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

This is my first DAC/amp. I bought it mostly based on the hype and positive reviews, and because I wanted something portable with a lot of flexibility. Overall this is an excellent DAC/amp for the price with a really strong feature set. Bluetooth supports most of the important codecs, and the balanced 2.5mm output is a big plus for something this small. In 2025 I do kind of wish it used 4.4mm instead, but it’s not a deal breaker. Sound quality is clean and has more than enough power for the headphones and IEMs I’ve tried. It also has battery passthrough and lets you set safe charging limits, which is a nice touch if you care about battery longevity. The app is one of the best parts. There are a ton of options, it’s actively updated, and it feels like the developers actually care about supporting the product. Build quality seems fine for daily use, but it’s basically a chunk of plastic with a clip, nothing fancy. The buttons take some getting used to, and there’s a lot I still haven’t messed with yet. This probably isn’t the device for someone who just wants super simple plug-and-play. But if you want flexibility and control in a small portable DAC/amp, it’s hard to beat for the price.

The Qudelix 5K truly is an awesome product. Don't know if it's exactly worth the price but it certainly is excellent. I've been using it paired with Truthear Hexa IEMs and with an iPhone/Mac/Windows PC over Bluetooth and USB (for each device). It's a great product effectively delivering a GREAT sound quality. I can't hear any difference with my IEMs used directly with the cable. It's awesome for this. With such IEMs, power will never be a problem as you'll completely annihilate your ears before you reach half the full volume of this thing. The volume automatically syncs with your device's so that it always delivers the best audio quality no matter the volume set on the source device (you don't have to worry about absolute volume on Bluetooth). The app is incredibly full of options. There's settings for EVERYTHING. I never had any lag when changing the settings, they're well saved, it's responding lightning fast, you can set an EQ with up to 20 bands... I can't say much about durability yet, but it's very small. I could fit two of these products inside a single hand. The clip is really good so I can attach it to my jeans, vest, or anything really. It's light enough that if it ever falls, the cable of the IEMs will retain it from falling. Oh and also, you can connect (simultaneously) up to 2 devices over Bluetooth as well as an additional device over USB (all 3 at the same time). It switches very intelligently and quickly over these 3 devices. The integrated microphone isn't very good, but I'm pretty sure no one will buy this product for that. If needed, you can plug in an external mic to use with it. It works flawlessly and is also available to set up within the app. If you're wondering whether you should buy this product, just buy it. It's EXCELLENT.

I was looking for a portable DAC/amp for my IEMs, and I found the Qudelix 5k in stock at Amazon. It is a killer Bluetooth DAC/amp, and I cannot recommend it enough. Build Quality and design: The build itself is decent, but the buttons feel cheap. Also, the button placement took me a while to memorize. On one side is the volume up/down button, and on the other side is the power, play/pause, and track skip/rewind button. The latter button has a bump so you can feel it by hand, but it took me a long while to feel the buttons and use the 5k without looking. Power and sound quality: The 5k is rated at 80mw single ended, and 240mw balanced (at 32 ohms.) Yeah, it doesn’t seem like a ton of power, but the 5k can easily power all my headphones and IEMs, ranging from Focal Elear, Moondrop Blessing 2, Moondrop S8, and even the Hifiman Sundara (though out of the 2.5mm balanced output.) As for sound quality, I can’t tell the difference between the Qudelix 5k and my JDS Labs Atom+ stack. App: This is the main reason to buy the Qudelix 5k. It has an app for Android and iOS, as well as a Chrome extension for PC and Mac users. The app has tons of functionality. The eq section of the app is its main selling point. You get a 10-band parametric eq along with all of the AutoEq presets by Jaakkopasanen. It includes all presets from Oratory1990, Crinacle, and others. This is perfect for iOS users who want the AutoEq function. For example, I bought the OG Moondrop Blessing 2, and I wanted to try the Dusk eq profile. I can easily do this via the Qudelix app on my iPhone. Another feature of the app I really like, and one I don’t see people mentioning, is the battery section. It shows you at what rate the battery life is decreasing/increasing, and it also lets you set the battery limit to 80% to prolong battery health. Also, when the Qudelix 5k is plugged in to PC/Mac, it bypasses the battery when in use. Conclusion: I highly recommend buying the Qudelix 5k for portable use. My main gripe is the odd button placement, and that’s it. The app functionality is amazing, the battery life is very good, and it has enough power for all my IEMs.

