FiiO FF3

This is my first review on Head-Fi. I don't have a lot of experience, but I'm a guy who loves to try different audio gear. I mainly own open back headphones and IEMs, so the FF3 was my first audiophile flathead earbud. I'll give you my honest, short opinion of these earbuds. I'll only talk about the sound, and I'm using the donut foams because I believe they provide the best balance.

It's been nine months with the FF3, and they are incredible. I didn't know that earbuds could have bass this good; bass quantity is not at the level of IEMs, but more than enough for me, and the quality is very nice, deep and punchy. I don't miss the extra bass of my IEMs when I listen to the FF3. The overall sound is warm, smooth and very musical. The best part about the FF3 is the presentation; it's authoritative, open and mesmerizing, almost like an open back headphone. I have some minor complaints: the treble can be lacking in busy tracks, and at times the vocals can be too much, and the detail is just ok. But overall the FF3 is amazing, so I can overlook details and just enjoy the music.

My favorite go-to for earbuds has been for quite some time the NiceHCK EB2s. They're clean, neutral, balanced, cheap, and the build quality is beyond outstanding. I was curious about these as everyone mentions they have real bass - something I tend to appreciate a bit more. And I'll be damned, there's actual sub bass. Not a ton, but for an earbud, it's amazing.

And in every other way, they're just a straight step up from the EB2s. I was hoping that, since they're 4x as expensive, but apart from lacking a microphone (which I do miss, I liked having the mic on my EB2s, so they're staying in my backpack as well) they're noticeably better in every way. I still rate the EB2s as a perfect bud for $18, but when an upgraded is wanted, these are definitely worth it.

The bass can actually keep up with bassier tracks, but it also works with the huge soundstage of earbuds to create a sense of hugeness to bands.

Imaging is great, in rock, you can hear that each drum in the drummer's kit is very slightly differently places. Bass texture is clean and doesn't bleed into the mids either, which are very well presented, with a slightly warmer presence. Treble is also superb - provided you're using the balanced or bass foams. With the "clarity" foams and silicones, stuff with high strings and horns (too many zoos in particular) gets VERY obnoxious - kind of what they are going for, but I love my treble and in some songs, those covers are too much for even me, and I adore grado sparkle. The bass and balanced foams REALLY temper that down to just right. Overall, I think I prefer the bass foams most. I do notice a bit more subbass rumble without much loss in detail. They're great foams, too. I threw them on my EB2s and noticed an improvement in them too.

Overall, A+ out of me. I haven't heard anything better in earbuds, and I really like earbuds. I've heard that the FF5 is less bassy, with more detail and space, and they're more "different things" than competitors, so they'll be on my radar.

I know earbuds are more particular about whether or not they "fit" than IEM's, but the light, spacious, airy fit that doesn't fatigue your ear canals after hours of use is something definitely worth considering as a supplement to some good IEM's.

They remind me a lot of a MUCH more grownup/premium version of the Koss KPH40i. Same level of ethereal comfort (with yaxxi pads) with nice, impactful bass, very persent mids, and smooth, crisp treble.

I also think maybe fiio fixed the "stiff" cable. Mine was supple and relaxed out of the box.

If you don't know about earbuds, get the standard VE monks for $5 and if they fit you/fit your vibe, if you can afford the $88 (on aliexpress) or $100 (on amazon) these are a very premium option. If you can't swing the $100, the $18 NiceHCK EB2s are still super valid.

I hope the earbud world gets a revolution like the IEM world has blown up. I'd love to see some new driver combos, like a 15mm planar driver or some EST's. Also maybe some new shells that use the standard apple earpod shape, which everyone universally agrees is a better fitting style of earbud.

FiiO FF3: Lush Looks matched with Good Performance!


Summary:

Launched in June'2022, The FF3 is an earbud launched by FiiO. FF3 comes with a 14.2mm dynamic driver with dual cavities. FiiO promises this to be a great performer and carries the FiiO Signature tuning.

Disclaimer: @FiiO had sent me a review unit for my impressions & views. The opinions below are based on my experiences with the unit and my own.



Introduction:


Let's quickly dive into what the FiiO has to offer. The FF3 carries some new DRUM like bass cavity and a bass enhancing flute-type design.

The FiiO is priced at $99




Design & Build:

It is described as the following on the website:




Specifications:


The FiiO comes at $99 price tag.
The specifications are as below:

https://fiio.com/ff3
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004396885661.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt



The Box & Accessories:



The Accessories:

The package includes…


NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items Used for this Review:

DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle
Portable Players / Sources : Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, A&K SP1000M, @Questyle QP2R
Streaming Source: QOBUZ




Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...





FiiO FF3 Sound Impressions in Short:

The BASS:

Bass is where FiiO had put much emphasis and likewise the earbuds come with quite a punchy bass performance. There are some details coming from the sub-bass region, but the mid-bass is quite prominent and packs quite a bit of punch. In tracks like: "Fools Paradise (LP Version) – Donna Lewis" and "Chocolate Chip Trip - Tool" you can feel the mid-bass puch & slam is quite prominent while the sub-bass is underwhelming.

The MIDS:

The midrange is quite a bit recessed on the FF3. However, there is good amount of muscle and texture and the instruments sound very lively and enjoyable. Vocals seem good and both male and female vocals come with ample amount of details and feel very real. Transients are also good. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" though the midrange is enjoyable, but you feel a bit left out and long for more.

The TREBLE:

The treble carries the typical FiiO signature which some people may like - unfortunately I don't. It has few peaks here and there and may get quite piercing in some cases specially the Cymbals. This can be realized from tracks like “Chocolate Chip Trip – Tool”.

The SOUNDSTAGE:

The Staging capabilities of the FF3 is the quite good and above average for price range. It comes with good amount of width, height, however, depth felt lacking a bit. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound good & enjoyable.

Separation & Imaging:

Imaging is quite spot on and location of each instrument can be felt quite clearly on the FF3. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. However, the separation is something you feel could be better.



Conclusion:

The FiiO FF3 is a nice new earbud release from FiiO and aimed towards bass lovers. I'm quite confident that a lot of bass lovers will love this.