Hisenior Fe3 Universal (Fe3U)

Specification:
Driver units: 3 Sonion BA
Impedance: 40 ohms
Sensitivity: 113db
Frequency response range: 15 Hz - 22 kHz

Source Used:
Acoustic Research AR-M200
XDuoo X3 (CS4398)
Realme 6 paired with externa DAC ( Avani, Abigail, JCally JA21)
Foobar2000
Tidal, Spotify,Qobuz, & Apple Music
(MP3 320kbps, FLAC 16bit,FLAC 24bit,WAV,DSD256)

Package:
The Hisenior FE3U provides a nice packaging and accessories compared to other chifi brands, it comes with black sturdy box with a magnetic opening. Inside the box is the IEM round storage case they provided which is nice for carrying our IEM outside. It has a 7 pairs of eartips ang surprisingly also comes with microfiber cloth and cleaning brush.

Build: I love how these shells designed and crafted, they use the Egger Allergy-free resin for the beautiful shells. The design has a 3D-ish look effect composed of gradient color or blue and pink with some shimmering glitters effect and also the text “Febos” comes with a nice text and font color of silver. I also love the build quality and feels of this cable. Lightweight feels with a nice hardwares of plug, splitter with chin slider and premium looking MMCX Connector.

Sound Quality:

Lows: Bass has a decent amount of quantity, not too shy, and not so aggressive. I found the bass rumble lacking but understandable due to its driver configuration which the target is not to have a rumbling subbass. It has a fast attack, fast decay which I think it’s the signature of the Sonion drivers, I’d say the drivers on this IEM is well implemented and well tuned.


Mids: Mids has a natural timbre and presentation, I enjoy listening to tracks with a rich female voice and tracks with some pleasant guitar tones. It Is non-offensive and I found it a little bit laid back compared to other BA drivers IEM I’ve tried. I think, the mids are the strength of this IEM since it delivers a transparent and clear mids.

Treble: The highs are slightly detailed and has a good extension on this part, I love how the micro details sounded so natural and enjoyable and I’d say that the highs of this iem has a good height staging or well. It can stay analytical without piercing your eardrums for long listening sessions, even those cymbals and crashes doesn’t sounded offensive to me but more on a enjoyable feeling


Soundstage & Imaging: Soundstage is not the widest but has a good height extension specially on highs, for me, it is slightly lacking a lows extension but it is a personal preference since most of my genre I listen to is rich in subbass such as EDMs and moderm tracks that is digitally produced.

Overall it is a very good choice iem for those who are searching for a natural, clear and transparent representation.


Conclusion:

I was amazed how this Company Hisenior built this pair of IEM from Packaging, accessories, cable and the IEM drivers itself, I’d say that it is looking premium and also sounded premium. I hope they continue to make other iems like this specially those uncommon CIEMs fitting and design.

Test Tracks
Getting Older - Billie Eilish
Foxey Lady- Jimi Hendrix
First of the Year - Skrillex
The Husk - Rings of Saturn
Airplane Mode - Cory Wong
The Crying Machine - Steve Vai
Take the "A" Train - Nikki Yanofsky
A Little Piece of Heaven - Avenged Sevenfold
PLUR POLICE (Jauz Remix) - Knife Party
It's Oh So Quiet – Björk
My playlist:


Thank you for reading!

Hello , I'm Ah Hui aka Mr Wong. I'm a K-pop fan and audiophile from Malaysia.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Hisenior for lending me this review unit and giving me the opportunity to review the Hisenor FE3U
.
This is my first time reviewing a Hisenior product .I am very excited as I have always wanted to try out different brands that I have yet to try. it's 3BAs (SONION) configuration .It's USD $249 from Hisenior official website .

Specifications from hisenior can see below picture :



PACKAGING
Because mine is a review unit, I only received the carrying case, the cable, and the IEM itself


Comfort: Comfort is great. It fits securely in my ears and I dont feel any sort of fatigue after long hours .Isolation also decent !

Design : premium like design purple colour faceplate . Typical Custom-like IEM design .


PRO:
natural vocal presentation , better vocal presentation over Hisenior T2 classic , flat tuning .stereo positioning imaging . better detail retrieval over Hisenior T2 classic . easy to drive

CONS:
Can be boring sounding for some people.

BASS:solid bass ,mid-bass is punchy and fast , bass feel thin When I listen to JO YURI - GLASSY , I can feel the sub bass fast and rumbly, mid-bass is punchy and thin However, I think the bass is good layered

MIDS :balanced mids presentation with good natural present on vocal. When i listen to JO YURI - GLASSY , I really enjoyed the good and natural vocals here. You can feel the vocal of girls member is sweeter on the songs. However sometime I feel fatigued while listening for long hours when listen some track overall the mids presentation better than T2 classic.

HIGH : treble feels well extended with natural timbre . When I listened to IZ*ONE - Eyes ,you can hear the well-extended treble and natural timbre treble . Overall, I truly enjoyed the treble performance here .

SOUNDSTAGE : it is wide and deep. When listening to Lovelyz - Rewind, I can feel the sense of space and the wide soundstage

IMAGING : i can pinpoint the instrument and the singer on stage .It has good stereo positioning. When I listen Modern Talking - Ribbons Of Blue you can mention the singer on your right ears and the instrument between your left and right ears .

