The Sound
Source gear for my listening impressions:
Windows 11
foobar2000
FLAC (standard 44.1khz all the way to 192khz)
DSD (converted back to PCM for the Bifrost)
PC > USB > Bifrost 2/64 > XLR Balanced Out > Violectric HPA V281 LE > 4.4mm Balanced Out > Fei Wan
Signature:
The Aroma Audio Fei Wan is not going for neutral, nor is it slavishly devoted to natural, like Jewel was. Rather, it’s trying to thoroughly wow you, whilst maintaining an excellent sense of balance. Fei Wan gives you all the goods, with an artistically sculpted profile, without being too aggressive with any one region.
I haven’t seen a graph, but to my ears it sounds a gentle U-Shape, with plenty of lows and highs, yet the vocals barely feel recessed at all. It exhibits a wonderfully smooth, liquid quality, with midrange clarity and warmth in equal measure. There’s plenty of air and richness, openness and fullness.
In my review of Jewel, I said it wasn’t the best at anything except naturalness. I had never heard a more natural-sounding IEM. Fei Wan is not as naturally tuned as Jewel, yet it too has a skill which bests any other IEM I’ve heard, and I’ve already mentioned it; balance. This is a very subjective thing, of course. But for my preference, this is the best balance of fun, timbre, and performance. It’s not the best at any of these things, but taken together, Fei Wan juggles them masterfully.
Treble:
Fei Wan’s treble region is properly extended and subtly elevated, to give the stage lots of air. It’s barely on the brighter side of neutral, exhibiting only a tiny bit of sparkle. However, the treble is not overly ethereal or wispy. Nor is there any hint of coldness or stridency. In fact, there’s a small amount of thickness to these notes, which imbues them with smoothness and sweetness. They are not what I’d call “syrupy”, but they approach it.
When I say the highs are only barely on the bright side, I mean it. To my ears, these are not the least bit fatiguing. Even bright 80s pop with prominent high-hat and symbol strikes cause me zero issues. Some of my favorite headphones struggle with Michael Jackson’s BAD, due to how forward those sounds are in the mix. Not Fei Wan. They’re also clean of any sibilance. Unless it’s in the recording, of course.
Mid-Range:
If indeed vocals take a step back on the stage, it’s a small one. They certainly aren’t forward of the band, but they don’t come off terribly recessed, either. They have good size and weight, with a vaguely romantic quality. A mere whiff of warmth colors what are otherwise very clear and detailed voices. The presentation is so smooth, with such a honeyed tone, you can easily miss how profoundly textured and resolving the mids are.
When you focus in, though, Fei Wan will surprise you. The nuances and subtle sounds are well articulated. They simply don’t stand out, demanding your attention. Neither male nor female vocals possess any shoutiness from a 3Khz peak. They’re relaxed and slightly lush, yet still vivid and clear. Again, incredible balance is required to achieve this, and Fei Wan does it.
Acoustic instruments have enough lower-mid/upper-bass warmth to sound wholesome and organic, without being bloated or bloomy. Guitars have full-bodied tone and cellos have a nearly perfect degree of richness. Could I use a little more? Yeah, but that would undoubtedly have a negative effect somewhere else.
Meanwhile, electric guitars have good energy and satisfying crunch. They aren’t class-leading aggression MONSTERS, but they are thoroughly engaging. They have quite a bit more pep than Jewel, at any rate.
Bass:
Though Fei Wan is no bass-head monitor, the lows are more than sufficient. They are full and rumbling with good dynamic driver impact. The bass will not amaze you or put a big smile on your face. I wish there was a bit more spectacle here, but again, the perfect balance might be hurt by it. Jewel had more quantity, but it also lacked clarity and transparency, and I wouldn’t want that for these IEMs.
Fei Wan’s low-end is elevated above the mids. I hear more sub-bass than mid-bass, but there is a decent amount of mid and upper bass to create that sense of a full and complete bass section. The bass is not the fastest I’ve heard, nor is it the most textured. Still, it’s a strong performer and gets the job done nicely.
Technical Performance:
Fei Wan’s soundstage is grand in scope, and though not the largest I’ve heard, competes well against other TOTL IEMs. It’s wider than it is tall, yet the ceiling is high enough to feel properly roomy. Depth is exceptional, and imaging is god-tier, with excellent element separation. Taken together with the epic soundstage and you have an extremely holographic presentation to get lost in. Details are plentiful, and resolution is tremendous, but they are underplayed in the overall tuning. When you focus on them, Fei Wan shows it’s rendering a sharp image indeed, though not the very best I’ve heard.
