FiiO FA9 early impressions.
-Excellent build quality and fit.
-Stock cable is good quality but only available in 3.5mm, so I got the LC-RE cable which comes with a modular plug system for my 4.4mm fix.
-The modular plug of FiiO's LC-RE doesn't match the quality of say, Dunu's Hulk. Feels less premium.
-The switches are horrible to learn, and the on/off documentation in the product page is confusing. It's better to stick to up or down.
-Default switches is down/up/down, or 010. 011 for more bass/less mids, 001 for a V-shaped sound, and 000 for a treble-centric sound.
-The first switch controls impedance, down for DAPs up for phones I guess. Down is cleaner and sounds less congested.
-Loads of tips to try, but I stuck with the included Spinfits (CP360?) and was happy with them.
-Driven by M15 on low gain, FA9's default sound is warmish and midforward. Vocals got too in my head to the point it got bothersome.
-Changed the switches to 011, and it got much better for me. Full blooming bass with quick decay and no bleed, and the overly-forward mids took a step back. So far I'm sticking to this one.
-Treble is extended and airy, just the right amount of sparkle. No sibilance.
-Good resolution and detail levels.
-Soundstage is average, width more than depth.
-I like the FH7 bass texture more, but FA9 does mids and treble tone well. More testing and comparisons to come.
Overall, solid effort from FiiO. I just wish the switches were better implemented.