Disclosure: The FiiO BTR13 was provided by FiiO for this review. Please read more about our product review disclosure here.

FiiO, an audio electronics company based in Guangzhou, China, has been steadily releasing an excellent portfolio of desktop DACs, portable DACs, and Digital Audio Players for years now, earning a solid reputation for practical and functional devices. So when FiiO told me they had been working on a successor to their BTR3K portable Bluetooth DAC called the BTR13, I was excited and intrigued to see what they had been working on. Why? Because this portable Bluetooth DAC was going to launch at $69 USD, and there are not many options for such a device at that price point, especially ones that include a global PEQ setting.

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• FiiO BTR13
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• Lanyard
• Screen protector (pre-applied to the BTR13)
• Manual
• Warranty card

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FiiO has maintained a consistent design language with their portable Bluetooth DACs, though they have been refining them with each generational upgrade. The BTR13 is no different, keeping the rectangular brick-like shape, with slightly rounded edges to give it a masculine and professional look. Despite being made completely of plastic, the smoothness of the material gives it a very premium feel, and the whole device is quite solid with no plastic squeak or movement.

The controls are all located along the right side of the BTR13. From top to bottom we have:

• Microphone
• Power/menu button
• Multifunction button
• Volume up and volume down rocker
• Mode selection switch

On the very top are the 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone connections, with the bottom containing the USB-C port, and the very back of the DAC featuring a clip for portable use.

The front of the FiiO BTR13 is glass, with a screen protector conveniently pre-applied for protection (it’s usually understated how nice it is when companies do this). The 0.96-inch IPS color display is located in the top area on the front of the DAC. It’s bright and clear and is big enough to show all the relevant information.

Now that we’ve gone over all the objective, factual information, let’s talk about the design from a real-world usage perspective.

For audio devices, I love physical buttons, and the BTR13 has them designed and placed extremely well. The power and multifunction buttons have different shapes making them instantly identifiable by touch alone. Also, the volume up on the volume rocker has a small bump to differentiate it from the volume down button. The mode selection switch is firmly in place so you won’t accidentally move it from handling the device, and all of the other buttons also have a firmness to them making them easy and satisfying to press, but never easy enough for accidental touch to trigger them. Even with walking around with the BTR13 in my pocket I never once accidentally pressed a button. The clip on the back of the device also works extremely well, and it held firm when clipped onto my pocket and my bag.

These are important aspects as there’s nothing worse than having your music listening session interrupted due to poor design choices, and thankfully I had very pleasurable listening experiences due to well thought-out and executed design.

Lastly, one thing I’ve noticed is that, at the time of this review, there is no case available for the BTR13. Seeing as this device is intended to be used portably and in many travel scenarios, this is somewhat disappointing as it would add a level of protection.

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The key features of the FiiO BTR13 are the three usage modes, the global PEQ, and the ability to adjust the settings and EQ via the FiiO Control app. Let’s look at each feature in closer detail.

Modes

The BTR13 features three modes that can be toggled via the mode selection switch. According to FiiO, these are the three most commonly used scenarios for Bluetooth DACs, with one additional mode that can only be enabled in the device’s settings.

PC Mode

The PC mode is for when you want to use the BTR13 as a USB DAC with a computer or laptop. Bluetooth will be disabled and the device will be powered by the USB port instead of the internal battery, though the battery will still be charged if needed. You can use this mode with smartphones and tablets too, just be aware that it will be powered by that device. Also note, that there is no specific driver needed for use with a computer, it is completely plug and play.

BT Mode

BT, or Bluetooth, mode, is to be able to use the DAC as a Bluetooth receiver. This means you can pair it with a Bluetooth device (smartphone, tablet, computer, etc) and use the BTR13 to listen to the audio played on the device it’s paired with.

Phone Mode

The Phone mode is the same as PC mode, with the exception that in this mode the BTR13 will be powered by the internal battery instead of through the USB port. This means it’s ideal to use with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, but can also be used with computers and laptops.

Car Mode

This mode is only selectable by using the menu on the BTR13. When it’s enabled, if you have your BTR13 plugged into a USB port in your car it will turn on when the car turns on, and turn off when the car turns off. Essentially, the BTR13 is just detecting whether it is getting power from the USB port or not, and turning on when there’s power and turning off when there’s not. This is handy if your car only has an AUX connection and you want to play music from your phone.

FiiO Control and Global PEQ

The FiiO control app is how you can adjust various settings on the BTR13, such as exactly which Bluetooth codecs you want to use, and custom PEQ profiles. The FiiO Control app is available on Android and iOS. If you are on a laptop or computer you can access it by going to https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/ with your device plugged in. I personally found this to be the easiest way to create custom EQ profiles as it’s easier to input all the values. I also noticed the FiiO Control app on Android and iOS seems to lack a way to bypass filters, so there’s currently no way to turn off unneeded filters unless you use the web app.

