Welcome to another rapid-fire review where I try to share impressions of audio gear as fast as possible. Today, we talk about Fiio FH3, the first "audiophile IEM" that I have ever bought. In some sense, this IEM was my "first love" and the starting point of my whole IEM review hobby. How does it stand up to my scrutiny nowadays?

Summary for casual listeners: FH3 makes a good first impression with crisp sound and deep bass. Upon closer inspection, FH3 starts falling apart in tonality and soundstage imaging. This IEM is definitely not for me, but it does have a strong fanbase. Who knows, FH3 might be a suitable IEM for you.

Forewords

• This Fiio FH3 is my personal unit, purchased brand new from Addicted to Audio Adelaide for AUD $200.
• I believe that great IEM / earbuds / headphones must achieve multiple difficult things simultaneously: (1) high resolution, (2) 3D soundstage, (3) bold and realistic bass, (4) natural timbre and tonality. You can check out my ranking list to understand my preference.
• Test tracks can be found in the following playlist.

Non-sound aspects

• Accessories: Fiio is always top-notch in terms of accessories. FH3 is packed with a rugged pelican case and four sets of ear tips with noticeable differences in sound characteristics.
• Cable: Quite stiff with aggressive pre-formed ear hooks. Passable but certainly not enjoyable to me. It's baffling that some people buy this cable deliberately for their IEMs.
• Handling: Earpieces are fully metal. They lock into my ears and stay there with confidence. Stability and comfort are certainly above average.

How it sounds

Overall tonality: FH3 sounds lean, clear, and crisp. It does have a strong bass response, but the bass is tucked all the way to the sub-bass region, so you might find FH3 bass-light sometimes. The midrange of FH3 is nasally and in-your-face. Treble is generally well-behaved. However, there there is a bit of metallic timbre going on.

Midrange: I'm not too fond of it. Imagine when you have a cold and try to sing with a stuffy nose. That's how FH3 renders the male vocals of Andrea Bocelli and Ed Sheeran. String instruments, especially the violin, sound unnatural. The culprit here is the "hump" in midrange response around 1.25kHz. Interestingly, when Crinacle collaborated with Fiio to retune FH3, the critical change was getting rid of this hump.

Percussion rendering and bass: FH3's bass hits deep. For example, every bass drop in Despacito creates a powerful "punch" in your throat yet does not mask the rest of the mix. Upon closer inspection, however, I found FH3's bass notes lack sharp attack and texture.

Treble (5kHz to 20kHz): The treble of FH3 is generally polite. If FH3 is your first IEM, you could be surprised by how piercing the treble can be when you swap to other IEMs. Some harsh vocals, such as Ed Sheeran's in Shivers, can still sound like ice picks to your ears sometimes. Cymbals and hi-hats are more muted and harder to hear than I expected. The treble "air" is also lacking, meaning you wouldn't hear many micro details, reverbs, decays, and other good bits of "hi-fi" sound.


Macro detail / clarity / separation: Decent. When the music is not too dense, FH3 separates different elements in the mix quite well. When the music gets busy, such as in dense orchestral music, FH3 starts to fall apart. Instruments start to mesh together, and the music becomes congested.

Micro detail / texture / "resolution": Poor. To put it simply, FH3 lacks nuances such as little vibrations in a vocal line or the texture of a string instrument. Everything sounds overly smoothened.


Soundstage imaging: Wide but very shallow. The hump at 1.25kHz pushes the midrange right to your face, destroying all the depth perception and layering in the process. When I played games, I found that all the sound in front of me was unnaturally close. However, they are suddenly far away when the sounds move to the side.

Summary

Pros:
- Does not sound outright bad
- Decent bass
- Good build
- Generous accessories

Cons:
- Nasal tonality
- Shallow soundstage
- Textureless sound

Sources used during review: Hiby R5 Saber, Shanling UA1.
Tips used during review: BGVP A07 & Spinfit CP 145.
Cable used during review: Stock Fiio Cable.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Gears For Ears for providing me with a Fiio FH3 with a review unit, which will be returned to them upon completion of this review. Although I haven’t bought the FH3 with my own money, it is always my goal to provide a completely neutral & bias free review for the readers. This review is of course fully subjective.





Introduction: The FiiO FH3 is a triple driver hybrid IEM, featuring a single beryllium coated dynamic driver and 2 balanced armature drivers. FH3 uses 2 balanced armature drivers for the mids and highs & the lows are handled by a 10mm beryllium-coated dynamic driver. In addition to the dynamic driver Fiio has implemented their patented “S.Turbo” acoustic design technology. Basically, what this does is, it rids of any unwanted high-frequency harmonics that may be inadvertently produced by the dynamic driver. This should result in the FH3 having a smoother & cleaner bass response that doesn’t interfere with the other frequencies. The Fiio FH3 is priced roughly at $130.



Packaging & Accessories: I am going to mostly skip over this section as my review unit came on its own without any packaging. A standard retail unit box should contain:
- FiiO LC-3.5B cable
- Hard plastic storage case
- Soft storage pouch
- 9 pairs of various silicone eartips
- 2 pairs of foam eartips
- Nozzle cleaning tool

I am not going to comment on the stock tips since I did not get the opportunity to use them. The FiiO’s LC-3.5B high-purity monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable on the other hand was not to my liking. Its quite stiff & thick which makes it unpleasant to use while in bed. While those who listen to their music mostly on hard surfaces will probably end up liking the stock cable it wasn’t really my cup of tea. The FH3 also comes with a MCMX connector which is a pain the arse to use, you have to apply quite a bit of force to remove the stock cable from the IEM connectors, and also all of my other IEM’s are 2 pins so I do not like the idea buying a cable which will specifically work with FH3, if I ever do buy one.

Fit (4/5): Initially after watching Youtube review videos & various photos of the FH3 I was quite skeptic about its fit & weight. Well, I am happy to report that only is FH3 very light weight but it has a great fit in my ears as well, I can wear it for hours without any significant discomfort. That aluminum housing might look heavy but it certainly doesn’t feel that way.



Sound

Tuning: I am pretty sure a lot of you have seen my first impressions of the Fiio FH3, well I am sticking to my first impressions mostly in that it has a deep V-Shaped tuning, the only opinion which has changed is regarding the mids. I initially stated that the FH3 has “recessed mids” which is not the case the at well. After listening to it critically for almost 3 weeks I can confidently say that while the tuning of the FH3 might be heavily V-shaped, but it’s done right. The mids are not recessed as I initially stated & the level of detail revival is pretty high, which is not at all the case with your typical chi-fi V-shape tuned IEM’s. Overall, the sound signature if pretty fun & lively while still retaining some balance in the frequencies, definitely a crowd pleaser kinda sound.

Highs (3.7/5): The Highs of the FH3 are well extended, there is mild hint of sparkle & air to it. It delivers an ample amount of detail & micro details even though it’s a warm tuned IEM. The treble is smooth and non-fatiguing but those with a preference for brighter sounding IEM’s will have to look elsewhere.
Soundstage & Imaging: The imaging & layering of the FH3 is just brilliant along with its resolution, all of these are class leading in this price range. FH3 is pretty forgiving of the poorly mastered/recorded tracks, making them sound as great as possible. The soundstage is wide & deep enough but not to the point where it will create that spacious “out of your head” feeling.

Mids (4/5): I think the mids are the secret weapon of the Fiio FH3 with deep V-shape tuning it’s easy to hold some prejudice against it, writing it off as recessed or not as highlighted in the mix, which is usually the case. But here the FH3 manages to go against the grain & proves all those prejudices wrong. While the mids might not be forward in the mix, the are certainly not recessed either, having great balance, detail & clarity. I wouldn’t categorize the FH3 to have thick & lush mids but they aren’t on the thinner side either. The only downside to this experience might be the metallic sheen present in the BA timbre of the FH3, this is especially noticeable in instruments such as acoustic guitars.

Lows (4.7/5): Quite easily the star of the show, the Fiio FH3 can only described as having “earth shattering” sub-bass rumble & a punchy mid-bass. The bass extension is very good, as is tightness, speed, and texture. While the bass might be boosted it doesn’t suffer from bloat and never sounds too thumpy. Fiio is clearly not messing about with its beryllium bass game & the best part is: even being the highlight of the mix, the bass does not overshadow or bleeds into any of the other frequencies. There is bloat present either. The excellent speed of the beryllium driver also means that the bass has great slam which translates to great performance is genres such as metal.

Drivability: The Fiio FH3 is fairly easy to drive, which is another one of its plus points. You can drive it easily form your 3.5mm headphone jack off your phone, although amping is always advisable, a fairly inexpensive dongle like VE Odyssey HD or CX-Pro Audio CX31993 should do the trick. You will notice small amount of scaling while moving from phone to a dedicated dongle but moving from a dedicated dongle to a fairly expensive portable dac or dap there is definitely an absence of scaling.

