[Moonstar]

My short impressions about the FiiO BTR3 are as follows;

The FiiO BTR3 is a wireless Bluetooth Receiver that shows a clean and neutral sound presentation, which is packed in a small sized device with lots of features and that supports various Bluetooth audio codec.


Pros and Cons

• + Clean and Neutral Sound
• + USB DAC functionality
• + Supports lots of Bluetooth Audio Codes

• - There is no Screen Protector and Case in the Box
• - Soundstage depth

Full Review:
https://moonstarreviews.net/fiio_btr3_review/


Some Pictures

 

[FiiO]

I would like to share my impressions of the BTR3

TLDR:
It is just shy of being perfect! Get it, if you want something for your IEMS

Getting the BTR3 updated and the accompanying app to run/recognize it was a hassle. But once I was past that, getting it connected to my iOS device was a breeze.
I was surprised just how small and portable this tiny little wonder-thing is.

The good:

• Dead silent background to my ears, even with CA Andromeda
• Volume control buttons have just enough levels for decent control of volume (I think double the levels of iOS)
  
• Sound quality is amazing, slightly more neutral than the Mojo, but still a bit warm, I suppose
• Portability is outstanding. This thing fits in the leather pouch of my Andromedas WITH the Andromedas attached.
  
• Connectivity was never an issue with iOS, no problems here
  
• Fit and finish is cool, I like the glass front and the clip actually is useful
• Decent battery, could be better... but for its size it's great

The bad:

• Why??? Oh Why do you have to insult my ears with this abrasive low-quality, high-volume sound every time i start it up or shut it down. Is there any way to remove that or replace it with a more subtle tone?

Dear friend,

The notice volume is not changeable so maybe you will feel it too loud comparing to low volume settings. We will report to the engineer to assess about that in later products and firmware update for BTR3.

Best regards

 

[Unknown757890]

I might sound a bit stupid, but nevertheless; can you connect this via cable(?) to the FiiO M3K,
So it can act like a bluetooth reciever?

The FiiO M3K does not have bluetooth (Duh...)

 

[speedingcheetah]

So...is there still no EQ for the BTR3?
It is well into April and last I had read here, it was due out with a firmware update in March...
I see no new firmware updates...still only V1.0 is current.

Can we at least get a basic Bass and Treble adjustment ability? Like my E17K?

 

[Bombyx]

So...is there still no EQ for the BTR3?

It is certainly a long-awaited feature, and I can relate how you feel. Personally I have been interested in buying the BTR3 since day one, but I have decided that I needed the EQ feature, so I have postponed my purchase, and I routinely check here about any progress.

I was very excited when FiiO announced here that a 10-band EQ was in the works, and I look forward to the release of the new firmware. That said, I am not sure about pressuring FiiO about it. A software project being behind schedule is not something unusual, and I prefer FiiO taking the time to polish the firmware rather than rushing it out. At worse, too much pressure could lead to the decision of dropping features (like the 10-band EQ) which is not something we want.

 

[speedingcheetah]

I was very excited when FiiO announced here that a 10-band EQ was in the works

Where did they announce this?
I have had a BTR3 for several months,...and followed the thread since then, have not seen any official detailed announcement of a 10-band EQ.
I have only seen posts of "EQ is feature is in development...its not ready yet "etc.

 

[Dmitry87]

Where did they announce this?
I have had a BTR3 for several months,...and followed the thread since then, have not seen any official detailed announcement of a 10-band EQ.
I have only seen posts of "EQ is feature is in development...its not ready yet "etc.

Dear friend,
There will be 10 frequency bands in the EQ.
Best regards

The EQ was announced in August-September. Implementation of an equalizer is a question of weeks for a mid programmer. They have probably had bigger problems to deal with so far.
@FiiO, is it possible to get source codes of the latest firmware?

 

[41treys]

Recently purchased the BTr3. I have pretty limited experience with amps. Paired with my DT 770 32 ohms the sound is great.

 

[beholdclarity]

Dear friend,

The notice volume is not changeable so maybe you will feel it too loud comparing to low volume settings. We will report to the engineer to assess about that in later products and firmware update for BTR3.

Best regards

Thanks for the clarification! I appreciate your response

 

[beholdclarity]

A few more impressions:

I have spent a bit more time with the BTR3 and while I do have the feeling more technologically advanced dedicated DAC/AMP combinations like the Q5 offer more resolution, I find the BTR3 does a remarkable job. Actually, it is quite a bit more than just satisfactory: It is brilliant.

The best part -besides design, connectivity, sound, decent volume control, black background etc.- is portability. This thing fits in the Campfire Audio leather pouch along with the Andromeda!

