Mimouille
Headphoneus Supremus
User Space Cowboy allowed me to translate his impressions on the Fitear lineup from the French forum. Hope I do a good enough job. Please excuse me for the tacky translation.
EDIT: here is the original: http://forum.tellementnomade.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=2714&start=60#p142406
All the Fitear models I have tested (F111, Parterre, Togo334, MH335DW, Monet et C435) have a real recognizable "Fitear" touch to their sound. The common aspects in their sound can be qualified as follows: a true 3D out of head sound, a sound that moves in space in a way I have never encountered before, crystal clear highs, very well articulated mids and bass, and very high resolution. Given these aspects, I trully appreciate their entire lineup, which cannot be said for any other brand.
F111:
The entry to Fitear's product range. And what an entry ! It is the shyest model in terms of lower frequencies, which at the same time does not lack in that area. I have often heard that they were similar to the ER4P (which I hate), but fortunately for me, this is not true. At this price level, the transparency in unbeattable (but I have not tried the 4ai), the soundstage is very airy, wide and deep. The mids are very enjoyable and the highs are precise. They put to shame, in my opinion, well known IEMs such as the W4 or SM3. Finally, they are quite compact, and with their big brother the Parterre, they are among the most comfortable universals I have tried. A really solid contender / safe bet.
Parterre:
Almost double the price of the F111, you have similar design and comfort, an upgraded cable (same as for the TG334) and more drivers (not sure how many yet). And to what effect ? A gain in overall balance, one step above in resolution, and an even larger soundstage. This soundstage, the level of detail and the great balance of the Parterre are the aspects of this iem that impressed me most. In terms of overall performance, these are really top tier and may be compared to the 334. If you want more body and better articulation in bass and mids, the 334 will be for you, but if you want a more balanced sound and airy soundstage, you might like the Parterre. I think they will sell truckloads of them.
MH335DW:
I already mentioned these quite often. The sound sig is close to the 334, more focused on bass and mids, slightly at the expense of highs. Compared to the TG334, you have faster and tighter bass, with a bit less mid bass, more details in mids and highs, and highs that are slightly more laid back. The resulting sound is very organic, visceral in my opinion. The soundstage is the most intimate of all Fitear models, but still with great depth and the same 3D "made in Fitear" effect. On many aspect, they remind me of the LCD2. The level of transparency is incredible, only the Tralucent 1plus2 (with a very different approach to sound) and some other Fitear models may rival the 335 on this aspect. An incredible mix of fun and technical performance.
Monet:
The issue with the listening to the Fitear lineup, is that you want to buy them all. As they were created specifically for Anime music, I had negative prejudice against this model. The Monet is a 3 way 4 driver iem: 2 for Low/mid et and 2 ways with 1 driver each for the highs. So how does this slightly unorthodox configuration sound? Well it sounds like an iem with a great overall balance, the best extension in highs accross the lineup. Lower bass have great impact, mid bass is less forward than on the 334 and 335, so the sound is more neutral, mids are also more laid back, but just as technically proficient and detailed. Finally soundstage is wider than for the 334 and 335. If you do not like the 334 and 335 sound sig, you might prefer the Monet. It might be the most versatile model of the lineup. I personnaly loved these and it was like torture to decide between these and the 335.
C435:
Fitear's former flagship before the introduction of the 335. They have 5 drivers in a 4 way configuration (nothing much
): 1 low, 2 mids, 1 high mid and 1 high. Once again we find ourselves listening to stratospherical technical performances at the level of the Monet or 335. The C435 has tighter bass and a dryer tone and might be the most analytical of the 3 (analytical in terms of presentation, not performing better. All 3 perform at comparable levels). The highs are slightly less natural than on the 335 and Monet, and the sound is overall less fun, so I slightly preferred the other two models.
Well I hope this will help you see clearer in the Fitear lineup. I will conduct a complete review of the 335 later.
EDIT: here is the original: http://forum.tellementnomade.com/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=2714&start=60#p142406
All the Fitear models I have tested (F111, Parterre, Togo334, MH335DW, Monet et C435) have a real recognizable "Fitear" touch to their sound. The common aspects in their sound can be qualified as follows: a true 3D out of head sound, a sound that moves in space in a way I have never encountered before, crystal clear highs, very well articulated mids and bass, and very high resolution. Given these aspects, I trully appreciate their entire lineup, which cannot be said for any other brand.
F111:
The entry to Fitear's product range. And what an entry ! It is the shyest model in terms of lower frequencies, which at the same time does not lack in that area. I have often heard that they were similar to the ER4P (which I hate), but fortunately for me, this is not true. At this price level, the transparency in unbeattable (but I have not tried the 4ai), the soundstage is very airy, wide and deep. The mids are very enjoyable and the highs are precise. They put to shame, in my opinion, well known IEMs such as the W4 or SM3. Finally, they are quite compact, and with their big brother the Parterre, they are among the most comfortable universals I have tried. A really solid contender / safe bet.
Parterre:
Almost double the price of the F111, you have similar design and comfort, an upgraded cable (same as for the TG334) and more drivers (not sure how many yet). And to what effect ? A gain in overall balance, one step above in resolution, and an even larger soundstage. This soundstage, the level of detail and the great balance of the Parterre are the aspects of this iem that impressed me most. In terms of overall performance, these are really top tier and may be compared to the 334. If you want more body and better articulation in bass and mids, the 334 will be for you, but if you want a more balanced sound and airy soundstage, you might like the Parterre. I think they will sell truckloads of them.
MH335DW:
I already mentioned these quite often. The sound sig is close to the 334, more focused on bass and mids, slightly at the expense of highs. Compared to the TG334, you have faster and tighter bass, with a bit less mid bass, more details in mids and highs, and highs that are slightly more laid back. The resulting sound is very organic, visceral in my opinion. The soundstage is the most intimate of all Fitear models, but still with great depth and the same 3D "made in Fitear" effect. On many aspect, they remind me of the LCD2. The level of transparency is incredible, only the Tralucent 1plus2 (with a very different approach to sound) and some other Fitear models may rival the 335 on this aspect. An incredible mix of fun and technical performance.
Monet:
The issue with the listening to the Fitear lineup, is that you want to buy them all. As they were created specifically for Anime music, I had negative prejudice against this model. The Monet is a 3 way 4 driver iem: 2 for Low/mid et and 2 ways with 1 driver each for the highs. So how does this slightly unorthodox configuration sound? Well it sounds like an iem with a great overall balance, the best extension in highs accross the lineup. Lower bass have great impact, mid bass is less forward than on the 334 and 335, so the sound is more neutral, mids are also more laid back, but just as technically proficient and detailed. Finally soundstage is wider than for the 334 and 335. If you do not like the 334 and 335 sound sig, you might prefer the Monet. It might be the most versatile model of the lineup. I personnaly loved these and it was like torture to decide between these and the 335.
C435:
Fitear's former flagship before the introduction of the 335. They have 5 drivers in a 4 way configuration (nothing much
): 1 low, 2 mids, 1 high mid and 1 high. Once again we find ourselves listening to stratospherical technical performances at the level of the Monet or 335. The C435 has tighter bass and a dryer tone and might be the most analytical of the 3 (analytical in terms of presentation, not performing better. All 3 perform at comparable levels). The highs are slightly less natural than on the 335 and Monet, and the sound is overall less fun, so I slightly preferred the other two models.Well I hope this will help you see clearer in the Fitear lineup. I will conduct a complete review of the 335 later.
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