[DeTinux]

Thanks!! Will look into these as well.

I’ve had the same issue with the LZ A4 (I guess it was the 4?) years ago. It really frustrated me

 

[XERO1]

The FD5 is now on sale on Amazon US for $199.99!

I'm not sure how long this sale will last, but if you've been on the fence, this is a great time pick up a pair!

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-FD5-Earphones-Beryllium-Coated-Smartphones/dp/B08QM7N65J/

 

[SomeGuyDude]

If anyone out there has been unsure about the FD5, that price is KILLER for it. They're pretty much an endgame IEM.

 

[DeTinux]

I use the Azla xelastec tips now. The first is incredible, yet it varies from the left and right ear. This is driving me nuts. As mentioned, these are (my) endgame IEMs and I am not going to replace them. I have tried everything and only sometimes I have a proper, symmetrical seal.

It's not even always the same: my left ear most often fits like a glove. It goes to its natural place immediately. In my right ear, it doesn't go far enough. It probably has to do with the angle of the stem.

I tried everything, including more then 40 tips (Final E, Fiio HS18, Shanling ME, foamies, LZ and many more). I think the seal is good on both ears. It's just not the same. I also tried to put the tip not all the way down the stem to create a longer tube, but that doesn't work well.

Sometimes I have a good, symmetrical seal, but it only lasts a short time.

Help will be much appreciated.

 

[Johnfg465vd]

I use the Azla xelastec tips now. The first is incredible, yet it varies from the left and right ear. This is driving me nuts. As mentioned, these are (my) endgame IEMs and I am not going to replace them. I have tried everything and only sometimes I have a proper, symmetrical seal.

It's not even always the same: my left ear most often fits like a glove. It goes to its natural place immediately. In my right ear, it doesn't go far enough. It probably has to do with the angle of the stem.

I tried everything, including more then 40 tips (Final E, Fiio HS18, Shanling ME, foamies, LZ and many more). I think the seal is good on both ears. It's just not the same. I also tried to put the tip not all the way down the stem to create a longer tube, but that doesn't work well.

Sometimes I have a good, symmetrical seal, but it only lasts a short time.

Help will be much appreciated.

Experiment using different size eartips on one side.

e.g. if you are using "M" size for both ears, try using "S" or "L" for one or the other side and see if that fixes your problem.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I use the Azla xelastec tips now. The first is incredible, yet it varies from the left and right ear. This is driving me nuts. As mentioned, these are (my) endgame IEMs and I am not going to replace them. I have tried everything and only sometimes I have a proper, symmetrical seal.

It's not even always the same: my left ear most often fits like a glove. It goes to its natural place immediately. In my right ear, it doesn't go far enough. It probably has to do with the angle of the stem.

I tried everything, including more then 40 tips (Final E, Fiio HS18, Shanling ME, foamies, LZ and many more). I think the seal is good on both ears. It's just not the same. I also tried to put the tip not all the way down the stem to create a longer tube, but that doesn't work well.

Sometimes I have a good, symmetrical seal, but it only lasts a short time.

Help will be much appreciated.

If you haven't been able to get a good seal with the Azla Sedna Xelastecs which practically stick in the hollow of your ears, i doubt other tips will do any better.

The only final advice I can give you is to try Latex tips which have the same grip as the TPE of the Azla, but are softer.

Try these:

 

[dkalgray]

Just purchased a pair of the FD3 pro's and I'm really enjoying them. I purchased them to use when exercising (walking), so was looking for some IEMs that are not too expensive (in case they get damaged or stolen) but were fun to listen to and still reasonably 'audiophile' sounding. I think these hit the mark, and compared to the more expensive headphones/IEMs I own (some worth more than 10 times the price of the FD3s) they are really pretty good. However, the main comment I wanted to make was that, IMO, the sound you get out of these seems to be very source dependant. Of the three DAPs and one desktop system I own, these sound the best (by far) with the cheapest DAP (Lotoo PAW 5000 MK 2) that I own, even without using the PMEQ but using the 2.5mm balanced output, which is good because this is the DAP I use when I'm exercising. Wider soundstage and better micro details on the Lotoo - using the red tubes with the' vocal' tips (the vocal tips help tame the bass of the red tips without losing too much bass. I listen to mainly pop/rock music.

