Review: FiiO FB1 – off white

Sound

 

There are several big problems with the FB1. The first I mentioned in my Picture Sunday post. The FB1 drivers and associated circuitry are too sensitive for its amp. You’ll get a goodly amount of hiss from irrespective the music or source. It’s not iPod 5G levels of hissy, but it’s enough to bother sensitive eared people like myself. Second is that its DAC spits way too much volume from even the lowest volume setting. There’s volume off, and then there’s volume too much, with nary a step between. The first step nets me about the volume level I’d be comfortable listening to on a Tokyo commuter train and almost enough to listen comfortably on an airplane. 

The great news is that, good fit or not, not much of that volume leaks out. So, if you’re keen, you can use FB1 in bed, without annoying the person next to you. But that’s a big if. I mean, it’s a volume level that won’t let you sleep unless you constantly dream of front-row rock concerts or you send your songs through a digital volume depresses set to 1/10 of normal. 

Then again, this is a 30$ wireless earphone. 

A 30$ wireless earphone with great range. Like I said, I get about 30 metres line of site outside. Nearer other wireless devices and busy commuters, I still get rock-solid connection several meters removed from my iPhone or Sony ZX300. 

Unfortunately the sound that hits my ears is mid-bass heavy, boomy, with a veritable blob of stereo. There’s little instrument delineation but pretty decent high range extension. I’d imagine its frequency response doesn’t look bad. It’s the nuance under it that simply doesn’t work. It reacts pretty fast in the bass, but there is just too much bloom down there with poor dampening that lets through plenty of plastic echo. Vocals are pretty forward, which would be okay if they sounded good. 

This is current year. There are plenty of 30$ earphones which sound great. No, they don’t do wireless, but all things considered, wireless is the FB1’s only real selling point. The sound behind that point isn’t good.

End words

The FB1 connects great, gets pretty good battery life, and is easy to use. Its remote is good, but everything else is cheap, feels cheap, and sounds cheap. It’s not an earphone that screams FiiO quality, or about which FiiO should scream. It’s an earphone that, if I didn’t get directly from FiiO I would wonder was a fake. 

FiiO: I love you. I evangelise your products almost everywhere I can. But the FB1 isn’t a product that I will evangelise. It’s also not one that, as a known lover of wireless audio, I won’t be asked about. When and if you bring out its follow-up, bump the price, fix the volume issues, damp the thing, and by all means, make sure its plastic isn’t discoloured. You’re better than this. 

3.3/5 - (15 votes)
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Back before he became the main photographer for bunches of audio magazines and stuff, Nathan was fiddling with pretty cool audio gear all day long at TouchMyApps. He loves Depeche Mode, trance, colonial hip-hop, and raisins. Sometimes, he gets to listening. Sometimes, he gets to shooting. Usually he's got a smile on his face. Always, he's got a whisky in his prehensile grip.

6 Comments

  • Reply August 23, 2018

    tuncay

    Nathan, thanks a lot for the post.Really thank you! Much obliged.

  • Reply August 31, 2018

    Berkhan

    That is some lens on the main photo!

    • Reply August 31, 2018

      ohm image

      I don’t remember what it was. Maybe 120mm Schneider macro f/5,6?

  • Reply September 19, 2018

    hp support canada

    I love to listen to music so I always tried some new ear products. Fiio-fb1 is the best among all my collection and if anyone is going to buy a new one they can try this ear set. Though the details are given here properly you can also visit hp support Canada for some more suggestions.

    • Reply September 20, 2018

      ohm image

      If this isn’t spam, it’s a horrible suggestion. If Lieven doesn’t take down this comment, know that Headfonia in no way sponsors the opinions of this comment, which are that the FB1 is any good at all. It sucks.

  • Reply October 28, 2018

    Acer Support UK

    The FiiO FB1 is the best wireless earphone which is so popular. I wish that we will get more new information in the future also.

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