These are good IEM definitely, for the price of $260, no brainer.
Here is my summarize as a casual listener who cares about audio. First of all, here are my sources of audio:
OPPO HA2 SE which is DAC & AMP paired with an LG G6 using USB Audio Player and Ipod 6th gen using Onkyo HD Player.
+ sometimes lined out the OPPO with a mini tube AMP Bravo V2 with a Genalex Gold Lion tube.
I came from listening on HD600, Momentum. 2.0, and Beats X earphones(lol)
Let's start with the salsa...
1. SOUND QUALITY:
- W shape sound signature, well balanced.
- Warm sound, no full neutral but still warm and very smooth
- Bass (mid and sub-bass) is PRETTY good, no overproduced.
- Mids are forward, in term of vocals, especially the female voices. The mids are good enough with excellent clarity and details.
- Highs are good, most importantly.. Non fatiguing
- Treble is good, detailed, non fatiguing
- The soundstage as some folks have said, falls a bit into the narrow side. Some people are saying (like Zeos) that the soundstage is wide and very open and I do not see it. It's intimate, though some tracks can give you a good presentation in that aspect, so this could very slightly depending on the track. Also, another important thing is.. I think the soundstage can be expanded a bit with EQ, I will explain this below..
- despite its narrow soundstage, instruments separation and imagining are GREAT. I haven't seen someone claiming otherwise, and I can confirm this.
- I think these earphones are very sensitive to EQ. Every change you do using EQ is very perceptible and I think this is great. I've managed with some EQs programs and morphits to find different sounds, I like to try different presets on the go.
- Yes, remove the mesh, they sound clearer and better.
- These are easy to drive, even by your phone but a a high quality DAC WILL make a great the difference for good.
2. COMFORT AND BUILD QUALITY:
- Nothing to say about built quality, we all can see it, even in pictures, these are GREAT built IEMs and very premium look like.
- comfort is good, though I can understand that no everyone has the same ear shape and these IEM might be a bit uncomfortable for someone or not fully satisfying to wear on due to the short noozle.
I personally do not have any problem with it.
- They are very lightweight.
- The cord has a good quality in the build. Some people say that the sound may improve by changing to a different cable with even more quality, but from what I've experienced in the past, I think this might be placebo ( tested this only on Headphones, no IEM yet though).
I might buy another cable in the future, but hell.. Ha ha ha I don't sincerely think that exchanging to a better cable than the stock one will improve the audio performance of these IEM. I will comment my impressions about this subject in the future.
3. TIPS ROLLING.
I've tried every one of the tips that came in the package and in my opinion:
Foam tips>>> Balance=Vocals tips>>> Bass Tips.
I've seen reviews saying the Foam Tips give you the better Isolation (It's true), but that they muffle the sound. I personally did not notice this, it's the opposite for me, they make the earphones sound fuller and richer, in my opinion.
The Balance and Vocal tips are almost similar to me, the only different I notice is more bass in Balance tips and a slightly less bass in Vocal tips.
Bass tips add too much bass except for the smaller tips. However, the smaller tips do not isolate well for me.
At last, I'm planning to purchase different tips from different brands recommended by the audiophile community to see how it goes, so I'll definitely edit these tips impressions later in the future with new tips recommendations.
4. My FH5 COMPARISON with my other headphones.
- HD600: Damn, in reality I was looking forward to purchase an IEM that could provide me with an excellent performance on the go, at least with a performance as comparable or close enough as my HD600 (To clarify, I was not expecting the same sound signature though, I knew by impressions that they ARE totally different). And I think these FH5 delivered.
Although, I do not think my FH5 are superior than my HD600, the HD600 still deliver this airness and this unbeatable mids and treble that hoholy.. But I think the FH5 is quite better than the HD600 in the bass performance, smoothness, Isolation ( of course), so I'm pretty happy with them.
Momentum 2.0: Pff, the only thing the Momentums might be superior in the sound signature than my FH5 is in the soundstage, everything else is being surpassed by my FH5. THEY BOTH have the warm sound signature, but the FH5 reproduces these better.
