FiiO BTR5 DAC / Amp Shootout - FiiO vs Shanling vs Astell & Kern

Рет қаралды 24,849

Күн бұрын

A review of the FiiO BTR5 bluetooth / wireless and USB amp and DAC including comparisons with the Astell & Kern XB10, Shanling UP4 and Earmen Eagle. Buy the BTR5 here: tinyurl.com/P4SFiiOBTR5 or the Shanling UP4 here: tinyurl.com/ShanUP4
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Glamour video
01:42 Features & functions
03:29 Power output
04:09 Sound customisation & FiiO app
06:29 Design & controls
07:23 Sound quality
09:42 2nd & 3rd harmonics
10:26 vs Astell & Kern XB10
13:25 vs Shanling UP4
17:28 vs Earmen Eagle
19:20 Final conclusions
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PASSION FOR SOUND GEAR LIST
(Affiliate links to Amazon and Apos Audio help to support the channel - thank you!)
Desktop Sources Playback software: Roon roonlabs.com/r/St5em2YsbUqGXc...
Primary DAC: Chord Hugo TT2 tinyurl.com/y4vys4zq
with Chord M-Scaler tinyurl.com/y6hcm3kw
Secondary DAC: Schiit Bifrost 2 www.schiit.com/products/bifro...
USB cables: Curious Evolved curiouscables.com/
and AudioQuest Coffee amzn.to/3059qiA
Active Speakers: Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 3 Speakers
Amps
Bottlehead Mainline DIY kit tube amplifier bottlehead.com/product/mainli...
Topping A90 tinyurl.com/AposA90
Burson Soloist 3XP www.bursonaudio.com/products/...
Topping L30 headphone amp and pre-amp tinyurl.com/AposL30
Burson Audio FUN: www.bursonaudio.com/products/... with Sparkos Labs SS3601 op-amps: sparkoslabs.com/product/singl...
Headphones (that I regularly use)
Open: Meze Audio Empyrean tinyurl.com/y6gfyquz
Open: Focal Clear amzn.to/37Ihgky
Open: Sennheiser HD800S amzn.to/3oFtUdC
Open: HiFiMan Sundara tinyurl.com/AposSundara
Semi-open: Beyerdynamic DT880 Premium LE massdrop.7eer.net/L6633
or amzn.to/3bBg7xs
Closed: AudioQuest NightOwl Carbon (these may have been discontinued)
Portable
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S10+ amzn.to/37MzTUA
DAC for phone: Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt amzn.to/36AzpAB
Digital audio player: Astell & Kern AK240 Stainless Steel (no longer available) - other A&K players are available here: tinyurl.com/yy9ypfm7
Earphones
Audiofly AF1120 Mk2: amzn.to/2ZoTuHZ
Noble Kaiser 10 custom IEM (discontinued) - universal version available via Drop massdrop.7eer.net/vkaWy
Shozy Form 1.4 amzn.to/3cIL0Az
Tin HiFi T2 Plus amzn.to/3fqCbxu
Bluetooth Headphones / Earphones
Nuraphone amzn.to/2N7G2Tu
AudioFly AFT2 amzn.to/3e8goKx
Nuraloop amzn.to/2HKVZzi
Reviews filmed using:
Sony A7R III: amzn.to/3mnR0nS
Sony FE 24mm F/1.4: amzn.to/3kuHVIf
Audio-Technica ATR3350xiS lapel mic: amzn.to/33qL5Ww
Neewer Bi-color 660 LED lights: amzn.to/2E1BNrh

Пікірлер: 128

@Abhraneil_Bhattacharya 3 жыл бұрын

Your voice is so soothing. In general, my anxiety even kicks when I am watching something as simple as a youtube video but your voice soothed me and all my anxiety was gone. Awesome review man.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad I could be helpful in an unexpected way! 🙂

@saviolajh 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review, Lachlan! Really impressed with the continuing improvement in your video production skills. I'm glad you found the loam of the BTR5 useful. 😊👍

