I sure like mine, maybe mostly because it’s just a fun little bit of gear. Still exploring its possibilities.
J
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Can we have an “official” ES100 thread dedicated to the millions of permutations of settings there are? I don’t have test equipment but I’d like to know how others are using their EarStudio’s with different headphones and IEMs.
J
Since 95% of this thread is only talking about the ES100 anyway, I’m just going to change the title here.
Any “official” thread generally talks about comparable devices anyway.
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Any of you with Sennheiser cans and an ES100? I have four different sets. HD25+, HD58x, PX100ii and PX200. I notice a slightly deeper sound with the PX100 and ES100, connected via USB to my MacBook Pro (I tried the same cut using iTunes, directly plugged into the headphone jack and then into the ES100).
I’m now wondering if I can get a richer sound from the HD58x in the same manner. What would be a good set of adjustments to get even better sound? The ES100 doesn’t add more clarity but it seems to add more depth, if that makes sense.
Suggestions anyone?
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Any updates or later impressions on the Radsone ES100?
Massdrop has it for $79 now.
Totally worth it for $99. For $79 I’ll probably get another one as spare… just in case.
Challenge accepted!
I was looking for a way to make my IEMs a bit more mobile with minimal sacrifices. I also have a USB-C to Bluetooth adapter from HomeSpot with aptX LL support for Switch gaming.
I picked up the Fiio BTR3 as it seemed to be superior on a Bluetooth level (and slightly cheaper) and the ES100 for the balanced output and better reviews.
I’m going to test everything below over the next week or so; please let me know if you have anything in particular you’d like to know.
Equipment
Cables
- ALO Super Litz (unbalanced, Solaris stock cable)
- Yinyoo 2.5mm -> MMCX (balanced, ASIN B07PHFL3LF specifically)
IEMs
- VE Monk x Massdrop Earbuds
- Tin Audio T2 Pro (my favorite throw-in-bag option)
- Campfire Audio Solaris (my current favorite IEMs)
- Sony IER-M9 (on loan from a good friend who is trying to convert me to the Church of 4.4mm balanced)
Output configurations
- iPhone XS Max -> Meenova Lightning to MicroUSB (shows up as EARSTUDIO USB DAC and disables Bluetooth)
- Custom-built Windows 10 PC -> MicroUSB/USB-C
- iPhone XS Max -> Bluetooth (AAC)
- Switch -> HomeSpot USB-C to Bluetooth (aptX LL - mostly testing latency here)
Audio
- Spotify highest-quality downloads
- Various FLACs
- Destiny 2
I’ll post a track list and more detailed impressions later.
Exterior
The BTR3 is smaller and better built. The single RGB LED lets you quickly see what sort of connection you’re using which is nice when trying to debug finicky Bluetooth stacks (which is all of them). The BTR3’s single input is on the bottom next to USB-C; with a right-angle cable this works nicely. The shirt clip is hinged VERY close to the top which makes it a challenge to operate.
The ES100 has its inputs on the left and right side near the top; 2.5mm and 3.5mm are coaxial. My balanced cable sticks out quite a bit farther than I’d like. The shirt clip is simpler to operate, shorter, and wider - much like the ES100.
Both devices have tiny buttons that are borderline impossible to operate without looking. 
Both devices work while charging - as long as the charger source doesn’t trigger USB DAC mode. Both devices (when used via Bluetooth) have independent volume control from the host device and recommend keeping the host device at 100% volume. Both come with a short USB-A cable. Both have side-mounted microphones.
Unique Features
ES100
- 2.5mm balanced input
- Adjustable ambient sound passthrough
- Extremely tunable…see photos of the app.
BTR3
- aptX LL support
- USB-C
- Multipoint connection (2 devices)
Apps
The BTR3 just got EQ support on iOS. Getting it connected took a few attempts - it’s one feature of the Fiio Music app which does…many, many other things. I do appreciate the ability to turn off the LED even if it makes it impossible to tell if the device is on or off - it’s quite bright at night!
The ES100 app is single-purpose and connected immediately. Huge number of options and nice explanations of most of them.
Usability
As mentioned, exterior controls are tiny. Both devices are somewhat finicky to turn on and off - especially as when plugged into power they sometimes click into USB DAC mode.
The volume control on the ES100 is extremely fine-grained - single clicks do almost nothing, so either using the app or holding down is critical. Siri activation doesn’t appear to be possible.
The Fiio double-tasks the volume rocker - holding up/down for two seconds is previous/next track. Double-click play/pause for Siri. Double click power to swap between paired devices.
Sound
Full disclosure - I expected to love the BTR3 for the size, USB-C, and more advanced Bluetooth options. I’ve only really had time to test with the Solaris.
How did they compare?
I had packed up the BTR3 for return before finding this thread and figuring someone might have some questions.