ULTRA EDIT: oh sweet Jesus, you know what? Up to five stars now..
These IEM.. The more I listen to them the better they sound!!
A few notes:
- Tips rolling is actually VERY important and noticeable on these IEMS, I've found some tipa that came with my Beats X that are taller and open, that despite no isolating as good as the foam tips, they fit perfectly and they sound quite better than any of the tips that came within the package.
- SOUNDTAGE IMPROVES with tips and sources too! Hell yeah! Now can say these FH5 offer the best soundstage out of my audio equipment now. It's still not that expansive but it's good for IEMs.
The soundstage paired with the Bravo V2 using the Genalex tube gives you this 3D type of soundstage, indicating that this IEMs scale depending of the source you are using.
Happy with the purchase for now. Although I'm very very curious on the FA7 they've just announced for 300 dollars. I need a comparison between the FH5.
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This Item  FiiO FH5 Best Over The Ear Headphones/Earphones Detachable Cable Design HiFi Quad Driver Hybrid (1 Dynamic + 3 Knowles BA) in-Ear Monitors for iOS and Android Computer PC Tablet |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $18.99 | $89.99 | -15% $109.99 List: $128.99 | $229.99 | $49.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Monday, May 20 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Comfort | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Quality of material | ||||||
| Sold By | — | LEAUDIO | Linsoul Audio | Linsoul Audio | Hour Loop | H HIFIHEAR |
| connectivity tech | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired |
| headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
| connector type | 3.5mm Jack | 3.5mm Jack | — | — | 2.5mm Jack | 3 5mm Jack |
| noise control | active noise cancellation | — | passive noise cancellation | sound isolation | — | sound isolation |
| headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack, 2.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| cable feature | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable | Tangle Free | Detachable |
Product Description
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Dynamic driverLow frequencies are deftly handled by a 10mm polymer nanocomposite dynamic driver, providing bass extension and quality beyond what you think is normally possible. |
Knowles Balanced ArmatureMid frequencies are produced by the Knowles ED30262 balanced armature driver, while high and ultra-high frequencies are created by the Knowles 31082 – specifically tuned to squeeze every last bit of performance from them. |
TRISEHLL= TRI +SHELLThe FH5’s patented TRISHELL structural design ensures that this is the case, with a 5-axis CNC machined aluminum-magnesium alloy rear shell, body, and front covers fixed tightly together with multiple screws – greatly reducing excess resonance and distortion. |
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S.TURBO= Sound TurboWith its specially S.TURBO acoustic structural design that makes clever use the physics of sound waves, you get meaty, deep bass that is more than capable of letting you feel the music. |
Independent sound tubesInspired by the twin turbos of today’s exotic supercars, the FH5 allocates one sound tube each for the low, mid, and high frequencies to ensure driver units are perfectly in harmony. |
Inspired by the streamliner eraThe textured, sweeping lines across the body of the FH5 recall a time where humanity relentlessly pursued both beauty and functionality, just like the FH5 itself does. |
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Aluminum alloy shellThe shell of the FH5 is of aluminum alloy precisely machined with CNC technology, ensuring that it will continue to luster for years to come. |
MMCX connectorsThe connectors on the FH5’s cable make it as easy as possible to connect to other devices, with its elbow plug; and to easily be changed, with the grippy MMCX connectors colored blue and red to easily identify the left and right channels. |
Silver-plated copper wireThe high purity silver-plated copper wire makes up the FH5’s hybrid cable effective minimizes distortion and signal transmission loss for the best sound quality possible. |
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Secure fitThe crescent shape of the FH5 units are specifically designed to conform to the human ear and provide a snug, comfortable fit. |
Hi-Res Audio CertificationThe FH5 has been certified by the Japan Audio Society to be "Hi-Res Audio" capable which means that the FH5 is capable of a frequency response up to 40kHz. |
A variety of ear tipsIncluded with the FH5 are three different sets of small, medium, and large pairs of ear tips and three pairs of foam ear tips all in medium. With the great variety of bundled ear tips, anybody can tailor the sound to what they want in absolute comfort. |
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Reviews with images
Excellent IEMs, they deserve all the hype!
