[Dsnuts]

Do any of you guys have a favorable pairing of the Zen pro and a good dongle?
I'm on Android and currently using the E1DA 9038SG3 and it's great but my Fiio FD5 does hiss a bit from it. Since the Zen pro is approximately 6dB more sensitive I'm looking for quieter dongles.
Budget below $250.

Fiios BTR7 will change your life. Lol. Thing is amazing for its sheer power, SQ with a clean hiss free background making them perfect for IEMs and its usability. How's about a dongle with no cables.

 

[nishan99]

Fiios BTR7 will change your life. Lol. Thing is amazing for its sheer power, SQ with a clean hiss free background making them perfect for IEMs and its usability. How's about a dongle with no cables.

I can't get used to the Bluetooth sound :/

 

[Dsnuts]

Hey dont knock it till you try it. LDAC on that thing sound no less dynamic than anything I have ever tried that is wired. BTR7 does wired via your phone as well. Can't tell much of a difference wired or wireless. You asked for some nicer sources to use with your Zen I am merely suggesting.

I do a lot of IEM reviews and I have been using the BTR7 since I got the thing as one of the sources I use. It punches way above its price point for SQ and its power is unequalled among smaller form wireless dongles. Thats my take on them. Haven't heard an IEM that didnt like that thing. In any case. Hope you find what your looking for.

 

[nishan99]

Hey dont knock it till you try it. LDAC on that thing sound no less dynamic than anything I have ever tried that is wired. BTR7 does wired via your phone as well. Can't tell much of a difference wired or wireless. You asked for some nicer sources to use with your Zen I am merely suggesting.

I do a lot of IEM reviews and I have been using the BTR7 since I got the thing as one of the sources I use. It punches way above its price point for SQ and its power is unequalled among smaller form wireless dongles. Thats my take on them. Haven't heard an IEM that didnt like that thing. In any case. Hope you find what your looking for.

It's not about the dynamics, it's that Bluetooth haze/muddiness in the upper mids and up. I tried all LDAC and aptx codecs and none of them get rid of that BT mud.

How is the noise floor of the BTR7 wired via the phone USB with the Zen?

 

[Dsnuts]

It's not about the dynamics, it's that Bluetooth haze/muddiness in the upper mids and up. I tried all LDAC and aptx codecs and none of them get rid of that BT mud.

How is the noise floor of the BTR7 wired via the phone USB with the Zen?

My most sensitive IEMs are 10 ohm Yanyin Moonlight. CA andromeda S and Solaris. None of them have hiss using it. I did a review for Fiio for them and they are excellent for IEMs. Sound has a nice clean black background. The thing was made mostly for IEM use but can easily drive up to 300 Ohm headphones.

If you read any of the reviews for the BTR7 you're not going to read anything about haze or muddiness or hiss for IEMs. Fiio this year has brought out some of their best stuff to date. Their BTR7 is a marvel of engineering.

I am not gonna suggest a product to headfiers that is going to have low sound quality and I am an IEM reviewer and I purposefully use the BTR7 as one of my sources I test out IEMs with. Zen is not gonna be an issue on the BTR7. Will drive them with substantial power and most importantly the SQ is way better than you think. Look up some reviews. I essentially agree with all of them. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-btr7.25949/reviews#review-29164

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

It's not about the dynamics, it's that Bluetooth haze/muddiness in the upper mids and up. I tried all LDAC and aptx codecs and none of them get rid of that BT mud.

How is the noise floor of the BTR7 wired via the phone USB with the Zen?

My most sensitive IEMs are 10 ohm Yanyin Moonlight. CA andromeda S and Solaris. None of them have hiss using it. I did a review for Fiio for them and they are excellent for IEMs. Sound has a nice clean black background. The thing was made mostly for IEM use but can easily drive up to 300 Ohm headphones.

If you read any of the reviews for the BTR7 you're not going to read anything about haze or muddiness or hiss for IEMs. Fiio this year has brought out some of their best stuff to date. Their BTR7 is a marvel of engineering.

I am not gonna suggest a product to headfiers that is going to have low sound quality and I am an IEM reviewer and I purposefully use the BTR7 as one of my sources I test out IEMs with. Zen is not gonna be an issue on the BTR7. Will drive them with substantial power and most importantly the SQ is way better than you think. Look up some reviews. I essentially agree with all of them. https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-btr7.25949/reviews#review-29164

Confirming here as the BTR7 is my daily source. No major issues here with hiss or noise.