[FIIO FA19] Flagship 10 Knowles BA IEM

[PROblemdetected]

This statement is not generally true. You can get a much bigger improvement for 1000$ than 5%, but not with the FA19 (which is the whole issue to begin with).

The first important thing is to understand, why do many IEM have Multiple Drivers covering the same range. And that might sound silly, but the reason is volume.

An traditional All-BA IEM start to distort already at around 100db and higher. So with using multiple drivers for the same frequency range, you can get up to 120db distortion free sound.

Do you listen at that volume? If no, all you do is wasting money buy buying a lot of drivers you don't need. And thats the biggest issue.

The FA19 is very expensive because it has 10 drivers, but there are IEM with 5 drivers that are better. Not at 120db Volume, but at listening volume (<=100db) That is very typical ChiFi, numbers on papers have to be big and you pay for those big numbers (no matter if there is a real improvement in sound).

FA9 was already tough priced at 550€. It was good, but 550€ was tough. I think it would have been better priced at 499€, that would be an fair offer. At the end of its lifetime, it was sold for 349€ which was an very good deal i recommended to a lot of people. I think a lot of FA9 have been sold just alone by my recommendations Why was it 550€ in the first place? Because it had 6 drivers. It was a 3-way system, but 2-drivers per way.

The Issue is, for roughly 350€ you can get the Westone Mach 30 (An 3-way system, just like the FA19), for 500-600€ you can get the Sony IER-M7 or Westone Pro X50 and the IER-M7 already outperforms the FA19 with 4 drivers.

Thanks to the weak yen (that is a but unfair, yes) the IER-M9, one of the best IEM that ever existed and easily outperforms the FA19, costs ~900€ (including shipping and taxes). An realistic price for the IER-M9 is around 1300€. But even for 1300€ it is still worth every cent.

So you can get better quality, you just have to be careful what you buy. Quality over Quantity. 5 good drivers in an well made 5-way system over 10 Drivers in a 3-way system where more than 2/3 of the drivers play the exact same sound and so are basically just for lower distortion at insanely higher volume. So don't give up on high end IEM yet, just be more careful what you buy and check exactly what technology is used and what exactly is this technology used for.

I finally bought the FA19 to add to my collection, and I really understand all your comparisons with other similar priced iems.

But if you compare with more expensive iems (like 12t for example, wich cost the double) you could get the same reactions.

Also, really the z1r is so much better than the tanchjim oxygen?
Is the arya organic better than the ananda nano?

Its hard to recommend any equipment over 300€. After try multiples iems, I always say: " you can end the game with the VARIATIONS, wich cost roughly 380€"

Also, this is probably the best FiiO iem never made, no only for the profile, the working switches, the beautiful cable, magnificient fit or durable mmcx connectors. It just have the best sound Ive heard an all earphones Fiio made.

All brands, got iems over 1000, like THIEAUDIO, with worst quality of build, worst warranty and really big problems of QC.

Probably the M9 is one of the fullBA of the market, but the FiiO is close enough to be a contender. And I would recommed over the 12t in price/perfomance ratio.

Just my two cents.

 

[vsg28]

Let me share my review of the FiiO FA19 here: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/fiio-fa19-in-ear-monitors/

 

[pong2541]

Soundrhyme SR8 is not a good example for BA iem.

Maybe the sa6 is a better example of good performance/price ratio

In terms of MSRP then yea, sr8 is a bad example to which I agree. Some could say the Myer audio slt6 is a better value proposition. Although, I haven't listened to any of the dunu sa6 models so I've no opinion on that.

Well, that's one of the fun things about this expensive hobby haha, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

[Vamp898]

I finally bought the FA19 to add to my collection, and I really understand all your comparisons with other similar priced iems.

But if you compare with more expensive iems (like 12t for example, wich cost the double) you could get the same reactions.

Also, really the z1r is so much better than the tanchjim oxygen?
Is the arya organic better than the ananda nano?

