[Rudymish]

FF5 has more upper midrange than FF3. To make it simple, when I listen to a drum cover with FF3, the cymbals are somewhat buried by the kicks. With FF5, the cymbals cut right through. It is never sibilance or harsh in my case, but it can be to you if you are sensitive with certain frequencies.

FF5 pairs decently with BTR5. It's not demanding and you don't need desktop-class sources to make the most out of it. Of course I prefer listening to FF5 with my K7, but when I watch a YouTube video, BTR5 connected to iPhone via AAC is just fine. Some transducers make you miss the desktop setup, but not FF5.

Glad to know, this is decent when paired with btr5. At times I need to go wireless and the btr5 is really really handy. My current wireless set up is btr5, the fiio lc 2.5 bs short cable, and the ikko OH2 IEM. After so many permutations and combinations I got this combination working for me probably because the ikko has less passive isolation, so that I can still hear others' voices. The FF5 will probably replace this set up and enhance my "still can hear others' voices" experience

 

[samandhi]

FF5 has more upper midrange than FF3. To make it simple, when I listen to a drum cover with FF3, the cymbals are somewhat buried by the kicks. With FF5, the cymbals cut right through. It is never sibilance or harsh in my case, but it can be to you if you are sensitive with certain frequencies.

While I would agree that cymbals come through much better on the FF5, I don't think it is because of the upper mids (IMHO). I think that the upper mids are (much more) boosted on the FF3. On the FF5, the upper mids are not as boosted, but the treble region is tuned much better. I am very sensitive to upper mid boost, and I also find the FF3 a bit fatiguing after a time. With the FF5 there is more treble overall but is not fatiguing to my ears. Though I am not sensitive to treble unless there is actual sibilance happening.

This is only in comparison to the FF5 though and is nothing like the boost that someone like Smabat would do with their bid lines. Also, I want to mention that I still love the FF3 too.

 

[Dsnuts]

Fiio buds can't really go wrong with the FF3 or the FF5 here. My take on the FF5 https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-ff5.26301/review/30014/

 

[Rudymish]

Fiio buds can't really go wrong with the FF3 or the FF5 here. My take on the FF5 https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/fiio-ff5.26301/review/30014/

How does the ff5 fare against the tgxear line up?

 

[o0genesis0o]

How does the ff5 fare against the tgxear line up?

I prefer FF5 over Serratus due to excellent channel matching and more “casual” tuning. FF5 might be a smidge less resolving than Serratus, but I find its tuning more comfortable due to thicker note weight and the lack of sibilance. Both are good gear.

 

[Dsnuts]

How does the ff5 fare against the tgxear line up?

It will depend on what type of music your listening to. The serratus is a more for orchestral classical music scores, it does have a more accurate timbre much more treble presence and better clarity over the FF5. There is no bud I have heard that equals those for strings in that regard but for more casual use the FF5 is a versatile well-balanced sound and I agree with @o0genesis0o about the note weight. Both the FF3 and the FF5 are smoother sounding experiences.
I got word from Fiio rep they are selling very well in the Chinese market. Seems to be very popular.

 

[o0genesis0o]

I got word from Fiio rep they are selling very well in the Chinese market. Seems to be very popular

That’s nice to hear. Hopefully Fiio will continue and make a FF7.

 

[Rudymish]

Dear friend,

If everything goes well, it will be available in Europe in the middle of next month.

Best regards

Any timeline for release in India?

 

[Ultrainferno]

The second review of the week is all about the new FiiO FF5 now on Headfonia - article by @nanotechnos

https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-ff5-review/

 

[o0genesis0o]

Last year, I had a chance encounter with the modern flathead earbuds in the form of Fiio FF3. That unassuming piece of head-fi gear ended up receiving the first ever “seal of approval” from me thanks to a combination of headphone-like presentation, unmatched comfort, and affordability.

Still, FF3 was far from perfect. Great DIY earbuds such as TGXear Serratus showed that earbuds can match the bests of IEMs, and Fiio’s earbuds still have quite a bit of work ahead of them.

After many delays, Fiio’s answer in the form of FF5 is finally here. Can it surpass the great FF3? Can it reach the lofty standard set by DIYers?

Let’s talk about FF5. The review is available on Head-Fi and my blog

FF5 is a high-achiever from an old guard in the earbuds world dominated by DIY products. It has a natural, lush, balanced tonality. The big, fun bass of the predecessor FF3 has been tuned down, trading intensity for snappiness and clarity. The resolution has been improved across the board. FF5 is more than a match for many IEMs and some of the most excellent DIY earbuds.

Should you get FF5? Well, can you find a quiet listening space? If the answer is yes, then yes. IEGems seal of approval and highest recommendation.

Pros:

• Natural, lush, balanced tonality
• Excellent resolution
• Excellent soundstage imaging
• Snappy, clean, impactful bassline
• Replaceable cable
• Price

Cons:

• The lush midrange can reduce perceived resolution with some tracks
• The sub-bass rumble is only adequate
• No isolation

 

[cleg]

And my humble video about FF5. Earbuds are a niche thing, but I used to have one or two of them in my collection. And recently, it's a FiiO ones.

 

[mellowmoon]

Could somebody post a side-by-side photo of the shell compared to a classic mx500 style shell? The shell design of the FF5 is what's holding me back, it looks really bulky, I'm wondering if it's as big as it seems.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Could somebody post a side-by-side photo of the shell compared to a classic mx500 style shell? The shell design of the FF5 is what's holding me back, it looks really bulky, I'm wondering if it's as big as it seems.

It’s smaller than MX500. The drivers of FF5 is 14mm (ish) whilst MX500 is 15.4mm.

 

[SiamXIII]

FF5 has more upper midrange than FF3. To make it simple, when I listen to a drum cover with FF3, the cymbals are somewhat buried by the kicks. With FF5, the cymbals cut right through. It is never sibilance or harsh in my case, but it can be to you if you are sensitive with certain frequencies.

FF5 pairs decently with BTR5. It's not demanding and you don't need desktop-class sources to make the most out of it. Of course I prefer listening to FF5 with my K7, but when I watch a YouTube video, BTR5 connected to iPhone via AAC is just fine. Some transducers make you miss the desktop setup, but not FF5.

You can't be more wrong. FF3 with Btr5 is meh. Sounds sharp most of the time. With Sony ZX507 it's much better. And with desktop Aune S6 it's sooooooooo much better. It scales very much with better equipment. But sounds quite nice even from phone or apple dongle.

 

[crea1986]

Could somebody post a side-by-side photo of the shell compared to a classic mx500 style shell? The shell design of the FF5 is what's holding me back, it looks really bulky, I'm wondering if it's as big as it seems.

There you go. it's a bit smaller and also it has better fit. It's a standard Fit where the Mx500 is on the bigger size.