FiiO BR13 Bluetooth receiver: bridging the gap between old and new
A Bluetooth receiver can bring older audio devices up to date. On top of that, the FiiO BR13 delivers great sound and a comfortable listening experience. There’s just one annoying thing.
I have a real soft spot for old audio equipment. Among other things, my living room contains an old Pioneer amplifier and – newly refurbished and set up as a secondary system – Philips powered speakers from the early 1980s. If I ever want to play music from my smartphone or tablet on one of these devices, I have to do so using a cable. As a result, I have to walk over to the amplifier or the speakers every time I want to listen to something else – or even just turn the volume down. After all, this stuff’s over 40 years old, there’s no remote control.
Luckily, Bluetooth receivers fix this problem. They’re small devices that receive audio via Bluetooth and transmit it through a cable. I’ve known about them for a long time, but I’ve always hesitated to buy one. This is probably down to bad experiences in the past.
Fortunately, the days of Bluetooth sounding terrible are over. They have been for years now. Another thing that’s probably starting to fade away: Bluetooth receivers becoming obsolete quickly whenever a new, much better version of the technology comes out.
Has everything I need
The FiiO BR13 uses Bluetooth 5.1, which is technically already outdated: version 6.0 is current. Still, the device has everything I could want. It supports the AAC, LDAC, aptX LL, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive codecs. This means there’s a suitable codec for every device that delivers high-quality music playback.
The receiver can connect to two source devices at the same time. All I have to do is pause playback on my smartphone, then I can press play on my tablet, and the connection switches automatically. Since I actually use both devices frequently as sources, I find this very convenient. It’d be even more convenient if playback on the first device stopped automatically – unfortunately, this doesn’t happen.
I use an RCA cable to connect to the active speakers. There are also coax and Toslink options, but as an old-school vintage fan, I don’t like that newfangled stuff.
The FiiO BR13 doesn’t have a battery. Instead, the device is powered via USB. In a permanent home setup, this works for me. Even with a rechargeable battery, I’d still have to plug the receiver into an outlet every now and then. If a rechargeable battery’s important to you, the Ugreen receiver might be a better choice. I’m just not sure about the codec support there.
FiiO includes a USB cable, but no charger. The device uses USB-C, while the other end of the cable is USB-A. However, the receiver also works with cables that have USB-C connectors on both ends (which, unfortunately, isn’t always the case).
The app’s good – when it works
On the receiver itself, I can control play/pause, volume and the equaliser. And the source as well, because in addition to Bluetooth, there are also USB, coaxial and Toslink inputs. Still, my goal is to get rid of the cable connection. The FiiO BR13 also has a power button. However, it turns on automatically as soon as it receives power.
The app offers additional settings. One allows me to choose whether the display should turn off after a certain number of minutes if there’s no interaction. I can also define two custom equaliser settings. The equaliser offers controls for ten frequency bands, allowing me to make precise adjustments. I can also adjust the left-right balance and disable codecs individually.
There’s just one annoying thing: the app keeps failing to connect to my device, even though it’s been connected via Bluetooth for quite some time. Often, the only option is to disconnect and reconnect. Luckily, once everything’s set up properly, I don’t need the app any more.
My connection issues only affect the app. The device itself connects flawlessly every time. My signal remains stable, even when I hide the receiver behind the speakers for aesthetic reasons. The antenna on the device is adjustable too.
In a nutshell
A great addition to an old stereo system
The FiiO BR13 is a great way to add Bluetooth to an old stereo system. Thanks to its wide-ranging codec support, it’ll sound great with virtually any source device. It even supports a simultaneous connection to two source devices. Using USB for power works too – the receiver could also receive audio this way.
The Bluetooth connections are stable and reliable. Strangely enough, however, the app doesn’t seem to get this. It constantly complains about missing connections, then stops working. Fortunately, I rarely need to use the app, and I hope a firmware update fixes the problem.
Pro
- All major codecs included
- Power supplied via USB
- Adjustable EQ and balance
- Allows simultaneous connections to two source devices
Contra
- Connectivity issues in the app
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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