FiiO BTR1K – Review

FiiO BTR1K

 FiiO BTR1K

| Bluetooth Amplifier | USB DAC | NFC |






? FiiO BTR1K, a Bluetooth amp/DAC with the capability to turn any headphone into a wireless model.

The FiiO BTR1K features a QCC 3005 Bluetooth chip, Bluetooth v5.0, an AK4376A DAC, an 8th generation Qualcomm cVc Noise cancellation microphone, USB DAC functionality and support for all lossless wireless audio codecs.

The FiiO BTR1K is the upgraded, newest version of the popular FiiO BTR1.

The FiiO BTR1K is part of the massive announcements of the brand on the last months, including the:

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FiiO BTR1K Review

Tests & Scores


AF

Advanced Features

The FiiO BTR1K features include advanced options such as:

  • USB Type-C DAC
  • 8th gen Qualcomm cVc noise cancellation Microphone
  • NFC
  • Codec RGB Light Indicator

W

Weight

FiiO BTR1K weight in Ounces and FiiO BTR1K weight in grams.

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A

Accessories & Packaging

The FiiO BTR1K unboxing results in the exact same accessories as the FiiO BTR3; an USB-C cable and a soft lanyard.





The devices is packed in a clean and small square box.

gramophone-25660 3/5


D

Design

The FiiO BTR1K vs FiiO BTR3 take a different approach on aesthetics and design. The FiiO BTR1K is made of a two-piece housing, the main body is metal and the bottom is made of plastic, this bottom section has a matte, semi-pearled finish.

The back of the device has a fixed clip to attach it to your shirt, jacket, etc.

With a size of 24mmx50mmx11.6mm, the BTR1K is almost 20% shorter than the FiiO BTR3 and weighting only 20.5g it is 10% lighter.

gramophone-25660  4.5/5

FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR1K

 

FiiO BTR1K clip
FiiO BTR1K clip

OC

Operation & Control

The FiiO BTR1K has 4 physical buttons that can fully operate the unit and most normal audio playback options.

The 4 buttons are distributed with one big one placed on the front and the remaining 3 on the left side of the device.

The buttons allow to:

Front Button:

  • Press and hold for 3 seconds: Power on/off
  • Press and hold for 10 seconds: Reset device

Top Side Button:

  • Press and hold for 5 seconds: Force pairing mode
  • A single press: Play, Pause music or Answer/End calls, reconnect.
  • Press and hold for 2 seconds on incoming call: Reject call
  • 2x click: Activate Siri

Volume UP Button:

  • A single press: Volume up by 1 level
  • Press and hold: Previous song

Volume Down Button:

  • A single press: Volume down by 1 level
  • Press and hold: Next song

LED Status Light: The front of the device has a small RGB light that indicates the status of the unit and the Bluetooth codec being used.

  • Bluetooth audio codec indicators: blue (SBC), cyan (AAC), white (USB DAC), purple (aptX/aptX low latency)

gramophone-25660 4/5

FiiO BTR1K buttons
FiiO BTR1K buttons

B

Battery Life

The FiiO BTR1K carries a 205mAh battery that can provide up to 8 hours of music playback on a single charge. This will not break any record but, to be honest, they are within the normal standards of the competitors.

How to charge the FiiO BTR1K:

To charge the FiiO BTR1K it has to be connected through the USB Type-C connector that is on the bottom of the unit; to fully charge the device it is needed approximately 1.5 hours (on a power adapter with 5V and 500ma)

gramophone-25660 3/5

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FiiO BTR1K USB Type-C
FiiO BTR1K USB Type-C

CB

Construction & Build

The FiiO BTR1K has a nice metal+plastic build that feels rugged but light weighted and gives the impression of being durable and rugged.

Moreover, their buttons and clip feel firm and as well-built as the whole unit – also is worth to highlight that the buttons do not wobble and offers a pleasant click feedback.

gramophone-256604.25/5

FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR1K

C

Compatibility

The FiiO BTR1K supports many modern Bluetooth audio codecs thanks to it’s Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity and the Qualcomm QCC 3005 Bluetooth chip.

The audio codecs supported by the FiiO BTR1K are:

  • AAC
  • SBC
  • aptX Low Latency
  • aptX

gramophone-256604.5/5

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FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR1K

CC

Connectivity

The FiiO BTR1K has a 3.5mm female audio connector on the top of the unit and an USB Type-C connection on the bottom.

