UI & Usage
Everyday carry
Big and heavy, the FiiO Q7 is difficult/a pain to carry on – but that’s no surprise.
If using the M17 as your daily drive was already nearly impossible, the FiiO Q7 raises the bar even higher. Not only do you have to fit the massive bulk that is the Q7, you also have to add the phone – or any other portable source – so you can get some sound out of your DAC/AMP. Yes, the audiophile Big-Mac is back!
Obviously, it won’t fit in your trousers’s pocket, will hinder your every move if you put it in your jacket, and create a considerable bulge in your bag. Even ddHiFi’s C2022 audiophile carrying case, that make me feel like a true hipster-audiophile, was a tight fit for my whole setup – iPhone 13 Pro Max + FiiO Q7
On the other hand, once settled, there is a lot to love about this new DAC/AMP. The digital volume controller, if not as cool as the one found on the M17, remained a joy to use and with countless volume steps, finding the right volume was always simple and easy.
Top that with a really cool screen, that indicates volume and gain level – plus many other features – and you might find the Q7 (almost) quite handy to use. Buttons fall right under your thumb, access menu are fast and simple to navigate into, and if wired connection isn’t to your taste, Bluetooth is there to save your day.
Desktop mode
That said, if you really want to enjoy the FiiO Q7 to the fullest, desktop mode remains the primary use of this transportable DAC/AMP,
Plugged to its power supply and docked on its cradle, the Q7 feels much more adequate and the four different headphone outputs allow you to plug each and every headphone you might have lying around. Just remember to flip the DC switch when connected to the power supply, to unlock the full power!
Same goes for the source. If I’d always favor the USB-C port for versatility, the Q7 comes with no less than three other digital inputs: optical, coaxial and even Bluetooth. I was even surprised that FiiO didn’t add Wi-Fi to this one, but you have the M17 for that, or your smartphone.
Plugged to my computer, all I had to do was select USB on the Q7 and it was immediately recognized by my MacBook. Then, just plug an headphone/IEM to one of the TRS/TRRS jack, and you’re good.
Battery Life and Charging
Paaaaaawer!
The new Q7 embarks an ultra-high capacity lithium cobalt oxide battery sporting no less than… 9200mAh, same as the M17! A gargantuan one, even compared to players like the iBasso DX320, which gets two batteries!
And, to fill up this massive reserve, FiiO gave the DAC/AMP an USB-PD compliance up to 30W charging, that said, the DAC/AMP will still need up to 4.5h to completely charge! FiiO advertises 11 hours of continuous playback and in real-life usage, the AMP successfully matched those values and peaked at 12h00, but in single-ended use only.
The article continues on Page Three, after the click here
Page 1: about FiiO
Page 2: UI, Usage, Bundle
Page 3: Technical specifications
Page 4: Sound performance
