FiiO LC-BT2 Sports Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable

The FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable from FiiO Electronics Technology Co Ltd is the easiest way to upgrade in-ear headphones to Bluetooth in-ear headphones.

FiiO Electronics Technology Co Ltd. has a wide range of in-ear headphones, many of which prove to be high-end solutions for an audiophile clientele. It is precisely this target group that relies primarily on cables, also or especially for in-ear headphones, so that the increasingly wide range of Bluetooth solutions is hardly an option.

However, this group of customers is also increasingly discovering the comfort and convenience of Bluetooth and the advantages that result from the partial or even complete omission of cables. Nevertheless, they do not want to do without cables altogether.

FiiO Electronics Technology Co Ltd. has come up with a very clever tactic to attract audiophiles who prefer to use cables for their in-ear headphones but do not want to do without the flexibility of a Bluetooth solution. A few weeks ago, the company presented the FiiO UTWS1 True Wireless Bluetooth Module, a solution that transforms any in-ear headphones with an MMCX Connector into Bluetooth in-ear headphones, and the FiiO RC-BT Bluetooth Cable, a Bluetooth module for expanding headphones with MMCX Connector, has been available for over a year.

Now, another option to transform a classic wired in-ear headphone into a Bluetooth in-ear headphone with little effort is the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable.

While the FiiO UTWS1 True Wireless Bluetooth Module In-ear Headphones can be transformed into true wireless In-ear Headphones, the FiiO RC-BT Bluetooth Cable is a wired Bluetooth module, the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable is a solution that upgrades In-ear Headphones with Bluetooth via a neckband. It is a solution that does not completely do without cables, but can be comfortably placed around the neck and at least for the connection to the source device does without cables.

Once again, the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable requires in-ear headphones with a so-called MMCX connector. This is true for nearly all FiiO Electronics Technology Co Ltd. in-ear headphones, so changing from the cable to the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable is a snap.

The manufacturer emphasises that the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable has an ergonomic design, making it very comfortable to place around the neck without disturbing the user. The Neckband is also very flexible yet extremely robust and features a skin-friendly material. The system is designed in such a way that the connection between the neckband and the actual inear headphones is made from behind the ear using a short cable. The manufacturer refers to this as a backward-wired design. Of course, this fits perfectly with the In-ear headphones from our own company, which mostly rely on this over-the-ear design for the cable routing and are therefore designed accordingly.

At the heart of the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable is a cutting-edge chipset, a Qualcomm CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which ensures that signals can be transmitted not only in lossy SBC and AAC, but also aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL and LDAC. This means that not only a signal transmission in “CD quality” is available, but also hi-res audio with up to 24 bits and 48 kHz.

The DAC is an AKM AK4331 DAC, which delivers 23 mW into 32 ohms and is designed to excel with its particularly noise-free signal processing.

Particular attention was paid to intuitive operation. Of course, a control unit is integrated into the neckband, so that a total of four buttons not only couple to the source and activate standby mode, but also control playback and volume. A built-in microphone is also included, so you can use the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable as a hands-free device. This is designed as an omnidirectional microphone and uses cVc 8.0 noise cancelling to ensure optimal voice quality. Of course this microphone can also be used for voice assistants of a smartphone, be it Apple Siri or Google Assistant.

In addition, a status LED is available here, which clearly indicates the operating status of the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable by means of different colours. Blue indicates a transmission with SBC, cyan stands for AAC, purple for aptX or aptX LL, money indicates a signal transmission with aptX HD, and white stands for a signal transmission with LDAC.

The battery life is indicated with up to 24 hours, the standby time is a remarkable 350 hours, according to the manufacturer.

In conjunction with the FiiO Music App, an equalizer can also be used to adjust the playback according to your own ideas.

According to the manufacturer, the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable should be available in specialist stores these days. The recommended retail price for this extremely practical solution is € 74.90 from NT Global Distribution GmbH. The scope of delivery should include a high-quality leather transport case.

Getting to the point

While the FiiO UTWS1 turns True Wireless Bluetooth Module In-ear headphones into so-called true wireless In-ear headphones, the new FiiO LC-BT2 Neckband Bluetooth Upgrade Cable In-ear headphones, which feature a so-called neckband, are a solution that doesn’t completely dispense with cables, but can be comfortably worn around the neck and at least for the connection to the source device without cables.