Fidelio

This is great news. I got a similar answer from them a couple of weeks ago. Even when they don't go more precise than "soon", it's a good thing they're confirming this is a feature really being working on. I also asked them about it before, when I just got the speakers, but the answer was a lot more ambiguous without confirming this eq thing could be real. I got a lot of expectations on this too. If I remember well, I think that in the "Joe n Tell" review of the fives, he said have heard that the app even will include a room correction feature. That will be so good if it's true, and aside a decent amount of bands for EQ, it will really make it work the price it has right now. As for today state, I don't think this speakers should cost more than 500-550 USD top.

forgot to ask you, what DAC did you use?

This is interesting. How do you know this? did you listen clear difference on the sound or did you messure both? How external source did or did not affect the Fives sound it's really beyond me. My bluesound 2i finally arrive, so I tested today via optical to the fives and it sound amazing. Although doesn't change much the tonality regarding my former source via RCA (wich lead me think it's the built in DAC working for both), it does make a real change in terms of soundstage. The volume it's also stronger, it's sound more powerful but not only that, the resolution it's way better on higher volume. I could walk arround the house listening really good, with a lot of details, wich it wasn't the case with my former source via RCA (a Fiio M11 pro DAP). I noted that in Zeos youtube review of the fives, he also used the optical input and his speakers and it sound so amazing, very far from the sound I got out of them at first right out of the box. I found a this thread where it discussed a similar experience: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/59238-external-dac-into-powered-speakers/ I'm a total neophyte on the audio world, so a lot of what was said in there its beyond me. But it seems to be that it's not so much the DAC what make the diference, but the filters/gain/EQ as you said.

I do believe this is true, no doubt about it. I've had this experience too, listening real difference between digital sources (hence DACs) and trough different inputs on the fives. There's a lot of people also claiming reaching out sustancial improvement using external phono stages for their turntables. How could this be possible if everything end up on the same blender before the output? Maybe I need to dig more into DSP functioning, but this is a mistery for me.

I totally agree with this. The fives do sound good, but not great out of the box IMO. They need to be improved, adding a sub to clean up the midrange and allow the trebel details to show up. They also need EQ to sound great, as many users has been doing. The difficult to get analog sound as you mentioned, it's another caveat. They do sound kind of metallic sometimes.

It's seems so, even if your feeding in a signal through RCA line input. At least this is what Klipsch's support team told me. In my case, I do find differences feeding the Fives from the same source throught RCA line input, optical or USB inputs. I'm totally newbie in this hobby, but up to now i've found out that "external DACs in powered speakers with DSP" seems to be an open to debate subject, leaning towards "no way to bypass build in DSP/DAC system".

This is a very fair point. I do think we're maybe too obsessed with MQA and get the best out of Tidal, that our gear options begin to be very constrained. Thanks for this advice, and I definitely will taking it into consideration. Now regarding the fives and Tidal use, the main question of this thread seems to be not a subject at all. Any source you're feeding the fives, or any input you do it throught, the signal will be processed by the internal DSP/DAC built in on it. So, according to what was said by Klipsch's support team, there's no "better way" to use Tidal on this speakers, let alone to unfold MQA files. You can use chromecast audio, your PC, a dedicated streamer, a cheap or an expensive DAP, or even put a highend DAC in between. Everything will deliver the same sound in the end. I also got a bluesound node 2i on the way, so i'm kind of disappointed it will make no difference at the final output sound that a crappy device could do.

If anyone is still interested, I put in contact with klipsch's support team and they told me that the fives do not support MQA in any possible way, even when your source could be able to full decode this files. This would be because any signal feeded to the fives, by any of its inputs, its always processed for the built in DSP/DAC system. It can't be bypassed in any way. If anyone have different info about it, would be so nice to hear.

I can understand this process. But in klipsch's support guys opinion, even when one is feeding the five trough RCA line input, it's not the analog converted signal from an external DAC what you're hearing. Any signal, feeded to the fives either through digital inputs or through RCA line, it's always processed for the DSP/DAC system, first into a digital signal then into an analog one by the work of the built in DAC. So any analog signal inputed necesarally go into DSP to once again be converted in digital data, before the built in DAC make it an analog signal again. I have a lots o doubts about this, as I've noted very clear differences when a same source is connected throug RCA or USB by example. I was very precise asking about this. They even told me that MQA files are not supported in any way by the spekers for the same reasons, even when your source can full decode that kind of files. Any way, the good news is that they confirm me that de EQ featur will definitly be developed sometime in the future. These are his exact words: "I’m sorry, that information is not currently available. But yes I know for sure we are getting the EQ feature in a near future Firmware update as well as other updates, But don't have an exact date for that" So I hope this bring a little hope to anyone waiting for that so needed feature.

I got a bluesound node 2i streamer on it's way. It's supposed to have a pretty good dac built in, so I thinking using it as a preamp for TV and other sources. Do you thing this could do the same job as your modi placed before the Bellari?. It worries me Klipsch's statement about the fives built in DAC don't be able to be bypassed in any way. With all this limitations, I'm on my knees for that unfamous EQ app, but i'm also starting to lose hope on it.

Thanks for this, it's really valuable info. I also got a sub for my fives recently. I was trying to buy the RS-120W on a really good price, but amazon cancel my buy. Finally I end up with an entry level Elac 10 inch subwoofer. It's Ok, but it doest'n have any filters or features other than the volume/crossover settings. The sub sometimes seems too boomy (hence I wanted to find a sweet spot for the crossover), but most of the time the soud really has improved. Much more clean mids and the details on highs has finally appear!. Nevertheless, i'm not totally satisfied yet. I't remains some kind recesion on the mids, like the voices seems distant and not totally opened. The higs are much more there but they seems opaque and metallic, laking air and bright. EQ seems to be the only solution. I've contemplate your Bellari solution, but also I've been diging into a miniDSP unit. Do yo know something about this?. I was keen into adding a good DAC too, but I get in contact with Klipsch support team and they tell me there's no way at all to by pass the DAC/DSP system of the five. Any input info has to pass through it.

Matybe is the "modi" your're talking about? the loki is a 4 band EQ as well

Hi, may you explain?

Hi everyone, Hope i'm not to late to the party, also a newbie here trying to bring up the best posible sound out of the fives in general, and especially with tidal. Do you finally go this way? how does it work? I use a fiio m11 pro as a main digital source. I got it connected to the original brand dock and from there to the usb port in the fives but i'm not satisfied with this solution. As this configuration seems to be using the five's dac, mqa shouldn't be able. The thing is it doesn't seems to improve a lot using the rca line conection. I found a real quality difference when I stream tidal to a regular chromcast in my tv, and from it through hdmi to the fives. Boy!! the power in that is a real game changer, also seems to be a most fuller and detailed sound. Even though, i'm not sure mqa is really unfolding this way. Any one can share more info about this? I'm considering this option, but i'm worry I get the same disapointing output of the fiio dap (it got an impressive mqa support dac set on papper) via rca line. Maybe i'm doing something wrong. Thanks in advance!

Hi, do you find an answer for this?