These are good IEM definitely, for the price of $260, no brainer.Here is my summarize as a casual listener who cares about audio. First of all, here are my sources of audio:OPPO HA2 SE which is DAC & AMP paired with an LG G6 using USB Audio Player and Ipod 6th gen using Onkyo HD Player.+ sometimes lined out the OPPO with a mini tube AMP Bravo V2 with a Genalex Gold Lion tube.I came from listening on HD600, Momentum. 2.0, and Beats X earphones(lol)Let's start with the salsa...1. SOUND QUALITY:- W shape sound signature, well balanced.- Warm sound, no full neutral but still warm and very smooth- Bass (mid and sub-bass) is PRETTY good, no overproduced.- Mids are forward, in term of vocals, especially the female voices. The mids are good enough with excellent clarity and details.- Highs are good, most importantly.. Non fatiguing- Treble is good, detailed, non fatiguing- The soundstage as some folks have said, falls a bit into the narrow side. Some people are saying (like Zeos) that the soundstage is wide and very open and I do not see it. It's intimate, though some tracks can give you a good presentation in that aspect, so this could very slightly depending on the track. Also, another important thing is.. I think the soundstage can be expanded a bit with EQ, I will explain this below..- despite its narrow soundstage, instruments separation and imagining are GREAT. I haven't seen someone claiming otherwise, and I can confirm this.- I think these earphones are very sensitive to EQ. Every change you do using EQ is very perceptible and I think this is great. I've managed with some EQs programs and morphits to find different sounds, I like to try different presets on the go.- Yes, remove the mesh, they sound clearer and better.- These are easy to drive, even by your phone but a a high quality DAC WILL make a great the difference for good.2. COMFORT AND BUILD QUALITY:- Nothing to say about built quality, we all can see it, even in pictures, these are GREAT built IEMs and very premium look like.- comfort is good, though I can understand that no everyone has the same ear shape and these IEM might be a bit uncomfortable for someone or not fully satisfying to wear on due to the short noozle.I personally do not have any problem with it.- They are very lightweight.- The cord has a good quality in the build. Some people say that the sound may improve by changing to a different cable with even more quality, but from what I've experienced in the past, I think this might be placebo ( tested this only on Headphones, no IEM yet though).I might buy another cable in the future, but hell.. Ha ha ha I don't sincerely think that exchanging to a better cable than the stock one will improve the audio performance of these IEM. I will comment my impressions about this subject in the future.3. TIPS ROLLING.I've tried every one of the tips that came in the package and in my opinion:Foam tips>>> Balance=Vocals tips>>> Bass Tips.I've seen reviews saying the Foam Tips give you the better Isolation (It's true), but that they muffle the sound. I personally did not notice this, it's the opposite for me, they make the earphones sound fuller and richer, in my opinion.The Balance and Vocal tips are almost similar to me, the only different I notice is more bass in Balance tips and a slightly less bass in Vocal tips.Bass tips add too much bass except for the smaller tips. However, the smaller tips do not isolate well for me.At last, I'm planning to purchase different tips from different brands recommended by the audiophile community to see how it goes, so I'll definitely edit these tips impressions later in the future with new tips recommendations.4. My FH5 COMPARISON with my other headphones.- HD600: Damn, in reality I was looking forward to purchase an IEM that could provide me with an excellent performance on the go, at least with a performance as comparable or close enough as my HD600 (To clarify, I was not expecting the same sound signature though, I knew by impressions that they ARE totally different). And I think these FH5 delivered.Although, I do not think my FH5 are superior than my HD600, the HD600 still deliver this airness and this unbeatable mids and treble that hoholy.. But I think the FH5 is quite better than the HD600 in the bass performance, smoothness, Isolation ( of course), so I'm pretty happy with them.Momentum 2.0: Pff, the only thing the Momentums might be superior in the sound signature than my FH5 is in the soundstage, everything else is being surpassed by my FH5. THEY BOTH have the warm sound signature, but the FH5 reproduces these better.ULTRA EDIT: oh sweet Jesus, you know what? Up to five stars now..These IEM.. The more I listen to them the better they sound!!A few notes:- Tips rolling is actually VERY important and noticeable on these IEMS, I've found some tipa that came with my Beats X that are taller and open, that despite no isolating as good as the foam tips, they fit perfectly and they sound quite better than any of the tips that came within the package.- SOUNDTAGE IMPROVES with tips and sources too! Hell yeah! Now can say these FH5 offer the best soundstage out of my audio equipment now. It's still not that expansive but it's good for IEMs.The soundstage paired with the Bravo V2 using the Genalex tube gives you this 3D type of soundstage, indicating that this IEMs scale depending of the source you are using.Happy with the purchase for now. Although I'm very very curious on the FA7 they've just announced for 300 dollars. I need a comparison between the FH5.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018
Here is my summarize as a casual listener who cares about audio. First of all, here are my sources of audio:
OPPO HA2 SE which is DAC & AMP paired with an LG G6 using USB Audio Player and Ipod 6th gen using Onkyo HD Player.
