Introduction
If the Mid-Fi IEM market has been quite raved about recently, the kilo-buck space, on the other hand, has been calmer for quite some time. Not because there aren’t any new releases at this price point, but rather because there’s nothing that really stands out or can be compared to the top of the class. Hence, when a brand releases something at this price point, it always raises eyebrows, especially among us enthusiasts. So, the brand I’m referring to is Fiio, which needs no introduction. They have recently released their $999 USD IEM with 10 Balanced Armatures (BAs). With attractive marketing terms such as ‘negative feedback bass system,’ ‘Rubycon-audiophile grade crossover capacitors,’ ‘S.Turbo acoustic design,’ and ‘advanced DLP 3D printed shell,’ you might be interested to see how they actually perform and where they stand among the competition. For that, you’ll have to keep reading.
Packaging & Build
The FA19 arrives in a sleek, simple black box. Upon opening, you’re greeted by the IEMs, already paired with a 4.4mm terminated pure silver cable. Additionally, there’s a stylish brown-blue leather-like carrying case that strikes me as both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing. Fiio also includes a generous array of accessories, such as various eartips and other items, which are displayed in the accompanying picture below—a level of generosity not often matched by competitors. The silver cable itself is of premium quality: it’s flexible, durable, and features a modular plug that can switch between 4.4mm or 3.5mm connections for added convenience.
In terms of eartips, I’ve experimented with over ten different types, including the ones provided, and found—somewhat ironically—that the stock eartips from the Moondrop Aria 2 were the best fit for me. The other eartips didn’t quite resolve the treble issues inherent to the FA19, which I will delve into later.
The FA19’s shell boasts a futuristic pattern, 3D printed from resin, exuding a sense of high quality and durability. Surprisingly, the FA19 is a relatively small IEM packed with 10 BAs, along with its internal circuitry and other components—quite atypical for a high-end IEM. Despite this, I still found it to be on the chunkier side, yet it remains comfortable for someone with smaller ears like myself. The shells feature what appears to be high-quality MMCX pin connectors, although I’ll need to revisit this in the future for a long-term assessment. Additionally, each unit has a vent cavity that effectively prevents driver flex or discomfort from vacuum effects when worn. While some may find the noise isolation lacking, personally, I prefer less isolation due to my sensitivity to pressure buildup.
Specifications
- Driver Type: 10 balanced armatures
- Balanced Armature: Custom Knowles compound HODVTEC*2 (bass), Custom Knowles ED*2 (mids), Knowles compound SWFK-31736*2 (treble)
- Frequency Response: 10~40kHz
- Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW (@1kHz)
- Impedance: 10Ω
- Plug: Interchangeable 3.5/4.4mm plug
- Cord Length: 1.2m
- Weight (per ear unit): About 7g (excl. cable)
- Color: Translucent Black
- Detachable Cable Design: Yes (Standard MMCX)
Retail Price & Where to Get
Thank you, Red Ape Headphone Store, for the loan unit of the Fiio FA19 in return for an unbiased review. Check out the FA19 here:
https://shopee.com.my/FiiO-FA19-10-BA-IEMs-Earphones-i.65895521.24576645328
Audio Chain
- Android 13 > DDHifi TC35B / Questyle M12 > Fiio FA19
- iBasso DX180 > Fiio FA19
- Windows 11 > Topping DX3 Pro+ > Fiio FA19
Test Tracks
Sound Impression
Out of the box, the FA19, with the default switch-off setting, is a warm-sounding IEM. However, an added treble gain results in an esoteric combination of warm and bright tonality—an indicator of a v-shaped sound characteristic, or at least a mild one. While the FA19’s colored sound will generally please the masses, the treble, in my opinion, can be a hit or miss for many people, even with the switch being “on,” which increases the bass quite substantially for all the bassheads out there. That aside, the subjective interpretation—though that is the “technicalities”—has at least all the goodness within its price tag, if not impressive. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it should outweigh its quirky tuning unless equalization comes into play.
