[Galeonero]

You can use them either with 3.5mm audio jack or via USB-C audio.

I'll make some screenshots from the AliExpress app in the following post... Just have to upload them somewhere

Hello, that says it in the specifications as you just published, but my doubt is: Are they really worth it to use with cable? Because I always read reviews of bluetooth headphones and they sound worse than other wired headphones, so that's my question, are they more of a lot of bluetooth headphones or do they really sound good with cable?

For example, Sony's last headphones, the WF-M1000xM3 are worth over 250 dollars and the Fiio F9 PRO costs 140-150 which sound much better.

 

[Tony-S]

Hello, that says it in the specifications as you just published, but my doubt is: Are they really worth it to use with cable? Because I always read reviews of bluetooth headphones and they sound worse than other wired headphones, so that's my question, are they more of a lot of bluetooth headphones or do they really sound good with cable?

For example, Sony's last headphones, the WF-M1000xM3 are worth over 250 dollars and the Fiio F9 PRO costs 140-150 which sound much better.

Why would you consider buying them if the main usecase is using them via cable? ANC? Keep in mind that ANC is only working when used via USB-C (beside using them via BT of course)

Some sound impressions for the different modes: https://hifigo.com/blogs/review/fiio-eh3nc-anc-wireless-bluetooth-headphone-stereo-review-hifigo

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Anyone got these yet?

 

[droid23]

Got them today and I'm just listening to them since this afternoon.

Soooo... Here are some things I dare to say even though these are clearly very early observations:

To get you all on the same page, this is the setup I use for this "listening test" at the moment. I use the FiiO Music App for playing, since with this app you can fiddle around with the Bluetooth codecs a bit, as well as it has a good "integration" of the EH3 NC and despite the fact that the UI takes a bit getting used to, this player does sound just better compared to the Samsung Music Player on my Note 10+. I chose to go for LDAC and via the Android Developer Settings I set the playback quality to "Balanced" (~660kbps). The headphones I used so far only wireless with and without ANC.

These are some of my test FLACs I played (mostly space saving 24 Bit, 44.1kHz):
For Bass
> Aphex Twin - Produk 29
> Reso - Check 1, 2
> Mord Fustang - Champloo
> Flume - Insane (L D R U Remix)
> Submotion Orchestra - Backchat

For clarity, simplicity, instrument separation and sound stage
> Miles Davis - So What
> Jacintha - Danny Boy
> Terence Trent D' Arby - If you go before me
> Ulla Meineke - Die Tänzerin
> The Persuasions - Stuck in a moment you can't get out of
> Amber Rubarth - Tundra
> Anne Akiko Meyers - Concerto No.1 in E major, Op.8, RV 269, "La Primavera": III Danza Pastorale by Antonio Vivaldi
> Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem

Early Pros and Cons:

Sound
+ Overall sound signature is really satisfying
> The low frequencies are not mushy like in the Sony XM3 and are more defined and present than in the Bose NCH700
> Sub bass is clearly there and feels energizing and well tuned and well under control
> Mid tones are also present in a good way and voices sound resolved and "in your face"
> The highs are maybe a bit too present, but I personally like a sharp upper end, that helps with instrument separation and sound stage a lot and since I was so positively surprised by their performance, I didn't feel any listening fatique at all.
+ Nothing I threw at them so far sounded underwhelming, meaning that these cans could handle very different genres quite well
+ First impression of ANC is really good for a headphone in this price range and comes acceptably close to Sony's and Bose's NC...still, Sony and Bose are admittedly better. BUT I yet have to test them under "hard" noisy conditions. What I can say for sure so far is, that I didn't feel this (for me uncomfortable) ANC pressure what the Sony's and Bose's have when you put their ANC to the max., so this is a good thing.

+/- Damn, these cans can play loud! I am already near my uncomfortable loudness level at 4 out of 10

- There is only ANC On or ANC Off, so there is also no "ambient" or "environment" mode... be aware of that.
- You have to get familiar fiddling around with the buttons in a daily use scenario; I personally prefer a touch operation (provided that it better should work well^^). As I said, it's just my personal preference for ease of use.

