Disclaimer
Hello everyone. I want to say that the BTR11 reviewed here today was sent to me by FiiO in order for me to make this review. I must note that FiiO has never dictated to me what to write or when I should publish this review. They are always giving me free will to write whatever I feel necessary in order for my reviews to be as truthful and transparent as possible.
I want to thank FiiO for this opportunity, and I want to thank you, the reader, for your trust in my review and for taking your time to read it.
Edit: I want to apologise for the mistake I have made in this review regarding the car mode. Please pay attention to the dedicated section in my review.
keep in mind that the BTR11 doesn’t support car mode, so I have added an additional section to make everything clear.
Introduction
The FiiO BTR11 is a small and budget Bluetooth dongle which costs 19$ USD and support advanced audio codecs like LDAC and AAC, and it promises a better overall experience than typical Bluetooth streaming. Inside is BES2700 chip, which supports Bluetooth 5.3 connection, and it can even work with two devices connected at the same time.
The BTR11 has some more cool features: it has a built in mic for calls, and can even reconnect to my phone with a single press if I wander too far and lose connection. Plus, the car mode makes it automatically turn on and connect when I start my car, which is super convenient.
In this review, I’ll go over everything I experienced with the BTR11. The good, the bad, and whether it actually lives up to its promises on sound and convenience.
Unboxing
Unboxing the FiiO BTR11 was straightforward and just like opening other budget FiiO products. The packaging is compact, with the BTR11 displayed right on the front, so I knew exactly what I was getting.
Inside, it came with the essentials: the BTR11 itself, a short USB Type-C charging cable, a user manual, warranty info, and even a handy little card with instructions on safely removing the BTR11 from the packaging without accidentally damaging it. So the box surely gives you all you need to get started right away.
Technical specifications
Specs
- Color: Black/White
- Bluetooth Chip: BES2700
- Bluetooth Version: 5.3
- Supported Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Outputs: 3.5 mm single-ended
- Dimensions: 55 x 19 x 14.6 mm (with back clip)
- Weight: About 12.5 g
- Charging Time: Approximately 1.5 hours
- Battery Life: Up to 15 hours (AAC), About 8.5 hours (LDAC)
- Output power 1: L+R≥45mW+45mW (16Ω, THD+N＜1%)
- Output power 1: L+R≥30mW+30mW (32Ω, THD+N＜1%)
- Frequency response: 20Hz~45kHz: Attenuation <2.3dB
- Signal to Noise Ratio: ≥101 dB (A-weighted)
- Noise Floor: ≤8 μV (A-weighted)
- Output impedance: PO≤0.5Ω
- THD+N: <0.008% (1kHz/-3dB@32Ω)
Internal Components
Inside, the BTR11 runs on the BES2700 Bluetooth chip, which supports Bluetooth 5.3. It can handle high audio codecs, like LDAC and AAC, so you are getting high quality streaming.
Indicators and Controls
The BTR11 has dual color LEDs that show both the Bluetooth codec in use and the remaining battery level. If you are using LDAC, AAC, or another codec, the LED color will change to indicate which one is active (blue light flashing every 5 seconds=SBC, flashing twice quickly=AAC, flashing 3 times quickly=LDAC). There is also a multifunction button for various controls, like calling up your phone’s voice assistant with a double press. It can even reconnect disconnected Bluetooth with just a single press. If you are paired with two devices, it remembers them both, but keep in mind that if the BTR11 gets turned off, you will have to manually reconnect the second device.
The thing that pretty annoyed me with the control buttons is the very large delay to the button presses, each press registers like half a second or even a second after the initial button press. So keep that in mind.
Battery Life and Charging
This device has a built in battery that gives around 15 hours of use per charge if you are using AAC codec, and about 8.5 hours with LDAC. When you need to recharge, it uses a USB-C port and charges to full in about 1.5 hours.
Design and Build
The BTR11 is compact and light, weighing about 12.5g. While it’s small and easy to carry, the build is primarily from glossy plastic, so it feels lightweight but maybe not super premium.
Special Features
The BTR11 also includes a car mode, where it automatically powers on and off when connected to your car’s audio system. It has a built in microphone, so you can use it for voice calls, and it also provides noise reduction, so calls come through clearer.
Supported Audio Codecs
The BTR11 supports a range of audio codecs: LDAC, AAC, and SBC. These are great for high quality Bluetooth audio, with LDAC giving the highest resolution for a better listening experience.
Edit: The BTR11 doesn’t support car mode
I’m really sorry for the mistake I made about the BTR11 having a car mode. It actually doesn’t, unlike its bigger brother, the BTR13. I’m really sorry for misleading you all to think that it has. It turns out my car automatically stops power to the BTR11, which led me to think the BTR11 had its own car mode. My apologies for the mix-up, and thanks for understanding!
By the way, I do still think that the BTR11 is a great Bluetooth receiver to use in a car that doesn’t support Bluetooth.
Sound performance
To be honest, the first thing I noticed about the BTR11’s sound was the background hiss, which was louder than I expected and did get a bit annoying during quiet moments. However, it definitely gives a noticeable improvement in sound quality over a standard phone jack, the sound is richer, both in dynamics and in resolution. The sound signature leans more to the warm side rather than bright, which I’ve come to expect from FiiO, it’s rich and laid back a bit.
Probably one of the main highlights of the BTR11 for me is its potential use in the car, if your car is a bit older and doesn’t support all these wireless features. The BTR11 can be easily connected to the car’s audio system, using the 3.5 jack for the audio and the USB for constant power, and if you want, you can even keep it in the car as it turns on and off with the car. The BTR11 does give a nice boost to sound quality and can give a more dynamic wireless experience despite the background noise. Plus, in this setting, the background noise isn’t as noticeable as it is with sensitive IEMs.
So while the BTR11 does have a pretty big drawback, it’s versatile and provides a convenient audio upgrade when used in the right context, and let’s not forget that it is very affordable and priced at less than 20$.
Conclusions
To wrap it up, I’d say the FiiO BTR11 does a good job for the price, especially if you are after something that is compact and cheap and adds a bit more than your phone’s headphone jack. It’s got a warmer sound, typical of FiiO, which I enjoyed for the most part. However, the background hiss is noticeable in quieter settings, and that can get a bit annoying if you’re listening at low volumes. In a car, though, that issue is hardly noticeable, and if your car doesn’t allow for a good Bluetooth connection, or you just want to connect it to 2 different devices for more convenient music control, then the BTR11 does a great job boosting the audio quality and making your car setup feel more modern with wireless connectivity.
The build is a little plasticky, but it’s light and small, so it’s easy to carry around. The dual device support is handy if you are switching between devices, even if you do have to manually reconnect the second one after it’s powered off. For the price, the BTR11 is a decent addition if you want a portable, budget friendly way to improve audio without being wired directly to your phone.
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight, easy to carry.
- Warm sound with decent clarity for the price.
- Dual device pairing for easy switching between devices.
- Works great in the car, adding wireless capability with improved sound quality.
- Offers a convenient one touch reconnect feature.
- Great battery life.
- Affordable way to boost audio quality wirelessly over the phone’s built in jack.
Cons:
- Noticeable background noise.
- Plastic build feels a bit cheap.
- Slow reaction for the button presses.
- The dual device feature requires manual reconnection for the second device after powering off.
