Fiio is one the giants in the market of audio products. They have vast range of products starting from cables to desktop DAC/amps and everything in between. At this point of time, they have 8 line-ups of earphones and headphones, you can gage their array of products from this. Back in the days, it was Fiio that basically introduced Audiophile grade resolution to DAPs and portable DAC/amps. Their X5 still has a special place in our hearts. Fiio wasn’t limited to sources, they gradually ventured into main stream IEMs too with their F9. The still make some of the most popular DD and hybrid IEMs in the market. Here is my review of their flagship hybrid IEM FH9. After tasting success in most of the disciplines Fiio ventured into desktop DAC/amps and speakers couple of years ago. They have a good range of USB dongles under their belt too. The flagship KA17 is one of the best USB dongles under $200. What they had not tasted success with was headphones but their FT3, housing 50mm DD and FT5 with Planar drivers were receiving with a lot positive response from both users and reviewers.
Even when Fiio has all these categories, they simply aren’t willing to let go of the simpler and uncomplicated series of IEMs from them FD series. They have had the glorious FD7 and FD5, these two were the best DD IEMs around $600 and $300 respectively. Successors of these two IEMs were long due. Fiio has ended this 2 year long wait with the successor of the FD5, the FD15 and how!!
When we talk about a successor, they build upon the older product, bringing improvements where needed and are always priced more or equal to the outgoing model. But, Fiio has done the unthinkable!! This Successor has and asking price of less than half of what the FD5 was introduced at. And it’s not like FD15 is not laced with the technology from FD5. It brings in most of its tech and a bigger driver too. Housing a 13.8 magnesium and aluminum alloy driver it comes in two colors and is priced at just $149!! How did this happen? We will find out, read on!!
Get one from these links:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256807010674687.html
1. 316L stainless steel construction, ergonomic wearing experience
2. 13.8mm large dynamic driver; Magnalium diaphragm + DLC gasket driver, W-shaped gasket
Ø8.6mm long voice coil, 1.5T magnetic flux
3. Frontal acoustic prism; F.T.B.S “Tesla Valve” patented bass enhancement acoustic technology
5. Swappable sound nozzles
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
This type of packaging is not new from Fiio. We have seen this with FD3 too but instead of being black, this has a silver box but unlike the last gen, we have no technical information about the product on the box. Lift the flap to open the box and we are greeted with a Fiio QSG booklet and the earpieces can be found under them. I was amazed by the finishing on them. The cable is placed below the earpieces while the rest of accessories are placed in a paper box. We do see a bit of cost cutting with the carry case here, what we get is a hard plastic, stackable drawer type, transparent storage case and 5 set of tips, a 4.4mm modular plug, a cleaning tool and a MMCX removal tool are placed inside it. FD15 ships with a set of red core grey flange bass tips, red core white flange vocal tips, a set of Fiio HS18 tips, white balanced tips and 2 pair of M sized foam tips concludes the long list. We get another set of bass friendly nozzles inside this case too.
I am not super excited about this HB11 carry case, its stackable but don’t have a proper closing mechanism which compromises security when on the go.
BUILD QUALITY:
FD15 looks just like the FD5, no prizes for guessing, the backs plates are a bit different, without fancy vent design but carries forward the shape and ergonomics. It doesn’t have a fancy semi custom like shell but is very comfortable inside the ear.
I have seen a lot of IEMs in this price range with metal shell but FD15 is literally built like a tank. It uses medical grade 316L series Stainless Steel shell which is hand polished and PVD electroplated for a premium mirror like finishing. It has curves in the right places for a hassle free fit while longer than usual nozzle gives it a secure and stabile fit. We get a lot of tech inside too. It has 13.8mm Magnalium diaphragm and W shaped DLC gasket for best possible highs while vocals are supercharged by the 8.6mm voice coil and Tesla Valve enhance bass performance. Frontal acoustic prism and filters help with balanced output.
CABLE:
Fiio has been shipping its IEMs with high quality cables and FD15 is not missing out either. We get a 22awg 4 core cable where each core contains 100 stands of Furukawa monocrystlline copper and 20 strands of SPC.
