New Fiio BR15

[RexrothPigeon]

not sure sir pigeon
... the BR15 R2R analog output feed to my Devailet Dpremier subsequently goes through an ADC then processed through the quite resolving BurrBrown DAC of days of old (circa 2014)
...must be a magic combo with my speakers the R2R feed coming in that way is definetly not the same soundstage as say a straight digital input (hdmi from my Roon Nuc or spdif) to my DPremiere of the same track.
It was an hobby experiment I'm happy worked out ! It sounds great to me.

I’m glad it sounds great but DACs do not affect soundstage

 

[BananaUnicorn]

I started with the Fosi ZD3...I loved the sound in my desktop setup (Totem Loon plus Kef 10b sub) ... I drove this through USB direct from my computer...sound was awesome. It was very clear and I loved the look of my minimal ZA3 ZD3 stack.

Then I was sooooo lucky to win the ZH3 from Fosi (Thanks Fosi!) so I moved to that as my main desktop setup system . I wanted to play with the filters somewhat as I do like to tinker and I am getting into headphones so that was a great fit. There was a slight differenece with this AKM DAC vs the ESS within the ZD3 but both are great in a near field setup. As I got used to the different amps I started to lean towards the AKM vs the ESS amp for its warmth and detail escepecially for long days listening while I work. Don't assume AKM warmth tonality doesn't mean its also detailed. both DAC's are very revealing. I passed the ZD3 to my daughter for her TV setup (after trying both ZD# ZH3 dacs for like 2 months) as I wasn't using the HDMI in and could be happy keeping either. I started having slight preference for the AKM sound though
...I suggest between those two pick the one that fits your use input case better on inputs and consider both to have quiet backgrounds and great DAC conversions. I am enjoying the desktop setup now generally through a wifi connection to a Zen Stream then via USB out to the ZH3 mostly upsampled to DSD256.

I then got the Fio BR15 for a great early deal and wanted to try the R2R setup (and occasional bluetooth) . I thought this Fiio BR15 was a better fit for me vs the Fiio K13 R2R as I already had a headphone amp in the ZH3 but really wanted to try an R2R amp. The BR15 is fantastic and I really enjoyed the change in sound. I decided to keep it and have since moved it to my main home theatre audio room to drive my Focal speakers through a devialet amp. The warmth and detail it provides is just a pleasure and I can listen now and find new nuances in songs Ive herad for a long time. Note I and I also bought the Airlink to test higher res bluetooth and APTX lossess and LDAC sound excellent . Like really they are great and unless you do very critical listening, most can't tell the difference between those bluetooth codecs and hardwired hi res files. Yes some can if they really listen . I like the options for good blueetooth streaming if friends come over. The airlink works great from a PC as well from my phone for whatever reason. LDAC works direct from my phone too. I also now ave an SR11 to hardwire roon into the BR15 to really use it's R2R functions through Roon. This works great (also has airplay which I don't use) . The BR15 R2R does add a better soundstage for my bright Focal Eelectra 1028's passed through my devialet DPremiere amp . I'm very glad to add that R2R to my system . Super great value for an R2R dac!

I think all your options are great ..pick the one that has the best inputs you would use as generally once its setup you generally don't tweak the settings I find. It was fun playing with the Fiio Oversampling variability and the ZH3 filter settings but those tweaks may tend to be set once for your setup then left as is.

If I was brand new like you new,
I would go ZH3 if using headphones is a must of course, and go ZD3 if HDMI input is a must and go BR15 if you want higher end bluetooth connectivity . Kind of obvious I guess lol.
They all have coax and optical and usb so if thats how your gerenally using it then think sound field...Soundwise they are all great..slight bias on my side to the more unique warmer BR15 R2R sound then the ZH3 AKM DAC then the ZD3 detailed ESS DAC but it does depend on your speakers and amps you use. Perhaps saying then cheapest is best is the way to go as you will be happy with them all.

The related software for all is updated and although there are some nuances , updating firmware or using PC USB drivers if needed is all easy and has great FAQ's and user community to help if needed.