Details : detail retrieval here is about decent When I listen to some tracks, I can pick up on the micro-details Overall the details presentation better than T2 classic.

Overall I really like this Hisenior FE3U. The sounds is impressed for me ! This is my first time listen with this tuning ! hope I have opponity again review their IEM .

disclaimer : This review done by BGVP A08 L size eartips with Fiio X1 ii dap .

interesting to buy :
https://www.hisenior-iem.com/products/fe3universal

Okay, so this is me again Berry White and today we're gonna be reviewing the HiSenor FE3U

Specifications:
3BAs Sonion
40ohms but easily driven by LG V50
15hz to 20khz

Pros
Great midcentric and highs for an IEM
Rigid shells
Great aesthetics
Recessed .78pins
Generous accesories
Great musicality

Cons
Not too technical
Can be borderline shouty for sensitive listeners

Bass ★
Mids ★
Trebles ★
Imaging ★★
Layering ★★
Micro Details ★
Soundstage ★★
Spatial Panning ★★
Timbre ★
Tonality ★
Affordability ★★
Overall rating ★

okay so they sent us two of their iems actually but I'll be reviewing the FE3U for now since I've already tried and listened to it for quite some time and this is basically the tour unit which they sent for the Philippine review circle and for FE3U they actually provided us the whole packaging so just to describe the packaging, it's a black, matte black, black matte box (lol thats quite a twister) and it's a booktype box and when you open it, you're going to be greeted by the pair of Iem inside and the hard case.

So but it's pretty much plain and simple.

When you take off the rubber mat where the items are plugged into. You'll see immediately the ear tips provided and it has an IEM cleaner too and I guess two pairs of foam tips and 123 I guess six pairs of wide bore rubber tips which is very much similar with the GSaudio accessories also there's a cleaning cloth inside to keep the IEM and shells clean and shiny.

So pretty much that's what's in the box of FE3U

is a resin resin type shell and it has thre Sonion BAs inside, you can definitely see it because it's transparent and the faceplate it's glittery with different shades of purple, pink and blue.

purple, purplish or pink, which gradients itself to and it has a lot of glitters inside and pretty much that's it.

It's the shape of the Iem is almost like custom I am but it's universal.

fits me well.

Gives me a snug fit, proper isolation. Very good.

And what else the cable that came along with it is a 3.5 millimeter jack and has .78 pins

And

after listening to the FE3U

I can tell that it's balanced mid centric that has a good base response and somewhat a shimmery trebles as well.

First off let's let's talk about the bass. The bass is quite good.

Coming from an all ba Iem

The bass is quite similar sounding to the typical dynamic drivers.

It has quite a natural timbre on it timber on it, and

the bass can be warm in times but it's good.

I really like it. The bass can can actually perform good on EDMS in my in my preference also, it's good in new metal screamo are emails. A bit slow but still quantifies.

Also it's quite good in terms of textures.

The Iem itself has good micro detail retrieval.

So in terms of the mids, I find the mids really revealing although there are some tracks when it tends to be more it's almost like rubbing into my ears.

Since I find the FE3U mid centric whenever I try mid centric tracks. The vocal seems to be too close or it seems to be rubbing in my ears. But it's not shouty at all. Not sibilant as well. Very good.

Although I just find it too, too much mid centric on mid century tracks.

What else? The male vocals it's really textured. I really like how the male characteristics are actually revealed. Also for female vocals, I find it really pleasuring to listen to

The female vocals are smooth and lush and it actually has a lot of textures into it as well just like the male vocals.

So that's it for the mids section.

Oh and also the instruments such as guitars.

FE3U was able to capture the natural timbre of the guitar instruments also saxophones as well.

And even pianos.

In terms of the mid bass mid bass is actually quite good as well.

It doesn't go muddy.

In terms of the trebles I find the treble really good as well.There's a shimmer to it. The cymbals and maracas seem fairly close. it actually invites your attention if that's how you put it

the only issue that I actually faced for this Iem is that for an all ba set up. The imaging and layering seem to be lacking. the instruments are quite near you

Also to me it doesn't have the widest sound stage and that's that's actually one of my preference.
it has to have a wide and tall soundstage.

For this price range. I expect that so also see imaging and layering isn't I mean it's it's it's the sounds are apart from each other but there's not much of a clear space in between.

If I have to put it into words, so those are the only weakness that I actually found in the HiSenior FE3U I like the design. Although it's glittery and has pink to it. I think I can still wear it outside.

The cables.

I can't

I don't know.

I can't give you any cons for now because they just got it

I'll be able to tell you more about the cable probably as as time goes by.

But I like the idea that they actually used recessed .78 pins because that way it will provide more stability. the cables doesn't get disconnected easily. So I like that part too.

And what else?

I believe? Hisenior fe3u deserves to be in my collection as well.

It's like how it actually sounds. Although in most cases I would prefer my iems to have a wide and tall soundstage especially at this price point.

But the overall tonality of this iem is quite very good. And I would recommend it to people who doesn't really require too much of technicalities for an iem and yes, the overall tonality is actually great. I like how it's balanced and has an emphasis towards the mids section.

