Review on 🔊 Black SMSL Q5 Pro Digital Audio Amplifier by Tanya Samuel

So you need a good sound system for your TV, but you don't need full surround sound. You look at Revain and maybe a few other places and you'll find a lot of soundbars. Unfortunately, many of them look like cheap plastic devices that probably won't sound all that great given the price. Then you have the idea of using bookshelf speakers and an amplifier, but don't want to waste the money and space on a full-fledged stereo receiver. At this stage you will find that your options are very limited. There's either the FX Audio D802 or the SMSL Q5 Pro, which include both remote and digital inputs. analog input. I don't currently use any of these features, but it's nice to know I have the option. Over time I plan to add a sub. Also, I'm not that familiar with FX Audio and it doesn't have many good reviews. I have purchased SMSL products in the past and have been very happy with them. I don't intend to go into detail in this review as many others have already done so. I'll just share a few observations I've made about the Q5 Pro so far. DESIGNI love the small form factor of this device. In fact, I was a little surprised at how small it is. I can easily hold it in one hand. This is also because it is very light. This may lead you to believe that it is not of very good quality. Stay with us to learn more about it. I am very excited about the remote control. The filling is quite durable and the keys have a nice touch. I can say that SMSL spent a bit more on remote work this time than in the previous version. I don't actually plan on using the remote very often since I use a generic RCA remote with it. This brings me to a small note. If you are interested, you can operate this device with a universal LEARNING remote control. I'm focusing on learning there because it's difficult to find the actual codes to program this device into a typical Universe remote. I had to use the learning feature on my RCRPS06GR universal remote to reprogram the volume and mute buttons to control the amp when the remote was in TV mode. This means I can no longer control the TV's volume, but that's ok as now that I have this amp I don't use its built in speakers. Since the RCA remote doesn't come with direct codes for the Q5 Pro, I can't just turn it on and off with this remote. It doesn't matter as I can just turn the device on manually using the remote control or the built-in power button. I'm sure there is a way to program the RCA remote to turn it on, but haven't found the time to do it yet. I checked and Logitech has IR codes pre-programmed into their Harmony remote software. So you can control Q5 Pro directly with Harmony. Overall I like the look of this little amp and it feels well built. I've only been using it for a week at the time of writing this review so we'll see how it holds up over the long term. FEATURES This is why you might be interested in the Q5 Pro - it has several handy features that make it a good choice. for many applications. These include but are not limited to: remote control, both analogue and digital inputs, subwoofer output, compact size, built-in display, USB input I came across this. . As far as I could find online it only outputs 80Hz and below. So if your speakers don't get down to 80Hz, you may be missing a small frequency response. Just something to consider when choosing speakers. AUDIOGRAPHY Considering the small size of this amp and the fact that it is a Class T amp, I wasn't expecting much from the sound quality. I am pleased to report that this expectation was not met. This device has good, clear sound with a decent soundstage and good picture quality. It easily powers my Polk Audio T15 bookshelf speakers. The sound is rich and detailed, with virtually no zero peaks in the frequency response. Will it compete with a class A or D power amplifier? Sure, but that's not the intention of this device. Having said that, I have to say that this amp is nowhere near 40 watts per channel. I put it on a power meter and drove the speakers almost to the distortion level. At this point I only have about 30W peak power, so only 15W per channel. I'm guessing if you run it at full blast it'll hit around 40 WPC, but you'll probably destroy your speakers in the process. But it has enough power to fill my medium-sized living room with rich, full sound. SUMMER So, should you buy Q5 Pro? It depends, are you looking for a decent set of bookshelf speakers? Do you need digital and/or analog inputs? Do you want a remote control? If so, then the Q5 Pro might be for you. Especially if you don't want to spend more than $140 on a DAC/amp combo. Of course there are pricier options that I'm sure have slightly better performance and sound, but the Q5 Pro is great for its price and for what it's designed to do. I think this is a viable alternative to a soundbar or soundbase. For this and the other reasons listed, I'm giving it five stars.