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jeff! Really appreciate the loan. I'm constantly working to improve the videos. Not sure what's next other than being able to afford to rent a space and setup a proper studio, but that's a few thousand subscribers away I think. 🙂

@thiagotrevisandesouza6895 3 жыл бұрын

I do apreciate the wide number of diferent characteristics that you describe in your reviews.Always very informative 👍

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it's helpful. I try to put everything through its paces. Sometimes I discover I've forgotten something, but I do my best 🙂🙂

@najones 3 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to your review of some EarMen products. I have the Eagle and found it very informative to hear your comparison of it to the Btr5. Hopefully you'll be able to do a review of the Donald DAC as I'm considering one for my desktop setup.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi N.A. I've got the Eagle, Sparrow and TRAmp coming up, but I don't have the Donald DAC here yet. I'll see what I can arrange for the future...

@adrianmorrish8494 3 жыл бұрын

Important point to note on btr5 as it has caught a lot of people out, the EQ does not work when using as a USB DAC, the EQ really only works when using Bluetooth, this is true on quite a few of these type of devices and many small dap’s as well

@adrianmorrish8494 3 жыл бұрын

The Qudelix-5K Bluetooth USB DAC AMP does support EQ I all occasions and looks like an excellent device only lacking a screen but with a maybe over complicated but very fully featured app

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Really good to know - thanks, Adrian

@snowrang3r657 3 жыл бұрын

I actually had a BTR5 after watching some hyped up reviews from other YTers. I bought it for on the go but wasn't as blown away as I hoped. Wired it did sound great but I only used that at the office which I no longer go into... now I'm thinking of maybe going with a dongle DAC that will work with my iPhone, as such looking forward to your EarMen device reviews! Yet another reminder why I truly appreciate your honest reviews.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Snow! Yeah, it's just average in my opinion. The EarMen gear is proving interesting. The Eagle review is locked and loaded and the Sparrow review is up for recording tomorrow.

@snowrang3r657 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound Interesting can't wait too see how the Eagle / Sparrow compare to the Dragonfly's!

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

It's clear cut for the Eagle. For the Sparrow, not so much... 🍿

@josephnevin 3 жыл бұрын

Had the same feeling when i got my btr5 and it didn't really blow away my mind like reviewers used to describe. But then I got myself a balanced audio cable for my sennheiser hd599 and connected to that, it was a totally different story. Really opened up the sound on this puppy with that setup.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

The balanced out is definitely better

@Krishna-of1hv 3 жыл бұрын

Nice reviews thanks

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure 🙂

@RyougiVector 3 жыл бұрын

I'd suggest looking at the Qudelix-5K. I think it's basically the BTR5 but better in everyway, from software to sound quality. Compared to the BTR5 over bluetooth: smaller, but same DAC/Amp chips, App is overall more feature-packed and easier to navigate (crossfeed was recently added and it has full PEQ; I can replicate the iSine 10's Reveal EQ in full on the device among 19 other custom ones. Plus it remembers DSP settings even without the app). Range is easily thrice as big. Sound quality is a little more analytical, and there is smart battery management for longer listening sessions. Unique bluetooth connection noises and police car lights for LEDs in the rocker buttons, which are easy enough to learn. Longer battery life. It's a real keeper, imo. I had both the BTR5 and Qudelix-5K and returned the BTR5 after comparing them.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Sounds great! I'll take a look

@carlosnazario1170 3 жыл бұрын

audio sounds great

@housepianist 3 жыл бұрын

I thought I would never find a review like this. I have the A&K XB10 and have used it for years. I also have the Fiio BTR3K which is virtually similar to the BTR5. I have used the BTR3K in both BT and DAC-only mode. I generally use IEMs only and for now, I primarily use the Fiio FA1's which is a single BA device. I love its coherent and smoother overall sound. Your observations are pretty spot-on. The XB10 does sound better than my BTR3K but just in terms of a cleaner and less congested sound. And I never thought of Fiio having a house sound but you are correct on that. However, I find that the BTR3K has some hiss that's noticeable when the music gradually fades out or during a soft section. It normally doesn't bother me most of the time but sometimes it's annoying. However, the XB10 has absolutely zero hiss in my case so I tend to use that more but that doesn't mean I don't use the BTR3K. I like that unit very much, especially for full and dynamic music but when I'm not interested in blasting my eardrums, I always use the XB10. Even with that, I will use these BT modules when I'm on the go so sound quality/noise is not too big of a deal. I have a desktop setup for serious listening (JD Labs O2 headphone amp and DAC) which blows away both of these BT modules but despite that, the BTR3K (BTR5) and the A&K XB10 are still top-notch devices. Great review!

