The Fiio FA19 is a new all BA set of IEMs I have been trying out for the last number of weeks. The set comes with 4 custom Knowles BA drivers for bass, 2 Knowles ED BA drivers for the Mids and 4 Knowles SWFK drivers for the highs. I have been no stranger to all BA sets down through the years, but this was my first time to hear a Fiio set. In a sea of hybrid IEM releases, I was interested to find out what Fiio could produce when sticking to all one driver type and to see how the different technologies they utilised impacted the sound in reality.
Fiio sent this set to me at no charge, but they have had no input into any part of the review. What you are going to read below are just my opinions based on my hearing, tastes, and previous experience. You may disagree with them, and that’s fine, but just treat them as one opinion.
What’s in the Box
Inside the box, the FA19 are nicely presented alongside a stylish carry case. Fiio did not scrimp on the included accessories with FA19. There is a host of different tips included, as well as a plastic case to carry them in. You get a cleaning brush, which has a pointed end for the tuning switches, which I will discuss more below, a lapel clip, an MMCX removal tool and a 3.5mm connection for the cable, which can be swapped out for the 4.4mm it comes with.
The cable is of 8-strand pure silver construction. It is pretty nice in hand, looks good quality and is easy to wear and manoeuvre. It is terminated in MMCX, which may not be to everyone’s liking.
Considering the retail price, the packaging, included accessories and overall quality of everything is quite nice, and it is hard to find fault.
Design
The IEMs are a fairly small size considering there are 10 drivers packed in. The shells have a high quality, smooth finish and are easy to get a good fit with. The faceplates are actually the narrowest part of the IEM and they widen out towards the back surface that makes contact with your ear. On the top there is a vent to prevent pressure build up and an MMCX connection.
The back of the IEMs have a very small switch for changing the sound profile by adding more bass. This is branded as being “Monitor or Hifi” by Fiio. They are very small, and if your eyesight isn’t perfect, you will probably struggle to see or manipulate them. There is a pointed steel end on the cleaning brush that comes in the accessories for switching these, and I found a SIM ejector tool to be about the best thing I could use to switch them outside of that.
Overall, the quality of the shell and finish are very good, and I think most people will be able to get a good fit as they are fairly compact compared to many hybrid IEMs on the market. The cable is also light enough that it doesn’t disturb the fit of the IEM when you are moving around.
Sound
As I mentioned above, there is a switch to change sound profiles, which I tested out in the first few days I spent with the set. With the switch off, in “Monitor” mode, I certainly didn’t feel the set needed any more bass, and when I switched it on, that was confirmed. Unless you want a very warm and almost thick sound, I think the IEM sounds better in “Monitor” mode, and the bass is a lot more controlled.
I don’t really feel the terms “Monitor” or “Hifi” suit how the IEM sounds overall either so it probably would have been better to stick with “On or Off”.
Overall, I would say the set is warm leaning with a lot of bass quantity. At the price point, the set sells for, the set is quite detailed and produces a soundstage with good width. The mid-range for instruments sounds quite natural, and I was impressed with how stringed instruments sounded.
For a set that uses all BAs, bass is quite impressive. I ran through my standard test tracks, and I was left impressed with how it handles tracks that many other all BA sets struggle with, such as “Time” by Pink Floyd. Bass is fast as you would expect, but it does carry a lot of impact, and there is a sense of at least some air moving. The short decay and how that affects the texture of kick drums, etc, is the most noticeable difference versus dynamic drivers, but the set still produces a decent listening experience for most music.
Male vocals can lack some detail and resolution at times and don’t always sound satisfying as a result, but the set does a much better job with female vocals overall, where a lot more detail comes through.
I have encountered some issues with sibilance with female vocals and it feels like the extra energy being added to bring through details isn’t always a good thing. It’s not always an issue and what you are listening to will play a big role, but considering the set is really good for female vocals in general, this is probably where you are going to notice it most.
The upper mid/ lower treble region can have some intensity to it at times, again mainly depending on what you are listening to and what tips and source you are using. In general though, the treble region is detailed and capable and I have enjoyed it with a lot of different music.
FA19 can reproduce good detail levels, considering its price. The soundstage it produces stretches far from side to side but less so in depth. The lack of depth can be an issue with complex tracks that have a lot happening in them, with everything sounding a little on top of you and too close in. Overall, though, it is a quite competent set for this tier.
Sources
The Hiby RS8 has been my favourite source to use with FA19 during my testing. The R2R DAC helps to make everything sound more natural, and I have experienced fewer issues with sibilance. There are so many different options to adjust the sound with RS8, too, that it is easy to fine-tune everything. The FA19 really benefits from the detail levels being produced by RS8, and it allows it to show what it’s capable of.
Listening with my Cayin N3 Ultra in Classic Tube mode, notes and vocals all have a softer sound. There is less detail, and some of the sharper “s” sounds creep in, but for the most part, it produces a relaxed and pleasant listen that is very easy to listen to. When you just want to kick back on the couch and enjoy an album, this is a pretty good combo and represents great value for money, considering the combined price is about ⅓ of the cost of my Fei Wan! What it lacks in details, it makes up for by being such an easy listen.