The mids are really lean and clean. I like it. The bass can be punchy and it has a weight to it. I really like it. It's very good. The sub base is also good. Alright. It doesn't rumble as much as the dynamic drivers out there but

just because it's having a Sounion bas definitely it will provide you better bass especially compared to those generic bas out there into some of the old knowles BAs too such as the the ones inside my tone King t4. don't get me wrong that the bass from my tone t4 is actually quite good as well although it's not the best sounding ones. It doesn't really resembles the effect, but it's good. It has a punch to it as well.

And since I'm not really a bass fan myself, so I find the bass from my t4 just the right amount.

So for for HiSenior FE3U I think the bass can be suitable for the new generation who typically looks for an IEM that has a good bass reproduction.

also I really like how the shells fit to my ears as well.

The nozzles have a somewhat a lip to it, which prevents the tips from coming off so that's another good point.

And what else So, so far, that's all I can tell regarding the hi Senor FE3U I've waited long enough to review this I am actually I almost bought it last year.

But unfortunately I had to prioritize other things.

But luckily, Garrett was able to give us a pair so at least he we can actually review it here in the Philippines for other audiophiles out there internationally. So then again, thank you very much Garrett and I hope to review more of your products and I hope to see you soon. Thanks again. And you guys stay safe

DISCLAIMER:

I did not buy this product. It was provided as a review unit for the Philippines reviewer circle tour. Much thanks to HiSenior for providing us one. We are not compensated in any way. My thoughts and opinion here are not influenced by any form of incentive.



Manage your expectations as what works for me, might not work for you. We all have different perception when it comes to sound. My setup and gears may not be the same as yours, and that plays a big role in what I hear. I have learned lately that source plays a big role in this as I have been exploring different music streaming platforms. So, as we reviewers always say, take this as a grain of salt.



INTRODUCTION



Hisenior is a company from China that specializes in custom IEMs for artists, musicians and audiophiles alike. The name was derived from the concept of HI-FI and Senior hence their mature leaning sound. More on this as we move on.



I am a professional gigging musician, mainly keys, sax and drums player. Worked in 5 star hotels, played for local artists here in Philippines, and studio work for indie artist too. I listen mostly to almost any genre, but minimal rock and almost to none metal. My personal preference is mostly jazz and fusion and contemporary pop.



SPECIFICATIONS:



Driver: All BA set up (Sonion) 1 for the lows, 1 for the highs, 1 for the mids

Impedance: 40 ohms

Sensitivity: 113db

FR range: 15hz-20khz



For more details, please visit this official link:

https://www.hisenior-iem.com/produc...&_psq=fe3&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=39580055797796





INCLUSIONS and PACKAGING:

We received the official packaging of Fe3 for this review. From tips, cable, cleaning cloth, cleaning tool, a circular hard case (identical to Seeaudio’s Bravery case).



THE TIPS:

The tips here have an adequate amount. 6 pairs of wide bore ear tips, in S, M, and L sizes, in different colors. Teal for the small, red for the medium, and white for the large. And 2 pairs of foam tips. The red medium tips was used for this review. They are quite soft for my preference but not too soft. I tip rolled for this review, just like what I did with Hisenior’s T2. More of that later.



THE CABLE:



The cable is a white 8-core silver platted OCC, looks and feel premium, has a nice weight but a bit stiff. I actually got one as a freebie which cost around 69$. Thanks Hisenior! To have this included in the package is actually a good treat. I have not gone deep on cables, but it is nice to have a sturdy, reliable cable included. Configuration is a 2-pin.





THE SHELL:

The shell is made of Egger resin and allergy free. It has a glossy finish and very smooth feeling. The colorway is quite feminine for my taste. It is glitterish and colored pink and blue. At the back is a transparent design, with the drivers and circuitry all visible. Weight is very light but did not feel cheap. I like my IEMs with a little weight but this time, the feeling of almost not wearing anything in my ear, did not bother. One thing I notice is Fe3’s special nozzle. It does not have the conventional nozzle with a mesh. Nozzle is quite shallow too.



Now on to how it sounds…



TREBLE/HIGHS – 3.5/5



This is gonna be very subjective. Treble heads will definitely be happy with Fe3’s trebles. For treble sensitives on the other hand, you might want to watch out. On occasional cases, I find cymbals, bells and other elements falling in this department, a bit splashy. Micro details on the other hand is very commendable. For example the hit of a drum stick on hi-hats, are quite audible. Brass/horn sections is quite lively on this one.



Conclusively, trebles are very well presented here. It is just a matter of preference if trebles will appeal to you on this one. Tip rolling to tame the harshness is a welcome option here.



BASS/LOWS – 4/5



Bass here is quality over quantity. But Fe3 keep surprising me. When I thought that bass is on the lighter side of things, suddenly a track plays on my playlist and gives me a weighty, punchy bass. And so, Fe3 is capable of giving you a wide dynamic range. And if the track calls for it, that rumble at the sub bass is ready to give. It decays quickly though.



Conclusively, the bass here just keeps me on my toes. Still on the lighter side, but the lows here have good technicalities. With decent speed and does not bleed to the mids.