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Randall! Glad you liked the review! 🙂

@jeanlucas5987 2 жыл бұрын

I was looking for to buy a first dac, and my options were the DDhifi tc44b or ikko zerda tm01, they are different in prices, as well as my other options which are Bluetooth ones, they seem to be more versatile. I was considering the btr3k which is cheaper and similar price to the ikko, and the up4 to the tc44b. And then there's the ultimate btr5 that everyone talks about, and I wonder If it's worth it spending that much more money, or would I be just fine with btr3k or up4.

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard the new BTR5, but the UP4 was better than the old one. The Ikko ITM01 is also excellent at the price.

@EnriqSandoval 3 жыл бұрын

Another fantastic review. I would love to hear a Monoprice m1570 review.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Enrique! I have the M1060 V2 here and really like it so I'll see about an M1570 review in the future

@Wyd4 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Mate, I have always struggled to describe what I dont like about the Fiio house sound and you nailed it here. Blunted. If you get a chance try the M11 pro. For me this was the first fiio source device I have genuinely enjoyed the sound of. It is a bit of a departure from what I was used to from my experience from the Gen1 x7, x5iii and any of their dac/amps along the way. I also parted ways with the BRT5 for the same reason.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I've heard similar comments just recently about the M11 Pro and M15 too I think. I'll try to give them a go sometime. Glad I've given your the term you can use for your previous FiiO experiences 😉

@nathansantos.n8 3 жыл бұрын

is the BTR5 warmer than the UP4? how is the soundstage compared to each other? and just to share: my gear is sundara, moondrop ssr & aria on a topping E30+L30 and preference is toward the more analytical side and not much for warm signatures.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Nathan, I have neither product here anymore so I can't tell you anymore than what's in the review. From memory, I'd say they're about the same in tonality, but the BTR5 has that weird kind of blunting of the sound so it comes across a bit muted versus the UP4.

@jb678901 2 жыл бұрын

I bought the BTR5K on discount during holiday sales and it should arrive soon from custom's. My reasoning for the purchase...The Quedelix 5 was out of stock on Amazon. That being said, I am playing my music mostly from one of two sources...the mobile and the PC (Windows 10). The BTR5K will be my mobile accessory for wired IEM's, else I will simply use a DAC dongle. For the PC, listening is predominantly via IEM through AptxHD BT 5.2 earhooks (KZ AZ09 Pro's, with QCC3040). Here I have opted for the FiiO BTA30Pro, a BT transmitter that can deliver HD hifi quality (Aptx HD, LDAC) from my PC-based music library. The earhooks have QDC connection, but I also purchased QDC to 2-pin adapters for many of my standard 2-pin IEM's. Hard to go back to cable after having had experienced this convenience, comfort, battery life and sound quality. These BT earhooks are so nice I bought a second set on discount for only $26.

@akntaskiran6755 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your detailed explanation. I want to ask Before buying xb10: I want to use it in my car. Now, I have Morel sound system in my car. I use Deezer HiFi (flac) for music stream. I connect my iphone with 3.5 mm jack to my car’s sound system. Will xb10 make quality of sound? Thanks in advance.

@turboborg 3 жыл бұрын

Great review. Very thoughtful and detailed. I find the swiss army knife functionality of the btr5 very appealing. I would mostly be using as a wired USB DAC. In saying that. In some reviews I have read they claim the btr5 in USB DAC mode had lag? Did you notice any latency when using the btr5 as a USB DAC, or for the earmen eagle? Appreciate if you can give some feedback or anyone else here in the comments if you have the device. Thanks again for the review!

