Qudelix-T71 USB DAC Headphone AMP (BAL 2.5&4.4mm 8VRMS, UNBAL 3.5mm 4VRMS)

Love the sound and the functionality

The packaging for this is pretty simple but includes everything you need for it to function. I did not test this on android but do know it has app support for that platform. Testing was done with my iPhone as well as my desktop. For iPhone there is no app support so most of the controls will be done on the DAC itself while on Desktop you get full functionality BUT only on a browser that supports the extension since there is no dedicated app. This was the one nitpick I had for the device since overall it is incredibly well build and the design is very sleek.The formats that this support are great and the power that this delivers is actually incredibly surprising given how small the device is, which is thanks to the amps and the fact that it does have a battery inside to power your headphones. There is a hybrid mode for using USB power along with the internal battery for powering more demanding headphones which I thought was very nice. Set up for most people will be plug and play but if you do want to EQ yourself and adjust things as needed the web app offers plenty of options. The buttons on the device could have nicer indicators other than lights but the functionality of this is great and overall the value for a portable and desktop DAC is great.

I’m new to the whole “audiophile” world. I decided to take a leap of faith bcz this device is not cheap. Now im in love with it. Makes my music so much more crisp and powerful. It has its own equalizer but you have to use the Internet Browser and install an extension. This extension has a huge amount of customizations that i don’t even know where to start. I’m using it will my Sennheiser 650 headphones. They make such a perfect team. The battery last quite a long time. The only downside is that it does not have Bluetooth but it’s ok because using the cable you are getting the full and clear music straight to your ears without any loss of quality.

Good build quality, battery life is good, amp provides plenty of power, sound quality is great, the app does have a bit of a learning curve, eq functionality uses a 10 band primary eq and a 10 band spk eq, only downside is no Bluetooth, and is a fair bit larger than the qudelix 5k

The T71 is a very capable DAP. I'll quickly cover some of the specs. Can do 384kHz/32bit, but on my Galaxy S25 Ultra, I was able to get 192kHz/32bit when streaming from Amazon Music HD...a limitation of Amazon Music and not the device. This has four ESS 9219 DACs, each pair of two powered by its own Amp. The 9219 DAC chip has been around for about 5 years, but it still holds its own. It has an internal battery, so you can use this with your phone without draining the phone's battery. It supports both 4.4 and 2.5 balanced connections, as well as 3.5 unbalanced.First, I had to install an applet/extension on my Edge/Chrome browser to update the firmware. After updating the firmware, I played around with some of the EQ settings and found that I liked the Focal Elegia EQ. There is an EQ for almost every headset out there, and the Elegia EQ worked with my headphones. Then I uninstalled the browser extension. I don't plan to use this on my computer, since i have a Peachtree desktop amp and Schitt Bifrost/Asgard stack. I'll be using the T71 with my phone and tablet.So how does it sound? I tested the sound using a multitude of headsets from Focal, Sennheiser, HiFiman, Sony and Audio Technica. I also tried some IEMS from Sony and Aful. I can safely say these will power all of the above, even the more demanding planar headphones. The sound is pretty similar to my Fiio BTR7. BTR7 has two 9219 DACs, as opposed to the four 9219s in the T71. I A/B tested these headphones using both the BTR7 and the T71. Both have a very low noise floor, so you won't hear any audible hissing or buzzing. As far as sound quality, both are very similar. If I really focus and quickly AB swap them back and forth, I'd say the T71 is the bit more revealing and has a wider soundstage, but you really have to listen for it. Listening to both at Flat EQ, 192kHz/32Bit, streaming amazon, the differences are minor. Both devices EQ well, so you can really modify the sound to your liking.I think the Fiio BTR7 is a very apt comparison to the Qudelix T71. Both use the same dac, with T71 having 2 more chips. What the Fiio has that the Qudelix doesn't is Bluetooth support. BTR7 supports LDAC and the entire suite of AptX codecs. This is a VERY important feature for me. I frequently will stream music from my phone to my BTR7 around the house via LDAC and listen to musical bliss on some of my full-sized cans. You don't have to tether the phone and DAC via usb-c. Just stick the BTR7 in your pocket and run the cable inside your shirt, and you'll be able to do stuff around the house without having a bulky phone in your pocket. Yes, there is a slight quality downgrade from PCM to LDAC, but man does it multiply the BTR7 use cases 10-fold. What the Qudelix does that the BTR7 doesn't is support 7.1 audio. I really haven't figured out why 7.1 matters in a headphone DAP. I did try the 7.1 setting on the T71, and it sounded more digitized to me. Think what it's like when you turn atmos mode on your phone, and you'll get a good idea. Yes, it widens the sound a bit, but you trade soundstage for sound quality imho. For gaming, binaural audio via stereo will give great directional audio without needing surround sound setting...so i'm flummoxed. Not saying there isn't a use case, but I haven't figured one out.If you don't own another dap and think you can use the 7.1 mode, then definitely give this a shot. I support what Qudelix is trying here and look forward to their future endeavors. But personally, I get a lot more use out of the BTR7 and its support for both PCM and Bluetooth. LDAC/AptX HD isn't as good as PCM, but they are both very useful and great-sounding alternatives when you don't want to be tethered to your phone, laptop, tablet, etc.