[SemiAudiophile]

I have the B2 Dusk as well and until recently owned the UM 3DT (since sold). The FD5 are my favourite by a fair margin and every bit as technically competent as the Dusk and 3DT to my ears.

The FD5 is technically better than B2 Dusk in terms of soundstage, detail retrieval, and resolution. The Dusk has a more agreeable tuning out of the box, whereas the FD5 takes some tinkering in order to get the tuning you desire and is more versatile. Both are excellent choices with different style presentations. However, I feel that FD5 definitely deserves some consideration in the $300 price bracket now for best of the best.

 

[FiiO]

FiiO FD3 Pro Hands-on Review: Affordable Flagship Dynamic Driver Earphone​

--From IBTimes

https://www.ibtimes.com/fiio-fd3-pr...able-flagship-dynamic-driver-earphone-3289179

The FiiO FD3 may be its new entry level dynamic driver earphones, but you would not know it through listening to them. They sound virtually just as good as their predecessor the FD5, using very similar technology. If you're a lover of energetic bass and an organic warm mid and highs, these are an excellent and inexpensive choice, making them perfect for Everyday Carry (EDC) earphones.

For those who have a sound source that accommodates balanced inputs,FD3 Pro would be the way to go, and for those who stick with the standard 1/8" audio output, the FD3 is available for less than $100.

For its premium performance and the accessible price point, we're awarding the FD3 Pro IBTimes' Exceptional Value badge for its excellent cost performance ratio.

 

[rick88]

I'm loving my new FD3 Pros. They sound really good and are very classy looking and well built. I've been experiencing with the tuning options and have found the pre-installed red sound tubes and balanced tips sound best to my ears. Going in I was somewhat skeptical of how much difference there would be between the two tubes, but to my ears there is a noticeable difference, sometimes dramatically so. I do not like either the vocal or bass tips at all. Most music I've listened to sounded best with the red sound tubes, but there have been a few occasions where certain recordings had slightly muddy bass and not enough highs for me so I switched to the black tubes and got better results. I think it would be ideal if there were 3 sound tubes like the new FD7 as I would like a sound in between the red and black tubes. I'm drooling over the FD7 and they'll most likely be mine in the near future.

 

[Ichos]

I have them in my hands and initial impressions are inline with @MRSallee

 

[Ryoidenshi]

Tried out the narrow tubes tonight with the triple flange tips. Gotta say I like the sound of these too. I wouldn't say there's more bass, but the tonality is definitely different/darker. If you find the treble too bright or sibilant before, I highly recommend the narrow tubes with triple flange, no signs of sibilance at all and very good balance. Sound is slightly darker than neutral but still good treble detail and resolution.

The fit take a little to adjust and get used to. Similar to Etymotics with deep insertion. Had to angle them and twist into my ear in order to get a good fit, but once they're in they're pretty comfortable. Sound is more intimate and not as open as the wide nozzle. So soundstage sounds more like your typical closed IEM instead of semi open back. But the tuning is excellent and near perfect to my ideal tuning. Everything is so well balanced and nothing stands out over the other. No spikes or dips anywhere. Very fun and musical.

FD5 has become one of my favorite reference grade IEMs now. The ability to switch up the presentation is nice and it responds so well to different tips, cables, etc. An audiophile's dream! I'm eager to hear what the FD7's have to offer.

Edit: It handles acoustic music like a champ, Jack Johnson's On and On sounds fantastic! Can't stop listening, I'm rediscovering this album on an intimate level. Pink Floyd sounds great too. These make a good substitute for my full size Grado's.

You should try narrow tubes with Spinfit CP800 eartips. I can almost guarantee that you'll like it even more. Heavy, powerful sound yet very comfortable to ear canal.

 

[xuan87]

I was in a mall and it so happened that the audio store there just got in stock of the FD3, so I popped in to do a quick comparison of the FD3 and FD5. Since it was impromptu, I didn't have my DAP, so I was listening out of my Pixel 4A.

I heard the FD5 a long time ago and loved it but didn't buy it because it was a little too expensive for a non-valid purchase. Then the FD3 was announced at less than half the price with what I hoped was 70-80% of the sound signature of the FD5. What a bargain it would have been right?

I'm not going to go into great details of the sound differences between the two, but I will say the difference is comparable to a great budget bottle of whisky vs a great expensive bottle of whisky.

A cheaper bottle can be tasty and delicious but most of the time, they tend to be abit one dimensional while a more expensive bottle tends to be more complex and refined.

And this was what I felt about the FD3 and FD5; while the FD3 sounded great, the FD5 was just slightly better in almost every way. For eg, the FD5 was just slightly more tonally accurate, the bass was slightly more controlled, the soundstage was slightly wider, the instruments were slightly more separated. The FD3 is like a sherry or peat bomb, while the FD5 was just more refined and sophisticated. More importantly, the FD5 gave me goosebumps while the FD3 didn't.

And there lies my dilemma... Although the FD3 was much cheaper, I can't buy it knowing I clearly enjoy the FD5 more.

 

[kadinh]

And there lies my dilemma... Although the FD3 was much cheaper, I can't buy it knowing I clearly enjoy the FD5 more.

Get the FD7 and see how your body reacts

 

[rick88]

I ended up returning the FD3 Pros. I think they're pretty good overall but the mid bass was often boomy/muddy and I couldn't live with that. I use my IEMs & headphones for a 50/50 mix of music and TV/movies, and with music I often found the bass to be boomy and not well defined, and with TV or movies I found male voices to be chesty and unnaturally warm and that was very distracting. I tried all the different tip and sound tube combinations and couldn't find a happy medium. Using the red tubes I found the bass overwhelmed the highs, and using the black tubes there was not enough bass (though the boominess was tamed quite a bit) and they were slightly bright. I stand by my earlier comment that a third sound tube somewhere in between the two that Fiio provides might give the FD3 Pro a better balanced sound signature. I suppose tip rolling might help as well but I didn't feel like experimenting.

