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When FiiO reached out in Oct with an present to evaluate the brand new M11S DAP and FH7S IEMs, I did the unthinkable and truly hesitated with my response. FiiO ended up one particular of the 1st Chinese higher-conclude audio brand names to genuinely make a splash outside the house of the domestic marketplace and I’ve been a big admirer ever given that — until finally not too long ago when I felt that the manufacturer experienced started off to abandon what built its choices so interesting from the pretty beginning a sturdy focus on inexpensive goods that really delivered outstanding seem high-quality.
The original FiiO X1 New music Player was the largest foreign challenger to the Apple iPod profits of the device surpassed equally the Creative Zen and Microsoft Zune and outlasted practically every other iPod clone.
The good results of the X1 prompted FiiO to develop its individual lineup of earphones to match their DAPs the earliest types ended up made in partnership with Dunu ahead of the company made a decision to make anything in-house.
When the DAP lineup has shrunk considerably, the IEM assortment now incorporates the FD series (solitary dynamic drivers), FA collection (well balanced armature drivers), and the FH series (hybrids) the prices vary from close to $100 to $700 USD/pair dependent on the building and driver configuration.
The FiiO M11S proved to be a quite strong performer at $500 and confident me that the business is going again to its roots with high-performance DAPs that are extra reasonably priced the FH7S IEMs retail for $400 and the whole package deal at $900 offers a great deal of efficiency for the income. $900 for a DAP and pair of IEMs is evidently not a “budget” order but FiiO have made a large price mixture for songs listeners that prioritize personalized audio over the loudspeaker expertise.
So What’s In the Box?
FiiO have a reputation for going overboard with their IEMs and the FH7S do not disappoint in that regard the bundle consists of the ear items and cable, a really hard case, cleaning software, cable removal device, a 3.5mm and 4.4mm jack for the modular cable, 19 sets of guidelines, magnetic cable tie, steel plate to hold the two sets of filters not in use, and three sets of filters.
There are 7 diverse styles of suggestions with two pairs of foams, two pairs of double flanged, and five different varieties of silicone recommendations (SML every).
The case has a leather-based-like outer surface area and a cloth lined interior with dividers to preserve the ear items from receiving scratched in transit or storage. The provided package is as great as I have observed at this price and features components that other manufacturers will cost you additional for.
The Make
The ear items are created from a CNC machined aluminum alloy with what FiiO describes as a “sci-fi armor face” with a few slots that operate as vents and give the FH7S a semi-open layout.
The ear pieces have an anodized matte black finish with dazzling stainless accents to full the fight ready glance. The proportions are reversed in comparison to most normal IEMs: the greater part of the shell is the exterior part.
There is a single vent on the interior shell over the dynamic driver just behind the L/R labels. The nozzles are stainless metal and threaded for one particular of the three provided filters which are also stainless steel types with knurled edges for simplicity of grasp and idea retention. MMCX connectors are applied and have been particularly tight fitting on my sample.
My first impact was that the FH7S ended up on the more substantial facet, but the condition basically makes them pretty at ease in the ear and delicate ahead rake of the nozzles produces a average seating depth in the ear canal.
Just after operating by means of quite a few sets of ideas, I settled on the clear mid-sized guidelines with the orange main for most of my listening.
Really don’t count on a great deal of passive isolation from these IEMs the open back character of the style and design generates a situation where by there is leakage in the two directions.
The cable is the exact same modular cable I reviewed with the FH7S the design and style utilizes plug-in jack modules with 4.4mm and 3.5mm sizes offered — a 2.5mm variation is out there at an additional price.
As soon as the module is plugged in, the outer metal shell screws on to lock the module in place. The jacks are keyed so they are not able to be put in incorrectly, and the technique is the two easy to use and very well executed.
The cable itself is an 8-wire braid from the jack up to the splitter. There is a chin slider earlier mentioned the splitter and all of the components (jack, splitter, slider) has a matching gun-metallic gray end that properly enhances the dim copper of the cable alone.
Above the splitter, the wires are 4-wire braids up to pre-formed hooks and MMCX connectors in distinct housings. The connectors have a crimson or blue band at the base to assist with indexing.
Driver Know-how
The FH7S make use of 4 Knowles Balanced Armatures and a 13.6mm dynamic driver the dynamic driver was created and designed in-household at FiiO and uses a DLC diaphragm with a new patented S. Turbo acoustic chamber to even further improve the minimal end overall performance.
The driver initial showed up in the FH9 but the S. Turbo acoustic chamber style is new for the FH7S. The midrange is managed by a custom made created pair of DFK armatures that were being co-intended by Knowles and FiiO precisely for the FH7S.