Conclusion: So, what have we learned so far? The Fiio FH3 seems to be doing pretty well with highs, mids and especially lows, mids don’t seem to be recessed or thin in typical V-shaped manner, bass doesn’t overpower other frequencies, level of detail retrieval is pretty great, seems to be the perfect all-rounder at this price point. What’s the catch? Well, there is no catch per say, but I would like to point out two things: One, the metallic sheen present in the BA timbre can feel unnatural to some especially those who prefer a smooth & natural timbre for the instruments. Two, while a well-tuned V shaped IEM might seem fun & lively at first but you will soon get tired or bored if it especially if you listen to vast genres of music. Being that as it may, the Fiio FH3 is still the nearest you will get to owning an all-rounder IEM at the $130 dollar price point, while it is definitely a crowd pleaser it won’t please those who are after a more mature & analytical sound.



Comparisons: ??? Right now, I am in the middle of reviewing BQEYZ Spring 1, 2 & Summer, Tri Starsea along with Fiio FH3, so I felt it appropriate to review them individually first and then do a massive $100 to $150 range IEM battle, to see who takes the lead! So please stay tuned, like & follow my page The Audio Bloke for future updates if you liked this review. Thanks!

Link to Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheAudioBloke

---FIIO FH3 OVERDUE REVIEW---

This one was on hold, i finish it today and tbh they arent bad at all, don't know why i was grumpy about them, once i go out of my personal tuning target and timbre hyper-sensitivity, the FH3 are L shape to neutral crisp sounding earphones with agile technicalities.

PROS: Near neutral well balanced tuning, high level of clarity-details, good imaging, fast attack, nuanced texture, good transparency, non agressive hyper-realist tonality, construction, design, packaging, price

CONS: slightly boomy yet non weighty bass, bit thin timbre, coldish tonality, sharp but not sparkly treble, not wide open vocal, though good imaging is a bit compressed-intimate, not very musical (subjective)

TONALITY: 8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION&DESIGN: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8/10

FIIO doesn’t need more presentation as theve been around for more than 10 years and have an immense audio products catalog that includes everything but audiophile quantum stickers. Since years, they collaborate with Knowles balanced armature too, so they can precisly custom every drivers they imagine. Far are the days where FIIO didn’t know how to tune, FH serie being widely acclaim for this very reason, let’s see if the FIIO FH3 can pass the test of time or will be a hate-love Hybrid like the older FH1 which at the time was selling around the same price.



CONSTRUCTION, as always with FIIO, is excellent. The beautifully crafted housing promises durability due to its thick metal composition. The whole package is, again as always, very impressive too. And oh, the cable! I love it. Soooooo thick and sturdy, with this high-end industrial look and yes, good pairing in terms of sound, no need to upgrade it and thats a relief!



SOUND

TONALITY is L shape with some extra treble bite, brightish a bit cold but not really aggressive, if it wasn't for boosted bass the FH3 would be near flat neutral. It’s a bassy lean analytical sounding IEM, and it’s quite unique in that regard, attack isn’t boosted and avoid shoutyness we could find with some hybrid or multi-BA earphones.

So, apart for badass bass, it doesnt have a weighty DYNAMIC, attack lack a bit of snap even if speedy, upper treble seem a bit faster and crisper than rest of the spectrum leading to some rare uneven highs balance. Bass is quite nice but doesnt fully match the timbre of other BA drivers making it sometimes a bit out of balance or distracting. As well, it isn't well-articulated and a bit (gently) boomy.

Talking about TIMBRE, the balanced armature has this slight metallic sheen to it that makes it a bit clinical sounding, staying hyper-realist and accurate but not as natural as what a Dynamic driver could give. So, yes, a bit thin too, making vocal lacking body density, open presence and welcome lushness. Still, timbre is realist enough, well-textured yet with a nice transparency to it.

TECHNICALLY the FH3 is very competent, rich in details and sound layers, precise yet constraint in imaging, fast in attack apart the bass part so you can feel its snappy speed better with instrumental or bass less-lights music tracks, listening right now to fast jazz composed of violin, trumpet, bass light percussions and it sound accurate, with great instrument placement within limited space, i can clearly look around the holographic acoustic, spoting the trumpet that have dryish timbre and at its left the violin with full nuanced timbre, though I get a bit distract by more metallic percussion which seem crisper cleaner bit more trebly in rendering, still, damn its thigh and clear! (Track : Yves Robert-L’air d’y toucher). SO no doubt : IMAGING is good and can go great with crisp music that doesnt have sub bass emphasis.

So indeed, from mids to highs the attack is very speedy, with good edge but some lack of decay and sparkle thus making percussions more ‘’ringy’’ than sparkly.

Overall BALANCE is well done, but a hint too boosted in bass department which can bloom its great clarity potential. As well, upper highs can be sometime too emphased and while it permit to extract micro-details more easily, the very details can be distracting too. In fact, if i go back some years ago i will praise this type of analytical treble, but my ears perhaps become snobbish about this type of magical WOW effect trick.

I ask ALOT to IEM due to my very diversify music library, and i can say FH3 is very versatile even if 20% of my music will go boomy which is due to mid-sub bass boost that can shadow the kick drum presence and impact as if it was thinked for electronic drum.

COMPARISONS :

VS FIIO FH7 (500$)
The FH7 have verry similar tonal balance but thicker more natural timbre as well as more open and holographic sound. The bass is weightier, warmer and less resonant and dry than FH3. Clarity seem crisper with FH3, offering a less layered but more crisper imaging. Bass is biggst different, FH7 having thicker more extended and flexible bass, as well, lower mids are more present and give extra body to mids and vocal which are thinner a bit brighter-colder with FH3. Treble is a bit more airy, but less lean and balanced than FH7. Apart bass which is better with FH7, the rest is very similar in technicalities and overall tonality, making the FH3 a better value.

VS IKKO OH10 (180$)

OH10 is brighter, more U to W shape and less clean due to slight bass impact bloom. Imaging is inferior, lacking clean separation of FH3. Bass have more texture, boom and body but is less linear and well separated too. Upper highs seem roll off and doesnt deliver as much micro details and brilliance. Mid are a bit more lively, textured and bright but not as well articulated, especially in busy track. Soundstage is a bit wider-taller-deeper. While i prefer the energic bassy sound of OH10, i can’t stop telling myself they are inferior to FH3 both tonaly and technically, but superior in fun factor I guess.

CONCLUSION

FIIO have evolve tremendously with the time, and their tuning experience show up their result with a confident tonal balance approach where neutrality meet slight bass boost for extra musicality pleasure. The level of technical prowess we got for such a price is quite impressive, delivering high level of clarity, clean precise imaging, fast yet snappy attack and a refined near reference neutral sound that wasn’t imaginable at this price 5 years ago. Thanks to the very capable Knowles BA they use, the timbre, while a bit cold, is far from artificial or harsh like we can find with most sub-150$ Hybrid IEM even today. Thinking about it, the FH3 make it even harder to justify paying 500$ for the FH7 and underline that when we climb the IEM price ladder, its sometime just to find our very subjective tonality target because technically speaking they are 90% on par.

------

PS: I wanna thanks FIIO for sending me this review sample some time ago in the midst of this annoying pandemic. FIIO is another company connected to audio community that accepts an unbiased, critical point of view so they can always improve, and the time has shown they sure evolve impressively in the last years with their IEM lineup refinement.

Fh3

Great build quality

Good accessories
Deep, fast, textured low end

Detailed mids, good vocals both male and female
Plays everything you throw at it well
smooth, non-fatiguing, good timbre,
Treble is smooth with a touch of sparkle and air and good extension ( slightly brighter overall than average and while not fatiguing can be more intense than neutral )

bass is dynamic, punchy and textured.
imaging and layering were above average, soundstage is on the slightly smaller side
emphasis on the sub-bass, but not overpowering , comes when needed
S.Turbo technology

41.5mm spiral tube which filters unwanted high frequencies delivering clearer bass.
Mid-bass is punchy and hits with impact
All frequencies presented equally across the board
Drivers: 10mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver, Knowles ED30262 for mid frequencies, Knowles RAD33518 for high frequencies
High-purity monocrystalline silver-plated copper
Cable is heavy and has micro phonics

Thanks to FiiO for giving me a pair of FH3 for review.

Though cheap IEMs aren't my thing, for the most part, it is interesting to take a look at what is going on at the lower end of the market. Compared to a decade ago, when I used to go to the local electronic stores and try out IEMs, things have improved dramatically. Back then, anything under $200 sounded awful. Now companies are releasing sub-$100 IEMs that sound great.