Instead I ordered some FH5s Pros. My original choice was the standard FH5s but the comments on the treble with the stock cable scared me away. I wasn't aware of the Pro version with the cable upgrade until a couple of days after the FD3 Pros arrived. I only became aware of them when I began searching Amazon for a replacement and they showed up in the search. They weren't listed there when I ordered the FD3 Pros, otherwise it is highly likely I would have ordered them instead of the FD3. They arrived today and very early on in the burn in/listening I believe they will be keepers as they are already more to my liking/taste. More on them later in the proper thread.

 

[DrewVz]

I ended up returning the FD3 Pros. I think they're pretty good overall but the mid bass was often boomy/muddy and I couldn't live with that.

Welcome to the club. It seems like you really need a specific type of music library to enjoy the FD3s. Mostly acoustic with light bass. That way, the boominess doesn't squash everything else.

I'm surprised at how many people seem to make excuses for the boominess. It's real. And not in a good way.

 

[JML]

I use size MS or M. They do seem a little larger than normal. I would recommend getting 1 size smaller. I got the 3-pack variety from Amazon that came in 3 sizes.

I'm using the Sedna Xelastec and Crystal, in SS. Both of these are very comfortable, and I'm trying to decide which I like better. The fit is really good for me.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

I'm using the Sedna Xelastec and Crystal, in SS. Both of these are very comfortable, and I'm trying to decide which I like better. The fit is really good for me.

The xelastecs on the wide nozzle is among the best for vocals that I've heard. I had the Variations at the top of my list, but now I'm not so sure. FD5 comes really close especially with the midrange detail.

I switch back to that configuration the other night and was just in awe. The FD5 never ceases to amaze me.

 

[shampoosuicide]

The FD5 is technically better than B2 Dusk in terms of soundstage, detail retrieval, and resolution. The Dusk has a more agreeable tuning out of the box, whereas the FD5 takes some tinkering in order to get the tuning you desire and is more versatile. Both are excellent choices with different style presentations. However, I feel that FD5 definitely deserves some consideration in the $300 price bracket now for best of the best.

Yep, this coheres with my own notes re. the Blessing 2 Dusk vs FD5. The FD5 was fitted with ePro EP00 horn tips, and the Dusk with Azla Sedna Light Short tips:

FD5

• Moderately V-shaped
• Shallower note weight; relatively leaner and drier
• Crisp, clean, natural tonality
• Significantly larger soundstage
• Noticeably airier and more open sounding
• Distinctly tauter, more textured, and more agile bass
• Distinctly better bite and attack
• Distinctly quicker transients
• Noticeably better treble extension
• Distinctly greater dynamism
• Noticeably more resolving

Blessing 2 Dusk

• Agreeable and palatable bass-boosted neutral tuning
• Above-average note weight
• Distinctly larger images, lending a greater sense of scale
• Distinctly more involving, forward presentation
• Distinctly fuller-bodied; more fully rendered notes; greater note depth and ‘dimensionality’

The Dusk has since been sold.

 

[MRSallee]

My full review of the FD3.



Some notes:

• Frequency response is just about identical to FD3, especially if you swap to the red nozzles. (Note: Maybe coincidence, but the stock FD5 nozzles are also red-colored.)
• I didn't spend a lot of time comparing FD3 to FD5, but they do sound tonally very similar, though FD5 gives a bit better sense of space. I initially attributed it to the FD5's increased treble, but swapping to the red nozzles on FD3 didn't make up the difference.
• Otherwise, this is basically Fiio's answer to the Starfield -- a more affordable version of their more expensive 1xDD earphone
• Tonally, it's still not my favorite -- it's pretty V, contrasty. Bass is fairly dominant tonally, treble cuts through it, but the midrange is crowded out for attention.
• On the bright side, the bass isn't especially bloomy or muddy. It's fairly tight, if a bit devoid of texture.
• I personally still prefer the more midrange-focused tuning of the FH3, and its addicting bass response. FD3, in contrast, just seems... like another earphone. Not bad, but not standout.

The video makes some more comparisons to FD5, but mostly focuses on FD3 vs. FH3, Moondrop Starfield, and ThieAudio Legacy 2.

 

[JML]

The xelastecs on the wide nozzle is among the best for vocals that I've heard. I had the Variations at the top of my list, but now I'm not so sure. FD5 comes really close especially with the midrange detail.

I switch back to that configuration the other night and was just in awe. The FD5 never ceases to amaze me.

Definitely amazing with those tips. They remind me of good open headphones, like my Focal Clear, with the sound not restricted to my head. The only thing is that the Xelastec tips fit so well, and are so secure, that when I remove the IEMs I keep fearing the tips will stay in my ear! That's why I'm trying the Crystals, too, which do not stick as securely.

The FD7 at twice the price needs to be significantly better to be considered.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Definitely amazing with those tips. They remind me of good open headphones, like my Focal Clear, with the sound not restricted to my head. The only thing is that the Xelastec tips fit so well, and are so secure, that when I remove the IEMS I keep fearing the tips will stay in my ear! That's why I'm trying the Crystals, too, which do not stick as securely.

The FD7 at twice the price needs to be significantly better to be considered.

Yeah I didn't even know about the Crystals until recently. I would've gone for those instead of the Xelastecs because they just collect dust and lint so easily. They do stick well though!

I'm super stoked about the FD7. I have a feeling that they'll be my endgame for sure. But then again I say that a lot for any new and exciting IEM releases.

Impressions so far seem to be a more "relaxed" and higher resolution/technical version of FD5.