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Custom Art Fibae 7 In-Ear Monitor – Tempered

Pros – 

Excellent sub-bass extension, Great dynamics, Transparent tone throughout, Outstanding layering and imaging, Source agnostic

Cons – 

Forward vocals may fatigue some, Lower-treble can lack crispness by comparison to most high-end IEMs, Subdued upper-treble sparkle

Verdict – 

With technical quality parity with market leaders and a versatile tuning at a substantially reduced asking price, the Fibae 7 is a win for the enthusiast.


Introduction –

Surely those invested within the hobby will be familiar with Polish CIEM manufacturer Custom Art, who have achieved renown on behalf of their mature realisation of a variety of tonalities. And those a little more invested will surely be familiar with Piotr, the brain behind the operation and pioneer of Fibae flat impedance technology. The Fibae 7 is his latest creation, a curiosity sporting 7-drivers that sing ubiquitously from any and every source. Moreover, it is positioned as a flagship yet carries the price of a modern midrange earphone at roughly $1100 USD at the current exchange rate. With the Fibae 7, Piotr seeks to offer a no-compromise experience in addition to being his first model offered in universal. It refines the experimental qualities of models prior to craft a unique take on neutral. You can read more about the Fibae 7 and treat yourself to one here.

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Piotr very much for his quick communication and for providing me with the Fibae 7 for the purpose of review. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Accessories –

The Fibae 7 unboxing provides the same experience offered across Custom Art’s entire line-up, packaged within a solid black box and safely secured within the excellent Pelican 1010 carrying case. Also included is a small cleaning tool in addition to a desiccant pod that draws moisture from the earphones to ensure longevity and sustained performance.

Interview –

With excellent reception to his Fibae earphones and the pre-existing Harmony, I found it curious to finalise the line-up with the flagship Fibae 7. Piotr was kind enough to provide some thoughts, his design ethos alongside his plans to further expand the line-up in future, please enjoy!

Where did the idea for Fibae come from and how was it realised?

I wasn’t developed on purpose. I was playing around with a design making all sort of unusual electrical circuits and measuring them, at one point a connection I didn’t expect to make any sound measured quite normally and I started to investigate further. Once I measured impedance I knew I had a breakthrough.

What makes a flagship? Why stop at 7 drivers and €1100 when other brands charge so much more?

To me a flagship is a no-compromise sound. Flagship IEM has to perform best at any scenario and cannot present flaws when it comes to its response or electrical design. It also has to pack the latest and most innovative technology available.

We always kept our prices sane and tried to have the best quality to price ratio. Our product at €1k performs at the top tier level. We think that FIBAE 7 cost adequately to its performance even if it beats 2-3times more expensive competitors.

Do you have any plans after Fibae? What comes next!

Yes are planning a new release soon. I cannot reveal more details at the moment. But as always please stay tuned, we have some really exciting things coming.

Design –

The Fibae 7 also marks the introduction of Custom Art’s dedicated universal offerings, previously only available on individual request. As with his previous uni design, the housings are magically compact, especially considering the F7 contains 7BA drivers per side. They are almost entirely acrylic with in-hand feel to match, however, brushed aluminium faceplates showcased from beneath a gloss coat injects visual intrigue.

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The housings are fairly long though they are slim, providing a low-profile fit. The nozzle is elongated and well-tapered, fitting any regular T200 size tip such as Final E-tips or Sony Hybrids. The included tips provided the most balanced sound to my ear as these are what Piotr uses to tune the unis. The fully-sealed housings provide a strong seal and stable fit in conjunction with an over-ear design. Isolation is strong, especially with foams, aided by a deeper fit depth. These will easily suffice for public transport and air travel.

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Special mention goes to the new cable, the Arete from Null Audio, a 4-wire cable with UPOCC copper conductors in a Litz 3 configuration. It has a supple transparent jacket with little memory and microphonic noise. My unit was terminated with a straight 3.5mm plug with ample heat shrink strain relief. The terminations are all made from machined aluminium in a gorgeous blue/silver colour scheme. The pre-moulded earguides provide a stable, comfortable fit. This cable represents a huge step up in quality from the standard OFC cables provided with past CA earphones and most custom earphones for that matter.

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Ryan Soo

Ryan Soo

Avid writer, passionate photographer and sleep-deprived medical student, Ryan has an ongoing desire to bring quality products to the regular reader.

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