FiiO Q3
The FiiO Q3 brings natural, mildly warm musicality to phone-based listening, pairing a juicy, lifelike midrange with sweet, grain-free treble, controlled bass and an airy, spacious stage. Soundnews found its power ample for most headphones, while USB-C, balanced outputs and high-resolution decoding make this compact THX DAC/amp an unusually complete portable performer.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
88/100
Build Quality
84/100
Features Usability
91/100
Value for Money
92/100
Pros
Natural, warm-leaning presentation with an especially full, engaging midrange and smooth, non-fatiguing treble.
Strong transparency, spacious imaging and solid layering for a compact $149 portable DAC/amp.
Versatile connectivity and useful power for sensitive IEMs, portable headphones and moderately demanding full-size models.
Cons
Bass boost can make the low end boomy and slower rather than simply adding impact.
Ultra-sensitive IEMs can reveal a faint residual hum, particularly from the balanced outputs.
It lacks MQA support and does not have the authority or dynamics for the most demanding planar headphones.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
Reviewers find the Q3 unusually natural and musical for a compact THX-based DAC/amp, with clear imaging, convincing midrange presence and a generally smooth treble. It is praised for driving sensitive IEMs and portable headphones cleanly, although its very faint residual hum with highly sensitive IEMs and more limited authority with demanding planars temper its all-rounder credentials.
Transparency Resolution
91/100
Positive Feedback hears impressive transparency, strong detail retrieval, solid image placement and layering for a $149 device. Soundnews likewise calls it clean and transparent, though not as overtly detailed as dedicated THX amplifier units, while PortaFi finds its resolution good rather than class-leading.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
The Q3 is consistently described as natural, smooth and musical, with a slightly warm presentation rather than a dry or clinical one. Reviewers particularly praise its full, juicy midrange and sweet, grain-free treble; bass boost can add useful weight, but may become boomy on some material.
Dynamics
88/100
Soundnews reports a satisfying punch, quick decay and convincing pace with rock and electronica. Positive Feedback also hears potent, controlled bass and useful microdynamic expression, although Soundnews notes that some listeners may want greater bass impact without engaging the boost.
Noise Floor
84/100
The Q3 is generally very quiet: PortaFi calls the background noise very low, and Soundnews found only a barely audible hum with a highly sensitive 16-ohm FiiO FA9. Soundnews advises using the single-ended output with sensitive IEMs, as its balanced outputs have a somewhat higher residual noise level.
Headphone Compatibility
87/100
Reviewers report excellent results with sensitive IEMs and portable over-ear headphones, which did not require balanced operation or high gain for controlled playback. PortaFi also found it capable with average planars such as the HiFiMAN Sundara, but cautioned that the toughest planar loads are beyond its ideal remit.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
84/100
Reviews describe a compact, sleek matte-black unit with rounded sides that feels good in the hand and is easy to pocket. Commentary focuses more on its attractive, portable form than on long-term durability, controls, connector robustness or internal construction.
Features Usability
91/100
This is a notably versatile portable DAC/amp, with USB digital input, AKM DAC decoding up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512, plus 3.5mm single-ended, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs. Its 1,800mAh battery is quoted at up to 10 hours of use, and the compact chassis makes those connections practical for phone-based listening; it lacks MQA support.
Value for Money
92/100
At roughly $149–150, reviewers repeatedly consider the Q3 a particularly compelling portable DAC/amp. AudioKey calls it potent, capable and cost-effective, Positive Feedback finds its value per dollar truly impressive, and PortaFi considers it a very good affordable option for driving full-size headphones.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
Manufacturer's Description — FiiO
Q3
THX Balanced DAC/Amplifier
Multiple certifications | THX AAA amp technology
Efficient AK4462 DAC | XMOS XUF208 | 768K/32B Native DSD512 decoding | RGB sampling rate indicator
2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm output | 10 hours battery life
Analog potentiometer volume knob
Certified to be talented
Being repeatedly authenticated gets it free from compatibility issues. The Q3 finally comes with lots of certifications for guaranteed excellent performance.