Note1 ... the amps I use are now ZA3 in dual mono through XLR with the opamps in the ZA3 and ZH3 and ZD3 where changed to sparkos 3602. The sparkos do I think provide more purity and detail vs teh stcok amps but it's darn close so stock op amps are 100% perfectly fine if you don't want to experiment in this hobby.
Note 2 ... I generally run from Roon and Qobuz with high res music generally upsampled to max PCM or DSD256. I tweak EQ curves in Roon as needed for my room.

Big thanks for having shared your detailed opinion on these, it really helps<3

 

[Moon5123]

Any idea if the spdif out is variable (i.e. controlled by the volume control) or fixed?

Thanks,

Peter

The spdif and optical are fixed volume but PEQ applies to them so you can kind of control some volume.

OPTICAL OUT work but need DISABLE OS mode!

Optical out works with OS mode but only till 192k above that the signal doesn't go on toslink out. Other companies tries handle this by locking the optical out to max of 192k.

 

[Moon5123]

I compared BR15 vs dacs of my Fiio K9 pro AKM, SMSL mda1, chord mojo, Earmen angel and K11 R2R out to Topping L70 and I could not find any difference in the sound quality or tonal shift when volume matched.

I think best benefits for me are from PEQ and easy digital out to other dacs and analog output to preamp. It have become center hub for my speaker and headphones setup.

The only caveat I found is when connecting multiple analog(XLR + 1 rca) output to line in of amps or preamp the over all volume get decreased by few db and there is distortion heard in lower bass. This seems to be power scarcity issue, could have been solved by allowing user to select the which output to use or switch.

 

[MarioSS]

Hi,


I received my FiiO BR15 about four weeks ago, and overall I’m very satisfied with the product—it sounds great and has been a pleasure to use. However, I would like to share a few concerns and questions:


Mobile App Connectivity
When using the mobile app, the BR15 needs to be set to Bluetooth input in order to connect. However, if I switch the device to USB input, the app connection is lost. This makes fine-tuning the EQ while using a USB source quite inconvenient, as I have to switch repeatedly between Bluetooth and USB.


Oversampling and Digital Filter Options
In my listening tests, I find the sound more natural and engaging in NOS mode compared to OS mode. I suspect this difference may be related to the digital filtering applied during oversampling. Currently, there are no selectable digital filter options, which would be useful for users who want to tailor the sound signature to their preferences.


Output Volume and Clipping
Compared to my older DAC (Asus Xonar Essence One), the output level seems lower, as I often need to use the BR15 at maximum volume. Additionally, when increasing the volume or boosting certain frequencies, I notice clipping in some tracks. My current workaround is to avoid pushing the volume or EQ adjustments too far, but I would appreciate any guidance or clarification on this behavior.

 

[Moon5123]

Hi,


I received my FiiO BR15 about four weeks ago, and overall I’m very satisfied with the product—it sounds great and has been a pleasure to use. However, I would like to share a few concerns and questions:


Mobile App Connectivity
When using the mobile app, the BR15 needs to be set to Bluetooth input in order to connect. However, if I switch the device to USB input, the app connection is lost. This makes fine-tuning the EQ while using a USB source quite inconvenient, as I have to switch repeatedly between Bluetooth and USB.


Oversampling and Digital Filter Options
In my listening tests, I find the sound more natural and engaging in NOS mode compared to OS mode. I suspect this difference may be related to the digital filtering applied during oversampling. Currently, there are no selectable digital filter options, which would be useful for users who want to tailor the sound signature to their preferences.


Output Volume and Clipping
Compared to my older DAC (Asus Xonar Essence One), the output level seems lower, as I often need to use the BR15 at maximum volume. Additionally, when increasing the volume or boosting certain frequencies, I notice clipping in some tracks. My current workaround is to avoid pushing the volume or EQ adjustments too far, but I would appreciate any guidance or clarification on this behavior.

I would suggest to use web EQ which works over usb on you pc, it's faster then app and easy as well.
There no digital filters supported for R2R like we see in delta sigma.
When using EQ if you boosting certain frequency reduce the preamp gain to same boost you are applying. Some dac auto apply this negative gain when boosting a frequency but BR15 doesn't do, it would be nice if Fiio can introduce this feature via firmware though.
Example boasting 500hz by 5db you need to apply -5 db preamp gain to avoid digital clipping.

