FiiO JD7 Review

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Sound performances

My main sources were the FiiO KA3 / ddHiFi TC44A / iBasso DC06. Trusted sources from trusted brands that I used extensively for the past months.

As usual, files were played from either Apple Music / Spotify or my own music library. Some tracks will be highlighted, just so you can try them home too!

Overall signature

So, is the FiiO JD7 shoe-horned version of the FiiO FA7S? If visually yes, sonically… no!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad by any mean, but it’s a completely different experience. In fact, the JD7 tends to be more in-line with the FD3, than the FA7s, favoring a balanced sound approach, where its higher-end sibling seemed to favor the upper spectrum. 

In fact, I don’t know if that’s thanks/because of the Harman Curve, but the FiiO JD7 appeared to be surprisingly well-balanced – where I expected a more classical V-shaped, typical of this price range. Whatever the genre, or the source, the IEM behaved surprisingly well, delivering consistent results through all my listening.

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FiiO being FiiO, voices were given a lot of love and attention, and I was impressed by how natural the mid-range came out. Okay, It’s definitely not as good sounding as the FD3 Pro, or the FD5, but for anyone seeking a non-offensive IEM, suitable for full-day listening sessions. In fact, this trait was both the JD7 best quality, and biggest flaw: it’s mostly good, but never truly amazing – but that may have been the brand goal all along.

And, if the punchy mid-range blended well with lows, the highs seemed a bit too shy for my taste. Still, the JD7 didn’t exhibit any obvious flaw, at least nothing that could push me back or stop my listening session.  On the other hand, if there’s something that struck me with the small FiiO JD7, that’s the sound pressure. Even paired with the small ddHiFi TC35C, the IEM was able to deliver thunderous bass, reaching non-safe sound level with ease, while maintaining a very large dynamic range

Paired with a better source – the Chord Mojo 2 – I was impressed by how full the JD7 sounded, giving me that toe-tapping bass, with no audible distortion. Of course, everything isn’t perfect, and the treble was a bit behind in terms of sharpness, especially with bad mixes, where some notes I was used to, were not heard this time. Thankfully, on well-produced tracks like Rock You from Dirty Loops, the IEM displays nicely controlled bass response and impact. For a sole-driver, the result is compelling, helped by the tight-seal offered by the new ear tips (lovely), and techno-lovers, like me, with limited budget will be hard-pressed to find an IEM as dynamic as this one, in this price range.

Add to that a baffling wide soundstage (certainly helped by the semi-open design) and you get a very potent IEM, even out matching the mighty FD3 in this regards. Sure, they can’t compete in terms of resolution and clarity, but for a neophyte or someone that only need a spare set, this is a definitive upgrade, even more if you were to compare them with the lower-end FiiO JD3.

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Of course, perfection isn’t of this world – at least for now – and there are still a few issues that should be addressed: highs remain a bit too shy and depending on the source you’ll pair, they may sound a bit too plain. That’s not an issue most of the time, but on bad recordings, you may have to upper the 8kHz on your EQ, to give some more peps to your sound. Add a potent source like the iBasso DC06 and the FiiO JD7 opens up even more. Mids are sharper and lows gain even more weight, without infringing on the voices. The transition between low, mids, and highs is usually seamless, but as I said before, the treble can sounds a bit too thin, veiled behind the mids. 

I listened to classic tracks like Hysterias from SebastiAn, or vocal one like La Jeune Fille en Feu from Par One and that confirmed my first impression: if bass remains one of the best features of the JD7, voices are as good, if not better sometimes I also tried complex tracks like Crash Landing from Illangelo which highlights the ear’s impressive dynamic range. Plugged into my MacBook Air headphone port, the result was not as good, but the fun factor remained: for a quick trip, this is the perfect pair.

A great IEM all-in-all, but not as good as its bigger sibling… yet!

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Tonality

Highs: recessed top, but good otherwise. High-frequencies extension isn’t great, that’s a fact. But, thanks to that, the FiiO JD7 are one of the most forgiving IEM I reviewed those past months, allowing me to enjoy some tracks that I completely ditched from my “audiophile playlist – hello Pink and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fun over fidelity.

Good test-track:  The Look Of love – Dusty Springfield

Mediums: wide and quick. As usual with FiiO, mids are superb and provide a good, balanced presentation. Voices, especially women singers, really benefit from the brand’s field expertise and even seasoned audiophile might be surprised by what the JD7 achieved here. Proof that Harmann-tuned IEM doesn’t have to be boring!

Good test-track: Plastic Love – Mariya Takeuchi

Bass: solid bass and deep rumble. Bass is the real feat here. Deep, well-defined, impactful, and the more you push, the more you’re rewarded. It’s deeply addictive, with powerful kicks and good definition from top to bottom, even more, if you can use a good source!

Good test-track : Peur des filles – L’impératrice

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Conclusion

With the FiiO JD7, the brand tops up its Jade line-up quite nicely. Superb in their 316L stainless steel shell, those are the perfect upgrade for anyone who owns the lower-model and want to dip a toe into the mid-tier audiophile pool. For less than $100 USD, you’ll get solid lows, exquisite voices and impressive dynamic range, even with small affordable sources like an USB dongle. 

And if highs are kind of the JD7 Achille heel’s, for this price, I think it’ll be hard to find an IEM as wide, and as impactful, even in the deeper chi-fi world. Sure, it won’t replace your FD3 nor the FA7S, but that was never the goal. The idea here is to offer a proper alternative to your entry-level IEM, with true audiophile rendering and top of the line built, at a low-cost. And, for me, FiiO succeeded, making those IEMs the perfect step-up for anyone seeking a successor for their sub-$50 IEM. Nicely done FiiO!

.Page 1: About the brand, design and build quality

Page 2: Bundle, specifications

Page 3: Sound Performances

 

4.4/5 - (52 votes)
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A nerdy guy with a passion for audio and gadgets, he likes to combine his DAC and his swiss knife. Even after more than 10 years of experience, Nanotechnos still collects all gear he gets, even his first MPMAN MP3 player. He likes spreadsheets, technical specs and all this amazing(ly boring) numbers. But most of all, he loves music: electro, classical, dubstep, Debussy : the daily playlist.

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