[sunster77]

Deciding what to buy - the Fiio BTR7 or the ifi go blu DAC. Tried both today at a store. Good experience. Liked the sound on the ifi out of the box better- it doesn’t have any customisation options. No app etc. The bass boost and space feature and overall sound signature was pleasing to the ears. But the overall features and feel of the Fiio btr7 was good too. Sound was good but a bit clinical and treblish. I could probably tweak the Fiio sound in the app Eq to make it sound like the ifi go blu perhaps ? Hmmm… still thinking which one to get ? Any opinions ? I mostly use bass heavy iems listening to edm hip hop and bass heavy lush music on Spotify and Apple Music. Occasional Flacs, classical and movie soundtracks. Thanks.

 

[iFi audio]

Deciding what to buy - the Fiio BTR7 or the ifi go blu DAC. Tried both today at a store. Good experience. Liked the sound on the ifi out of the box better- it doesn’t have any customisation options. No app etc. The bass boost and space feature and overall sound signature was pleasing to the ears. But the overall features and feel of the Fiio btr7 was good too. Sound was good but a bit clinical and treblish. I could probably tweak the Fiio sound in the app Eq to make it sound like the ifi go blu perhaps ? Hmmm… still thinking which one to get ? Any opinions ? I mostly use bass heavy iems listening to edm hip hop and bass heavy lush music on Spotify and Apple Music. Occasional Flacs, classical and movie soundtracks. Thanks.

Although I can't comment on how our xDSD Gryphon compares to Fiio BTR7 (I'll leave this to others), if you have any questions about the former, I'm here to help, thanks

 

[sunster77]

Although I can't comment on how our xDSD Gryphon compares to Fiio BTR7 (I'll leave this to others), if you have any questions about the former, I'm here to help, thanks

Thanks. I am still leaning on the Ifi go Blu as of now. But the compelling feature set and the almost as good sound of the Fiio BTR7 is also quite impressive. The prices are the same for both in my country - India. The Ifi go Blu is slightly more expensive actually. I’m looking at the long term use with say headphones and more powerful iems. Can’t decide actually.

 

[sunster77]

Just ordered the Fiio BTR7 after checking a lot of reviews and articles. I guess it was the right decision and will future proof me for a few months...if not years Till the upgrade bug bites again

 

[iFi audio]

Just ordered the Fiio BTR7 after checking a lot of reviews and articles. I guess it was the right decision and will future proof me for a few months...if not years Till the upgrade bug bites again

Sure, enjoy your Fiio then and may it serve you well

 

[sunster77]

Sure, enjoy your Fiio then and may it serve you well

Thanks. I was almost going to go for the iFI as it sounded awesome too. All of a sudden it was sold out and next stocks expected after almost 2-3 weeks. So went ahead and got the Fiio. Cheers

 

[ddlo]

i bought ifi go blu first and latter acquired also the btr7. my experience is that go blu has much better battery life, it's also lighter and smaller. the SE output powers of both are similar but go blu has a bit less balanced output yet still adequate for all of my iems. i just found the 4.4mm jack to be on the very tight side and seems leaving some scratch marks on some of the cable jacks. if you're listening to sensitive iems like most empire ears or vision ears, be warned that there's clearly audible hiss. btr7 is dead silent in contrast.

the price i paid for btr7 is a bit more expensive then go blu. i didn't find the fiio control app very useful either. and both have quite poor bluetooth range. i usually keep them close to the source so it's not a deal breaker for me. the oled display on btr7 might be useful for some (not very often for me).

one more thing, btr7 has it's own vol control (50 steps). i usually set my phone bluetooth vol. to 100/150 and adjust the btr7 vol when listening. for the go blu, the vol wheel directly control the phone vol so you're limited to whatever the system offers (i'm android based).

neither will disappoint i believe (if hiss is not important to you). but if i've to pick only one, my vote goes to go blu.

