FiiO SP3 BT review

If you haven’t heard of them, FiiO is a Chinese audio brand best known for making some stonking hi-fi equipment. Their new SP3 BT speakers are small, powerful and reasonably priced, while offering sublime audio and connectivity to make them a fantastic pairing for PCs. Moreover, all for an attractive price point.

As much as you might term the SP3 BT as a set of ‘gaming speakers’, they’ve got a lot more personality and purpose than the traditional canon of desktop speakers with flashy lights and noticeably middling audio. Instead, because these have been approached from the angle of a company known for great audio developing speakers that can be used for general listening and gaming, it makes a difference to the end result.

And that end result is a set of speakers that sound sublime. They’re crisp and clear with plenty of body and punch for a smaller set of desktop speakers in comparison to monsters from other hi-fi giants such as KEF. Yes’ Roundabout, Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing, and Gloria Estefan’s Get On Your Feet demonstrated the speaker’s notable power and excellent soundstage, even if they were only separated by a 27-inch monitor on my 120cm desk. 

Roundabout also allowed the SP3 BT to flex its muscles with its low end, thanks to Chris Squire’s iconic, prominent bassline, which came through wonderfully with a fair bit of power, while the slow-building intro for Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing offered up a lot of punch with the song’s drums and Mark Knopfler’s meaty riff.

As much as the low end isn’t as prominent as with other units, the SP3 BT still served up plenty of immersion with gun fights in Counter Strike 2, or the cinematic goodness of Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V. To be truthful, turning the game’s radio off and letting the hilarity of Los Santos waft past me while sitting in traffic in GTA Online is one of my favourite things to do, and the SP3 BT captured it wonderfully, especially with its brilliant separation. 

Of course, that was only in the moments when I wasn’t engaged in stupid gunfights against other players, at which point FiiO’s speakers managed to demonstrate its immersion with bullets flying in my general direction.

It’s on the front of the mids and the top-end where FiiO’s small desktop speakers really shine, though. Softer and simpler tracks such as Jimmy Buffett’s Migration or September Grass from James Taylor demonstrated how well it handles vocals, as well as the tonality of the acoustic guitar present in both tracks. It’s an energetic listen, as if the SP3 BT aims to please. The little cymbal inflections on Donald Fagen’s marvellous I.G.Y were presented with precision, while the brass section, synth and Fagen’s vocals were rich and smooth.

(Image credit: Future)

Moving away from audio, the SP3 BT offer some excellent connectivity with a wide range of choices including USB-C, 3.5 mm, Optical, Coaxial and RCA line-in. With this being the Bluetooth model, FiiO’s desktop marvel also supports Bluetooth 5.0 while managing to support a large flavour of wireless audio codecs with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive and LDAC all within the SP3 BT’s remit. 

They worked flawlessly over wired means to my desktop gaming PC or over wireless means with my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, 16-inch MacBook Pro and also with hi-res DAPs such as the Shanling M0 Pro and FiiO’s own M11S. There is also app control available with the FiiO Control app which allows you to control EQ settings and install firmware updates for instance, although you can’t control the SP3 BT’s volume level. Volume control is handled with a small dial on the back of the right speaker, while there is also a bass dial if you’d like some more low-end.

(Image credit: Future)

These are also seriously well-built with an entirely metal frame which puts comparable choices from more mainstream brands in the shade. The SP3 BT is made from die-cast aluminium, with the units weighing in at 1.95 kg and 1.66 kg respectively. Combined, that’s a 3.61 kg mass, which for a set of speakers that only have a 2.5 L volume makes them rather dense. 

Their ribbed front and side panels are tasteful, echoing cabinets with a much higher price tag, while the rubber bases help to reduce vibration and keep the SP3 BT safe and sound on your desk. The small RGB lighting at their base is tasteful, too. It switches between different combinations of colours by default, although it also helps to denote when the SP3 BT is in pairing mode, or which wireless audio codec is being used when using the speakers wirelessly.

Then, of course, there’s the price. The SP3 BT’s $349/£319/€379 asking price makes them more expensive than comparable choices such as the SteelSeries Arena 7, while choosing to go without a sub-woofer compared to SteelSeries’ choice. However, I’d argue that FiiO’s sound better with a more precise and clear sound, while its controls are a lot more accessible, being on the unit itself as opposed to hidden away on a sub-woofer. They’re also smaller overall too, and fit well on desks big and small.

FiiO’s SP3 BT may not be a set of speakers you’d have initially considered for use as PC speakers with both games and music, but they’re marvellous performers for a reasonable price, all things considered. They look fab while offering precise and enjoyable audio and are versatile too, with the welcome addition of Bluetooth connectivity compared to their siblings. 

If you’re after a set of marvellous, small desktop speakers for an equally excellent price, the SP3 BT is just wonderful.

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