FiiO FA7S Review

Sound performances

Tonality

Highs: higher and cleaner. Compared to the previous model of the brand, the FiiO FA7S feels like a good upgrade. It’s much more vibrant, yet not sibilant and you can confidently raise the volume never to encounter any harshness. The highs/super-highs difference didn’t strike me, but if you prefer highs over lows, you’ll hear a real difference/improvement.

Good test-track : Through and Through – Leaving Laurel

Mediums: rich and full. Exceptional soundstage and clean mids make for a very pleasant experience. As usual, FiiO’s done an excellent job in this regard: voices are bliss, and the IEM can fully immerse you, in just a few seconds. The most impressive sensation remaining is the 3D effect of those voices.

Good test-track: Money – Pink Floyd

Bass: deep, fast, powerful. As usual,  the lows are the pillar of all the great things that happen upfront. It goes nearly as low as DD drivers, but can’t get the same level of depth, but you enjoy a more nuanced sound, with superb layering.

Good test-track : Sacrifice – Sara Landry

Associations

FiiO FA7S + FiiO M11 Plus LTD: le menu du chef. Sure, pairing a FiiO DAP with a FiiO IEM should lead to great results, but that could also not be the case. Thankfully,  this is an amazing combination that gives you a wonderful sense of space, pinpoints layering, and sharp sound every time. Paired with Apple Music, the results were quite impressive, especially when the track was directly mastered by Apple.

FiiO FA7S + EarMen Sparrow: pocket-sized bliss. I’ve been using and enjoying EarMen DACs for quite some time now, and I’ve been using them daily since the day I got one. If you want to get a wide soundstage, with a lot of details, but don’t want to break the bank, this is my top choice at the moment: beefy bass, powerful vocals, and sweet highs on the go, or on your computer. IF, you use the 2.5mm output, in 3.5mm it’s good, but not as good!

FiiO FA7S + Astell&Kern A&Futura SE180: business class. The SE180 is one of the best DAP I ever had, even with the regular SEM1 module, giving the FiiO M15 and iBasso DX300 a real run for the money. It’s an amazing combo, a bit too big, a bit too heavy for me, but simply perfect if you’re ready to pick it.

Sensitivity / Hiss

Impedance is low, sensitivity is relatively high so yes, you can drive those IEM’s with almost anything, but it will shine only when hooked to a good DAC or DAP

Paired with the iFi GO Blu, even with the 4.4mm Pentaconn I could hear some hiss. As soon as you play your music, this will disappear, but be careful with your source.

No hiss with all my sources, Hurray!

Conclusion

Once again, with the FiiO FA7S, the brand achieves great lengths and delivers exactly what they promised, at a conservative price.

It’s a definitive upgrade from the classic FA7, both inside and outside: everything has been enhanced, and if better looking, the new FA7S is also better sounding. The new setup works exactly as intended, giving you a precise, balanced, sound signature that should suit any genre and any source. The sound stage is amazing, the mids are great and all of that is neatly packed inside a superb, 316L stainless-steel shell. Going fully balanced really did the job and that is one of the best options in this price range.

Overall, my only complaint would be the isolation, below average, but apart from that, I can’t write bad things about that IEM. So yeah, another FiiO, another success, and that’s a really good thing!

Page 1: Fiio overview

Page 2: Design & Build Quality, comfort, Isolation

Page 3: Specifications, Bundle

Page 4: Sound part 1, 

Page 5: Sound Part 2 + Conclusion