FlowLikeWater
100+ Head-Fier
srry bro never tried
if i were u id read the reviews and compare to the best performers in category to find out, always better to get opinion after reading multiple ppl
FiiO FD1 - 10mm 1DD IEM
- Thread starter XERO1
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if i were u id read the reviews and compare to the best performers in category to find out, always better to get opinion after reading multiple ppl
Owludio
500+ Head-Fier
I mostly agree, but ER4, M7&M9 are reference level and not really comparable to Fiio. Without a good source, they're not much fun. FH7 is competing with another IEM outperforming its respective price range - iBasso it04. (maybe new Dunu DK3001pro, but I didn't hear that one). I think FD1 outperforms its price range as well. Definitely better than it01, No.3, BL03... Specifically, besides awesomely tight, deep & agile bass, - the treble is the best in the $100 price range despite being a bit too fast/thin. I will do some cable swapping today and see if it's correctable. Not sure if burn-in alone going to be enough. And will compare bass to FH7. I'm curious if this DD improves on some qualities of FH7 BeDD, and if so - wonder, what to expect from future FHxx IEM. Maybe that one will be truly mind-blowing!u misunderstand. from reviews, it is obvious that fiio iems r good, maybe great, but never fantastic or mindblowing. u have to read between the lines
think: sony mh755, er4xr/sr, jvc fdx1, moondrop s8, sony ier m7/m9, etc. as top tier performers in their price point, it is obvious fiio isn't quite at this level yet, but hopefully they get there
FlowLikeWater
100+ Head-Fier
great point about the source bro, def need good source for those reference iems (e.g. my ER4Xr sound flat and 2D out of phone)
glad to hear u r enjoying the fdx1, heres hoping they become beasts after more burn in
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The hype around the BL-03 is almost entirely about the tuning, not the technical performance (which is pretty good for costing ~$50), nor the fit. And it’s a tuning well suited for a single-DD design. If my assumption that the FD1 was trying to compete with BLON was mistaken, that’s obviously on me. But it does beg the question, who is this IEM for?
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
The formula for a successful IEM seems simple, but it MUST be a real challenge to achieve. Take a really good beryllium coated DD, put it in an ergonomic shell like the FD1 or BL05, tune it exactly like the BL03 with a slight decrease in the mid bass so it doesn’t bleed into the mids, include great accessories like FiiO always does, and sell it in the $50 to $70 range, and presto. Unfortunately not.
Owludio
500+ Head-Fier
I think people @FiiO are reading this thread. Let me venture in the conspiracy theory and guess, - that hype around Dunu Luna ($1700 pure Be single DD) didn't go unnoticed by FiiO, and they're brewing something in their lab that going to compete with Luna on a budget level. While hanging on FH7 thread I read several posts commenting on people auditioning TOTLs like Solaris walked out of the store with FH7, not because it was as good, but because for 1/3 the price it was good enough.
). Am I the only one who's blown away by that insane treble performance?
Forget about bass for a moment. Bass can be achieved with descent driver + good tuning. It's the treble that benefits from Beryllium coating, and is a real challenge otherwise. I was saying earlier about somewhat thinner lower treble - but guess what? My iBasso it04 has the same problem. Sony ier-M9 makes me unhappy on any source except desktop + HD with the same thinness of lower treble that becomes unnoticeable on a good source.
One of my favorites"Taste of TOTL" budget IEMs is Reecho&Peackock Spring.
Please stay away from Spring unless you really did your research. If you thought FD1 has controversial tuning, wait till you hear that little monster. So, what is so special about Spring? - upper mids are done by DD and that prevents harmonics from BA from contaminating treble.
it01 is good IEM, fun tuning with powerful bass and decent treble. FD1 flies right over it and competes with it04. (obviously not in a Bass dept, as it04 is a sub-bass monster with an impact so strong that I cannot relax while listening to it.
) So far, I also prefer FD1 clean treble to... FH7! FH7 is more detailed and overall tuning is near perfect. One of my favorites. But its treble is fatiguing and most of the time I'm to sensitive to enjoy it. BTW, the speed of FD1 bass is reminiscent of FH7. We live in a fun time...
It's for audiophiles. FD1 is balanced. It's a TOTL tuning in a budget package. You're also right @IEMusic, FD1 is not a crowd-pleaser like BL03, of No.3 or Starfield. Maybe it's there to assess acceptance by audiophiles, to see, if they notice that this speed-demon of a DD doesn't belong in a $60 IEM. Folks, correct me if I'm just imagining this. Feel free to call me crazy(might actually be true
). Am I the only one who's blown away by that insane treble performance?Forget about bass for a moment. Bass can be achieved with descent driver + good tuning. It's the treble that benefits from Beryllium coating, and is a real challenge otherwise. I was saying earlier about somewhat thinner lower treble - but guess what? My iBasso it04 has the same problem. Sony ier-M9 makes me unhappy on any source except desktop + HD with the same thinness of lower treble that becomes unnoticeable on a good source.
One of my favorites"Taste of TOTL" budget IEMs is Reecho&Peackock Spring.
