FiiO BTR13 Review: Upgrade or Sidegrade?

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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…

FiiO’s BTR Series has been making waves in the audiophile community for many years, and for good reason.

These small, highly portable Bluetooth Amp/DAC combos are incredibly convenient and perfect for on the go, but they also work well for chilling on the couch when you want to listen to some tunes, uninterrupted.

You know, that sweet, sweet, rest and relaxation alooooone time when it’s just you and the music.

That said, they ain’t like pOkeyman and you don’t have to collect them all.

One will do just fine, pig.

Today we’ll take a look at another one of them; this time the BTR13 version of Alone Time and find out if it’s worth a purchase; discussing things like build, features, versatility, sound, and more.

By the end of this article, you’ll know if it’s right for you, and if it isn’t, I’ll steer you in the direction of something that is.

Deal?

Cool.

Let’s dive in!

All specs, box contents, and pricing towards the end.

FiiO’s lightweight and nimble, 26g BTR13 acts as a soundcard and Bluetooth decoder for phones, supporting the HD Bluetooth codec LDAC and providing a hassle-free way to listen to music on the go, at your desk, out west, while you rest, and it also helps with stress.

With its dual CS43131 DACs, it’s fully balanced and comes with a 4.4mm jack in addition to the standard 3.5mm.

The 0.96-inch color IPS display (bi-lingual) and font/color choices are a lot more attractive than the stone-age-looking, grampa interface of the BTR15, but the kicker is the BTR13 has less power overall.

That said, it easily trumps the BTR3K. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

BTR3K

Output Power: 25mW @ 32Ω Unbalanced, 78mW @ 32Ω Balanced (2.5mm)

BTR5

Output Power: 80mW @ 32Ω Unbalanced, 220mW @ 32Ω Balanced (2.5mm)

BTR13

Output Power 1: L+R≥100mW+100mW (32Ω SE, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 2: L+R≥10mW+10mW (300Ω SE, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 3: L+R≥220mW+220mW (32Ω BAL, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 4: L+R≥55mW+55mW (300Ω BAL, THD+N < 1%)

BTR15

Output Power 1: L+R≥125mW+125mW (32Ω single-ended/THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 2: L+R≥15mW+15mW (300Ω single-ended/THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 3: L+R≥340mW+340mW (32Ω balanced/THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 4: L+R≥50mW+50mW (300Ω balanced/THD+N < 1%)

The shape of the BTR13 is also less rounded off and more angular than 15, but they both more or less function in the same ways.

BTR15 is asleep like a Grampa would be.

On the side, you’ll find the microphone, Power button, multifunction button (Reconnect, Play/Pause/Answer/Hang Up/Cancel a Call/Force a Pairing/Activate Voice Assistant, Confirm Menu), the volume + and -/next/previous track/switch submenus, and the mode switch (PC/BT/Phone).

PC Mode: Connect to a computer for use as a USB DAC and headphone amp, powered completely by your PC.
Bluetooth Mode: Bluetooth decoder and headphone amplifier, powered by the internal battery, can be charged by USB.
Phone Mode: Connect to a phone as a USB DAC audio dongle, powered by the internal battery.

The bottom contains the USB Type-C charging/decoding port.

This time around, the back clip is attached to the unit instead of being a separate clear plastic piece. I think I prefer this as it makes everything more streamlined and simple, but your mileage may vary.

Speaking of mileage, the BTR13 comes equipped with car mode, allowing you to turn the unit on and off with your car and also improving the sound quality of the car audio if it happens to be lacking.

As alluded to earlier, one of the best things about the BTR series is its versatility and convenience.

The main draw is using it wirelessly with a phone, but you can also use it in wired mode with your PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, etc. though we’ll touch on console use in a bit.

For adjustment of various functions and OTA upgrades, download the FiiO Control App for your phone.

This affords you some neat PEQ (Parametric EQ) functionality and is a nice little add-on for those weird tweakers who like to mess with stuff.

They could have included a USB-C to lightning adapter for iPhone users (or a simple USB-C to lightning cable), and I’m unsure of why they haven’t gotten the memo yet since Apple phones make up a large chunk of the demographic.

