[Scubadevils]

The qdc has had some fantastic reviews but it's pretty upmarket price-wise. If I remember correctly just under Turii level.

drftr

Actually sorry, I was thinking of the UM 3xDD which is reasonably priced. I know a certain @Xinlisupreme has had that QDC begging him to buy for a while now!

 

[SemiAudiophile]

This is where I'm at right now. I'm a bit apprehensive of going to a more traditional V-shape FR curve after falling for the FD7's tuning, but if nozzle/tip rolling can help alleviate any excessive lower treble, I'm very excited to get a pair of the FD5 as my daily driver. My only concerns about using the FD7 as a daily driver is that they're kinda too nice to be taking them everywhere. Also, I like having a bit extra bass for outdoor or public earphones.

To me FD7/FDX is a luxury IEM and can sound luxurious as well. I would certainly hate to drop them or lose them outside (same with FD5). FD5 is an amazing reference set. Same Fiio house sound but more V shaped with more intimate and forward mids. I'm happy to have both sets.

 

[XERO1]

To me FD7/FDX is a luxury IEM and can sound luxurious as well. I would certainly hate to drop them or lose them outside (same with FD5). FD5 is an amazing reference set. Same Fiio house sound but more V shaped with more intimate and forward mids. I'm happy to have both sets.

Same here. Although I would LOVE to see FiiO come out with a ‘FD5 Pro’ that had the more neutral tuning of the FD7 and also came with the excellent pure silver cable, and was priced around $400.

I’d buy one in a heartbeat!!

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I honestly can't see me buying another hybrid, BA etc for the foreseeable and it will need a very strong case for me to do so.

I feel the same. Although, if someone made a hybrid with just a quality single or double DD to handle the bass/mids and a estat to handle treble extension, I'd definitely be interested @FiiO.

I'm kinda waiting for a Variations 2...that might've been my favorite tribrid. I sometimes miss it.

 

[FlowLikeWater]

I feel the same. Although, if someone made a hybrid with just a quality single or double DD to handle the bass/mids and a estat to handle treble extension, I'd definitely be interested @FiiO.

I'm kinda waiting for a Variations 2...that might've been my favorite tribrid. I sometimes miss it.

Vision Ears EXT

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Vision Ears EXT

At an affordable price.

As much as I love IEMs, I can't find myself spending more than $2k on them. I got the U12t at a discount and I still think they're overpriced. They should be priced around $1100-1200 realistically imo.

For that kind of $$$$ I rather be spending on full size headphones or speakers.

 

[FlowLikeWater]

At an affordable price.

As much as I love IEMs, I can't find myself spending more than $2k on them. I got the U12t at a discount and I still think they're overpriced. They should be priced around $1100-1200 realistically imo.

For that kind of $$$$ I rather be spending on full size headphones or speakers.

Fair point haha...yeah the double Ds and the Estats is a combo I've been interested in as well, but $3k price is heart attack level

Good luck on your search man, here's hoping the tech comes down in price over the years

 

[Tachikoma]

I get the impression FD7 and ZEN PRO will have similar tuning - only way to find out is either I buy FD7, or someone else here buys ZEN PRO!

I honestly can't see me buying another hybrid, BA etc for the foreseeable and it will need a very strong case for me to do so. Single DDs and buds are where its at for me now - or maybe a 3xDD in the shape of Penon Serial, intrigued about that.

My impression of Dunu, based on the Dunu DK-3001 pro, is that they have a much darker house sound. The DK-3001 pro sounded like it had no air whatsoever (for my tastes, YMMV).

 

[drftr]

My impression of Dunu, based on the Dunu DK-3001 pro, is that they have a much darker house sound. The DK-3001 pro sounded like it had no air whatsoever.

According to the FR charts that's one of the things that have improved in the Pro vs the OG.

drftr

 

[elindil]

I like the stock cable quite a bit myself. Love the modular design. But the ISN AG8 adds a bit of extra to the FD7. You get more of it basically. Which is the best way to describe how that cable affects the FD7. I would say the AG8 is not really a necessity but more for folks that want to optimize one of your faves.

As AG8 is still a pure silver cable, would buying a 8 strand pure copper cable be a better option to increase note weight and improve the lushness of the mids? Would a cable like the Xinhs 8 cores Single crystal copper do the trick? Or would a cable of much better make (possibly higher price)needed to see that marginal but noticeable change in tone for the FD7?

Thanks in advance !