At under $150, the FH3s give you a dynamic driver and two balanced armature drivers. Like the FH5 and FH7, they put the balanced armature driver pair right up against the grill, with the base driver further back inside. This driver complement is slightly less than the FH5, and the FH7 adds a better bass set-up. It looked as if the slightly unrefined treble of both is going to be present in the FH3, and indeed it was.

Unlike the slightly more fancy set-up of the FH5 and FH7, the usual selection of tips are present with the FH3, but in bags, rather than a block of foam. Standard, narrow-bore silicon tips, as well as "bass" and "vocal" tips were included, along with foam tips. Since the FH3 have a fairly standard set-up with the bass driver, they are somewhat tunable with tip selection.

Nicely, despite being the cheapest in the range, they come with both the soft and hard cases that the more expensive models do.

Comfort
The cable is the same, slightly bulky but quite well-made one that the FH5 and other models come with. by default, it comes with a section of clear plastic at the point that goes around your ears, and that has a serious curve baked into it, which was good at holding the IEMs in place, but a bit much to get them on and in quickly. A hair dryer can be used to reduce the amount of curve if desired.

Being a hybrid, the FH3 are quite bulky, and while comfortable, sometimes have a bit of issue getting a good seal. The MMCX connection on the cables is quite tight, preventing the IEMs going into an endless swivel. Getting the right angle on the cable was necessary to get them to sit in my ears without easily falling out.


Music impressions.
I gave the FH3 a few days run-in out of a DAP to ensure that any changes that might occur do before I do any serious listening. While most IEMs I use don't change from out of the box, I've had a few that had dramatic changes in the first few hours of listening, so I figured it is better to be sure.

Impressions were mostly done from a Chord Hugo 2, for consistency. I'll start with music impressions first, then impressions with different amps and DAC/amps. I used Spinfit tips mostly for my impressions.

David Chesky - Jazz in the New Harmonic - Quiet Desperation

I use this track to check for detail retrieval, primarily. It's one that, to really "get" the music, a high-end system is best used.

There was very good instrument separation, with accurate cymbals and a tight bass, which was quite a surprise. Detail retrieval was good, if not high-end, as the low-level nuances of cymbal hits were missing. Overall though, the presentation was cohesive, not sounding like a hybrid IEM.

Miles David - Doo Bop - Mystery

This, sometimes odd-sounding track was given a good amount of punch, if not the most bass or widest soundstage that can be had from other IEMs. Imaging was good and sharp, giving a good sense of depth.

SEED Ensemble - Driftglass - Mirrors

A random jazz discovery of mine showed up the FH3 as having a narrower soundstage here, with instruments pushed more towards the middle compared to the FH5 and other higher-end IEMs. As things get busy, a bit of congestion starts to show, pushing a focus on the mid-range.

Marc Ribot - Aurora

Like the above jazz, the story was exactly the same for this amazing guitar track.

Merge of Equals

A slight hardness in the treble shows here in the percussion and vocals, as it did on the FH5 and FH7.

Tip Selection
Given the above impressions, the FH3 as already stated, can be tuned slightly by a careful selection of tips.

The standard black silicon tips tame the treble a bit versus the Spinfit and other wider-bore tips (which tend to reduce the bass). I'd tend to use these as standard to balance against the slightly "hard" treble. Given I'm more likely to use IEMs on the go, less treble at the louder volumes I'd listen with on public transport is a good thing to prevent fatigue.

The grey/red tips produce a thicker bass, which is good for music as such old Fleetwood Mac classics that I sometimes listen to.

The white/red tips on the other hand, lighten the bass. Since the bass the best part of FiiO IEMs, I didn't like them.

The Spinfit tips struck a nice balance between the black silicon and others, with slightly more treble.

I also compared the FH3 to FH5, after fielding many requests. Here's my video about them:


In summary, the FH5 is a bit more refined than the FH3, dealing with congestion in the music better, but as a result, takes away a bit from the excitement factor that the FH3 delivers.

Gear matching
The FH3 will drive out of an iPhone Lightning dongle, but clearly benefit from better gear. Moving up to a FiiO Q3 brings out more bass and noticeably more clarity from a track like Arlington by the Wailing Jennys. This too even if just the 3.5mm port is used.

I didn't find a dramatic improvement going further to a Chord Mojo, even if it is noticeably better in and of itself.

That lends me to recommend finding better-than-phone-dongle amplification for the FH3 for best results.

Conclusion
The FH3 are a lively-sounding pair of IEMs that make music exciting to listen to. Even if they are less refined in how they deliver music compared to the FH5 and FH7, they always made listening enjoyable, their imperfections becoming their strength. What is most impressive is the price, which is low enough to overlook the niggles in their design, such as the fit.

Introduction:

As I mentioned when I reviewed Fiio’s outstanding entry-level FD1 IEM, I seriously can’t imagine anyone reading by now who hasn’t heard of Fiio.

They started out by bringing audiophile gear to the masses at budget prices, and have continued to increase the quality and diversity of their offerings in the years since.

This time I’ll be reviewing Fiio’s new FH3 hybrid IEM, which follows on quite smoothly from the FD1.
The FH3 is a hybrid IEM made of an aluminium-magnesium composite material and featuring a 10mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver and two separate Knowles balanced armatures.

Patented technologies include Fiio’s balanced pressure relief technology to reduce any fatigue and alleviate pressure, and FiiO's patented ‘S.TURBO’ bass sound tubes, which – and I quote – “help to gather bass signals, thus making for more thunderous yet lightning-quick bass performances”.

Well of course, such words are music - nay, a veritable symphony to Layman1’s golden ears (ahem)

The RRP at time of writing was $129, placing it – financially speaking - at what I suppose these days would be around the middle of entry level.

My sincere thanks to Sunny and the team at Fiio, for providing me with a review unit to keep in exchange for an honest review.

Photos:

Fiio showing some love for you all




Unboxing, packaging and accessories:

The packaging is slick and well-done, and as with the FD1, the carrying case is a lovely design and a delight at this price point.

The cable here is different in many ways to the one which came bundled with the FD1; it isan upgraded 4-wire cable, with each wire constructed from strands of 96 Litz braided monocrystalline silver-plated copper.

Unlike the tightly spiral-braided cable on the FD1, this one has two sets of two wires, with each set braided together and then bound in the insulation material side-by-side to make a flat cable with a smoky, translucent finish.

It’s terminated in 3.5mm, which is an appropriate choice at this price point.
It should be mentioned that Fiio also offer a range of upgrade cables at a variety of prices and with various plug termination options.

The appearance of the IEMs themselves is simple, elegant and pleasing, much like the packaging. They are smooth and well-made with no noticeable blemishes, much like your humble reviewer himself


The Fit:

They have a very good insertion depth for me personally; twisting them back and forth as I inserted them enabled me to find an planar angle where they fit perfectly into my ears, to the point where they felt totally locked in and barely protruded at all.

All in all, they are extremely comfortable – even more so than the FD1, which did very well in this regard, and I have been able to wear them all day with no discomfort or fatigue.


The Sound:

The FH3 features an impactful low end; I use Italian hip-hop outfit Poison’s ‘Dove Sei?’ as a good track for bass extension and impact and the FH3 presents the thunderous synthetic bass/drums of this song with great power and authority, with a medium level of slam and rumble, but also with a respectable speed and control that keeps it from sounding bloated.

Switching to Hong Kong opera singer Alison Lau’s rendition of Handel’s ‘Lascia la spina’ (24-96 HDTracks FLAC) the intakes of breath of the musicians are captured very well and the strings have a fair amount of body and weight to them. I wouldn’t say the FH3 displays a great deal of sparkle or brightness to the mids and treble on this track.

Having said that, for experimental purposes I switched to a fairly brightly-mastered track; Miranda Cosgrove’s ‘Disgusting’, which is a piece of pure pop with quite high-pitched female vocals. Here, the FH3 doesn’t sound veiled at all; rather it sounds bright, clear, open and spacious, and the vocals are presented well, which is not a surprise since they are fairly analogous to those female vocals popular in the Asian market, which is the biggest market sector for IEMs and hence one that many Asian-made IEMs will have in mind when tuning their products.

To back up this theory, I switched to ‘Complete’, a classic piece of Asian female pop by SNSD (Girl’s Generation). As expected, the vocals are presented excellently and distinguishable from each other even during multi-vocal harmonies.

Time for some male vocals and acoustic guitar! Listening to Shawn Mullins’ ‘The Gulf of Mexico’, this is a song that benefits from an IEM with a good degree of shimmer and separation in a holographic soundstage. As such, the FH3 does well here, especially given the price point it’s coming from. The song is presented in an engagingly musical way, and the same comment applies to the vocals which, whilst not particularly forward or powerful, still exhibit a pleasing timbre and balance with the rest of the instruments, once they’ve all come in.