This is an amazing product for the price. It supports bluetooth, with a battery life that will last hours at a good volume. It also works over USB-C, and you can even use it while it is charging. It can drive high resistance headsets and IEMs, and has a clean output. It can connect with both 3.5mm and balanced 2.5mm, if you prefer. While I would have preferred a 4.4mm option, the Qudelix 5k is quite small and wouldn't have room for it. It has two rocker buttons, visually identified by the notch on one, and by the light colors, red and blue. Each button has an up and down. The app gives you an amazing amount of control, with a parametric EQ and a whole library of profiles for popular headsets and IEMs. It also allows versatile and in-depth control over all the protocols, audio quality, and functions, so you can redefine what the buttons do with optional controls. Qudelix also gives you a 1 year warranty out of the box, which is reassuring.

This was the first DAC/AMP I have ever purchased and it set the bar pretty high. The device itself is very minimalist with just 2 rockers on either side of it. This takes some getting use to in order to remember the various combinations of holds, presses, and long-presses to perform different actions. There is software for the device. Its main function is configuration, which it does not lack. The issue is that the software is really technically. The PC version, which is a Chrome web application is worse because it forgoes a lot of the minimal GUI elements of the mobile app. There is text in the app that should explain things. Bu,t it gets almost there then either sends you to Qudelix's website or just ends. So while you can get by with just plug and play beyond that the documentation is hit or miss. The sound quality is pretty good. It is hindered by the fact that the 5k only supports up to 24-bit/96kHz sample rate. So Tidal song with the Max tag will warn you about resampling. With its bluetooth implementation including LDAC and aptX (including HD and Adaptive) codices you can even enjoy Lossless audio wirelessly. I haven't noticed any distortion. Lastly I would wholeheartedly recommend this device if the Fiio Retro Nano did not exists for about $40 less with most of the same features.

I had a bad cable on my IEMs which ended up damaging one of the amplifier chips in my EarStudio ES100 MkII (some crackling in the left channel on both 2.5mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced). When looking for a suitable replacement, I wanted something that was at least the same level of functionality and configurability as the ES100 but with USB-C. The decision came down to the Fiio BRT5 and the Qudelix-5K as both had USB-C and a 2.5mm balanced output (BRT15 was out since it did not have 2.5mm balanced). After seeing how configurable the 5K was through the app, it was a no brainer for me. SOUND QUALITY: In terms of sound quality, I cannot tell a difference between the ES100 MkII and the 5K. Granted, I have only used one set of IEMs for daily listening (Etymotic ER2XR) and cannot do A-B testing since my ES100 is damaged, so far from a scientific comparison. There is no hissing at all that I can tell when things are quiet or music paused. The volume goes higher than I would ever want to go. I have absolutely no complaints about the sound quality. It is honestly incredible how much value you get from something so small and portable! Definitely in the top of this price bracket! ANDROID APP: In terms of the app, it is a function over form sort of affair. It isn't the most intuitive layout with each section or page having multiple tabs. Sometimes it takes a bit of hunting around to find the setting you want to mess with. Also, there is a lot of plain text with little styling to distinguish between a simple status or reading and a configurable option. It is a simple black background with white, grey, and red text. The functionality is all there and I have no complaints about what it is capable of, just that it could use the touch of someone who specializes in user interfaces to take it to the next level. 5/5 on functionality, 3/5 on ease of use. BATTERY: As for battery life, this is really where I wish things could be better. Compared to my 2.5 year old ES100 MkII, I get significantly less battery life out of the 2.5mm balanced output on the 5K. I'm using the 5K in much the same way I did with the ES100: LDAC from my phone (44.1KHz sample rate, 24-bit, adaptive bitrate that often sits at 909/990), 2.5mm balanced output, ER2XR IEMs, similar listening volumes, no DSP/EQ enabled, no oversampling, battery charging limited to ~80%. With the ES100 MkII I could get 10-12 hours of listening on the balanced output. With the 5K, I'm only getting around 7-8 hours. I am charging every day or two which is too frequent for me (battery capacity will degrade to 80% of nominal in only a few years at this rate). That pushed me to create an adapter to turn my 2.5mm balanced cable into a 3.5mm unbalanced cable to see if I could notice a difference in audio quality and battery life. Using 3.5mm unbalanced with normal gain (1V RMS) and performance mode at the exact same listening volumes on the same IEMs, I get 10-11 hours of listening from an 80% charge (3-4 hours more than before). The audio quality is slightly worse as far as I can discern with everything being slightly more muddy and less refined, but I can only tell when looking for a difference, not during casual listening. Considering the gain in battery life is significant and I cannot make the 2.5mm balanced output battery life any better, I think I will continue to use my custom adapter cable that way I can choose between balanced and unbalanced at any time. I may also resort to simply plugging the 5K into a charger while sitting at my desk and disable charging so the battery doesn't experience any unnecessary wear. That is one thing I do really like about the 5K, the behavior when plugged into USB is very configurable and does not disconnect or interrupt the bluetooth connection unlike the ES100. I can plug into or disconnect from USB, change most settings, enable or disable charging, etc. all at will without interrupting my listening session. OVERALL: For me, the Qudelix-5k is a no-brainer for IEMs! The price is spot on for the features, sound quality, portability, and and flexibility you get out of this device. The battery life is less than I would like but I would consider myself a heavy user with 4-8 hours of listening most days of the week. Either way, this is certainly a device I can recommend!