For the moment, I don't have more cons to add... but with just a few hours of using them, we'll see what the future brings.


Wearing comfort, Handling and built Quality
+ For my totally average sized ears, the cups feel even spacious
+ The headband didn't give me any pressure marks after about 6 hours constant "power use" so far
+ Clamping force is just right for me, but I don't have a big head though
+ The protein leather ear pads feel quite soft (maybe I would like them to be a bit more firm, but they are for sure comfortable)
+ Battery life seems very good, they still show me all 5 LED indicator lights after about 6 hours, meaning the battery should be between 80% and 100% according to the manual
+ They fold nicely and the carry case feels sturdy to easily survive lots of travelling/commuting
+ For that price (155 Euro + 35 Euro customs and handling fee... thx Austria... NOT!) I won't complain

- Built quality wise, I can say they do not feel "built like a rock" and I can just guess that you better take good care of them when you travel/commute a lot, but for a sub 200 Euro headphone I guess this is what you can expect and it's actually OK. Long term use will tell.
- When wearing them and when you push the earcups on your head, I can clearly hear the diaphragms making a crackling noise. This isn't uncommon in closed circumaural designs, but it just struck me with these headphones more than with others I own.
- The folding mechanism works well, but the tolerances in the hinges are IMO a bit too much
- They did not shut down on their own so far... not even after 15+ minutes of not using them (music on stop in the app, Bluetooth connection on, shut off timer in the app set to 5 minutes idle time), but this may be a user error ...still need to get into them more.
- My girlfriend noticed just some sound leakage, so e.g. colleagues in a quiet office could possibly hear some music leaking out already with an average music volume range used

Ok, I call it a day now, it's late here... I hope you found my first impressions helpful.

(Edited for typos and such)

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Got them today and I'm just listening to them since this afternoon.

Soooo... Here are some things I dare to say even though these are clearly very early observations:

To get you all on the same page, this is the setup I use for this "listening test" at the moment. I use the FiiO Music App for playing, since with this app you can fiddle around with the Bluetooth codecs a bit, as well as it has a good "integration" of the EH3 NC and despite the fact that the UI takes a bit getting used to, this player does sound just better compared to the Samsung Music Player on my Note 10+. I chose to go for LDAC and via the Android Developer Settings I set the playback quality to "Balanced" (~660kbps). The headphones I used so far only wireless with and without ANC.

These are some of my test FLACs I played (mostly space saving 24 Bit, 44.1kHz):
For Bass
> Aphex Twin - Produk 29
> Reso - Check 1, 2
> Mord Fustang - Champloo
> Flume - Insane (L D R U Remix)
> Submotion Orchestra - Backchat

For clarity, simplicity, instrument separation and sound stage
> Miles Davis - So What
> Jacintha - Danny Boy
> Terence Trent D' Arby - If you go before me
> Ulla Meineke - Die Tänzerin
> The Persuasions - Stuck in a moment you can't get out of
> Amber Rubarth - Tundra
> Anne Akiko Meyers - Concerto No.1 in E major, Op.8, RV 269, "La Primavera": III Danza Pastorale by Antonio Vivaldi
> Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem

Early Pros and Cons:

Sound
+ Overall sound signature is really satisfying
> The low frequencies are not mushy like in the Sony XM3 and are more defined and present than in the Bose NCH700
> Sub bass is clearly there and feels energizing and well tuned and well under control
> Mid tones are also present in a good way and voices sound resolved and "in your face"
> The highs are maybe a bit too present, but I personally like a sharp upper end, that helps with instrument separation and sound stage a lot and since I was so positively surprised by their performance, I didn't feel any listening fatique at all.
+ Nothing I threw at them so far sounded underwhelming, meaning that these cans could handle very different genres quite well
+ First impression of ANC is really good for a headphone in this price range and comes acceptably close to Sony's and Bose's NC...still, Sony and Bose are admittedly better. BUT I yet have to test them under "hard" noisy conditions. What I can say for sure so far is, that I didn't feel this (for me uncomfortable) ANC pressure what the Sony's and Bose's have when you put their ANC to the max., so this is a good thing.

