Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!
Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions, so…
The FiiO BTR15 is a portable Bluetooth Headphone Amplifier + DAC that can also be used wired with a phone or PC via its USB Type-C port.
It has plenty of power for 99% of headphones, sports a neutral output impedance, has both balanced (4.4mm) and unbalanced (3.5mm) options, and contains a clear, easy-to-read interface.
Buttons/switches on the side include volume + and -, a power button, as well as a mode switch (Bluetooth, Phone, PC).
Internally, the BTR15 contains an independent power supply system for its ES9219MQ DAC Chip and outputs a total of 340mW of power at 32Ω.
Power Output:
- 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%)
Total Harmonic Distortion numbers also see an improvement over the BTR5, coming in at <0.0008% vs. <0.002% for the BTR5.
You’re not going to be able to discern these tiny fractions of a percentage, but the difference should be noted.
- Related: What Is Total Harmonic Distortion?
The convenience of the BTR15 is excellent, but it is lighter and doesn’t feel as durable as the BTR5, despite being thicker.
FiiO says the glass encompassing the unit is now “Dual Curved Glass” which has been hot-bent and embedded on both the front and rear of the device.
From FiiO:
Marketing speak aside, it’s not any easier to hold than the BTR5, so take that for what it’s worth.
Comfortably fitting in the palm of your hand, the BTR15 is outfitted with the Qualcomm QCC5125 Bluetooth Chip + XMOS 16-core XU316.
It supports LDAC/aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC, with sample rates up to 96kHz.
PC and phone modes support asynchronous decoding up to 384kHz/32-bit PCM and DSD256.
It also happens to be a full decoder, so if you use Tidal it’s a viable option.
Battery Protection
One nifty addition I like is that FiiO implemented battery degradation prevention by implementing a measure to stop it from charging when it’s fully charged.
This is a real issue with tech like phones, etc. where, over time, the battery holds less and less of a charge because it was left plugged into an outlet for too long at 100%.
What’s Stayed The Same
- I’m not sure if the BTR5 was Asynchronous, but the BTR15 is, and all 3 (3K, 5, 15) support 32-bit/384kHz files + DSD256.
- Both the BTR5 and BTR15 contain the ES9219 chip, but the implementation is a bit different. More on that in a second.
- Both have an Output Impedance of less than 1.
- Both have a 550mAh battery.
- Both utilize aluminum alloy bodies.
- Both have mode features like Gain, Filter, EQ, Car Mode, etc. Just search “FiiO Control” in your App Store.
- Both have a USB-C slot for connection to Phones and PCs.
- Both can take calls.
Chip Implementation
At A Glance
- Bluetooth Chip: QCC5125 (CPU+DSP dual-core architecture)
- Bluetooth Version: 5.1
- USB Chip: XMOS XU316
- DAC: ES9219MQ*2
- Bluetooth Codecs: AAC/SBC/aptX/aptX LL/aptX Adaptive/aptX HD/LDAC
- USB DAC: Asynchronous 384kHz/32bit, DSD256
- USB DAC driver-free mode: Supported
- Display: 0.96-inch 96×96 resolution OLED
- Headphone outs: Single-ended 3.5mm + Balanced 4.4mm
- Dimensions: About 32.0mmx72.2mmx12.5mm
- Weight: About 37.3g
- Charging Time: <2h
- Battery: 550mAh high-temperature resistant lithium-ion
- Battery Life: About 8 Hours
- 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%)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz~50kHz (-0.8dB)
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥122dB (A-weighted)
- Noise floor: PO < 2μV (A-weighted); BAL <2.7μV (A-weighted)
- Output Impedance: PO < 1Ω (32Ω load), BAL < 1.5Ω (32Ω load)
- THD+N: <0.0008% (1kHz/32kΩ)
In The Box
1x BTR15
1x Type-C to Type-C Data Cable
1x USB-A To USB-C Adapter
1x Removable Back Clip
Quick Start Guide
Warranty Card
Photo Gallery
Well, that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this FiiO BTR15 review and came away with some valuable insight.
If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreon and discover all the value I have to offer you.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Could you see yourself with a BTR15? Why or why not? I would love to hear your thoughts. Until next time…
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
2 comments
Hello!
With more sensitive IEMs, do the first steps of the volume knob allow me to get a very low sound or does it start at a relatively high volume?I ask this because I bought the xduoo xp2 pro and when I used it with sensitive IEMs the initial volume was already high, which I didn’t like
Hey man!
Just tested this out for you with the Westone Pro X10’s that I just so happened to receive for demo recently. They are 114dB Sensitivity and yes, the first steps of the volume knob with the Q15 are very quiet. I’d say it doesn’t start getting loud until around 24-30 steps, so plenty of room. Hope that helps! Let me know.
-Stu