jsmiller58
Headphoneus Supremus
Well my last thoughts on the matter.
I actually reviewed the BTR5, and you can see that I liked it, indeed I preferred the USB to BT functionality .
so in no way was I bashing the Fiio.
it is just that in my opinion, my £90 ($120) was spread too thinly on many facilities that frankly Fiio managed to perform just adequately . I just wished (for my use) they would have picked BT and concentrated on that alone.
no USB hence no DSD or multi sample rates, no balanced output - but with far superior Sonic's, as far as BT LDAC could allow.
going back to your first line analogy:
you wouldn't put a working horse, to run the Derby! do you?
either a work horse, or a race horse , lets throw in show jumping and movie work on top!
I don't think so.
Poor thing is trying to pull too many tricks.
Is it a good product, absolutely .
does it look good, sure.
is it value for money , you bet.
is there anything out there that fits my requirements - please tell me. up to $200.
”is there anything out there that fits my requirements - please tell me. up to $200.”
I have no idea what out there would suit your needs because we may be using different rulers / have different expectations.
I am perfectly content with the BTR5 as a BT receiver - I have the ES100, the Hidizs W5, and the Hidizs W3 to compare it to and am happy with what I hear. I use it primarily for BT, but it is nice to know it will do as a USB DAC/Amp in a pinch - for that I am happy to have paid a bit more.
If I am looking for just a portable USB DAC/Amp I have perfectly capable 9038s gen2, Hidizs S8, minidsp il-DSP, and soon to arrive 9038s gen 3 and Lotoo Paw S1, all of which I will happily use if I want the best wired sound on the go. And my LG v30 is no slouch all by itself!
And if I am sitting at my desk I would forego all of the above and rely on my different desktop setups - DX7s & 789, M500 & Atom, or D50s & Geshelli Archel 2 Pro...
So, different horses for different courses... I don’t expect one device to do everything well, for that I expect to use different products. But I like that the BTR5 is a great BT device, in MY opinion, and apparently shared by a few others, and that it can do a passable job as a USB DAC/Amp in a pinch, useful if I don‘t have access to my other sources. I can’t carry my DX7s / 789 combo around as a portable unit, so the BTR5 has value right there
But I am not trying to convince you of anything. I know what I want and like, and the BTR5 suits me. I know that you like the BTR5 from what you’ve said, but it still leaves you dissatisfied. I really, and truly, hope you find something out there that meets what you are looking for. When you do, please let us know about it!
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