+/- Damn, these cans can play loud! I am already near my uncomfortable loudness level at 4 out of 10

- There is only ANC On or ANC Off, so there is also no "ambient" or "environment" mode... be aware of that.
- You have to get familiar fiddling around with the buttons in a daily use scenario; I personally prefer a touch operation (provided that it better should work well^^). As I said, it's just my personal preference for ease of use.

For the moment, I don't have more cons to add... but with just a few hours of using them, we'll see what the future brings.


Wearing comfort, Handling and built Quality
+ For my totally average sized ears, the cups feel even spacious
+ The headband didn't give me any pressure marks after about 6 hours constant "power use" so far
+ Clamping force is just right for me, but I don't have a big head though
+ The protein leather ear pads feel quite soft (maybe I would like them to be a bit more firm, but they are for sure comfortable)
+ Battery life seems very good, they still show me all 5 LED indicator lights after about 6 hours, meaning the battery should be between 80% and 100% according to the manual
+ They fold nicely and the carry case feels sturdy to easily survive lots of travelling/commuting
+ For that price (155 Euro + 35 Euro customs and handling fee... thx Austria... NOT!) I won't complain

- Built quality wise, I can say they do not feel "built like a rock" and I can just guess that you better take good care of them when you travel/commute a lot, but for a sub 200 Euro headphone I guess this is what you can expect and it's actually OK. Long term use will tell.
- When wearing them and when you push the earcups on your head, I can clearly hear the diaphragms making a crackling noise. This isn't uncommon in closed circumaural designs, but it just struck me with these headphones more than with others I own.
- The folding mechanism works well, but the tolerances in the hinges are IMO a bit too much
- They did not shut down on their own so far... not even after 15+ minutes of not using them (music on stop in the app, Bluetooth connection on, shut off timer in the app set to 5 minutes idle time), but this may be a user error ...still need to get into them more.
- My girlfriend noticed just some sound leakage, so e.g. colleagues in a quiet office could possibly hear some music leaking out already with an average music volume range used

Ok, I call it a day now, it's late here... I hope you found my first impressions helpful.

(Edited for typos and such)

Great stuff, thanks a lot. Would you say these sound better than the Sony and Bose? Does SQ suffer when turning ANC on (or off)?

 

[droid23]

Oh yes, they sound better in my opinion, more engaging. Not fantastically superior, but definitely ahead.
When it comes to ANC ON/Off my first impression is, that I like the sound a bit more when ANC is OFF (LoL). They sound more spacious because the highs are no more "held captive" by the ANC?...and when ANC is ON, and the highs are "reduced", automatically I tend to feel that the bass becomes more dominant automatically.. which is not necessarily a bad thing, but audible for sure.


So, something is clearly happening with ANC ON and you can hear their sound signature changing. With ANC ON especially voices become more close to the listener, more intimate, "thicker". Don't get me wrong, the overall sound quality is still good in both, ANC ON or OFF, but as I would interpret this, with this "switch" you can change the sound signature to your liking, genre, or situation.

I'd like to add another observation I made: The increase in volume from 0>1>2>3 in the FiiO App (but also Samsung Player is affected as well) is constant... but coming from 3>4 there is such a huge increase in volume that I felt uncomfortable. Surprisingly when I use the buttons on the headphones the volume steps are all constant and have a finer regulation... much better.

[Edit] Hmmm. I just listened to Aphex Twin - Produk 29 again for sub bass representation. Right now, I have to admit, the sub bass is clearly better with ANC OFF! Way deeper... strange.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Again, thanks a lot for your input. Might have to keep an eye on these and see if I can get a good deal on them somewhere. Right now they're only available at Aliexpress for €165, which is above the €155 tax limit making it a tad too expensive for a relative gamble IMHO.