Now for Pearl Jam’s ‘Better Man (acoustic version with guitar and organ only – 24-96 HDTracks) and ‘Alive’. Again, the FH3 does a good job of capturing the nuances of the timbre in his voice; certainly better than I would have expected at this price point.

Listening to Paul Simon’s ‘The Coast’ (24-96 FLAC), it’s pleasing to hear how much detail is captured and separated out in the presentation. The song opens with a plethora of percussion and with the FH3, every single instrument is clearly distinguishable from the other and presented with a pleasingly realistic timbre.

It also does a good job of presenting the shimmer and resonance of the guitar which comes in shortly after.

Overall, it’s an impressive experience and a sign of how far the portable hi-fi industry has progressed since Fiio first started in 2007; to have this level of performance in a $129 IEM would have seemed crazy a decade ago, or maybe even just 5 years ago!

Summary:

In conclusion, I’d describe the FH3 as follows:

It has a solid and impactful low end with a medium amount of slam and rumble and good extension. It lends some warmth and timbre to the mids, but rarely with any feeling of bloat or bleed.

The mids are fairly warm, medium-bodied and engaging, handling both male and female vocals pleasingly well and imbuing both vocals and instruments with a realistic timbre.

The treble is smooth and non-fatiguing, with a small amount of sparkle and air.

The soundstage is fairly deep and wide, with decent height. Separation is well-executed and the imaging and layering frequently impressed me.

The FH3 were able to handle well every genre I threw at them (and I have broad tastes!), although I’d suggest they seemed to show their best qualities with music that’s mastered fairly brightly.

Overall, I feel they offer an excellent price-performance ratio, and admirably maintain Fiio’s reputation for providing high-quality audio products at extremely reasonable prices.

And that draws to an end my review of the Fiio FH3.

You may now feel free to go about your day. Or buy a pair immediately.
As you wish

Firstly. Apologies for my jumbled mess of a review. In future, I will have to get some esteemed reviewer to do an edit for me. Stick with it anyways... The Fiio fh7 was my first venture into chi fi land. They have a special place in my collection. 30 plus Iems later, here comes the fiio fh3. The hype is real for once, it is fully justified. The only qualm I have about the build is the heavy cable! The shells are reminiscent of the fh7 with fiio distinctive wave pattern, it lacks the gold trimming and feel but, they fit well, without any driver flex at least to my ears. I get a good seal. I used the red silicone tips. They have the right balance in fit and sound.. On first listen my thinking was I liked them without being blown away. The initial impression was of a dark, bassy, mass market sound that didn't really distinguish itself from the likes of many of Iems that have come out in 2020. The more I listened to them the more I became enveloped in their lush textures. Before I knew it I was in love. They have a totally addictictive musical nature. Bass. The bass at first seems slightly overwhelming but the more you listen the more you realize the bass takes a back seat when it needs to. If what your listening to is bassy the fiio fh3 will slam, if not, it will take a back seat. The thing is the texture! You don't get that one note feel you get on badly tuned or cheap Iems. Whether it's the beryllium coating or fiios tuning, it is bass done right. The sub bass hits deep in sync with the mid bass. You never get weird artifacts, or a sense they are not balanced. Very similar in tone to the more expensive Dunu Dk 2001. The bass is fantastic. Mids. The mids are very resolving, in fact, they are the most surprising aspect of these beauties. The midrange has a clean floor for a warm iem. No bleeding from the subs Vocals sounds clear and concise both male and female. You don't get any stuffiness, you do get a lovely glow. Percussion, strings, woodwind all have spot on timbre. Everything sounds full and lifelike. There is always a nice sense of space and air. You don't normally find this kind of precise tuning in Iems at this price. Tonality is up there with the fabled JVCFDX1. Treble. The highs are Silky smooth. Not the most extended, like what you find in far pricier models, saying that, they have the right amount of shimmer and sparkle so they never sound muted or muffled. In fact they go perfectly with the whole balanced aesthetic. Perhaps more extended treble would have thrown the balance off slightly. I'm happy to report no metallic tinges which I do find sometimes on the fh7. Soundstage and Imaging. The stage is not the widest I've heard by any means. But I never felt wanting. It has an intimacy that works well with my library. Mainly because the amount of air between the instruments and vocals never sound stuffy also stereo cues and panning are very natural. You don't get trickery to make it sound more resolving. Which I despise. At times if the track demands you will get a slightly out of your head feel but in the main everything sounds close. For some this may be problematic for me it's perfect. Summary. I can't tell you pleasantly surprised I am with how much I like these Iems. On first hearing, I was kinda non plussed, now I'm addicted. Fiio has worked wonders here. You won't get the most detail retrieval or the widest soundstage or totl highs. You can find more resolving Iems with better imaging etc. But from musicality and when you want to be immersed in your library these are hard to beat especially for the price. I would go as far as to say I prefer them to my Fh7s, the highly lauded Moondrop Blessing 2 and even my beloved ISN H40 that is saying something. These are no giant killers or a threat to the kilobuck massive. But, for the price the performance is far and above many in its range. In my eyes, you can't beat a well tuned iem! These couldn't have be tuned better. In fact, in many ways, this is Fiiio' s long awaited masterpiece!

Introduction: The FiiO FH3 is the latest hybrid IEM from FiiO, consisting of a beryllium-coated dynamic driver for the lows and two Knowles BAs for the mids and highs. The FH3 has Hi-Res certification, with a frequency response from 10Hz-40Khz. It is easy to drive with an impedence of 24 ohms and sensitivity rating of 114dB@1mW.

Accessories: FiiO is beyond generous, including a hard Pelican case, a soft case, a cleaning brush, three sets of silicone tips, and a set of foam tips. The silicone tips make a noticeable difference, especially the vocal tips which drastically reduce bass. The tips are excellent and there is no need to purchase others. The included cable is very high quality, single crystal copper with silver plating and an L-shaped 3.5mm connector. However it is fairly stiff and so I changed it for a KBEAR Rhyme which is very similar in sonics but much softer.

Build & Comfort: The build quility is superb, the custom metal shells are very well made and the MMCX connectors are extremely tight. Comfort is phenomenal, as is isolation (though the DD is vented and so it won't be quite as isolating as Etymotics or unvented all-BA setups). The shells are fairly small and allow me to use them comfortably lying on my side. However there is driver flex. Some QC issues have been reported online, so buying from a trusted seller with good return policy is a must.

Signature: I would describe this as the most natural "fun" tuning imaginable. It is L-shaped, but as I will note the sub-bass bias means that the overall tonality is still extremely balanced and versatile enough for practically any genre. It is smooth yet dynamic and I really cannot praise it enough, I think it will please practically anyone.

Bass: the beryllium-coated bass in no marketing gimmick: the bass here is superb. It is notably sub-bass biased, which I believe is a very wise choice as it allows the FH3 to be extremely versatile in its capabilities. The bass extension is very good, as is tightness, speed, and texture. The sub-bass emphasis means that there is practically no bloat or bleed into the lower mids. The excellent speed of the beryllium driver also means that the bass has great slam but does not intrude when not called upon.

Mids: As great as the bass is, I believe the mids are the real highlight here. They are fairly forward, but very smooth yet detailed. They are even bordering on what I would call lush. The FH3 is great for instrumental and vocal lovers. Male and female vocals are both very balanced and sweet. Note weight is perfect, and there is very little coloration - just enough body to make male vocals quite enjoyable.

Highs: smooth and inoffensive but retaining good sparkle. Extension and detail are very good, but this is not an IEM for treble-heads. Treble-sensitive folks will likely not have any problems with this unit, it's a very smooth and unfatiguing presentation. There is some BA timbre though.

Soundstage, Imaging, Etc.: soundstage is very well-proportioned in width, depth and height. The forward mids mean that it is a more intimate presentation though rather than expansive and holographic. Again, for vocal lovers this is an excellent unit indeed. Imaging is very precise, separation is excellent.

Conclusion: the FH3 is beyond doubt one of the best budget/entry mid-fi all-rounder and price/performance models of 2020. It has solid technicalities all around, a very versatile and accessible tuning, unmatched comfort, generous accessories, and is absolutely worth the asking price of $129.

FiiO FH3 is the newest product from FH series by FiiO, it uses 1DD and 2BA per channel. It is priced at 149USD.
Sound quality
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Build quality
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Price
Rating: 10 out of 10.


Packaging



FiiO FH3 comes in a well designed, pretty big box. Fiio always treat the customer with a lot of accessories, and it’s no different with FH3. Inside you can find two cases (soft and hard), four types of tips, standard LC-B cable and obviously the FH3 earphones.

Cable

The stock cable is a standard FiiO LC-B terminated with 3,5mm jack using MMCX connectors. For me it is slightly too stiff and too heavy, but it has very strong standoffs, so I haven’t noticed any slipping out of the ear or discomfort when listening to the IEMs.