The best conclusion (treble) is taken care of by a pair of SWFK-31736 drivers in the nozzle. Equally drivers exit through a one port so there is only a person exit port obvious in the nose irrespective of the twin drivers powering it.
The nominal impedance is 18 ohms with a sensitivity of 104dB/mW which helps make it a superior match for sources like FiiO’s M11S or competition like the Hiby R5 or Cayin N3 Pro. I also observed it labored similarly well with the Questyle M12 and M15 as perfectly as the iFi GO Bar Dongle DAC.
Audio
It is normally the scenario with spending budget IEMs, that filters emphasize as well a great deal of 1 region and not ample of the other. Because of that fact, we commit a lot of time seeking to build a baseline for these varieties of IEMs, so that when we examine the sonic efficiency with the filters engaged, you have a much better understanding of how they are impacting the sound.
The sub-bass is mildly elevated irrespective of which filter is chosen, but does keep fantastic clarity and pace general. Bass notes are certainly distinct with higher than average detail and texture until they get started to roll-off about 20Hz the effect can continue to be felt but they reduce a large amount of their definition.
Mid-bass details is sturdy and also a bit elevated and it would be precise to condition that the tuning adds some warmth in this region all the way up into the higher bass assortment. The general degree of clarity is very substantial, and the timbre is extra normal sounding than a range of other IEMs in the similar value vary.
The lower midrange has really high levels of clarity and element male vocals are impressively rendered with superior amounts of resolution, weight, and pretty exact sounding timbre. Guitar notes are equally extraordinary with a sturdy edge and excellent maintain.
The midrange overall has excellent existence and I was somewhat stunned by how very well the FH7S reproduce the violin and piano notes have bodyweight, depth, and a very normal sounding presentation on rock, classical, and jazz tracks.
The upper midrange and reduced treble vary show some more emphasis about 2kHz which is an additional defining ingredient of the all round tonal balance and presentation. Female vocals are pushed forward in the blend forward of the instrumentation and I located them far more pronounced than their male counterparts.
The decreased treble force is pretty pronounced but does a superior task of balancing the reduced finish emphasis and except if tracks are mastered on the hot side, the treble drops back swiftly more than enough that it does not grow to be strident or sibilant.
Snare rattle is crisp and cymbals are a little less energetic or accurate than I was hoping for, but still top-quality to quite a few of the comparable IEMs in the $400 vary. The treble starts to roll-off all over 14kHz which manages to give the FH7S some electricity and airiness in the top finish without the need of getting to be fatiguing at reasonable quantity ranges.
The soundstage is what a person need to fairly hope from IEMs the width and depth are typical making a considerably personal sounding presentation, but the stereo separation is quite spectacular. Imaging is rather precise and it was straightforward to put performers and instruments within just the soundstage. The FH7S are unquestionably over average in that section.
Filtering the Audio?
The outcome is a relatively properly well balanced, a little heat tone with very good clarity, transparency, and a clean all round presentation.
Swapping from the white balanced filter to the crimson bass filter delivers the bass forward by reducing the higher midrange/decrease treble force. Most of the filter effect is concerning 1kHz-5kHz with incredibly very little effects to the signature above and down below that variety.
The outcome is a signature that appears a bit additional impactful than the baseline with less strength in the strings and woman vocals. I identified this filter specifically perfectly suited to hip-hop and rock and fewer properly suited to classical and choral parts than the default setting.
Swapping to the inexperienced filter, impacts the upper midrange and reduce treble but with the reverse influence. In this article the lows are a little bit in excess of-shadowed by the upper midrange and feminine vocals are pushed ahead producing this a excellent selection for acapella and choral is effective but much less well suited to more well balanced compositions.
Conclusion
FiiO have finished 2022 on a critical superior simply because of the M11S DAP and FH7S IEMs both solutions offer a pretty substantial level of effectiveness at their respective rate factors but also as a tandem.
The warm tonal harmony of the FH7S helps make it a very good match to a huge selection of DAPs and Dongle DACs with a additional neutral sounding presentation which include versions from Sony and Astell&Kern.
The supplied package is an great price for the money and when not all people will enjoy the present day on the lookout industrial layout of the ear parts — these similar listeners will discover it incredibly hard to ignore the sonic functionality that destinations it in the vicinity of the prime of the IEM class concerning $400 and $500 USD. FiiO have plainly set a good deal of effort and hard work into making a universal pair of IEMs that definitely supply. You would effectively recommended to discover a pair to audition.
Where by to obtain: $399 at Amazon
