Fiio FH11

FIIO FH11
1DD + 1BA
$50

Before I start this review, first let me thank FIIO for providing the FH11 for review.
Rest assured, my review will always be independent no matter what happen.
https://www.fiio.com/fh11

Unboxing
What you get inside the box

• IEM
• Cable
• 2 Type of Eartips
• Manual

Build Quality


The FH11 has a conch inspired shell that looks unique for sure, BUT I don't know why FIIO decided to make the 2pin somewhat proprietary due to its shell design.


Cable is just fine, nothing special, but again I must mention the 2pin of this IEM is somewhat proprietary due to the IEM shell.

Comfort
I have some difficulty at first getting a good seal while using the FH11, But I can get a good seal. Though not as fast as your typical IEMs.

As for comfort, its fine, the shell is still light weight enough and is on the smaller side and does not create any hot spots on my ears.

Sound

Tested using Kiwi Ears Allegro, Stock Cable, Stock Eartips
Music is mostly from Apple Music (J-POP, J-Rock, K-POP, Anisong, EDM, Rap, Metal, Jazz)

Tonality : V-Shaped

Bass : boomy and has a generous bass boost ranging from midbass to sub bass.
The bass presentation is a bit on the slower side, as for the quantity, I think it will suits bass heads just fine.

The bass of FH11 is NOT suitable for metal genre and double pedal IMO because of how generous the boost and rather slow speed of the bass.

Midrange : slightly recessed low midrange with coloration from the mid bass, while the upper midrange is somewhat boosted for extra clarity.
It creates somewhat a recessed feeling but a bit bloated sound on the lower part of the midrange, not very distracting, but its there.

Vocals on the FH11 is a bit bloated because of the mid bass coloration, with good clarity to balance out the bass boost.
Instrument such as violin sounds a bit intense but dry and tad metallic on the FH11, probably due to its BA timbre.

Talking about timbre, the BA timbre of this IEM is somewhat noticeable, not the worst but not great either.

Treble : is sparkly, a bit dry sounding, and on the analytical side, it has good presence, normal extension, and the quantity of the treble is never too much that makes you having a headache.

Technicalities

Stage : Average
A bit on the smaller side, not claustrophobic but small.
It has an oval shape to it, like the depth is more small compared to the width, if that makes any sense to you.

Imaging : Good
2.5D sounding tested using Kiwi Ears Allegro.

Positioning & Separation : Good
Despites the generous bass boost, the FH11 have a decent positioning and separation, I can pinpoint sounds panning out left and right with this IEM no problem, and the sound is not overlapping each other.

Detail Retrieval : Good
The FH11 has a good bass rumbles and treble sparkle that sounds detailed for its price, though one thing to nitpick, the midrange is not that resolving compared to its bass and treble.

Conclusion

Is the FH11 worth it?
It depends.

If you're on the market with $50 USD looking for a fun sounding IEM, then yeah why not consider the FH11.

Though one thing makes me a bit hesitant not giving the “go for it” is just that the 2pin connector is somewhat proprietary due to its shell design. So if you're going to change cable it will be a challenge to find an aftermarket one.

Besides that, the FH11 is actually kinda fun to listen for a short burst time of bassy v-shape session.

Thanks for reaching this far.

Just in case you're Indonesian or understand Bahasa Indonesia, you can watch the review of FH11, here


-littlenezt.

**Fiio FH11 is available anywhere for $50. I purchased the product myself to write an independent review.


Specs

-1 DD + 1 BA Driver Arrangement.
-Impedance: 24Ω@1kHz.
-Sensitivity: 111dB/Vrms.
-Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz.
-Connector Type: 0.78mm 2-pin connectors.
-Termination Plug: 3.5mm.



Build

There is nothing to criticise. The fit is average, the shells and cable are very sturdy. Standard three sizes of tips come in the box. The 2pin connector is too stiff (getting softer).
There is no problem with comfort in general because the shells are small.



Sound

Easy to drive even for phone out.
V-shape + vocal boost. To be honest, this headphone is technically very good. Instrument separation, soundstage, positioning are good for the price. Resolution is not good at every frequency, but good overall. Detail reproduction is very good for the price. So what's the problem? Tone. Honestly, the treble annoyed me. There's almost nothing in the way of instruments. They're empty and undetailed.

Lower and upper frequencies are in the foreground and vocals are next to them. Instruments? So-so. Small roll-offs and faint timbres. The resolution of the lower mids is terrible. In parallel, the resolution of the lower frequencies is below average. Towards the treble, the resolution gets better.



Bass

The volume is well balanced. Subbass and midbass are in balance. But details and texture are weak. There is something that adds pressure to the mids. Low frequencies are not bad overall. In fact good for hiphop and edm

Mid

Like surface of the moon. The vocals are good, but the instruments are not descriptive enough. There's a lack of absorbed detail. Despite this, violin is good, I wish I could say the same for guitar. In short, they barely reach average.

