[Rackhour]

Haha sensitive question: "How far down the earbuds rabbithole have you gone? Are you beyond saving?"



I've been mostly an IEM guy for many years (mostly for stage monitoring usage), and always looked down on earbuds as a cheap thing bundled free with phones. But after being introduced some years back to my first earbud (the Vido), I've bought 30+ earbuds since then hahaha. Let's not ask boss @WoodyLuvr on how extensive is his collection, I think it might blow our minds away.

Earbuds beat most IEMs in soundstage, and are arguably cheaper too, in their respective price brackets. In fact, I sold away most of my headphones as the flatheads give similar performance as some open backed cans, but without the heat of earpads or the clamping force.

However, it seems earbuds are generally still not as mainstream as traditional headphones and IEMs, but that's good, we shall keep flatheads as our little secret.

The funny thing is that during the 90s, earbuds were mainstream and IEMs were not. Sometime in the 2000s, that changed.

 

[FranQL]

From previous FiiO news their plan was to create a bud for everyday on the go use and be inexpensive enough to have a set at different locations like at home, the office or even your gym bag. Of couse there will be comparisons to their higher cost FF3 and FF5, but these are really replacements for their affordable (discontinued) EM3 earbuds. We'll have to wait for comparisons of the FF1 vs EM3, FF1 vs Yincrow X6 and against other affordable good sounding buds.

regardless of expectations, for only 20 € here is a composite bery driver (supposedly new, I'll see for myself) and in 14.2mm (small size), here is a detachable cable with two pins, here is new work In the shell and in the vents, you can't ask for much more. If their sound is not TOLT then nothing happens, I think it is very important that they have not limited themselves to using a rehash of MX500 of which everyone already has 15 pairs....

If it turns out to be bad, then €20 is not a great loss.

 

[siro1981]

You are very welcome!

Well, most of us here have been ordering them through this link, but our own @WoodyLuvr has brought it to our attention that this is NOT the original maker's site, and there HAS been some small few QC issues. Apparently if you order them with any sort of balanced connection (the stock connection is 3.5mm SE) he recables them. Having said that, I had NO issues with this site (nor the recable to 2.5mm balanced), and most also don't have issues either, so YMMV.

If you want to order from the actual maker, you will need to visit the official site on Taobao (though I don't use the site, so I don't have a link for you). The story can be seen here. Maybe @WoodyLuvr would be so kind as to share a link with the official site, as I am unable to find it doing any sort of search on Taobao's site.

Hi, I already have the Zen 2.0s which have a very warm sound, the Yinman 600 are a step up in quality, is it worth buying them?

Thank you.

 

[mt877]

regardless of expectations, for only 20 € here is a composite bery driver (supposedly new, I'll see for myself) and in 14.2mm (small size), here is a detachable cable with two pins, here is new work In the shell and in the vents, you can't ask for much more. If their sound is not TOLT then nothing happens, I think it is very important that they have not limited themselves to using a rehash of MX500 of which everyone already has 15 pairs....

If it turns out to be bad, then €20 is not a great loss.

Yes, I agree. My set was ordered on day one and waiting for delivery. I like that the FF1 design is inspired by the FF5, they may also use techniques learned with FF3, so the sound could be a blend of both buds. I have faith that FiiO won't disappoint.

 

[hongky]

I really wish FiiO will make FF7 then FF9

 

[FranQL]

Yes, I agree. My set was ordered on day one and waiting for delivery. I like that the FF1 design is inspired by the FF5, they may also use techniques learned with FF3, so the sound could be a blend of both buds. I have faith that FiiO won't disappoint.

I don't have FF3 or FF5, they attract me, but spending money and then not being a step forward compared to my DIY is a risk, and I decide not to spend money. That same approach happens to me constantly, so I can never comment on these issues and I miss things that may be worthwhile, especially in acceptable price ranges. When we talk about €300 or more, it is true that I lose interest quickly.

 

[mt877]

I don't have FF3 or FF5, they attract me, but spending money and then not being a step forward compared to my DIY is a risk, and I decide not to spend money. That same approach happens to me constantly, so I can never comment on these issues and I miss things that may be worthwhile, especially in acceptable price ranges. When we talk about €300 or more, it is true that I lose interest quickly.