+ sometimes lined out the OPPO with a mini tube AMP Bravo V2 with a Genalex Gold Lion tube.
I came from listening on HD600, Momentum. 2.0, and Beats X earphones(lol)
Let's start with the salsa...
1. SOUND QUALITY:
- W shape sound signature, well balanced.
- Warm sound, no full neutral but still warm and very smooth
- Bass (mid and sub-bass) is PRETTY good, no overproduced.
- Mids are forward, in term of vocals, especially the female voices. The mids are good enough with excellent clarity and details.
- Highs are good, most importantly.. Non fatiguing
- Treble is good, detailed, non fatiguing
- The soundstage as some folks have said, falls a bit into the narrow side. Some people are saying (like Zeos) that the soundstage is wide and very open and I do not see it. It's intimate, though some tracks can give you a good presentation in that aspect, so this could very slightly depending on the track. Also, another important thing is.. I think the soundstage can be expanded a bit with EQ, I will explain this below..
- despite its narrow soundstage, instruments separation and imagining are GREAT. I haven't seen someone claiming otherwise, and I can confirm this.
- I think these earphones are very sensitive to EQ. Every change you do using EQ is very perceptible and I think this is great. I've managed with some EQs programs and morphits to find different sounds, I like to try different presets on the go.
- Yes, remove the mesh, they sound clearer and better.
- These are easy to drive, even by your phone but a a high quality DAC WILL make a great the difference for good.
2. COMFORT AND BUILD QUALITY:
- Nothing to say about built quality, we all can see it, even in pictures, these are GREAT built IEMs and very premium look like.
- comfort is good, though I can understand that no everyone has the same ear shape and these IEM might be a bit uncomfortable for someone or not fully satisfying to wear on due to the short noozle.
I personally do not have any problem with it.
- They are very lightweight.
- The cord has a good quality in the build. Some people say that the sound may improve by changing to a different cable with even more quality, but from what I've experienced in the past, I think this might be placebo ( tested this only on Headphones, no IEM yet though).
I might buy another cable in the future, but hell.. Ha ha ha I don't sincerely think that exchanging to a better cable than the stock one will improve the audio performance of these IEM. I will comment my impressions about this subject in the future.
3. TIPS ROLLING.
I've tried every one of the tips that came in the package and in my opinion:
Foam tips>>> Balance=Vocals tips>>> Bass Tips.
I've seen reviews saying the Foam Tips give you the better Isolation (It's true), but that they muffle the sound. I personally did not notice this, it's the opposite for me, they make the earphones sound fuller and richer, in my opinion.
The Balance and Vocal tips are almost similar to me, the only different I notice is more bass in Balance tips and a slightly less bass in Vocal tips.
Bass tips add too much bass except for the smaller tips. However, the smaller tips do not isolate well for me.