Build quality

FiiO did an excellent job with the build quality of these. They feel a little bit cheaper than the FH5, but that’s understandable looking at the price difference. Anyway, they’re nice to the touch, become warm very quickly thanks to the full metal construction. I also like the fact that they removed the shiny frame, they are more discreet looking now. Overally, these are very well made and are quite solid.

Comfort
FiiO FH3 offers a very high level of comfort, they have longer nozzles than FH5, but a little shorter than F9 Pro so they may be better for a lot of people. The only inconvenience I see are stiff standoffs which can disturb people with large ears or glasses users.

Sound

Damn, that’s good. In my opinion, FiiO killed FH5 by releasing FH3, unless the latter is too bassy for your personal taste. The sound signature is very enjoyable, I think I can call them natural with rich bass and high musicality level. Everything is very luscious with very good holography but a narrow soundstage. They are gentler in presenting texture compared to Shozy Form1.1.

The bass is powerful. It is very deep, especially lower and mid bass, the higher part is recessed a little. It is also greatly elastic, it’s jumping in the ears, so for some that might be too much, especially with warm sources like DX160 or Zen Dac. The best option for me is something like FiiO BTR5 or Q5s, holography regains the boost and bass isn’t that clamant. In my opinion, it easily adapts to the music you’re listening to, therefore they are very universal in this regard.

The midrange is full of life, that’s the best words to describe it The main part is set relatively far away, compared to Meze Rai Solo and Shozy Form 1.1. In my opinion, that’s really great, sound might run away from the head. The detail retrieval is first class. There isn’t any sharpness, but it also doesn’t smoothen that hard, I think that part may please fans of both options.

Treble doesn’t have any sign of dryness, it is even gently sweetened. It is more delicate than FH1s, also more detailed. It doesn’t sibilate and is not overly bright on the stock cable. I didn’t try them on the other cable, but I heard that FiiO LC-C is spot-on for more visible treble. But don’t get me wrong, treble is not missing, it is just delicate to listen to.

The soundstage is relatively narrow, but as for its width, it reproduces the depth and height well. I think it is on a barely lower level than the FiiO FH1s, but for this price anyway, it’s pretty good. On some sources, the scene was slightly unarranged, unprecise. FiiO products and Shanling M6 have produced good results from the tested sources.

Summary

FiiO FH3 provides one of the best price to performance ratio I’ve heard. Very enjoyable sound, good imaging, a rich set of accessories, but they definitely need to match the source. For me, neutral or natural sources are the best option, but these earphones are very source dependent, that’s why they will sound differently regarding what source you’re gonna be using to drive them.

Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as an accompanying equipment:

• Earphones– Shozy Form1.1, FiiO FH1s, FiiO FH5, Ikko OH10, Kinera Idun, Final Audio E3000, Kinera Freya, Bqeyz Spring 1
• Source – DX3 Pro, Hip-Dac, iBasso DX160, FiiO M11, FiiO BTR5, Shanling M6

Remember to visit us at ear-fidelity.com

How about friends, here is the long-awaited review of the FH3
These FH3 are the continuation, but behind the FH5 and FH7, but waters, it will be in number, but not in sound quality.
specs
Frequency: 10-40,000 Hz with Hi-Res certification
Impedance: 24 Ohms
1 Beryllium driver of 10mm diameter per side for bass
1 Knowles brand Balanced Armature driver for media per side
1 Knowles Balanced Armature driver for highs per side
Sensitivity: 114 dB
Construction and comfort
First I will start by saying that they are beautiful, to the touch and to the eye, they are made of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum and the finish is very good because they feel very soft to the touch; they feel very premium and consider their price. (3500 mxn- 170 dlls) They are light and comfortable, in the part that goes to the ear, it has like this curve that makes it mold well to your ear and does not tire you as, for example, (my case) in the FH5, It has like a belly that hits the bone inside the ear and at times it gets a bit tired, in these the curve helps a lot and makes them very comfortable to wear for hours. The cable is the same as that of the FH5, something that worries me because it had a lot of microphones with the nylon, this has not given me problems, also because I have not left hahaha, but so far, it complies.
Sound
These headphones are very linear, that is, each frequency is in the same measure and does not stand out from each other, they appear when they should, a very clean and soft sound, they are detailed, but not excessively.
Low
It is a detailed and full-bodied bass, with a certain extension, but lets the other frequencies breathe; When a strong bass is required, it does it very well, without distortion and with important emphasis, it allows you to enjoy your genres with demand on the bass, apparently these are the characteristics of beryllium, they are conformable so to speak. If you are basshead, they are not for you, it is a much more controlled bass, although enjoyable.
Media
They are very smooth and detailed, they are not advanced, but, again in the voices you can hear them very detailed and clean, the cleanliness of the sound as a whole makes an excellent enjoyment, the guitars have presence and body.
Treble
The highs are very clean and smooth, they are not sibilant and they do not cause fatigue; Its cleanliness stands out because even with the sharpest note it is not annoying and is still very clean and detailed. I notice this more in the song of "trilobita"
Soundstage imaging
The soundstage is average, it is not very wide, but it does give this feeling of space. The instrumental separation is its strong point, it is the best and above all detailed, you can listen to each note effortlessly, and you hear perfectly the location in the sound image of the instruments; Even with a fast genre like metal you feel this separation and harmony in the frequencies, with the Tool song “chocolate chip trip” they behave very well.
Comparative
I will compare them directly with the FH5, in construction they are the same, although the black color in the FH3 suits them very well, in comfort the FH3 is much more comfortable, they fit the ear and do not protrude, which makes them very discreet. In sound, the FH5 stand out in the bass and mids, they have a more aggressive and extended bass, and the mids are much more advanced, although they give some detail to the frequencies, their instrumental separation is not as good as that of the FH3, for this point, I find the FH3 better, although their sound signature is similar, and sometimes I like the extensive bass, I enjoy much more the clarity and detail that the FH3 give me.

I have a soft spot for hybrid iems and when I saw a new hybrid from FiiO at $130 I had to grab a pair to try out. FiiO is running these iems in a 1 Dynamic driver handling the low end and 2 Balanced armatures with one BA for mids and the other for highs. I didn’t like the fit of the FH5 and never got around to trying the FH7 to see if the nozzle was longer or not so this was the perfect time to see how the FH3 feels and sounds at what could be a fantastic price.

Onto the review of the sound! My personal preference are a dynamic hybrid iem where I get good hitting bass and have a brighter treble with decent mids. When it comes to an over ear headphone I prefer a spacious sound with a deep low end, the mids to be more forward and the highs to be a little bright with some sparkle. I listen to a lot of genres but I hover in the classic rock, blues and edm music with some rap here and there.


Gear used
iPhone X with headphone adapter, lotoo PAW s1, smsl sh8/su8 combo

Comfort and fit
The FH3 looks and feels really well built. The nozzle is a little longer than the old FH5 and I Find the fit better overall. The mmcx connectors are tight and everything feels like a quality product.

Sound
Lows
The DD does really well with speed and impact. While I’d rate it as a little boosted and exciting it doesn’t suffer from bloat and never sounds too thumpy. I’d give it a 6/10 with 10 being in that bass head territory. Lows never bleed into the mids and the FH3 is a very good example of how to have a DD hit well without long decay and sound fairly accurate in the low end.

Mids
As with all hybrid iems, there is always a battle with getting the tuning right transitioning from a the DD low end to a mid BA. The FH3 does a really great job of not sounding off or leaning too hard into the low end or mids. Vocals sound fairly good for a dedicated mid BA. Nothing is sibilant and it keeps vocals in a nice spot. Neither recessed or in the listeners ears. I’d say the while the low end feels a bit more boosted and exciting, the mids here feel very natural and “safe” tuning wise.

Highs
The highs are fairly tame but they definitely have a little boost and splash in their BA driver. I experienced no sibilance but I still got some fairly good detail from the top end. Instruments like trumpets or hi-hat/cymbal crashes sounded clear and exciting without going too into a fatiguing sound. I actually really enjoyed the highs from the FH3. For those who like their iems bright may not get too excited with the FH3 without EQ.

Imaging
Fantastic imaging! Everything was easy to pick out when doing critical listening. I heard no dead spots in side to side sound sweeps in music that did it well.

Soundstage
The soundstage was a little on the small side. There was both width and depth it just felt somewhat “in your head” at times and yet little hints of an open sound were teased at other times.

Cable rolling
I ran a Null audio lune cable in 4.4m pentaconn and I felt a little more of a open sound from the balanced cable. I also got a more noisy floor from going balanced with these. This was off 3 sources with the lotoo paw s1 being the quietest of the bunch. I don’t believe a balanced cable is a must for the FH3.

