My portable mastering setup: FiiO QX13 with headphone correction EQ

I care about one thing more than anything else: consistency. I mean hearing things exactly the same, no matter where I am.

And this is one of the first hyper-portable setups that actually gets me there.

Before, I had to carry heavy amps or sound cards around, and then use an EQ curve in my DAW (which is super annoying to do). Working on the road was always uncomfortable for me, until I found this device: the FiiO QX13.

This is not a normal dongle

Most portable DACs are fine, but they don’t give you the juice.

The FiiO runs a proper mastering-grade DAC architecture, and more importantly, it has real power behind it. It delivers up to 900 mW at 32 ohms (balanced). Enough to feel closer to a small rack unit than something in your pocket.

That’s the difference: it actually drives real professional headphones.

I’m using it with my Audeze MM-500 when I travel. And if you know those, they’re not crazy hard to drive, but they need good power to sound right.

96 kHz workflow with headphone EQ built in

I’m running everything at 96 kHz from my DAW. Then I use the EQ built into the FiiO to fix my headphone frequency response.

I loaded my exact Oratory correction curve for the MM-500. The same curve I use in my studio on my RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE. No adjustments. No second guessing.

It keeps your ears calibrated, it lets you trust your decisions, and it makes working anywhere actually enjoyable. Small device, but it solves a big problem for me.

If you want to load EQ curves into the FiiO quickly, connect it to your computer and use FiiO’s web tool: https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/equalizer/auto-eq

Studio sound from your phone

One of the best advantages of this device is that you can connect it to your phone and listen to Spotify or any streaming service directly with your EQ curve applied to your studio headphones.

For example, if you’re on a train or a plane and want to analyze some albums, you get the same studio sound directly from your phone, without connecting your sound card or opening your computer.

That is a real game changer.