 

[misteral201103]

Got them today and I'm just listening to them since this afternoon.

Soooo... Here are some things I dare to say even though these are clearly very early observations:

To get you all on the same page, this is the setup I use for this "listening test" at the moment. I use the FiiO Music App for playing, since with this app you can fiddle around with the Bluetooth codecs a bit, as well as it has a good "integration" of the EH3 NC and despite the fact that the UI takes a bit getting used to, this player does sound just better compared to the Samsung Music Player on my Note 10+. I chose to go for LDAC and via the Android Developer Settings I set the playback quality to "Balanced" (~660kbps). The headphones I used so far only wireless with and without ANC.

These are some of my test FLACs I played (mostly space saving 24 Bit, 44.1kHz):
For Bass
> Aphex Twin - Produk 29
> Reso - Check 1, 2
> Mord Fustang - Champloo
> Flume - Insane (L D R U Remix)
> Submotion Orchestra - Backchat

For clarity, simplicity, instrument separation and sound stage
> Miles Davis - So What
> Jacintha - Danny Boy
> Terence Trent D' Arby - If you go before me
> Ulla Meineke - Die Tänzerin
> The Persuasions - Stuck in a moment you can't get out of
> Amber Rubarth - Tundra
> Anne Akiko Meyers - Concerto No.1 in E major, Op.8, RV 269, "La Primavera": III Danza Pastorale by Antonio Vivaldi
> Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem

Early Pros and Cons:

Sound
+ Overall sound signature is really satisfying
> The low frequencies are not mushy like in the Sony XM3 and are more defined and present than in the Bose NCH700
> Sub bass is clearly there and feels energizing and well tuned and well under control
> Mid tones are also present in a good way and voices sound resolved and "in your face"
> The highs are maybe a bit too present, but I personally like a sharp upper end, that helps with instrument separation and sound stage a lot and since I was so positively surprised by their performance, I didn't feel any listening fatique at all.
+ Nothing I threw at them so far sounded underwhelming, meaning that these cans could handle very different genres quite well
+ First impression of ANC is really good for a headphone in this price range and comes acceptably close to Sony's and Bose's NC...still, Sony and Bose are admittedly better. BUT I yet have to test them under "hard" noisy conditions. What I can say for sure so far is, that I didn't feel this (for me uncomfortable) ANC pressure what the Sony's and Bose's have when you put their ANC to the max., so this is a good thing.

+/- Damn, these cans can play loud! I am already near my uncomfortable loudness level at 4 out of 10

- There is only ANC On or ANC Off, so there is also no "ambient" or "environment" mode... be aware of that.
- You have to get familiar fiddling around with the buttons in a daily use scenario; I personally prefer a touch operation (provided that it better should work well^^). As I said, it's just my personal preference for ease of use.

For the moment, I don't have more cons to add... but with just a few hours of using them, we'll see what the future brings.


Wearing comfort, Handling and built Quality
+ For my totally average sized ears, the cups feel even spacious
+ The headband didn't give me any pressure marks after about 6 hours constant "power use" so far
+ Clamping force is just right for me, but I don't have a big head though
+ The protein leather ear pads feel quite soft (maybe I would like them to be a bit more firm, but they are for sure comfortable)
+ Battery life seems very good, they still show me all 5 LED indicator lights after about 6 hours, meaning the battery should be between 80% and 100% according to the manual
+ They fold nicely and the carry case feels sturdy to easily survive lots of travelling/commuting
+ For that price (155 Euro + 35 Euro customs and handling fee... thx Austria... NOT!) I won't complain