Great little device and totally worth it. If you’re using good wired headphones, this is a perfect way to keep using them with an iPhone. Works flawlessly, the interface is easy to understand, and Bluetooth works really well. I mainly use it with my 64 Audio U12t and it drives them without any issues. Sound quality is excellent.

This review is geared towards people like me. I am a music lover. A novice audiophile (maybe?) with a headphone fetish (absolutely!). My wired headphone collection includes a few over ear open back sets, a few Chi-Fi IEMs, and every on-ear with a 60-ohm driver that Koss sells :) I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a DAC/AMP for a while, but only recently discovered the Qudelix-5K. Based on the price point and the shear amount of recommendations that this unit receives on the forums, I knew I had to look into it. Now, if you are reading this review, you are most likely in the same spot that I was in at this point in my research. You have read about the powerful EQ capabilities and the companion app with more options than you can shake a stick at. And, if you are anything like me, you are at least a little hesitant, concerned that the "true power" of this device will be over your head. DON'T BE! Let me break it down for you: 1. The app truly is wonderful. Sure, it doesn't have the fanciest UI, but it is easy to navigate. Yes, there are a lot of options that may seem overwhelming at first glance, but everything is thoughtfully documented within the app. Speaking of thoughtful documentation... 2. The user manual is great. It is accessible right in the app under the DEVICE tab. I suggest spending a few minutes with the user manual right away, before you start listening. The first section provides some valuable information on key setting for the Quedelix-5K which can impact your first impressions of the device. As an Android user, the section up front on how to change the bluetooth codec on your phone to Sony LDAC was invaluable and greatly increased the sound quality. 3. Before purchasing this unit, I was concerned that the EQ functionality would be overwhelming but is absolutely fantastic! Now look: I have a basic understanding of frequencies and equalization and can follow along (to some extent) with the technical jargon, but if I try to EQ a pair of headphones myself from scratch, I will probably do more harm than good. That is where the Auto EQ Presets come in! A) I don't care what they are, there is probably and Auto EQ Preset for your headphones. At least, there is an Auto EQ Preset for every pair of headphones that I own. Amazon Chi-Fi IEMs, check. Cheap Koss on-ear headphones, yup. All of 'em. No kidding. B) Every Auto EQ Present that I've tried made that particular set of headphones sound better. Now I understand that this is subjective. Maybe you don't like the reference curve that was used. Maybe you just want to do it yourself. Can you EQ yourself to make it sound better TO YOU? Absolutely, and Qudelix has certainly given you the tools to do it. But that's not me. I very much appreciate the Auto EQ Presets. I have made some minor tweaks here and there to suit my preferences. For instance, the Auto EQ Preset for my QKZ x HBB IEMs has a low shelf applied to reduce the bass. I understand that this is probably technically correct, but I wanted my bass back! The extra bass fun factor is the main reason I bought these IEMs, and why I listen to them over more expensive IEMs for some music. No problem, save the Auto EQ Preset to a Custom user preset and remove the low shelf! Which brings me to: C) You can use the Custom presents to save the Auto EQ Preset for easy access (whether you tweak it or not). First, look up your headphones on the AUTO EQ PRESET tab. Now go to the EQUALIZER tab and click on the graph to bring up the list of Custon #X presets. Long pressing one of these brings up the "Save Custom Preset" screen, which allows you to name the preset and record the Impedance and Sensitivity. Do this for all of your headphones, and you can easily recall the EQ curve with any modifications that you choose to make. In the future, plug in your headphones of choice, turn on the Qudelix-5K, click on your saved EQ curve for those headphones, and you are off. Easy! 4. Most important, it makes everything sound better. I don't subscribe to Tidal. I listen to YouTube music. I would like to try out high-res or lossless at some point, but for now I am happy with what the Qudelix-5K does to my mainstream sources. So, there you have it. The Qudelix-5K sounds phenomenal and is an absolute no-brainer for its price point. It has all the options that the techy audiophile could wish for, and an "easy mode" for the rest of us that just want a great sound with minimal fuss. If you want your music to sound better, buy it. It's that simple.