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi turboborg, I didn't test for lag so can't say - sorry! I only notice lag when testing desktop DACs because I get to use them for video editing, etc. For mobile DACs I tend to focus only on music from my phone and maybe laptop.

@GinsenLu 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Does the dual dac of Fiio BTR5 work with the single-ended or it's only on balanced ?

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I can't recall anymore - sorry. Maybe take a look on the website and see if they talk about a "turbo" mode or something similar. These designs normally feature something like that when you can manually trigger additional power output by using both DACs for single ended use

@shameermohamed4345 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for comparing fiio btr 5 with xb10 cuz,.i already owned xb10 as you said it sounds great And most importantly it's 3k less :), came to a conclusion that ,just for usb c and better battery backup no need to buy fiio Btr5 Thannnnkkkksss 👍

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure. Glad I saved you some money!

@shameermohamed4345 2 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound 👍 :)

@svilleda237 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, which of all this devices is in your opinion the one sounds better ?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

For pure sound quality (assuming the hiss won't be an issue for you and the earphones/headphones you're using) I'd say the XB10 from Astell & Kern is the best

@rajasankar1245 3 жыл бұрын

Ibasso DC03, could you review and compare the sound?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Raja, I'll see if I can get one to review

@sorcerermax5111 3 жыл бұрын

Does an IEM with an inline Mic work with BTR5? to be able to skip tracks or pause directly from the IEM?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

The BTR5 provides the microphone for calls and comes with a clip you can use to attach the BTR5 to your lapel or similar if you're making calls

@Steph.98114 3 жыл бұрын

the inline mic on your iems wont work but it has a mic on the btr5

@KTZ_86 3 жыл бұрын

I'm really curious about how the BTR5 fares against (non bluetooth, USB mode) DACs like the Audioquest Cobalt or the Ztella DAC. Right now I'm in a dilemma between choosing bluetooth or wired for quality. I've A/B the BTR5 (wired) a bit vs my smartphone (Xperia 1 mark2) via Campfire Audio Polaris v2 headphones, and i *think* my phone actually sounds better (yeah, i know, much more limited power output but for 17ohm IEMs I can't go full volume anyway, and I'm much more intereste din SQ - soundstage, clarity, separation). The Audioquest i'm interested in as a reference, but the Ztella DAC is really attractive - it supports headphones with in-line mics and does MQA.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Vadim, I compared the BTR5 to the EarMen Eagle and the Eagle was slightly better for IEMs. The Eagle is quite a bit better than the DragonFly Red, but not quite as good as the DragonFly Cobalt so I'd say the Cobalt is comfortably better than the BTR5. I haven't yet heard the Ztella.

@KTZ_86 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound you are GODDAMN RIGHT , M8! Just bought the Audioquest Cobalt and it's not only "comfortably" better, it blows the BTR5 out of the water (I'm using the Campfire Audio Polaris v2). The BTR5 has now been relegated to in-car use.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the BTR5 can't stand up to a Cobalt. Great option for the car though!

@davidwright2379 Жыл бұрын

Hi Lachlan, would the btr5 drive a pair of sennheiser hd600 when using a mobile phone or tablet device? Getting a second hand pair for a few weeks, Dave

@PassionforSound Жыл бұрын

I believe so. I don't think I owned the HD6XX when I reviewed the BTR5

@davidwright2379 Жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound I'll give it a crack and let you know, the btr5 works great with the 560s open backs too !!

@garyluciani1082 Жыл бұрын

I find the best way to use double volume control, is to set the sending device (phone, tablet etc.) to 80% volume and leave it. Then do your volume control level adjustments from the dac/amp.

@PassionforSound Жыл бұрын

I think that's great advice!

@jh5166 2 жыл бұрын

Can I connect this to ps5 usb port and connect my speakers to it via 3.5mm jack?

