The new FiiO BTR17 headphone amp features a physical control wheel for dialling in setting changes … [+]
Some exciting news for those of us who love listening with headphones and earbuds. FiiO has announced the BTR17, a new portable headphone amplifier built around Qualcomm’s new flagship QCC5181 Bluetooth chip, which not only complies with the Bluetooth LE Audio standard and has a transmission bandwidth capacity of 2.1Mbps but is also capable of lossless quality within the aptX Adaptive codec for CD-level lossless sound quality over Bluetooth audio.
The new BTR17 also supports the latest Bluetooth 5.4 as well as LDAC, aptX Adaptive 96kHz/24bit and aptX Low Latency Bluetooth audio codecs. When combined with Snapdragon Sound technology, the sound over Bluetooth promises to be as good as a pair of wired headphones.
With a dedicated D.Mode for desktop use, the USB-C port on the BTR17 can be powered by an external independent power supply. When in desktop mode, if you connect the BTR 17 to a phone as a dongle DAC and headphone amplifier you can also choose to connect an external power supply which enables the device to drive power-hungry headphones without draining the connected phone’s battery.
The small FiiO BTR17 has all the power of a full-size desktop headphone amplifier thanks to THX … [+]
The flexibility offered by the BTR17 means it can be used with a computer, Bluetooth or a smartphone by altering the three-position switch for seamlessly moving between operating modes. Switching modes enable the BTR 17 to optimize its power supply status according to the type of device connected.
In PC mode, the BTR17 is powered solely by the host computer. In Bluetooth mode, the device is powered by its internal and rechargeable battery, but when connected to a USB power supply, it can be both powered and charged while in use. Finally, the Phone mode uses the BTR17’s device’s internal battery for power, reducing the drain on the battery of the connected phone.
The XMOS chip used in the BTR17 is the flagship XMOS XU316, which has lower latency, offers more stable transmission and provides better compatibility than most USB controllers. There is support for 768kHz/32bit audio, DSD512 native, plus MQA full decoding, enabling the chip can handle almost any audio stream imaginable. The XU316 has enough computing power for a high-definition PEQ, supporting up to 192kHz audio.
The FiiO BTR17 supports a wide range of Bluetooth audio codecs.
FIIO has integrated the software and hardware of the BTR17 to produce user-friendly apps as well as a web interface for changing settings. The continuously refined proprietary PEQ adjustment algorithms enable users to finely adjust EQ frequency points, gain, bandwidth and Q value. This means users simulate or correct the frequency response curve of various models of headphones. Additionally, EQ curves can be imported, exported, shared and saved.
Inside the BTR17 are two ESS ES9069Q DAC chips based on the fourth-generation 32-bit HyperStream architecture. The chips offer high performance but consume less power. This architecture helps to reduce digital noise within the DAC, enabling a dynamic range of 130dB and -120dB of total harmonic distortion. FiiO claims the result is a richer, musical sound against a cleaner audio background.
The amplifier used in the BTR17 is a THX AAA 78+ that was previously used in FiiO’s M23 DAP. The four-channel, fully balanced design uses eight op-amps in parallel for robust power with a clear and natural sound.
Running down the side of the FiiO BTR17 are the controls for volume and music transport.
When the POWER IN port is connected to a USB power and desktop mode is activated, the BTR 17’s THX headphone amp will use four op-amps in parallel for current amplification to fully unleash its potential. The result is a balanced output power up to a stunning 650mW+650mW. This is comparable to many desktop headphone amplifiers.
The BTR17 integrates high-end Hi-Fi player-level signal processing within its compact form. Digital signals are handled by dual-clock digital audio and DAC. LPF preamplification and multi-stage analog audio processing ensure music details and the dynamic range within audio signals are precisely restored, comparable to premium digital audio players, according to FiiO.
The BTR17 has an eye-catching volume knob with a double-sided 3D engraved design. The pressable volume knob has an excellent and tactile feel. The font color shown on the display also changes depending on what type of audio codec is being used.
Pricing & Availability: The pocket-sized FiiO BTR17 is available now and costs $199 / £199 / €199.
Tech Specs:
- Colorways: Black/Blue.
- USB chip: XMOS XU316.
- USB DAC: 768kHz-32bit, DSD512 native, MQA full decoding.
- USB DAC driver-free mode: Supported.
- Bluetooth chip: Qualcomm QCC5181.
- Bluetooth version: 5.4.
- Bluetooth audio codecs: AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX LL/aptX Adaptive/aptX Lossless/aptX HD/LDAC.
- DAC: ES9069Q x 2.
- Display: 1.3-inch 240×240 color IPS.
- Battery life: About 8 hours (LDAC).
- Charging time: ≤2H.
- Headphone outputs: Single-ended 3.5mm + balanced 4.4mm.
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥126dB (UAC decoding, desktop mode, A-weighted).
- THD+N: ＜0.00035% (UAC decoding, desktop mode, balanced output).
- Dimensions: About 16.3 x 41.2 x 86.6mm.
- Weight: 73.4g.
