I need to keep it 100% real on this one and I genuinely cannot hear a difference using the Harmonic distortion function lol maybe it’s my ears? Who knows.
Or maybe it’s the combination with your IEM?
With Cadenza12 it is very apparant.
I can even hear a difference only changing it one step.
Will check with something else later:)
PS: I got EQ enabled, don’t know why this should make a difference but we all know FiiOs buggy software
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Hmmmm that’s interesting… I didn’t have EQ enabled.
I’ll double check if that makes a difference too, thanks for that heads up.
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I also checked again, this time it was not as apparant but still noticeable.
Try the beginning of the following song
With distortion compensation on “5” the very high tones are rolled off and that kick that sounds Like a heartbeat gets meatier and less dry
edit: changed Link to 2023 remaster which i actually wanted to post
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Unfortunately i gotta return BTR17 as the synergy with Cadenza 12 was really not that good 
It sounded technical and the stage was wide but i gotta feeling that there is some sort of artificial stage enhancement like the soundfield plugin of the Hiby DAPs.
The overall sound presentation sounded strained and C12 lost all of its magic and effortlesness…took me a while though because in not so busy songs it can sound hella good but on other songs i was constantly on the volume wheel rocking it up to get some excitement just to lower it again a few moments later and so on and so on…
Dave from Gizaudio mentioned something similar in his review that BTR17 does not really match with very sensitive and highly resolving IEMs.
Today i tested C12 with BTR15 (<1Ω SE) and was blown away…the perfomance/synergy was much better than what i got with BTR17.
C12 is a diva so i am not blaming BTR17…most people will probably having a blast with it and their IEMs.
I did not try it with my other IEMs because I don´t wanna keep it if it doesnt match with Cadenza.
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That’s such a shame, man. As you know, I experienced the same thing in my listening.
Are you going to replace it with something else?
BTR15 is so darn good, actually I don´t really need something BUT (lol) I am eyeing Xduoo XP2 Bal and Muse M4 they might have that clean and natural sound I am after.
What I like about XP2 Bal is 15hrs battery life in bluetooth mode and the volume wheel
M4 is half the weight with half the battery life
What I don´t like is that I can´t find the output impedance for either one of them
Don´t you have the M4 Dom?
What exactly and with what IEM did you experience in your listening with BTR17? because you said you experienced the same
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That BTR15 does look insanely good for the money, plus, the design is so fun. Anything from XDuoo has always gotten my attention, I think one day I’ll end up buying something from them. But I have to admit, I get a little confused with all of their models. The names just mess me up for some reason lol
I do have the M4, brother, I’m happy to answer any questions you might have 
And for me, I experience that slightly sharper tonality with pretty much all of my IEMs and for the most part, it’s nice because it gives the sound a little bit of a more engaging presentation and most of my IEMs are on the warmer side so it’s usually not an issue. The 2 IEMs I can’t use with the BTR17 is the Estrella and the Canpur CP32e. They both have a slightly thinner tonality and forward treble as it is, so they sound great on every other device but on the FiiO they lean just a little too sharp and a little too thin.
Truth be told, probably one of the best sources I have right now is the Fosi DS2. That thing is so little but so incredibly powerful and compact and the sound is absolutely killer. Very dynamic. Punchy bass, power mids with slightly forward treble as well but not as much as the FiiO.
Yes BTR15 is very very good for that price and formfactor and i also prefered it over BTR7.
BTR7 (while sounding great) and BTR17 both try to do something special and be someone while BTR15 is their more true and authentic younger brother 
It does not sound thin at all, pretty authorative actually with good note weight
Ouch, i just imagined the Estrella BTR17 combo and now my ears are ringing…too much is too much
Estrella itself is fine but borderlining…no way i could enjoy it with BTR17.
How does the M4 compete against BTR17 and maybe BTR7 from memory?
The XP2 Bal seems to be very clean with just the slightest bit or warmth which sounds good to me.
And yes the names can get confusing
Fosi DS2 sounds interesting but I just don´t like the use of dongles when out and about and when i am sitting somewhere inside the house and am wired then i will use Q5K/G5 anyway.
PS: I also really disliked the volume wheel of BTR17 it´s a wobbly piece of shit and does not feel premium at all
The analouge volume wheel of XP2 Bal on the other hand feels so much better in my imagination…just like the one from G5.
I also really like turning the volume wheel to switch on the device.
XP2Bal seems to be a baby G5…i think by now I already convinced myself to try that one out
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can’t speak from experience about XP2 but xduoo’s house sound is usually on the warm side yeah
Yes i also heard/read that to be true but if the many reviews are right the XP2 Bal is a neutral exception with just a very slight warmth to it.
