Fidue A31s

A little about myself: I find the most important factors to be detail, fit and build. I would classify myself as one who cares about the aspects that would appeal to the general consumers too. Personally I favor a flat sound signature and as naturally sounding as possible. Apologies my hearing ain't godly so I will not comment on bass/treble extension. *I will not attach photos or specs since they can be googled*

Package/Accessories (4/5) : Quite good for this price range. The bi-flange provides decent isolation.

Sound (1/5) : The sound is totally irrelevant in the budget-fi world nowadays. The bass is very much boosted and is rather muddy and congested at the same time. The mids and treble is just overwhelmed by the bass. The sound might be acceptable for bassheads.

Body (2.5/5) : The body of the IEM feels quite strong, however the nozzle design makes it feel rather fragile. The cable itself is quite bad in terms of ergonomics but fairs ok at microphonics. Despite the body itself being quite comfortable, the cable makes it uncomfortable. I appreciate the microphone with a single button though.

Overall (2/5) : This IEM is only worth if one really needs to have a small earpiece body.

Good headphones for music with electric guitars. It sounds like a live combo. The bass and low mids very good, treble slightly pinched. Very comfortable to sit in the ears due to the small size. Cable aging rapidly and becomes rigid, his rings are not victimized.
 
Here is my video review in Russian:

Boomy loose bass. Warm overall - mids and treble are decent but a bit plastic/muffled sounding. Unfortunately has tendency for sibilance/rasping in parts of treble/detail freq. unchanged after about 50 hrs of use, which ruins an otherwise solid pair for me. *
 
The A31s can be worn straight down and over ear, and are very compact and comfortable for my relatively shallow ears- the dual-flange tip often pictured with them has the decent isolation, but only comes in medium size (also includes small and large single flanges, a clip and pair of wire guides). Cable has minor noise avoidable with the shirt clip, a nice coating, and is very (maybe a little too) light , but annoyingly also remembers kinks.
 
Overall, they are difficult to recommend due to sometimes piercing highs I experienced, which is a bit of a shame because they otherwise offer big bass, with ok all-around sound and utility for the price.
 
**edit* Did additional burn-in (~30 hrs), didn't seem to affect. Went through the tips again and noticed with the single flange those bits of sound are somewhat less piercing, I guess due to positioning in my ear, though I prefer the overall sound and isolation with the biflange tips- still hesitant to recommend, but bumped up to 3 stars from 2.5- YMMV.

INTRODUCTION
 
First of all, a big THANK YOU to Michael Lin from FIDUE for providing the review unit. It is much appreciated, and my humble ears are feeling so incredibly honoured to be included as one of the reviewers
 
This is Fidue’s single dynamic IEM, and this is the entry model, alongside the A63, A81, and A83 triple hybrid. This is being marketed primarily as headset, basically as an alternative to mobile phones’ stock standard headset
 
 
 
 
 
Fidue’s official descriptions

1. Built-in universal mic & remote for most smartphones (iOS & Android)
2. Unique & tiny design for effective noise-canceling and comfortable wearing, excellent use for sport
3. Exclusive Micro-dynamic Drivers, make vocals clarity
4. Balanced sound quality with great bass
5. Durable twisted cable for long time use
6. MSRP is $30

 
Technical Specifications
Earphones:

1. Driver Unit: 8mm Dynamitic Drive
2. Frequency response: 18 Hz - 20000 Hz
3. Rated impedance: 19Ω+-10%
4. Sensitivity: 101+-3db
5. Distortion: ≤1%
6. Max Input Power: 20mW
7. Plug: 3.5mm mini stereo gold-plated plug
8. Cable: 1.20m

Microphone:

1. Sensitivity: -42+-3dB
2. S/N Ratio: >55dB

 
The components that I used for this review are as follows

1. iPod Classic (straight, and through C&C BH)
2. Fiio X5 DAP
3. Desktop (through Aune T1)
4. MacBook Air (straight out, and through Dragonfly)
5. Spotify (highest quality streaming), 320k MP3’s, 16/44 and 24/96 FLAC’s

 
PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES
 
Packaging is standard retail packaging, soft carton with transparent front, nothing fancy here
 
Accessories wise, they are pretty much standard, you get 4 pairs of tips (single flange silicone S/M/L, and dual-flange silicone), shirt clip, ear hooks, and a small plastic case (the case reminds me of my UE200 case, in fact, on closer inspection, it is the same one)
 
BUILD QUALITY, ISOLATION, AND COMFORT
 
Build quality is superb for an entry level IEM, the earpiece is acrylic, it is thick and strong, and it definitely can withstand some abuse.
 

 
 
The cable, well, let me put it this way, I have never seen a better quality cable on a sub-$30 IEM. It feels like a construction-grade soft wire, very, VERY strong and durable. I recently reviewed Fidue’s top of the range offering, the A83 hybrid, that comes with one of the best quality cable I’ve ever seen, this is no different. It is not as good as A83’s, but it is superb and excellent for an entry level.
 
Isolation is excellent, the micro-sized earpiece can be shoved it right in without any discomfort. I have no problem wearing this for an extended session, it disappears in my ear, and in fact, I can wear this while sleeping on my side without feeling it at all
 

 

 
 
SOUND QUALITY
 
For the purpose of this testing, I am using a pair of large Shure olives. None of the stock silicone fit me well (they are all too small). Westone’s true fit silicone tips (large) fit too, but nowhere as comfortable as Shure olives
 
Bass – in short, stunning, the absolute centrepiece of the sound, the bass is warm, hard hitting, Phat, thick, and beautifully textuted. Speed and accuracy are not too bad either, and there are plenty of sub-bass too. I would say the amount of bass will satisfy most but the most extreme bassheads. There are slight bleed to the lower midrange, but generally there are absolutely nothing to worry about. I was pleasantly surprised at first listen, I didn’t expect the bass to be this good, I was actually expecting big and loose bass with major bleeding.
 
