[FiiO]

Chapter 1 Struggle to Survive, LC-BT1 Eventually Released​

Our old users must remember that FiiO once released a Bluetooth cable the RC-BT in 2018 (Figure 1). At that time, there were not many brands making Bluetooth cables, and the workmanship of the RC-BT was not bad with a reasonable price. So it has achieved very good sales performance.

In 2019, we made two product projects at the same time, the LC-BT1 and LC-BT2, because the RC-BT was selling well and some parts did need to be improved in the product scheme. Among them, the LC-BT2 was assumed to go with higher sound quality and support multiple high-bit-rate products. So it came with a neckband design to include a larger battery. While the LC-BT1 still takes the design of the RC-BT with a direct-wearing form.

The original plan was to name the LC-BT1 as RC-BT PRO as an improved model of the RC-BT. It is expected that the R&D process would be short. So we can release it first half a year ahead of the LC-BT2, making the LC-BT2 the higher-end model supporting more Bluetooth formats with better sound quality.

However, if the story went on in this way, things would be easier. The reality was that after the LC-BT1 project was established, it took 2 years for the development before it went on the market. And the planned late LC-BT2 was a full year ahead of the LC-BT1. What has happened here?

First of all, plastic molds cost a lot. After all, Bluetooth cables are not a mainstream product. The LC-BT1 was modified from the RC-BT mold. There were many problems with modified plastic molds, which led to repeated modification to the molds to meet our quality requirements.

Secondly, due to space limits, we spent a lot of time on circuit debugging and antenna efficiency to meet the requirements for the new participation of the DAC. Qualcomm said that FiiO was kind of the only one that used QCC3005 to connect to the DAC.

Then came the COVID-19. Due to the shortage of development and supplier resources, we had to distribute development resources to other projects, which led to delays in its development. When the design was finally decided and the production got set, we ran into a shortage of chip supply, leading to late delivery.
In conclusion, we had a plan to produce it as a gift for the FD5 in November, but it was delayed until the beginning of January to send the LC-BT1 to our users.

 

[FiiO]

Chapter 2 Born at Gloomy Times, but Survive Thanks to Uniqueness​

As mentioned earlier, the LC-BT1 is an upgraded version of our hot-selling RC-BT yet with huge improvements in all aspects. See the attached pictures for a detailed introduction. But to be honest, due to the delay in research and development, it missed the best release time. At present, FiiO has the following Bluetooth products for mobile phones and earphones.

1. Bluetooth cable: such as the LC-BT1, LC-BT2;
2, True wireless ear hooks: such as the UTWS1, UTWS3;
3. Bluetooth DAC/Amp: such as the uBTR, BTR1K, BTR3K, BTR5, etc.
According to our own sales data, Bluetooth DAC/Amps are currently the champions. From the popular BTR1, to the BTR3, and the BTR5, the latter generation is stronger than the former one with better sales volumes. From my personal point of view, Bluetooth DAC/Amps are more compatible with almost all wired earphones. It also has a powerful balanced port which has higher output power and strong performance. Additionally, it can be used as a USB decoder, better for audiophiles.
As for the question about whether it is more suitable for users in terms of sound quality, size, price, weight and function, it still needs time for verification in the future.

The second is the true wireless ear hooks. From the UTWS1, we have basically figured out the market and confirmed our assumption. For one thing, the true wireless ear hook meets the needs of audiophiles for convenience. For another, it is more playable. You can match it with a lot of earphones you like, or you can take out your replaceable earphones and turn them into practical TWS earplugs. We will stay optimistic about this market, especially with great improvements of the UTWS3 compared to the UTWS1. Basically, it has got rid of all the shortcomings of the UTWS1. Of course, due to the conservative sales forecast and insufficient supply, its future development will have to wait before the market gives us a clear answer.

Later, I would like to talk about the market of the LC-BT1 and LC-BT2, whose biggest common feature is the use of an independent DAC.

In fact, around 2010, we had considered the idea of Bluetooth DAC/Amps, and we bought a lot of Sony's Bluetooth receivers for testing. But in the end, we gave up because the audio performance did not meet the requirements. The main problems were that the high-frequency is distorted (too dry) with audible noises, and there was too much noise floor. According to our analysis, these problems occurred mainly because the Bluetooth receiving chip, which was the core component of digital audio technology, was made as an integrated one for power consumption, size and cost limitation. After all, these chips were not for the HIFI market, so their audio performance was just something with sounds.