 

[dkalgray]

Just purchased a pair of the FD3 pro's and I'm really enjoying them. I purchased them to use when exercising (walking), so was looking for some IEMs that are not too expensive (in case they get damaged or stolen) but were fun to listen to and still reasonably 'audiophile' sounding. I think these hit the mark, and compared to the more expensive headphones/IEMs I own (some worth more than 10 times the price of the FD3s) they are really pretty good. However, the main comment I wanted to make was that, IMO, the sound you get out of these seems to be very source dependant. Of the three DAPs and one desktop system I own, these sound the best (by far) with the cheapest DAP (Lotoo PAW 5000 MK 2) that I own, even without using the PMEQ but using the 2.5mm balanced output, which is good because this is the DAP I use when I'm exercising. Wider soundstage and better micro details on the Lotoo - using the red tubes with the' vocal' tips (the vocal tips help tame the bass of the red tips without losing too much bass. I listen to mainly pop/rock music.

Although these sound good, it would be interesting to try a little EQ to see if it makes them sound even better. I can't find any Harman PMEQ settings for these on my usual websites, so if anyone has some I would be interested in a link or details of the settings.

 

[Vlad Koon]

@FiiO

Hello from Ukraine!
I am generally satisfied with the headphones, but, unfortunately, there is a problem with condensation Even after 5-6 minutes of listening to music or something else in them, the sound tubes are covered with condensate. Of course, I understand that this is ordinary physics (the human ear is warm, and the metal is cold), but hey, these are headphones primarily focused on portable use, right? That is, I leave the house, where it was warm, to the street = there is a temperature difference, which leads to condensation. Then I get into a taxi, for example, where again it is much warmer than outside. And again temperature difference! I get out of the taxi and again find myself on a cold street. Then I go into the building where I work, and it's already warm there. This I gave the most banal example of using any portable, in-ear headphones. I use my FD5 exclusively at home, but it still leads to condensation

And it’s okay there, if it were just drops of water on the sound tubes, but these drops noticeably worsen the sound! To my ears, this condensation degrades the sound — sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the amount of this condensation. That is, I buy expensive audiophile headphones that cost over $300, and literally after a few minutes of using them, the sound in them gradually gets worse and worse (more blurry).

In this regard, I have a question for a FiiO representative: why do you continue to make metal in-ear headphones? Isn't that stupid? Because of the metal, they are heavier, colder (especially in winter it is very unpleasant to put them in your ears) and they also cause condensation, which spoils the sound and can eventually lead to failure of the drivers (I read reviews from other users of in-ear headphones with metal shells).

And yes, this is far from my first in-ear headphones with this problem. Condensation on the sound tubes formed on the following in-ear metal headphones: Letshuoer S12 Pro, MoonDrop KATO, TinHiFi T2 DLC and some others. FiiO FD5 will be my last in-ear headphones with metal shells.

My favorite Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd in-ear headphones do not have this problem because their shells are made of plastic. It's much lighter and they don't have condensation issues. I can use them for 5-6 hours without taking them out of my ears and without worrying about condensation. These in-ear headphones cost about $90 and came out about 4 years ago! But despite this, Beyerdynamic took into account all these nuances and thought through everything in detail, unlike FiiO. So I'm looking forward to Beyerdynamic bringing the second generation of Soul Byrd's to market. Now I mainly listen to Soul Byrd, despite the fact that I have FD5. I also had the equally expensive Sennheiser IE 300 (they cost 300 euros), which are also made of plastic and do not have this problem. My brother has a Sennheiser IE 100 Pro. Their shells are also completely made of plastic and, of course, they do not have any condensation, even after prolonged use. My brother has the same problem with metal in-ear headphones, so he tries to avoid them and prefers plastic or acrylic in-ear headphones. Why do German manufacturers take this into account when developing their in-ear headphones, but Chinese ones do not? Do Chinese manufacturers really not care about this problem and their customers who will suffer from it?

 

[Nas Volokin]

@Vlad Koon I can definitely relate to your issue regarding oxidation in FD5. I recently had my right earpiece oxidized and besides that sound still remains the same I had my concerns about future longevity.
I've been more than a happy user with these (despite the weird shaping and eartips not fitting properly) but you're right Fiio should stick to plastic, not metal

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Someone have experience with the BD Xelento? ^^
Could be very interesting.

