#fiio q1

[dependentongadgets]

Last Minute Gadget Gift Ideas Christmas 2016

It’s been a good month now since the shops put their Christmas decorations up and looped The Pogues and Wizard endlessly. As we get into December, it’s probably time the rest of us accepted that we need to start thinking about presents and go spend some money.

But look on the bright side! It’s also the time of year you can revisit those gadgets that you couldn’t afford, or justify, then ask a family member if they will buy them for you!

After all, Santa doesn’t question your wish list, does he?

Dependent On Gadgets has seen a few very cool gadgets this year. Many that would make great presents. So here’s a top 5, in no particular order, hopefully suitable for different people and wallet sizes.

1. EC Technology Folding Keyboard

As the photos in the review will attest, I have a bit of a weakness for keyboards. This folding one goes everywhere with me. Not only was it very cheap, but it’s also light and superbly portable for something that folds out to an practical and sizable device. It’s great for productivity geeks, as it makes your smartphone an awesome notetaker and even better for social networking addicts who want to keep up with the conversations on WhatsApp, Facebook etc. It’ll happily pair with your Android or IOS tablet or phone and is great for touchscreen users who miss the feel of a physical keyboard.

2. Fiio Q1 DAC and Headphone Amp

The music lover in your family or friends circle is likely to already have a nice pair of headphones, a subscription to a music service (or massive mp3 collection) and a computer or smartphone to enjoy their tunes on. That’s everything you need, right?

Wrong. Playing back music on a phone or computer is fine, but doesn’t sound great. In fact a nice pair of headphones might even help the keen listener pick out the flaws. No, what this lucky person needs is for you to give them a Fiio Q1. Put simply, it’s a beautiful portable device that takes over producing and amplifying the sound from your music player and makes it sound fantastic. Take a look at the full review here, or just buy one.

3. Expower BT28S Bluetooth Speaker

The high street and internet are awash with bluetooth speakers. Most with brands that you’ve never heard of. You’ll want to check whether the person you have in mind already has a bluetooth speaker, but if they don’t - then save yourself about £50 and get an Expower BT28S from Amazon. Seriously, this well built, aluminium clad speaker sounds as good as anything I’ve heard at twice the price. I reviewed it as part of a rant about Amazon earlier in the year - but here I am recommending you buy from them.

4. NetGear Arlo Q

Everything has to be ‘smart’ these days. Well, that’s what the ad-folk think anyway. Whilst the toaster and the fridge can probably do without an internet connection, these ‘Arlo’ branded cameras from Netgear are absolutely fantastic.

Easy to set up, they become an home security system that you can monitor via an app from anywhere there’s a connection and when armed, any trigger will see high quality video clips recorded to the cloud for your viewing pleasure - probably when Grandad has been caught nipping the Xmas gin at 3am. Full review.

5. Amazon Fire Tablet

These dropped to under £30 during the Black Friday sales, but even under £50, they still represent fantastic value. Tech fans and geeks might want to look elsewhere, but for children and the non-iPad loving grown-up user - these little tablets are far more capable than their lowly specs would suggest. Highly recommended budget tech. Review.

Gadget 2017

Happy Christmas dear reader. Thanks for being here. I didn’t get to write as often as I wanted in 2016, but I have discovered some pretty cool stuff as I journeyed through this very strange year.

2017 will bring in big change for me as I become a father for the first time. No doubt the gadgets on the blog will reflect that, as I’m currently researching video monitors and other baby related technology. But I’ll also hopefully have time to report on some seriously cool stuff, starting with the Samsung Gear 360 camera. I promise not to only use it to record videos of cats and babies. Well, not promise, but I’ll try.

Have a good one everybody. See you on the other side.

Jp

[dependentongadgets]

How do I make great headphones even greater? Consider a Fiio Q1

There is a danger, when you start spending real money on good audio equipment, that it’s the beginning of a never ending quest. The quest for the purest, sweetest sound quality, that makes you feel like you're there in front of the stage.