MIDS – 3.8/5



Mids are clean, detailed and well textured here. Leaning to female than male vocals. Instruments sometimes feel a bit, artificial than organic. Still, nothing undesirable here. Mids are forward, just right up my alley. Though I can’t say they are lush. I think clinical is the word for the mids here.





SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING – 4/5



Stage is above average here. An example is a track from Balmorhea – Harm and Boon. Panning of instruments are impressive. Width and depth is more commendable than the height. Separation of instruments are very desirable.



FITTING/ISOLATION – 4.5/5



Fe3, just like it’s baby brother T2 classic, gave my ears a good hugging. Don’t let its light weight fool you. Fe3 did not fell off my ears on most cases. Except when my ears are really perspiring a lot. Isolation is above average, as Fe3 is designed to be used by musicians on performances.



Here are some TRACKS that I used for reference. Allow me to share you some notes I’ve taken.



1. Get you by Daniel Caesar (16bit/44khz Tidal Masters via UAPP)

• Drum kicks has nice weight and punchiness.
• Bass guitar is on the light side, but sits well at the mid bass section.
• Vocals is very open and airy.
• Guitars are a bit sharp for me on this track. But well placed.
• Stage and imaging is very desirable.
• Instrument separation is impressive.

2. The Girl is Mine by Michael Jackson (24bit/44khz Tidal Masters via UAPP)

• Bass guitar and drum kick is on the lighter side but have great contrast.
• Imaging is very desirable here.
• Michael Jackson is well presented here.
• String section sounded a bit thin on this track.
• Guitars are well placed and textured.
• Other elements such as supporting instruments, are well placed on the stage.
• Instrument separation is very impressive.

3. Harvest for the World by Vanessa Williams (16bit/44khz Tidal Masters via UAPP)

• Drum kick gives a well rounded sound. Good weight and punchiness.
• Bass guitar is smooth here.
• Brasses are very lively.
• Guitar plucking is well presented and placed.
• Rhodes is very subtle but well textured and placed as a supporting instrument.
• Vocals is very engaging and layered nicely.

And many more... Below are some of my favorite test tracks.

Lingus by Snarky Puppy
Thriller by Dirty Loops
Redefine by Incubus
Never too Much by Luther Vandross
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
I'm not in Love by 10cc
Alice in Wonderland by Bill Evans
Pressure by Paramore
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
Adia by Sarah McLachlan
Love Bites by Def Leppard





SOURCES AND GEARS

• LG v30 Quad Dac as my main player (high impedance mode on)
• Tidal Master subscription
• Offline Flacs and DSD
• UAPP app
• Hiby Music Player app

ADDITIONAL NOTES – TIP ROLLING



I noticed that the included tips are wide bore and short stemmed. So I tried tip rolling with my wide bore tips which are the BGVP W01. It tamed the harshness and a slight boost in the mid bass which suited my preference. I strongly suggest you find your desirable tips for this pair, as they can be too clinical at times.

VERDICT



The Fe3, is a bright pair right off the bat. At times I actually find them thin sounding as the lows and mids is presented in a very neutral sound. Then that boost on the trebles comes in. I asked my wife to try these and her first impression is that harshness on top. Though that boost somewhat opens a lot of micro details, it comes with a price and that is fatigue on long listening hours. Treble heads, this one is for you.



For a keys player like me, this tuning is quite constructive on performances and some studio work. I tried Fe3 on my weekly 2 hour live stream, and boy, it was a bit fatiguing to listen to. I even asked the sound guy on the board, to turn down my monitor level a notch.



At this price point, I think I would prefer the T2 classic over Fe3. This is purely subjective as I am treble sensitive. Nonetheless, I loved the technicalities of Fe3. Soundstage, imaging, detail retrieval and separation. Tonality wise, this one is not for me.

Introduction:
Hisenior is a company from China that produces in-ear monitors. They specialize in making CIEMs (custom in-ear monitors) intended for musicians but all models they have can also be bought in universal fit. The "U" in the name stands for "universal" since this variant is made for universal fit. As of writing this review, the FE3U retails for 249 USD. The Philippine circle of reviewers received one unit of the FE3U provided by Hisenior as a part of their international tour.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver units: 3 Sonion balanced armature
Impedance: 40 ohms
Sensitivity: 113 dB
Frequency response range: 15 Hz - 22 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03, Shanling UA1, Tempotec Sonata E35 and Zishan U1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The FE3U comes in a rather large black box with a magnetic flap. Lifting the flap up will reveal the earphones inserted in foams with the cable already attached, and below it is the circular metal case. Underneath the foams are the accessories which include 7 pairs of silicone tips in 3 different colors, a single pair of foam tips, cleaning tool, and a microfiber cloth.

Build:
The shells are made of Egger allergy free resin. And like most IEMs with resin shells, the shells of the FE3U are smooth to the touch and have a glossy surface. The unit that we received is the transparent variant. Everything inside is visible including the balanced armature drivers, the crossover circuit, and the female 2 pin connectors. The faceplates have a glittery gradient color design and decorated with "febos" cursive lettering in silver color. The balanced armature drivers have a tube attached to their nozzles going to the main nozzle of the shell. The nozzles have a lip to hold eartips in place but it doesn't have a mesh filter.

I just wanna point out that the 2 pin connectors here have an awkward design. It is recessed but just partially, so the protruding male pins does not go in all the way through. I don't really see any benefit in this design aside from being just different.