Treble

Things aren't so bad in this part. The resolution here completes sound of the Fh11. But it also adds a metallic timbre to the sound. It adds an tiring brightness. The overall effect is unfavourable, although the vocal lift works well. The good thing is that the amount of extension is quite good. As a result, there is a lot of sibilant sound, I don't like it at all.



Comparison

Kiwi Cadenza ($35 1dd) vs Fiio Fh11 ($50 1dd+1ba)

First of all, the Cadenza is a more power-hungry iem than the FH11. When listened to with the phone output, the FH11 sounds much more resolution. This situation changes in the opposite direction when a powerful amplifier is in play. At similar volume levels with a good source, the Cadenza not only offers better resolution but also gives more detail. However, if you listen to music with the phone output, the Fh11 would be a better choice.

The lower frequencies are much cleaner and textured on the Cadenza. Fh11 shows a slightly better rumble in this area. In the mid-frequency range, the Cadenza has a good synergy between instruments and vocals. Fh11 is weak in this range. The Cadenza has a more rich sound, but it's a bit thinner at some points. Cadenza also reproduces more microdetails with power.

When it comes to treble, the Fh11 wins here. Compared to the Cadenza's upper frequencies that need power to show up, the Fh11 is easily extended. Here the Fh11 gives us much bells and whistles. Unfortunately, winning is not always good. The fh11 is a much more tiring iem and the "extension" advantage doesn't make the Cadenza boring. Finally, the resolution of female vocals is slightly better on the Fh11.

Final words: I think the only thing wrong with the Fh11 is the price. For comparison the Cadenza might be a bit unfair because it's almost perfect. But let's not forget that it's 35 dollars vs 50 dollars. If the FH11 was priced at $30, it would be a headphone to rave about.

So this new entry level IEM from FIIO is an interesting addition to their range. I think Fiio went for a different tuning to distinguish themselves for competition like the Truthear Zero's / Kiwi ears Cadenza's etc

For me personally, I didn't like the sound signature, I found the bass overwhelmed the midrange and the treble was not as balanced as some IEM's bass heavy IEM's. But I personally like a harman neutral with a slightly bass boost. With lots of EQ the bass can be tamed but I don't think that is the point of these IEM's. I think these are well design for a particular market segment and I imagine they will do very well, especially with their very bass heavy V-shaped sound signature.

Here are some photos of what you get in the box:


While you can't expect too many accessories at this price point, I found the cable and the different ear tips provided to be pretty good quality. Other than the bass boost my only other complaint (was the shape of the IEM's in my ear), my wife has small ears and they fit her nearly perfectly. found them too small compared or oddly shaped compared even to other small IEM's like the Moondrop Chu.

Overall a nice entry level IEM with a unique (in the current market) sound signature that will appeal to many but not really for me.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Fiio for furnishing this unit. It can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005895848979.html (no affliate links).




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 1 x 10 mm carbon diaphragm dynamic driver (DD) + 1 custom balanced armature (BA) driver
• Impedance: 24 Ohms
• Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Sensitivity: 111 dB/Vrms
• Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm, oxygen free copper wire, 3.5 mm
• Tested at $49.99 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, the following are included:
- 3 pairs of "balanced" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of "bass" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- Cable



The accessories are quite barebones, and are not the most generous at this price point. A carrying case or even foam tips would have been appreciated.




The black "balanced" tips increase soundstage and the treble frequencies, whereas the white "bass" tips boost bass as per their namesake, with some slight compression in soundstage.



The stock cable is a 4-strand oxygen-free copper wire - this is thin with some microphonics - and it sadly doesn't have a chin cinch. As per the predecessor Fiio FD11, the 2-pin connector on the FH11 features a recessed circular design, so the majority of aftermarket cables may not fit this IEM, unless if the cable has very long pins or one shaves away the sheath of the cable to accommodate the round recessed port. It only comes in a 3.5 mm (single-ended) termination, which is gold-plated.

Should you wish to, you can find a 4.4 mm (balanced) cable for this IEM here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005916729624.html or even get a MMCX-2-pin adapter for the FH11/FD11 here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005897984127.html

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock "balanced" tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



The shells are fashioned from liquid die-casted zinc alloy with electroplating. The shells are literally built like a tank and should survive a drop! The mirror-like finish is very elegant, though it may smudge or scratch easily.

The earpieces are on the slightly heavier side, but I faced no comfort issues, with the smooth inner edges not having any awkward protrusions to stab the ear. The nozzle seems of decent length, though those with larger ears may perhaps need longer aftermarket eartips like Spinfits.




Being a vented IEM, isolation is average. I did not encounter any driver flex but this is partially dependent on ear anatomy and type of eartips used, so YMMV.




