FiiO&JadeAudio Dynamic Driver IEMs Discussion & Impressions Thread
Jan 26, 2021 at 7:33 PM Post #586 of 1,891
Agreed.

And while listening to the FD5 and forming the review I find it almost perfectly tuned and not short of detail , transparency , imaging and space allocation.
I'm not very impressed so far with the FD5. 😬

I think the semi open nature is a problem for me. I can hear the positive effects but also the negative effects. I don't particularly enjoy the omnipresent base - it's no as tight and focused as I would like it to be. The imaging is also hurt by the semi openness, or at least that is what I am attributing it to. I've found that Imaging is helped by closing the sound and having walls that the sound can bounce from, at the expense of unforced expressiveness aka openness. I value imaging much more than I previously thought.

When I compare the FD5 to my previous Single DD set, the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, the Urbanfun wins handily in the mid range (and bass, but not by a mile). It's got that PRaT and vibrancy and "look at me" quality that is simply missing from the FD5.

FD5 is sleepy and dull in the mids comparatively. It lacks shape and falls flat. The FD5 also has a high wince factor that distracts from the music. It's not a very refined treble - it's more realistic and gritty which I don't think works for most conventional music.
 
Jan 26, 2021 at 8:34 PM Post #587 of 1,891
It's an unconventional sound, for sure. They have incredible spatial accuracy in games, though, so I can't agree there. Until I hear something better, I guess. =p We'll see what A7, DM8 and Penon Fan & Orb can do.
 
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Jan 26, 2021 at 9:51 PM Post #588 of 1,891
I'm not very impressed so far with the FD5. 😬

I think the semi open nature is a problem for me. I can hear the positive effects but also the negative effects. I don't particularly enjoy the omnipresent base - it's no as tight and focused as I would like it to be. The imaging is also hurt by the semi openness, or at least that is what I am attributing it to. I've found that Imaging is helped by closing the sound and having walls that the sound can bounce from, at the expense of unforced expressiveness aka openness. I value imaging much more than I previously thought.

When I compare the FD5 to my previous Single DD set, the Urbanfun YBF-ISS014, the Urbanfun wins handily in the mid range (and bass, but not by a mile). It's got that PRaT and vibrancy and "look at me" quality that is simply missing from the FD5.

FD5 is sleepy and dull in the mids comparatively. It lacks shape and falls flat. The FD5 also has a high wince factor that distracts from the music. It's not a very refined treble - it's more realistic and gritty which I don't think works for most conventional music.
FiiO does recommend 100 - 200 hrs, burn-in

When I first got the FD5, I tested for DOA (before throwing them in the "oven", for an extended burn-in) and as you described, I found them rather dark and lacking any real excitement in the upper range. I can't say as to exactly when the FD5 loosened up, but around two days in I took another quick listen and found the mid range was much clearer and the upper range had opened up; to the point that they were now touching me in a bad way.

After some cable swapping, acoustic filters and PEQ, I got the FD5 to be what I wanted out of them: a definitive sub bass - bass, neutral to warmish mids and as much detail as my (admittedly sensitive ears) could handle.

It's a journey, with the FD5, if they don't hit your sweet spot, with FiiO's intended presentation. But I found the challenges were worth the final outcome.
 
Jan 26, 2021 at 10:44 PM Post #589 of 1,891
Tuning is the most important aspect of any iem. So single DDs can beat multi driver iems, if they are tuned well.
Absolutely agree! More drivers don't always equal better sound.
 
Jan 27, 2021 at 1:27 AM Post #590 of 1,891
I gave the FD5 a burn-in of 100 hours and the upper mids are still very sharp to my ears. I used nearly 20 different tips and a different cable, but it became not better. Now i sold them an go back to the Tanchjim Oxygen. Sure i will miss the subbass and the huge stage with holographic imaging, but the soundsignature of the Oxygen is much better to my ears. You can listen to them for hours and you can easily play them very loud without fatiguing.
 
Jan 27, 2021 at 1:58 AM Post #591 of 1,891
I gave the FD5 a burn-in of 100 hours and the upper mids are still very sharp to my ears. I used nearly 20 different tips and a different cable, but it became not better. Now i sold them an go back to the Tanchjim Oxygen. Sure i will miss the subbass and the huge stage with holographic imaging, but the soundsignature of the Oxygen is much better to my ears. You can listen to them for hours and you can easily play them very loud without fatiguing.

Try EQ them to get rid the annoying frequencies for free (you don’t need to spend on tips, cables or sources).

I mean, that’s what the EQ is for.
 
Jan 27, 2021 at 2:13 AM Post #592 of 1,891
Try EQ them to get rid the annoying frequencies for free (you don’t need to spend on tips, cables or sources).

I mean, that’s what the EQ is for.

+1. Also they seem easy to EQ, just knock the lower and mid treble by 2-4dB. Will see once I got mine soon.
 
Jan 27, 2021 at 4:32 AM Post #593 of 1,891
Got a set of these in today :) Packaging, build quality , cable and accessories are super impressive. It feels like a far more premium product than it’s asking price suggests. Right up there with the flagship IEM’s that are many times more expensive.

