The User Interface

The UI of the QP1r is derived of a custom version of Linux which is fluid and smooth without any detectable jitter or lag in the current firmware version.

The home menu bears 6 different categories including: ‘Now Playing’, ‘Favorites’, ‘Play By Category’, ‘Browse Files’, ‘Play Settings’ & ‘System settings’. While for the most part the interface is intuitive, it did take a while to figure out how to add songs to favorites and make new playlists. To do so, the home key must be held on the currently played song and the option to add it to either of the two options can be selected.

To change the amping of the player, the ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ gains can be designated from the system settings. EQ settings can also be applied from a set of 2 user-defined customisations (but be warned that there will be a 6 dB drop in sound once turned on).

The functional navigation wheel is stiff upon initial use but does loosen up a bit with continuous play. Although not the best method of selecting songs from a large playlist, it is a necessary feature to keep up with the retro-style appearance of the QP1r.  

Perhaps my largest critique of the user interface and to an extent the software is that all of the hardware buttons except the power and play/pause buttons are disabled when the screen is on standby. This means that changes of volume, fast-forwarding and even changing songs requires the screen to be turned on. Questyle should take note of this hindrance and in my opinion, incorporate a software update to enable these buttons while on standby to optimise ease of use.

Compared to Fiio X7’s Android-based UI, the Questyle QP1r falls several steps behind. The implementation of a touch screen and familiar way of interacting with music settings not only smoothens the overall experience but also upheaves the device into the modern era. While Questyle do not want to be associated as a gadget with unnecessary features, and do spruik that the absence of a touchscreen increases sound quality, I feel a touchscreen could have still been executed without compromising this prerequisite. For what it is worth though, the minor quirks of the QP1r can be overlooked with time as muscle memory sets in and the whole process becomes second nature.

The Internals

Incorporated within the architecture of the Questyle QP1r is a Cirrus Logic flagship DAC (CS4398) which is said to ‘capture more detail hidden within music’. The chip is able to support the decoding of DSD64 and DSD128 files as well as PCM files of up to 24-bit/192kHz. This is quite a refreshing change to see from the often implemented ESS Sabre chips that many Chinese-based companies employ in their flagship DAPs. Also included is a 3x clock USB asynchronous transmission system derived from the company’s flagship CAS192D DAC which guarantees better stability and more precise operation.

Borrowed from their flagship CMA800R headphone amp is a patent-pending “Current Mode Amplification” technology which operates in a pure class A state to allow for more power with ultra-low levels of distortion. These innovations aid the device in achieving a ‘wide bandwidth’ amplification for the best price available.

Among the improvements from the standard QP1, the QP1r utilises higher grade components with a more ‘critical approach’ to drive distortion levels lower whilst promoting a superior quality of sound.  

The Battery

The battery of the Questyle QP1r comes in at 3300 mAh which is a bit smaller than the Fiio X7’s 3500 mAh battery and more akin to that of the Fiio X5’s 2nd Generation DAP.

Through daily testing, the battery lasts around 9 hours with the use of high and low gain combined and minimal on-screen time. The device takes around 3 hours to charge from the mains but a bit longer through the USB output on a laptop or computer.

While the battery is not bad at all, it could have been slightly improved in its capacity; something of which Questyle should consider in a next-gen model release.

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Smit Patel

A dual balanced-armature earphone called Rock-it Sounds R50 ignited my interest for all things audio. Since then, I have been enthralled with psycho-acoustic impressions ranging from gear such as IEMs to DAPs and eventually full-sized headphones.

Posted in:Headphones
Tags: questyle  qp1r  digital audio player