 

[sunster77]

i bought ifi go blu first and latter acquired also the btr7. my experience is that go blu has much better battery life, it's also lighter and smaller. the SE output powers of both are similar but go blu has a bit less balanced output yet still adequate for all of my iems. i just found the 4.4mm jack to be on the very tight side and seems leaving some scratch marks on some of the cable jacks. if you're listening to sensitive iems like most empire ears or vision ears, be warned that there's clearly audible hiss. btr7 is dead silent in contrast.

the price i paid for btr7 is a bit more expensive then go blu. i didn't find the fiio control app very useful either. and both have quite poor bluetooth range. i usually keep them close to the source so it's not a deal breaker for me. the oled display on btr7 might be useful for some (not very often for me).

one more thing, btr7 has it's own vol control (50 steps). i usually set my phone bluetooth vol. to 100/150 and adjust the btr7 vol when listening. for the go blu, the vol wheel directly control the phone vol so you're limited to whatever the system offers (i'm android based).

neither will disappoint i believe (if hiss is not important to you). but if i've to pick only one, my vote goes to go blu.

Thanks for the extensive feedback. I just received my BTR7 today and am loving it. It’s super powerful and serves my needs just fine. It will be a keeper. Somehow I prefer the volume control on Fiio better than the rotary one on the go Blu. Size wise the go Blu is cute and also sounds amazing but at the end of the day the btr7 was cheaper and more powerful and a little futureproof too since this will be my go to DAC for a good amount of time. Thanks again for your inputs.

 

[iFi audio]

i bought ifi go blu first and latter acquired also the btr7. my experience is that go blu has much better battery life, it's also lighter and smaller. the SE output powers of both are similar but go blu has a bit less balanced output yet still adequate for all of my iems. i just found the 4.4mm jack to be on the very tight side and seems leaving some scratch marks on some of the cable jacks. if you're listening to sensitive iems like most empire ears or vision ears, be warned that there's clearly audible hiss. btr7 is dead silent in contrast.

the price i paid for btr7 is a bit more expensive then go blu. i didn't find the fiio control app very useful either. and both have quite poor bluetooth range. i usually keep them close to the source so it's not a deal breaker for me. the oled display on btr7 might be useful for some (not very often for me).

one more thing, btr7 has it's own vol control (50 steps). i usually set my phone bluetooth vol. to 100/150 and adjust the btr7 vol when listening. for the go blu, the vol wheel directly control the phone vol so you're limited to whatever the system offers (i'm android based).

neither will disappoint i believe (if hiss is not important to you). but if i've to pick only one, my vote goes to go blu.

Thanks a lot for sharing, it's always cool to read about some comparisons.

 

[dogilainen]

Wow, this thread is gold. Let me hijack it for my needs

Situation now: Sennheiser HD 598 with ES100 attached to the headband with a Velcro.

Problem: 598 has reached the end of the road. They work, but are held in one piece by tape. Also, the battery life of ES100 is significantly lower than what it once was.

Solution: Time to replace both.

Wanted: I want super comfortable, open back, circumaural headphones with "best possible" sound quality, and BT receiver to match (= has enough power to drive the headphones. BT receiver will be attached to the headphones with Velcro, so it has to be pretty small and light. ES100 (20g) is just a tag lighter than Go Blu (26g), while BTR7 is 2x and some (68g) when compared to Go Blu and over 3x when compared to ES100. Does someone have experience in "wearing" BTR7 or similar sized item attached to the headphones?

From the headphones I'd like to get big soundstage, good clarity and.. how should I describe it.. ability to deliver the emotions in human voice.

I listen maybe 50/50 speech and music, the music being Poets of the Fall (check song "Carnival of Rust" of you are not familiar with the band ), Eagles, Nightwish, Five Finger Death Punch, Strong female vocals, James Bond theme type of stuff etc..

Also, my headphones for wired use are AKG K712 Pro, and they make my ears very tired in few hours, all though I don't know why. The 598 I can listen all day. Maybe something to do with the warmth of the sound(?). Anyway, if this is something that can be measured, I'd like to buy headphones from the more ear friendly side, even if it would mean sacrificing some analytical capabilities.

Budget.. It would be nice to be able to buy both items for €500, but if there is something really worth paying for (Sennheiser HS 660 S2? Can the 600 series be driven with Go Blu or BTR7?), going over is not out of the question.

Any help making the decision is appreciated

 

[inscythe]

Wow, this thread is gold. Let me hijack it for my needs

Situation now: Sennheiser HD 598 with ES100 attached to the headband with a Velcro.

Problem: 598 has reached the end of the road. They work, but are held in one piece by tape. Also, the battery life of ES100 is significantly lower than what it once was.

Solution: Time to replace both.

