Louis reviews the FiiO AIR LINK, an affordable Bluetooth 6.0 dongle that enhances compatible devices with LDAC and aptX Lossless transmission. It is currently priced at around $59.00.
Disclaimer: I received this sample in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I want to thank FiiO for their support.
You can click here to learn more about the FiiO audio products previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This post follows our current scoring guidelines, which you can read in more detail here.
FiiO recently released a neat way of adding high-quality Bluetooth reception to anything equipped with a USB port.
They’re calling it the AIR LINK, priced around $59, and its niche has to do with its compact size and top-tier Bluetooth support it offers to devices with less-than-spectacular BT functionality.
You see, FiiO has made dedicated Bluetooth receivers before, like the BTA30 and the BTA30 Pro. They’ve also developed devices like the UTWS3 and the UTWS5, which are ear-hook style devices designed to add Bluetooth capability to any IEM with a removable cable.
However, the AIR LINK is very small, and don’t let its size fool you, as it incorporates one of the most comprehensive Bluetooth solutions available today.
Features
Let’s start with the fact that the FiiO AIR LINK works over a Bluetooth 6.0 radio, which is the latest update to the wireless format. The 6.0 variant promises a longer transmission range, giving the user more freedom to move around and a more stable connection.
The FiiO AIR LINK uses Qualcomm’s latest flagship QCC5181 chip, which claims a high level of quality audio.
It features an internal quad-core processor, two Kalimba DSP processors, and perfect synergy with the Snapdragon processors that have the Snapdragon Sound capability.
Another aspect that I like about the FiiO AIR LINK is that not only does it work with FiiO’s Control app, but it also works with FiiO’s new web interface, which takes the Control app to the desktop.
This makes this a perfect platform to upgrade those crappy built-in Bluetooth motherboard controllers that can barely handle the SBC codec, making them unsuitable for quality audio transmission.
Even though the AIR LINK was built small, FiiO managed to incorporate into it a mode switch that lets you choose the Bluetooth codec of your choice, go into pairing mode, or factory reset the AIR LINK to factory specs.
The AIR LINK also has a side-mounted USB-C connection. That connection was placed so that when it’s connected to a mobile device, you don’t lose the charging port. This port is used exclusively for charging mobile devices.
Wireless Codecs
The FiiO AIR LINK can handle just about any codec out there, starting with aptX Lossless and LDAC. Of course, it also handles basic codecs like SBC and ACC, but why would you want to go there?
It also lets you choose the codec with the mode switch, and they’re also selectable within the Control app or the web interface.
The sole purpose of getting a device like the FiiO AIR LINK is to upgrade your codec game and gain improved transmission stability, and you more than likely own Bluetooth gear that merits better transmission quality. The AIR LINK was made to solve that dilemma.
One other good trait the AIR LINK brings to the table is that it’s compatible with just about anything that has a USB port. That’s good news because nowadays, most computers, desktops, or laptops include Bluetooth functionality with basic functionality in mind.
I own a $400 motherboard with built-in Bluetooth, and I wouldn’t run a buzzer with the built-in, so this is a lifesaver, especially for someone who’s into audio.
In situations like that, the FiiO AIR LINK comes to the rescue, since these components mentioned are not Bluetooth upgradable until now.
I would love to have seen some sort of legacy Lightning connectivity. You’ll have to buy an adapter for that, substantially increasing the package cost.
Design
I’ve used small USB Bluetooth dongles in the past, but none were worth getting if you needed to obtain better sound quality over Bluetooth.
Companies like Asus, Ugreen, and TP-Link have previously made small form factor Bluetooth adapters, but they only gave you a buck’s worth of audio quality.
The AIR LINK is also a small form factor device that fits anywhere, including the small jeans pocket that no one uses, and weighs only 4 grams. However, it is quite girthy compared to the above-mentioned dongles.
The housing is plastic, and so is the front-mounted button, but construction is expected to be kept simple since this is a budget piece of gear.
A long color LED adorns the top portion and lights up according to what codec is being used. A gold-plated USB-C male plug with a raised base to accommodate mobile device cases finishes off the design.
The only models I’ve found out there that are compatible in size, performance, and features with the AIR LINK come from Questyle and their QCC dongle Pro, Sennheiser’s BTD700, and the Creative BT-W5.
Internally, the AIR LINK seems to be the most advanced of them all, although the body style won’t win any beauty pageants. It’s quite utilitarian-looking.
FiiO Control app
Not only can you configure the FiiO AIR LINK within the FiiO Control app, but FiiO has just released a web interface so you can configure the AIR LINK directly on a PC.
I can finally get decent Bluetooth capability on any of my PCs with this simple device, so thank you, FiiO.
I think that the only procedure that would have been somewhat controversial to some would be pairing, because even on Android, you have to pair devices to the AIR LINK via the app.
At that point, you can move the dongle over to a PC or wherever, which will work since the AIR LINK will retain the previous pairing information.
However, with the new web interface, that issue is solved, and you can pair the device within the confines of Windows. Within the app, the pairing procedure is done within the pair management option.
You have two ways of pairing here: one is through the new webpage interface located at the following website, or the Control app.
The web interface has many features. The app does go into basic mode when connected to the AIR LINK.
However, the web interface and the Control apps are compatible with many other FiiO released products, but I only wish they had left the equalizer enabled on this one. That would have been epic.
I would have also liked to see what codec the AIR LINK is on within the app instead of just relying on the front-mounted RGB LED.
Packaging & Accessories
The FiiO AIR LINK comes in a small box packed side by side with a color-keyed full-size USB adapter. You also get a multilingual quick guide and a warranty card.
The USB-C connector comes protected with a silicon cover, which I lost somewhere within the confines of my house. However, since the AIR LINK has become a permanent addition to my PC, I won’t need it any time soon.
Sound Impressions
The FiiO AIR LINK produces sound that’s the best Bluetooth can produce at the moment. It’s a smoothly tuned device that produces sonics that are easy on the ear with a stable signal that locks on and stays locked on.
Comparatively, my mobile device plays music over the LDAC codec, but compared to the AIR LINK, the sound seems more ardent on the mobile device, or with a higher sense of sizzle, which introduces some fatigue. The AIR LINK is tuned to avoid that and produces smoother sonics.
My Creative Aurvana Ace 2 set has never sounded better. Over the aptX Lossless codec, the soundstage size has increased, instruments sounded larger in scale, albeit more distant and less intimate compared to the LDAC codec and my LDAC-capable mobile device.
High frequency production was raised in quality a little over LDAC. Sharper notes can be heard on aptX Lossless with the AIR LINK. Even some extra detail came through that gets lost with inferior Bluetooth transmitters.
The vocals were also produced more smoothly, in that the vocal presentation showed restraint and balance with the lower and upper frequencies and produced crisper notes with less harshness or loss in definition compared to lesser codecs.
Overall, I heard slight improvements over previous Bluetooth solutions. The FiiO AIR LINK LDAC and aptX Lossless performance is the closest I’ve heard a wireless connection come to a wired setup.
The dynamics, timbre were all improved over previous Bluetooth implementations, and the frequency extremes were better represented.
Click on page 2 below for my wireless performance impressions and selected comparison.