 

[Dsnuts]

Good question. Any cable will work on the FD7 but there is a reason why Fiio chose a pure silver cable to match the FD7. FD7 is a highly resolving well balanced pure beryllium dynamic earphone. Silver properties matches up perfectly with the FD7 as it brings out all the technical aspects of the FD7, stage imaging, instrument separation, timbre, tone and detail. Using copper is ok and it will really come down to preference but you end up giving up a slight bit of that transparency and technical ability of the FD7 for a slightly warmer smoother take on the FD7 sound. I can see how some folks will be ok with that trade off. If you're going to use copper. You can certainly use a nicer copper cable and the treble nozzle on the FD7 for a different take on the FD7 sound signature. So the idea there is the counter the slight smoothening of the treble region with copper cable using the treble nozzle which opens up the treble end a bit and in return you can get a more organic sounding FD7 and a fuller bass end than what it already is but then you loose that silver transparency for the FD7 in the process. Something like a hybrid cable with copper and silver mixed will work even better. Yes I did try the Penon mix on the FD7 but in the end it was the AG8 that won it out.

The AG8 is different than most silver cables on the market it is thick by design so there is no loss of note weight if anything it adds a bit yet has that highly resolving silver ability at the same time. It enhances stage better than most silver cables as well.

The FD7 deserves a much higher more resolving copper cable if you're going to use one like a higher end UPOCC copper or crystal copper cable will be better match up with the FD7. But again if you go back to the stock cable or something like the AG8 the stage, imaging and detail will change a bit. Since the FD7 has them tuning nozzles and it is an mmcx. There is some flexibility to really hone down the FD7 to a person's tonal and technical preference. A warmer take on the FD7 a more bassier version a more lusher version all that can be possible. But bringing out the best detailed FD7 with the best stage possible is what silver is all about.

Cables are a personal thing a bit of a way to lean a sound to your liking so it really will depend on some experimentation. Nothing wrong with experimenting with the FD7 to see how you like a cable match up. I tried a bunch of cables with the FD7 and I always came back to a silver variant. Again its stock cable is one of those rare instances where the manufacturer actually matched up the sound properties perfectly with the included cable. I bet it was a design choice. You don't design something like a pure beryllium flagship dynamic and have that not be a design choice. You don't think Fiio tried all their cables they produce on the FD7. I bet they did and many more to get the cable it came up with.

 

[elindil]

Good question. Any cable will work on the FD7 but there is a reason why Fiio chose a pure silver cable to match the FD7. FD7 is a highly resolving well balanced pure beryllium dynamic earphone. Silver properties matches up perfectly with the FD7 as it brings out all the technical aspects of the FD7, stage imaging, instrument separation, timbre, tone and detail. Using copper is ok and it will really come down to preference but you end up giving up a slight bit of that transparency and technical ability of the FD7 for a slightly warmer smoother take on the FD7 sound. I can see how some folks will be ok with that trade off. If you're going to use copper. You can certainly use a nicer copper cable and the treble nozzle on the FD7 for a different take on the FD7 sound signature. So the idea there is the counter the slight smoothening of the treble region with copper cable using the treble nozzle which opens up the treble end a bit and in return you can get a more organic sounding FD7 and a fuller bass end than what it already is.

The AG8 is different than most silver cables on the market it is thick by design so there is no loss of note weight if anything it adds a bit yet has that highly resolving silver ability at the same time. It enhances stage better than most silver cables as well.

The FD7 deserves a much higher more resolving copper cable if you're going to use one like a higher end UPOCC copper or crystal copper cable will be better match up with the FD7. But again if you go back to the stock cable or something like the AG8 the stage, imaging and detail will change a bit. Since the FD7 has them tuning nozzles and it is an mmcx. There is some flexibility to really hone down the FD7 to a person's tonal and technical preference. A warmer take on the FD7 a more bassier version a more lusher version all that can be possible. But bringing out the best detailed FD7 with the best stage possible is what silver is all about.

Cables are a personal thing a bit of a way to lean a sound to your liking so it really will depend on some experimentation. Nothing wrong with experimenting with the FD7 to see how you like a cable match up. I tried a bunch of cables with the FD7 and I always came back to a silver variant. Again its stock cable is one of those rare instances where the manufacturer actually matched up the sound properties perfectly with the included cable. I bet it was a design choice. You don't design something like a pure beryllium flagship dynamic and have that not be a design choice. You don't think Fiio tried all their cables they produce on the FD7. I bet they did and many more to get the cable it came up with.

Thank you for that detailed explanation! Really gives me plenty of insight on cables pairings with the FD7. I'll be sure to experiment with better cables. For now I am gonna try the copper cable form Xinhs first, see how it goes about. Also thanks for pointing me in the direction of the treble nozzle. I have yet to play with them to see the differences.

I tried the Anole VX the other day just to see what I am missing out. Though the FD7s and the Anole VX are 2 fundamentally different IEMS, both of them just sound so tonally right to me. (The U12ts I tried were simply boring in comparison). But I would still choose the FD7s over the Anole VX for the sense of realism it provides to most music genres and instruments representation within. Hopefully the use of copper wires, will bring a slight boost to my enjoyment of music via the FD7s, albeit at the slight expense of details (of which there is already aplenty).

 

[Tachikoma]

Speaking of cables, I wonder how much of a difference there is between the FDX and FD7 cables (gold-copper-silver vs pure silver)...

 

[walkmanforever]

So, the FD7 has started to open up at 35 hours. Sounds jaw droppingly good with the Honey H1. Better than the Arya in timbre and tonality. Images like a god and sounds like an open back, even deeper and wider than the FD5. The mids have a lushness that's rare and golden. This is totl stuff at a very good price. One of the best buys for me for sure. Can't wait to cross the 200 hour mark. Yet to hear it with the Conductor 3XP as I am out travelling, but would like to see how it scales up now.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Good question. Any cable will work on the FD7 but there is a reason why Fiio chose a pure silver cable to match the FD7. FD7 is a highly resolving well balanced pure beryllium dynamic earphone. Silver properties matches up perfectly with the FD7 as it brings out all the technical aspects of the FD7, stage imaging, instrument separation, timbre, tone and detail. Using copper is ok and it will really come down to preference but you end up giving up a slight bit of that transparency and technical ability of the FD7 for a slightly warmer smoother take on the FD7 sound. I can see how some folks will be ok with that trade off. If you're going to use copper. You can certainly use a nicer copper cable and the treble nozzle on the FD7 for a different take on the FD7 sound signature. So the idea there is the counter the slight smoothening of the treble region with copper cable using the treble nozzle which opens up the treble end a bit and in return you can get a more organic sounding FD7 and a fuller bass end than what it already is but then you loose that silver transparency for the FD7 in the process. Something like a hybrid cable with copper and silver mixed will work even better. Yes I did try the Penon mix on the FD7 but in the end it was the AG8 that won it out.

The AG8 is different than most silver cables on the market it is thick by design so there is no loss of note weight if anything it adds a bit yet has that highly resolving silver ability at the same time. It enhances stage better than most silver cables as well.

The FD7 deserves a much higher more resolving copper cable if you're going to use one like a higher end UPOCC copper or crystal copper cable will be better match up with the FD7. But again if you go back to the stock cable or something like the AG8 the stage, imaging and detail will change a bit. Since the FD7 has them tuning nozzles and it is an mmcx. There is some flexibility to really hone down the FD7 to a person's tonal and technical preference. A warmer take on the FD7 a more bassier version a more lusher version all that can be possible. But bringing out the best detailed FD7 with the best stage possible is what silver is all about.

Cables are a personal thing a bit of a way to lean a sound to your liking so it really will depend on some experimentation. Nothing wrong with experimenting with the FD7 to see how you like a cable match up. I tried a bunch of cables with the FD7 and I always came back to a silver variant. Again its stock cable is one of those rare instances where the manufacturer actually matched up the sound properties perfectly with the included cable. I bet it was a design choice. You don't design something like a pure beryllium flagship dynamic and have that not be a design choice. You don't think Fiio tried all their cables they produce on the FD7. I bet they did and many more to get the cable it came up with.

To add to your point, I tried the FD7 cable on the FD5 but didn't like it. Made it more lean in the mids and v shape sounding. I think Fiio does do a great job with cable matching and the supplied stock cables.

So, the FD7 has started to open up at 35 hours. Sounds jaw droppingly good with the Honey H1. Better than the Arya in timbre and tonality. Images like a god and sounds like an open back, even deeper and wider than the FD5. The mids have a lushness that's rare and golden. This is totl stuff at a very good price. One of the best buys for me for sure. Can't wait to cross the 200 hour mark. Yet to hear it with the Conductor 3XP as I am out travelling, but would like to see how it scales up now.

I get that feeling a lot. Sometimes I forget I'm wearing IEMs and feels more like a open back headphone. Same thing with FD5 and xelastec tips.