1 Dynamic Driver 4 Balanced Armature 8 Electrostatic Driver Flagship IEMs, FIIO FX17

[paramac]

This is even more intriguing and incredibly useful information for me (and Solitaire T owners)!

My ears are small-to-medium sized, close to the inner ear cavity of the Solitaire T, so I am lucky to not have either the slightly-on ear feel or sensitivity issues some do with those headphones.
For whatever reason, I also don't have issues with sweat wearing them either, though I do wear spectacles and try to get a good seal. On that point, it takes about 15 minutes for that synthetic leatherette to properly seal, as they need to warm up.

The Solitaire T has very notable treble that, to me and others, is just, just, off sibilance, and just off peaking into harshness that becomes fatiguing. That is to say, it is on the edge, but does not peer over, into either issue for me and a number of Solitaire T owners (looking back at both reviews and the Solitaire T thread on this forum).
Unfortunately, the overall space of the Solitaire T is quite narrow, though tall, an area I lament upon (this is sometimes why I listen to the N5005).
Bass is dependent on the quality and dynamic range of the piece of music I'm listening to; if it's well recorded/produced, it's utterly absorbing and realistic, with deep slam, texture and speed, but at the cost of bass volume. On very dynamically compressed music, Solitaire T's bass, especially sub-bass, is left wanting.
That said, to replicate the almost organic, addictive naturalness of the Solitaire T is what I am craving in an IEM that is not part of summit-fi (a segment I cannot currently afford, though I do wish to covet certain avant-garde earphones!). So far, FX17 seems to fit my sonic needs and is competitive to higher priced offerings, whilst being unique unto itself!

I should add, the Campfire Trifecta IEM's, whilst absolutely not the most perfect frequency response, has the best sound pressure effect of speakers, which with the three dynamic driver topology and implementation has the effect of naturalness. Though I would wish to own Noble Audio Chronicle, PMG Audio APX SE, Canpur CP622B, or even Unique Melody Amber Pearl for sonic virtues, to feel the sound pressure (beyond bone conduction driver tech) is something I rather like my Solitaire T can do, and something I think the Trifecta aces.
In your opinion, do you think the FX17 has that kind of sound pressure feeling or effect?

Further, I am concerned about an aspect you spoke off; if I understood correctly, in your experience the spaciousness of FX17 is less than the Solitaire T?
Could you elaborate more on this, and add any further observations you have made (especially naturalness and texture)?

Thank you, and please continue to enjoy or talk about your experiences of the FiiO FX17!

Well, maybe it's the gear ratio, but in terms of spatiality, depth of sound, and stereo width, the FX17s are superior to the Solitaire T.

Otherwise, I have very little experience with IEMs. Before the FA19, I had the first version of the Beyerdynamic Xelento with a cable a long time ago. All I remember is that they sounded very clear and bright, but with less bass. Plus, they keep slipping out of my ears.

@Tobit

Ah, okay, thanks. I was just browsing FiiO's website and came to the same conclusion. I've now installed the medium size and am testing it.

 

[Yefry]

I'm also going to share my first impressions of the IEM, they are built like a tank and the nozzle is on the shorter side, for my taste I would have liked it to be 2mm longer but it fits well in the ear, someone asked me to check if they cause pain in the ear after 1 hour of listening and I consider that they do not generate more discomfort than any other resin IEM so I would not worry about that.

Then there is the cable, I do not really like it and I think the pure silver part does not fit with FX17 which is hyper resolving, detailed with overwhelming technicalities, let me tell you that despite its technical prowess it still remains musical but less than other sets more focused on bass and fireworks.

I perceive the FX17 as a perfectly neutral signature in W with a slight added brightness and slightly forward vocals, likewise the bass has enough force to counteract the mids and highs most of the time, it is not a basshead IEM yet that can move a very competent amount of air if necessary, the bass is incredibly tight, fast, textured, it seems to have the speed and texture of a BA but moving the amount of air typical of a DD.

The strong point of the IEM is a level of detail, separation and soundstage well above average and I would say that on par with many TOTL twice as expensive or even better, it is the IEM that best resolves crowded and complex passages while maintaining an out of this world clarity and separation, as mentioned in the previous impression, nothing is hidden, everything has a place to breathe, there is no congestion, the soundstage and imaging are nothing short of magnificent, with very high level height and depth.

Given my preference for slightly elevated bass than the rest of the sound signature, I'm going to start with the cable changes in order to achieve a slight boost in the low end and get a little less brightness in the highs, achieving this goal will determine whether I keep the IEM or not.

