Sound performance
My main sources were: iBasso DX160/ FiiO M11 Pro / EarMen Sparrow Trusted sources from trusted brands that I used extensively for the past weeks.
Files were played from either Amazon Music HD / Spotify or my own music library. Some tracks will be highlighted, just so you can try them home too!
Overall signature
As always, what really matters at the end of the day remains the sound factor.
FiiO could have made the best looking, most advanced dynamic drive, it would mean nothing if the FD5 doesn’t sound, at least, as good as the FH5 or FH7. Thankfully, they do so.
Out of the box, I just plugged them into my iPhone and the TC35i, to see how they’d cope with a “simple setup”. And honestly, this went far better than I expected. You get the typical FiiO sound signature, with deep lows and a slight emphasis on highs – especially with the aforementioned tips – which makes the FD5 a nice all-rounder that should fit most listeners.
But, what’s really impressive is how natural and inoffensive the FD5 seems to be. Even when I cranked up the volume, or played my usual Techno tracklist, the IEM never threw me back. On this aspect, the FiiO FD5 sounds much more like an open-back headphone, than an IEM: wide soundstage, powerful low kicks, and a very nice layering, that keeps the voice upfront all the time.
Bass especially, feels amazing. It’s deep, clean, and dwells deeply into my eardrum, without overpowering the rest of the spectrum. It’s a cool rumble, one that carries you through your musical journey and leaves you in a better shape than you were when you embarked. Even more, if you can hook up some nice player like the FiiO M11 Pro, or the small iBasso DX160.
Even with a low-budget source like the FiiO’s M3 Pro, the FD5 stood its ground. Helped by the low impedance and high sensitivity combo, those ears were still able to extract a lot of details and sweet gems, once hidden with lower-tier IEM. Of course, the more the merrier, and the FD5 really shines when paired with a good source, even more, if you can go balanced.
Resolution and clarity are sublime, but that’s not surprising anymore. It’s quick, clean and you can immediately feel the brand touch, where vocals take a really special part. What’s uncanny, however, is the level of sound pressure that IEM was able to output, never to display any distortion, even on complex tracks like Manipulator from Infected Mushrooms.
Flush mids, exquisite voices, powerful bass, and excellent clarity, the FiiO FD5 overthrow the FH5 for me but remains under the FH7. The latter offers better textures in the higher end of the spectrum, whilst the FD5 appears more natural in the long run. It’s a question of taste and I’d suggest that you take some time listening to both ears, so you can narrow your choice, depending on your tastes.
Long story short: the FiiO FD5 sounds as good as it looks. Typical FiiO now.
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 on a good DAC or DAP
No hiss with all my sources, Hurray!
The article continues on Page Five, after the click here
Paus
I’m listening to these right now, they are exceptional for someone like me who likes to listen to a wide range of genres, and love hearing details. They are clear and open, reminds me of a DT880 somewhat except with better bass. It really blows many other IEMs out of the water.
Dupo
FD5 is an Inears with placebo effect, yes, placebo. Will you be wondering what I mean? It comes to you with a more or less pro box, with a nice case, tool, a braided cable, and some iem that seem more designed by a master jeweler than by an engineer.
So you open the box and wow! For 200 dollars it’s not bad at all.
But you start riding and it turns out that putting on and removing the rubber bands is almost an exercise of not breaking them. You put your device in your pocket and you feel like that braided cable is going to break soon so close to the miniplug. The case there is no way to install the headphones without folding them all, it is more beautiful but zero professional and with a design made by the seller’s grandmother, nothing practical.
And now comes the worst, the sound.
Since you think you are before the design and the brand of the moment, you think that what you are listening to has quality, because it has very clear mids and highs. But it turns out that you put on some KZ of 20 usd and they almost sound the same. You think the sound is good because you want to believe it, but it’s not like that. You hear a ghost of the reality, certain frequencies that cover the rest so the track reduces it to 40% of reality. But you don’t know, because you’re still in the placebo effect.
To this we must add that FIIO’s customer service is non-existent, they can’t do anything to help you if there is a problem, such as that mine had noises and was defective and they never accepted it and now they are in the trash box, 200 usd in recycling. It is a superb Chinese company, which has complaints everywhere for cloning technology and patents. Never FIIO again, never again!