FiiO BTR7 - Portable Bluetooth amplifier at its best
The FiiO BTR7 portable Bluetooth amplifier in summary:
Listening to music on the go in the best quality is actually quite simple. With the right headphones and a portable Bluetooth amplifier like the FiiO BTR7. Not only does it offer Bluetooth 5.1 and all the latest high-quality codecs, it also has an integrated USB DAC and a balanced 4.4 millimetre jack connection. Curious now? Then just read on.
The highlights of the FiiO BTR7 at a glance:
- Here's where you connect - Via Bluetooth 5.1 and via USB DAC
- The best of both worlds - 3.5 mm single-ended + 4.4 mm balanced jack output
- Fully Balanced Construction - Powerful and Low Noise Thanks to THX-AAA
- Strong together - Dual DAC ESS9219 with large format support
- Always well informed - Integrated colour IPS display
Ready for a firm connection - Wireless via Bluetooth 5.0 and more
Not all Bluetooth is the same. You will find this out at the latest when you get to grips with the various codecs such as SBC, AAC, aptX, LL, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and LDAC. Each has its own justification and its own field of activity.
If the aim is to minimise latency (i.e. the delay in transmission from the transmitter to the receiver), then aptX LL (LL = Low Latency) is a good choice. If, on the other hand, high sound quality is required, LDAC is ready and waiting to please. And for everything else, there is a whole range of other codecs integrated into the FiiO BTR7.
And with Bluetooth 5.1, you don't have to worry about range (more than 10 metres is usually possible) or interference from smartphones, for example. Everything simply works as it should! Don't believe it? Then try it out and see for yourself.
Small Bluetooth amplifier big time - can also be used as a USB DAC
As beautiful as Bluetooth is, sometimes it needs to be a bit more. For example, music in the highest quality as DSD256, MQA or simply PCM in 384/32 kHz/bit. To ensure that no detail is lost with such Hi-Res formats, you can also connect your smartphone, laptop or any other compatible device to the amplifier via a USB-C or Lightning cable (the FiiO BTR7 is available in two versions) and enjoy music in the highest quality.
Sometimes a cable just might be nice after all.
It's nice to have a choice - balanced and single-ended headphone output.
The world is complicated enough as it is, so sometimes it's nice not to have to worry about everything. Like the headphone jack, for example, when you want to listen to music. With the FiiO BTR7, you decide how you want to be connected. Classically via 3.5 millimetre jack or symmetrically via 4.4 millimetre jack.
While the 3.5 millimetre jack connection is the flexible choice for almost any headphone, the balanced connection offers significantly more potential. Both in terms of sound and performance. In balanced mode, both amplifiers in the FiiO BTR7 work in parallel at peak performance and, moreover, any interference during transmission to the headphones cancels each other out thanks to balanced operation.
Now it's up to you.
Uncompromising amplification and balanced design - with THX AAA™ technology.
THX AAA™ stands for "Achromatic Audio Amplifier", i.e. amplifier technology that is virtually free of sound coloration of any kind. And the almost unavoidable background noise and distortion in the sound image are also reduced to an absolute minimum.
To make this work, the FiiO BTR7 is strictly symmetrical internally, preventing the two channels from "getting in each other's way". All that remains is a punchy and powerful sound. Or expressed in numbers, this means that in single-ended mode (3.5 mm jack) 150 milliwatts of power are available, in balanced mode 4.4 mm jack) correspondingly double the power (300 milliwatts).
We think that's something to see (and hear!)!
Double is better - Dual DAC ESS9219 on board
As befits a balanced design, there is of course not just one D/A converter at work in the FiiO BTR7, but two. Each for one channel. And they don't just come from anyone, but from the American digital specialists ESS Technology.
This means that not only are formats such as PCM in 32/384 bit/kHz, DSD256 and MQA on board, but also in the best quality with a high signal-to-noise ratio and fine resolution. Absolutely worth hearing!
Not only listening to music, but also seeing it - On the built-in colour display
It's nice to know what's playing. Or at least what codec is being used. From now on, the 1.3"/3.3 centimetre IPS colour display with its resolution of 240 x 240 pixels informs you about this. And if you want to know and set even more, you can do so very simply: via the FiiO Control App available for iOS and Android.
Ready when you are - even over long distances.
With its 880 mAh battery capacity, the FiiO BTR7 won't run out of steam in a hurry. Depending on the codec, volume setting and headphones, you can enjoy up to nine hours of music on the go. Battery empty? After 1.5 hours at the socket, the fun can start all over again!
And with its 68 grams of weight, it is also much lighter than a standard bar of chocolate. And exercising is healthier than eating chocolate anyway.
So, which version should it be? The FiiO BTR7 with USB-C or the variant with Lightning connector? No matter which you choose, we guarantee lots of fun with the device!
