Nine Upgrades On FiiO BTR7 That Makes It The Flagship Bluetooth DAC: BTR7 Vs BTR5

Last week, FiiO introduced some new products into its ever-growing collection of HiFi audio gears. This includes the much-awaited flagship-grade Bluetooth DAC/AMP, the FiiO BTR7. BTR7 is now gonna lead the range of portable Bluetooth DAC/AMPs from FiiO with its spectacular technicalities. FiiO has equipped the device with multiple latest features such as premium Dual DACs, THX AA amplification, Colourful IPS Display, Independent Audio Circuitry, 4.4mm Balanced(plus 3.5mm single-ended) headphone connection, Wireless charging support, etc. When you put the BTR7 against the previous flagship that was the BTR5, you see FiiO has designed an entirely new device with drastic improvements in every single department. Today, we will be sharing the top technical updates with the BTR7 that just make it a worthy successor to the BTR5. So without any further ado, let’s begin.

Brand-New Bluetooth Chip from Qualcomm:-

BTR7 comes with a brand new QCC5124 DAC chip from Qualcomm that offers unmatched Bluetooth V5.1 connectivity. BTR5 featured CSR8675 which is also an acclaimed Bluetooth chipset it offers Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity, QCC5124 is the latest and offers a more stable operation. With these latest Bluetooth chips, both the devices support high-resolution wireless transmission codecs including LDAC, AptX HD, etc. For new guys, the LDAC codec supports transmission of high-bitrate audio signals at 24-Bit/96kHz bitrate ensuring excellent performance with ultimate clarity.

Powerful & Lively Output With THX Amplifiers:-

FiiO has got expertise in implementing THX amplification chips in portable devices. The latest BTR7 features dual THX AA-28 amp chips, the same chips they used in the highly-acclaimed Q3 Portable USB DAC/AMP. The THX AA-28 amp chips provide exceptionally powerful yet clean and noise-free output through the compact BTR7. The output is surely gonna be cleaner than what we had with the BTR5!!

Premium Upgraded Dual DAC Chipset:-

FiiO has upgraded the DAC chipset from ES9218Cx2 in the BTR5 to the ES9219Cx2 DAC chips in the BTR7. ES9219C offers better performance with better SNR, Dynamic range, and cleaner sound performance. While both the DACs are 32-Bit ones, ES9219C is the latest gen and will offer a cleaner performance. FiiO released an update on the BTR5, calling it the BTR5 2021. It featured the dual ES9219C DAC chipset same as the BTR7.

Exceptional Audio Performance With Independent Audio Architecture:-

FiiO BTR7 delivers exceptional audio clarity with a wide dynamic range and lower distortion. This is achieved by an independent audio circuitry consisting of Dual DACs + Low-Pass Filter + HiFi-grade THX amplifier chips.

Balanced Connections Upgraded With Latest 4.4mm Termination:-

FiiO has upgraded the balanced port on the BTR7. BTR5 featured a 2.5mm balanced connection, which is now upgraded to the latest 4.4mm headphone port. Along with the 4.4mm balanced port, a single-ended 3.5mm port is also present on the BTR7(Also available on BTR5). So users will be able to easily pair their headphones and IEMs with both balanced and single-ended terminations with the BTR7.

Bright, Colourful IPS Display:-

While most of the previous-gen Bluetooth DAC/AMPs either had no display or featured a small OLED display, the brand-new BTR7 brings a wonderful 1.3” IPS display. It has an intuitive look with a colorful user interface and displays different functions like active bitrate, active volume, active BT codec, etc. BTR5 featured a simple OLED display.

Latest-Generation Mechanical-Grade Form Factor:-

BTR7 has got an amazing solid form factor with a patented design. The metallic antenna is seamlessly integrated into the device. Its form factor is very identical to the latest-gen devices from FiiO such as the M11 Plus series, and the M17 flagship digital audio player. BTR5 on the other hand also features an impressive build, but BTR7 has got new looks.

Wireless Charging Support:-

New to the BTR series is the wireless charging support with the BTR7. Recharge your BTR7 anytime anywhere with any Qi Protocol wireless charger. BTR7 is the first in the series to bring wireless charging to Portable Bluetooth DAC/AMPs. It can also be charged using Type-C wire.

One-Click Dongle Mode:-

BTR7 can also be used as a Portable USB DAC/AMP. Users will be able to use it as a USB DAC with a simple one-click dongle mode. BTR7 is specially optimized for delivering top-quality performance as a USB DAC. The switch is available on the side of the device. BTR5 can also be used as a USB DAC but it didn’t have a one-click dongle mode.

Similar Features on Both BTR5 and BTR7:-

The above-mentioned features are all the multiple upgrades that we have got with the BTR7 over the BTR5. But there are several features that both the devices share. This includes Hi-Res USB decoding, MQA rendering, and the same 2nd gen XMOS XU208 USB processor.

Final Words:-

FiiO BTR7 seems to be a wonderful device. If we follow the brand’s own words, BTR7 rivals premium Hi-Res players with its independent audio architecture. From a technical point of view, it brings several new features to the table. It is now our most anticipated device, we really want to get our hands on a unit as soon as possible!! Fiio BTR7 is available on pre-order with us priced at 219.99$, you can check out more details here.