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Problem with Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp

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I did tons of research about using this Fiio Q1 portable DAC with a smartphone and turned out it significantly boosts audio quality compared to the phone itself. So I got one, and it works with my Samsung Note 3 via OTG but it adds absolutely no benefits to the sound except the volume is louder, which I don't care about. I also tested the Fiio X3 gen2 in the store (which is known for it's output being similar to Q1) with the same headphones and everything, and the difference was as night and day. So... am I missing something here? What do you suggest?
My headphones are Shure SE215. I'm using .flac 96/24 files via Player Pro (High-res output via USB is enabled)
PS: Did test it on my PC (Windows 10) and it made no difference in PC audio either.
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Turkay
363
May 25, 2017
In audio world people over-value the DACs and amps for most of the time. Unfortunately in blind eye tests it is almost impossible to identify which is which as long as the loudness and the headphones are same.
Juka
191
May 24, 2017
Did you check that the X3 had no EQ settings or any sound enhancements turned on while you were testing?
It is not that surprising if your PC or phone has a clean output BTW. Sometime people just don't need an external AMP/DAC.
Kasraw
0
May 25, 2017
JukaYes I checked the settings afterwards.
bravomail
125
May 22, 2017
Well, different Amp/DAC even with the same chip will differ. Unfortunately. Try Hifime Sabre 9018 - I liked it. On PC and phone. Or get a decent phone- like LG V20 or Axon 7. They have dedicated DACs.
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