Overview

Quloos (formerly QLS HiFi) is a Chinese audio manufacturer in Shenzhen focused on portable and desktop DAC/amps. Key products include the MUB1 Bluetooth portable DAC/amp (quad CS43131) with high power output and a rare 3.5 mm S/PDIF digital out, the MC01 USB dongle, and the QA662 desktop unit. Products span roughly 240–1,000+ USD.

Scientific Validity

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MUB1 claims THD+N of 0.0001%, SINAD 120 dB, SNR/Dynamic Range 132 dB (A-w), and up to 1,100 mW @32Ω from its 4.4 mm balanced output, which, if independently verified, would be transparent. However, no recognized third-party lab reports (e.g., ASR) are available for Quloos units at the time of writing; numbers rely on manufacturer/retailer specs. Given strong—but not independently verified—figures, we score 0.6.

Technology Level

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Quloos uses current Cirrus Logic DACs (CS43131/CS43198), multi-rail LDO power, and conventional analog filtering. MUB1 adds an uncommon 3.5 mm S/PDIF digital output alongside 3.5 mm SE and 4.4 mm balanced outs. Implementation appears competent but not notably innovative beyond standard engineering practice.

Cost-Performance

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Equivalence check (strict, user-facing functions + measured performance):

• Review target key functions: battery portable, USB DAC, Bluetooth (LDAC/aptX family), 4.4 mm balanced & 3.5 mm SE headphone outs, ~1.1 W @32Ω output power, 3.5 mm S/PDIF digital output. Claimed fidelity: THD+N 0.0001% / SINAD 120 dB / SNR 132 dB (mfr specs). [1][2]
• Cheapest near-candidates:
  • xDuoo XD05 Bal (USD 429): battery, BT (incl. LDAC), 4.4 mm, ~1.0 W @32Ω; no S/PDIF out (only S/PDIF in). Adding HiBy UC10 (USD 29) provides portable USB-to-coax S/PDIF out. However, XD05 Bal’s key fidelity specs are THD+N 0.0009% / SNR ≥117 dB (mfr), which are inferior to MUB1’s claimed 0.0001% / 132 dB—well outside a ±5% window—so it fails “equal-or-better” measured performance. [3][4]
  • iFi xDSD Gryphon (USD 599): battery, BT (LDAC), 4.4 mm, ~1.0 W @32Ω and strong measurements, but price is higher than MUB1 and it still lacks S/PDIF out (S/PDIF is input). Not a cheaper equivalent. [5]

Conclusion: As of this review date, no cheaper product or minimum accessory bundle achieves both “no-less functionality” and “no-less measured performance” than MUB1. Per policy, when no cheaper equivalent exists, CP is set to 1.0 and explicitly stated so in the body.

Reliability & Support

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One-year warranty via established retailers (e.g., Linsoul/HiFiGo). CNC aluminum builds and mainstream DAC chips suggest reasonable reliability. Limited long-term field data and dealer-centric support structure cap the score.

Rationality of Design Philosophy

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Design choices favor proven architectures and practical features (notably S/PDIF out on a portable). Marketing avoids pseudo-science. Innovation appears incremental rather than unique; stronger third-party validation would help.

Advice

If you specifically need a portable DAC/amp with both high output power and S/PDIF digital output, MUB1 is currently a rare all-in-one. Cheaper units like Qudelix 5K remain excellent value for everyday portable BT DAC/amp use, but they lack S/PDIF out and much lower max power, so they are not “equivalent-or-better” to MUB1. If you don’t need S/PDIF out and drive easy-to-moderate headphones, those cheaper options may still be preferable on value alone.

References

[1] QLS/Quloos — “MUB1 Portable HiFi USB & Bluetooth DAC & Headphone Amp,” accessed 2025-08-25.
https://www.qlshifi.com/en/wzcapi/mub1.htm

[2] Shenzhen Audio — “QULOOS MUB1 Portable DAC/AMP (specs incl. S/PDIF out, 1.1W),” accessed 2025-08-25.
https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/quloos-mub1-four-cs43131-portable-dac-amp

[3] xDuoo — “XD05 Bal (price/specs incl. 1.0W, LDAC; S/PDIF input only),” accessed 2025-08-25.
https://xduoo.net/product/xd05-bal/

[4] HiBy — “UC10 USB-C to Coaxial S/PDIF Digital Converter (USD 29),” accessed 2025-08-25.
https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-uc10-usb-to-coaxial-s-pdif-digital-audio-converter

[5] iFi audio — “xDSD Gryphon (portable BT DAC/amp, ~1W; USD 599),” accessed 2025-08-25.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/xdsd-gryphon

(2025.8.25)