Midrange – warm, rich, and neither forward nor recessed, it is a touch veiled, and a slight upper midrange spikes (mainly on female vocals). All in all, it is still excellent for the price, and I have reviewed/listened to IEM double, triple, and even quadruple the price of this with much worse spikes.
 
Treble – warm, smooth, laid-back, and non-fatiguing. There is some sibilance here and there, but again, as discussed above, I’ve heard worse on the more expensive ones. This is absolutely perfect for people who are sensitive to brightness, and mostly prefer warmer treble.
 
PRESENTATION AND AMPING
 
Soundstage is average, depth is quite impressive but the width is so-so. Transparency, imaging, and separation are excellent for the price; it is quite forgiving so it won’t expose bad recording too much. If anything, the only difference I notice is the upper midrange spikes; they are pretty much almost non-existence on good quality recordings.
 
Amping is not really necessary, I don’t really hear any particular difference between amped and not.
 
THE BEST GENRE NOTES
 
EDM/RnB/Hip-Hop – EDM sounds absolutely superb with A31s, try this track, and feel the bass literally fill your head; Myon & Shane 54 with Late Night Alumni - Under Your Cloud (SNR Remix)
 

 
 
COMPARISON TO OTHER IEM
 
Fidue A31s vs Ostry KC06 ($60)
 
A little unfair comparison here since the well-regarded KC06 is double the price of A31s, but the Fidue definitely holds its own merit here.
 
Bass wise, well, there are no comparison, A31s all the way. KC06’s bass impact and quantity is just about at neutral level, put it next to A31s, and it sounds as if it has absolutely no bass whatsoever, though speed and accuracy wise, KC06 is the winner.
 
Treble and midrange wise, KC06 trumps A31s here, although the difference is definitely not day and night. The most notable difference is that KC06’s midrange and vocal are more forward, detailed, and cleaner, A31’s definitely sounds veiled next to KC06. Up top, KC06’s treble has more sparkle and slightly more energetic than A31s.
 
Fidue A31s vs RockJaw Alfa Genus with bass filter ($50)
 
One of the newest kid in the sub-$50 block, the Alfa Genus (AG) comes with 2 filters (bass and treble filters, however, this is the pre-production unit, the final retail version will have three filters, with the inclusion of the balanced filter), and for the purpose of the comparison here, I am comparing the A31s to the bass filter.
 
As usual we begin with the bass, even with the bass filter; the AG is no match to the A31s, as the AG’s bass sounds a little bit tinny and anaemic in comparison to A31s. Moving on to the midrange, AG’s midrange has a bit more clarity compared to A31s, and it is cleaner too, so depending on taste, those who prefers warmer sound would probably like A31s more. Treble wise, AG’s is brighter with a slightly better extension.
 
Fidue A31s vs Apple Earpods ($30 – also comes free with iPhones and iPod)
 
Ah, the good old Earpods, it has quite an innovative design to be honest, but unfortunately it is not really designed for people with big ears. Let’s kick things of with the bass, there is really no competition here, as Apple’s is really light on bass. There are some mid-bass presence here and there, but overall, there is no competition, as A31s’ bass trumps Apple’s in every way.
 
Moving on the midrange, Apple’s midrange is more forward than Fidue’s, but it sounds quite thin and harsh in comparison. Treble wise, the earpod has a bit more sparkle, but there is nothing to be cheered about.
 
Fidue A31s vs Logitech UE200 ($20)
 
I was pretty sceptical with this comparison, after all, I have a deep sentimental value towards my $20 UE200, it has been with me through thick and thin, and it is my everyday headset (before I receive my A31s that is). Then, as soon as I finished my quick A/B session with both, I knew at that point that it is time for UE200 to be retired.
 
To start from the bottom, bass quantity are pretty much similar between the two, the difference in quality however, are pretty big. UE200’s bass is quite loose, nowhere as quick, and there are considerable bleeds towards the lower midrange. Midrange wise, UE200’s is recessed, warmer, and thicker (mainly because of the bass bleeds). Treble wise, UE200’s is brighter, has more sparkle, and slightly better extended. This is perhaps the only area where UE200 has a slight upper hand. Isolation and comfort, UE200 is no match for the excellent A31s.
 
CONCLUSION
 
It seems that Fidue can’t do anything wrong at the moment, I had a great enjoyment in reviewing its flagship A83, and this time it’s no difference, this little beauty absolutely shines bright.
 
At $30, it is really no brainer, ideally, this should be the first thing you buy after you organised your new phones, even before you worry about phone cases, cover, etc. Absolutely superb for everyday IEM and headset.
 
It’s bassy, warm and sweet signature will treat you to no end, your ears will thank you for it, and especially as headset, it is absolutely perfect as it won’t cause any fatigue whatsoever, no matter how long you are on the phone (some long night conversation with your boyfriend/girlfriend, or gossiping). And not to mention the comfort, and the strength and durability of the cable, it doesn’t matter how you rough you are, it will last you for sometimes.
 
This has now become my everyday headset (yes, I do prefer wired headset than Bluetooth ones), replacing my old and trusty UE200, and will be for sometimes.
 
Well done Fidue