I can relate that to cooking for yourself. Sometimes I can cook up a great meal and other times I have to go to a nice restaurant and pay for a meal that I won't normally cook. At least then I get a good meal (not all the time though.. the risk) and I don't have to clean the dishes afterwards. LOL.

 

[Kumonomukou]

Haha sensitive question: "How far down the earbuds rabbithole have you gone? Are you beyond saving?"



I've been mostly an IEM guy for many years (mostly for stage monitoring usage), and always looked down on earbuds as a cheap thing bundled free with phones. But after being introduced some years back to my first earbud (the Vido), I've bought 30+ earbuds since then hahaha. Let's not ask boss @WoodyLuvr on how extensive is his collection, I think it might blow our minds away.

Earbuds beat most IEMs in soundstage, and are arguably cheaper too, in their respective price brackets. In fact, I sold away most of my headphones as the flatheads give similar performance as some open backed cans, but without the heat of earpads or the clamping force.

However, it seems earbuds are generally still not as mainstream as traditional headphones and IEMs, but that's good, we shall keep flatheads as our little secret.

COMFORT!

To me, seemingly heathier for long listening session in quieter places. That's the main reason kept me auditioning earbuds.

I've got my little secret to dodge that rabbit hole, sort of. I sold pretty much everything, restricted myself to a 4~5 sets rotation (IEMs included). Okay maybe a couple more in the storage box, a couple more as permanent collection, and a couple more in the car. You know what I mean, that's it! Then occasionally do a 2 in 2 out swap. I'm a happy camper now! :]

 

[FranQL]

Haha sensitive question: "How far down the earbuds rabbithole have you gone? Are you beyond saving?"



I've been mostly an IEM guy for many years (mostly for stage monitoring usage), and always looked down on earbuds as a cheap thing bundled free with phones. But after being introduced some years back to my first earbud (the Vido), I've bought 30+ earbuds since then hahaha. Let's not ask boss @WoodyLuvr on how extensive is his collection, I think it might blow our minds away.

Earbuds beat most IEMs in soundstage, and are arguably cheaper too, in their respective price brackets. In fact, I sold away most of my headphones as the flatheads give similar performance as some open backed cans, but without the heat of earpads or the clamping force.

However, it seems earbuds are generally still not as mainstream as traditional headphones and IEMs, but that's good, we shall keep flatheads as our little secret.

Assuming that I'm always thinking about doing something new (always, although sometimes it takes months to do it and other times I do it quickly), I really achieved a remarkable stability, so I only keep the buds that I really use, it's about Just 5 sets of buds and two of them have always been in that rotation, if I can do better then one of them comes out, I use buds 80% of the time, and the rest is split between IEMs and headphones, where I also managed to put where I like a DIY of each type.

Having a lot of games to be constantly changing and not enjoying the music didn't seem like a good idea to me.

But if I look back, I have gone as deep into the rabbit hole as I would have never imagined, and very happy to have done it, and even happier to think that what I like the most and use the most I do, so if one breaks. ... well I can make another one LOL

 

[Surf Monkey]

From previous FiiO news their plan was to create a bud for everyday on the go use and be inexpensive enough to have a set at different locations like at home, the office or even your gym bag. Of couse there will be comparisons to their higher cost FF3 and FF5, but these are really replacements for their affordable (discontinued) EM3 earbuds. We'll have to wait for comparisons of the FF1 vs EM3, FF1 vs Yincrow X6 and against other affordable good sounding buds.

Yeah, the “everyone bud” is accurate. They did intimate that they’re a taste of the FF line, and that’s reflected in the FF1’s design. It’s clearly a variant on the FF5 shell, which is good.

Of the FF buds I continue to find the FF3 to be the real stand out.

 

[WesFX]

Haha sensitive question: "How far down the earbuds rabbithole have you gone? Are you beyond saving?"



I've been mostly an IEM guy for many years (mostly for stage monitoring usage), and always looked down on earbuds as a cheap thing bundled free with phones. But after being introduced some years back to my first earbud (the Vido), I've bought 30+ earbuds since then hahaha. Let's not ask boss @WoodyLuvr on how extensive is his collection, I think it might blow our minds away.

Earbuds beat most IEMs in soundstage, and are arguably cheaper too, in their respective price brackets. In fact, I sold away most of my headphones as the flatheads give similar performance as some open backed cans, but without the heat of earpads or the clamping force.