Connecting any device through the 3.5mm jack transforms it in a Bluetooth connected unit – like headphones, earbuds, earphones, car audio systems and speakers.

In addition to this, the FiiO BTR1K can pair instantly with any smartphone having NFC as the amp/DAC is equipped with one-touch NFC technology.

gramophone-25660 4/5

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FiiO BTR1K headphone jack
FiiO BTR1K headphone jack

S

Sound

It is no secret that the market is full of Bluetooth adapters that cost a few pennies but there is a fundamental difference that set FiiO Bluetooth amp/DACs such as the FiiO BTR1K and FiiO BTR3 apart from knockoff or unbranded competitors; sound quality and sound fidelity.

Through out our FiiO BTR1K soundtests, the unit showed a remarkable performance providing clean and unadulterated sound.

Sound was transmitted, processed and sent to the attach headphones conserving the same level of sound quality that could be obtained while using the headphones wired directly to the audio source.

Headphone’s sound signatures remained faithful without warmer nor thinner response and no increment nor decremented brightness and detail.

Our FiiO BTR1K frequency response measurements showed a proficient flat response with a rolling off starting just above 22kHz – this behavior was identical either in Bluetooth mode and while being used as an USB DAC.

The recommended drive ability of the FiiO BTR1K has a range of 16Ω~100Ω, a frequency response of 20-20kHz (which is logical with the rolling off above 20kHz shown in our frequency response measurements)

The FiiO BTR1K can output as much as 45mW (16Ω), 25mW (32Ω), offers a SNR of 118dB, THD+N <0.004% (1kHz; DAC mode), an output impedance <0.3ohm and a crosstalk ≥74 dB.

gramophone-256605/5

FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K

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Scores Scores

FiiO BTR1K Scores

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FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K

Frequency Response (raw)

FiiO BTR1K Frequency Response Curve

FiiO BTR1K frequency response curve - aptx codec and USB DAC mode
FiiO BTR1K frequency response curve – aptx codec and USB DAC mode

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Specifications

FiiO BTR1K Technical Specifications

TypeBT Amp/USB DAC
BT5.0
CodecsSBC, AAC, aptX, aptX low latency
USB DACYes – AK4376A
BT ChipQCC3005
Battery8 hours
Charge time1.5hs
NFCYes
Frequency Response20Hz-20KHz (aptx)
PlugUSB Type-C, 3.5mm
WeightApprox. 20.5g
Power output45mW (@16ohm)

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FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K
FiiO BTR3 vs FiiO BTR1K

FiiO BTR1K Full technical specifications

reported by FiiO

Volume Adjustment 32 levels
Bluetooth Chip QCC 3005
Bluetooth Version 5.0
Supported Audio Formats SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX LL
DAC AK4376A
USB DAC Yes
Pairing Button Yes
Volume Button Yes
Status Indicator Light SBC: Blue light flashing
AAC: Cyan light flashing
aptX/aptX LL: Purple light flashing
USB DAC: White light stays steadily on
Qualcomm cVc Noise Cancellation 8th generation
Call Up Voice Assistant Yes
NFC Yes
Headphone Output 3.5mm
USB Port Type C
Output Power ≥ 25mW (32Ω/THD<1%)
≥ 45mW (16Ω/THD<1%)
Noise Floor <2uV
SNR (A-weighted) 120dB
Battery Capacity 205mAh
Working Time 8h
Standby Time 140h
Charging Time <1.5h
Color Black
Dimensions 24x50x11.6mm
Weight 20.5g

Drive Ability

16~100 Ω (recommended)

Frequency Response

20~20kHz(aptX connection)

THD+N

<0.04%(1 kHz) Bluetooth
<0.004%(1 kHz) USB DAC

Output Impedance

<0.3 Ω(32Ω loaded)

SNR

118dB (A-weighted)

Crosstalk

≥ 74 dB(32Ω loaded)


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DISCLAIMER
We highly discourage anyone from trying to apply our testings to your own earphones, the risk of damaging or permanently breaking your iems is absolutely probable to happen. With our standardized equalization and amplification tests we push the limits of the earphones to the extreme. If anyway you decide to do so, we cannot be held responsible of the damage done to your equipment. Do it at your own risk.

meze 99classics, meze 99neo, 1more quad-driver, 1more triple driver over-ear headphones, FiiO BTR1K at FiiO.com

FiiO BTR1K

8.2

SCORE

8.2/10