Would this work?
Here is another one
Good suggestions M0N, I may pickup the Zonieās from Linsoul directly, it will take a month to deliver, but Iām probably waiting at least that long for the BTR5. so I donāt think it will matter (no balanced out on anything else I own right now). $15 USD at Linsoul with free shipping. Itās awfully tempting.
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Thatās pretty good then, that might be the right choice. It typically takes around a month for stuff from linsoul as you say
Bonjour du QuƩbec.
Thereās also a ālinsoul audioā eBay store ā same price, 24,88$CAD, free shipping.
Thatās where I bought mine.
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Thanks LeDechaine,
Looks to me like thatās just an indirect method to order from linsoulās webpage - which I donāt have a problem with (itās how I got my T2ās). So Iām putting my eggs in one basket and placing the order on Linsoulās page direct.
Thanks for the recommendation @M0N ā¦ Iāll be back when my BTR5 comes in. 
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Is it possible to connect the 2.5mm balanced to RCA input? I want to use it as a DAC and since balanced output uses the two DACs itās better to connect that to my amp.
Iāve seen cables so it seems itās possible but how can balanced output go to unbalanced input?
You may have to make your own cable but you could. Just note. NEVER connect to bluetooth if you do that. It will jump to bluetooth any chance it gets.
Does anyone know if the BTR5 supports usb/digital output?
I can say for a face digital come in and analog go out.
So, people that have the BTR5. Is it really that good? Iām looking for something to use while sitting outside on the patio. Possibly to travel to work with me. Iāve considered the iFi Hip DAC, but the Bluetooth seems more appealing to me. My source will be a Galaxy S10e, FYI.
if you need bluetooth pthe btr5 are to me one of the best along with the UP4 if you desire more power out of unbalanced and a generally warmer sound. but if your going wired the ifi hip DAC is definitely a better direction to go.
If you asked that question on this thread, you clearly havenāt scrolled through the history. I give the DAC a solid recommend.
I did, I guess Iām just still skeptical. How does it compare sound quality wise to something like the e10kāI had one, and wasnāt super impressed. Better, worse, completely different?
I probably wonāt be using balanced. If thatās the case, will I still see the gains over the BTR3 ($45 refurb on eBay).
Or, looks like I could pick up an EarStudio ES100 for $65 refurb on eBay.
Iām just wondering if the BTR5 would be that much better than those other two, warranting 2x or 3x the price?
If you are this sensitive to price I would suggest finding a new hobby. Is it worth the price? Enough I debate getting a second one. But I am not you.
I suggest you try out the UP2 which has more output power than the BTR3 unbalanced and itās cheaper than the BTR5/UP4. I did have the E10 but itās been too long for me to give you a a good comparison. I would say the E10k has more power for harder to drive headphones than all the other ones mentioned but sonically theyāre somewhat similar.
Value is always at the root of my purchases. A product of my upbringing I guess. I decided to try a refurbishes ES100 for $65. If Iām unhappy with it, Iāll look more at the BTR5. Thank you for the suggestions.
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Just providing an update: received my BTR5 about a week or so ago from B&H. Massive backorder to wait through, but I got them. 
at first, I was listening to a lot of different stuff, on the go, in my car, at home, using USB and BT, everything sounded good, nothing really stood out at first.
Then I went for a walk listening to a tool album (I think Lateralus - 24bit 96khz FLAC) on my Tin T2ās (Single Ended), I noticed a few things in that album I hadnāt noticed before.
Needless to say, Iām impressed. this is the answer for me. The issue with all these modern cellphones is the removal of the headphone jack and I didnāt know what to do about that. Previously, I tried with all the bluetooth ātotally wirelessā type options (airpod style headphones - not airpods but the same kind of form-factor), to wireless headphones. I have to say, some are more convenient for some things (I have a pair of Trekz Air, bone conducting bluetooth headset, which is great for really passive listening while keeping awareness of whatās going on around you), but for straight headphone-jack-less phones that you just want to get back to listening to your favorite tracks on your favorite headphonesā¦ this is the answer.
Iāll spell it out a bit. With most BT headsets, whether theyāre over ears or IEM or whatever, you can listen, or you can charge them, not both. with earbud style, you have to put them into a case to charge, making it impossible to charge and listen, with most of the larger BT headsets Iāve used, you might be able to hook up a charger while listening, but every BT headset Iāve met so far, can either deliver sound, or charge, never both. So I keep going back to: what do I do if my headset is dead, I need to charge my phone, and I want to watch something without sound blaring out of my phoneās built-in (and frankly terrible) speaker? I canāt. I have to either listen wirelessly, and charge my phone, or listen wired, and let my phone die, orā¦ what? carry a backup BT headset so when one dies, I can switch them out? no thanks.
This ticks all the boxes: I can listen and charge my BTR5, audio from bluetooth, charge from my powerbank. While Iām listening, I can also charge my phone from the same power bank. so on the go, indefinite listening/watching/enjoyment time, only limited by the 20,000 mAh of my power bank (unless I can find an outlet and I happen to have a wall-wart on me). this is the answer to removing the headphone jack. No compromises.
For the BT/USB issues that have been mentioned, Iām using the latest and greatest firmware on mine (came shipped - I checked, v.1.0.6), which I have the option of audio preference, BT or USB. so I can actually swap my BTR5 between BT and USB from the menu (or app). IMO, that, coupled with the absolutely killer audio fidelity of the unit, makes it a perfect fit for what I need and my concerns for mobile enjoyment. 10/10.
ā¦ now Iām just waiting for my balanced cable for my T2ās so I can try that out (Iām expecting good things), if all goes well, Iāll have to put together a bit of cash and make a visit to hart for some new cables for my Sundaraās, which also sound GREAT on the BTR5.
Sorry for the long ramble, hopefully it answers some questions 
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Iāve been bouncing between the BTR5, Q5s, or a DAP around these prices. I like everything you said here and honestly the only reason I havenāt just pounced on a BTR5 is the up to 9hr battery (not that Q5s is much better.)
I look forward to seeing how it does balanced for you. Do you find the Sundaraās are driven loud enough with SE connection?
I donāt have a great reference as to how many mWatts I actually need for different headphones or IEMs. I bought a THX 789 for the desktop setup and know itās overkill power wise but not sure what would be too small for portable amp use lol.
So, when I had my sundaraās I felt they sounded a bit strange out of the SE output when compared to my desktop setup, volume was not an issue but quality was noticeably less. Didnāt listen for more than a few minutes before deciding this was not what I prefer. The only other headphone I tried with the BTR5 was the nighthawks which are fairly low impedance and they were super quite. I donāt personally find this device adequate for driving headphones generally although I did not try with the balanced out. Another important thing to note is that if youāre concerned about battery full headphones are probably going to drain the btr significantly faster especially something like a planar that generally does better with more juice. I love the btr5 but imo itās really for IEMs and performs great for that.
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Did you try BT vs USB from a phone on the BTR5? Iām curious if thereās much of a difference in sound quality or battery life with it.