$300 for something with non detachable cables is a hard pass for me. That may be a potential source of failure down the line, not to mention some of us wanna use aftermarket balanced cables or wireless adapters.
Some cheap earbuds at $20 eg BK2 can have detachable MMCX cables, but it's not only Fiio though, a lot of other TOTL earbuds still are sold today without detachable connectors/cables.
One must not underestimate the effect of a great cable on an earbud's sound quality. Thus, the EM5 has a high-purity sterling silver with high conductivity that allows for gobs of detail to come through. What is more, the twist-lock swappable plug allows you to switch between 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm heads to cover a wide range of scenarios.
The flute design is innovative! I bet they are printing using Carbon 3D, which is slick. Well, if these deliver on headphone/iem detail/bass/stage/image etc while being an earbud, I can see 300 in value. They need to really knock it out of the park with this flute tho.
lets bring out the earbud contenders : Nicehck Vido, Faaeal Iris, VMonk + but with that kind of pricing i expect much better build quality, however, for sound we will see(hear)...
This is innovative and is a very interesting earbud, undoubtedly. But, $300 is too much IMHO, even from Fiio. That puts it in more or less the same range as TOTL earbuds from boutique makers who are well known, well loved by the earbud community and have a proven track record. Just my 0.02. All the more power to those who will be picking this up. It's just not something that I foresee myself buying.
@FiiO
Why beryllium *plated*? Why not just make a beryllium driver?
Why earbuds and not earphones for better seal?
And if you use such a rigid material for the diaphragm, why there is a need for the "ribs" around? (instead of a simpler, smoother design?)
FiiO has implemented the 4th generation of DLP 3D printing technology to create the EM5, allowing for a uniquely seamless design simply not possible with other manufacturing techniques. The EM5's design pays tribute to other classical and iconic earbuds while also infusing modern aesthetics, refreshing our ideas on just what earbuds can look like.
I think FiiO is losing their marbles....they are releasing products in a hurry.
They are not including even soft case (and they are giving some shxxxy explanation for that) with their DAPs now a days, they might have thought "it's time to make some money".
Looks like fun, but $299 is CraZy talk. Bring it down $50-100 @FiiO and you'll sell 10x more.
This is a space I'd love to see some real inovation in, so I'll be keeping an eye on these. I'm a big fan of open designs while doing basic outdoor work or projects around the house. I'm actively writting this wearing the Galaxy Buds Live, outside sipping coffee. I'd bet this Fiio model would sound a lot better, and easily connectable to my DAP or BT gadgets.
Sounds very interesting. The swapable plug is awesome and that Berrylium stuff is legit. Let's wait how it sounds. For 300 Dollar it has to sound very good. You can buy crazy good IEMs for that price.
To me, FiiO is loosing there roots a bit. They charge crazy prices for there stuff in the last month and releasing products like no other...
I wish they slow down a bit and support the products a bit better. For example the whole MQA thing with M11 Pro was a bad joke for a 700+ Dollar device.
I love to see some innovation in the earbud form factor and it looks like this might be it. I'm okay with the price, provided that the sound quality is as good as they claimed it to be.
@FiiO any information about the diameter of the earbud?
There will always be buyers for any price point...
FiiO (and other manufacturers) need to run the numbers, and decide whether they prefer to sell as a boutique product (tiny quantity at very high price) or mass market (huge quantities at affordable price). In this case, for $300 for earbud - seems like FiiO is going closer to the boutique end of the price range.
I can't name a single earbud that costs this much (not to say they don't exist) IDK.... if you're into cars, people always give me a hard time about buying my Subaru Impreza with its tiny engine and high price tag relative to ALL of its competition -- I bought it willingly and love it.
Maybe I just need to give this new bud a chance and see if buds can get away with these IEM prices.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
