guddu478
Active Member
FiiO BR15 R2R
Trimmed version of K13 R2R with same R2R Essence, Digital Volume Control & PEQ
Fiio BR15 R2R Box Contents
Getting some basics details of the way:
- DAC section: Fiio’s Fully differential true 24bit R2R DAC
- It has fully differential design which, in theory, should have noise & distortion eliminated
- Inputs: Optical, Coaxial, Dual USB type C and Bluetooth 6
Note: Bluetooth supports lossless codecs:
LC3/SBC/AAC/aptX/aptX HD/aptX Adaptive/LDAC/aptX Lossless”
- Analog Outputs: 2 sets of RCA (single ended) and 1 set of XLR (balanced)
- Digital Outputs: Coaxial and Optical out
- Decoding Modes: Over Sampling (OS) and Non-Over Sampling (NOS) modes with OS mode selectable to 96K/192K/384K
- 10 Band Parametric EQ (PEQ) - accessible through mobile app and web GUI on PC
- Built-in power supply (AC input), as well as external DC input option
- Remote Control (plasticky but very responsive)
*Note: No Headphone out on BR15 R2R.
Please find more product details and specifications here:
https://www.fiio.com/br15r2r
https://www.fiio.com/br15r2r_parameters
*****
FiiO BR15 R2R - Build Quality & Aesthetics
*****
FiiO have a way to add a softer & smoother touch to the appearance of their products and BR15 follows the same. Build quality if solid with decent spacing between different input and output connectors to support thicker cables & connectors.
Fiio BR15 R2R - Front
Front display is larger (than that of K13) enough to read from 3–4-meters distance for me, with useful information in large display font.
Fiio BR15 R2R - 3 Line Info Display
Left Knob is for Menu operation while right side knob is for volume control.
Front knobs have LEDs as well, I had those turned off while taking above picture. 1.47 inch color display with 3 line or levels of information is pretty practical.
Knob LED color and brightness level is adjustable on Menu.
Dedicated power button in front along with USB C input seems to be good additions and quite handy for quick operations on the desk.
Back of the Fiio BR15 R2R same as K13 R2R in terms of size and connectors. Coaxial Out and Optical out are new additions compared to K13 R2R.
Note that Bluetooth antenna is not removable, or at least I could find a safe way to remove it.
Fiio BR15 R2R - Back
*****
Menu > Auto Off
BR15 R2R has Auto Off with is accessible on Meno Knob (left one), could be set to 30min, 1hr, 2hr, 3hr, 5hr.
Over Sampling (OS) Mode - Standard mode used by a DAC to construct a technically more accurate analog signal applying up-sampling, digital filtering, shaping, etc.
*Note: BR15 R2R has selectable up-sampling for OS mode to 96K/192K/384K.
While I presume OS up-sampling is best to do at the max available up-sampling rate but there might be some cases to use lower up-sampling rate.
** I would appreciate it if you could mention comments where lower up-sampling could be useful, if you know. **
Non-Over Sampling (NOS) Mode - No additional processing/up-sampling applied after Digital to Analog conversation
By default, FiiO BR15 R2R DAC has OS mode set by default, go to Menu and set to OFF to use NOS mode.
*****
Here is the setup I have in action
*Please note that the further details I am going to mention here are based on experience and opinion using BR15 R2R in the mentioned setup.
*****
R13 R2R DAC - Sound Quality - "absolutely COHERENT, engaging and easy to listen to"
Truth is that I cannot differentiate between BR15 R2R and K13 R2R when using Optical or USB inputs.
They both have same coherent and engaging sound that is very easy to listen to.
I have several other DACs or streamers with DACs and it's not that I don't like them or something. But Fiio BR15 & K13 R2R don’t push my attention to anything in specific within a song and gives me focus on the overall music or song. It’s so neutral and balanced, nothing more or nothing less.
I don’t feel any details are missing in my music, sound is layered as it should. Sound stage width and depth is as good as I have ever found. I am heavy Indian Classical fan and listener, and I don’t think I have had better experience with Indian music with other DACs.
I know most of these experiences totally depend on complete setup (especially speakers) but because other components in my setup remain same which makes me say that the R2R DAC is doing its job very well.