Therefore, we waited until Qualcomm CSR63215 (a Bluetooth receiver chip) which allows independent DAC chips came to the world. We immediately developed the first-generation Bluetooth headphone amplifier, the BTR1, which was a great success in the market.

We can see that an independent DAC did make sense in improving sound quality. At least the audio performance can catch up with some entry-level HiFi products.

Therefore, although LC-BT1/BT2 is not as good as Bluetooth decoding amps such as BTR5, it is not as convenient to use as true wireless products such as UTWS3. But on the other hand, the Bluetooth cable does achieve a good balance between sound quality and convenience. Even without sacrificing convenience, the sound quality is still stronger than UTWS3.

More importantly, we didn't even think about making money on this project since we knew that the LC-BT1 was not released at the right time. So we priced it even close to the cost.

In conclusion, the LC-BT1 is excellent both in terms of price and sound quality. Not only does it have good sound quality, but also it is very convenient. If you are not satisfied with the sound quality of the UTWS3, and think that the BTR5 is cumbersome, the LC-BT1 will be a wise choice!

 

[frank2908]

what is the length and weight of the cable?

 

[FiiO]

Chapter 3 A Simple Summary​

The LC-BT1 is a product between Bluetooth true wireless ear hooks and Bluetooth DAC/Amps. Considering that the existing true wireless ear hooks, including the FiiO's, do not have an independent DAC solution, those who are sensitive to sound quality, especially the noise floor, and want to make the connection with high-sensitivity earplugs, it is suggested to choose the LC-BT1.

Because the LC-BT1 missed the best time to go public, we gave it the pricing not for making money, but for our users. Frankly speaking, if we work out the research and development costs, this project must lose our money. So, this pricing is really just for making friends.

The LC-BT1 adopts a magnetic charging design with greatly enhanced waterproof ability that can easily deal with sweats in daily use.

The LC-BT1 is equipped with 2 charging cables. So you don't have to worry if it is lost. Also, you can put one at home and the other at the office for more convenience.

We planned to produce LC-BT1 in limited quantities with only one batch. So it would be discontinued once it's sold out.

In the end, it is likely that TWS ear hooks will have more development in the future. Therefore, Bluetooth cables ought to disappear completely from our product line in 2022.

 

[Lowtech Trevor]

I have both the BTR5 and the UTWS3, they serve their individual purposes really well! My BTR5 stays connected to my computer via USB (for the most part) and used while working. I love that I can simply unplug it from my computer and receive a call on my phone or just have it connected via BT to both devises. I think the sound quality and functionally is great. I have my UTWS3 connected with cheaper earphones, great for watching shows on my Ipad or when working out. They are a great "grab and go" option
If you could ever get all the the BTR5 has to offer into a more "wearable" format, I think it would be incredible!

 

[FiiO]

Chapter 4 Finale, the Evolution of Bluetooth Cables​

In 2016, at the Launch Event of the Guangzhou Headphone Exhibition, we proposed the strategy of Bluetooth HiFi, and also disclosed our earliest assumption of Bluetooth cables.

After actually getting started, we found that there was a gap between ideal and reality, making the Bluetooth cable became a Bluetooth amp with the original pendant becoming a complete entity. Rooted from the BTR1 and followed by the uBTR, BTR3, BTR5, and the transitional models, the BTR1K and BTR3K, we FiiO finally were able to stand at the top of this segmentation in the market.

Then there was the disappearance of the pendant. After sacrificing audio performance, the RC-BT was developed in a purer form as just a Bluetooth cable. Then there were the LC-BT1 and LC-BT2. It can be said that by the LC-BT2, this form has come to an end.

Undoubtedly, starting from the RC-BT, the form was further simplified as of the UTWS1 with the popularization of TWS. And later it came to the UTWS3, which would be kind of the stable form of this type of product. Of course, there will be a lot of room for development in the future in terms of audio performance and functions.

In the future, we FiiO will continue to work on Bluetooth DAC/Amps and TWS Bluetooth ear hooks, providing you with better and higher-quality products. Following our original aspiration, we will make more audio products that are easy to use with better sound quality.