The cable is a braided 8-core OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) silver plated copper. It is a bit thick, slightly stiff and heavier than average. The male 2 pin connectors, chin slider, splitter, and gold plated 3.5 mm plug are all made of metal.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows have a tight presentation. Subbass has minimal impact, decays really quickly with a rumble that is barely heard and felt. The depth is below average. Midbass, on the other hand, has the same characteristics. Its weight leans on the thin side and has more of a thud than a thump type of sound.

Overall, the lows of the FE3U are flat sounding that some may find lacking. This type of tuning is good for studio and stage monitoring, and for audiophiles who aims for accuracy across the spectrum.

Mids:
The mids have a slightly forward approach with focus on the clarity. String instruments sound clear and crisp. Vocals have an above average level of articulation but partially leans to being thin. It does get a bit shouty sometimes especially female vocals but it stays comfortable more often than not.

Overall, the mids are what I consider to be the focal point of the FE3U. Even though it gets a bit too aggressive sometimes, this section is what makes the FE3U a contender in its price range.

Highs:
The highs are forward and have a slight boost. Treble reach is above average, and the same can be noticed with the decay. Due to this, combined with the flat nature of the lows, minute details in well recorded tracks can be noticed with minimal effort.

Overall, despite being elevated, the highs never sounded harsh nor sibilant. And just like the mids, the instruments in this section sound very clear and well-defined.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage has a slightly below average expansion. The depth expands significantly more than the width. Despite that, layering and instrument separation is great. Imaging has excellent transparency, and congestion is almost non-existent especially on well recorded tracks.

Conclusion:
The Hisenior FE3U is a vibrant sounding pair of IEMs that may serve two purposes at the same time; monitoring and providing that enjoyable technical performance that most audiophiles aim for. Naturally, it has its fair share of flaws, but at its given price, it is a great competitor in the arena of multi-BA IEMs.

Hello mates and this is my second review of another product from Hisenior Audio, the Hisenior Fe3 U.



I've already posted their first product that they have send to me and I have a pleasant experience on how good the tuning was on their first product. I am more keen to have a better expectation on their Hisenior Fe3 U as it should be a more refined sounding and have a better tuning for they are asking for higher price range due to the additional of one more balanced armature and an improved design of its shells for better fitting and also more design choices on the faceplate to appeal aesthetically.



Once again, I'll introduce to you about the Hisenior Audio and its objective to audio market. Hisenior Audio is an audio company based on China that specialize on designing and manufacturing of In-ear monitors use for professional and audiophiles alike as they are also known to offering the CIEMs (Custom In Ear Monitors) at very affordable price that it doesn't even break a bank for budding musicians, audio engineers and audio enthusiasts.

Hisenior Fe3 U is an all-balanced armature driver set-up in a premium resin shell enclosure. This is currently available on Hisenior official site and cost around US$249/£181 with an optional offer to CIEM mould if you want perfectly sealed IEM into your lug holes.




These set are packaged in a black box along with its accesories. Utilitarian aesthetic approach is the indeed the best design on aiming for professionals. The accessories included are the white 8-core SP OCC cable that looks premium and fancy, a seven (7) pairs of wide bore silicone eartips of different sizes, another two (2) pairs of memory foam eartips, cleaning cloth, and last is a cleaning tool to remove any unwanted residues that usually formed in the nozzle area.



Like its budget sister, The T2U Classic, Fe3 U shell is made of a high quality Egger resin shell, It has an improved UIEM mould with a redesigned helix and cymba part in the base for optimum fitting to all ear sizes. I've tested them to rate their fitting and damn, they do really perfectly fit snuggly into my lug holes, these are one of the most comfortable and pleasant IEM that I've ever wear, so light that I can wear them for a long listening session. Another notable change is that they add more balanced armature and at this time they are using another premium balanced armature drivers from other audio solution company which has also have a reputable name, Sonion. I also like the choice of a glittering blue, pink and purple tinge on its face plate with a cursive print "Febos" in both sides. Another feature that I've notice here is the connector, they implement a 2-pin connector which are more reliable and ease on doing cable swapping. This IEM is an unvented one that might cause some discomfort to some individuals due to build-up air pressure generated by the BAs.



These are easy to drive IEMs despite that they have an impedance rating of 40Ω but this was compensated with higher sensitivity mark. And these units will scale even better if this set will plug in to better sources like audiophile-grade DAC/amps.



When it comes to sound signature and technicalties, this was tuned different compare to Hisenior T2 classic. I categorize this one as reference-neutrals or even neutralish bright due to that slightly boost on bass and more pronounces and more emphasis on mids and treble but they still sound flat in my ears. Technicalities of this set has even more improvements compare on that T2 classic.

For now, I'll do a description of sound characteristics of each part of audio spectrum.


LOWS/BASS:

This has a tight, accurate and concise bass quality. As it uses a woofer BA, this one delivers a faster transient response as it got off instantly across the audio spectrum. Sub-bass is nothing to be praise about as it does have a minimal to almost non-existence presence of rumbling sound due to less reach on the lowest depth of the low frequency range. The mid bass has that ample texture that it doesn't sound hollow especially on bass kicks, bass guitars and even bass-baritone vocals. Overall, it has good "neutral" bass but you know bassheads, not their a cup of tea.

