[FiiO BTR17/BTR7] True Lossless Bluetooth, Portable Bluetooth DAC and Headphone Amplifier BTR17 Is Officially Released!

[ddlo]

i'm not sure it's just me getting this weird battery indication. i charged my btr17 till full a few times but every time i started up playing music it dropped to 60% on the fiio control app (only a bar less on btr17 itself). however, that 60% indication lasts a few hours of playtime and after a 2-3hours walk yesterday, i got the same 60% (same when i went out)!!!

will this be a firmware issue or what? my ak hb1 has same problem (it's actually worst than the battery life only last 4hrs or so). the btr15 has excellent battery life and more accurate reporting (so does BTR7).

 

[Nick24JJ]

The BTR7 is the only FiiO device that I have thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy from all the FiiO products listed in my signature.

I am confident that the BTR17 represents a significant step up from the BTR7 in terms of sound quality, particularly with its support for aptX Lossless and desktop mode, which I do not require.

I plan to wait 6 to 8 months for FiiO to refine the app and firmware. Additionally, I need to purchase a Xiaomi 15 Ultra to fully utilize Bluetooth support.

I hope and dream that Qudelix will consider producing a similar device or a UTWS5/iFi Go Pod.

 

[XaFFi]

The truth is that the btr7 already sounds incredible in bluetooth mode. Although btr17 offers aptx lossless it is still not a codec generally supported by most equipments.
I think that for users who use bluetooth audio exclusively it is not worth making the jump to the btr17, at least for now.

 

[pacmanbr]

The truth is that the btr7 already sounds incredible in bluetooth mode. Although btr17 offers aptx lossless it is still not a codec generally supported by most equipments.
I think that for users who use bluetooth audio exclusively it is not worth making the jump to the btr17, at least for now.

For sure, LDAC is widely supported, there's no point in upgrading just for the new codec support.

 

[Warrentaye]

The truth is that the btr7 already sounds incredible in bluetooth mode. Although btr17 offers aptx lossless it is still not a codec generally supported by most equipments.
I think that for users who use bluetooth audio exclusively it is not worth making the jump to the btr17, at least for now.

This is correct but I think there is a few things worth considering. The power delivery and dacs driving the btr17 are much better than that of the btr7 and its definitely noticeable in bluetooth mode. So even without a codec change its an upgrade and you can hear the difference. If you do not care much for qualty why invest is somehting like this in the first place. So its worth is really subjective like with everything in this hobby. I owned the btr5 then the btr7, now the btr17, to me it was worth it.

 

[FiiO-Yellow]

Is anyone who has the btr17 already able to check what kind of LE Audio codec it supports? It has BT 5.4 but i didnt see anything written about LC3 or aptx-Lite support. Does it work over LE Audio with LE Audio USB dongles? Using either LC3 or aptx lite?

BTR17 supports LC3 now.

 

[FiiO-Yellow]

The BTR17 sets the benchmark for portable Bluetooth DAC/Amps, excelling in design, features, user experience, configuration, performance, and output power.

1. Qualcomm's Flagship Bluetooth Chip QCC5181

• FiiO's first DAC/Amp to feature the QCC5181 Bluetooth chip, enabling support for higher-quality Bluetooth formats like aptX Lossless (unlike the BT11, which uses QCC5181 for transmission only).

1. Desktop-Level DAC Chip

• ES9069Q*2 DAC

1. Higher Output Power in Desktop Mode(650mW@32Ω balanced output)

• Delivers significantly higher output power when operating in desktop mode, enhancing its versatility for demanding headphones.

1. Enhanced User Experience

• FiiO’s first Bluetooth DAC/Amp with a multi-function knob, providing a more intuitive and convenient user interface.

1. The first Bluetooth DAC/Amp from FiiO to include desktop mode.

 

[Crimson17]

Received the btr17 today.
When I try to play dsd files in foobar2000,the btr17 screen do show dsd,but it didn't have any sound in my iem.
I could play the same music on my ka17,but not on the btr17 using usb connection.

 

[BS5711]

The truth is that the btr7 already sounds incredible in bluetooth mode. Although btr17 offers aptx lossless it is still not a codec generally supported by most equipments.
I think that for users who use bluetooth audio exclusively it is not worth making the jump to the btr17, at least for now.

Agreed.

I bought a BTR7 at a discount knowing the BTR17 was only a month or two away. The BTR7 is an excellent little device and for my use case which is via bluetooth while out and about it is near perfect.

For me the subtleties simply don’t matter once it is sitting in my pocket and I am controlling the volume from my phone.

I am an iPhone user so the codecs are meaningless to me, the BTR7 sounds great over AAC anyway and the connection is robust. There might be a subtle difference between AAC and LDAC from my DAP but when out for a walk any minor differences are immaterial.

Lossless bluetooth might be technically better again but frankly even via AAC the BTR7 sounds so good that for my use case with a device like this the BTR7 running bluetooth from my iPhone 15 Pro is more than good enough and I have no BTR17 FOMO.

 

[XaFFi]

That's right. For me the BTR7 is a high quality device and it cannot be said that it has outdated technology. Moreover, it is my device that I use to enjoy and squeeze the perfect sound as I want it to be heard, tuning more and more with different types of iems and hitting the key. BTR7 boring? I think not It is true that BTR17 is better but it would be a wasted device for me now. I don't have to have it yet... I wonder if it's necessary to have aptx lossless codec to have perfect sound; Would there be so much difference between hearing ldac at maximum vs aptx lossless? I believe that there is little resistance, barely perceptible to casual use and clean sound.
Regards.

 

[stuck limo]

Seems there are 2 threads going on lol

Got mine today, Wired its quite a bit of improvement compared to the btr7. Its cleaner more resolving and the bass is a bit more controlled yet not lacking. Loving it so far. Its basically the same size also. There is def much more power delivery when wired compared to the btr7 also but less when on bluetooth and volume is around the same settings there. Great impressions all around.

Edit. FYI. Even on Bluetooth when its plugged in there is a huge bump in power delivery so be aware of that if you swap to Desktop Mode while on bluetooth, this mode bypasses the battery and boosts the power quite a bit.

So you ARE saying on the BTR17 Wireless mode there is more power delivery vs the BTR7 Wireless mode?

 

[XaFFi]

So you ARE saying on the BTR17 Wireless mode there is more power delivery vs the BTR7 Wireless mode?

You're right, what power do BTR7 and BTR17 deliver in bluetooth mode? Thanks.

 

[BS5711]

According to FiiO specs the BTR7 has maximum 320mw into 32 ohms and the BTR17 has maximum 300mw into 32 ohms.

The BTR17 technically has less power but so little difference that it is likely to be imperceptible assuming the volume ramp rate is the same on both devices.

 

[XaFFi]

I recommend btr17 for those who don't have btr7

 

[Warrentaye]

According to FiiO specs the BTR7 has maximum 320mw into 32 ohms and the BTR17 has maximum 300mw into 32 ohms.

The BTR17 technically has less power but so little difference that it is likely to be imperceptible assuming the volume ramp rate is the same on both devices.

This is not entirely true is it? the balanced output power can go up to 650+650mw via balanced output when plugged even when using bluetooth mode. I think there needs to be clarity in terms of on battery vs off battery since unlike the btr7 you can remain in bluetooth mode and connect to a outside powersource via the second usb to push the power output much higher.