Its hard to recommend any equipment over 300€. After try multiples iems, I always say: " you can end the game with the VARIATIONS, wich cost roughly 380€"

Also, this is probably the best FiiO iem never made, no only for the profile, the working switches, the beautiful cable, magnificient fit or durable mmcx connectors. It just have the best sound Ive heard an all earphones Fiio made.

All brands, got iems over 1000, like THIEAUDIO, with worst quality of build, worst warranty and really big problems of QC.

Probably the M9 is one of the fullBA of the market, but the FiiO is close enough to be a contender. And I would recommed over the 12t in price/perfomance ratio.

Just my two cents.

As someone who owned the Variatios and the S8 (which I think is better) you can only endgame with an Reference Monitor like the M9, SE846, Mach 70 and similar because only these can play every song and make it sound right/good.

The variations is good until you discover a new music album that doesn't sound good with it.

Something like that will never happen with an Monitor and is kinda what FiiO was targeting with the FA9 and the FA19 (IMHO)

For an good monitor you have to pay money, sadly. The cheapest one that does it job well is the IE 400 which is surprisingly good, but no comparison to the other mentioned ones. But its good, so you don't have to rob the bank for something that's good

But for an >=4-way system, you're almost always paying around 1k

But i know an SE846 owner who has his for 10 years and still has a endgame flagship. So if you invest wise, you do it once and can be happy/done

 

[PROblemdetected]

As someone who owned the Variatios and the S8 (which I think is better) you can only endgame with an Reference Monitor like the M9, SE846, Mach 70 and similar because only these can play every song and make it sound right/good.

The variations is good until you discover a new music album that doesn't sound good with it.

Something like that will never happen with an Monitor and is kinda what FiiO was targeting with the FA9 and the FA19 (IMHO)

For an good monitor you have to pay money, sadly. The cheapest one that does it job well is the IE 400 which is surprisingly good, but no comparison to the other mentioned ones. But its good, so you don't have to rob the bank for something that's good

But for an >=4-way system, you're almost always paying around 1k

But i know an SE846 owner who has his for 10 years and still has a endgame flagship. So if you invest wise, you do it once and can be happy/done

You are talking about your preferences mate.

And not, you don't have to spend ridiculously amount of money to get a reference sound. You just need a iem that suit your profile.

Cheap iem with a profile that suits you > expensive iem with a profile you dont like.

About 4way crossover and that kind of stuff... the z1r is just a DD (a expensive one). And it sounds marvelous, but I cant recommend it with so many impressive DD iems under 300€.

Telling people that the "real sound" is behind a paywall of money in 2024, is just funny.

The ANANDA NANO destroys my z1R, and cost a fraction.

Anyways, this is a FiiO Fa19 thread, wich is fun / not reference iem, and cost less that some exotics V_shaped DDs coming from Japan.

 

[JiffyJank]

You should not have any inner-ear pressure when using any IEM with foam. As unvented IEM should not be used with silicone tips (that is highly disregarded by all professional/major IEM makers as it can permanently damage your hearing) so there should be no issue with the FA19 or any other unvented IEM.

The woofer drivers are vented, this will probably have no effect to the inner-ear pressure. Maybe FiiO did vent the whole IEM (it doesn't look like, but who knows), but its unlikely. They only vented the Bass BA as it seems. They did the same thing already on the FA9 and as many users reported, did not have influence on air-pressure issues, so these also had to be used with foam (but shipped with ton of silicone tips what nobody understood... audiophiles just love them so hard).

Do you have a source on
"As unvented IEM should not be used with silicone tips (that is highly disregarded by all professional/major IEM makers as it can permanently damage your hearing)"
I would like to read up on it.

 

[cleg]

My video about FA19. Totally re-tuned compared to FA9, and now it's one of the best-sounding models in this price segment

 

[Vamp898]

Do you have a source on
"As unvented IEM should not be used with silicone tips (that is highly disregarded by all professional/major IEM makers as it can permanently damage your hearing)"
I would like to read up on it.