Let´s find out, it should be delivered by the end of next week 
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That’s exactly right. I think the Estrella by itself, with a more linear source, is fantastic. One of my favorite IEMs. However, the BTR17 brings out some not-so-great quality in the tuning, most notably around the upper-mids/lower treble. No other amp/DAC makes the Estrella too harsh, exacpt the BTR17.
So I still have all 3 in my possession, the BTR7 still works which is nuts! I have done some A/B tests in the past so I can sum it up like this;
BTR7 has the most ‘natural’ and smoothest playback out of those 3. The issue is, the 7 lacks the dynamics I’m looking for, most notably in the bass. It all sounds good to great, but something is missing in the low end.
The 17 has the most dynamic playback, top to bottom, meaning the bass, mids, and treble but to a fault. The treble can get a bit spicy and the tonality can really border on unnatural. Almost digitally processed in some cases. I’d say it has the highest level of detail, sound stage, bass depth, detail/definition, etc., etc. though. I have to say it’s the best portable source I have for most of my IEMs, with those 2 I already mentioned above being the only two I just can’t jive with when using the BTR17. The rest of my collection plays nicely on it.
With that being said, all of the features that the BTR17 has makes it really stand out to me. The newest firmware update unlocked a few really nice features, I have to admit. Couple that with the 10-band PEQ with up to 10 customizable profiles that can be re-named AND accessed straight from the device and not just from the app… I mean, it’s hard to beat (just as long as the Q5K doesn’t enter the chat…).
In terms of the best sounding I give that to the Muse M4. It blends the sound of the BTR17 and BTR7. It has natural timbre and tonality, with slightly forward vocals (never harsh sounding), a decently spacious stage (more deep than wide I’d say), but the star of the show is the mid-bass dynamics. Holy crap… it sounds like there’s a permanent EQ in the bass for nearly all of my IEMs. It’s especially apparent on the Canpurs. Dude, they turn into a completely different IEM when played out of the M4. They’re still so clean, detailed, and spacious, but the bass gets a nice little bump and I personally love it. Especially with a wired connection. The sound when using BT is still really good, but when it’s wired in high gain (whether that be from a phone or a computer) the bass dynamics are off the charts.
I’m sorry for such a long reply, I had some time and I wanted to give you as detailed of a response as possible. In my opinion, and for my preferences, the Muse M4 is absolutely killer.
Please don’t apologize for writing a long answer, i appreciate you taking the time doing that brother! 
Even though i did not try BTR17 with my other IEMs it left a strange taste…i am not a fan of what they did with that digitally enhanced sound/stage.
I very much prefer Hiby’s approach with making these kind of enhancements optional and not baked into the device.
It wows you first but after a while you also get to experience the downsides of it.
It’s just not good for every song or IEM.
I really wanted to try the M4 aswell but decided to try XP2 Bal first because i was able to order it within
Europe and M4 was only available from China which makes it harder to return If needed.
164€ was also a reasonable price.
Of course i will be missing the great features of BTR17 but i just got familiar with UAPP so I’ll at least have a 10 band GEQ which is sufficient for an out and about bluetooth device.
Best sounding device(s) for me still is Q5K/G5 i don’t know man what kind of sorcery is going on with this combination but it feels like they were made for each other 
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I’ve also found the tuning of the BTR17 to be the slightest bit harsh… I’ll have a used Muse M5 Ultra before long to see if that’s any warmer, especially with the tube setting.
I remember being surprised but the N3Pro, because both transistors and tube mode felt a little lean/bright. Not the cozy sound I’d expected!
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I’m happy I could share and hopefully help with my findings!
Down the line, you should see if you could get your hands on the M4, if you were in the states, I would send you mind to try before you make any kind of decision but it looks like you’re going with the XP2, I really hope you dig that one, brother!
Sexy looking device for sure 
Feels very premium aswell.
But also does not seem to have the best synergy with C12, it gets a little spicy
But with Kinda Lava very impressive
More listening needs to be done
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God damn, I love the simplicity. Sorry it’s not giving the synergy with the C12 though… damn. Poor synergy strikes again… you can’t catch a break, bro!
Next up has to be the M5 ultra with the tubes, right?
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Not so quick 
Cadenza is an ongoing mistery and keeps you busy (right? @Go-Kart )
I just changed the termination of the stock cable back to 4.4 and am running it balanced from the XP2 Bal and it’s a different story now.
I can’t find any information about it but there must be a difference in impedance between 3.5 and 4.4mm and C12 will tell you that 
Sounds very promising now, pretty much like G5 
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I will measure the C12 stock cable with various terminations, as well as my variety of aftermarket cables, to see if we can shed some light of the C12s pickiness!
We will figure it out 
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Haha, yes we will, with united powers! 
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