MIDS:

The mids in this set is translucent in nature, detailed and clean. Female vocals here are more forward and revealing on this set as they sound more affront, good lucidity in nature and unveiling its niceties as you will discerning their quality emotionally. The sounds of musical instrument from percussives to winds has that detail and clarity but there some little concerns that I paid attention into it and that is that BA timbre that it sounds less organic in some tracks due to "over-detailisation" of its intended tone colour of each instrument.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

The treble is on the bright side of audio spectrum as it is shimmering, possess a good clarity and brimming with detail retrieval. Occasionally while listening on vocal-centric and treble-laden tracks in moderate listening pleasure , I experience some sort of unpleasant stridency and tinny sounds due to that peaky presence part on the treble. But this kind of tuning is more preferable to keyboardists and singers with higher octaves ones due to the upper mids reach to monitor their own vocal quality ranges. The airiness of brilliance part of treble is above average to its extention reach. Cymbals and hi-hats are more on splashy side but not the most splashy and garish cymbals strike that I've experience in some other IEMs. It is still a well-tuned treble that trebleheads will nodding agreeingly with appreciation on its quality.


SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

The width of the soundstage's dimensional size is very spacious and expansive with adequate reach on both height and room depth. Think of a large concert hall or inside of a huge cathedral. Layering and separation of each instruments have a good gap of spacing on one another. I even perceived even a row-like arrangement on the placement of instruments. The imaging is even impressive as I was able to pinpoint the location of each instruments along with the placement of singer/s accurately and precisely. Specifically, That this is one the best techinical perfoming UIEM that I've heard in under $300.


As I conclude my assessment of this set. The price hike that Hisenior asking for this IEM does really make sense at all as it is a reasonable to be purchase due to its well-tuned , high technical aspect and well-planned design ergonomics of its shell for the comfortable and listening tool for both audio professionals and audiophiles. This tuning is intended for professional use but audiophiles can even use this on their critical listening mode. This IEM might have some slight flaws on their tonality but those flaws can be augmented with superb technicalities.





SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: HiSenior Fe3 U
IMPEDANCE: 40Ω
SENSITIVITY: 112dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 15Hz-22KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
PIN TYPE: 2-pin CONNECTOR
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNITS: Three(3) Sonion Balanced Armature Drivers


Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
X-Japan - X *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **

P.S.

I am not affliated to Hisenior nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

Once again, I would like to thank Gareth Chan for this providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his generosity towards me and other reviewers.

Hisenior Fe3 somehow reminds me of ThieAudio Voyager 3, but not in terms of sonic qualities


Tonality: 5.3/9
Technicalities: 5.6/9

(5 mins read)
this is my first experience with Hisenior especially a full balanced armature set that's purposely made for musicians in the first place. the price is a little fierce at $249 for a 3 BAs IEM but hey, it's Sonion's. with a beautiful faceplate that whispers "Febos...", it comes in a minimal matte black box with a magnetic lid. there's also a protective round metal case with a cleaning brush other than an 8 core silver-plated 6N OCC cable, foam, and silicone tips. I'm using the stock cable and ear tips for this quickimp because they're made right.

please bear in mind that I'm trying my best to give subjective opinions & thoughts, even sometimes with the unusual audio terms, please take it with a grain of sugar, as always.

Click to expand...

FR & Tonality
I cherish neutral tuning, flat frequency response with or without bass boost for all my life. Hisenior Fe3 has a tuning that's quite balanced to my ears. this is the best part of my listening session. surprisingly it has good BA bass quality & quantity, very well textured with good punches and slams. instantly, the uniquely-tuned ThieAudio Voyager 3 pops up in mind but it's better in here especially in terms of timbre.

the Sonion bass BA embodies fast transients' response with smooth decays that could make any song enjoyable especially if one's focusing on the bass or the groove. even if not focusing on the lows, one will straight away notice how well the bass is tuned. however, it's not for bass heads but the amount of sub-bass in here is adequate. it's also not as organic nor powerful or deep as a good Harman-tuned single DD IEM, but it is surely pleasant to listen to. although the bass is good and all, I don't feel like listening to most of my metal library with this IEM where I will tell more next.

the mids reproduction is working smoothly with the mid-bass. it possesses a clean & detailed mid-range response that is much appreciated for the better parts of my library, though not the cleanest. the first 20 secs of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive shows how much the mid-range can do and I'm sure anyone could enjoy the next 20 secs onward when the bass kicks in. it's all good until the upper-mids meet the lower treble where I think Fe3 stumbles.

surprisingly, as prominent as the Sonion BAs may be known for, Fe3 boasts a treble response that is not as smooth nor crisp in here. it's less detailed but the upper treble is decent enough to provide a good sense of depth with its reverb tailings. the timbre is well balanced but it doesn't sound quite right especially with Sinne Eeg's We've Just Begun. I can't even get highs 'high' enough with this set, no matter how many times I replay John Williams' Theme From Jurassic Park or Minnie Riperton's Lovin' You with different setups. I think this has to do with the crossover design.

overall, there is not much I can point out if the main aim was to match the performance to the Shure SE535's. I guess they nailed it? to be honest, I don't quite like its treble glassy timbre and the overall presentation that's a little blunt for my taste. it feels like its treble-BA is clotting the true potential of its sonic qualities. I can't enjoy my metal library because of the treble albeit the good mids & bass.



