FiiO has released its first desktop streamer (and player) that will give any hi-fi system a modern boost.
You can use the new FiiO R7 streamer/player stand-alone, thanks to its built-in headphone amplifier. But if you want to use it only for that purpose, you might be better off with a portable music player. In fact, the FiiO is the calibrated extension for hi-fi systems that do not yet have any (or severely outdated) streaming capabilities on board. Furthermore, the R7 is compatible in advance with the FiiO SP3 active speakers to be released later this year, with which you can then assemble a complete (micro) system in no time.
Versatile
The beating heart of the FiiO R7 is formed by ESS Sabre ES9068AS DACs combined with a THX-788+ amplifier. This is a double setup and the whole supports PCM up to 32 bit/768 kHz and DSD up to DSD512. In terms of connections, there is plenty to choose from, including optical and coaxial digital inputs and outputs, USB ports, line outputs in RCA and balanced XLR versions. Plus, of course, 2.4 and 5 GHz wifi and Bluetooth (5.0). The R7 is Roon Ready, handles MQA and has 64GB of local storage on board. Not enough? Then microSD cards up to 2TB size are supported too. The player runs on Android 10, which means you can install any streaming app you want from the Google Play store. The FiiO R7 costs $699.99.