I hope to adapt the sound signature a bit and be able to keep them because I can say that their sound is truly addictive and presents a realism and liveliness that I have rarely perceived in an IEM. Its sound quality is without a doubt at the top of this hobby and it does many things that you will hardly find in its competitors, much less in this price range.

I'm looking forward to being able to adapt the sound signature a bit to my personal references and keep this set that is directly among the best I have tried.

@Tobit

How many hours of burn in have you had with your set?

 

[Tobit]

I can't say exactly, but I think I'm at about 80 hours. The bass was already significantly higher after 20 hours. I'm curious to see how the FX17 sounds after a few hundred hours of playtime. At first, I was disappointed with the bass of the FX17 compared to the VE EXT. Now, the bass of the FX17 is significantly better than that of the EXT. It's like everything else, really

 

[Yefry]

I can't say exactly, but I think I'm at about 80 hours. The bass was already significantly higher after 20 hours. I'm curious to see how the FX17 sounds after a few hundred hours of playtime. At first, I was disappointed with the bass of the FX17 compared to the VE EXT. Now, the bass of the FX17 is significantly better than that of the EXT. It's like everything else, really

That's very good news

I've noticed from the beginning that the DD is kind of 'tight' and now it's settling better and better. Right now I'm using the Cayin N6iii with E204 and the mids and highs are not as forward as with the DX340 and AMP16, a very nice and attractive signature

 

[paramac]

I actually didn't think the bass was bad from the start, perhaps due to the device. I mostly use the AK 3000t in hybrid mode, and occasionally in pure tube mode for acoustic instruments or jazz. In both modes, the spatiality increases significantly in the order mentioned, and the bass quality increases significantly in volume; only the precision suffers somewhat in the latter – I've already noticed this with the FA19, and the same basically applies to the FX17.

I don't think it takes a few hundred hours to break in an IEM; I've only experienced longer break-in times with purely planar over-ear headphones. I think the second effect at play here is sometimes your own hearing getting used to the sound of the headphones.

@ Yefry
As for cables, FiiO offers cables that might suit your taste better and are not so expensive

 

[whitemouse]

Curiously comparing with FX15 or FH series, or very old IE900 what a ref for a comparaison in 2025...
nothing else on the same price range

Can we have a real and fair review from HeadFier?
or only youtuber can have specimen to chill?

Using IE900 for comparison is useless, this youtuber reviews are often useless, but this one particularly.

Why not compare new Fiios to Shure KSE1200 electrostatic IEM, so far the top IEM that I have owned long time. Or Stax estats IEM. Or to Audeze LCDi4.

 

[Tobit]

Using IE900 for comparison is useless, this youtuber reviews are often useless, but this one particularly.

Why not compare new Fiios to Shure KSE1200 electrostatic IEM, so far the top IEM that I have owned long time. Or Stax estats IEM. Or to Audeze LCDi4.

I had the AUDEZE LCDi4, which sounded terrible to me. Therefore, a comparison with an FX17 makes absolutely no sense to me. If anything, a comparison with the PMG Audio Apx SE would be interesting. I'm sure it's in that league.

 

[paramac]

Perhaps one more note about the FX17 vs. FA19. It's not that these two IEMs are worlds apart; they're similar in terms of tonality.

What sets the FX apart is its more natural reproduction, even more spaciousness, and perhaps even slightly better resolution of the sound, although the FA19 doesn't do badly here either. The biggest similarity, to my ears at the moment, is where I personally have problems, and that concerns the occasional harshness of "s" sounds. It's quite possible that the reason for this is that the FX19 also uses BA drivers in this range. I hope this will improve as it gets used to it; the FA19 has also improved a bit over time.

Incidentally, these are one of the reasons why I use these bi-directional earbuds, as they strangely dampen the sound somewhat, at least with the FA19.

 

[GroovyAudio]

I'm also going to share my first impressions of the IEM, they are built like a tank and the nozzle is on the shorter side, for my taste I would have liked it to be 2mm longer but it fits well in the ear, someone asked me to check if they cause pain in the ear after 1 hour of listening and I consider that they do not generate more discomfort than any other resin IEM so I would not worry about that.

Then there is the cable, I do not really like it and I think the pure silver part does not fit with FX17 which is hyper resolving, detailed with overwhelming technicalities, let me tell you that despite its technical prowess it still remains musical but less than other sets more focused on bass and fireworks.