Please stay away from Spring unless you really did your research. If you thought FD1 has controversial tuning, wait till you hear that little monster. So, what is so special about Spring? - upper mids are done by DD and that prevents harmonics from BA from contaminating treble.it01 is good IEM, fun tuning with powerful bass and decent treble. FD1 flies right over it and competes with it04. (obviously not in a Bass dept, as it04 is a sub-bass monster with an impact so strong that I cannot relax while listening to it.
) So far, I also prefer FD1 clean treble to... FH7! FH7 is more detailed and overall tuning is near perfect. One of my favorites. But its treble is fatiguing and most of the time I'm to sensitive to enjoy it. BTW, the speed of FD1 bass is reminiscent of FH7. We live in a fun time...
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
I really think any initial disappointments are due to pre-existing expectations. People really wanted an alternative to the UrbanNot-so-fun QC fiasco. You clearly really like it, and many of us don’t have it yet. Ultimately, what do I know....not much. Over time, with a change in expectations, once people know what this actually represents, this may become a legendary IEM. Though, I have to point out, that one of the main complaints that I’ve read regarding the Luna, is it’s relative lack of sub bass. Maybe FiiO should come out with a different tuned beryllium DD IEM called the FBB1 (FiiO Bery Bass One).I think people @FiiO are reading this thread. Let me venture in the conspiracy theory and guess, - that hype around Dunu Luna ($1700 pure Be single DD) didn't go unnoticed by FiiO, and they're brewing something in their lab that going to compete with Luna on a budget level. While hanging on FH7 thread I read several posts commenting on people auditioning TOTLs like Solaris walked out of the store with FH7, not because it was as good, but because for 1/3 the price it was good enough.
It's for audiophiles. FD1 is balanced. It's a TOTL tuning in a budget package. You're also right @IEMusic, FD1 is not a crowd-pleaser like BL03, of No.3 or Starfield. Maybe it's there to assess acceptance by audiophiles, to see, if they notice that this speed-demon of a DD doesn't belong in a $60 IEM. Folks, correct me if I'm just imagining this. Feel free to call me crazy(might actually be true
Forget about bass for a moment. Bass can be achieved with descent driver + good tuning. It's the treble that benefits from Beryllium coating, and is a real challenge otherwise. I was saying earlier about somewhat thinner lower treble - but guess what? My iBasso it04 has the same problem. Sony ier-M9 makes me unhappy on any source except desktop + HD with the same thinness of lower treble that becomes unnoticeable on a good source.
One of my favorites"Taste of TOTL" budget IEMs is Reecho&Peackock Spring.
it01 is good IEM, fun tuning with powerful bass and decent treble. FD1 flies right over it and competes with it04. (obviously not in a Bass dept, as it04 is a sub-bass monster with an impact so strong that I cannot relax while listening to it.
H T T
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What were people expecting the FD1 to be? Specifically, with FR, tonality, soundstage, etc. expectations not just Be bass. What is Beryllium bass? In what way did you think FiiO “misled” you about the FD1? Help me to understand.
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Owludio
500+ Head-Fier
LOL. Agree, Fiio can come up with the next-gen 13mm BeDD of FH7, the kind that is already known for sub-bass capability, but can also do the treble. Obviously in heavy metal housing for stability. Though I'd prefer custom-universal heavy resin shell instead. Something beautiful like Conductor or R&P Summer.
Owludio
500+ Head-Fier
Exactly! You actually don't need Beryllium for good bass. You need it to prevent the diaphragm from flexing on high frequency thus creating harmonics contaminating the treble.
FD1 is IMHO stellar example of that. And it's not hard to EQ up the bass.
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
FiiO did absolutely NOTHING to mislead us. It’s just that the UrbanFun with a beryllium DD has been so popular for its sound, particularly it’s bass, but has been plagued by major QC problems, that people have been clamoring for an alternative. When FiiO, who has a great reputation as a company, announced a single beryllium coated DD, many of us were hoping it would be that alternative that we desperately wanted. Some of the famous characteristics of the bass from a lot of beryllium DDs is the extremely well textured, articulate, powerful, and punchy sound it produces. The FD1 probably has exactly that, but many were hoping it would have a similar quantity to the UrbanFun PISS. The great treble of the UF is also touted, and in that, the FD1 seems to have succeeded wonderfully.
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F700
Headphoneus Supremus
I like reading this thread while waiting for my blind purchased FD1... Popcorn time!
IEMusic
Headphoneus Supremus
I hope this isn’t coming across as an argument! I’m not disparaging FiiO or the FD1 at all, in fact, I’m trying to defend them, and hopefully explain why there seems to be some initial negative feelings towards the FD1. Either way, I’ve been yammering on too much, so it’s time to put up or shut up. I just impulse purchased the FD1 on Amazon, to preserve any credibility I may have once had. I should get it next Thursday (hopefully w/o too much ire from my wife 
). Hopefully it won’t be too long until I get the UF also (and hopefully it is functional).Edit: I am excited that it comes with a monocrystalline OCC cable.
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F700
Headphoneus Supremus
No no... No argument. Why? People owning the FD1 are reporting their (mixed & different) experience and other are speculating about what it could be or what it could have been. It's just an IEM, so, you know...
Edit: I am excited that it comes with a monocrystalline OCC cable.
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