"Febos - Sounds Perfect" - beautiful faceplate design & a well-made shell

Technicalities+
the sound stage is above average with almost 3D-like imaging. arguably, it can be beaten by the cheaper yet notorious ThieAudio Legacy 3 in terms of sound stage width, separation, resolution, & imaging. but it's not really a bad performer either. it just undergoes some slight slacks here and there thus labeling itself as an underperformer in my book. it can be overshadowed by many other IEMs at cheaper price tags.

if I can put it this way, Hisenior Fe3 is like a sick IEM, but a handsome one. with the current tuning, I'm afraid it's going to need some voodoo magic or immediate "hospitalization" to thrive in the fast-paced crowded market. though weirdly to say, I'd remember it as having a slightly better bass texture or a quality that I like more than of Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk's.



yes, the fit is great. thanks to the new universal earmold with good noise canceling at around -20dB.


Conclusion
although at first, I didn't really enjoy it as much as I keep swapping to other IEMs just to check my head from time to time, I sincerely enjoyed it more in the next half an hour forward. I can picture that Fe3 has big potential if it's tuned right. it should be working fine for live musicians, but a bête noire for hardcore audiophiles. yes, it truly can be the perfect neutral-tuning all-BA IEM if they fix the driver flex, and put a little more effort in fine-tuning the mids to the treble. just. a little bit. more. tuning.





the handcrafted cable and ear tips seem to be made and tuned exclusively for the IEM and I can see why. the provided stock tips are unavailable anywhere else and they are perfect in terms of having the correct bore width, tube length, the flexibility of/and the material used (plus the extra pairs for every size). the 8 core silver-plated 6N OCC cable is nicely built and well-matched to the Fe3. I think they're made to naturally boost the treble response as much as possible, which is working if you ask me. well, I don't really talk much about accessories except for the right ear tips and cables. other than that, I don't bother much. this is the first set that comes with perfect cable & ear tips.


this review unit is provided by HiseniorAudio in their Hisenior review tour, and I want to thank my buddy Bryan for including me in the tour. I have 100% control of my words and am not compensated by any party.

get Hisenior Fe3 here
(non-affiliated)

Hisenior Fe3U is Hisenior's full BA IEM offering at the sub-$300usd price range. It retails for $249usd and it sports 3 Sonion BA drivers (Sonion 33AJ and 2323) with 1BA for the lows, 1BA for the mids, and 1BA for the highs. Upon opening the box, I am presented with a rounded aluminum case, a few sets of tips, a 3.5mm 8core silver-plated OCC cable, a microfiber cloth, and last but not least, the IEM itself.

Overall, pretty happy with the unboxing experience here. I love how simple the box design is. It is just all black with the "Febos" logo on it. As Hisenior puts it: "Would you be willing to pay more 50$-100$ for a fancy packing?"

With the unboxing out of the way, let's start the review.

*Disclaimer: This review is done using stock eartips and cable.

PROS :​

• The tuning here is flat neutral, with a tilt towards brightness. There is a treble peak at 6kHz so do keep this in mind. With that said, the Hisenior Fe3U measures just like the $500usd Shure Se535. It uses the same driver configuration as the Shure Se535 too.
• I would describe the bass here to be BA bass well done. The bass here is tight, punchy, and pretty well textured. It has a slight bump in the mid-bass (around 4dB) which gives the bass body, punch, and ultimately, prevents the bass from sounding lifeless or dry. However, just like most full BA IEMs, there is a slight sub-bass roll-off, so sub-bass extension isn't the best. Not to mention, the bass here is slightly dry too. With all that said, I really enjoyed the bass here in terms of both technicality and tonality wise (with the bass here leaning more toward the technical side). The bass here is really well textured, well layered, with fast, punchy bass that works with any genres I throw at it.
• Midrange here is crisp, clear, and technical. I would describe it as lean, transparent, and detailed. It is pretty open and spacious too, with great instrument separation and great layering. Detail retrieval is pretty impressive, with more emphasis on micro details than macro. Details are presented forward and more "in your face", which further contributes to its crisp and detailed midrange.
• In terms of vocal presentation, vocals here sound crisp, detailed, and natural. The best way to describe how vocals are presented here is that it has the vocal presentation of the Hisenior T2 Classic, but with a crispier brighter presentation. With that said, with its +5dB pinna gain (or lack thereof), vocal and midrange presentation are more natural and laidback, instead of the more forward and aggressive presentation that we are so accustomed to with Harman's usual +10dB~ pinna gain. However, do not mistake that as veiled or recessed as with the Fe3U, both male and female vocals sound crystal clear and intimate with no signs of aggressiveness or shoutiness. IMO the midrange here is pretty well-tuned.
• In terms of transients and decay, Hisenior Fe3U has clean snappy transients and fast speedy decay. Quite technical but this also means that Fe3U can come off as dry.
• The treble is slightly bright, sparkly, well-textured, and detailed. It can be splashy at times too thanks to the 6kHz peak. I like the treble here as I think it is pretty resolving. However, I can only use it for short listening sessions. This is because thanks to the 6kHz peak, the treble here can come off as splashy and peaky. After a few hours of listening, my ears start to get fatigued and uncomfortable. Not to mention, I also got a bit of ringing sensation in my ears, which is probably not a good sign for my general hearing.
• In terms of soundstage, the soundstage is pretty big and expansive. It is pretty expansive in all directions. It has good width, good height, and good depth. I would describe the soundstage here to be somewhat like a hall.
• The imaging is pretty wide and accurate too. It is able to accurately pinpoint instruments that are far away, and also those that are close and intimate. Using it for games is pretty nice too. Thanks to its expansive soundstage and imaging, pinpointing enemies' location in FPS games is pretty easy and effortless.
• As mentioned above, Hisenior Fe3U's detail retrieval and resolution are really good. It is pretty detailed all throughout the entire frequency spectrum. It has detailed bass, detailed mids, and detailed highs.
• It is also super easy to drive. Can be driven on anything.
• Really good sound isolation and fit. Fits my ears well too, somewhat like a CIEM. Do keep in mind that fit is subjective.
• Beautiful shell design too. Love the purple colour and faceplate design! I am sure the picture speaks for itself.
• You can get them as Custom IEMs too. Just refer to the product page below for more information (Do keep in mind that getting them as CIEM will cost you slightly more).