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I’m interested to see some comparisons. Your set up has some similarities to mine. I have the ES100 with Yinyoo and VE Massdrop earbuds, sourced through a MacBook Pro 2013 or an iPhone XS Max. I also have a Senn 58x for comparison.
J
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Forgot to mention my MD+ and Noble 3U, both of which got a little bit of ear time. My MH755s arrived during the week which was great - perfect cable length for this project!
One caveat before I start…
None of my headphones are terribly hard to drive and the Solaris, my current favorites, are incredibly sensitive.
The ES100 provides 40mW/channel at 32 ohms in balanced mode compared to 25mW/total at 32 ohms for the BTR3. One can also configure the ES100 to double current in single ended mode. I’ll leave the rest to the electrical engineers but there’s obviously a range of gear that the ES100 can drive that the BTR3 can’t. Obviously, the ES100 has a balanced 2.5mm output and the BTR3 doesn’t.
High impedance headphones? Stop reading and pick the ES100 (and use a balanced cable.)
A little more on the apps
The BTR3 settings are part of Fiio Music which has a lot of options that you won’t be able / won’t want to use. Since I bought the BTR3 a month ago a 10-band custom equalizer was added along with a “In-Vehicle mode” which causes it to turn on/off as USB power comes on/off, great if you’re using it primarily as a USB DAC.
The ES100 has some oddly placed options - tap the battery meter to open power options and prevent it from staying on when disconnected from its charger, for one - but is, by far, the better app. It reminds you to turn device output to full to prevent AAC artifacts from being introduced.
Cable issues
Both devices charged happily with a variety of cables and chargers.
The Radsone ES100 enumerated just fine using its own short microUSB cable and the Meenova Lightning->microUSB cable. My long high-quality Anker cables worked just fine with the DACport HD but lead to the ES100 being unable to enumerate. Oddly, similar-length microUSB cables (3") lead to the same issue with the ES100.
The BTR3 enumerated with its own cable and a variety of USB A->C and C->C cables. That said, the jack is next to the USB-C port. If you’ve got a bulky USB-C or 3.5mm cable - the Tin Audio T2 Pro cable qualifies - you might not be able to plug both in at the same time. The BTR3’s port requires a little extra force - I would frequently fail to plug cables in all the way and would need to do a second pass.
Wait, am I getting AAC/aptX/aptX LL/LDAC or not?
The BTR3 has a handy RGB indicator that changes colors based on the codec - and an in-app guide to which color is which when you forget. (SBC is Blue, AAC is Cyan, and…it took me a second to tell them apart.)
The ES100 will tell you in-app exactly what you’re getting in detail.
Configuration options
It’s pretty obvious that both apps are mostly exposing what the AKG DAC can do. Both offer the same 10-band +12/-12dB equalizer and four different DAC filter options (Sharp, Slow, Short Delay Sharp, Short Delay Slow). Curiously, the BTR3 omits pre-amp from its EQ.
The ES100 adds an ambient mode with which I had mixed results - very loud noises, sure, but my wife was clearly audible before the ES100 tried to pass audio through. The ES100 has a proprietary filter (“DCT”) that I couldn’t really detect the impact of and the ability to set crossfeed from 0-10. It’s also possible to set an oversampling rate of 1x-4x.
The BTR3’s audio options are a subset of the ES100’s…however, I was unable to hear any difference with any DAC settings on the BTR3. The release notes mention it only works while streaming and only for some codecs - according to the blink color, I was on AAC, which is supposedly supported…I suspect Fiio will fix this. Other options (like channel balanced) updated instantly.
Range
Both the BTR3 and ES100 were able to stream from any point on my body and anywhere sane inside my home office without issues. (What’s not sane? Putting them inside my PC. Both failed that test. )
My home is quite noisy on 2.4ghz but there aren’t many Bluetooth devices competing; YMMV.
Neither device dropped out in casual on-body testing outside and at my workplace where a small suite of WH1000XM3s (and one IER-Z1R that’s probably at CanJam right now, no I’m not jealous) and Bluetooth keyboards provide background interference.
The BTR3’s part-metal construction makes it somewhat directional. I was able to engineer dropouts with it at ranges that the ES100 ate just fine.
During the week I didn’t have any real trouble with either device so I’m inclined to call this one a tie for practical usage if you keep your phone and receiver on your body. If you want to wander from your source, pick the ES100.
USB DAC
This was hard to do. On quality, I’d never use either over the DACport HD and I didn’t hear any advantage using the ES100 as a USB DAC vs the Apple Lightning -> 3.5mm except when compared to balanced cables and higher impedance gear. Not exactly fair - and I’d take my Fiio A3 over it - but great if you’re looking to not swap cables.
The ES100 when used as a iOS USB DAC seems to self-power; battery drain rate was somewhat less than Bluetooth but I couldn’t figure out a way to get an objective measurement (and make sure there was no extra drain on the iPhone, for that matter.)
I wasn’t able to get the BTR3 to show up to iOS as a USB DAC. Might work with the USB-C iPad Pro. Will test that when I get a chance.