Fortunately, I have a Go Link which comes with one, and I also have a lightning cable, so I wasn’t completely SOL for wired duties. Still, I strongly urge FiiO to add this in the future.

Sound

Headphones Used: FiiO FT1, AKG K702, more soon!
Source(s): Spotify, PS4, FLAC
Playlists: Here, Here, and Here!

Though I don’t believe in “sound” differences between DACs, I tested the BTR15 and BTR13 side by side for you, dear reader.

Please, please keep in mind that even if there were differences in “sound” between them, they’d have to be measured at identical signal levels as John Seaber of JDS Labs points out in this video.

This is HUGELY important and must be done correctly, otherwise, your impressions are flawed from the start and not valid. Any sound differences people hear when comparing on their own are likely just volume discrepancies or placebo. I say this with over 70 Amps & DACs worth of experience dating back to 2017 or thereabouts.

This is why I hesitate to compare the 2 as it’s very hard to achieve identical signal levels without a dedicated rig (as John uses).

In any event, the music sounds exactly the same through each DAC, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in it. All differences in sound are solely attributed to the source file and how the track was engineered, then the headphones.

In terms of a clean backdrop, sure. The BTR13 has excellent specs, low output impedance, and easily surpasses the 90dB SINAD standard with a 128dB rating.

Required Reading: What Is Signal To Noise Ratio?

Is The BTR13 Compatible With PS4?

Yes, but it takes max volume on both the device and my PS4 settings to achieve comfortable loudness. You’ll have no headroom, but it does get almost eerily close to being the perfect amount of “loud” FWIW.

But as I mentioned to a reader in the K11 review, I’m in no way relying on any BTR for full-time gaming duties. For that, a separate rig is required in my opinion. I’m not a headroom WHORE like some people, but I do prefer at least some.

Final Verdict

The BTR13 is another DAC in the lineup that improves a few things while remaining a side-grade in other aspects. Most notably, power output, while better than a BTR3K, is essentially the same as the BTR5 and worse than a BTR15.

You may find it more attractive than a Grampa BTR15 (I certainly do), but there’s no reason for me to buy one when I can just recommend what I’ve always recommended: The mighty ighty BTR5-ey . If you think you’ll need more power, go with the lean mean Grampa BTR15:

The BTR5 is still my main squeeze of the series, and until FiiO dramatically improves the lineup in some way, it’s what I’ll be recommending to those looking for a fantastic Bluetooth DAC that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

You may ask, what about power? Wouldn’t you rather have the BTR15? Meh. I’ve always found the BTR5 more than powerful enough with anything I have lying around.

NEXT: FIIO BTR5 OFFICIAL REVIEW

FiiO BTR13

Price: Check Amazon

In The Box

1x BTR13

1x Screen protector (pre-installed)

1x Dual Type-C Data Cable

1x Lanyard

1x Quick Start Guide

1x Warranty Card

Specifications

Bluetooth Chip: QCC5125 (CPU+DSP dual-core architecture)
DAC: CS43131*2
Bluetooth Version: 5.1
Bluetooth Codecs Supported: AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX LL/ aptX Adaptive/aptX HD/LDAC
USB DAC: Driver-free PCM 96k
Display: 0.96-inch 80×160 color IPS
Headphone Outputs: Single-ended 3.5mm + balanced 4.4mm
In-line controls: Supports CTIA standard; play/pause/volume controls supported
Dimensions: About 63.2x30x18.8mm including back clip
Weight: About 28.6g
Charging Time: ≤2 hours
Battery Life: About 8 hours
Output Power 1: L+R≥100mW+100mW (32Ω SE, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 2: L+R≥10mW+10mW (300Ω SE, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 3: L+R≥220mW+220mW (32Ω BAL, THD+N < 1%)
Output Power 4: L+R≥55mW+55mW (300Ω BAL, THD+N < 1%)
Frequency Response: 20Hz~40kHz (-3dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥128dB (A-weighted)
Noise Floor: PO < 1µV (A-weighted); BAL < 1µV (A-weighted)
Output Impedance: <0.6Ω (32Ω load)
THD+N: < 0.0018% (1kHz/-4dB@32Ω)

Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this FiiO BTR13 Review and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please leave them down below or Contact me!!

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