Wanted: I want super comfortable, open back, circumaural headphones with "best possible" sound quality, and BT receiver to match (= has enough power to drive the headphones. BT receiver will be attached to the headphones with Velcro, so it has to be pretty small and light. ES100 (20g) is just a tag lighter than Go Blu (26g), while BTR7 is 2x and some (68g) when compared to Go Blu and over 3x when compared to ES100. Does someone have experience in "wearing" BTR7 or similar sized item attached to the headphones?

From the headphones I'd like to get big soundstage, good clarity and.. how should I describe it.. ability to deliver the emotions in human voice.

I listen maybe 50/50 speech and music, the music being Poets of the Fall (check song "Carnival of Rust" of you are not familiar with the band ), Eagles, Nightwish, Five Finger Death Punch, Strong female vocals, James Bond theme type of stuff etc..

Also, my headphones for wired use are AKG K712 Pro, and they make my ears very tired in few hours, all though I don't know why. The 598 I can listen all day. Maybe something to do with the warmth of the sound(?). Anyway, if this is something that can be measured, I'd like to buy headphones from the more ear friendly side, even if it would mean sacrificing some analytical capabilities.

Budget.. It would be nice to be able to buy both items for €500, but if there is something really worth paying for (Sennheiser HS 660 S2? Can the 600 series be driven with Go Blu or BTR7?), going over is not out of the question.

Any help making the decision is appreciated

I think going with the BTR5 or Go Blu would fit you better if you plan to use it attached on the headphones (I did the same before). The BTR7 will look clunky not because of the weight, but more because of the size.

As for the headphones suggestion, HD6xx or HD600 would suit you best in my opinion, and both can be easily driven by BTR5 or Go Blu.

 

[sunster77]

I went for the BTR7 and loving it. I was intrigued by the ifi gryphon and also ordered it but returned it as I found it too clunky and most of all no customisable EQ like the BTR7. The customisable EQ is one of the best things I like about the BTR7 which swayed me away from the IFI GoBlu. I have customised my sound to my liking as I use multiple Iems and can listen to my music with a lot less fatigue. I don’t find the size of the BTR7 too big but …man it slams a punch especially on the 4.4mm balanced outs. As an overall package I love it over the ifi.

 

[dogilainen]

I think going with the BTR5 or Go Blu would fit you better if you plan to use it attached on the headphones (I did the same before). The BTR7 will look clunky not because of the weight, but more because of the size.

As for the headphones suggestion, HD6xx or HD600 would suit you best in my opinion, and both can be easily driven by BTR5 or Go Blu.

After a day of immersing myself into these receivers (= reading about them), I think I'm going to go with BTR7. Just to be on the safe side with output / power. I don't think the size will bother me.much, if I attach it smack in the middle of the headband, on top of my head. These will be used 100 % in my home, and probably 90 % in kitchen, cooking or cleaning, so appearance really does not matter at all

Then the harder part.. the headphones. May I ask why you decided to recommend HD 600s to me (let's forget about the 6xx, since they are not available here)?

I know they should sound amazing(ly neutral), but I'm a little bit doubtful about the lower end.. dark vocals, symphonic metal.. are they going to be enough

Also, aren't they the hardest (of 600 series) to drive, power-wise?

There are WAY too many choices.. currently eyeing Sundaras..

Edit: Price for me at the moment: HD 600 €250, HD 650 €300, HD 660 S €315, Sundara €360.

 

[iFi audio]

currently eyeing Sundaras

These are nice cans to keep your eye on

 

[ddlo]

After a day of immersing myself into these receivers (= reading about them), I think I'm going to go with BTR7. Just to be on the safe side with output / power. I don't think the size will bother me.much, if I attach it smack in the middle of the headband, on top of my head. These will be used 100 % in my home, and probably 90 % in kitchen, cooking or cleaning, so appearance really does not matter at all

Then the harder part.. the headphones. May I ask why you decided to recommend HD 600s to me (let's forget about the 6xx, since they are not available here)?

I know they should sound amazing(ly neutral), but I'm a little bit doubtful about the lower end.. dark vocals, symphonic metal.. are they going to be enough

Also, aren't they the hardest (of 600 series) to drive, power-wise?

There are WAY too many choices.. currently eyeing Sundaras..

Edit: Price for me at the moment: HD 600 €250, HD 650 €300, HD 660 S €315, Sundara €360.

if you're looking to replace both bluetooth dongle and headphones, maybe you could also consider getting a wireless over-ears?

some good ones came to market recently (e.g. bathys and px8) closed to the €500 price segment (especially if 2nd hand could be considered). maybe worthy to give a try too.