Introduction
You may or may not have heard of Faaeal (pronounced as Faa-er) Audio, but they are a well established brand from China that mainly produces well made earbuds and some earphones that have both a superb tuning as well as a reachable price. I myself have owned a few of their earbuds like the Rosemary, Ancestor, also the Iris and honestly they are indeed very worth the asking price. Recently, they have caught my attention with their latest flagship release named Lilium, and I must say, they looked stunning! We reached out to Faaeal and they have kindly sent us a pair of Lilium for an honest take. We are stoked for this piece of art of a product and we are grateful for the opportunity given to us as I personally think earbuds don’t get much attention these days in the audio scene. How will Lilium perform? We will find out here.
Before the review, here’s some info on the name Lilium. It is the scientific name for the lily plant and they are a flower that signifies resilience, purity and beauty as they grow beautifully even from mud.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Faaeal Lilium;
- Driver Type : Dynamic type 14.6mm LDM nano gold diaphragm with custom diaphragm shape
- Magnet type : Ndfeb N52
- Shell type : 3D printed copper shell with glossy finish
- Maximum power rating : 5mw
- Impedance: 24 ohms
- Sensitivity : 120db
- Frequency range : 20-20khz
- Cable length : 1.25 metre
- Cable type : 2 core 99.9999% purity LC-OCC
- Termination : Gold plated standard 2 pin 0.78mm with 3.5mm jack
You can get Faaeal Lilium from Faaeal LazMall official store at RM455.43.
Purchase link : https://invol.co/clfva0x
Packaging & Accessories
The Lilium came in a small grey box that actually looks quite unique in their design with an asian flair to them that looks quite premium for the price. Inside we can find all the necessities needed like 6 pairs of black foams, 6 pairs of white foams, a short clip, a gorgeous 2 core cable, a carry case, some documentation and of course the earbuds itself. Nothing much to say or complain here as they are quite generous with the accessories and what matters most to me is their performance aspect.
Design
The design of the Lilium is simply mesmerizingly sublime to say the least. They have an original design that shows their talents and the attention to details put onto these earbuds is respectable. They have a 3D printed copper metal that goes through deburring with a polished glossy finish and they have a perfect weight where they are not too heavy nor too light. They felt premium all around.
The front mesh is also made from the same type of copper metal alloy and they have a special array of holes that have a tuned dispersion of sound waves to increase the clarity and soundstage of music played. Also, they are pleasing on the eyes.
They have included a superb 6N silver plated Ohno continuous casting 0.78 2 pin cable with a 3.5mm termination that has a near to 0 resistance. In a single wire, they have 120 cores of silver plated OCC with 20 cores of OCC copper mixed into them. The sleeve has been treated with anti oxidation treatment to prevent oxidation from happening and they should last longer. They in fact might be the best stock cable that came with earbuds or earphones that I have encountered. Very well made, soft, flexible, thick, metal plugs and splitter. They have a clear sound with a thick mid-range when used with my other earphones. Two thumbs up for the cable.
Inside of the copper shell, they are equipped with a specially designed 14.6mm LDM with nano gold diamond diaphragm that has a specific pattern for a fuller sound along with strong Ndfeb N52 magnets for a powerful sound reproduction.
As for comfort, they are a comfortable pair of earbuds that have a similar fit to those MX500 shells and they are not too heavy to the point of them easily coming off.
Overall, amazing efforts have been put in designing the Lilium and honestly, it pays off as they are aesthetically beautiful and they are a premium product that is luxurious worthy of a flagship status.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M15
Faaeal KT4099
FiiO KA3
Rose Technics Maria 2
Toneking TO600
Moondrop Chaconne
Blur daBass Faaeal Rosemary 2
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Lilium is a bright neutral to warm set that has a slight distinct analogue-esque sound to them. They have a wide spectrum of sound that is fairly balanced from each end and they are full sounding earbuds with a mild thickness overall sound. They have a smooth pleasing sound while still retaining a high degree of clarity and resolution in all frequencies.
Soundstage
Soundstage on Lilium is wide with great depth, width and height as they are earbuds. From an earbuds perspective, the soundstage is quite good for the price paid and they have a large head room with adequate air all around. They have a rather intimate, focused sound signature and not an ‘out of head’ type of sound like the custom Blur earbuds that I have here.
Separation and Timbre
Separation from these earbuds is good as they are a single dynamic driver and they have a good cohesion with tunes working in harmony without any gaps. Timbre is quite organic but they do lack intensity in the lower end and some instruments may lack a little body. Vocal timbre is sublime as they sound organic and lush in both male and female vocals.
Drivability
At 24 ohms around 120dB sensitivity, they are quite easy to drive but they do need a little power from amplification to run to their full potential. They do have sufficient loudness on a smartphone or laptop, but I do feel that their dynamics and bass impact is being suppressed a tiny bit. They do scale up pretty well with a DAC/amplifier or even a good dongle. Synergy is also important with this Lilium as on some bright sounding source they might come off as thin sounding.
The Bass (Low)
The bass on the Lilium is flat to neutral sounding bass response and they do have good clarity and details intact but they do lack impact even from an earbuds standpoint. They do have a minor bass lift but the impact they provide isn’t sufficient for genres such as EDM or hip-hop. Bass texturing is good with tunes sounding full and they perform without any bleed present. Sub-bass is kind of recessed and their extension is quite lacking but they do have a good punchy rumble, just that they lack authority on some genres. Overall, I do find the bass is a little insufficient but they do have a purist bass response that may satisfy vocal lovers out there as they do not smear some vocals with their big bass.