Stock cable
The stock cable is an interesting cable. It’s a heavy and stiff cable. This is due to the cables being more of a flat design vs a braided design. It drove me nuts at times but I think I’d be fine if it was the only cable I had for the FH3. I think the cable works perfectly well and is really nice quality wise overall. I wouldn’t replace it if the cable doesn’t bother you.

Tip rolling
I find the mix of tips included with the FH3 fantastic. Everything from small bore to stiff wide bore. I however have what feels like a endless supply of tips so after much swapping I decided I like both the spinfit cp145 and symbio wide bores. Both gave a little more excitement in lows and highs. Plus the fit was better for my ears over long listening sessions.

Amping
The FH3 is actually really easy to drive and while a good dac and amp is always a recommendation from myself I don’t have problems running this off an iPhone headphone adapter. I think this makes the FH3 a fantastic everyday iem since you don’t have to worry about power should you forget a portable setup while out.

Overall thoughts
Up until recently the Ikko Oh10 held my number one spot for an iem under $300. At $190 it was a steal in my book. That now changes and the FiiO FH3 is now my number one recommendation under $300.I still really like the Oh10 and it’s still my second recommendation if someone seeks a little more of a laid back and warm sound with an fantastic soundstage. The FH3 is super balanced while also sounding fun without being too intense anywhere in the frequency range. I’m super impressed and can’t wait to see what FiiO can do with hybrids going forward. Thanks for reading!

Edit - After the release of FD3 the rating was lowered to 4.5 stars.

Introduction

The FH3 sample was kindly provided by FiiO and is still under their ownership.
This review reflects my honest and subjective opinion.

You can get it from FiiO.eu

A little while ago, we have tested comparatively the two new entry level iem's of FiiO the FD1 and FH1s, of which we thought that they reach well above their price point with great sound and accessory pack.

The reviews are available here

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-fh1s.24341/review/24246/

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-fd1.24453/review/24245/

In the meantime FiiO presented us with their new model called FH3 which with it's double the asking price of about 150€ is seated at the top of the entry level category or if you prefer it is the entry model of the FHx category.




Technology inside

The FH3 is a hybrid three drivers iem with a dynamic unit for low frequencies and two balanced armature drivers for the mids and the highs.
It is essentially an upgrade of the all time classic F9 pro combining the best parts of FD1 and FH1s plus a few more improvements.

The low frequencies are handled by a 10mm dynamic driver with a beryllium coated diaphragm which is essentially the same driver found inside the FD1.
This diaphragm is extremely thin and light but at the same time very rigid since beryllium is ¾ lighter than aluminum and four times harder than steel allowing for a thunderous yet lighting quick and dynamic bass.

Two Knowles balanced armature drivers have been used for the medium and high frequencies namely the ED 30262 and the RAD 33518.
FiiO has combined the usual active crossover with a passive one allowing for a better implementation of the three drivers resulting in a more homogeneous sound while the high frequency driver has been placed closer to the ear canal to minimize unwanted reflections.

FiiO's patented S.Turbo technology helps further to improve low frequency performance thanks to it's 41.5mm spiral tube which filters unwanted high frequencies delivering clearer bass.
Another innovation of FiiO is the balanced pressure relief technology.
The FH3 is designed as to ensure that the air pressure between the front and rear chambers is balanced making for a stress free listening.



Build quality and accessories

FH3 shell following the FH series tradition is constructed from aerospace grade aluminum - magnesium alloy rather than celluloid.
CNC precision machining is used to give to the FH3 it's anatomical and aesthetically pleasing design.
Build quality , finish and design are top notch as we are accustomed with FiiO.

The FH3 features a detachable cable with MMCX connectors and a 3.5mm plug.
The material used is high purity monocrystalline silver plated copper and the cable is essentially the LC 3.5B model of FiiO.

The weight of FH3 is 7.3gr per unit and the impedance is 24Ω with a sensitivity of 114dB, a good combination allowing for an easy load while not picking internal noise.

Accessory pack is extra full and we get a hard plastic case plus a neoprene carrying case.
Regarding ear tips there are three categories one for balanced sound , one for enhanced vocals and one for boosted bass with three sizes for each plus two pairs of memory foam tips making for a total of eleven pairs.




Fit and comfort

The FH3 is a bit heavier than the FD1 / FH1s and a little lighter than the FH5.
Fit and comfort for us was excellent thanks to it's light weight and the anatomical non bulky shape.
The FH3 fit snug but without causing discomfort or pain allowing for continuous use and very good passive noise attenuation.
The cable could be better as we found it bulky , quite heavy and difficult to handle but fortunately it doesn't cause any microphonic noise.



Sound impressions

We have listened to the FH3 among others with two of our benchmark portable dacs the FiiO BTR5 and the EarMen Eagle.
The FH3 is quite easy to drive, but responds very well to extra quality and more power so the more you give it the better it will sound.

The FH3 as is the case with all the latest iems from FiiO is very naturally tuned favoring a musical and balanced frequency response without exaggerating at any given part of the spectrum.

Harmonic richness with the correct timbre rendering all the instruments very close to reality.
It is a full bodied fast and dynamic sound with the right amount of note decay sometimes more mature sounding than the FH5 / FH7 approaching in tonality the perfect FA9.

Bass extends down low to the first octave and it is very neutrally tuned without being accentuated and free of mid bass bloat.
It is fast and tight with enough layering to portray multiple bass instruments and notes with ease even during the most complex passages.
The combination of the beryllium coated driver with the S.Turbo technology makes for an explosive and hard hitting bass without any kind of exaggeration.

Thanks to the properly implemented crossover the cohesion of the drivers is very smooth without hearing any artifacts at the transition frequencies.

The crystal clear mids sound very organic well bodied and rounded with a slight emphasis bringing them a small step upfront.
Higher above while there is full energy and enough detail to satisfy , everything is rendered smoothly and without sharpness in an effortless way suitable for long listening sessions without the hint of fatigue.

The FH3 is able to project a wide and airy headstage with good space cues and accurate instrument poisoning but don't expect to hear level depth or holographic sound.
All in all is a very satisfying performance not reaching of course the extra insight levels of the higher priced contenders but it is surely not that far behind.



At the end

Honestly we do not know how FiiO succeeds to do so every time but they have surely managed again to present us with an iem that offers a far greater performance than the asking price would suggest.
The FH3 not only justifies it's double asking price from the entry level iem's but we are now at the point were spending more does not necessarily buy us equally added performance.
We have reached the sweet spot of price to performance ratio were most buyers will be greatly satisfied without the need to spend any more money.
There is a new King in the value oriented mid tier category to reign supreme over all and it is called FiiO FH3.

The test playlist - http://open.qobuz.com/playlist/5669033

Copyright 2020 - Laskis Petros

The Fiio FH3 includes 3 Drivers, 1 beryllium coated dynamic driver and 2 BA.

Packaging and Accessories.

- Hard case typical from FIIO, very durable and impermeable.
- Small Pouch, that is my favorite since FH5
- 11 tips of 4 different types.
- Cleaning brush
- Cable 3.5 mm.







In my opinion it have enough accessories for the price range!. The included cable is a silver-plated covered with plastic that seems very well builded and durable. It ends in a L 3.5 mm connection and It uses the MMCX connections.

Comfort.

Although this model is made of metal it does not feel heavy, and as I remember is a little bit smaller than the FH5. I can use them for hours with any comfort issue or fatigue, It have a wonderful fit that helps to the isolation, for sure using the correct tip size.



Bass

The quantity, quality and detail that the S. turbo bass deliver from the beryllium coated driver is the best part of the FH3. The bass is very fast and detailed, you can feel and recognize the position and timbre of each instrument.

Mids

The midrange is very detiled, with body and nice texture.

Highs

Not aggressive, sibilant or sharped but very present.

Soundstage

This is other aspect from the FH3 that I really like, the soundstage and image is just fine, above the average on this price.

Thanks to its impedance and sensitivity is very easy to drive, I am using a zorloo ztella, pioneer xdp 30r and sony WM1A and the result is just great.

The sounding, comfort, building and price makes this Fiio option a winner, very recommended.

Regards!

I purchased these wonderful IEMs from Fiio’s official store on AliExpress and they were shipped really quickly via DHL, with an import duty of £16 paid online before they arrived.

I’m really impressed with the packaging and supplied accessories; loads of different tips to try, a sturdy hard case, and a pocket-friendly soft case.

The 3.5mm SE MMCX cable is of really good quality too.

The fit of these IEMs is super! They’re all-metal and feel robust, but are really quite lightweight.

The sound, however, is definitely not lightweight!!! Bass hits hard, fast and super-low, but doesn’t override the mids at all. Treble is clear but slightly laid back, a bit like HD-650, which pleases my treble-sensitive ears.

