined with Q1 MKII, is very good; I like the dynamic, clear contrast in old rock songs like Hooked on the Feelings or The Chain, the bass is quite bouncy, and the low-end has a good bloom. Nancy Bryan’s Deep As The Sea or Neon Angel recordings give a clear female vocal, not forced, smooth high, but the chorus is too high.

The detail of the Q1 MKII is, of course, much higher than the old one, but we should not be too greedy when demanding the same performance with the X7II using the ES9028PRO chip. If you are a lover of easy-to-listen sound, rich in music, warm with fullness, then Q1 MKII will be an optimal choice.

The Q1 MKII transforms when paired with Fiio IEM F-Series headphones via the 2.5mm balanced port. The bass is solid and quite full, plus the low-treble and the instrument are separated, recreating a lively and energetic listening space. Vocals are very clear, accurate positioning with layers of instruments arranged reasonably, a separation between 2 channels is good, no noise, no smudging. Trying out Daft Punk’s Fragment of Time in a balanced configuration with F9 is a great experience because the transient of the treb is tiny, the decay is fast, and the treble intensity is moderate, not exaggerated, but the clarity separates the sound. The music becomes rich in energy; the bass slamming feels quite good, the impact of the bass texture is good, not sticky or dragging the tail.

Planar headphones with a return impedance of about 32 ohms are not too bad for the Q1 MKII, but they need to be used in High Mode to provide the full performance of the amp output of the Q1 MKII. Q1 MKII is still not so strong. Audeze SINE also gives good results, but the resolution and general details are still not “WOW.” Combo SINE / Q1 MKII, in general, is still quite compatible with each other. The overall sound quality of the Q1 MKII is also very full, so users can ignore the Bass Boost feature (if any) of the headset to avoid bass buzzing or encroaching on the range.

Overall, the Q1 MKII is a huge step forward compared to the original Q1, bringing improvements in both quality and design to better suit new users. Product performance is not too outstanding, but just enough for mid-range and amateur audio players; this is also the main customer line that FiiO is targeting. With convenient connections such as Line-Out and OTG or standard USB-DAC feature, the Q1 MKII now has MFi certification for Apple devices, providing iOS users a more affordable option. In the sub-$100 price range, the Q1 MKII is the emerging king that no competitor has been able to overcome, at least at the moment.