FiiO Announces Its Q15 Flagship Portable Headphone DAC Amplifier

FiiO’s new flagship Q15 Portable Headphone DAC/Amplifier will be available in December and tops off an incredible year for the audio brand, which has seen multiple product launches this year, including the KA13 Portable Headphone DAC/Amplifier, K11 Desktop Headphone DAC/Amplifier, FT5 Planar Magnetic Headphones, plus the R7 Music Streamer.

This new personal audio device can play audio files encoded up to 768kHz/32-bits, MQA, and native DSD512 Hi-Res audio files. The Q15 is a pocket audio powerhouse that can drive almost any pair of headphones and features AKM’s newest DAC combination of the AK4191EQ+AK4499EX.

Even though the Q15 is designed for portable listening, FiiO claims its engineers have made considerable efforts to ensure the Q15 has desktop capabilities. With a switchable Desktop Mode and a dedicated USB-C power connection, the Q15 can bypass its internal battery altogether, providing a desktop-like experience, even on the go. When Desktop Mode is invoked, the Q15 can output up to 1600mW, which is ample for driving any In-ear Monitors (IEMs) or full-sized headphones.

The Q15 offers USB, Bluetooth and Coaxial decoding, enabling it to work with various devices such as smartphones, Digital Audio Players (DAPs), CD players, streamers and even gaming consoles. ​The Q15 can support audio files up to 32-bit / 768kHz (PCM), and DSD512 when using the USB connection.

When using the Coaxial connection, the Q15 can support audio up to 24-bit / 192kHz (PCM), and DSD64. Finally, in Bluetooth receiving mode, the Q15 handles a wide range of codecs, including aptX, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, and LDAC.

At the heart of the Q15 is an XMOS 16-core XU316 and Qualcomm QCC5125 Bluetooth chip. The chipset combines USB DAC, Bluetooth, and coaxial decoding. A five-level audio circuit incorporates a variable gain and variable voltage design, with separate low-voltage, low-gain and high-voltage, high-gain modes, ensuring compatibility with In-ear Monitors (IEMs) and full-size headphones. Digital and analog sections of the Q15’s internal audio circuitry have been separated and shielded from each other, reducing crosstalk to a minimum.

The Q15 lets users personalize their listening with a 10-band Global PEQ (Parametric Equalizer). There are seven EQ presets plus three customizable PEQ presets. The PEQ can be used in both the USB DAC and Bluetooth modes. Frequencies, gain levels and bandwidth can all be fine-tuned.

The display on the FiiO Q15 is a 1.3-inch full-color IPS screen that can display Mode, Sampling Rate, Volume Level, Battery Status, Gain, etc. The control knob offers quick access to a few functions, including volume, input switching and menu settings.

The Q15 also has a Phone Mode switch ensuring that when connected via USB-C to a smartphone – such as Apple’s iPhone 15 – the power is drawn from the internal Q15 battery rather than the iPhone’s battery.

Pricing & Availability: The FiiO Q15 will be available from December 2023 in Black, and Titanium Gray finishes. The price will be £379 / $399.

More info: fiio.com

Tech Specs:

• DAC: AKM AK4191EQ + AK4499EX combination.
• USB chipset: XMOS 16-core XU316.
• Bluetooth chipset: Qualcomm QCC5125.
• Maximum sampling rate (USB DAC): Up to PCM 768kHz/32bit / Native DSD512.
• Maximum sampling rate (Coaxial): Up to PCM 192kHz/24bit / DoP DSD64.
• MQA support: Yes.
• SNR: ≥ 123db (A-Weighted).
• THD+N: <0.0004% (LO/1kHz/10kΩ).
• Bluetooth codec support (Receive): SBC / AAC / aptX / aptX LL / aptX Adaptive / aptX HD / LDAC.
• Display: 1.30-inch TFT (240×240).
• Headphone output: 1 x 3.5mm single-ended / 1 x 4.4mm balanced.
• Line out: 1 x 3.5mm single-ended (Shared PO) / 1 x 4.4mm balanced (Shared PO).
• Line In: 1 x Coaxial (RCA).
• USB Connection: 1 x Type-C USB2.0 (Charge/Data Transfer) / 1 x Type-C USB2.0 (Charge).
• Color options: Black / Titanium Gray.
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 143.5 x 71.75 x 21.75mm
• Weight: 305g.