I am not sure what do you mean. Unless you have holes in your ear, there is no way for air pressure compensation with silicone earpieces. That is how air works. I could give you links to physics books or biology books, but that is the very basics of how cases work in closed systems.

When you insert an In-Ear into your ear, with silicone, there are, depending on your ear canal, several things that can happen.

1. Your just shoving the air into your air and pressurize it. Playing music further causes pneumatic pressure on your eardrum
2. Your are using a special technique to insert it without sealing by pulling on your ear to straiten the ear canal (very very slightly), you will have negative pressure (suction) as soon you let go of your ear.

Also the pressure constantly changes while the IEM is inside your ear because you will not standing there, dead silet and not move any muscle anymore for hours of listening.

But the best example is to look at reviews. Audiophiles are very arrogant and are sure, they do nothing wrong until you put the data straight into their face (and even then, most will just tell you the data is wrong). There are reviews of the SE846 that complain it has less bass like for example the Etymotic. Which is nonsense as it has a >=5db bass boost compared to these. But they tested it with silicone, caused air pressure and so the bass was gone.

Here is an commercial advertisement for 64 Audios APEX Module that explains the issue

But as said, you don't have to buy an IEM with such an feature as foam lets through air. Not in a great amout, but enough to reduce this issue. You do not have air pressure issues with foam. A cheap, simple and easy fix and exactly the reason why professional IEM come with foam tips pre-installed and pretty much all musicians that i have ever met only use IEM with foam, for exactly that reason (higher isolation, better sound, hearing protection).

So if you don't trust me, trust the musicians who make the music.

 

[JiffyJank]

I am not sure what do you mean. Unless you have holes in your ear, there is no way for air pressure compensation with silicone earpieces. That is how air works. I could give you links to physics books or biology books, but that is the very basics of how cases work in closed systems.

When you insert an In-Ear into your ear, with silicone, there are, depending on your ear canal, several things that can happen.

1. Your just shoving the air into your air and pressurize it. Playing music further causes pneumatic pressure on your eardrum
2. Your are using a special technique to insert it without sealing by pulling on your ear to straiten the ear canal (very very slightly), you will have negative pressure (suction) as soon you let go of your ear.

Also the pressure constantly changes while the IEM is inside your ear because you will not standing there, dead silet and not move any muscle anymore for hours of listening.

But the best example is to look at reviews. Audiophiles are very arrogant and are sure, they do nothing wrong until you put the data straight into their face (and even then, most will just tell you the data is wrong). There are reviews of the SE846 that complain it has less bass like for example the Etymotic. Which is nonsense as it has a >=5db bass boost compared to these. But they tested it with silicone, caused air pressure and so the bass was gone.

Here is an commercial advertisement for 64 Audios APEX Module that explains the issue

But as said, you don't have to buy an IEM with such an feature as foam lets through air. Not in a great amout, but enough to reduce this issue. You do not have air pressure issues with foam. A cheap, simple and easy fix and exactly the reason why professional IEM come with foam tips pre-installed and pretty much all musicians that i have ever met only use IEM with foam, for exactly that reason (higher isolation, better sound, hearing protection).

So if you don't trust me, trust the musicians who make the music.

Thanks buddy. I appreciate it.

 

[Vamp898]

Thanks buddy. I appreciate it.

Sadly the foam pieces that FiiO ships with the FA19 are very subpar and i can not recommend them at all. There are quite a lot of makers out there that produce foam, you have to see for your ear what feels best but in my personal experience (and i think i speak for the majority who tried a lot of foam), there is nothing more comfortable and doesn't change the sound than COMPLY. But they are also the most expensive so everyone have to decide for himself if that money is worth getting them.

For me, it absolutely is and most large makers like Shure/Westone and others ship COMPLY out of the box with their IEM. They are also the only company that make larger ones for even higher isolation that turn your IEM into hearing protection.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

But as said, you don't have to buy an IEM with such an feature as foam lets through air. Not in a great amout, but enough to reduce this issue. You do not have air pressure issues with foam. A cheap, simple and easy fix and exactly the reason why professional IEM come with foam tips pre-installed and pretty much all musicians that i have ever met only use IEM with foam, for exactly that reason (higher isolation, better sound, hearing protection).