Bass
Deviating from the now-common neutral with bass boost tuning, the FA19 generally has a moderate bass elevation centered mostly in the mid-bass region rather than in the sub-bass. Consequently, the upper bass continues to slowly glide down where it slightly blooms into the lower midrange, which can incur some flabbiness into the bass. It reminded me of that classic Chi-Fi tuning from the previous generation, circa 2019, except that it isn’t boosted as much—and sometimes I do crave a couple more dBs up until 200Hz.
Hence, this is a good transition to talk about the bass switch. The switch elevates the bass into basshead territory, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. Unfortunately, it increases the upper bass and lower mids even more to the point of being muddy and because of the added effect from the fact that the FA19 has a suppressed upper midrange. Nevertheless, this is just my preference and I do believe there are bass enthusiasts out there who would enjoy this tuning.
Tonality aside, it’s in bass quality where the FA19 can be deemed noteworthy. Leading from the rest of the competition, the bass coming from those four armatures is agile, impactful, and highly defined resulting in excellent dynamics and resolution. While the timbre still has some of the BA’s decay, the overall characteristic is shockingly close to a dynamic driver which I believe is thanks to the vented subwoofers design they implemented. If you can EQ down the midbass bleed a little bit and increase the subbass slightly, you’re pretty much listening to some of the best bass performances from an IEM.
Midrange
In terms of midrange, however, Fiio opted for more evolving tuning—that is, slightly lower pinna gain than what’s suggested by Harman’s 2019 In-Ear target. Such tuning is very much welcomed because it perfectly scores a balance between proper vocal loudness and instrument note attack. However, FA19 deviates even further in which areas like 1-2kHz are more recessed than they should be on top of its elevated lower mids. So, do note that this isn’t the IEM for those who seek exemplary vocal performance. Therefore, I often found myself cranking up the volume to compensate for recessed vocals and midrange instruments. At higher volumes, though, mids do get better but then there’s another devil in detail—in treble.
But before that, it’s also interesting to point out how forgiving FA19 was with old-school recordings typically associated with many rock and indie songs. This is due to thicker lower midrange that adds some “heftiness” to core sound while at same time turning those lo-fi recordings into high fidelity by adding some treble brilliance into mixes.
Treble
This is where I think the FA19 has its biggest issue. There is no denying that the FA19 is very detailed and has great upper-treble extension. However, I believe the performance here is partly because of the drivers themselves but also superficial due to its strong and sharp elevation on several treble frequencies, especially post 10kHz. Consequently, the FA19 has a strong sibilance problem, which is frustrating given that the FA19 could perform better at higher volumes. Swapping eartips does help, but not by much. I often found myself reaching for a PEQ to tone down the treble.
To test which peaks caused me the most problems, I EQed down every possible peak using a notch filter in Equalizer APO and found that peaks at 10-12 kHz were the culprits rather than 5kHz, 7kHz, and 15kHz peaks as indicated in several B&K 5128-based frequency response posts online. The former peaks contribute to unrealistically spicy and hot percussion instruments such as cymbals and hi-hats and even vocals. With a -4dB EQ at 11kHz (Q=4, peak filter), there was less masking of harmonics resulting in an overall sound that was “cleaner” and much more natural. Bear in mind that different individuals have different treble sensitivities and resonances due to personal HRTF and length mode caused by the length of air volume between the eardrum and IEM. Thus, a treble peak on a graph (especially with a 711 coupler) might not be in sync with your ear exactly but may have shifted left or right depending on how well your IEM fits your ears.
But I digress; the point is that this IEM is technically amazing but needs some refinement in the treble particularly. There are few occasions where the mixing of the recording is not problematic, and this is where the FA19 truly shines. Having another four armatures that handle the highs really elevates the experience with soundtracks and orchestral music. It adds incredible attributes such as grand soundstaging, sheer layering, and micro-detailing.
Technicalities
When it comes to subjective qualities or intangibles, here’s where—even with its quirky tuning—the FA19 can sit amongst the standouts at this price point. And I believe there’s still potential that can be unlocked with further refinement in tonality. Starting from imaging and staging, FA19 delivers excellently with vast open staging and immersive three-dimensional capabilities. It’s versatile enough to conform to different types of mixes, be it stereo or binaural-like recordings. Imaging accuracy is also great but more exaggerated towards width.
