FIIO SP3 High Fidelity Active Desktop Speakers (Black)

Product Information

There are a couple of things that stand out to me from these options. For example, the send screen option is pretty interesting as you can mirror the screen of the R7 on other devices, such as a Chromecast or other cast devices. This means you could, in theory, show the screen of the R7 in another room of your house. However, I say “in theory” because I have not been able to get it to see any of the devices on my network. I have many kinds of different devices that can receive casts (smart TVs, smart monitors, Chromecast, Fire TVs, etc.) but none of them can be found by the R7. Now, it’s possible that I am just doing something wrong (maybe probable rather than possible, as I didn’t spend too much time with it) but I played around with different settings and still did not manage to get it working. They are very compact sized but also sturdy and well dampened against vibrations and resonances. Premium materials are used throughout and build quality is excellent. You can passively run the 3.5mm cable into a budget to mid-tier amplifier with a good bass switch, or hopefully run your music through something like the Foobar2000 app or the HiBy Music app. With that, you can upgrade the bass depth and weight with the right combo set of extra add-ons. The Fiio R7 is an interesting device that got me curious when it was released earlier this year. While it could be simply considered a desktop DAP, it’s actually more of an all in one solution for both the desk and as a hub to serve other set ups that you may have at home. It’s at its best with a high quality source, be it an MQA-encoded Tidal Master or DSD, with lossy streams sounding slightly more enclosed, but the R7 still does a good job with whatever you choose to feed it. FiiO R7 verdict

Founded in 2007, FiiO is one of the pillars of the portable audiophile world, with companies like Astell&Kern, iBasso , or even Meze. IEM, headphone amps, DACs, and obviously DAPs, they did it all and did it well, filling each and every corner with an endless list of multi-awarded devices, like the K9 Pro, BTR5 , KA5, or the M17. Sure, they don’t feel as good as those – there’s a reason why a Neuman set costs five to ten times more – but quite honestly, for the price, it’s hard not to get impressed by the full-aluminum chassis, made of just two die-casted parts. Put them side to side with similarly priced speakers like AudioEngine or Triangle, and I’m pretty sure that most people will believe that the FiiO sits in the upper range.FiiO has squeezed in two dials and a trio of audio outputs to the right of the 5in display, saving you from reaching around to the rear of the unit every time you want to plug in some headphones. A dust cover in the box blanks off those outputs completely if you don’t plan on using them, and there’s a single cover for the beefy XLR port to keep things looking shipshape. And if the brand began as a chi-fi maker, with cheap but nice products, lately they’ve constantly been moving upmarket with players like the FiiO M11 Plus ESS or the mighty FiiO R7.

Appearance matters when it comes to something that will be displayed prominently on your desktop. For this reason, the FiiO SP3 has LED lights at the base of its cabinet. The moment you turn on the SP3, light floods the bottom of the device, instantly transforming the atmosphere of your desktop. The SP3 will automatically enter a pulsing light mode when in use. It cycles through its 24 different colours. Exclusive Silicone Stand With 7-Degree Elevation In addition, the R7 can output audio via Bluetooth using a wide range of different standards — including AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC. The FiiO R7 will be complemented by the FiiO SP3 active speakers, available later this year. Coaxial/optical decoding mode: for receiving digital signals from external sources like a CD transport or a TV set.What this does mean is that we have quite a bit more power on this desktop version, very clean power I may add, with 5 levels of gain and a maximum output of 3.6W. This translates into the R7 powering anything I have on hand with ease, from sensitive IEMs through to power hungry planars (although I don’t have anything super demanding), without any noticeable issue. The R7 is fast and dynamic with great transparency in the mid range, it is articulated, resolving and detailed with plenty of clarity and luminosity in the treble without any associated brightness and sharpness, you can use your already bright headphones without the fear of crossing the harshness line.