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I think so, but I didn't test that so best to check with some PS5 users first

@albertrj1 3 жыл бұрын

Can I use the Astell and Kern Bluetooth Dac for online gaming? Will there be latency if I plug a wired headphone to the dac and connect to my mobile/pc using Bluetooth ?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Albert, I don't know for sure. It's a relatively old product now so most likely there will be latency, but best to search for the XB10 and see if it supports low latency Bluetooth (I think only Bluetooth 5 has this, but I'm not certain)

@albertrj1 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound thanks. Will check on this then.

@PratikDaga23 3 жыл бұрын

The latency will be worse than a modern BT due to old 4.2 standard that AK uses

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for confirming, Pratik!

@snowmean1 3 жыл бұрын

The actual miracle of BRT5 is that it basically made anything bellow Fiio M11 obsolete providing pretty much the same sound quality and performance as M9 for a fraction of cost, and don't suffer from Android part of the player getting dated. I still enjoy my Fiio X5III a lot, but its slow Android 5 which doesn't support many modern apps is getting pretty annoying, and BRT5 for me is a great little device to convert smartphone to a fully pledged HiRes player using Bluetooth LDAC on the go, and USB-C when at home. Of course I wouldn't compare it to a standalone stack, but its ability to drive prety heavy headphones like Sundara or HD6XX without being thin-sounding is impressive.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I agree, Pavel. I think the UP4 from Shanling improves on it sonically, but the concept and set of features are both excellent!

@sakkel.7357 2 жыл бұрын

which bt dac/amp is best for making sundara's wireless?

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

That's a really interesting question. I haven't tried them all, but the Shanling UP4 used to be my favourite. I haven't yet heard the new FiiO BTR5 or the Qudelix so I can't say for sure. I expect you'd be pretty safe with any of them

@jamesmoore4827 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Thanks for the review. I'm after some advice about this product? I have a pair of Sony wh1000 xm4 but my phone does not have ldac support. Can I plug this into my phone via USB and transit ldac Bluetooth to my Sony headphones? I have an android phone btw. Thanks.

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

Hi James, I don't have it here anymore to test, but my memory is that it does support two-way Bluetooth so that should work

@jamesmoore4827 2 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound So it can both receive in and transmit out Bluetooth? To the best of your recollection that is. Thanks.

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

That's how I remember it, yes 🙂 Maybe check out my Shanling UP4 review - I think I covered the features more there and they are very similar devices (the UP4 is a little better in some ways)

@sorcerermax5111 3 жыл бұрын

Does UAPP automatically detect Earmen Eagle as a high res DAC when connected to an android smartphone?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Yes it does 🙂

@sorcerermax5111 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound Thanks but importantly, did you hear any hiss/noise when Eagle is connected to any high sensitive IEMs?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

No, I heard no sense of any type of hiss or noise - just great music 🙂

@tshaolin971 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, thank you for explaning the effects of harmonics tweaks on the BTr5, I bought it because it does output a pleasant 32 bits / 384 khz in usb. But other than that, I agree with your analysis its sound is rough and chiseled. I do prefer the Earstudio dac equiped with the Asahi Kasei chip, the listening is smoother and fluid.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. I haven't heard of the Earstudio before. I'll have to keep an eye out for it

@goodnightmoon 3 жыл бұрын

review the fiio q3 dac/amp please

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

If I can get a review sample/loaner I'll be glad to

@skeletronxxprime6277 3 жыл бұрын

I have both btr5 is sound louder than up4 and btr5 have better tight bass . Both drive iem every good, but for headphones btr5 is better than up4. End up return up4.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

That's interesting to hear. Perhaps it depends on the IEMs you're using because I definitely found myself preferring the UP4

@snowmean1 3 жыл бұрын

Would be very interesting to see details on how did you test BTR5 vs UP4 and XB10. My main concern here is that BTR5 supports LDAC codec via Bluetooth and 32/384 via USB. I would accept that XB10 might have better sound over APT-X HD (576Kbps CBR), but not versus BTR5 in LDAC mode (990Kbps VBR), just because latter is getting around 30% more data to convert it to the actual sound. The same for comparison with UP4 which might be better over Bluetooth via LDAC, but only support 16/48 as USB-DAC, so cannot be used even for Hi-res (master) records without down-sampling. If you limiting BTR5 to whatever maximum available on XB10 or UP4 side you simply not using it to its full potential.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Pavel, the shortcoming of the BTR5 is in the design of its amp stage and the blunted sound it produces (even using as a wired DAC). It's something FiiO used to do a lot with their tuning and was a reason I never loved their X3 or X5 players despite owning a couple over the years.