Both will be a notable improvement over your average onboard audio but can’t compete with a DAC/amp combo - and aren’t meant to. The convenience factor is nice…but honestly the DACport HD is portable to the point where I’d just keep both in my bag.
Neither required any new drivers on Win10 (or on iOS, of course.)
Microphone
When worn as designed, the microphone is near buttons and points off to the side. As a result, when worn as designed…they’re OK for Siri - although only the BTR3 can summon Siri - but mediocre for calls.
That said, when I rotated them to face me, the ES100 improved a little and the BTR3 improved dramatically. On par with dedicated Bluetooth headsets.
I wouldn’t recommend either over the AirPods - or another dedicated option - if you intend to take calls while moving around.
Ergonomics
The ES100 has unfortunate cable positioning especially with non-right-angle connectors - but even right-angle connectors are likely to jut out or block buttons. I eventually started to remember which side was track and which side was volume. Volume individual clicks were very small; holding it down worked at an acceptable speed. The shirt clip is wider but not as long as the BTR3.
The BTR3 has two buttons and a rocker all on the same (left) side. Long press volume down for next track; long press volume up for previous track. Single press play/pause to play/pause; double press to invoke Siri. Single click volume adjustments were perhaps a little larger than I’d like but not terrible. The 3.5mm port is on the bottom of the device and works great with right-angle cables - it’s on the right side of the device, however, so if you orient your jack to be protected by the BTR3 your cable will be over the buttons. The BTR3’s shirt clip hinge is easier to work with than the ES100 and it’s longer and thinner, making it more stable on my belt in a pinch. The BTR3 is smaller but easier to manipulate due to its dimensions and the lack of buttons on the opposite side.
Music
The important part.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5a6Vnai8dnRMgJLjv0tL53?si=LS81RiqFSfKj4-A2kBJhlw lists all of the music I tried over the course of the week. I A/B’d a few of my favorite tracks.
The ES100 + balanced cables wins. No question. Hands down. I fiddled with the various DAC options but they didn’t make a major difference. As you might expect from a dual-DAC balanced setup with power to spare separation and staging gain quite a bit. Curiously, I’m inclined to say that the ES100 sounds better streaming AAC over Bluetooth as opposed to USB DAC mode. This might be the various proprietary filters that are disabled when in USB DAC mode…
Single-ended? I was effectively unable to tell the difference. You’d also expect that, I’d hope, since both devices are using similar DACs - the ES100 uses dual AK4375a chips and the BTR3 uses a single AK4376a. Slight edges to the ES100 each time - but the gap from SE to balanced was pretty major. I didn’t try the overvoltage/overcurrent modes of the ES100.
So what happened?
With the ES100 winning just about every category, I took the BTR3.
Neither of these devices are really about music for me - they’re about portability. The BTR3 supports Siri, has a somewhat better microphone, noticeably better build quality, a larger shirt/belt clip, and charges via USB-C. I can turn off its light at night (which is frequently when I use the device) and the bottom mount jack with a right-angle cable is much nicer than a 2.5mm protruding out the side. Being able to quick-swap to my Switch - a BTR3-unique feature - is a major benefit as well, as I usually use two devices in the wild.
The final nail here is aptX LL support. Combined with my Switch aptX LL adapter, I can barely detect the latency even when playing rhythm-based games. The ES100 latency - while somewhat configurable by tuning the buffer - was not only higher but more variable unless I tweaked the buffer so low that I’d start to get stuttering and dropout.
An updated ES100 with USB-C and aptX LL would cause me to instantly sell my BTR3. I’d also get rid of my BTR3 in favor of a cable-replacement-type solution but none of them support the alphabet soup of options I want at a price point.
If you aren’t chasing my specific use cases? Get the ES100.
Disclosure
All of the gear mentioned was either a personal purchase or a loan from a community member; none of the companies involved provided any gear or discounts. Both the ES100 and BTR3 were purchased from Amazon at standard prices ($100 for the ES100 and $70 for the BTR3). I wrote this up because I had a great deal of trouble deciding which one to purchase and wanted to give back to the community. Thanks for reading!
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BTR3 equalizer just started working for me. No update to the app or the firmware.
I’m new here and just read through your various posts @abl and I have to say that it’s very informative. Still waiting for my ES100 to arrive (from Massdrop), but you’re making me excited to try it out !
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Thanks! You’re going to love it
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Welcome!
I really like my little ES100. As others have remarked, the buttons are really tiny but the controls from the app are very broad. Have fun!
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Didn’t expect such a warm welcome here, thanks guys <3 !
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I have been using ES100 for about 6 months, my only complain is that I keep loosing this little thing and it makes me furious every time.
ES100 was for me an eye opener how good BT can sound. In a balanced mode I used it with SE846, MD+, Etymotic ER4SR, full size cans Beyerdynamic T5p.2 and MSR7 (that one in SE mode).
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