 

[gentlejax]

can volume output be fixed on this thing. the manual is a little light.

 

[Moon5123]

can volume output be fixed on this thing. the manual is a little light.

Sadly no, I was also hoping to have fixed line out I guess designed to use them like a preamp. I see missed opportunities.
It doesn't have out selection all output are constantly on.
Per output EQ configuration.

I found that when connecting multiple analog(XLR + 1 rca) output to line in of amps or preamp the over all volume get decreased by few db and there is distortion heard in lower bass. This seems to be power scarcity issue, could have been solved by allowing user to select the which output to use or switch.

 

[MarioSS]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I ran several tests using the track “Monarchy of Roses” by Red Hot Chili Peppers from the album I’m With You. I concluded that the PEQ was applying a boost that, in this particular track, resulted in clipping regardless of the volume level.

To address this, I set the PEQ gain to -3 dB, effectively switching to a subtractive EQ approach. After making this adjustment, the clipping issue disappeared.

At this point, I suspect the sound quality may actually be better at around 80% of the maximum volume rather than at 100%, but I’m still testing to confirm this.

 

[Moon5123]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I ran several tests using the track “Monarchy of Roses” by Red Hot Chili Peppers from the album I’m With You. I concluded that the PEQ was applying a boost that, in this particular track, resulted in clipping regardless of the volume level.

To address this, I set the PEQ gain to -3 dB, effectively switching to a subtractive EQ approach. After making this adjustment, the clipping issue disappeared.

At this point, I suspect the sound quality may actually be better at around 80% of the maximum volume rather than at 100%, but I’m still testing to confirm this.

This is the correct approach.
We can use EQ on desktop where we don't notice these clipping as it's at the source but I do notice audible distortion in bass and portion I apply peak EQ. Not sure why maybe some one more experience can share their thoughts.
Checking other forums and YouTube guide I found out that we need to apply a negative gain to counter that but it reduces volume. But this approach worked for me both on desktop side and dac side.
However I prefer to do EQ at dac level as its easier to switch them via remote.
I am also getting Topping E50II this week to try out it's implementation of PEQ and also it's have option to switch between outputs.
My plan is to use BR15 for dac for headphones as there i notice the most difference with this dac and E50 II for speakers EQ.

To be honest PEQ has changed everything thing for me I think going forward all dacs or streamers should have a dedicated atleast 10 band PEQ but 32 band would be much prefered as I ran out of band to correct my bass response in the room lol.

 

[gentlejax]

so as a preamp how does it sound ? I need something like this or a Eversolo DMp-6 or another Wiim Ultra. I prefer XLR outputs though

 

[Moon5123]

so as a preamp how does it sound ? I need something like this or a Eversolo DMp-6 or another Wiim Ultra. I prefer XLR outputs though

They sound good I could find much difference between them and my other preamps from Fosi Zp3 and Topping L70.
However I do prefer to controll the volume at preamp level as the volume on BR15 controlls both XLR and RCA at the same time as there is no different volume control per output. And also on digital out(coaxial and optical) the volume control doesn't work.

There is another problem if you plan to use both XLR and RCA there is noticeable volume drop and distortion in sub bass.

Better to use just XLR with 100 volume to a balanced preamp and controll the volume from preamp. If the both dac and preamp are balanced you get some flexibility to get longer XLR cables and better arrange the setup in the room.

One good thing is PEQ applies on all output analog and digital.

Since the analog output is line level maxed at 4.4V so theoretically to preserve max dynamic range we should be using it at max, as most preamps are designed to preserve dynamic range of source.

 

[k9thunder]

Good info everyone!

Anyone compared the AC vs. DC linear power supply or even switchingDC power supply? I noticed AC a little better than the 5V 2A switching power supply I had around from cable modem.

I also own K11 and K13 and both are 12 V.

 

[Moon5123]

Good info everyone!

Anyone compared the AC vs. DC linear power supply or even switchingDC power supply? I noticed AC a little better than the 5V 2A switching power supply I had around from cable modem.