“If you are coming from a DAC like Topping D90 or something, then you may need to give these R2R DACs a couple of days listening without thinking of differences etc. Give it a couple of days or so and see if you like it or not, and then switch back to your other DAC to see what your preference is now. Avoid rushing to any immediate conclusion is helpful in this hobby.”
SINAD
Both BR15 & K13 R2R have SINAD around 75dB based on provided specifications which is probably nothing to be worries about, I don’t see any issues in my setup.
Any hiss, pop or other noise on power ON/OFF or on idle when nothing is playing
Absolutely nothing, I found it dead silent
BR15 R2R - Bluetooth Performance - Flawless
I am using BR15 with Bluetooth for hours every day and it has worked flawlessly.
Paired with nVidia Shield Pro and it connected with LDAC automatically, which is the best shield pro could do. I literally have no complaints and can only praise convenience of Bluetooth with such good performance.
No dialogue intelligibility or clarity issues with TV shows or movies. Music sounds as good as well.
I don’t have any device that could do lossless Bluetooth at the moment, but it should perform even better with that.
BR15 – USB connectivity – Use any USB C port on front or back of the unit
First thing to do is to install USB drivers from Fiio’s website otherwise windows default USB driver will have its limitations.
This is what I get after installing USB drivers:
*****
BR15 R2R - Exploring PEQ Setup
*****
BR15 R2R has 10 band Parametric EQ (PEQ) function. It is packed with 10 pre-set EQ profiles and 10 user defined sets for your custom configuration.
Customized EQ could be saved on the device or FiiO Cloud using Personal tab with a free account.
It also allows you to import custom EQ file from connected device.
*It took me some time to get to a point to use PEQ and so I am capturing the process here hoping that it might save you some time if you follow the process:
* How do you access PEQ feature - FiiO Control Mobile App vs Web App on Laptop/PC
Option 1> FiiO Control Mobile App
Available on Google Play Store & Apple App Store.
App discovers the device if it’s powered ON and Bluetooth is connected.
*Note - Enable EQ (any profile) on BR15 R2R first to use PEW features on App
You can use sliders to customize the EQ
***To use Detailed PEQ settings, go to "More Options-> advanced"
Option 2> Web App on a PC or Laptop
Use any USB C on BR15 R2R to connect to PC/Laptop
*Note - Any EQ profile must be enabled on BR15 R2R to access PEQ settings on Web App
When connected over USB, WEB App access uses "https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/"
>> On the Web App page, you need to first connect your BR15 R2R device to the Web App
>> Use "Connect" button on upper right of the page and select the correct device
>> You can adjust EQ on home page and then save.
>> You can also access all EQ profiles and adjust as you need on Device tab.
*Note - You can create a free account to use these advanced EQ save & upload from device features. You may also explore community shared EQ profiles & settings.
What did I miss in BR15 R2R
While I normally look at a product for what it is rather than what it isn't, however the following would have really enhanced user experience:
* The Fiio Control mobile app has limited or less features compared to that of K13 R2R like knob LED color and brightness level etc.
* Many settings are only accessible through the front left Menu Knob, so you can not do full remote operation, however most of those are just one time settings.
*12v Trigger and/or signal sensing auto-ON/OFF (*Note – BR15 R2R has Auto OFF feature)
* Separate PEQ for each channel, currently its stereo PEQ applies to both the channels
Summarizing all the thoughts........
FiiO BR15 R2R is my DAC in-use in my TV room now for more than couple of weeks and I totally like the performance. (I also have K13 R2R is my office room).
Both have quite a coherent and balanced smooth presentation that I liked. It is more apparent after listening to it for a day or two and then switch to another DAC.
It isn't a SINAD chaser, but it doesn't fall behind at all in my experience and opinion.
Overall, it is a well-built feature packed unit and sounds soooo good. It isn’t as good looking as Fiio K13 R2R but it costs way less with similar performance.
If you are eyeing on a R2R DAC then this one is absolutely worth a try....
On this price, Don't miss it if you need one.
Hope this has been informative for you and helps you in making a decision.