However, it seems earbuds are generally still not as mainstream as traditional headphones and IEMs, but that's good, we shall keep flatheads as our little secret.

I would have to say I'm definitely beyond saving

I've been interested in seeking better audio since a young age, but the idea of the cost always made it seem like a pipe dream. I would do what I could, online research and asking around to find good and inexpensive audio options. It was never anything fancy or truly high fidelity, but I was delighted every time I could hear a real improvement. It was just last year that it occurred to me my hearing (and really, life) won't last forever so it's worth whatever cost and I should just start in.

For most of my life, flathead earbuds existed as merely the "replace me" freebies in the box with portable audio devices. So I never gave them a second thought. But, I did find something undeniably compelling about the Apple Earpod. Yet when I tried to find similar earphones, I ended up at dead ends; they were only downgrades and poor imitations of the Earpod.

Finally, I hooked into the term "flathead" which helped me find way more resources, including this very thread and site. My collection is soon to be 8 flatheads and I don't think anything could get me to abandon earbuds at this point. Even for as compelling as a treated room and speaker system is, I'm a roamer, indoor and out, and portable audio suits me best.

 

[Ace Bee]

Haha sensitive question: "How far down the earbuds rabbithole have you gone? Are you beyond saving?"



I've been mostly an IEM guy for many years (mostly for stage monitoring usage), and always looked down on earbuds as a cheap thing bundled free with phones. But after being introduced some years back to my first earbud (the Vido), I've bought 30+ earbuds since then hahaha. Let's not ask boss @WoodyLuvr on how extensive is his collection, I think it might blow our minds away.

Earbuds beat most IEMs in soundstage, and are arguably cheaper too, in their respective price brackets. In fact, I sold away most of my headphones as the flatheads give similar performance as some open backed cans, but without the heat of earpads or the clamping force.

However, it seems earbuds are generally still not as mainstream as traditional headphones and IEMs, but that's good, we shall keep flatheads as our little secret.

Well, you know how deep down I am already but enjoying it nonetheless!

 

[metrics]

Sorry I'm a bit late replying!

I really need to invest in some measuring gear, would like to graph these.

As @mt877 notes, these aren't the usual smabat / lun sheng etc. type earbud so are a different beast with DD handling the low end for the piezo.

My impressions are also pretty similar but here they are:

For reference I'm using these 4.4 balanced and amped.

Mine came with a Lun Sheng branded case with red & blue tips.

Construction: Simple and solid metal housing, a little elegant and suitably named, I dig the design!
Soundstage: Fairly wide
Separation: Rather good
Detail retrieval: Good, especially for mids-highs

Bass: As I mentioned in my first comment on these, bass is very present and punchy, perhaps not as tight as it could be and a bit lacking in sub-bass, but overall hits the spot.
Mids: Forward and clear, the strongest suit of these imo
Treble: Can get a little spicy on the very high end

In short a satisfying pair that you aren't ever ever going to regret for $17-18!

Thank you for your impressions!
I had already pulled the trigger on these buds by the time i did read you post, but it's always nice to see more opinions!
Hopefully, they'll be soon at my hands so i can share my thoughts about them

And talking about recent acquisitions, i just got a Temperament DB1E too, and will analyzing it as soon as it gets to me

 

[mt877]

Yeah, the “everyone bud” is accurate. They did intimate that they’re a taste of the FF line, and that’s reflected in the FF1’s design. It’s clearly a variant on the FF5 shell, which is good.

Of the FF buds I continue to find the FF3 to be the real stand out.

The FF3 definitely have their own special sauce which keeps me going back to them on a regular basis. When FiiO releases the FF3S buds (FF3 with 2 pin detachable cable) I'll have to get those too.

 

[FlacFan]

The FF3 definitely have their own special sauce which keeps me going back to them on a regular basis. When FiiO releases the FF3S buds (FF3 with 2 pin detachable cable) I'll have to get those too.

The FiiO FF1 uses a proprietary (round) 2 pin connection, thus not all 3rd party cables will fit. The FF3S will have the same and follow that (crappy) business model. I own the UTWS3 and that round connector looks pretty with a blue and red end, but not all IEM's will fit.
This crap really ticks me off ... as if we had not enough 2 pin variations already.
I am in a minority, but I prefer MMCX. If its of decent quality that is. So far I had not a single issue.

Oh well