Introduction

At this point FiiO needs no introduction. The Chinese audio brand has made a strong name for itself by offering pretty much everything in the realm of personal audio including in-ear monitors, such as the recently tested FH7S hybrid driver set and also portable DAC/amps such as the BTR5 and BTR7. The company is popular for desktop DAC/amp combo units including the K5 Pro and the K9 Pro. Somewhere in the middle lies this quirky mix of portable sources that can best some desktop DAC/amps, portable sources are a growing market today thanks to people working from home and not having a lot of desk space for larger units, as well as for those who commute a few days and would like to take their trusted headphone chain with them. The iFi micro iDSD Signature falls squarely in this realm and today we take a look at FiiO's latest offering competing directly against it.


One look at the FiiO Q7 and I already know there are people getting ready to type comments about how "gamery" it looks with the RGB LEDs and the relatively aggressive design. But perhaps the missing context is in the form of FiiO's current flagship DAP—digital audio player, such as the HiBy R5 Gen 2 we saw before—in the form of the FiiO M17. Notice how the Q7 takes a lot of cues from that unit, to where FiiO says straight up that it made a lot of sense to simply use the chassis that is designed for common hardware already. Indeed, I'd say the FiiO Q7 can be considered as a slightly cut-down version of M17 without the Android section. It also shares a lot with the excellent K9 Pro ESS, to where this certainly has desktop-class hardware inside in a portable form factor. Thanks to FiiO for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp, we begin with a look at the product specifications below. Be sure to click the image twice to fully open it and go through all the details.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

This is only the second of such larger-but-still-portable DAC/amps I've tested, and yet I already had a preconceived notion in my mind about how large, or not, the product boxes would be. Even FiiO, which is notorious for packing in a lot of accessories, would still have had a reasonably sized box, correct? As it turns out the product box for the FiiO Q7 is larger than that of the K9 Pro ESS flagship desktop source. It took me a few seconds to get around the absolute size of this thing made up of thick cardboard that gets a similar glossy and iridescent banderole over it, matching recent FiiO product releases. On the front is the company logo and product name in addition to a simplified render of the unit, the expected Hi-Res Audio stickers, and some salient marketing features. The back confirms MQA support and the use of THX amplifier tech inside with a FiiO authentication sticker alongside. Some product specs and contact info for the company are also seen here. The sides are adorned by a faux circuit diagram that looks cool, but, really wanting to see what's inside, I began by simply lifting the lid off the box.


The Q7 is seen right away protected by thick foam on the side, with a machined cutout helping you to remove it easily. Then we get to paperwork in the form of some handy tips, a quick start guide, and a warranty card. I recommend going through the former two pieces at least to make the most of the product as there are some neat features here you might otherwise miss out on. The bottom layer is especially large and explains the reason for this massive product box, courtesy not only an accessory box but a fairly unique accessory in itself. The box contains a lot of things to help users in any scenario imaginable including portable use or even plugged-in to AC mains, courtesy a dedicated low noise power supply capable of providing up to 24 W—more than what came with the K5 Pro ESS desktop DAC/amp! I have also the UK version of the power cord itself but this is serious stuff for a portable source. Also provided are four different types of USB input cables in the form of Type-A/Type-C/Lighting connections including short and long cables with the former also having right-angled connectors. This allows for the FiiO Q7 to be used with mobile devices just as easily as desktop PCs. We also get rubber pads that are to be used on the side buttons as per the note, but do try them out as-is first before sticking these on.


Remember how I mentioned the FiiO Q7 is based off the M17 DAP? Soon after the M17 was released, FiiO and customers both realized the set got uncomfortably warm when plugged in and used with the higher gain modes. After all, that's a lot of power being fed to the device and a lot of power being drawn out of it too. FiiO made a cooling stand accessory for the M17 thus which is now included with the Q7 from the get go. This is a metal/silicone stand which you place the Q7 on to improve heat dissipation, courtesy a USB Type-C powered fan with three different fan speeds, as seen above. The stand is well built and extremely stable, but does feel better suited for a player rather than the Q7 which would have been better off with a more horizontal stand/cooler. Either way I am still glad this is included in the box.


Now we get to the Q7 again which comes inside a pre-installed leatherette case that gets a finish akin to brown tanned leather. It feels quite nice in the hands and the stitching quality is also well executed. More importantly, all the cutouts are in the right place to allow full access to the I/O, and we also get button markings too so you don't have to struggle with what buttons are where. The case wraps around and over the back with a hook-and-loop fastener to secure it in place. Branding is subtle, with FiiO on the back of the case directly above where it is also present on the Q7 itself. Note also the sticker in the gap up front that alerts you to the use of ESS and THX hardware inside. This is not glued in place and is easily removed, allowing a closer look at the device.