Dynamics are strong as well, contributing to excellent instrument separation. Complex passages of music are handled easily by the FA19, allowing you to experience minute changes in fast, slow, high, and low levels of sound coming from all those ten BAs. However, the caveat of having fast transients from such BAs is a lack of natural timbre in percussive instruments—although this is minimal and within my tolerance.
Drivability & Synergy
Having an all-BA setup means that the FA19 shares a common sensitivity of being rather low and easy to drive. Rated with 10Ω input impedance and 106 dB/mW (@1kHz) efficiency, FA19 is easy to drive—be it with a basic USB DAC adapter such as DDHifi TC35B or a dongle like Questyle M12. However, being an all-BA driver IEM also means that it’s commonly more susceptible to distortion compared to dynamic drivers, for example. Therefore, I generally prefer to pair the FA19 with Topping DX3 Pro+ (<0.1Ω) rather than iBasso DX180 (0.6Ω – 1.1 Ω) for a more transparent sound-perceived synergy due to its very low output impedance.
Comparison
Thieaudio Monarch MK3
Considered by many to be a benchmark IEM at this price range, the MMK3 presents differently due to its tribrid driver setup (2DD + 6BA + 2EST) versus the FA19’s all 10BA setup. Both IEMs venture into different pathways in terms of tonality, with the MMK3 aiming for a neutral with bass boost tuning, whereas the FA19 has a milder v-shaped sound profile. The MMK3 has more sub-bass but less upper-bass elevation, and its upper-mids are slightly more forward but considerably less bright in the treble. As a result, the MMK3 sounds more balanced and laid-back compared to the more aggressive and brighter sounding FA19.
Personally, I was more attracted to the MMK3’s tonality as it sounded more “correct” or notably natural, especially in the mids and highs. However, I subjectively preferred the bass performance of the FA19 as it was incredibly dynamic, fast, and didn’t suffer from the widely known weak dynamic bass issue of the MMK3. Technically, it’s a toss-up. The MMK3 has slightly more resolving power and natural treble timbre rendered by the ESTs, while the FA19 boasts airier staging with slightly better layering and details. Imaging is more intimate but holographically accurate with the MMK3, whereas note definition or attack has more grunt or bite with the FA19.
Moondrop A8
A more realistic comparison might be with Moondrop’s cheaper 8BA model, the S8/A8. At the time of writing this article, I only had access to the A8, which is essentially an S8 with added mid-bass. That said, the A8 has a more Harman-inspired tonality with its pinna gain being more forward and bordering on shouty. The lower treble is more polite but natural, while upper treble maintains quite a good elevation resulting in a shimmery or airy sound. However, when it comes to bass, the FA19 trumps the A8 by quite a margin. The A8 lacks the sub-bass extension, resolving power, and dynamics that the FA19 possesses. Moreover, every aspect of the A8’s technical performance also falls short; everything sounds significantly compressed and dull in comparison. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the A8 is much cheaper and was a product of a previous generation.
For Whom?
The FA19 is an IEM that will “wow” you on the first listen. There’s no doubt it’s designed for someone who seeks excitement in their music listening experience across all types of music—perhaps with the exception of jazz, for which you might prefer something more mellow and natural in its tuning. However, it’s important to note that this IEM may require some equalization for those with treble sensitivities. If you’re not into EQ, then by now, you should at least have a clear idea of what you’re getting before making your purchase.
Conclusion
So, does the Fiio FA19 hit the mark as a solid IEM? For me, absolutely—especially when you look at its technical capabilities and, to some degree, its tonal balance. It’s true that the out-of-the-box sound typically its treble might need a bit of tweaking with an EQ, and if you’re not into that, then this might not be the IEM for you. But if you’re someone who enjoys fine-tuning your audio experience, then the FA19 could very well be one of the top picks in its price range. It manages to deliver a BA bass response that’s eerily close to a dynamic driver and nails almost all the subjective ‘good stuff’ for its cost. Nothing’s perfect, of course, I hope Fiio is on to something here. If they ever nail it completely, you’ll hear me singing their praises.