For the HI-FI aficionado, that could mean thousands of pounds on the best cables, amps, preamps, transports, DACs and other things that the rest of us don’t even know existed.

In fact, despite the march of technology, the rest of us are probably technically miles away from the best possible sound now, even if our kit does look good.

The majority of people are perfectly happy with the audio quality from a download or stream from the likes of Spotify and the convenience of portability has won out over the pursuit of the ‘best’ sound. Much to the disdain of Mr and Ms Audiophile, who cling to their CDs and vinyl protectively (well, you have to, it's delicate!).

I’m one of those people who is quite happy with Spotify for sound quality, so I’m definitely no audio snob. But I’m also one of those people who knows it’s definitely worth spending a few quid on a nice pair of headphones and not settling for any that were supplied in a box with something else.

Where the danger comes from, is once invested in some decent headphones, if you find out that for just a bit more money they can sound even better! And that can be tempting.

When I tested the AKG K550s in a HIFI shop, they blew me away! Okay, they’re not the last word in style to look at - but they’re comfortable and the broad soundstage and separation between all the instruments is more convincing than any other pair of headphones at the same price (and they’re much cheaper these days!).

My only criticism has been that when connected to a computer or mobile phone, they lack energy at the bottom end without first jacking the volume right up. This isn’t the fault of the AKGs. My weedy laptop and smartphone are not the ideal source for these enormous cans. After all, the laptop’s only other sonic job during my working day is to play the ‘bing’ sound when a new email arrives. That’s all it’s been designed for.

At the top of a potentially slippery slope, I decided that I wanted to get the best out of these headphones and that a little more audio investment could be justified. Well, my birthday was coming up, so actually, who needs to justify at all?!

The Fiio Q1 is an interesting little device. Everyone who sees it on your desk will ask you about it. If they don’t, I’m afraid they may have drawn a private conclusion that you’re a drunk.

Despite the hip-flask appearance, the Q1 is actually a DAC and headphone amplifier. Essentially, it can replace your computer’s sound-card and provide some much needed oomph to headphones that most need it.

At the top, the ‘cap’ is actually the volume dial and turns the unit on and off. Next to it is a bass-boost switch and standard headphone jack. At the base, there is a line in for connection to mp3 players, smartphones and the like, a USB for connection to the computer and a hi-lo gain switch. Finally a charge on/off switch allows you to top up the on-board battery when connected via USB to a computer, or not. Battery life is quoted at 30 hours, so it’ll last a good few journeys away from power.

It’s beautifully made with the brushed aluminium at each end and black painted case feeling nice in the hand - but what does it do for the sound?

Well, in the case of my AKG K550s, it elevates them to the best headphones I’ve ever stuck on my head. Now, even at low volumes, the bass is coming through and there is just a little warmth across the track to really get the hairs on the back of my neck standing with the right track (my go-to here is always ‘Come Down To Us’ by Burial). The DAC is good enough that I’m even picking out new details in music I already know really well. It also brought the best out in my friend’s Cambridge Audio SE1 in-ear headphones.

However, the same experience isn’t guaranteed across all systems. My Sennheiser Momentums didn’t sound much different. Connected to the computer, there was improvement. As I mentioned, a typical laptop’s soundcard is very basic - so the DAC in the Q1 is able to immediately make a difference. But the Momentums have much less need of the amplification - probably having been designed to play nicely with smartphones and computers right from the outset. It was also the same with my friend’s Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro. These have a mechanical switch which can tailor the sound to taste (basically flattening the sound or punching up the bottom end) and he found that the Q1 added very little.

So, who is the Q1 for?

If you’ve rejected the MP3 and listen to all your music through traditional HIFI equipment, then you have no need for a Q1. But, I can imagine that there are those who like good audio, but accept that streamed music and downloads have their place, particularly at work and on the move. In those circumstances, a Fiio Q1 can boost the sound quality of your computer or smartphone and let you enjoy a pair of traditional HIFI headphones without them sounding underpowered.

Give the Fiio Q1 a try, but don’t let it be the beginning of endless refinements to achieve that ‘perfect’ sound.

Jp