The Mids
Midrange that the Lilium brings is a slightly forward, clean, neutral midrange that has a lush and thick signature to them and they do lean slightly towards the higher frequencies which makes them a little bright on their presentation. They are their main strength that the Lilium possess and I dare say it is near a flagship status midrange. Details and clarity here are sublime with everything sounding crystal clear especially on vocals. They surely do shine very well with vocals as they provide a lush, clean and intimate vocal performance that sounds organically true. Resolution here is mediocre but for their price tag, they are quite good as they are quite resolving in their midrange with tunes sounding clean and clear.
The Highs
The high range that the Lilium brings is a neutral type of high range that provides a clean and clear highs that is also smooth to listen to. They are not sibilant or harsh for me even though they have a rather strong treble. Trebles have good intensity and they do have a good decay without any hissing present. They have great clarity and details in their high range and have good extension here. Sparkle is great with a good roll off giving a lively performance but they do lack crispness and bite in their presentation. They also possess good energy and air in their high range that gives a smooth top end without sounding edgy or grainy.
Comparisons
VS Blur DaBass custom earbuds
The Blur DaBass is a limited run of earbuds that is made in Singapore. They are made to order and have a cult of followers due to their great performance in audio along with great build quality. They cost almost twice the asking price of Lilium but the Lilium looks way more premium.
The High region on Lilium is brighter in their quantity and they are more present than the slightly laid-back highs of DaBass. Details and clarity both are on par with each other. Sparkle is better on the Lilium while DaBass has a slight edge in their sparkle.
Midrange of the DaBass is thicker a tad bit but clarity and lushness is better on the Lilium. Details and clarity is better on Lilium while resolution is better on DaBass. DaBass has strength in their overall midrange while Lilium is more focused on vocal reproduction.
Bass on the DaBass has the edge by sounding fuller and has a better impact in their sub-bass along with deeper extension. Lilium bass has a leaner, cleaner approach with better clarity.
Soundstage on the DaBass is wider and taller along with better airiness.
VS Moondrop Chaconne
One of best earbuds in the scene from Moondrop as they have top class technicalities with a great build. Though they cost almost triple the asking price of Lilium, the build on the Lilium is on par, if not better than the Chocanne along with a removable cable.
Highs on the Chaconne have a better resolution and they have a crisper decay. Quantity of treble intensity quite similar along with similar amount of details and clarity. Extension on the Chaconne is better and airier.
Mids on the Lilium are thicker and sweeter while Chaconne has a more resolving midrange with a lusher sound. Details and clarity here is better on the Chaconne but in a small margin. Instruments sounded fuller on the Chaconne while vocals both performed pretty well.
Bass on the Chaconne has better impact with a better extended sub-bass. Details and clarity here are similar here.
Soundstage of the Chaconne is wider and airier but height is similar.
Synergy
FiiO M17
The swiss army knife of a digital media player that boasts powerful amplification along with features that will satisfy most of your needs from FiiO. They indeed have more than sufficient power for Lilium and I feel that the mid gain suits Lilium the best.
Highs are smoother and possess more air in their presentation with added clarity. They have air added into the mix which makes Lilium sparkle better with a little crispness incorporated.
Midrange has better resolution while details and clarity remains the same. Midrange has become slightly more forward and intimate.
Bass is slightly punchier but quantity remains the same. Sub-bass has a better extension and is more present than usual. Details and clarity has increased by a small margin here
Soundstage has increased quite significantly by making Lilium wider and higher along with a bigger headroom.
Overall, they are a perfect pairing as the M17 makes the Lilium sounds more open and cleaner.
Faaeal KT4099
The KT4099 from Faaeal is one of the more recent releases from them and they are priced very attractively low but still able to provide a great performance along with good driving power. They are equipped with a KT4099 dac chip from Korea and they have a warm sound signature with great resolution.
Highs has smoothened out more with a more laid-back sound while still retaining a great clarity. Air has also been added to the high range of the Lilium.
Midrange sounds more resolving with a more balanced sound especially in the lower midrange.
Bass has a slight increase in their attack and slam. Details and clarity remain mostly the same. Sub-bass has a bigger rumble with better extension. Overall, I do feel that this combination is one of the best for Lilium in sound and looks as the KT4099 complements the Lilium well especially in the midrange and bass department.
Who Is It For?
The Lilium is certainly for those earbuds lovers that crave a flagship status sound and looks without burning a hole in the wallet. They are suitable for those who want a wide sound along with great clarity and details all around. They are more suitable for vocal lovers as they shine very well in male or female vocals. For those who want more impact in the bass department would try other earbuds like the Rosemary or Ancestor as the Lilium is a bright signature earbuds that focuses mostly on sound purity.
Final words
All being said, I personally do feel that Faaeal has hit the ball out of the park as this Lilium is currently my favourite earbuds in this price segment as they are able to stand toe to toe with earbuds priced way above their asking price. They are indeed an eye candy of a product as they are designed marvellously beautiful and solid along with an impeccable cable. Though they are a little light on bass and resolution can be improved a little, they are pure sounding earbuds that truly shine especially in the vocals department. They are a must try for earbuds lovers as they are unique in their own way soundwise and looks. Amazing job done by Faaeal and I really hope there are more of these types of awesome products to come.
I would rate this product a solid 4 and a half stars out of 5 stars for this amazing product.