So if you don't trust me, trust the musicians who make the music.

I believe that musicians choose foam tips because they have a much greater hold than silicone tips and they do not have the need to continually adjust them during the performance on stage.

 

[Vamp898]

I believe that musicians choose foam tips because they have a much greater hold than silicone tips and they do not have the need to continually adjust them during the performance on stage.

That is also an reason. But those are usually special foam, called yellow sleves

https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/accessories/eaylf1

That is also what my cousin (who is a drummer and hence has IEM) uses in the gym.

But of course, its a matter of your ear and how you use them and so on. As a vocalist, the P-Type are the best because with these, the occlusion effect is the lowest which is essential when singing (otherwise you hear yourself through vibrations louder than through the IEM)

 

[Guy Fawkes]

That is also an reason. But those are usually special foam, called yellow sleves

https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/accessories/eaylf1

That is also what my cousin (who is a drummer and hence has IEM) uses in the gym.

But of course, its a matter of your ear and how you use them and so on. As a vocalist, the P-Type are the best because with these, the occlusion effect is the lowest which is essential when singing (otherwise you hear yourself through vibrations louder than through the IEM)

I disagree in stating that other than foam tips, no other tip can be suitable for closed IEMs.

Most of the people here are not musicians and don't have the need to use their IEMs in extreme conditions like on stage, most of us use them sitting in an armchair or on a walk, I myself wouldn't use my expensive IEMs either during a run.

Most of us make critical use of our IEMs and need to test them with various types of tips to discover their potential and adaptations based on the genres we listen to, therefore I should feel forced to use foam tips to avoid the phantom pressurization problem, I find it useless and restrictive.

I like to use either foam, silicone, latex, or even better TPE tips, each has its own characteristics, limits and potential, but I wouldn't say that one is better than another regardless.

 

[LFC_SL]

Maybe performing day after day, show after show, the user needs durability, reliability and reparability, I would not think that being on stage in of itself are "extreme conditions"? Anyway, looks like Fiio are at CanJam London again this weekend so the proof is in the hearing

 

[Vamp898]

I disagree in stating that other than foam tips, no other tip can be suitable for closed IEMs.

Most of the people here are not musicians and don't have the need to use their IEMs in extreme conditions like on stage, most of us use them sitting in an armchair or on a walk, I myself wouldn't use my expensive IEMs either during a run.

Nobody talked about extreme conditions^^

You have air pressure issues the very second you put it into your ear. Even if you are sitting on a chair, not moving at all. That issues is unrelated to your movement.

But sealed IEM (don't forget that IEM means In Ear Monitor) have been invented to isolate sound. That is the only reason they exist in the first place. The stage mechanic from Van Halen was looking for a solution to protect the hearing of the artists and hence invented sealed IEM because they isolate sound.

They only do that (and only work in general) when you use them with foam. So if you do not want to use them with foam, there is 0 reason to buy an sealed IEM in the first place.

The reason why Chinese companies make Sealed IEM that are not meant for monitoring (and so actually aren't IEM as you don't monitor with them, but thats a different topic) is because they copy the famous makers and the famous makers (Westone, who invented IEM, JH Audio, Shure, Vision Ears, FitEar and so on), make IEM for musicians.

Look at the FiiO F9, the first audiophile In-Ear from FiiO

And then look at the Westone W-Series

Now look at any random custom IEM

And then look at the next big IEM that FiiO released after the F9, the FA7

Why do Chinese Makers create sealed IEM and then sell them as normal earphone? Nobody knows, nobody understands. I mean, i understand, they have insanely high sound quality and they look cool but they use the same technology and so, the same laws of physics apply which means, you have to use these with faom if you don't want air pressure issues.

I did not invent this concept, don't blame me^^ if you don't want to use foam, don't buy sealed IEM for musicians^^ buy a normal, vented earphone and you're free to use them with silicone