At last, I'm planning to purchase different tips from different brands recommended by the audiophile community to see how it goes, so I'll definitely edit these tips impressions later in the future with new tips recommendations.
4. My FH5 COMPARISON with my other headphones.
- HD600: Damn, in reality I was looking forward to purchase an IEM that could provide me with an excellent performance on the go, at least with a performance as comparable or close enough as my HD600 (To clarify, I was not expecting the same sound signature though, I knew by impressions that they ARE totally different). And I think these FH5 delivered.
Although, I do not think my FH5 are superior than my HD600, the HD600 still deliver this airness and this unbeatable mids and treble that hoholy.. But I think the FH5 is quite better than the HD600 in the bass performance, smoothness, Isolation ( of course), so I'm pretty happy with them.
Momentum 2.0: Pff, the only thing the Momentums might be superior in the sound signature than my FH5 is in the soundstage, everything else is being surpassed by my FH5. THEY BOTH have the warm sound signature, but the FH5 reproduces these better.
ULTRA EDIT: oh sweet Jesus, you know what? Up to five stars now..
These IEM.. The more I listen to them the better they sound!!
A few notes:
- Tips rolling is actually VERY important and noticeable on these IEMS, I've found some tipa that came with my Beats X that are taller and open, that despite no isolating as good as the foam tips, they fit perfectly and they sound quite better than any of the tips that came within the package.
- SOUNDTAGE IMPROVES with tips and sources too! Hell yeah! Now can say these FH5 offer the best soundstage out of my audio equipment now. It's still not that expansive but it's good for IEMs.
The soundstage paired with the Bravo V2 using the Genalex tube gives you this 3D type of soundstage, indicating that this IEMs scale depending of the source you are using.
Happy with the purchase for now. Although I'm very very curious on the FA7 they've just announced for 300 dollars. I need a comparison between the FH5.
Color: GrayVerified Purchase
Excellent IEMs, they deserve all the hype!
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018
These are good IEM definitely, for the price of $260, no brainer.Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018
Here is my summarize as a casual listener who cares about audio. First of all, here are my sources of audio:
OPPO HA2 SE which is DAC & AMP paired with an LG G6 using USB Audio Player and Ipod 6th gen using Onkyo HD Player.
+ sometimes lined out the OPPO with a mini tube AMP Bravo V2 with a Genalex Gold Lion tube.
I came from listening on HD600, Momentum. 2.0, and Beats X earphones(lol)
Let's start with the salsa...
1. SOUND QUALITY:
- W shape sound signature, well balanced.
- Warm sound, no full neutral but still warm and very smooth
- Bass (mid and sub-bass) is PRETTY good, no overproduced.
- Mids are forward, in term of vocals, especially the female voices. The mids are good enough with excellent clarity and details.
- Highs are good, most importantly.. Non fatiguing
- Treble is good, detailed, non fatiguing
- The soundstage as some folks have said, falls a bit into the narrow side. Some people are saying (like Zeos) that the soundstage is wide and very open and I do not see it. It's intimate, though some tracks can give you a good presentation in that aspect, so this could very slightly depending on the track. Also, another important thing is.. I think the soundstage can be expanded a bit with EQ, I will explain this below..
- despite its narrow soundstage, instruments separation and imagining are GREAT. I haven't seen someone claiming otherwise, and I can confirm this.
- I think these earphones are very sensitive to EQ. Every change you do using EQ is very perceptible and I think this is great. I've managed with some EQs programs and morphits to find different sounds, I like to try different presets on the go.
- Yes, remove the mesh, they sound clearer and better.
- These are easy to drive, even by your phone but a a high quality DAC WILL make a great the difference for good.
2. COMFORT AND BUILD QUALITY:
- Nothing to say about built quality, we all can see it, even in pictures, these are GREAT built IEMs and very premium look like.
- comfort is good, though I can understand that no everyone has the same ear shape and these IEM might be a bit uncomfortable for someone or not fully satisfying to wear on due to the short noozle.
I personally do not have any problem with it.
- They are very lightweight.