- Built quality wise, I can say they do not feel "built like a rock" and I can just guess that you better take good care of them when you travel/commute a lot, but for a sub 200 Euro headphone I guess this is what you can expect and it's actually OK. Long term use will tell.
- When wearing them and when you push the earcups on your head, I can clearly hear the diaphragms making a crackling noise. This isn't uncommon in closed circumaural designs, but it just struck me with these headphones more than with others I own.
- The folding mechanism works well, but the tolerances in the hinges are IMO a bit too much
- They did not shut down on their own so far... not even after 15+ minutes of not using them (music on stop in the app, Bluetooth connection on, shut off timer in the app set to 5 minutes idle time), but this may be a user error ...still need to get into them more.
- My girlfriend noticed just some sound leakage, so e.g. colleagues in a quiet office could possibly hear some music leaking out already with an average music volume range used

Ok, I call it a day now, it's late here... I hope you found my first impressions helpful.

(Edited for typos and such)

Thanks very much for the early impressions!!

 

[osiris1]

@droid23
thanks for the impression.

did you use them with calls? how did you sound to the other party? i would use my wireless primarily for calls + music but so far most of them are poor in call and voice quality.

 

[droid23]

Sorry, just one quick call so far. I was out on the street and my girlfriend called me: She said she could clearly understand me and did not sound muffled, but she added, that she got the impression that in the first three seconds of the call there was an intermittent signal. That could have been anything, the headphones, the BT signal, carrier reception, the phone itself... so I don't know from just this one call.

 

[osiris1]

Sorry, just one quick call so far. I was out on the street and my girlfriend called me: She said she could clearly understand me and did not sound muffled, but she added, that she got the impression that in the first three seconds of the call there was an intermittent signal. That could have been anything, the headphones, the BT signal, carrier reception, the phone itself... so I don't know from just this one call.

Thanks. I'll wait for other tests or if the local shops have it got testing later.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Price has just gone up to $200 on Aliexpress.

 

[droid23]

Hmm, the more I listen to them, the more I enjoy them. I repeatedly catch myself using them without ANC, even outdoors. Seems that on the one hand, the sound isolation from the pads are sufficient in many typical sound environments, and on the other hand I prefer the really pleasing sound signature when ANC is off (again, across many different music genres).

EDIT: Listening to the album "Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward" in 24-96 FLAC via LDAC (optimized settings of course) and I can say, these were the best 155€ I've ever spent for audio equipment. The soundstage and detail these cans provide wirelessly (ANC off) is nothing less than jaw dropping! Sorry to be so over the top here... I'm just so excited

 

[misteral201103]

Hmm, the more I listen to them, the more I enjoy them. I repeatedly catch myself using them without ANC, even outdoors. Seems that on the one hand, the sound isolation from the pads are sufficient in many typical sound environments, and on the other hand I prefer the really pleasing sound signature when ANC is off (again, across many different music genres).

EDIT: Listening to the album "Amber Rubarth - Sessions from the 17th Ward" in 24-96 FLAC via LDAC (optimized settings of course) and I can say, these were the best 155€ I've ever spent for audio equipment. The soundstage and detail these cans provide wirelessly (ANC off) is nothing less than jaw dropping! Sorry to be so over the top here... I'm just so excited

Hmmm...getting a little tempted. I have my annual 12hr flight to the UK (and then return) coming up and do not have ANC cans. I do have great IEMs though...would the Fiio's make a significant difference compared to well sealed IEMs do you think?

 

[mroneto]

Hmmm...getting a little tempted. I have my annual 12hr flight to the UK (and then return) coming up and do not have ANC cans. I do have great IEMs though...would the Fiio's make a significant difference compared to well sealed IEMs do you think?

I believe that most ANC cans are still better than even the most isolated IEMs, especially on a plane where the noise cancelling is tuned to block out the ambient rumble and low frequencies experienced in such an environment.
My FiiO FA7's are probably the closest thing I have to my custom earplugs, and while they do an amazing job at passively isolating most sounds, it can't compare to an ANC microphone with their DSP correction (in some cases).
My current ANC headphone is the Taotronics SoundSurge 46, which IMO hold a pretty good value when compared to others on the market at this time.