FiiO F3

[testman78]

Introduction

With its extensive lineup of audio players, DACs, amplifiers and earphones, Fiio has garnered a lot of respect amongst audiophiles in a relatively short span of time. The up-and-coming company has earned a reputation for offering high-quality products at relatively affordable prices. The FiiO F3's are my first experience with in-ear headphones manufactured by Fiio.



Specifications.



Packaging & Bundle

The nearly-all-white box of the F3 is pretty minimalist, but nothing more is necessary if were being honest. The front displays an image of the F3, along with a "F3" badge, and an FiiO logo.



The rear has a nice exploded vector in addition to basic specifications.



Fiio provide the buyer with a very nice faux carbon-fibre carry case. It's a zippered hard case that is well sized to fit the earphones and a few accessories within but also fit inside a larger jacket pocket.



As is often the case with Fiio products, the F3 comes bundles with an above average number of accessories. In the box you'll find the in-ears themselves, and two extra pairs of ear-tips, so including the tips pre-installed you'll get three pairs. The quality of earbuds are also better than the most earbuds that comes with most cheap iems.



Fiio aso provide 2 pairs of faceplates (blue and black) so including the red faceplates pre-installed you'll get three pairs.



You'll get a pair of earhooks that can be attached to the cable for easier and more comfortable wearing.



Among other accessories i should mention manual.




A Closer Look

The F3 has a decent glossy black finish. The F3's are designed for the cable to hook around your ear and enter your ear canal from the top, unlike many other in-ears in which the cable simply hangs out of the ear.



The housings are made of semi-translucent polycarbonate plastic type material with looks solid enough and is also very lightweight. The housing is semi transparent so you can see the drivers inside.



The faceplate is interchangeable between black, red and blue.



The cable is from polyurethane and it don't have a micro phonic effect. The integrated cable strap makes a return and I found it to be a functional and wise addition. The quality of cable is surprisingly good and doesn't seem to tangle easily.



The FiiO F3 is equipped with an L shaped connector that is particularly robust. The jack is great and all strain reliefs are well above average for a budget earphone. We can see also an handy cable clip.



The F3 has a 11mm Dynamic Driver and impedance of 40Ohm.



There is a three-button remote control.It is equipped with a high-definition microphone to easily answer the phone. Remote support iOS and Android, but unfortunately does not support the volume adjustment for iOS. Click the middle button to play pause, double click is the next song, three clicks is the previous song.




Performance

The earphones fit and work perfectly fine even when worn straight down. The earhooks help to almost eliminate microphonics but to be fair, the FiiO F3's rubberized cable does a good enough job on its own.



Of course, the most important aspect of earphones is the audio quality. It's important to have the right perspective when reviewing tech products.

Bass

There's a slight emphasis on bass to give some nice added heft to drums and bass lines, without going overboard. It goes low too, with a little added sub where called for. It's a good level for a wide variety of music styles if you like to mix it up!

Mids

The midrange is clean, clear and relatively crisp. Reverb trails can be followed right to their disappearance and little seems to get in the way. Vocals are detailed and backing vocals have a nice breadth. Strings sit nicely in the background. Harmonics are fairly easy to pick out which makes for some nice imaging too.

Treble

The top end is slightly smooth. It provide great detail without pushing it at the listener. It's not a warm or dark-sounding earphone overall, there's just a little bit of edge taken off which can greatly reduce problems with fatigue over longer listening sessions.

Soundstage and Separation

Soundstage is about average for an in-ear model. It makes for an intimate and pleasant presentation but you won't be swept off your feet. Separation is pretty good with many instruments vying for attention. Pick one out and it's easy to follow.

Isolation

On the isolation side, things are not superb but not below the required level to use them outside, especially when you find the proper tips.


Final Thoughts

For the final verdict, the F3 is a win for me. These earphones offer some good and clear sound and they are comfortable. FiiO has done very well with the design and build of the F3. The associated accessories were much more in line with IEMs costing $50 or more. Their inline remote/microphone adds convenience while a handy carrying case keeps everything safe and secure.



Overall I was thoroughly impressed with FiiO F3's value and performance. In short, this is a great pair of earphones and at $25 they're not going to break the bank. We were particularly impressed with the audio quality and the bass response, while the slick design and colour options, along with the handy cable clip also add to the package.