John Darko
FiiO’s product development lab keeps trucking at a rapid pace with the introduction of the BTR 17: a palm-sized Bluetooth receiver, DAC and headphone amplifier with IPS display. Codec support runs the gamut: AAC (for iPhones), aptX HD and LDAC for Android devices and aptX Adaptive when paired with Snapdragon Sound-equipped Androids. Per our aptX Lossless video, aptX Adaptive’s uppermost tier – called aptX Lossless – can carry CD-quality audio losslessly from the smartphone to the BTR 17 (but only in optimal conditions).
Bluetooth signal marshalling is executed by a Qualcomm QCC5181 chip with the internal battery’s runtime rated by FiiO at approximately 8 hours. The internal D/A conversion is handled by a circuit built around a pair of ESS Labs ES9069Q chips which promise 130dB dynamic range and -120dB THD.
However, the BTR 17’s ‘Bluetooth’ mode is only one of three. A toggle switches the BTR 17 into ‘PC’ or ‘Phone’ modes where the power supply status can be optimised according to the upstream device. In PC mode, the BTR 17 is powered over USB by the host PC. In Bluetooth mode, it is powered by the internal battery. In ‘Phone’ mode, the host device’s USB feed and the BTR 17’s internal battery share power supply duties.
The FiiO device’s USB receiver is an XMOS XU316 which, according to the press release, “boasts lower latency, more stable transmission, and better compatibility than typically used USB controllers”. The chip supports PCM up to 768kHz, DSD512 Native and full MQA decoding. That same XMOS chip is also powerful enough to fuel a 10-band parametric EQ (with support for up to 192kHz PCM) that’s also web browser accessible.
From the press release: “The continuously refined proprietary PEQ adjustment algorithms allow you to finely adjust EQ frequency points, gain, bandwidth, and Q value to your liking. This fully lets you simulate or correct the frequency response curve of various headphones. Additionally, you can import, export, share, and save EQ curves.”
But there’s more.
The BTR 17 also features a dedicated ‘D.Mode’ (read: desktop mode) which permits the slipstreaming of power from an external power brick to better juice more power-hungry headphones. Here, the unit’s fully-balanced THX AAA 78+ headphone output stage can muster 650mW into 32 Ohms. Otherwise, in portable mode, we get 140mW into 32 Ohms from the FiiO’s 3.5mm single-ended output and 300mW into 32 Ohms from its 4.4mm balanced.
Price? US$199 or £199. Your choice of a blue or black finish.
Further information: FiiO