BTR13 Menu

The BTR13 contains its own menu, allowing you to do things such as enable/disable Charging Protection (charges only to 80%), enable/disable Car mode, screen brightness level, and switch languages between English and Chinese. You can also select the EQ setting, choosing between one of the 7 included presets, or one of three custom profiles. It’s a little annoying that some of the settings are only in the FiiO control app, and some are only found within the BTR13’s menu system, but most of these settings you will probably only be configuring once, with the most important ones easily accessible on the device itself.

Battery Life

FiiO rates the battery life as 8 hours, and they achieved this using the AAC codec with MP3 playback. In my testing, using LDAC and FLAC files at a similar volume level to what FiiO tested with (level 22, High gain) I managed to get 7.5 hours. This is very acceptable, and I never once felt limited by the battery life of the BTR13. It also charges rather quickly, with a full charge requiring just under 2 hours.

From testing all of the features and settings (except car mode) I can say that everything worked exactly as it should. I encountered no glitches or issues of any sort, which is becoming a rarity these days for newly released products. It’s nice to have something that just works as it should. The menu and button functions take some time to memorize and get used, but otherwise, the whole experience of using the BTR13 is relatively pain free.

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Sources used for this review:

• Samsung Galaxy Fold 5
• HiBy R4
• Desktop computer
• 2021 Razer Blade 15 laptop
• 2020 iPad Pro 11”

Headphones used for this review:

• Audeze LCD-2
• Sennheiser HD 620S
• HIFIMAN Sundara (4.4mm balanced connection)
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80Ohm
• Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite
• BASN MMCX

Tested using firmware V12.4

The sound profile of the FiiO BTR13 is extremely consistent between USB and Bluetooth modes, given that the Qualcomm chip that FiiO is using here handles both functions. The sound profile is relatively neutral, with good dynamics and a slightly warm midrange. The upper midrange is slightly emphasized, resulting in vocals and some instruments being more forward. Overall, though, the BTR13 is closer to a reference sound, making it very versatile for use to listen to many different genres, with different types of headphones and IEMs.

Speaking of IEMs, when listening with IEMs in both Bluetooth and USB mode I noticed no hiss or noise, and a very silent background. My Kiwi Ears Orchestra sounded great with the BTR13, with sufficient power and an acceptable noise floor. The BTR13 should perform well with even sensitive IEMs.

On the power side, this might be one of the most powerful portable Bluetooth DACs on the market in the $70 price range. It offers 220mW @ 32 ohms on the 4.4mm balanced connection, and 100mW @ 32 ohms on the 3.5mm single-ended connection.  Trying a variety of headphones, such as the HIFIMAN Sundara on the 4.4mm balanced connection, and the Audeze LCD-2 and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80ohm on the 3.5mm SE connection, I found there was more than sufficient power for them. There are two gain options, Low and High, and I only needed to enable High gain when using the DT 770 Pro 80ohm. It helped with the dynamic range so things didn’t sound so congested.

Bluetooth Performance

Testing a variety of codecs, such as AAC, aptX HD, and LDAC, all performed exactly as expected. The Bluetooth range is very good, allowing me to have my source device across the desk or even across the room (7 or 8 meters away) with no discernable impact on audio quality, and the connection was always stable with no dropouts or static.

USB DAC Performance

The BTR13 also performs well as a USB DAC. You are limited to a maximum of 16-bit/96kHz sampling rate, which I think is fine for a device of this price and intended use case. There is no driver required to use with a computer or mobile device, it is literally plug and play with no setup needed, which is always the preferred user experience.

Microphone and In-Line Controls

The BTR13 includes a microphone that can be used to take calls or record audio. It sounds relatively good and was able to pick up my voice without including too much background noise. I would classify it as good enough for phone calls and meetings when no other option is available.

The BTR13 also supports in-line controls, as well as microphones built into the in-line controls, and I can report that both work exactly as expected.

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FiiO set out to upgrade their mid-range Bluetooth DAC the BTR3K, and I think they succeeded here with the BTR13, while at the same time offering a device that adds additional value to an underserved price range for portable Bluetooth DACs. If you are coming from a BTR3K, the main upgrades are the large and functional display, a newer Bluetooth version, global PEQ, a 4.4mm balanced connection instead of a 2.2mm one, increased power output, and a functional switch for changing modes. To say that these upgrades are huge would be an understatement.

The FiiO BTR13 is priced at $69 USD, and I see no comparable portable Bluetooth DAC at that price. Sure, there’s the Qudelix 5K with its excellent software and near-identical power output, but it’s running a slightly older Bluetooth chipset and version, lacks any sort of display, and costs $40 more than the BTR13. If you’re in the market for a portable Bluetooth DAC I think the choice is an easy one. The FiiO BTR13 has all the features you could need, is very functional, and will last you a long time as a portable DAC. I highly recommend it.

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I’m not always able to cover all the details of a product, both hardware and software, in our reviews. If you have any specific questions you’d like answered about this product please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

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