I didn't encounter this issue, but will give it a shot in the next days.

 

[Vlad Koon]

For some reason, no one in their right mind makes gaming mice out of metal. Simply because it is extremely stupid and impractical. If you make a mouse out of metal, it will be heavy (for many years, ultra-light mice have been considered the most popular), it will be unpleasant to touch it (especially in cold seasons) and it will not sit well in your hand (that is, such a mouse will be inconvenient to control). That is why all mice, not only gaming, but also office, are made of plastic. The same applies to headphones, not only in-ear, but also over-ear and on-ear. For example, in over-ear headphones, many manufacturers make metal only those parts that are subject to more severe wear (for example, the headband). Among well-known headphone manufacturers (for example: Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and others), the widespread use of metal in the design of headphones is considered bad form. In-ear headphones, completely made of metal, do not provide any serious advantages, except for show-offs and the feeling that you have an expensive and premium thing in your hands.

And yes, the sound changes even if you remove the grill on the sound tube and / or take the damper out of the sound tube. And here are drops of water on the sound tube, preventing the normal movement of sound into your ear. In any case, this is an obstacle that should not be there (on the sound tubes)!

 

[Vlad Koon]

It seems that in the Sennheiser IE 600 the Germans made the sound tubes themselves from plastic, while the shells are made of metal. I think this is done on purpose to avoid condensation on the sound tubes This is what is called attention to detail
Personally, I have already regretted a hundred times that I bought the FiiO FD5 It would be better to take something cheaper, but made of plastic or acrylic.

 

[dpump]

Personally, I don't consider the FiiO FD5 to be a portable headphone. It is designed for serious listening at home and is designed to be durable and long lasting in that scenario. Why does anyone want to use a high resolution and expensive iem for portable use when you aren't able to fully concentrate on the music because of noise and outside distractions? Purchase a decent acrylic iem for your use since you know a metal shell won't work for you. If you knew a metal shell wouldn't work for you, I don't understand why you purchased the FD5 in the first place. And the Sennheiser IE600 you mentioned may very well have condensation inside the metal shell even if it doesn't have condensation on the nozzle.

 

[Vlad Koon]

Personally, I don't consider the FiiO FD5 to be a portable headphone. It is designed for serious listening at home and is designed to be durable and long lasting in that scenario. Why does anyone want to use a high resolution and expensive iem for portable use when you aren't able to fully concentrate on the music because of noise and outside distractions?

Because the form factor of in-ear headphones implies their use not only at home, but also anywhere. The manufacturer is obliged to take care of different use cases, providing for all the nuances (especially given their considerable cost). In addition, I already wrote above that I use them exclusively at home, but this does not help and condensation still occurs even after a short time of use. Although my apartment is always warm and there is no temperature difference!

Purchase a decent acrylic iem for your use since you know a metal shell won't work for you. If you knew a metal shell wouldn't work for you, I don't understand why you purchased the FD5 in the first place.

Firstly, there was still hope that Letshuoer S12 Pro, MoonDrop KATO, TinHiFi T2 DLC and some other in-ear headphones made of metal that I tried were simply somehow incorrectly designed, which led to condensation on their sound tubes. Still, there was a minimal hope that such a large and world famous brand like FiiO would not allow such an oversight. But no, I was wrong Second, I didn't have a choice. The speaker of my old headphones burned out and the authorized service center wrote them off, and the online store offered to return the money to me or take other headphones. I agreed to take other headphones from them. And in this online store the assortment is extremely small, so I took the FD5s, paying a little extra for them.

And the Sennheiser IE600 you mentioned may very well have condensation inside the metal shell even if it doesn't have condensation on the nozzle.

Yes, I know that there is such a possibility. But let's be honest, this is nothing more than guesswork, while with the FiiO FD5, Letshuoer S12 Pro, MoonDrop KATO, TinHiFi T2 DLC and other all-metal in-ear headphones, this is 100 % fact. Because I see condensation with my own eyes when I take them out of my ears. I even developed an obsession after every time I listened to music or anything else in them, to take them off and then immediately look at their sound tubes Is it normal for headphones from a world-famous brand that cost over $300? I don't think so…