FiiO swaps the R7's delta-sigma converter for a resistor ladder in the R7 R2R
The all-in-one desktop streamer, DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier returns with FiiO's own R2R converter in place of the ES9068AS, at around $700.
FiiO has released the R7 R2R at around $700, a variant of its all-in-one desktop unit that replaces the original R7's ESS ES9068AS with a resistor-ladder converter of FiiO's own design. Everything else stays: the vertical touchscreen, Android with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay and Roon Ready, and 4.4 mm balanced, 4-pin XLR and 6.35 mm outputs.
This is the second FiiO product this year to offer a resistor ladder in a chassis that already exists with a conventional converter, after the M25 pair. The pattern is useful: holding the amplifier, the streaming stack and the outputs constant leaves the converter as the only variable, which is the only way the R2R argument gets settled with numbers rather than adjectives.
Announcement sources
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This is an announcement, not a verdict. Specifications come from the manufacturer and nothing here is measured until a unit reaches the rig. For tested dacs, see DACs reviews. Back to all new releases.