Trimmed version of K13 R2R with same R2R Essence, Digital Volume Control & PEQ
Fiio BR15 R2R Box ContentsGetting some basics details of the way:
- DAC section: Fiio’s Fully differential true 24bit R2R DAC
- It has fully differential design which, in theory, should have noise & distortion eliminated
- Inputs: Optical, Coaxial, Dual USB type C and Bluetooth 6
Note: Bluetooth supports lossless codecs:
LC3/SBC/AAC/aptX/aptX HD/aptX Adaptive/LDAC/aptX Lossless”
- Analog Outputs: 2 sets of RCA (single ended) and 1 set of XLR (balanced)
- Digital Outputs: Coaxial and Optical out
- Decoding Modes: Over Sampling (OS) and Non-Over Sampling (NOS) modes with OS mode selectable to 96K/192K/384K
- 10 Band Parametric EQ (PEQ) - accessible through mobile app and web GUI on PC
- Built-in power supply (AC input), as well as external DC input option
- Remote Control (plasticky but very responsive)
*Note: No Headphone out on BR15 R2R.
Please find more product details and specifications here:
https://www.fiio.com/br15r2r
https://www.fiio.com/br15r2r_parameters
*****
FiiO BR15 R2R - Build Quality & Aesthetics
*****
FiiO have a way to add a softer & smoother touch to the appearance of their products and BR15 follows the same. Build quality if solid with decent spacing between different input and output connectors to support thicker cables & connectors.
Fiio BR15 R2R - FrontFront display is larger (than that of K13) enough to read from 3–4-meters distance for me, with useful information in large display font.
Fiio BR15 R2R - 3 Line Info DisplayLeft Knob is for Menu operation while right side knob is for volume control.
Front knobs have LEDs as well, I had those turned off while taking above picture. 1.47 inch color display with 3 line or levels of information is pretty practical.
Knob LED color and brightness level is adjustable on Menu.
Dedicated power button in front along with USB C input seems to be good additions and quite handy for quick operations on the desk.
Back of the Fiio BR15 R2R same as K13 R2R in terms of size and connectors. Coaxial Out and Optical out are new additions compared to K13 R2R.
Note that Bluetooth antenna is not removable, or at least I could find a safe way to remove it.
Fiio BR15 R2R - Back*****
Menu > Auto Off
BR15 R2R has Auto Off with is accessible on Meno Knob (left one), could be set to 30min, 1hr, 2hr, 3hr, 5hr.
Over Sampling (OS) Mode - Standard mode used by a DAC to construct a technically more accurate analog signal applying up-sampling, digital filtering, shaping, etc.
*Note: BR15 R2R has selectable up-sampling for OS mode to 96K/192K/384K.
While I presume OS up-sampling is best to do at the max available up-sampling rate but there might be some cases to use lower up-sampling rate.
** I would appreciate it if you could mention comments where lower up-sampling could be useful, if you know. **
Non-Over Sampling (NOS) Mode - No additional processing/up-sampling applied after Digital to Analog conversation
By default, FiiO BR15 R2R DAC has OS mode set by default, go to Menu and set to OFF to use NOS mode.
*****
Here is the setup I have in action
*Please note that the further details I am going to mention here are based on experience and opinion using BR15 R2R in the mentioned setup.
*****
R13 R2R DAC - Sound Quality - "absolutely COHERENT, engaging and easy to listen to"
Truth is that I cannot differentiate between BR15 R2R and K13 R2R when using Optical or USB inputs.
They both have same coherent and engaging sound that is very easy to listen to.
I have several other DACs or streamers with DACs and it's not that I don't like them or something. But Fiio BR15 & K13 R2R don’t push my attention to anything in specific within a song and gives me focus on the overall music or song. It’s so neutral and balanced, nothing more or nothing less.
I don’t feel any details are missing in my music, sound is layered as it should. Sound stage width and depth is as good as I have ever found. I am heavy Indian Classical fan and listener, and I don’t think I have had better experience with Indian music with other DACs.
I know most of these experiences totally depend on complete setup (especially speakers) but because other components in my setup remain same which makes me say that the R2R DAC is doing its job very well.