This cable not only looks nice, it feels nice to use too. It’s reasonably supple and fairly soft to the touch. It has slight bit of resistance because of its slightly tighter braiding and layer of PVC on the cores but has no microphonics or bad memory to worry about. The components used in this cable are high quality too. They have superb finishing and are light weight. The Y splitter is small while changing termination is easy.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
Let’s me be clear here, FD15 is one of the most happy go lucky kind of IEM and barely complains about the source. Its 32ohm resistance might feel a bit high but its 112 db sensitivity makes it super loud. It barely has any issues with any of the sources I have used with it. Let it be my mobile phones, Hidizs DH80s, TC44PRO or Hidizs S8 pro, it retains its consistency and never gets unnaturally sharp, thin or dull but the source definitely leaves an impression on it. A bassy and warm source like hip DAC 2 brings in the extra bass body and smoother notes while a analytical source like TC44Pro has better accuracy and precision and FD15 easily moulds according to them.
So, use the source you like and FD15 will perform accordingly.
SOUND QUALITY:
Just look at the size of this DD. This 13.8mm magnalium DD has to be one of the biggest drivers found inside modern IEMs. While the FD5 with its 12mm DD was slightly less consistent, V shaped and slightly wobbly with its presentation, Fiio has taken care of that with the FD15. This is more refined and mature sounding with a mid forward signature. The best thing is, It doesn’t sound stressed or compressed in the upper mids with very good control over bass.
There is a perception that this is a warm sounding IEM and I won’t contradict that. I find the FD15 to be fairly neutral with the black filter and slightly warmer with the Silver RED nozzle yet it’s very much in the neutral side. This isn’t as bassy as the FD15 or FH9. FD15 is a well balanced IEM that is tuned to deliver all round performance where no part of the spectrum or sound characteristics is ignored. We get a warmish neutral tonality with a pleasing, cohesive and analogue timber.
I am using the stock white tips and Fiio Q15 along with the Hidizs S8 pro for this review.
EFFECT OF TIPS:
Usually, I never care about tips but I wanted to explore the FD15 or you can say that I was trying to get the best our of this IEM so I tried all the possible tips out of the box.
I didn’t like the HS18 and foam tips. HS18 deliver good details, definition and resolution but the stage wasn’t as big and it was revealing the minute niggles in the tracks mastering which can feel a bit jittery.
Foam tips were enhancing the bass weight by slowly the decay but the stage was small while the details were slightly suppressed.
I was unable to appreciate the vocal much either, they were very good for vocals by delivery slightly throaty and more textured notes but don’t have enough body or area of impact with the bass while the treble is slightly suppressed too. The biggest problem is it isn’t adding enough engagement factor.
I like the bass tips while the balanced tips are the best. There isn’t much difference between the two, bass tips add slight bit of extra weight and rumble over the balanced tips while the treble is slightly less forward but it sounds engaging and fun.
BASS:
The only driver inside this highly capable IEM handles the lower end like a seasoned performer. It delivers a wholesome yet bloat free experience. We get the right amount of boom which doesn’t feel over powering or lean unless warranted, exhibiting its control and technicalities. Sub-bass is deeper than expected with very good rumbles. It moves very good amount of air too. Lower mid bass is very well defined with high quality layering and plenty of rumbles. Mid bass is fuller with very good area of impact and body. Notes have very good distribution of weight, they hit and move up giving the outer part of the notes excellent definition and a wholesome delivery. It has good dynamics and control and hitting upper bass notes cleanly is not an issue. There are barely any loose notes. It at times can feel a bit heavier and slightly less resolving. Decay is dynamically paced which lets the notes precipitate, gain weight when needed and can deliver tighter, faster notes without much problem.
MID RANGE:
This is a lovely sounding for those who like sweet mid range, especially vocals. It has much better definition, resolution and clarity with the mids than the FD5. Delicious I must say. We get good transparency and energy with very good note height with the vocals while the instruments around it are slightly less forward. Notes are a bit on the warmer or full bodied side, giving it a more organic and analogues if you want smooth and soft notes this not it.