I also own K11 and K13 and both are 12 V.

I checked with IFI ipower 5v adapter but did not notice any audible change in sound. This might be due to clean power source in my apartment or inbuilt power supply is good enough.
I have yet to check with a linear power supply but I don't find any 5v in my region.
Using a power bank it also works and again I do not notice any difference.
How ever a youtube reviewers wave theory claims he noticed difference with ifi powerX and more improvement with a linear power. But I cannot confirm it. Also the youtuber also notice difference with different cables so I take his review with grain of salt.

 

[Megaken]

If I Bluetooth to it from my phone - which DAC is being used?

 

[k9thunder]

I checked with IFI ipower 5v adapter but did not notice any audible change in sound. This might be due to clean power source in my apartment or inbuilt power supply is good enough.
I have yet to check with a linear power supply but I don't find any 5v in my region.
Using a power bank it also works and again I do not notice any difference.
How ever a youtube reviewers wave theory claims he noticed difference with ifi powerX and more improvement with a linear power. But I cannot confirm it. Also the youtuber also notice difference with different cables so I take his review with grain of salt.

Hi Moon, good to hear that your experience mirrors mine. I agree that the Fiio's built-in power supply is good enough. I bought 12V LPS and not sure why Fiio used 5V on BR15 when K11 and K13 used 12V. BTW - the power to BR15 is fed by Powervar 1.5 power conditioner with isolation transformers and noise filters which probably helps. I use Powervar and Oneac power conditioner as the best bang-for-buck vs. exhorbitant prices nake oil claim audiophile versions.

 

[Chanur]

People Hi

Here's a little 'comparative' ->

View attachment 499116


In summary:

- The Fiio BR15 R2R is a Fiio K11 R2R with XLR jacks in addition, integrated switching power supply or an external linear power supply (optional), a 10-band PEQ without headphone outputs but with a USB drive on the front (with the playback of files controlled by the remote control) and a display with more information.

- The Fiio K13 R2R is a K11 R2R with XLR jacks in addition, integrated switching power supply or an external linear power supply (optional), a 10-band PEQ and improved as well as more powerful headphone outputs.

Both devices have the same 'basic' R2R module as the Fiio K11 R2R but the feature set has been improved.

The remote controls are different (buttons framed in the photos below) ->

View attachment 499317

View attachment 499314

BE CAREFUL because the Fiio K13 R2R's has a button that bypasses the volume control and then becomes a fixed output AT MAXIMUM LEVEL !

If your DAC is connected directly to a power amplifier or active speakers whose level adjustment is u maximum so I don't give much to the life of your speakers if this button was pressed inadvertently !!!

Bye

I have been assured by many subjective reviews that the K13 is much better sounding than the K11 sir.

 

[tomscargle856]

I just ordered this one from Aliexpress using the recent sale along with a custom gx-16 to 2.1mm dc cable. It's the ZEROZONE LPS-3A 40W R-Core Linear power supply. Until it arrives, I'm using a regular 5v/3a DC power supply with 6' 18awg cable. I'll report any differences when it comes in. I feel comfortable spending $100 on a power supply for my BR15 because I'm going to be keeping it in my system for a very long time.

 

[Moon5123]

I have been assured by many subjective reviews that the K13 is much better sounding than the K11 sir.

Those subjective review are just reviewers hype.
In my AB test I cannot tell difference when volume matched to topping L70.

 

[k9thunder]

I just ordered this one from Aliexpress using the recent sale along with a custom gx-16 to 2.1mm dc cable. It's the ZEROZONE LPS-3A 40W R-Core Linear power supply. Until it arrives, I'm using a regular 5v/3a DC power supply with 6' 18awg cable. I'll report any differences when it comes in. I feel comfortable spending $100 on a power supply for my BR15 because I'm going to be keeping it in my system for a very long time.
View attachment 523348

Nice! Please let us know how this LPS worked out. I recevied this 12V LPS from late March Ali sale (50VA HIFI Ultra-low Noise Linear Power Supply DC5V 9V 12V 15V 18V 24V LPS PSU) but not connected it to K11 and K13 yet.