Overall very very happy with this purchase!

Note: This is my first Head-Fi review. I've been into audio and equipment for over six years, and I also write, produce, and record my own music. I can't say I'm an absolute expert on any of these topics, but I do really care about my sound, and in general the accuracy of the sound. I hope this review is helpful, even if I may not be perfectly versed in the Head-Fi vocabulary.

Also, I got errors when uploading pictures, so text will have to suffice.

In short: These IEM's are amazing. I bought these expecting to have some IEM's I could use along my ATH-MSR7 which I've loved for years. Those are admittedly a little bright, but I loved the detail that came out of them, and I felt nothing could beat those for the price at the time I purchased those. It seems Chi-Fi has had a huge influence on IEM's at least, because I barely even want to use my MSR7 anymore. They have a sound signature that is versatile without compromising on detail, and it feels like the bass, mids and highs give almost no compromise to each other. I didn't expect to be blown away by these, but I really have been. I would recommend these to many people before other headphones/IEMs more than double the price.



Build Quality/Accessories

The IEMs themselves are built great. They have a magnesium/aluminum alloy that is light, strong, and has a great feel. These do have that cold metal feel, so they can be a little cold to touch at first but quickly warm up. The design is well thought out. These don't stick out of my ears, and everything feels well placed. I do have hotspots after three or four hours of listening straight on the bottom ridge of where the outside casing rests on my ear, but honestly it's not very bad, and it might just be my ear shape. It hasn't taken away from me wanting to listen to these.

The cable is somewhat stiff, but overall nice. I actually quite like it. The L shaped plug has a solid metal casing with a gold plated plug according to FiiO, and it's a chunkster. I feel like I could swing it around and hurt somebody (or crack the glass on a screen) for better or worse. As is with many IEMs, cable noise can be a problem, more in this case due to the cable wrapping around the ears. If you clip the cable onto your shirt (there is no clip included), or just tuck the cable into your shirt it goes away. The MMCX connectors are tight. I honestly haven't played with them too much. I wouldn't play with them too much because of how tight they are.

They also come with a lot of different kinds of tips from different kinds of silicon perhaps? But also include some foam eartips. I think most people will be happy with any of these, and will easily be able to find a size that fits them, but I did find putting the silicon tips on was hard. They do stay on very well though, and they feel well made.

Lastly, there are two cases included as well as a small brush. One of the cases I'm assuming is for the IEMs themselves to slip into, and then a clear top hard case for the soft case and the cable to fit into. I just put the whole set into the clear case because I don't want to mess with the cable and am just slipping them into a backpack most of the time anyways.



Sound

Wow. $130? Really? Honestly this is what I thought. I didn't buy these as my primary listening set, just as something more portable. These have quickly become my favorite.

I mostly listen on either my phone or computer. I use an iPhone with that wonderful junky Apple brand lightning to 3.5mm adapter. I also use my MacBook Pro 16", and lastly I have a MOTU M2 audio interface which has a ESS Sabre 32 Ultra DAC. These buds are not source picky, the MOTU might have had slightly better bass control and space, but I can't even be sure the difference would be so small. I have a mix of FLACs and lossy files, but honestly I mostly use Apple Music for streaming nowadays due to the much improved lossy formats. I did even do side by side volume matched comparisons with my FLACs. I honestly can't hear the difference in any of my headphones in a way that is expressible here.

They are incredibly easy to drive. I keep them at just over 1/4 volume on my iPhone. I have to use the software gain on my computer to lower the volume to where my system volume bar is usable, and on my MOTU M2 I'm at about 1/12 volume.

Highs: Well detailed, symbol crashes are clear and distinct, the ringing also clear, although they can be less forward than some brighter "analytical" headphones. I don't feel like detail is lost though.

Vocals: Male and female vocals sounded clear as day. I loved the sound.

Mids: Also clear and detailed. Natural sounding. I love listening to acoustic guitars on these.

Bass: Well controlled, and very impressive. I didn't expect the beryllium coated drivers to be so well performing. In bass light songs they perform as I would hope. An acoustic guitar doesn't feel bass heavy, piano's sound clear including the lower registers, but when bass guitars or synths come in, the bass comes in as is appropriate. It's there when it needs to be, and not there when it's not. Sub-bass extends incredibly low and evenly. I've missed out on that with my MSR7s.

For example, cello's sound clear, not bloated, not heavy or slow, if maybe a little bit warmer at times (it really depends on the mix though, which is less the headphones fault, and sometimes an artistic choice in mixing/mastering). I loved listening to anything with strings. But when a sub-bass synth comes in, or layers of such synths where the bass is mean to be hard hitting, powerful, or even growling, these don't disappoint. These headphones feel like they give appropriate frequency response to what should be. I hate to use the word "flat" because I think of not dynamic headphones, but things sound like they should.

Instrument Separation/Soundstage: Everything part is very distinct. These headphones do a good job at giving a "3rd dimension" of sorts. I feel like every instrument has its place, and that no two are fusing together where they shouldn't. It doesn't feel like a wall of sound with different directions of sound, but rather individual parts and pieces like it should. That being said, the width of the soundstage is limited. Although everything is distinct and separated, they aren't always separated by much space in the headspace.

These three drivers are very well tuned. They provide one of the most cohesive listening experiences I've heard period, let alone the price. FiiO has knocked this out of the park.



Listening Experience

I've had a great time with these so far. I work at home right now doing IT administration remotely, so I have time to listen while working. A simple way to express how much I've enjoyed these is that I kept looking for more and more to listen to. I was digging old albums up, listening to albums of my favorite artists that I hadn't listened to before, and just exploring (one of the major benefit of modern streaming services). I found no genre that wasn't enjoyable on these. There might be some other headphone that is more suited for some fine detail, but I was impressed on how well almost everything stood out. Classical, Baroque, Pop, Hip Hop/Rap, Alternative, Rock, OST, Jazz, etc. Everything felt in place, if anything was out of sort is would be that some bass elements were more forward than they maybe should be, but not overbearing in any way.

My Favorite Albums During My Review Period

A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
This album was great. Literally how I would imagine it being. Everything sounded as natural and in place as a recording can.

A Moment Apart - Odesza
Punchy strong bass (as should be in this album) without losing any detail. An absolute joy to listen to.

Evolve - Imagine Dragons
Bass where it needs to be, not overbearing where it's not. Clear detail. I actually had to go back to my MSR7s to check about some things I had never noticed before. They were there! I love these buds.

There are more, but I'll leave it there for now.

Honestly, I couldn't find much of anything I didn't like about these. Especially for the price. They might just be the perfect sound signature for me, and that's why I love them so much, but I'd be hard pressed to find anybody who doesn't at least like these.

Disclaimer: I received this review unit from Fiio. Thank you very much. Burned in for 20+ hours, no difference at all (not a burn in believer).

EDIT 2020-08-15: Burned in for 100+ hours now and still no difference. Also tried it with my Topping E30 + JDS Ol Switch + JDS Atom setup and it wasnt that much different, just a bit brighter treble. So it isnt very source picky.

EDIT 2020-09-17: There have been reports of bad QC (DD driver failure) coming in from people, so do be aware that it can be risky to get the FH3. I recommend to buy it from amazon or sellers with good return policies.

EDIT 2021-07-11: demoted the rating from 5/5 to 4/5 due to the GS Audio GD3A.

Price: 140 usd

Specifications:

Drivers: 10mm beryllium-plated dynamic driver, Knowles ED30262 for mid frequency, Knowles RAD33518 for high frequency

Frequency response: 10Hz-40kHz

Impedance: 24ohm @1kHz

Sensitivity: 114dB@1mW

Max input power: 100mW

Cable material: high-purity monocrystalline silver-plated copper

Cable length: 1.2m

Weight: 7.3g (single unit)

Wear method: over-the-ear


Accessories:

Pelican case

Soft carry bag

Cleaning brush

M/L foam tips

S/M/L narrow bore silicone tips

S/M/L medium bore silicone tips

S/M/L wide bore silicone tips


Cable: It is a 4-core cable wrapped in some material that makes it into a 2-core cable. Not very thin but not thick either, but it feels durable. It has an L-plug and a chin-slider that doesn’t work. The cable is pretty stiff and measures at 0.49 ohm. I would recommend changing the cable and not replacing it after because the mmcx connection on the shells are VERY hard to detach (don’t want to risk damaging it).




Build: The shells are made out of aluminum-magnesium alloy and feels very well built. The nozzle is also made out of metal and has a metal mesh filter. There is a lip present on it too, to help tips stay on it and not fall off. The nozzle length is a bit longer than average so some tips won’t really fit on it all the way.

Fit: Fits me like a glove, really good fit and no need to adjust it from time to time. I do get some driver flex on both sides though.