Another source that was thoroughly enjoyable with FA19 was the Queststyle CMA18. It produces a more detailed and refined listen compared to the N3 Ultra and is technically more impressive so it offers a nice contrast to N3 Ultra and is still very mobile and great value. Bass quality is excellent with this pairing. There is impact and rumble. To be honest, everything sounds good when listening to FA19 with CMA18. There’s basically nothing I can think of to highlight as a negative as long as you are happy to accept it needs to be fed audio by a second device.
Comparisons
I compared the FA19 against my Kinera Loki to see how it compared with a set that sits a tier higher and with my Custom Art Fibae 5, which sits in a similar price range. All comparisons were carried out with the Hiby RS8 with these settings: Class A/ Mid Gain/ Turbo/ NOS
Kinera Imperial Loki (International Version)
Pink Floyd -
High Hopes (2011 Remaster)
There are few sets I have come across in my time in this hobby that handle staging, layering, and complexity in tracks as well as Loki does and it’s on full show listening to High Hopes. Right from the start, you are presented with a vast stage with church bells ringing in the distance, bird songs, the buzz of an insect and the single bell strikes becoming more prominent before the piano enters. From there, the track builds, becoming more complex with vocals and instruments, culminating in the spectacular lap steel guitar solo. Loki delivers it all in its stride and sets a very high bar to compare to.
Swapping to FA19 with very realistic expectations of how it will perform, the stage stretches quite wide from left to right but lacks some of the depth Loki can produce. The piano notes are on point and sound great. The bass guitar enters with a bit more authority than it does with Loki, but the biggest initial difference is with the vocals. They are much more forward with FA19, too much so for me and lack a little resolution, making them sound a little unnatural. There is more intensity in note delivery pretty much across the board with FA19, but for the most part, it does a good job with the track, and it’s impressive, considering the difference in price between the two sets. I have heard sets far more expensive do a much worse job with the High Hopes.
Moloko -
The Time is Now
Loki's technical abilities aren’t really a factor in this track, as it’s less complex, so it made for an interesting comparison.
Listening to the track with Loki, the instruments all sound detailed and how you would expect them, but there is more of an emphasis on accuracy than emotion, which FA19 really brings with its more intense delivery. When you directly compare, the instruments are more engaging with FA19. The more impactful notes suit the track better, and I really enjoyed how FA19 presents them.
The female vocals don’t always benefit from the extra energy, though and at times, there is sibilance. Where there is repeated “s” sounds, or where those sounds are emphasised at the end of words, you can hear it and it’s hard to not hear it then.
That issue aside, the extra emotion that comes across in the song listening with FA19 would make me pick it over Loki for this track.
Custom Art Fibae 5
Kerala Dust -
Still There
Listening first with Fibae 5, my attention is drawn to the kick drum, which has a nice texture and satisfying impact in the intro. When the guitars enter, they sound excellent, detailed, with an almost gritty sound that adds to their realism. The male vocals sound natural and detailed and are easy to hear amongst the instruments. Fibae 5 doesn’t cast a huge stage with this track. It’s intimate but it suits the track well.
Switching to FA19, there is a great sense of space to the track straightaway, but my focus then swaps to the kick drum and the unavoidable comparisons between the driver types. The sound is faster, for sure, and as a result of the difference in decay, it almost sounds clearer with FA19, but at the cost of being a little less lifelike. None the less, it is quite impressive, and if I wasn’t sitting here analysing the differences, I would be enjoying how FA19 reproduces the kick drum.
The guitars are detailed and sound great, but they don’t have as much of an impact as they did with Fibae 5. Other sounds in the track come forward more, and I notice them much more clearly.
FA19 does a good job with the male vocals on this track. They sit a little behind the instruments, and at times, the punch from other notes and sounds can take your attention. It’s a more edgy listen with FA19. Sounds cut through with more impact, and you hear parts of the track that may be missed a little with Fibae 5, which more so keeps you focused on the drums, guitars and vocals.
Alicia Keys -
Empire State of Mind (part II) Broken Down
Listening to this track with FA19, it is all about the vocals. The piano notes sound good, maybe a little light a times but very much in a supporting role. The vocals cut through in great detail and they are the star of the show. There can be a touch of sharp “s” sounds, but I am being quite critical. It’s a very enjoyable listen and the set does a great job of handling the changing intensities in the track throughout.
Listening to Fibae 5, the piano sounds more natural, and I initially find that I focus more on that than the vocals. As the track builds, Fibae 5 performs better with the vocals, but they aren’t delivered with the same clarity they are with FA19. When I listen with FA19 I am immediately taken by the vocals, and not much else in the track matters, whereas with Fibae 5, when the drums and bass guitar come in later in the track, I am more appreciating them than the vocals.
Conclusion
The Fiio FA19 are an interesting set. They are light, easy to wear and finished to a high standard. There are plenty of good accessories included at the price point, too, so you certainly won’t feel short-changed.
When listening, what driver type was being used never really drew my attention; it was more about finding music that suited the set’s abilities, and once I got a handle on that, I really started to enjoy it.
It excels with female vocals, where the details it can produce can shine, but is occasionally let down when some sibilance creeps in. I wouldn’t call the set an all-rounder, but when you find music that clicks with its abilities, it can produce some excellent results.
The FA19 is reasonably priced in an overheating IEM market, so if it works with your library, you will get a lot for your money.
You can find out more about the set on the Fiio website
here. The set has an RRP of $999.