- The cord has a good quality in the build. Some people say that the sound may improve by changing to a different cable with even more quality, but from what I've experienced in the past, I think this might be placebo ( tested this only on Headphones, no IEM yet though).
I might buy another cable in the future, but hell.. Ha ha ha I don't sincerely think that exchanging to a better cable than the stock one will improve the audio performance of these IEM. I will comment my impressions about this subject in the future.
3. TIPS ROLLING.
I've tried every one of the tips that came in the package and in my opinion:
Foam tips>>> Balance=Vocals tips>>> Bass Tips.
I've seen reviews saying the Foam Tips give you the better Isolation (It's true), but that they muffle the sound. I personally did not notice this, it's the opposite for me, they make the earphones sound fuller and richer, in my opinion.
The Balance and Vocal tips are almost similar to me, the only different I notice is more bass in Balance tips and a slightly less bass in Vocal tips.
Bass tips add too much bass except for the smaller tips. However, the smaller tips do not isolate well for me.
At last, I'm planning to purchase different tips from different brands recommended by the audiophile community to see how it goes, so I'll definitely edit these tips impressions later in the future with new tips recommendations.
4. My FH5 COMPARISON with my other headphones.
- HD600: Damn, in reality I was looking forward to purchase an IEM that could provide me with an excellent performance on the go, at least with a performance as comparable or close enough as my HD600 (To clarify, I was not expecting the same sound signature though, I knew by impressions that they ARE totally different). And I think these FH5 delivered.
Although, I do not think my FH5 are superior than my HD600, the HD600 still deliver this airness and this unbeatable mids and treble that hoholy.. But I think the FH5 is quite better than the HD600 in the bass performance, smoothness, Isolation ( of course), so I'm pretty happy with them.
Momentum 2.0: Pff, the only thing the Momentums might be superior in the sound signature than my FH5 is in the soundstage, everything else is being surpassed by my FH5. THEY BOTH have the warm sound signature, but the FH5 reproduces these better.
ULTRA EDIT: oh sweet Jesus, you know what? Up to five stars now..
These IEM.. The more I listen to them the better they sound!!
A few notes:
- Tips rolling is actually VERY important and noticeable on these IEMS, I've found some tipa that came with my Beats X that are taller and open, that despite no isolating as good as the foam tips, they fit perfectly and they sound quite better than any of the tips that came within the package.
- SOUNDTAGE IMPROVES with tips and sources too! Hell yeah! Now can say these FH5 offer the best soundstage out of my audio equipment now. It's still not that expansive but it's good for IEMs.
The soundstage paired with the Bravo V2 using the Genalex tube gives you this 3D type of soundstage, indicating that this IEMs scale depending of the source you are using.
Happy with the purchase for now. Although I'm very very curious on the FA7 they've just announced for 300 dollars. I need a comparison between the FH5.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2022
Color: GrayVerified Purchase
2022 and I have to say the FH5 is still nice compared to how far the IEM world has come since their day view. I wouldn’t say the FH5s is an upgrade, but a side grade from it, as it focuses more on instruments and stage with more treble and vocals sit = and at times a touch behind it all, rather than how the original FH5 comes across as a more vocal & bass dominant iem, I think the FH3 would be considered a more relevant sort of an upgrade when comparing the sound. But all have their places and are wonderful to listen to music with.
Build quality is superb, looks stunning, comes in a nice box with plenty of accessories. Sound was a bit bass dominated out of the box, and I felt treble was being a touch smothered for lack of words (Personal Taste). I decided to take off the filter grills, which brought the bass down a pinch (still plenty enough) and the treble came up a touch, making it a bit more balanced V sound with a little more energy, but still a comfortable listen thru-n-thru. There’s a lacking in the treble extension which does affect the sound quality of cymbals, rings and splashes, giving it a very slight dullish ting to the vibrancy. It also seems to affect the sound stage, it’s more forward & rear vs wide, but instruments can still be imaged, just everything is a little closer together (it’s a very long listening iem). Vocals are intimate and instruments at time can sound just a touch behind and smeared, yet detail is still adequate, not the best, but I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.
