D marc0's Journal: My Head-fi Journey
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waynes world
Headphoneus Supremus
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+1 - rockboxed clip zip is silly cool.
Sorry Wokei - I'm not intentionally following you around, but you just keep speaking words of wisdom lol!
MikonJuice
100+ Head-Fier
Dmarco, can you post a comparison with the Fidue A83?
I have the impression that you had one with you, right?
I have the impression that you had one with you, right?
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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I will be posting my review in a few days... sorry for my absence.
I've been really busy with our house build and have just recently moved in.
exciting times ahead!
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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Fidue A83 Mini Review
Fidue has been attracting people's attention lately and for good reason... unique design, sturdy parts, reasonably priced and decent audio quality. I'm not saying that there aren't any drawbacks but for a new company, they are definitely heading in the right direction specially with the A83. While they're not the perfect representation of high-end audio, this triple hybrid has captured the hearts of many. Let's see why...
BUILD
I really appreciate a sturdy build and Fidue sets a good example on reliability. The case feels like it can take a rough beating that I don't get too concerned on how to handle them. The detachable cable is the best I've tried in terms of quality and usability... very supple, doesn't tangle easily, and very durable.
FIT
This can be a problem for some depending on the shape and size of their ears. In my case, first few tries where difficult mostly because I have small ears. The solution is to find the right type and size of tips to get the proper seal and insertion depth. For those of you who have small ears, I highly recommend the large Sony hybrid noise isolating tips.
Dec 3, 2014 at 3:17 PM
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Dec 3, 2014 at 3:30 PM
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Thanks mate!
I no longer have the A83 for direct comparison but from memory the A83 has more refined Bass and Treble and then smoother Mids.
The Altone has better mids for Metal and Rock imho because it retains the natural "crunch" and edginess of distorted guitar sounds.
A83 is more neutral sounding because of its timbre while the Altone needs a little bit of EQing in the mid-bass and lower treble to sound just as good.
The rest of the parameters, both are equally good to my ears.
Dec 3, 2014 at 8:33 PM
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Dec 3, 2014 at 8:46 PM
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Dec 3, 2014 at 11:58 PM
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Dec 4, 2014 at 1:52 AM
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Dec 4, 2014 at 4:08 AM
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You might want to try double flange tips. Unfortunately I haven't tried them with the A83's but if the nozzle fits, it should be much easier for you to get a proper seal.
Dec 4, 2014 at 8:45 AM
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Dec 4, 2014 at 8:58 AM
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Half the posts here talk about the fit, so it should be no surprise that you have to mess around a bit with tips. I use the Comply Isolation and Active 500s in Large and I get a good seal. You may have to jiggle them about a bit to seat them.
SOUND
The A83 sounds very musical to my ears. Music receives a mild "tuning" with gentle emphasis on the lows and highs. The slight bass boost is perfect for my preference and is just enough to produce one of the most natural sounding bass timbre I've heard from an IEM. Bass guitars come up really detailed and full while bass drums have the perfect thump, slam, and snap! The high frequency is not a slouch either with very natural cymbals sound reproduction. I didn't have any problem with sibilance but the clarity and detail leaves me wondering how it is even possible. The intro to Phil Collins - Easy Lover never sounded this good with any other IEM i've tried. It's just a perfectly tuned treble that doesn't go overboard even if the song calls for it. There's a great deal of balance between low, mid, and high frequencies, but micro-detail in the upper-mid range is subdued, making it sound quite faint to my ears. This lack of emphasis is the only real flaw in audio quality, and it'll be pretty hard to notice unless you know what you're looking for. To be honest, I wouldn't have noticed it have I used a different test track the first time I listened to the A83. I remember sharing my first impression to a fellow reviewer:
At the time I had Metallica's "Black" album playing and being a guitarist myself, I knew most of the songs by heart. The A83 seems to under-emphasize Kirk Hammett's lead guitar fills making them really hard to hear. It could've been a different story have I listened to a different track because most lead guitarists play OVER the rhythm sections. In the Black album, Kirk's guitar fills are so subtle that they blend into the melody seamlessly and so with the A83's tuning the guitar fills either disappeared or placed far way back. Then I started listening to other artists and genres... I was surprised to find that I didn't notice any flaw 90% of the time! As a matter of fact, I find this "tuning" to be beneficial to poorly mixed/mastered tracks or harsh sounding tracks by smoothing out edgy peaks in the midrange. For example, I find Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory album to be very unpleasant to listen through headphones. With the A83, the entire album sounds better and bearable to my ears. In some cases, this tuning even makes other tracks sound a lot cleaner and smoother resulting to a more pleasurable, non-fatuiging experience.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Overall, the A83 is a uniquely tuned triple hybrid worthy of praise. It may not be perfectly tuned for the purist in audio, but it is definitely one of the best "musical" IEMs I've heard to date. I can even consider it alongside the 1Plus2's and Mentor's in terms of musicality. Whether or not the unique "tuning" was intended or simply a flaw gone right, all I can say is I wasn't really bothered by it. Simply because the Fidue A83 is synonymous to "enjoyment" which is what this hobby is all about.
