Audiophilepure

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0124/FiiO_Q15_Desktop_Portable_Hi_Res_Music_DAC_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm

Using the FiiO Q15 with my Sony Walkman instead of the Sony Walkman without the Q15 wasn’t like night and day. An audiophile description I first used nearly 30 years ago was “a small but significant improvement in sound quality.” This perfectly describes the experience of using the Q15 with my Sony Walkman. Sound quality improvement was much more noticeable when listening to high-resolution files, especially DSD. There was an improvement in sound quality across the board, including the size and scale of the sound field, its apparent frequency response, micro- and macro-dynamics, and, most importantly, the perceived realism of acoustic instruments and voices.

Of course, the level of improvement the FiiO Q15 rendered depended on the recording quality and headphones used. Connecting the Q15 to the USB output of my music server was not to embarrass it when compared to my usual DAC in the main system in my dedicated listening room, the mighty EMM Labs DA2. Yet I was very impressed with this FiiO DAC, as it displayed the audiophile traits I listed above when used with my Sony portable player. A more modest desktop system would appreciate the FiiO Q15 much more than my high-end system.