· USB-IF USB C compatibility certified: meets standard transmission interface specifications to ensure the compatibility of its USB solution
· THX AAA™ amp: for guaranteed low distortion, quality bass and overall excellent sound quality
· Thesycon official USB Audio driver: compliant with USB Audio 1.0 & 2.0 device class specifications
· Hi-Res Audio certified: for a guaranteed natural and realistic listening experience
THX AAA Amplifier Technology
Pure, natural sound
With THX’s patented feed-forward error correction topology, the AAA amps have low distortion, high power and a pure, uncolored sound. You’ll experience subtle details and shocking swings in your music effortlessly with the AAA amp in the Q3.
Humbly powerful on the inside
All-new DAC AK4462
Utilizing AKM’s new efficient AK4462 VELVET SOUND DAC with decoding support up to 768kHz/32-bit PCM and DSD512, the Q3 achieves excellent performance.
No regrets for its powerful decoding abilities
The Q3 comes with the same XMOS XUF208 USB chip as found on FiiO’s flagship DAC/amplifier, allowing it to easily support decoding up to 768kHz/32bit PCM and DSD512.
Classic design with a pleasing roundness
The Q3 is a continuation of the design language of FiiO’s other amplifiers – its elegant curves, simple lines, smooth CNC and sandblasted all-aluminum body give it sturdy yet beautiful look while remaining practical to use.
Lots of connectors for lots of fun
The Q3 is equipped with 4.4mm/2.5mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended outputs, allowing you to connect all kinds of headphones. You don’t have to sacrifice compatibility with single-ended headphones while having fun with the balanced output!
*Output priority is: 4.4 balanced=2.5 balanced＞3.5 SE. If 4.4 and 2.5 balanced are connected at the same time, there is no output.
Light up the moment
The RGB indicator on the volume knob allows you to easily distinguish between different sampling rates, and spices up your listening experience!
≤48k Blue >48k Yellow DSD Green
Versatile multi-function button
More lows with the same highs
A bass switch allows you instantly activate/deactivate the bass boost function. The purely hardware-based bass amplifier circuit can increase bass by up to 6dB without affecting the mids or treble.
To make the Q3 more convenient to use, a multi-function button allows you to quickly switch between gain levels and filters. Change your sound with some simple taps!
· Short press the button to switch between low/high gain. Light on for high gain, light off for low gain
· Double-tap to cycle between sharp and slow roll-off filters
Your fingers will instantly know
Among professional audio products, nothing adjusts volume better than an analog potentiometer volume knob. When combined with ADC curve reconstruction, traditional problems with analog volume knobs like low-volume channel imbalance are effectively eliminated - so that you can quickly and accurately change to your desired volume.
Highly capable decoder
Better component arrangement
·Dual crystal oscillators ·Independent LPF circuit ·Low noise volume adjustment
Still ready even after a long day
Despite its high-performance components, the Q3 has long battery life. The 1800mAH battery means 10 hours or more of music under USB decoding, definitely enough for a normal day of listening.
Interference shielding for purer sound quality
High-strength all-aluminum body + copper-nickel shield + highly efficient absorbers form a 360° radio frequency interference shield around the Q3. Even when using it right next to a smartphone, one would be hard-pressed to detect any interference.
Instantly connect with the symmetrical Type-C connector
The Type C connector on the Q3 allows you to connect it to more devices, and allow for more convenient charging with support for USB PD and Lightning charging.
Always unfazed
Always unfazed
The Q3 is a powerful decoder always available to unlock your music wherever you go.
The Q3 is a powerful decoder always available to unlock your music wherever you go.
*Use with a lightning to Type C converter for iOS devices.
· Can be used with Sony Walkman players with an adapter cabl·
· Dedicated audio cable FiiO L27-TC can be used for the connection.
· Use a dual Type C head cable to connect to Android devices and control the Q3 with the FiiO Music app
Included in the box
Dual USB Type C head cable,Long USB Type C data cable,
3.5mm line cable,Long binding strap*2,Short binding strap*2
Non-slip mat,Storage bag
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for FiiO Q3
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Alpha Audio Pte — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- Audeos — online and in-store — Żywiec, Województwo śląskie (website)
- Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
and 59 more verified dealers