Sound performance
For this review, my main sources were the FiiO KA13 / ddHiFi TC44A / Shanling H5. 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
After the JD3 and JH3, I was pretty curious to hear what FiiO could achieve with their new JH5. And if the wow-factor isn’t there anymore, for the price, the newcomer really should find some appeal with newcomers, and even seasoned audiophiles like me.
In fact, even paired with my MacBook headphone output, I was surprised by how powerful the little FiiO were. Simple physic at work here, low impedance + good sensitivity – but even knowing that beforehand, the first session really surprised me.. in a good way. Maybe thanks/because of the Harman Curve, but the FiiO JH5 appeared to be surprisingly well-balanced – where I expected a more classical V-shaped, especially with their hybrid configuration. Whatever the genre, or the source, the IEM behaved surprisingly well, delivering consistent results through all my listening.
FiiO being FiiO, voices were given a lot of love and attention, and I was impressed by how natural the mid-range came out, almost matching the FD3 Pro, or the FD5, when paired with the FiiO KA13, the previous FDx series keeping the upper hand… but by a strand of hair only. Something that could be found all across the JH5 sonic performance: mostly good, but never truly amazing, as if FiiO deliberately decided to reduce the performance, not to hinder their higher end counterparts..
Still, on the long run, the JH5 didn’t exhibit any obvious flaw, at least nothing that could push me back or stop my listening session. But, if there’s something that struck me with the small FiiO, 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 and FiiO’s new audiophile keyboard, the KB3 – I was impressed by how full the JH5 sounded, giving me that toe-tapping bass, with no audible distortion. And while I regretted the JD7 lack of sharpness in the upper mids, this was never the case here and I found the FiiO JH5 quite good, even very great, on most of my usual track list.
On well-produced tracks like Rock You from Dirty Loops, the IEM displays nicely controlled bass response and impact, helped by the tight-seal offered by the semi-custom shape, and techno-lovers, like me, with limited budget will be hard-pressed to find an IEM as potent as this one, in this price range.
Add to that a baffling wide soundstage – it appears that the negative feedback works overall – and you get a very good IEM, even outmatching the mighty FD3 and FH3 in this regard, easily competing in terms of resolution and clarity. For a neophyte or someone that only need a spare set, this is a definitive upgrade, and could even become your main pair of IEM.
Again, they can’t match the bigger FD5 in terms of resolution and dynamic, but paired with the FiiO KA5 the end result was nothing short of amazing, even more, once you add a balanced cable in the mix. I listened to the same tracks I used on my JD3 review, with the like of Hysterias from SebastiAn, or vocal one like La Jeune Fille en Feu from Par One and that confirmed my first impression: bass remains one of the best features of the JH5, but highs are a few levels above what you got on the JH3, or even the FH3. I tried complex tracks like Crash Landing from Illangelo which highlighted the ear’s flaws and qualities, and thankfully, the JH5 has less of the prior, than the latter.
A great IEM all-in-all, but not as good as its bigger sibling… yet!
Tonality
Highs: good extension, solid high-mids. Not the best highs you could get but definitely not the worst. There is no sibilant and you can confidently raise the volume never to encounter any harshness, even when pushed to their limit 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: Strobe Lights (feat. Kilian & Jo) – Henry Green remix
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 JH5 achieved here. Proof that Harman-tuned IEM doesn’t have to be boring!
Good test-track: Unstable Gravity – Colyn
Lows: 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: To the Moon and Back – Boris Brejcha
Sensitivity / Hiss
With a super low impedance and high sensitivity, the FiiO JH5 are a breeze to drive, even with your least powerful source. I tried them on my Macbook, the FiiO KB3 and even Astell&Kern CA1000T, all gave tremendous results.
Bonus point, those IEMs didn’t appear to be hiss sensitive. Hurray
Conclusion
With the FiiO JH5, the brand keeps on filling its Jade line-up with cheap-but-great products – this new IEM being the perfect example. Superb in their 3D printed resin 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, great layering and impressive dynamic range, even with small affordable sources like an USB dongle.
And if not as good as the FA7s, yet, for this price, I think it’ll be hard to find an IEM as wide, and as impactful, offering a proper alternative to your entry-level IEM, with true audiophile rendering and top of the line built, at a low-cost – which was definitely the intended goal here. Premium chi-fi in a nutshell
Pros
- excellent fit and wear with the semi-custom design
- good build and excellent finish
- solid lows and equally good mids
- easy to scale with a good source
- cheap
Cons
- highs can be a bit prominent sometimes
- 2-pin socket
- open design…
Page 1: About the brand, design and build quality
Page 2: Sound performance