@snowmean1 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound I'm quite disagree about Fiio sounding blunt. During the last few years with my X5III, Fiio comes with few revisions of audio libraries for the player, and thanks to community it's quite easy to switch between them. They do sound a bit different from each other, but neither I could call blunt. I actually like a bit warmish and bold sound of the Fiio because it doesn't lost musicality notwithstanding being quite detailed and analytical. I tried multiple HiRes DAPs from different manufacturers and it's pretty common issue when manufacturer start chasing detalisation and overall music starts sounding separated, like just multiple instruments playing at the same time instead of being the whole song (don't know how to describe it better). Apart from BTR5 and X5III I have couple more stacks and switching between them and BTR5 I don't actually have feeling like I'm loosing in sound quality.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Depending on your tastes and your earphones / headphones, the FiiO sound can be preferable. I just don't personally find it to be so good.

@snowmean1 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound true, but apart from personal preferences there are also technical aspects which cannot be simply ignored, and for me it's hard to believe that AK XB10 produces better sound having only 2/3 of the data received by BTR5. The same about UP4 having significantly less data via USB on both bit-depth and sample rate sides.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

The amplification quality is regularly more important than the differences in BT codec, Pavel. Choices of op-amps or resistors in the signal path can greatly enhance or degrade the sound. The reality based on my listening is that the XB10 does the best job of cleanly articulating and defining the sounds delivered to the transducers regardless of the input signal being at lower quality. It's like a high quality desktop system will sound better playing 256kbps MP3 files than a basic system playing FLAC.

@eliz_kilic 2 жыл бұрын

BTR5 2021 came out recently and it now has MQA.

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I'm hoping to get a review unit soon...

@gregwomack8162 3 жыл бұрын

What volume level on the source(iPod touch 7 for mine) would you suggest setting the source at? I have had the iPod touch 7”s volume set at max and do all volume adjusting while listening to music on the btr5. Is this best? Or should I drop the source volume to 90% or even lower etc. I would really appreciate your help on this! Also, what would you recommend on the gain setting?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I don't think there's one right answer to that question, Greg. I'd probably set the phone output to max and then adjust via the device. With gain settings, every device varies as to how gain is managed so I'd recommend trying both to see which gives you the most easily useable volume range and also which sounds better (if there's any difference)

@gregwomack8162 3 жыл бұрын

Ok, thanks for your suggestion. I am going with source on max volume(since it’s only responsible for the volume level of the Bluetooth coding…I think) and I’m using the btr5 for actual volume adjustment(which I think is the volume of the dac and amp after receiving the coding…I think) Again, thanks man!!

@ibrahimeltony4865 2 жыл бұрын

I need to connect my flash memory to my car stereo. can I get any benefits from the fiio btr 5 and how to connect it?

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure how that would work because you need something to read what's on the flash memory and then transmit via BT. The BTR5 can transmit, but I don't think it can read the memory

@ibrahimeltony4865 2 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound Yup.. that is the same thing that I am thinking about. I need to try connecting my USB flash with songs on it to the BTR via adapter the another adaptor from the BTR to the USB inlet of the car stereo. Thing is I don't know if the car stereo will read the flash memory through the the BTR and reproduce the sound that am thinking of.

@PassionforSound 2 жыл бұрын

I don't think it will do that. You might be better off picking up a secondhand LG smartphone with a Quad DAC and run that using the flash memory as OTG.

