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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want true wired lossless decoding with balanced output for serious IEMs and headphones, choose Questyle M15C; if you need wireless ANC earbuds for commuting, calls and all-day comfort, choose SoundPEATS Air5.
• Questyle M15C — biggest strength: a proper portable DAC/amp with PCM up to 384kHz/32bit, DSD256, four CMA amplifier engines, and both 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm fully balanced outputs.
• Questyle M15C — biggest trade-off: it's a wired dongle DAC. It has no battery, no ANC, and no wireless — it only works when physically connected to your phone, tablet or computer.
• SoundPEATS Air5 — biggest strength: fully wireless listening with adaptive 55dB ANC, LDAC and aptX Lossless codecs, Bluetooth 5.4, and up to 30 hours total playtime with the case.
• SoundPEATS Air5 — biggest trade-off: it's a true-wireless earbud, so it can't drive hard-to-power wired headphones, and its sound depends on codec support in your phone.
• Pick Questyle M15C if you already own good wired IEMs or headphones and want to unlock their potential from a phone or laptop.
• Pick SoundPEATS Air5 if you want one pair of earbuds to handle the commute, the gym, calls and casual listening with zero cables.
The M15C is a compact USB DAC and headphone amplifier in one. Plug it into an Android phone, an iPhone, a Harmony OS device, or a Windows 10+ computer, and it takes over the digital-to-analog conversion instead of leaving it to your device's built-in chip. It decodes PCM from 16bit/44.1kHz all the way up to 32bit/384kHz, plus 1-bit DSD256. In plain terms, that's a lot of headroom for lossless files and high-resolution streaming.
The interesting part is the output stage. Questyle fits four CMA amplifier engines inside, and gives you both a 3.5mm single-ended jack and a 4.4mm fully balanced jack. Balanced output is the one enthusiasts chase, because it typically means more power and better channel separation — and here it's built in rather than an add-on. There's also manual gain adjustment, so you can pick a low or high gain mode depending on whether you're plugging in sensitive IEMs or a harder-to-drive full-size headphone. That single feature makes the M15C flexible across a whole drawer of gear.
Who should buy it? Anyone who owns wired headphones worth more than their phone's headphone jack — or who owns a phone with no jack at all. If you listen to local lossless files, Tidal-style hi-res streams, or DSD collections, this is the kind of gear that makes those files mean something. It's also a neat desktop-to-pocket solution: one dongle that works on your laptop at your desk and your phone on the train.
Who should skip it? If you want wireless freedom, ANC, or a built-in battery, this isn't that product. It's also not for someone who just wants to press play and forget about settings — manual gain and balanced cables ask a little more attention from you. And if your headphones are basic earbuds you bought at an airport, the M15C's strengths will largely go to waste.
SoundPEATS Air5: Who It's For
The SoundPEATS Air5 Pro+ is a true-wireless in-ear bud with a stick design and a plastic enclosure, weighing about 5g per bud. The headline feature is adaptive active noise cancellation rated at up to 55dB, with a transparency mode when you need to hear the world again. For crowded streets, buses, open-plan offices and flights, that's the whole point of owning them.
On the audio side, it uses a 10mm bio-diaphragm driver in a hybrid driver setup, with a frequency range of 20Hz–40KHz and 80 ohm impedance. It supports LDAC and aptX Lossless, and it's Snapdragon Sound certified with Hi-Res LE Audio support over Bluetooth 5.4. There's a lot of codec ambition here for a wireless bud. SoundPEATS also tunes the treble to be warm and smooth rather than bright — the stated goal is fatigue-free listening over long sessions, which is a real consideration if you wear earbuds for a full work shift.
Battery life is quoted at 6 hours per charge and 30 hours total with the charging case, and the case recharges the buds in about an hour. Multi-point Bluetooth is supported, so you can stay connected to a laptop and a phone at once — genuinely useful if you take calls during the day. Latency is listed at 60ms, which is fine for video and casual gaming. Controls are touch-based plus app-based, and the app is where you'd fine-tune ANC and EQ. Three mics with AI wind-noise reduction handle calls, which is exactly the kind of feature that earns its keep outdoors.
Who should buy it? Commuters, remote workers, gym-goers and travelers who want one pair of earbuds for everything. If you take a lot of calls, the mic array and multi-point connection are the practical draws. If you listen for hours, the ergonomic shape, silicone tips and warm tuning are aimed directly at you.
Who should skip it? If you own planar or high-impedance wired headphones and want to hear what they can really do, no wireless bud replaces a dedicated DAC/amp. And if your phone doesn't support LDAC or aptX Lossless, you won't get the best of what the Air5 can do over Bluetooth — you'll fall back to whatever codec your device does support. Wired-only listeners with no interest in ANC should look elsewhere.
• Best for wired high-resolution audio → Questyle M15C. PCM to 384kHz/32bit and DSD256 are things no Bluetooth codec can match.
• Best for balanced output → Questyle M15C. The 4.4mm fully balanced jack plus 3.5mm single-ended covers both casual and serious wired setups.
• Best for noise cancellation → SoundPEATS Air5. Adaptive ANC rated at up to 55dB, plus transparency mode.
• Best for battery life → SoundPEATS Air5. 6 hours per charge and 30 hours total with the case; the M15C has no battery at all.
• Best for calls and multi-device use → SoundPEATS Air5. Three mics with AI wind-noise reduction and multi-point Bluetooth.
• Best for long listening comfort → SoundPEATS Air5. Lightweight build, soft silicone tips and a deliberately warm, non-fatiguing treble.
• Best for desktop and laptop use → Questyle M15C. Windows 10+, macOS-style computers, Android 5.1+ and iOS are all covered, with a USB-A adapter in the box.
• Best for people who hate cables → SoundPEATS Air5. Wireless, period. The M15C only works while physically connected.
My Verdict
For wired, high-resolution playback, yes — it decodes up to 32bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 with a balanced output. The Air5 is excellent for wireless, but Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and aptX Lossless are still a different category.
Yes. The Air5 Pro+ uses adaptive ANC rated at up to 55dB, and it also has a transparency mode. The Questyle M15C has no ANC because it's a wired DAC/amp, not a headphone.
Yes. It's MFi certified and listed as compatible with iOS, Harmony OS, Android 5.1+ and Windows 10+. A Type-C to Type-C cable and a Type-C to USB-A converter are included.
About 6 hours per charge, with up to 30 hours total when you count recharges from the case. The case itself takes roughly an hour to charge the buds.
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