Comfort: Very good, not a problem for longer sessions.

Isolation: Above average since it fits so well and covers my entire ear. It is vented though so not top tier in isolation.

Setup: Ibasso DX160 (low gain, volume around 30), Faaeal litz copper cable, Final Audio Type E LL tips

Lows: More sub-bass than mid-bass but both are pretty high in quantity. The texture, speed and tightness are very impressive. Makes it a very fun and clean sounding bass. Very impressed here.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), every single bass strike is very distinct due to the texture and tightness while the speed makes it very clean and effortless (cymbals are a bit behind the rest of the sound). The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper sound is hearable and very clean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), the quantity makes it very fun while the tightness, texture and speed makes it clean and high quality.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), Both extension and rumble are very good, and with the powerful punch (while still tight, textured and fast) makes it very fun and clean.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), extremely well textured and the quantity makes it a very satisfying punch while still being very clean due to the tightness and speed.

Mids: Female/male vocal balancing are very well balanced. Very clean and natural mids with natural pianos and acoustic guitars.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), Very clean and beautiful, it is as bright and thin as it needs to be to sound natural. Very natural sounding while not fatiguing.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), while it is very clean and beautiful, it is a bit too thick for it to sound natural.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), no problems with sharpness at all so it passes my sibilance test with flying colors. It is very natural too so it sounds very good.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), not sharp but it can be a bit shouty.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), clean and very natural.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Very natural and clean because of the warmth and thickness.

Highs: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), the electric guitar is bordering on being sharp.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), energetic but not sharp. Very well balanced between the vocals/instrument.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), very good texture for the cello/violin. Sounds very natural.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), the cymbals are a little bit recessed but still sounds very natural.

Extension is good and air is present. Violins and cellos are very textured and natural.

Soundstage: Very good soundstage in both width and depth (better at width).

Tonality: L-shaped sound while it isn’t leaning too much on either side (warm/bright). Timbre is very good and sounds very natural. Nothing stands out as being unnatural.

Details: Above average, although cymbals are a bit worse than other instruments due to it being a bit more recessed.

Instrument Separation: Very good separation, Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (0:00-0:03) gets muddy (worse control in the bass is one factor) on some iems but not on this one. The (02:24-02:57) section has a lot of instruments and vocals but separation can still keep up.

Music: It plays Linkin Park and Hiroyuki Sawano songs really well. They both sound detailed, natural and fun. The amount of bass quantity together with the quality (tightness, speed and texture) makes them sound very natural and adds body to the music. Vocals and treble are both evenly balanced and sounds natural.

On hip-hop songs like Lil Wayne – Lollipop (01:32-01:55), bass is high in quantity but still very well controlled due to the tightness/speed while the texture helps it sound very good. The male vocals are warm and thick so they sound very natural.

Flo Rida – Low (01:16-01:27), the bass goes “boom” as it should but is still very clean and controlled, not muddy at all which is very likely to happen with this. The male vocals are very clean and detailed so the bass isn’t causing any bleed or makes the vocals recessed.

While on trance songs like Exostate – Cruel (02:13-02:44), the bass is extremely textured, fast and tight while the female vocals are energetic and very clean.

Songs that highlight the IEM:

Good genres: Pop, Jpop, Kpop, Trance, EDM, Hip-hop, Rock/metal, OST

Bad genres: Very versatile, maybe classics are a bit worse since the bass quantity might be a bit too high for them though (I don’t listen to classic so I can’t say for sure).



Comparisons:

Blon Bl-03 (mesh mod): Treble is a tiny bit more in quantity on the 03 and is peakier.

Female vocals are similar in quality but is a bit more forward on the 03. Male vocals are more natural, detailed and cleaner on the FH3. Balancing between male/female vocals are much better on the FH3.

Sub-bass rumble, extension, tightness and speed are much better on the FH3. Mid-bass quantity is a bit higher on the FH3 while speed, tightness and texture are also much better.

Soundstage, details, instrument separation are much better on the FH3. Timbre is a bit better on the 03.

The 03 is a really good iem at its price, but the FH3 is on a completely different level.

Urbanfun ISS014: Treble is peakier and a bit more in quantity on the ISS014. Much more natural on the FH3. Electric guitars and cymbals (more forward) are sharper on the ISS014.

Female vocals are more natural (ISS014 is a bit too bright on some songs), detailed and cleaner on the FH3 and also less peaky. Male vocals are very similar in how natural they are but it is cleaner and more detailed on the FH3. Vocal balancing between male/female is better on the FH3.

Sub/mid-bass is near identical, both in quantity and in quality (FH3 is a tiny bit faster and tighter). Although you can basically get more bass quantity out of the FH3 since you can increase the volume more and not be affected as much by the higher treble quantity and sharpness that is on the ISS014.

Instrument separation, details, soundstage are better on the FH3. Timbre is a bit better on the ISS014 but the FH3 ends up sounding more natural because of the tonality.

The FH3 is better in basically every single factor, from sound to the accessories. If you can afford the FH3 I would recommend getting it instead of the ISS014 (which also has a lot of QC problems…).

LZ A6 (pink filter): Treble quantity is higher and more extended (much more air) on the A6 while the FH3 sounds more natural. The quality is very good on both.

Female and male vocals are more natural, forward and better balanced on the FH3.

Sub-bass extension is lower, faster and tighter on the A6 while the FH3 rumbles and has more texture but quantity is a bit lower on the A6. Mid-bass quantity on the FH3 is higher and more texture while the speed and tightness are better on the A6. The bass on the A6 and FH3 are different but on the same level, I personally enjoy both as much and can’t really say which one I prefer more.

Soundstage are vastly bigger on the A6 both in width and in depth (but the depth is the biggest difference). Details and instrument separation are also much better on the A6. Timbre is much better on the FH3 and sounds more natural (the A6 has a very unique sound, so it is a double-edged sword in that regard).

The FH3 is a much more natural sounding iem while it is just as fun as the A6. The A6 has better technicalities but has a more recessed mids in comparison. If you like a more unique sound, brighter signature (you can add more treble with the other filters on the A6) and more technical iem, the A6 is the better iem for you.

But if you want a more natural and more relaxing sound the FH3 is better. The overall SQ is a bit better on the A6 (due to the technicalities) but they are both excellent iems.

Moondrop Blessing 2: Treble quantity, extension, air and detail is a bit more on the B2 but it is peakier and more fatiguing. The FH3 sounds more natural and texture on violins and cellos are much better on the FH3.

Female vocals are a bit more forward on the B2 and is brighter and thinner. They are both as natural, as some songs sound have more natural female vocals on the B2 while on others on the FH3. Male vocals are no contest at all, the FH3 just sounds much more natural and more correct as the B2 has too thin and bright male vocals.

Sub-bass rumble, extension and texture are much better on the FH3 while the speed is equal and tighter on the B2. Mid-bass is cleaner and tighter on the B2. The B2 has a cleaner bass overall due to the much lower quantity. While the FH3 has a more natural and more “correct” sounding bass for my library.

Soundstage is comparable with it being wider on the B2 but deeper on the FH3. Instrument separation and detail are better on the B2 (the much lower bass quantity on the B2 is helping a lot). Timbre is more natural on the FH3 and it sounds more natural overall.

The B2 is a thinner, brighter and more analytical sounding iem with very good technicalities. While the FH3 is a more musical, relaxing and more natural sounding iem for my library.

Tin Hifi P1 (EQ): Treble quantity is a bit higher on the P1 better extension and air. But the FH3 sounds more natural and is more textured with cellos/violins.

Female vocals are similar in quantity but is more natural and detailed on the P1 (godly female vocals). Male vocals are also similar in quantity but is more natural on the FH3 while details are a bit better on the P1.

Sub/mid-bass quantity, extension, rumble and texture much better on the FH3. Bass speed and tightness are a bit better on the P1.

Details, instrument separation are better on the P1 but soundstage is equal. Timbre is better on the FH3 and sounds more natural overall.

The P1 has godly female vocals and very good technicalities but it absolutely requires a powerful amp AND EQ. The FH3 has better SQ, naturality and more fun without those requirements (that is a deal breaker for the P1 if you don’t have them).



Conclusion: The FH3 is an abnormality in how good it is in all aspects from the Bass, mids, Treble to the technicalities (soundstage, instrument separation, details and timbre) at this price point. And even if we remove the price it rivals both the LZ A6 and the Moondrop Blessing 2 in performance.

This is the “blon 03” in the 100-200 usd range. All that is left is for Fiio to not screw up with QC and this is a no-brainer recommendation. Thanks for reading.

Ranking: S

EQ Settings for the Tin Hifi P1: Preamp -7dB, Band 1: 80 Hz, Q:0.64, Gain: 2dB and Band 2: 150 Hz, Q: 1.1, Gain: 4.5dB