Male vocals have the grunt and throatiness while female vocals aren’t sharp or thin yet retaining very good accuracy and precision. Both have very good texture on the body with comfortable finishing definition and clarity, keeping it clean of any unnecessary aggression or sharpness. FD15 has very good technical ability but because of its fuller and thicker notes it doesn’t have a lot of clean air between back and foreground instruments. It’s the nicely stacked Layering and excellent reverbs that make this a cohesive and engaging IEM. We get decent attack and transparency in the upper mids which has a bit of tingly and sparkly presentation to exhibit a bit of transparency, enhancing its clarity and giving it an aptly detailed presentation.
HIGHS:
FD15’s forte is its mid range but it doesn’t lack with the highs unless you are critical about details and air. We get a well extended treble region with very good clarity and agile notes. It has the right amount of sparkle and transparency too. No need to worry about lack of energy or darkness in the upper treble region. No need to worry about sharpness or peaks yet it has good transparency at the finishing region and very good clarity at the floor. It does feel slightly mushy with the layering and separation though. It’s hard to distinguish the individual notes but as a group they have very good energy and decent definition. Cue placements are good but it’s not the best. I do feel the thicker, slightly fuller notes are to be blamed for this but this kind of presentation leads to a more comfortable and fatigue free yet engaging experience.
STAGE AND IMAGING:
One thing that sets FD15 apart from the competition is the stage and imaging. This stage is much bigger than the FD5 and brings in better air between instruments. We get a well rounded stage with very good height and one of the best X-axis width. It’s kind of hard to believe but we have above average Z-axis presence too. FD15 has well developed stereo effect. Most of the vocal notes are placed inside the head. Bass notes hit and move up, giving a top firing kind of experience. Some mid range and treble notes find themselves placed totally out of the head.
Imaging is very good with good accuracy and precision. We get clean and clear notes with very good definition. Sonics as I mentioned earlier are superb with excellent reverbs and transient effects. All these, when come together, even with complex tracks, sound excellent and if the track has very good contrast of back and foreground instruments, FD15 delivers a captivating experience.
COMPARISONS:
DUNU Falcon Ultra:
This is a swiss army knife. Falcon Ultra is a lot more balanced and slightly brighter sounding. Has tighter bass, lesser air and faster decay but its dynamics are better. Mid range is where the Falcon Ultra is not as cohesive or textured bit has cleaner and transparent notes. Tonality and timber aren’t very pleasing either but has better finishing definition. Upper mids are a bit aggressive, so are the highs. Yes, both have similar extension but Falcon ultra has much better air and energy but might sound slightly aggressive with more energy too. Both have very good staging but the Falcon Ultra is cleaner and has much better treble stage.
VS Celest Relentless:
Relentless is very similar to the falcon Ultra but has a bigger bass body, deeper mid range depression and a bit more tingling highs. It has similar air but FD15 has faster and more dynamic bass. Relentless has bigger body and punch. FD15 wipes the floor with relentless when it comes to the mid range. It has much better tonality, timber, texture, vocal performance, natural air and grunt too. Relentless has a bit more resolution. When we go into the highs, Relentless fights back with better energy and air between instruments but can sound a bit dry and aggressive at times. Staging is different with both but Fiio sounds more cohesive and engaging.
CONCLUSION:
So, how a sucessor is cheaper than the predecessor? Because Fiio has carried over most of the tech they used with FD5 to FD15. They have similar shell, similar internal design too. Fiio saved with R&D and here we are looking at a capable IEM at just $150.
Yes, this succeeds the FD but let me put this straight, Fiio FD15 is nothing like the FD5 yet it’s a proper upgrade to its V shaped predecessor. Upgrade because of its better balance, better control over bass notes, cleaner and airy treble and less fatiguing treble. Don’t buy this to replace the FD5 but buy this for mid centric clarity, excellent sonics and an organic presentation. Its only down side is in the highs where it can sound slightly mushy and less clean but thats okay for a warmish IEM powered by its reverbs and superb mid range layering.