INTERNALS

The Fiio FH11 is a hybrid. A 10 mm carbon diaphragm DD handles the bass, while a custom BA settle the rest of the frequencies, and these are housed in a 3-chamber acoustic cavity.

This carbon diaphragm DD is also found in the higher-end FH15 and FF5, and this diaphragm is purportedly 9 times stronger than steel, with 1/4 the weight of an equivalent beryllium diaphragm.

Like the older FD11, the FH11 looks like a snail shell, which incorporates the "C-shaped acoustic flute" design. This is a creative acoustic labyrinth concept to lengthen the sound tubes so as to increase sub-bass quantity, because higher frequency sounds are dissipated first. As we will read below, the FH11 is near-basshead in terms of quantity, so the conch shell design is not hyperbole.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the FH11 with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

The Fiio FH11 is easy to drive, amplification is not truly required.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES


Graph of the FH11 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.

Tonally, the FH11 is an unashamed V-shaped set. This confers a very "fun" tuning, and this IEM should be quite consumer friendly, with a big bass to synergize with head-banging sessions.

Compared to other $50ish USD hybrid rivals, the FH11 is above average in technicalities. Imaging is quite well portrayed, with decent micro-detailing. Soundstage is wide, but perhaps average in depth and height.

Timbre is not too bad for a BA containing set, and isn't too metallic. There are definitely worse offenders out there when it comes to hybrids.

The FH11 almost hits basshead levels in quantity, and is probably just a level shy of jaw-rumbling headache inducing rumble. When fitted well with a good seal, sub-bass extends deep, with a visceral reverberation.

In terms of quality, texturing is above average, though speed is on the slightly ponderous side, with mid-bass bleed encountered. This is not surprising considering the huge bass on tap, and bassheads will rejoice with the tuning choice. For those who want a less obtrusive bass for genres like classical and jazz, you might need to look elsewhere though.

As per the V-shaped soundscape, the lower midrange is recessed, with the mid-bass bleed adding lots of warmth to this area. Transparency takes a hit in the lower mids as a result, though some folks will like the added warmth and heft to the tuning. The upper mids are boosted but are just at the edge, with the humongous bass balancing out this area and pulling it back from overt shoutiness.

The lower treble continues on from the uplifted upper mids, and this gives quite a lot of clarity and resolution at this frequency band. After the 4 kHz peak, the treble thereafter rolls-off gradually. Thus, sibilance is surprisingly very mild, and high-hats and cymbals are not overly emphasized. We get moderate sparkle and the FH11 is probably not the most airy set out there.


COMPARISONS

Comparisons were made with other budget hybrids around the $50 - 100 USD mark. Planars, single DDs and pure BA types were left out of the equation as the different transducers have their pros and cons.



CVJ Mei

The Mei is a hybrid that has 4 tuning options via tuning switches, so it is more versatile. With both switches up, this bestows a crisp neutral bright tuning with the best technicalities.

On this setup, the Mei is much brighter, with more air and treble sparkle. It is less bassy though, but the upper frequencies can get fatiguing and harsh for treble sensitive folk, and sibilance is quite jarring. Timbre is also more metallic, with a thinner note weight on this setting on the Mei.

With both switches up, the Mei has better micro-detailing and imaging, but soundstage still goes to the FH11. The Mei has bad hiss on sources with poor noise floor, which can be distracting during quieter parts of the music.


KBEAR Ormosia

The Ormosia is a U-shaped hybrid with less bass than the FH11. The Ormosia is inferior in technical prowess, with worse soundstaging, imaging and micro-detailing, compared to the FH11.


TRN Meteor

Like the Ormosia, the Meteor is another U-shaped hybrid with less bass than the FH11. In technicalities, the Meteor is the weakest of all these discussed hybrids, and is many leagues behind the FH11, with inferior soundstaging, imaging and micro-detailing.

The Meteor however, has a thicker midrange and slightly better timbre, though it has driver flex.


CONCLUSIONS

The FH11 incorporates Fiio's "C-shaped acoustic flute" snail-shell design, and this brings immense bass to the table. Sporting a "fun" V-shaped profile, this consumer friendly tuning is great for a head-banging time. The FH11 is easy to drive, and also has good build and comfort, in addition to decent timbre for a BA containing hybrid.

Compared to some pricier budget hybrids, the FH11 actually has above average technicalities, and fares quite competently in this metric.



With massive bass, there is some inevitable mid-bass bleed, with loss of bass tightness. Purists who want a less intrusive bass might also prefer a more tamed lower end. Sadly, like the previous FD11, the FH11 has a proprietary 2-pin housing, which may affect consumers who want to pair aftermarket cables with it.

Nevertheless, of the current crop of budget hybrids, most suffer major flaws in some form or the other. The FH11 fares well in most departments, and is a hybrid to consider for those searching for a "fun" bassy listening session.