FiiO BTR3K Bluetooth Headphone Amp

The FiiO BTR3K is a pocket-sized Bluetooth DAC and headphone amplifier with a truly balanced design. Two AKM AK4377A DAC/amp chips, one per channel, drive a 2.5mm balanced output (78mW) and a 3.5mm output (25mW), with a 122dB signal-to-noise ratio. A Qualcomm CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 chip receives LDAC, aptX HD and AAC, it works as a USB DAC, and its battery lasts about 11 hours. It won VGP Life Style awards in 2021 and 2024.

Now balanced

Building on what made the BTR3 so good, the BTR3K adds a balanced output. It is truly balanced, with a DAC and amplifier carefully paired for each of the left and right channels, for the purest possible sound.

Two AK4377A chips for a fuller sound

The two high-performance AK4377A chips give 50% more power than the AK4376 in the BTR3, with much better measurements and sound.

Dual crystal oscillators

The dual-oscillator system from the BTR5 comes to the BTR3K: separate 22.5792MHz and 24.576MHz clocks for the 44.1kHz and 48kHz families greatly reduce jitter, so Bluetooth and USB audio are reproduced more accurately and stably at every sample rate.

Qualcomm CSR8675 and Bluetooth 5.0

The premium, low-power Qualcomm CSR8675 has a 120MHz DSP and handles 24-bit transmission and processing, for excellent sound whether you are watching videos, listening to music or gaming. Bluetooth 5.0 means faster pairing and a more stable signal, with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, aptX, AAC and SBC, and a range of about 30m unobstructed (about 4m with LDAC set to quality priority). An RGB light shows the codec at a glance: blue for SBC, cyan for AAC, purple for aptX and aptX LL, yellow for aptX HD and white for LDAC.

Two devices, separate volume

The BTR3K pairs with and remembers two Bluetooth devices at once, so you can switch between, say, your phone and tablet without re-pairing. Its volume is adjusted separately from your phone’s for finer control, and it remembers your preferred level. When you play music with the FiiO Music app, you can also control the BTR3K remotely from your phone.

Clear calls and your voice assistant

An omnidirectional microphone, call controls and Qualcomm’s eighth-generation cVc noise suppression keep background noise out of your calls, and you can call up your phone’s voice assistant without taking your phone out.

Works with any wired headphones

The BTR3K recognises what kind of headphones you plug in and adjusts its output. With headphones that have CTIA in-line controls, their microphone and play/pause, volume and track buttons work too.

A USB DAC, and listen while charging

Connect the BTR3K to a computer over USB-C and it works as a USB DAC. You can listen while it charges: a full charge takes about 1.5 hours and gives about 11 hours of playback. It can bring Bluetooth to older speakers or a car stereo, upgrade your computer’s audio, or go with you on the move.

Glass and aluminium

The aluminium alloy body is wrapped in an arc of 2.5D glass, like the latest smartphones, with an oleophobic coating that resists fingerprints, high-contrast lettering and a smooth texture. A symmetrical, detachable rear clip makes it easy to wear on the go.

Good to know

• The balanced output is 2.5mm; for 4.4mm balanced headphones see the FiiO BTR13.
• NFC isn’t supported. On Android, the BTR3K’s battery level can show on your phone (support varies by device).
• In the box: BTR3K, USB-C cable, detachable rear clip, lanyard, quick start guide and warranty card.