@ibrahimeltony4865 2 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound Oh.. that is right. I keep telling myself that now to don't bather about it and buy something specific and that's it. Thank you for making up my mind 🤠

@arthurhaywood2184 3 жыл бұрын

You need to try a Radsone Earstudio ES100 MKII.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I'll see what I can arrange. Thanks, Arthur

@NightFoxXIII 3 жыл бұрын

How does this compare to something like a Shanling MW200? I was thinking of pairing that up with an IEM like Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk. Edit: Also thanks to Jeff for providing his own gear for review. Helps out the community a ton :D

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I haven't tried the MW200 yet, but I might see if I can get one on loan...

@michaelpastoral4424 3 жыл бұрын

Are you really sure its better than btr5 and up4?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean the XB10? I think it's better other than the slight background noise. I'd choose the UP4 for general usability/versatility and sound quality, but the XB10 for pure sound quality

@hcseanwu 3 жыл бұрын

Can these sound the same as wire plugged in?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

The BTR5 and UP4 can both work as wired DACs

@hcseanwu 3 жыл бұрын

For USB DAC mode, how can I wire it and charge it at the same time?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I think that will happen automatically

@redrich2000 3 жыл бұрын

I used a BTR3 for a while for portable strapped to my B&O H6. It had great functionality but LDAC was super unstable from a Samsung S10, I ended up using aptx. I feel like the size of the BTR5 and the shifting of the clip to the case makes it a weird device. Not small or sleek enough to be portable and not good enough to be anything other than a stopgap USB DAC.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think you're right. It's a pretty similar form factor to the Shanling UP4 too so they share the same pros and cons.

@johnlynch1623 3 жыл бұрын

Would love to see your evaluation of the Qudelix-5K Bluetooth DAC/AMP. Through the app you have access to a ten band parametric equalizer. $110 from Amazon US or directly from Qudelix at their website.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi John, I'll see what I can arrange...

@novocastrian_8387 3 жыл бұрын

To answer Johns question the quidlix 5k is miles better then anything else on the market besides it's outstanding preformance as a Bluetooth dac amp it can also be used as a usb dac on the ps4 ps5 an Nintendo switch which over time is going to become one of its biggest features as it out preforms the creative g6., jds atom an schiit hel 2 on console preformance plus it charges while in use on these platforms an the eq is fully functional an has profiles. If your gonna buy it buy it from quidlix direct they use FedEx direct to your door I bought one from them on Amazon an they used budget couriers to deliver Australia via prime an it never arrived landed in Oz went to an aramex depot an disappeared was fully refunded however.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

@annelouisemendoza394 3 жыл бұрын

So BTR5 won? Or is it the Shanling UP4?

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

I'd choose the UP4 out of the 2 unless some of those extra features on the BTR5 are very important (e.g. balance control, EQs, etc.)

@annelouisemendoza394 3 жыл бұрын

@@PassionforSound Shanling is really killing it :)

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

They really are! I've got the Q1 and AE3 coming up for review soon and the Q1 is brilliant

@daveangeloobico7028 3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I just learned a giant limitation of the Shanling UP4, which is NOT mentioned here, and in fact just like in Shanling’s marketing and specification, the fact is glossed over to the point it is seems otherwise: The UP4 does NOT SUPPORT playback in USB-DAC mode at resolution any higher than 16bit/48kHz. HiRes is ONLY possible using LDAC bluetooth and only when the connection (as per the codec’s own limitation) is strong enough, and there’s really no way to tell at what bitrate the device is receiving at, e.g. 330/660/990kbps respectively over LDAC. This is a significantly important detail that seems to have been glossed over by everyone, everywhere, and effectively renders the spec you’ve listed for PCM resolution moot in many cases. That’s really too bad.

@PassionforSound 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Dave, I heard about this after the review too. Realistically, if you are looking for the last, tiniest improvements that high res files can bring, you probably want to look beyond devices at this level anyway. It sounds great with all types of files I tried and is designed as a portable solution, not a high-end DAC. If hi res is important to you, something like a small Topping or Schiit stack is probably a better option.