FiiO BTR13 Dongle DAC
With its ultra-lightweight body of only 28.6g, the BTR13 is a perfect blend of easy portability and high performance. Relying on the built-in amplifier’s independent power supply system to maximize performance, the BTR13 has its balanced output power soared to 220mW+220mW, increased by a staggering 282% compared to the previous BTR3K, which is the top of the power output of similar products with the same chip.
With the three-position toggle switch, conveniently switch between the PC/BT/PHONE modes for the BTR13 to work as a computer sound card, Bluetooth decoder, and audio dongle, respectively. Not only does it eliminate the tedious setting of switching between different devices, but it also meets your needs for multiple scenarios in one tiny device.
Specs
| Headphone Jacks | 3.5mm (unbalanced) and 4.4mm (balanced) |
| DACs | Dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 (fully-balanced) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz~40kHz (-3dB) |
Three modes for three use cases
The most interesting thing about FiiO BTR13 is its versatility. It has a three-position switch that allows you to toggle between three different settings depending on how what device you’re using it with.
When connected to your computer (Mac or PC) via an included USB-C to USB-C cable, there’s a “PC” setting that turns the FiiO BTR13 into a USB DAC/amp. In this setting, the FiiO BTR13 is powered from your computer.
When connected to your smartphone (iPhone or Android) via the included USB-C to USB-C cable, there’s a “Phone” setting that turns the FiiO BTR13 into a USB DAC (but not an amplifier). The other difference is that it depends on its own built-in battery for power.
(See below for the third mode.)
There’s built-in Bluetooth, too
Finally, there’s a Bluetooth (or “BT”) mode that turns the FiiO BTR13 into a headphone amp and Bluetooth decoder; this gives you more flexibility to listen to wired headphones without having to be directly tethered to your smartphone or laptop. In this mode, the BTR13 relies on its built-in battery.
The BTR13 has a Qualcomm QCC5125 Bluetooth chip that allows it to stream higher-resolution audio files, including aptX HD and LDAC (the highest-quality files that Bluetooth supports).
When in Bluetooth mode, the BTR13 supports the following Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, and LDAC. However, it is limited to the highest-quality codec that your device supports. If you have an iPhone, which doesn’t support aptX HD and LDAC, it tops out AAC files.
Further details
The FiiO BTR13 is a portable DAC/amp that will work with most wired headphones. It features dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 fully-balanced DACs and features both 3.5mm (unbalanced) and 4.4mm (balanced) headphone jacks.
In addition to the toggle switch for the different modes, there are buttons for playback, volume controls, and power on the BTR13, as well. There’s a full-color 0.96-inch screen that shows the audio format and the sampling rate of the music you’re listening to, too.
On the back of the BTR13, there’s an integrated clip for gripping your jacket or strap. That way, you won’t have to feel the BTR13 — which weighs 28.6 grams — dangling awkwardly at your side.
The BTR13 supports 10-band PEQ tuning in all operating modes. With FIIO’s self-developed tuning algorithms and APP, or the web-based interface, you can independently adjust the tuning style more in line with your personal preferences, use FIIO’s preset sound effects and headphone curves online, as well as importing well-known headphone curves shared by audiophiles with just one tap, truly allowing you to experience PEQ easily.
Price and availability
The FiiO BTR13 costs just $64, making it easily one of the more affordable portable DAC/amps.
It’ll be available in September in two different finishes, black or blue.
