Fiio BTR13's Review - Amazing all in one!
General/Build/Packaging
This year, Fiio is all about revamping/refreshing the current product line ranging from DAP, DAC/Amp, IEMs, Headphones and some other accessories. The BTR13 is the latest in their product line to be refreshed and I have the opportunity to test it out today. The packaging is rather standard and nothing to write home about. What i like about the unit is that the clip is built on the chassis of the unit itself, compared to previous gen where it is removable and plastic, prone to breaking and losing in my opinion.
Built quality is good and sports a screen on the front which shows the bit rate, bluetooth codec, battery level as well as current EQ mode, it also has a built in microphone for taking calls.
On the side of the chassis, there are volume buttons, up and down, power button, as well as mode switch to toggle between PC, Phone, BT.
Specifications (Specifications from BTR13’s Product Page)
IEMs/Headphones/Equipments used for this review
Fiio FT1 4.4
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Berrylium IEM 4.4
Fiio FT3 32Ohm 4.4
Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio BTR13-> Tidal
Macbook Air M2 -> Fiio BTR13 -> foobar 2k (tracks ranging from 16-44 to 24-192)
Foreword
My review is solely based on what I hear via my equipment and I never consider my reviews to be objective in any way rather a subjective approach. Do take into consideration that everyone’s ear anatomy is not the same, so the psychoacoustics perception might be different as well, but i believe it will not stray too far
Features
Battery Life
Normally i take the battery life claim from the manufacturer with a pinch of salt, but the BTR13 does surprised me and the battery life is actually very good
On bluetooth mode, the claimed battery life is 8 hours and i am getting roughly 8 hours+ with my iPhone 15 on average listening volume level, 15/60, iPhone is using only AAC hence if you are using it with Android device with Aptx or LDAC, the battery life might varies
Mode Switch
Allows you to toggle between PC mode, BT, and Phone mode
PC mode will charge the device when you connect the BTR13 via USB to use as USB DAC, whereas Phone mode does not charge the device, it will run on the device’s battery, hence a “cleaner” sound
Bluetooth
BTR13 supports various common bluetooth codecs including the LDAC, the range is also quite good and i did not encounter any drop out within 10 metre between my phone and the BTR13
LDAC
APTX-HD
APTX-LL
APTX
AAC
SBC
Fiio’s App Support
Allows the user to customise the PEQ, enable or disable certain bluetooth codecs
Customise the volume button’s behaviour
Possibly update the firmware when there’s a new firmware release
Sound Impression (Bluetooth AAC)
The sound profile of BTR13 is slightly colored and transparent, dead silent background, zero noise. I’m not saying it will make a bad sounding/ badly tuned IEM turn good, it simply makes what is already good a step further and eeking out every bit of hidden potential your IEM/headphone have.
Soundstage is largely dependent on the transducers and mastering of the songs, but the BTR13 does render the soundstage quite well and let you have a good perception on the stage size in terms of depth, width and height.
Imaging is good with good separation and layering, instruments can be pinpointed easily and they sound like they each have a space of their own and not mushed together.
Pairings
FT1
FT1 with BTR13 does sound quite good in my opinion. The bass is well controlled without much elevation, it has more punch now and better extension, it is tight and the texture is good as well, all these without messing with the mids and highs, this is evident when listening to Gojira’s Amazonia, the double paddle especially has more punch
The mids are slightly forward and doesn’t sound that recessed
The treble here is clean without harshness and sibilance
Soundstage and imaging remains more or less similar
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM with Default Nozzle
The Twin Pulse is neutral with slight warmth on its own, based on my listening impression pairing it with BTR13, bass is slightly elevated, but the rendered texture is also improved
Not much changes on the mids
The overall characteristics of Twin Pulse IEM became a little bit more dynamic with this pairing
Soundstage and imaging to my ears, they are more or less similar, not much changes
Fiio FT3
Bass has a bit more punch and slightly better sub-bass extension
Not much changes on the detail retrieval, treble seems to sound a tiny bit smoother
Soundstage has very good width and depth to it and seems to image better as well
Comparison (7Hz Artemis)
Uses different DAC chip (ESS 9039) and has higher power output compared to BTR13, also priced higher
Different sound signature compared to BTR13, transparent and uncolored with various DAC filter to choose from
In terms of size, Artemis39 is bigger and thicker, and lacking a display
Battery life is slightly lower but it does have a separate data and power type c port
Having used both and swapping around for A/B test, both are good in their own way, not to mention the sound signature is also different as well, in terms of pricing, Artemis39 is priced higher featuring a better build quality but at the same time, also lacking certain feature such as app support
Ultimately, it depends on your use case as well as preference and budget of course
Final Thoughts
Having tested and used the BTR13 for a week plus daily driving it,BTR13 definitely has what it takes to make the statement in the fast moving market with various competition. BTR13 is a very versatile product and I find the use case is very suitable for portable users and also those who are always on the go but doesn’t want to lug along their DAP or having a dongle dangling out from the phone.It can also be used for meeting as it does have a built in microphone.
The power output is definitely sufficient for most IEMs out there and also headphones that aren’t overly power hungry (Tested with the headphones which I owned,FT1, FT3, Aune AR5000) In terms of sound, it is slightly colored and the note weights aren’t thin,I personally enjoyed it and find it rather easy to pair with most transducers. All in all, the BTR13 is a complete package with convenience as well as good sound quality and costing only 64$ which is a huge win. Recommended!
*A big thanks to Fiio for sending this over for the purpose of this review. I thank them for their support as always
Head over to their official Store if you are interested in getting one:
Fiio BTR13 Official Store Link - Non Affiliated
Comments
Post a Comment