Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Fiio’s BTR13 is a budget-priced DAC that does it all

By
Fiio BTR13 DAC.
Fiio

With lossless and hi-res audio gaining in awareness and popularity, more people are looking into how they can use digital-to-analog converters (DACs) to help them get the most from their streaming services and their existing audio equipment. For these folks, Fiio’s new BTR13 may be the perfect entry point into the world of DACs, as it supports a wide variety of setups and at just $64 is one of the most affordable DACs you can buy. The BTR13 hits the usual retail outlets in September.

Fiio BTR13 DAC.
Fiio

Available in black or blue, the BTR13 has two headphone outputs: a standard 3.5mm unbalanced jack, along with the increasingly popular 4.4mm balanced connection. A .96-inch color screen displays audio format and sampling rate, plus the current EQ mode. On the side, you’ll find a physical switch for moving between the BTR13’s three modes: phone, Bluetooth, and PC, plus dedicated buttons for volume, power, and play/pause.

Recommended Videos

When connected to a computer via the included USB-C cable, the BTR13 runs off the PC or Mac’s power, but when connected to a phone or used as a Bluetooth receiver, the DAC can use its internal battery for up to a claimed 8 hours. Fiio doesn’t include a lightning-to-USB-C cable for older iPhones, but the BTR13 will work with third-party OTG-compliant lightning adapters.

Fiio BTR13 DAC.
Fiio

The DAC can work with any PCM audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, converting it to analog via dual CS43131 DAC chips. That sadly falls short of the full range of available hi-res audio, which can go as high as 192kHz, and there’s no support for DSD or MQA.

However, you can use it with popular game consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch, thanks to its available UAC 1.0 mode — something that isn’t always available on DACs.

In Bluetooth receiver mode, the BTR13 is compatible with a wide variety of Bluetooth codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, and LDAC. Along with its built-in belt clip, this makes the BTR13 a good way to use your favorite wired in-ear monitors or headphones without a physical connection to your phone or computer.

For even greater control over the sound, you can use Fiio’s mobile app or web portal to access a 10-band parametric equalizer (PEQ) or you can use FiiO’s preset sound effects and headphone curves.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
We gave this OLED TV a 9 out of 10, and it’s on sale today
2024 LG OLED evo C4 TV.

If you're looking to snag one of the best TVs on the market, then going for an OLED TV makes a lot of sense, and even more so if you snag the LG OLED Evo. In fact, it's such a great TV that our editor at large, Caleb Denison, thinks that everyone should own one, and it's hard to disagree. Granted, this 65-inch model is a bit on the pricier side, usually going for around $2,700, but you can snag it right now for just $1,697, which is still a bit pricey but a considerable discount on the usual price you'd get it for.

Why you should buy the LG OLED evo C4 TV
So what makes this 65-inch LG evo C4 such a great TV? Well, for starters, it has some incredibly rich color and contrast, something that can easily compete at around the same level as Samsung's best OLED TVs, or maybe one degree lower, which is still excellent. It supports HDR10, which isn't a surprise, but it can also hit a whopping 1,000 nits of peak brightness. Sure, you could potentially beat that in one or two other TVs, but for the most part, anything but direct and unobstructed sunlight should be fine.

Read more
Apple AirPods Max 2: what we know, what we want, and how much it will cost
Apple AirPods Max with USB-C in Orange.

Apple's first set of wireless headphones -- the AirPods Max -- launched to great fanfare in 2020. At $549, the aluminum-clad cans raised eyebrows due to their price and design. But despite their cost and some odd design decisions (like the lack of an off switch), reviewers were nearly unanimous with their praise, especially for the Max's standout features: active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely.

Originally, we had hoped to see the AirPods Max 2 debut in the fall of 2023. When that didn't happen, we shifted our focus to Apple's iPhone 16 launch on September 9, 2024. That event brought big updates for the AirPods range: new AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC, and plans to give the AirPods Pro 2 new hearing health and hearing aid capabilities. However, the AirPods Max portion of the announcement proved to be a disappointment: Other than a new USB-C charging port and some new colors, Apple's flagship headphones remain unchanged. Call them AirPods Max 1.5, if you must.

Read more
That the AirPods 4 don’t come with a cable actually is a sign of progress
The AirPods 4 at the Apple Glowtime event on September 9, 2024.

There are two ways to consider the conundrum that is the charging situation with the Apple AirPods 4, which won't come with a charging cable.

On one hand, that's bad — if you don't already own a good USB-C cable. That's actually a possibility. Yes, in 2024. There's a very real chance that someone who has only owned an iPhone that has a Lightning port may purchase these earbuds. And there's a very real possibility that said purchaser has only owned AirPods that also charged via Lightning. You can scoff at such a person all you want, but you'd be wrong to do so.

Read more