CONS :​

• BA timbre. Slightly glassy and dry. But that is the price you pay for crystal clear/glassy mids.
• Treble lacking in terms of air.
• This is a ventless 3BA IEM. Although isolation and fit are perfect, there will be air pressure build-up in your ears over time.
• 6kHz treble peak could be a potential dealbreaker for you. Treble can come off as splashy and peaky! If you are sensitive to the 6kHz region, this might not be for you. It is also fatiguing after long listening sessions so do keep this in mind.
• Filterless nozzle might not be the best for longevity. I'll recommend getting some filters
• Not the best for long listening sessions. The treble 6kHz peak gave me ear fatigue and a bit of ringing sensation. If you are looking for an IEM for long hours of use, this might not be for you.

HISENIOR T2 CLASSIC ($119USD) VS HISENIOR FE3U ($249USD):​

• T2 Classic sounds softer, smoother, better timbre, warmer. Bass isn't as punchy, transients aren't as fast, more laidback smooth vocal presentation (especially females), layering and depth aren't as good, roughly the same soundstage width, with fe3U being slightly wider. Treble is much smoother and non-fatiguing than Fe3U. Technicality-wise, T2 Classic is a few notches under Fe3U. Fe3U is in another league.
• Fe3U sounds crispier, clearer, brighter, drier. It is punchier, bigger, more detailed, with better texture, better imaging, and better soundstage. Bass is punchier tighter with better texture, midrange sounds crisper clearer and more open, vocals sound more detailed crispier and intimate, treble is brighter sparklier splashier. In terms of technicalities, it is in another league in comparison to T2 Classic. However, treble can come off as splashy and harsh thanks to the 6kHz peak.
• Winner: Hisenior Fe3U with a big BUT. Yes, technicality-wise, Fe3U blows T2 Classic out of the water. It has better bass, better mids, better treble, better detail, better everything. But because of its fatiguing 6kHz peak, I can't really use Fe3U for long hours. On the other hand, T2 Classic is smooth, non-fatiguing, and easy to listen to for long listening sessions.

IN CONCLUSION:​

Hisenior Fe3U is a pretty solid full BA IEM at the sub-$250usd price range. It has great technicalities with good bass, good mids, and good highs.

Furthermore, it has the same driver configuration and similar tuning to the legendary Shure Se535 (which costs $500usd btw). So if you are a big fan of Shure's tuning, the Fe3U could be a great choice for you.

However, I can only use the Fe3U for short, critical listening sessions. This is because its 6kHz peak can be peaky and fatiguing after a while. For longer listening sessions, I much prefer its smaller brother, the Hisenior T2 Classic thanks to its smoother, warmer, non-fatiguing sound signature.

With that said, I still love the Fe3U. I love its flat neutral tuning with its punchy bass, transparent mids, sparkly detailed highs… Not to mention, its expansive soundstage and accurate imaging.

So yeah. The Fe3U gets my recommendation. If you are fine with the 6kHz peak and are looking for a highly technical and detailed set with a flat neutral tuning, the Hisenior Fe3U might just be for you.

This review unit is provided by HiseniorAudio in their Hisenior review tour. I am not at all compensated by them and all thoughts and opinions are my own.


Interested in getting the Hisenior Fe3U? Here are the links (non-affiliated):
• Universal - https://www.hisenior-iem.com/collec...buds/products/noise-cancelling-earphones-fe3u
• Custom - https://www.hisenior-iem.com/collections/custom-in-ear-monitors/products/wired-earbuds-fe3u

Interested in getting the Hisenior T2 Classic? Here are the links (non-affiliated):
• Universal - https://www.hisenior-iem.com/collections/universal-in-ear-headphones-earbuds/products/t2-classic
• Custom - https://www.hisenior-iem.com/collec...buds/products/t2-in-ear-monitors-for-drummers