Overall, I find them to be a fun & comfortable pair to listen with for several hours on end, played well on a variety of devices. Equipment used: FiiO K9 Pro, Monoprice Monolith, Shanling M3X, Google Pixel 6 and was easy to drive. If you wanted a more refined, detailed and controlled lower end with better treble extension and still maintain the vocals intimacy and overall smoothness, this is what the FH7 will give you but at an additional cost. Wish I would have gotten these a few years back to really appreciate them, as most things fell short of this IEM looking back.
Build quality is superb, looks stunning, comes in a nice box with plenty of accessories. Sound was a bit bass dominated out of the box, and I felt treble was being a touch smothered for lack of words (Personal Taste). I decided to take off the filter grills, which brought the bass down a pinch (still plenty enough) and the treble came up a touch, making it a bit more balanced V sound with a little more energy, but still a comfortable listen thru-n-thru. There’s a lacking in the treble extension which does affect the sound quality of cymbals, rings and splashes, giving it a very slight dullish ting to the vibrancy. It also seems to affect the sound stage, it’s more forward & rear vs wide, but instruments can still be imaged, just everything is a little closer together (it’s a very long listening iem). Vocals are intimate and instruments at time can sound just a touch behind and smeared, yet detail is still adequate, not the best, but I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.
Overall, I find them to be a fun & comfortable pair to listen with for several hours on end, played well on a variety of devices. Equipment used: FiiO K9 Pro, Monoprice Monolith, Shanling M3X, Google Pixel 6 and was easy to drive. If you wanted a more refined, detailed and controlled lower end with better treble extension and still maintain the vocals intimacy and overall smoothness, this is what the FH7 will give you but at an additional cost. Wish I would have gotten these a few years back to really appreciate them, as most things fell short of this IEM looking back.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2019
These sound and look absolutely amazing for this price range. The amount of detail and clarity it has is something you'd find on IEMS twice it's price. It's highs are recessed enough that it's not fatiguing to listen to for long periods of time but not too recessed as to make songs feel lifeless; the FH5s are very lively and very fun to listen to. Bass is enough to satisfy bassheads but is not overly boomy as to bleed into or overwhelm other regions. Mids surprised me the most on these. For a Chifi I'd expect these to be V shaped with the mids being heavily recessed; not so with the FH5. Mids are very present and very detailed. Vocals sound phenomenal even without the included vocal tips. Soundstage could be wider but wide and deep enough with the imaging more than makes up for it making these very enjoyable for gaming. Overall the FH5's sound suits my tastes almost perfectly.
Then comes the comfort, comfort on these are not so great for me. The main issue are the nozzles. They are too short and a tad too wide forthe included silicone tips. The installed stock balanced tips fit well enough but once you take them off to try other tips, it's very hard and annoying to put them back on and to have them stay on. There are several times where I thought they are secure only for one to pop off and stay in my ear. Even when I have them secure, the short nozzle makes it difficult keep a good seal. I find it funny that FiiO include a tray of various tips yet none of them fit well except for the foam tips; maybe not so funny as I spent well over $200 for these. Third party tips may fit better however. My preferred Spinfit tips fit and stays on but sadly they sound off compared to the balanced tips. I have yet to try others like Spiral Dots but I've read that Symbio tips works well. All in all I'd say stick with the foam tips or spend extra on third party tips.
Then comes the comfort, comfort on these are not so great for me. The main issue are the nozzles. They are too short and a tad too wide forthe included silicone tips. The installed stock balanced tips fit well enough but once you take them off to try other tips, it's very hard and annoying to put them back on and to have them stay on. There are several times where I thought they are secure only for one to pop off and stay in my ear. Even when I have them secure, the short nozzle makes it difficult keep a good seal. I find it funny that FiiO include a tray of various tips yet none of them fit well except for the foam tips; maybe not so funny as I spent well over $200 for these. Third party tips may fit better however. My preferred Spinfit tips fit and stays on but sadly they sound off compared to the balanced tips. I have yet to try others like Spiral Dots but I've read that Symbio tips works well. All in all I'd say stick with the foam tips or spend extra on third party tips.