“If you are coming from a DAC like Topping D90 or something, then you may need to give these R2R DACs a couple of days listening without thinking of differences etc. Give it a couple of days or so and see if you like it or not, and then switch back to your other DAC to see what your preference is now. Avoid rushing to any immediate conclusion is helpful in this hobby.”
SINAD
Both BR15 & K13 R2R have SINAD around 75dB based on provided specifications which is probably nothing to be worries about, I don’t see any issues in my setup.
Any hiss, pop or other noise on power ON/OFF or on idle when nothing is playing
Absolutely nothing, I found it dead silent
BR15 R2R - Bluetooth Performance - Flawless
I am using BR15 with Bluetooth for hours every day and it has worked flawlessly.
Paired with nVidia Shield Pro and it connected with LDAC automatically, which is the best shield pro could do. I literally have no complaints and can only praise convenience of Bluetooth with such good performance.
No dialogue intelligibility or clarity issues with TV shows or movies. Music sounds as good as well.
I don’t have any device that could do lossless Bluetooth at the moment, but it should perform even better with that.
BR15 – USB connectivity – Use any USB C port on front or back of the unit
First thing to do is to install USB drivers from Fiio’s website otherwise windows default USB driver will have its limitations.
This is what I get after installing USB drivers:
*****
BR15 R2R - Exploring PEQ Setup
*****
BR15 R2R has 10 band Parametric EQ (PEQ) function. It is packed with 10 pre-set EQ profiles and 10 user defined sets for your custom configuration.
Customized EQ could be saved on the device or FiiO Cloud using Personal tab with a free account.
It also allows you to import custom EQ file from connected device.
*It took me some time to get to a point to use PEQ and so I am capturing the process here hoping that it might save you some time if you follow the process:
* How do you access PEQ feature - FiiO Control Mobile App vs Web App on Laptop/PC
Option 1> FiiO Control Mobile App
Available on Google Play Store & Apple App Store.
App discovers the device if it’s powered ON and Bluetooth is connected.
*Note - Enable EQ (any profile) on BR15 R2R first to use PEW features on App
You can use sliders to customize the EQ
***To use Detailed PEQ settings, go to "More Options-> advanced"
Option 2> Web App on a PC or Laptop
Use any USB C on BR15 R2R to connect to PC/Laptop
*Note - Any EQ profile must be enabled on BR15 R2R to access PEQ settings on Web App
When connected over USB, WEB App access uses "https://fiiocontrol.fiio.com/"
>> On the Web App page, you need to first connect your BR15 R2R device to the Web App
>> Use "Connect" button on upper right of the page and select the correct device
>> You can adjust EQ on home page and then save.
>> You can also access all EQ profiles and adjust as you need on Device tab.
*Note - You can create a free account to use these advanced EQ save & upload from device features. You may also explore community shared EQ profiles & settings.
What did I miss in BR15 R2R
While I normally look at a product for what it is rather than what it isn't, however the following would have really enhanced user experience:
* The Fiio Control mobile app has limited or less features compared to that of K13 R2R like knob LED color and brightness level etc.
* Many settings are only accessible through the front left Menu Knob, so you can not do full remote operation, however most of those are just one time settings.
*12v Trigger and/or signal sensing auto-ON/OFF (*Note – BR15 R2R has Auto OFF feature)
* Separate PEQ for each channel, currently its stereo PEQ applies to both the channels
Summarizing all the thoughts........
FiiO BR15 R2R is my DAC in-use in my TV room now for more than couple of weeks and I totally like the performance. (I also have K13 R2R is my office room).
Both have quite a coherent and balanced smooth presentation that I liked. It is more apparent after listening to it for a day or two and then switch to another DAC.
It isn't a SINAD chaser, but it doesn't fall behind at all in my experience and opinion.
Overall, it is a well-built feature packed unit and sounds soooo good. It isn’t as good looking as Fiio K13 R2R but it costs way less with similar performance.
If you are eyeing on a R2R DAC then this one is absolutely worth a try....
On this price, Don't miss it if you need one.
Hope this has been informative for you and helps you in making a decision.
Last edited:
