Cricket4life247
100+ Head-Fier
I think I'm going to get the 16 core cable
FiiO Hybrid IEMs Discussion & Impressions Thread
i would get copper rather than silver though, silver will sound more peaky, sharper, treebly... and very expensive for such a low cost iem... copper sounds more neutral, balanced, powerful bass and more laid back listening. better with this ba drivers.
Cricket4life247
100+ Head-Fier
I think I'm fine with the silver plated 16 core cable for now
Cricket4life247
100+ Head-Fier
redguardsoldier
Head-Fier
I have multiple mmcx cables from KBear and can attest to the quality of the connectors
.Even their cheapest 4-core copper cables use the type of mmcx in your picture. If you look closely at the "ring", you can see that it has a split, basically that ring is 2 semi-circles. With this type of connector, you can increase or decrease the "gap" between the 2 halves to have the tightness that you want
.
It seems that me and @Dobrescu George we are not the only ones who found the FH5s a great sounding iem that punches well above it's price point.
https://headphone.guru/fiio-fh5s-ba-dynamic-4-driver-hybrid-iem/
https://headphone.guru/fiio-fh5s-ba-dynamic-4-driver-hybrid-iem/
FiiO FH5S IEM Review - Best Value For Your Pocket? ---From Soundnews
The written review can be found here: https://soundnews.net/headphones/iems/fiio-fh5s-iem-review-best-value-for-your-pocket/
The written review can be found here: https://soundnews.net/headphones/iems/fiio-fh5s-iem-review-best-value-for-your-pocket/
16 core cable:
Fiio cable:
Fiio cable:
My silver Fiio FH5S arrived this morning. They are open-box and have some amount of burn in-time.
Here are my early impressions:
Fit + Finish
The box was smaller than I thought it would be, and everything is so well packaged. Presentation is top notch, especially in this price bracket. Accessories, tips, cable are all superb.
Seeing the silver FH5S in their display case, they look like fine-crafted jewellery. But they are much more valuable than mere looks. These are stunning, and I imagine there looks contribute to cognitive bias and perception on how these sound.
When I fit them in my ears, they felt a bit loose at first. I was thinking I would need to dig them in deeper. They aren't a deep fit, yet somehow, despite this and their open-back nature, you can immediately tell they provide some measure of isolation. I'm using the (L) Balanced ear tips with them and they fit perfectly. Tip quality is at Sony quality or higher. Seal is perfect. Comfort is sublime.
Intensely dynamic sound field.
So how do these sound. They sound less like IEM, and more like open back headphones. The biggest contention is going to be the treble. It is just on the edge of being etched, and harsh. However, far too many IEMs/headphones dial it back in this area which is necessary for proper upper transients (ie. noticeable in glockenspiel, harpsichord, etc.). Feed it the best recorded music, and you will hear the air in the room with these. Few headphones/IEMs do this without EQ. So ultimately, imo, the treble is excellent and exacting. For others, they will rip the FH5S out of their ears and recoil in horror. This tuning is reminiscent of classic "audiophile" 2-channel systems combined with a modern approach to bass presentation. Now the treble is not going to compete with electrostats, but it can handle quite a bit of complexity before the details start to slight diffuse. The overall tuning of the IEM is quite modern. Tonally, everything is on point here for this type of presentation.
Bass is delicious and so well controlled. The amount, quality and tuning of the bass here is standout. In addition to classical, I listen to a fair bit of electronic music including ambient all the way to drum 'n' bass. For that type of music library, these are perfect. There is just enough emphasis to get a palpable feel of the bass, but it so purely defined you can actually listen to the sub bass. You hear every nuanced detail in the bass region.
The switches are definitely not gimmicks. They make fairly noticeable changes to the IEM. For classical I would probably leave all the switches off. For electronic I engaged the bass switch and the mid switch. Contrary to a number of reviews, the mid switch reduces the mid range in relation to the highs and lows (even shows this on the packaging!). In turn this gives a deeper signature. But as other reviews have pointed out, it will never truly reduce the surgical treble and perhaps the last switch should have done just this. Instead, turning on the last switch makes things 'crispy' as Fiio calls it. I haven't gone there as yet because I don't want to upset the experience I'm getting right now, which is near perfection for my tastes.
Holographic immersion
If you've read my postings on here and on Reddit (as SteakTree), you will know I'm a huge proponent of spatial DSP and have been for years. Listening to binaural has been one of my standard tests for headphones for a number of reasons. For environmental binaural recordings, you get to hear rain, wind, thunder, and a 3D soundfield. Granted the mic technique and HRTF models used in binaural are going to be different, but it still provides a reference for how well a headphone can reproduce a holographic image and true soundfield. I immediately played some tracks containing rain and thunder. Rain droplets require leading edge transients and treble detail to sound realistic and the FH5S performed admirably here. For the sound of thunder, on lesser IEMs, the bass would just bottom out. Instead, the FH5S Be-coated driver goes all the way down and the distortion you hear are a limitation of the mic. Again, the switches come into play here, with the default settings being ideal. I will test more spatial DSP aspects with some studio grade plugins as well as Dolby Atmos for Headphones later on but from what I've heard already I'm thrilled. Awesome soundstage, and again, headphone like and possibly speaker-like with the right DSP.
For binaural testing I highly recommend getting the Naturespace app for iOS and Android http://www.naturespace.org/ . This is well supported app for over a decade, well before the trend of sleep and study apps. With a library that spans a decade of finely recorded binaural recordings, it is one of the best immersive sound experiences and quite useful for relaxation. With the FH5S and binaural, I'm getting an immersive experience. One that sounds realistic enough to give you chills and goosebumps. If ASMR is your thing the FH5S will be your neural implant as it works on the same principle. This also will translate well to modern game engines as well that have positional object-oriented audio.
Lastly, binaural is also good to test for cohesion, and I think the crossovers are done very well hear. Nothing to complain about or anything that would distract from the listening experience.
Sleeper Hit
There was quite a bit of fanfare when the FH5S was announced, and if you are like myself, you've probably been watching every review. An early review from Bad Guy Good Audio, Super Review and a quick dismissal by Crinacle threw some of us off, but my initial impressions on these are much more inline with those by Currawong, Prime Audio Reviews,@Dobrescu George and @Ichos.
I enjoy stark, detailed, and transparent presentations like the Focal Utopia, but I also enjoy quality bass and depth to my sound and the FH5S provides all of this in a high-quality presentation, with configurable sonics for a very competitive price. There really isn't a peer at the moment that offers all of this at this price level. Of course, there are many fine IEMs out there, and you will know immediately from the reviews if this IEM interests you.
While I am critical listening, I am not a picky eater and enjoy a wide-range of presentations. For my tastes this is going to be a daily driver, no question.
Current Rating: Highly Recommended in consideration to sonics, accessories and build quality
Here are my early impressions:
Fit + Finish
The box was smaller than I thought it would be, and everything is so well packaged. Presentation is top notch, especially in this price bracket. Accessories, tips, cable are all superb.
Seeing the silver FH5S in their display case, they look like fine-crafted jewellery. But they are much more valuable than mere looks. These are stunning, and I imagine there looks contribute to cognitive bias and perception on how these sound.
When I fit them in my ears, they felt a bit loose at first. I was thinking I would need to dig them in deeper. They aren't a deep fit, yet somehow, despite this and their open-back nature, you can immediately tell they provide some measure of isolation. I'm using the (L) Balanced ear tips with them and they fit perfectly. Tip quality is at Sony quality or higher. Seal is perfect. Comfort is sublime.
Intensely dynamic sound field.
So how do these sound. They sound less like IEM, and more like open back headphones. The biggest contention is going to be the treble. It is just on the edge of being etched, and harsh. However, far too many IEMs/headphones dial it back in this area which is necessary for proper upper transients (ie. noticeable in glockenspiel, harpsichord, etc.). Feed it the best recorded music, and you will hear the air in the room with these. Few headphones/IEMs do this without EQ. So ultimately, imo, the treble is excellent and exacting. For others, they will rip the FH5S out of their ears and recoil in horror. This tuning is reminiscent of classic "audiophile" 2-channel systems combined with a modern approach to bass presentation. Now the treble is not going to compete with electrostats, but it can handle quite a bit of complexity before the details start to slight diffuse. The overall tuning of the IEM is quite modern. Tonally, everything is on point here for this type of presentation.
Bass is delicious and so well controlled. The amount, quality and tuning of the bass here is standout. In addition to classical, I listen to a fair bit of electronic music including ambient all the way to drum 'n' bass. For that type of music library, these are perfect. There is just enough emphasis to get a palpable feel of the bass, but it so purely defined you can actually listen to the sub bass. You hear every nuanced detail in the bass region.
The switches are definitely not gimmicks. They make fairly noticeable changes to the IEM. For classical I would probably leave all the switches off. For electronic I engaged the bass switch and the mid switch. Contrary to a number of reviews, the mid switch reduces the mid range in relation to the highs and lows (even shows this on the packaging!). In turn this gives a deeper signature. But as other reviews have pointed out, it will never truly reduce the surgical treble and perhaps the last switch should have done just this. Instead, turning on the last switch makes things 'crispy' as Fiio calls it. I haven't gone there as yet because I don't want to upset the experience I'm getting right now, which is near perfection for my tastes.
Holographic immersion
If you've read my postings on here and on Reddit (as SteakTree), you will know I'm a huge proponent of spatial DSP and have been for years. Listening to binaural has been one of my standard tests for headphones for a number of reasons. For environmental binaural recordings, you get to hear rain, wind, thunder, and a 3D soundfield. Granted the mic technique and HRTF models used in binaural are going to be different, but it still provides a reference for how well a headphone can reproduce a holographic image and true soundfield. I immediately played some tracks containing rain and thunder. Rain droplets require leading edge transients and treble detail to sound realistic and the FH5S performed admirably here. For the sound of thunder, on lesser IEMs, the bass would just bottom out. Instead, the FH5S Be-coated driver goes all the way down and the distortion you hear are a limitation of the mic. Again, the switches come into play here, with the default settings being ideal. I will test more spatial DSP aspects with some studio grade plugins as well as Dolby Atmos for Headphones later on but from what I've heard already I'm thrilled. Awesome soundstage, and again, headphone like and possibly speaker-like with the right DSP.
For binaural testing I highly recommend getting the Naturespace app for iOS and Android http://www.naturespace.org/ . This is well supported app for over a decade, well before the trend of sleep and study apps. With a library that spans a decade of finely recorded binaural recordings, it is one of the best immersive sound experiences and quite useful for relaxation. With the FH5S and binaural, I'm getting an immersive experience. One that sounds realistic enough to give you chills and goosebumps. If ASMR is your thing the FH5S will be your neural implant as it works on the same principle. This also will translate well to modern game engines as well that have positional object-oriented audio.
Lastly, binaural is also good to test for cohesion, and I think the crossovers are done very well hear. Nothing to complain about or anything that would distract from the listening experience.
Sleeper Hit
There was quite a bit of fanfare when the FH5S was announced, and if you are like myself, you've probably been watching every review. An early review from Bad Guy Good Audio, Super Review and a quick dismissal by Crinacle threw some of us off, but my initial impressions on these are much more inline with those by Currawong, Prime Audio Reviews,@Dobrescu George and @Ichos.
I enjoy stark, detailed, and transparent presentations like the Focal Utopia, but I also enjoy quality bass and depth to my sound and the FH5S provides all of this in a high-quality presentation, with configurable sonics for a very competitive price. There really isn't a peer at the moment that offers all of this at this price level. Of course, there are many fine IEMs out there, and you will know immediately from the reviews if this IEM interests you.
While I am critical listening, I am not a picky eater and enjoy a wide-range of presentations. For my tastes this is going to be a daily driver, no question.
Current Rating: Highly Recommended in consideration to sonics, accessories and build quality
@Malfunkt
Excellent and well written summary of FH5s properties and sound signature.
I am glad that I helped with your decision , enjoy them.
Excellent and well written summary of FH5s properties and sound signature.
I am glad that I helped with your decision , enjoy them.
The more I listen to these, the more they pull me in. To me understanding a iem/headphone is about being able to perceive how it renders space. Especially with spatial DSP the FH5S presentation paints a vivid 3D rendition around you, one where room reflections and upper transients have exacting definition.
The bass is so awesome on this set. I imagine the 1.5 Tesla of power on the Be coated drivers and porting contribute to their capabilities. The magnets on these drivers are seriously powerful, that any closer on the image below would have them spinning and sticking together.
The FH5S has made me a fan of it's crisp sound and also has made me more appreciative of IEMs. For a whole host of reasons I'm starting to prefer IEMs over headphones and I don't think they lack against over-ear designs, they each just deliver a different dimension.
Also, so glad I managed to get a silver edition!
The bass is so awesome on this set. I imagine the 1.5 Tesla of power on the Be coated drivers and porting contribute to their capabilities. The magnets on these drivers are seriously powerful, that any closer on the image below would have them spinning and sticking together.
The FH5S has made me a fan of it's crisp sound and also has made me more appreciative of IEMs. For a whole host of reasons I'm starting to prefer IEMs over headphones and I don't think they lack against over-ear designs, they each just deliver a different dimension.
Also, so glad I managed to get a silver edition!
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Testing the magical 200 hr burn-in recommendation. I still don't understand what is physically happening here, maybe internal pressure equalization? Either way, it is actually a thing and makes the drivers slightly different even considering psychoacoustics:
Ignore the actual dB values, I hadn't put the correct SPL meter readings lol. Channel consistency post burn-in:
IEC711 OES as-is compared to with an ear and cheek add-on:
Finally, testing the three boost switches:
Ignore the actual dB values, I hadn't put the correct SPL meter readings lol. Channel consistency post burn-in:
IEC711 OES as-is compared to with an ear and cheek add-on:
Finally, testing the three boost switches:
Attachments
Last edited:
Thank you for the measurements.
The bass boost graph confirmed what I was hearing and wrote in my review.
It is essentially a treble cut off filter rather than a bass boost.
The bass boost graph confirmed what I was hearing and wrote in my review.
It is essentially a treble cut off filter rather than a bass boost.
harry501501
Headphoneus Supremus
So I love the FD1 for it's lush, accessible, musical tuning and fun, very good low end... The only thing was even tho it didn't have an overall dark signature... It gets close. I wanted a little bit more up top without losing the low end detail. That's what the FH3 does.
It has slightly brighter upper mids and low treble. It also helps make the fh3 a bit more airier and forward in comparison. That air extends to the low end too. This gives it a bit more openness, helping with detail. It's not leaps and bounds more detailed than the fd1 as treble extension up top is still held back and far from bright. Again some might like more sparkle up at the highest regions of the frequency.
Coming direct from the more laid back fd1 that forwardness takes some getting used to and may sound a bit intense. Bass does hit a bit harder too, the depth is similar, but more air gives it a faster, more immediate slam. It's not aggressive... Some may find it that way tho if they prefer a lighter noted, relaxed bass response.
But the fh3 is still smooth and musical. The soundstage is still not that wide, maybe a touch wider than the fd1. Still more in your head which is disappointing, but I knew from reading it was probably going to be that way. But more air gives it more space.
Is it worth being nearly three times more expensive than the fd1? Hard one. It's definitely technically better with a tad better timbre and detail helped with the extra space and air. Bass is also tighter and less loose, but more intense at times depending on song. Is not a bass head IEM but the quality is good. Fd1 similar still, more laid back. Both not bright.
ON fit. The fh3 is very comfortably, just like the FD1. Different shells obviously, but both sit secure and stay in place. Some said the fh3 is big... I wouldn't say so tho. I'll take some photos later.
As Discussed at length, the cable on the fh3 looks great, feels great... But microphonics is poor. FIIO should have known this pre release. Its also a bit heavy, tho admittedly I never feel it pull on the shells. They stay very secure and I don't have to adjust them. I do have to feed the cable under my top tho to stop the noise from friction... Which does work. The cable on the fd1 is far better, one of the best cables I have.
Hope this helps.
It has slightly brighter upper mids and low treble. It also helps make the fh3 a bit more airier and forward in comparison. That air extends to the low end too. This gives it a bit more openness, helping with detail. It's not leaps and bounds more detailed than the fd1 as treble extension up top is still held back and far from bright. Again some might like more sparkle up at the highest regions of the frequency.
Coming direct from the more laid back fd1 that forwardness takes some getting used to and may sound a bit intense. Bass does hit a bit harder too, the depth is similar, but more air gives it a faster, more immediate slam. It's not aggressive... Some may find it that way tho if they prefer a lighter noted, relaxed bass response.
But the fh3 is still smooth and musical. The soundstage is still not that wide, maybe a touch wider than the fd1. Still more in your head which is disappointing, but I knew from reading it was probably going to be that way. But more air gives it more space.
Is it worth being nearly three times more expensive than the fd1? Hard one. It's definitely technically better with a tad better timbre and detail helped with the extra space and air. Bass is also tighter and less loose, but more intense at times depending on song. Is not a bass head IEM but the quality is good. Fd1 similar still, more laid back. Both not bright.
ON fit. The fh3 is very comfortably, just like the FD1. Different shells obviously, but both sit secure and stay in place. Some said the fh3 is big... I wouldn't say so tho. I'll take some photos later.
As Discussed at length, the cable on the fh3 looks great, feels great... But microphonics is poor. FIIO should have known this pre release. Its also a bit heavy, tho admittedly I never feel it pull on the shells. They stay very secure and I don't have to adjust them. I do have to feed the cable under my top tho to stop the noise from friction... Which does work. The cable on the fd1 is far better, one of the best cables I have.
Hope this helps.
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Today's article on HFN is all about the FH5s. An article from @Virtu Fortuna . Enjoy!
https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-fh5s-review/
https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-fh5s-review/
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