I perceive the FX17 as a perfectly neutral signature in W with a slight added brightness and slightly forward vocals, likewise the bass has enough force to counteract the mids and highs most of the time, it is not a basshead IEM yet that can move a very competent amount of air if necessary, the bass is incredibly tight, fast, textured, it seems to have the speed and texture of a BA but moving the amount of air typical of a DD.

The strong point of the IEM is a level of detail, separation and soundstage well above average and I would say that on par with many TOTL twice as expensive or even better, it is the IEM that best resolves crowded and complex passages while maintaining an out of this world clarity and separation, as mentioned in the previous impression, nothing is hidden, everything has a place to breathe, there is no congestion, the soundstage and imaging are nothing short of magnificent, with very high level height and depth.

Given my preference for slightly elevated bass than the rest of the sound signature, I'm going to start with the cable changes in order to achieve a slight boost in the low end and get a little less brightness in the highs, achieving this goal will determine whether I keep the IEM or not.

I hope to adapt the sound signature a bit and be able to keep them because I can say that their sound is truly addictive and presents a realism and liveliness that I have rarely perceived in an IEM. Its sound quality is without a doubt at the top of this hobby and it does many things that you will hardly find in its competitors, much less in this price range.

I'm looking forward to being able to adapt the sound signature a bit to my personal references and keep this set that is directly among the best I have tried.

@Tobit

How many hours of burn in have you had with your set?

Nice impressions, mate! Looks like a copper cable will help you tame the brightness of FX17.

 

[Tobit]

If the FX17 sounds too bright or sharp, it needs more time to burn in. The FX17's highs are silky and brilliant. Incidentally, the cable also needs time. I haven't heard better highs than the FX17. Another thing that can make a difference, of course, is the DAP. With my Cayin N3 Ultra, I also hear a bit of crispness in the highs, probably due to the quality of the DAP. I can't hear any of that with the N8ii or GT2.

 

[BlueA]

this youtuber reviews are often useless, but this one particularly

That's my concern, FIIO decided that running the number he's the one that should present FX17 while ignoring others 'fair' reviewers.
Calculations must be he got more follower so buy conversion will be higher. Obviously this is true when you target mainstream buyers
but it's the reverse when targeting core audio guys. Company should sell their products as so decided which population to target to
maximize profits which can be the opposite to build your company a name.

Luxury/premium items are not marketed the same way than entry level. Imagine if this guy review UM, the next day market is flooded
with second hand resell as this guy killed the name. But if you target only deep pocket maybe he's the best emitter as he build a large followup?

 

[paramac]

I don't think the DAP is to blame here. The Astell & Kern 3000t is a very musical DAP, especially in hybrid and tube mode, in contrast to the FiiO M11, which I'm currently only using for burn-in and not for listening.

I'm currently at about 18 hours of runtime with the FX17.

As I've already mentioned, my ears are sometimes very sensitive, especially in the high-frequency range, which is why my assessment here is fundamentally not universally valid. Other ears may perceive things differently.

 

[BlueA]

I'm looking forward to being able to adapt the sound signature a bit to my personal references and keep this set that is directly among the best I have tried.

The way you describe it seems like a classical dedicated iem. Did you switch with different sources maybe less bright to see how it behave.
I've not heard the 340 so I'm not sure how what its profile is but bright on bright can surely be too much. DCE is tune for more popular genres
with a bass more pronounced and more round on high (rohms) can you check with it?

Thanks for all your feedbacks, correspond to what I was expecting.
Still convinced that this should have been priced much lower and FIIO would have sell a lot of them but marketing segment was
already occupied by the fiio full BAs :/

It's not about blaming, for every device bright on bright is bad synergie. I only put warm and dark or at least moderate bright on my bright players or fatigue manifest after few minutes... it's always about synergy. Even if I believe in limited effect of cables some can just tame the little excess and change from insufferable to great.
Full BA or mostly BA target classical music listeners, TOTL Daps players without PEQ too. The combinaison of both can be overwhelming specially for young ears.

Also so called Burnin... it's mainly brain adaptation and contained effect but only on DD drivers not BA, there's no mechanical part there and my guess is EST too are not prone to any mechanical use. Cable, a little, and mostly tips rolling will play major role.

 

[paramac]

I've now switched back from the Spinfire to the Bi-Flank earplugs. The Spinfire are too bright for me, which, if I remember correctly, I also noticed with the FA19.

The Bi-Flanks, on the other hand, seem to have the same effect on me with the FX17, somewhat dampening those overly sharp highs.

 

[Tobit]

Everyone's hearing is different. I always want it to be as detailed as possible. Hence the spinfits. Memory-Foam??