FiiO AM3D-FiiO Releases the THX AAA Powered Headphone Amplifier Module AM3D

[Cevisi]

I still like the AM3D, but I agree it isn't night and day at all. Probably still worth it, but diminishing returns for sure. In multiple trial blind listening could I detect a difference from the stock AM3E module? Somehow I doubt it, and meaning using both module's 4.4mm output.

I can hear a difference am3d has a better stage and better more controlled bass for me

 

[NJoyzAudio]

A few months ago I posted a "in my opinion" review of the Q5 and the Q5s using both the AM3E and AM3D with CIEM Roxanne's and Shure SE846's and different cable combo's
As with Sonic Defender's and Alekc's comments, is it night and day? No. But going back and forth with good quality IEM's and better than stock cables, you start to notice things in the sound, with the AM3D being just more "fun"
IMO with my JH Roxanne's the bass is a little tighter, and the highs a little crisper. but the mids are more present. The AM3E at first sounds like the mids are better, but its just they are more in your face with the Roxanne's. With the AM3D they are there, but the layering with the Mid Bass, and lower end of the highs is what makes it less in your face but much more fun.
Its to the point I never use the AM3E anymore, and its strictly the AM3D
But as with anything in audio, YMMV
Just my 2 cents!

 

[alekc]

A few months ago I posted a "in my opinion" review of the Q5 and the Q5s using both the AM3E and AM3D with CIEM Roxanne's and Shure SE846's and different cable combo's
As with Sonic Defender's and Alekc's comments, is it night and day? No. But going back and forth with good quality IEM's and better than stock cables, you start to notice things in the sound, with the AM3D being just more "fun"
IMO with my JH Roxanne's the bass is a little tighter, and the highs a little crisper. but the mids are more present. The AM3E at first sounds like the mids are better, but its just they are more in your face with the Roxanne's. With the AM3D they are there, but the layering with the Mid Bass, and lower end of the highs is what makes it less in your face but much more fun.
Its to the point I never use the AM3E anymore, and its strictly the AM3D
But as with anything in audio, YMMV
Just my 2 cents!

@NJoyzAudio exactly my toughs and experience: AM3D makes Q5s more fun and you definitively want to use balanced output. It does not make much else, just more fun. Honestly speaking this the reason why I use AM3D exclusively with Q5s and never went back to AM3E - there is no need or reason. So from that perspective AM3D is an upgrade. However it is an upgrade I could live without and still like Q5s.

 

[antonov124]

Where can I buy the Am3d in Europe?

aliexpress means customs and taxes

 

[Cevisi]

Where can I buy the Am3d in Europe?

aliexpress means customs and taxes

Just tell them on ali express they should write on the package 18 euro worth. Then you have no tax no customs

 

[antonov124]

Nice idea - but German customs ...
so another dealer ?

 

[Hans-NL]

Over the years I ordered several Fiio items from their official Aliexpress store, none of them resulted in extra tax or customs.

 

[antonov124]

Ok. But don’t want to test German customs so I need another dealer. Fiio shop Germany Doesn’t have the amp

 

[Cevisi]

Nice idea - but German customs ...
so another dealer ?

Yes german customs

 

[Sonic Defender]

Ok. But don’t want to test German customs so I need another dealer. Fiio shop Germany Doesn’t have the amp

In all sincerity, despite the fact that it sounds very good, the fact that the AM3D really did not measure well over at Audio Science Review, certainly not anywhere near what people felt a THX rated amplifier should measure at, it seems that you could easily just be happy with the 4.4mm output on the stock AM3E. I suspect that if measured the AM3E would be pretty much as good and would likely be hard to tell apart in blind listening, multiple trial testing.

 

[alekc]

In all sincerity, despite the fact that it sounds very good, the fact that the AM3D really did not measure well over at Audio Science Review, certainly not anywhere near what people felt a THX rated amplifier should measure at, it seems that you could easily just be happy with the 4.4mm output on the stock AM3E. I suspect that if measured the AM3E would be pretty much as good and would likely be hard to tell apart in blind listening, multiple trial testing.

@Sonic Defender Agree.

After spending some more time with Q5s + AM3D I must say I would not buy it again as an Q5s upgrade. As I have stated already it could be sold as default module with Q5s and than it would be fine. Secondly you need to go balance output and it add costs. Not that Q5s is a bad device, it just does not make much sense in a long run to add AM3D as far as SQ is considered. I encourage everybody to reconsider any purchase decision and as always the best way is to listen to it first.

 

[antonov124]

It’s a big difference between a and d ? For my x7 II

 

[Sonic Defender]

@Sonic Defender Agree.

After spending some more time with Q5s + AM3D I must say I would not buy it again as an Q5s upgrade. As I have stated already it could be sold as default module with Q5s and than it would be fine. Secondly you need to go balance output and it add costs. Not that Q5s is a bad device, it just does not make much sense in a long run to add AM3D as far as SQ is considered. I encourage everybody to reconsider any purchase decision and as always the best way is to listen to it first.

Agree, for the record I still very much enjoy the Q5/Q5s. Like you I do not know that the AM3D actually adds anything sound quality wise, at least not significantly. I used to feel that the AM3D had a quieter background than the stock AM3E, but really that could have been expectation bias and I do not use IEM so my impressions were formed with full sized headphones. Regardless, I remain a fan of FiiO, but I do hope that they take the critiques from the review at ASR seriously and improve the engineering details required to bring the performance where it can and should be. FiiO clearly knows the critiques exist and they clearly do not dispute them or else they would have done so here and offered technical evidence to refute the findings of ASR.

In my opinion the quality of a company is best seen when and how they respond to issues and I fully expect FiiO to answer this particular challenge extremely well. I look forward to remaining a FiiO customer.

 

[AtomAmp]

In all sincerity, despite the fact that it sounds very good, the fact that the AM3D really did not measure well over at Audio Science Review, certainly not anywhere near what people felt a THX rated amplifier should measure at, it seems that you could easily just be happy with the 4.4mm output on the stock AM3E. I suspect that if measured the AM3E would be pretty much as good and would likely be hard to tell apart in blind listening, multiple trial testing.

ASR measured the 2.5mm with micro usb version of the AM3D. There is now the 4.4mm type-c version. It comes bundled with the Q5S. It's called the Q5S-TC.

 

[Sonic Defender]

ASR measured the 2.5mm with micro usb version of the AM3D. There is now the 4.4mm type-c version. It comes bundled with the Q5S. It's called the Q5S-TC.

Balanced is balanced, it doesn't matter if it was the 2.5 or 4.4 balanced out of the AM3D module, it measured quite a bit worse than it should have. It still sounds quite good, but from an engineering perspective clearly there was some issues.