Fiio's compact speakers – with aptX Bluetooth streaming – could be your new desktop darlings
If you're in the market for a versatile, affordable pair of desktop speakers, Fiio might have the answer. Building on the success of the brand's affordable SP3 bookshelf units, the new SP3 BT combine a sleek, compact design with Bluetooth streaming and a host of physical connections.
Let's start with those good old-fashioned physical inputs. The SP3 offer USB Type-C, digital coaxial and optical inputs alongside stereo RCA and 3.5mm line-in options. The optical inputs support audio up to 24-bit/96kHz while the USB and coaxial options can handle files up to 32-bit/96kHz. For Bluetooth streaming, SBC and AAC codecs are all on board, with the SP3 BT also providing higher quality wireless audio thanks to aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD and even LDAC from compatible files and sources.
With a total output of 80 watts, the Class D active speakers feature a single 2.5cm silk dome tweeter alongside a 9cm carbon fibre woofer, with Fiio promising a pair of "engaging, dynamic" speakers that offer "impressive weight and height" despite their relatively diminutive dimensions.
The new speakers' silk tweeters have been angled precisely in the pursuit of lossless sound wave transmission, with each unit's horizontal striped pattern conceived to diffuse sound more effectively throughout a room. Additionally, those tweeters are furnished with copper-plated aluminium voice coils which, says Fiio, allow the speakers to deliver "accurate and clean reproduction of high frequencies".
The SP3 BT have been designed to work with the Fiio Control and Fiio Music mobile apps for iOS and Android respectively. When connected via Bluetooth, both platforms let you customise your user experience, including fine-tuning your preferred sound via a 10-band parametric equaliser.
The new SP3 BT Desktop Active Speakers are available now in black or white finishes, priced at £319 / €379 / $349 per pair, and come supplied with two sets of vibration-absorbing silicone stands.
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