Sound quality out of the box is also impressive but I’ll let it settle in a bit before making any proper judgements. But as others have mentioned already, the stage is very large and holographic, and the bass digs deep with satisfying slam and rumble. The treble sounds a little grainy but hoping that will improve with time. Technicalities seem solid.

So far so good! And jeez, they’re not bad on the eyes either!

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Jan 27, 2021 at 12:20 PM Post #594 of 1,891
I ordered a pair from Amazon that should be here tomorrow, but I am surprised at how polarizing these iems have turned out to be. I don't know how much I will be using them portably, but if I do it will mostly be from an m11 pro (my receipt of which as a gift prompted me to reexamine iems). Also will be using them with my desktop setup of Gungnir MB>Freya S>Jot/Asgard 3/Vali 2 depending on mood and synergy (tbd, no assumptions). Fiio has generally stuck to relatively safe tunings in its products, but reactions to this iem are pretty much all over the map. I haven't much recent experience with iems, but back in the dark ages, when almost all iems were balanced armature-based, i wished for better tone/timbre, but none i tried were quite right in that regard. Lately, I have tried some cheap single dynamic models, and have been pretty impressed with their performance in those characteristics. These include the fd1, bl-03, and Tin HiFi T4, and I was particularly impressed with the T4, which my son gave me because he hated the lack of bass (which I don't agree about, but he is definitely a basshead).

Really like the fd1 too at its price, but I was hoping to get the benefits of a single dynamic driver in coherency and tone/timbre without giving up the resolution and extension on both ends that I felt were lacking in the fd1. Improved staging and imaging would be nice too, but are of secondary (especially the former) importance in an iem for me. I don't generally mind a more "fun" or consumer based tuning, as long as I don't give up too much. I also don't mind the recessed mids I have seen on fr graphs if the tone/timbre in the mids are right. I do not have near the $ necessary to play in the totl realm (my over ears are hd6xx, Sundara, and Elex) , but I am hoping the fd5 will scale reasonably well with better source gear. Given the contradictory opinions about them, I feel like I should have a pool based on whether I will be disappointed or not:tired_face::relaxed:.
 
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Jan 27, 2021 at 12:44 PM Post #595 of 1,891
I ordered a pair from Amazon that should be here tomorrow, but I am surprised at how polarizing these iems have turned out to be. I don't know how much I will be using them portably, but if I do it will mostly be from an m11 pro (my receipt of which as a gift prompted me to reexamine iems). Also will be using them with my desktop setup of Gungnir MB>Freya S>Jot/Asgard 3/Vali 2 depending on mood and synergy (tbd, no assumptions). Fiio has generally stuck to relatively safe tunings in its products, but reactions to this iem are pretty much all over the map. I haven't much recent experience with iems, but back in the dark ages, when almost all iems were balanced armature-based, i wished for better tone/timbre, but none i tried were quite right in that regard. Lately, I have tried some cheap single dynamic models, and have been pretty impressed with their performance in those characteristics. These include the fd1, bl-03, and Tin HiFi T4, and I was particularly impressed with the T4, which my son gave me because he hated the lack of bass (which I don't agree about, but he is definitely a basshead).

Really like the fd1 too at its price, but I was hoping to get the benefits of a single dynamic driver in coherency and tone/timbre without giving up the resolution and extension on both ends that I felt were lacking in the fd1. Improved staging and imaging would be nice too, but are of secondary (especially the former) importance in an iem for me. I don't generally mind a more "fun" or consumer based tuning, as long as I don't give up too much. I also don't mind the recessed mids I have seen on fr graphs if the tone/timbre in the mids are right. I do not have near the $ necessary to play in the totl realm (my over ears are hd6xx, Sundara, and Elex) , but I am hoping the fd5 will scale reasonably well with better source gear. Given the contradictory opinions about them, I feel like I should have a pool based on whether I will be disappointed or not:tired_face::relaxed:.
Your asgard 3 matches well with it.
 
Jan 28, 2021 at 8:02 AM Post #597 of 1,891
My Fiio FD5 finally arrived today as well. Very good sound out of the box. Tremendous bass, soundstage and detail, including in the treble. There is a smoothness and effortlessness to it that is just impressive (I listen mostly to jazz, acoustic and orchestral genres).

I was a bit afraid due to some less positive opinions in this thread, but I don't hear any harshness in treble or upper mids, nor do I think there are missing low mid details, texture or bite, which is something someone mentioned as well, though they might be a tad leaner in the low mids.

I will probably just listen to them while they burnin, but I can't think of any aspect that needs a major improvement.

The conundrum now is that they arrived just a week after my LZ A7, another amazing earphone, so my attention split...
 
Jan 28, 2021 at 9:36 AM Post #598 of 1,891
The conundrum now is that they arrived just a week after my LZ A7, another amazing earphone, so my attention split...
I'll be in the same boat, soon as my A7 gets here! :o2smile:
 
Jan 28, 2021 at 10:18 AM Post #599 of 1,891
I guess I'm the 3rd one here to get FD5 today.
After 2-3 songs I'm picking up graininess in the treble, symbals sound splashy, mids are recessed definitely, it's like they have a veil over them, separation is not the best also.
I can't say that I like what I hear at all 😔

Edit,
Stock tips, cable and V50 as a source
 
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