 

[41treys]

A few more impressions:

I have spent a bit more time with the BTR3 and while I do have the feeling more technologically advanced dedicated DAC/AMP combinations like the Q5 offer more resolution, I find the BTR3 does a remarkable job. Actually, it is quite a bit more than just satisfactory: It is brilliant.

The best part -besides design, connectivity, sound, decent volume control, black background etc.- is portability. This thing fits in the Campfire Audio leather pouch along with the Andromeda!

Hey, I'm running the DT 770 32 ohms with these. Just recently purchased the BTR3 myself. I found the darker tone of the BTR3 actually tunes the treble down a bit on the 770s, letting the mids come out more. I rather like it quite a bit. Also, the portability is fantastic. I'm interested to hear what your cans and IEMs sound like with the BTR3.

 

[ha3flt]

I like my FiiO BTR3, but it has serious limits in physical connectivity. The software part of it is flawless, if you have more than two sources and you already know, which button is needed to be pushed and when, it's still acceptable. Bluetooth connections won't break easy, timeouts are long, etc. This behavior may come from its small size and the applied metal case that otherwise I like, too, because the (very small) RF field is directed away from my body when I wear it. Hopefully.

So, if I compare it e.g. to a Parrot Zik, it has about half the range even on SBC (A2DP). If I'm sitting in a less lucky position, FiiO may skip seconds periodically even if the dongle is in the same room and in eyesight, but 2..2.5 meters away, even without turning my side or back to it... (My wifi router works on 5 GHz, but I live in a big condo, nothing is guaranteed). I began to attach the BTR3 to the edge of the sleeve of my shirts on the upper arm. I don't think that it is only the fault of my device or BT dongle, it has same sympthoms when it is used with an SGS7 phone.

The sound quality is adequate, but there is absolutely no need to worry about formats, like Apt-X and LDAC variations, because you are not going to hear any difference between SBC (A2DP) and the higher ones... the limit of its electronics is somewhere there. Nice to have them, anyway. My test equipment was $1000 range headphone (with less than 32 Ohm, by the way). But this is a decent sounding, good device, and e.g. having so many steps in the volume control is exemplary.

 

[41treys]

Hey, nice to hear your thoughts. I have 770 32 ohms because I use them for work and commuting as well. The BTR3s portability and durability become very convinient for them. The formats are also very useful. I enjoy the audio quality as well. GLad to see you like yours as well. I know it's not a powerhouse amp by any means, but beyer designed the 770 32 ohms for on the go unamped use so its nice for me to have a small, portable source that's not clunky and can still add extra power to the phones.

 

[speedingcheetah]

The sound quality is adequate, but there is absolutely no need to worry about formats, like Apt-X and LDAC variations, because you are not going to hear any difference between SBC (A2DP) and the higher ones... the limit of its electronics is somewhere there.

That is your opinion and your personal decision. Your hearing must not be that great then or the equipment you use is not that good, or you have not truly tested the difference in the codecs...or clearly just don't care.
There are plenty here that will say you are dead wrong.
There is a HUGE difference in SBC/AAC vs LDAC. Even non "audiophiles" routinely report here and on other product forums that LDAC sounds way better and is a huge improvement.
Having personally toggled all the codecs with my Pixel 3, both with the BTR3 and using other BT headphones, LDAC is by far the best sounding BT audio codec, with APTX HD the second best. (though I find the HD AptX to be only just slightly better than the normal Aptx) LDAC is worlds ahead of Aptx. The raw specs LDAC are well higher than the other as well. https://www.sony.net/Products/LDAC/

 

[beholdclarity]

That is your opinion and your personal decision. Your hearing must not be that great then or the equipment you use is not that good, or you have not truly tested the difference in the codecs...or clearly just don't care.
There are plenty here that will say you are dead wrong.
There is a HUGE difference in SBC/AAC vs LDAC. Even non "audiophiles" routinely report here and on other product forums that LDAC sounds way better and is a huge improvement.
Having personally toggled all the codecs with my Pixel 3, both with the BTR3 and using other BT headphones, LDAC is by far the best sounding BT audio codec, with APTX HD the second best. (though I find the HD AptX to be only just slightly better than the normal Aptx) LDAC is worlds ahead of Aptx. The raw specs LDAC are well higher than the other as well. https://www.sony.net/Products/LDAC/

Pardon my ignorance, but improved how?
Better resolution? More clarity? Warmer? More analytical?
Which attribute is improved with ldac? Is it like with any (decent) amp, that there are more differences than real preferences, or is it just better. period.? Can you elaborate with a few bulletpoints or your experience?