Review: Fiio EH3 NC – Economy Class

Packaging and presentation:

The EH3 NC ships in rather nice black packaging, with a glossy embossed finishing hinting at the design of the headphones themselves. Requisite ‘Hi-Res Audio’ badges and multiple Bluetooth codec logos are proudly displayed on the front of the box to show the technical credentials that Fiio has baked-into their new design. Inside, you’ll find a fairly useful quick start guide in both English and Chinese, as well as a pictorial overview of the EH3 NC’s key control functions. 

Fiio EH3 NC

Next, you’ll find a smart-looking semi-hard clamshell case that unzips to reveal the EH3 NC’s themselves, whose ear cups are folded both flat, and inwards to sit snugly inside the case. The only provided accessories for the EH3 NC are a USB charging and data cable (thankfully of the USB-C variety) and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable which allows the EH3 NC to operate passively from a standard analogue source. 

Fiio EH3 NC

Design, build and comfort:

Pick-up the EH3 NC’s and immediately you’ll notice that you have a very lightweight pair of headphones on your hands – 293 grams, to be precise. The EH3 NC is an over-ear design, with the large-ish oval earpads leaving plenty of room for this reviewer’s ears. The build of the cups and headband is chiefly plastic, with a glossy faux carbon fibre design used for the main section of the cups. The headband expands and retracts with taut, firm clicks, with a numeric marking system emplaced to indicate which length you have it extended to for future use. Beyond the faux chrome headband joint (which displays the Fiio and ‘Hi-Res Audio’ logos) lies a plush protein-leather headband, with ample padding that’s very nice to the touch. 

The earpads are made of similar protein leather, and while they’re certainly comfortable it would be nice to have firmer memory foam used here rather than the very light material Fiio have used here. The pads are so light that when you move the EH3 NC around on your head, air audibly whistles and wheezes through them – not so much of a problem if you’re sitting still, but if you find yourself running hell-for-leather through an airport terminal (which I frequently find myself doing…), this noise does get noticeable. The earpads are user-removable, however, which is nice. Simply pull them off, and click them back on via a plastic bracket. Fiio’s website explains that breathable mesh ear pads are also available as optional accessories – surely this will mean far worse noise attenuation than the protein leather, but if you’re looking to put comfort in hot weather first on the priority list than it’s good to have as an option. Hopefully, thicker memory foam is added as an option down the track. 

Fiio EH3 NC

Clamping-force on the EH3 NC’s is fairly light. While this adds to their comfort, it does mean that they aren’t always hugely stable on top of your head. If you’re lying backwards or moving about they are liable to shift on your head, which does accentuate the whistling noise mentioned earlier.  When I articulate the ear cups on this review pair there are a couple of minor squeaks from one of the gimbals, but this aside the EH3 NC feels pretty well put together when it comes to folding/enfolding them and regarding them in your hands. Quality-wise, they do feel a little unsubstantial, however. While the materials chosen have resulted in a light-weight and low-cost pair of headphones, they do feel a bit more toy-like than their more expensive contemporaries from other manufacturers. The plastic carbon-fibre and chrome finish is a little kitsch rather than coming across as ‘premium’, and does tend to pick-up fingerprints.

Click-over to page 3 for user experience and connectivity