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Recently, last month, I started desiring so bad to listen music again in a good quality without breaking the bank and at the same time, a portable solution, and I remember talking with a Fiio Customer Representative back in my country (Argentina) about specifications, product quality and comparison with other brands, specially Sony at that time, so, this time I started reading more about Fiio current line-up reviews, experinces and more.
Last week I did the purchase: Fiio Q1 Mark II and Fiio F9 Pro.
The sound quality overall, specially taking into account the price/perfomance ratio is unbeatable, really, no more no less. Sadly, for me, the Fiio F9 Pro tunning kills my ears, let me explain a bit: The quality and detail of the F9 Pro is 4/5 stars, BUT, the sound they produce its very bright (and detailed) and you can clearly hear the treble getting inside your ears and producing some fatigue, at least for me, not everyone suffer this. Like I said, the headphones are incredible but reminds me the Sony MDR-100AAP, very bright ones to and I had to sell them.
So after giving them a chance I started reading around, getting into forums, watching some videos and in the end there were some more people with the same problem. So I didn't have so much more alternatives, it was F9, FH1 or...
Enter FH5.
I cant describe this ones, I'll try to give an overall idea. You have the detail and brightness of the F9 Pro without killing your ears, plus the bass of the FH, a little less and more controlled let me say. The mids are there, present and vivid with a overall warm tone, tending to be more like, if I remember correctly, the MDR-Z7, they are not the SAME sound, but they are in the good way.
Packaging and presentation its excellent, clearly you can tell that you are buying a premium product. The IEM's construction is solid, I mean SOLID, plus super confortable, I'd say even better to fit than the F9 Pro. Regarding the cable, the moment you see it, touch it you can tell it has a superior quality next to the competition in the same price range and other products, channels are divided from start to end. The bad thing is that there's no balanced cable.
Lastly and to round up I'll list the songs I tried with the FH5 and what impressed me more if I compare with another headphones I tried:
- Michael Jackson Thriller (DSD) (Its the best album mastered ever. Really really enjoyable with the FH5)
- Queen, Bohemian Rapsody (DSD) (The controlled bass when the piano is played! Just the needed amount, no more no less, its like hearing it next to you)
- Billy Idol, White Wedding Part 1 (FLAC 24Bits) (Billy's voice like I never heard before. I love this song and in this album overall you can hear Billy's voice among the instruments. With the FH5 it comes closer and you can enjoy it)
- Eagles, Hotel California (FLAC 24Bits) (The intro, the guitars, the intrument separation, I cant explain, you have to listen to it)
- Phil Collins, In the Air Tonight (FLAC 24BIts) (Man, when he sits and starts to play the battery, jaw dropping)
Extra, an impossible one:
- Michael Jackson, Love Never Felt so Good (FLAC 24Bits) (In this one clearly the FH5 lose against the Sony MDR-Z7, although the Z7 either did well with this song. Up to date, I never heard this song being played well by any headphones, maybe its the mastering but I always try it to see how each headphone can manage the bass in the intro).
Overall, the FH5 are outstanding.
Do they worth the money? Every cent!
Are they perfect? No, of course not. Which headphone is?
Can you get better alternatives? Sure, with this representation / tonal range. by spending more money.
Would I recomend them? Hell yeah!
Negative things I could say about them?
- The lack of balanced cable, although Fiio says the reason it's for "market conditions" and "saving people's money".
- Bass could be a little more controlled, just a bit, but cant really complain.
Personal "negative" note for my wallet.
- I have to return my Q1 Mark II and get the Q5. I have to raise the volume a lot more to listen at the same levels I did with the F9 Pro, plus I feel the Q1 with these falls short in detail, crispness.
EDIT: I've removed the meshes as a reviewer sugests in a video available in YouTube. The SQ overall increases not only by a tiny margin, it increases tons ! If you get these IEMs removing the meshes is a must do.
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iiElysiumx
Amazing IEM, but required some tinkering to get just right
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2020