Special thanks to @djvkool for making this review possible.
MikonJuice
100+ Head-Fier
Very nice review!
Could you compare it with the altones 200?? Please!
I find the guitars to be awesome on the Altones 200, so I's appreciate a direct comparison, as some of the users on the Fidue thread said that the A83 would be a step up to the Altones!
Could you compare it with the altones 200?? Please!
I find the guitars to be awesome on the Altones 200, so I's appreciate a direct comparison, as some of the users on the Fidue thread said that the A83 would be a step up to the Altones!
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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Thanks mate!
I no longer have the A83 for direct comparison but from memory the A83 has more refined Bass and Treble and then smoother Mids.
The Altone has better mids for Metal and Rock imho because it retains the natural "crunch" and edginess of distorted guitar sounds.
A83 is more neutral sounding because of its timbre while the Altone needs a little bit of EQing in the mid-bass and lower treble to sound just as good.
The rest of the parameters, both are equally good to my ears.
djvkool
Headphoneus Supremus
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Superb as usual mate, I'm glad you like it, it is a really unique type of sound that is very much different to the general triple-hybrid tuning
olddude
Headphoneus Supremus
Very good review. I'm totally in agreement with it, these are a quality item.
Comparing these to the Altones? These are smoother, more balanced,grown up. the Altones have a bit more bass, and the mids and highs are VERY clear. This is good if you really like listening to music in those areas (I do). The Altones are like a teenager, lots of emotion; the Fidues are grownups, calm and organized. I use the Fidues on my Fiio X5 (I really don't like the sound I get from the Altones on the X5) and use the Altones on the Fiio X1. If I had to choose one? The Fidues.
Comparing these to the Altones? These are smoother, more balanced,grown up. the Altones have a bit more bass, and the mids and highs are VERY clear. This is good if you really like listening to music in those areas (I do). The Altones are like a teenager, lots of emotion; the Fidues are grownups, calm and organized. I use the Fidues on my Fiio X5 (I really don't like the sound I get from the Altones on the X5) and use the Altones on the Fiio X1. If I had to choose one? The Fidues.
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Nice review, I like these very much, though the fit is generally an issue for me. Manage a decent (but not perfect) fit with Ultimate Ears tips.
Daniel4IEM
100+ Head-Fier
Just got mine today and while I LOVE the sound I am a bit disappointed in the fit- shallow depth does in fact limit the seal/isolation. I did order some size large 'isolation' complys but wonder whether it will make real difference or not as they can't extend the depth of fit by much, if any. Worth even opening the $20 package? Not sure I'll keep these if I can't resolve the isolation. I'm also going to try the DUNU DN-2000....
d marc0
Headphoneus Supremus
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You might want to try double flange tips. Unfortunately I haven't tried them with the A83's but if the nozzle fits, it should be much easier for you to get a proper seal.
reihead
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Great review. Great read.
In my experience, worth all the work to get a proper seal.
In my experience, worth all the work to get a proper seal.
olddude
Headphoneus Supremus
Half the posts here talk about the fit, so it should be no surprise that you have to mess around a bit with tips. I use the Comply Isolation and Active 500s in Large and I get a good seal. You may have to jiggle them about a bit to seat them.
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