Intro
FiiO have been hitting the market quite hard lately and they should’ve been known to most audiophiles by now, especially the new ones. Not only that their products are mostly ‘pocket-friendly’ but you’re more than likely to get the most bang for the buck with their recent releases. Preferences aside, of course. Long story short, now we have their latest ‘entry-mid’ tier single dynamic driver IEM – the FD3. Do you remember the FD5? Well, owners of the FD5 might question FiiO’s move this time but for the rest of us, we’re in for a treat!!
Having some of the technology trickled down from its bigger sibling the FD5, it is honestly a different experience in comparison to the other IEMs around it’s price range. For one, the FD3 uses a similar acoustic prism found on the FD5. FiiO also added the flexibility to change the nozzle filter of the FD3, also found on the FD5. The only significant configuration difference between the two is the driver unit, where the FD3 uses a Diamond-Like Carbon driver while the FD5 uses a Beryllium-coated Diamond-Like Carbon driver. Another differences worth noting is that the ‘semi-open’ shell concept is applied differently between the two IEMs.
*disclaimer – my unit of FD3 was supplied with the LC-RC cable which is supposedly the same cable as the one included with the FD3 Pro.
Packaging
Packaging of the FD3 is minimalistic rather than ‘posh’ nor ‘weeby’ like what we’ve seen coming into the market recently. A matte-black box with an interesting print finish (iridescent? illuminate-ish I’m not sure what’s it called) of the FD3 itself gives a more ‘mature’ product presentation to say the least. There’s nothing much inside really, other than the basics that we’re accustomed of, but you do get the FiiO’s hard case which were a standard issue for their previous IEM line-ups.
The IEM itself, being made from an Aluminum-Magnesium alloy feels substantial but pretty much still lightweight. No, it’s nothing hefty like the FD5 but it does feel premium. Fit is nice but it may not sit flush for those with smaller ears. The stock cable supplied with the FD3 is OK to be honest, typical of FiiO’s but the LC-RC is screaming for attention. The modular plug design is nothing new at this point but the feel and haptics of the cable is top notch. For those that have experienced using FiiO’s screw-on modular plugs, you’ll definitely like the LC-RC.
Functions & Specifications
- Material: Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy
- Type: Semi-open back
- Transducer Type: 12mm Diamond-Like Carbon dynamic driver @ 1.5T magnetic flux
- Sensitivity: 111dB SPL/1mW @ 1kHz
- Impedance: 32ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency Response: 10Hz-40kHz
What’s In The Box
- FiiO FD3
- FiiO HB1 storage case
- Eartips: Bass, Balanced, Vocals, (S, M, L size each) & 2 pairs of Foam Tips
- Owner’s manual x 1
- Cleaning brush x 1
- Interchangable nozzle x 1
- FiiO LC-RC
- Interchangable plug termination (2.5mm & 4.4mm)
Retail Price & Where To Get
Fiio FD3 is RM479 and can be bought at Red Ape – Headphone Store
Product Links :
FiiO FD3 : Red Ape – Headphone Store Shopee | Red Ape – Headphone Store LAZADA
FiiO LC-RC | RM329 : Red Ape – Headphone Store Shopee | Red Ape – Headphone Store LAZADA
Sound & Tonality
A DLC driver is known to be one of the more resolving dynamic driver and it stays true here on the FD3. No it won’t dissect the music to you but if tuned well like what FiiO did, it will blow you away filled with musical enjoyment. This actually took me by surprise where it sounds very similar to the FD5. The FD3 is nimble, natural and slightly aggressive but still pleasant to the ears. Tonal balance is a tiny bit skewed to be bright but I would consider the FD3 to be balanced sounding overall.
Source Used
Xduoo X2s > Xduoo XQ-10 > FiiO FD3
Foobar2k > iFi Micro iDSD Black Label > FiiO FD3
Songs Used
*This sound impression was made using the stock Red nozzle which is labeled to have a “robust bass response”. The Black nozzle sound impression follows accordingly.
Bass
Bass on the FD3 is well extended and authoritative. Sub-bass is not the deepest but it’s far from being rolled off, well defined and more than capable to provide the rumble when called upon. Yes, it’s more of quality rather than quantity. Mid-bass being slightly more dominant provides an impactful and punchy characteristics without sounding bloated. For me personally the bass is done right with its rumble, its punch (although a bit blunted at times) and wonderful texture.
*Changing to the Black nozzle will provide a similarly extended bass but also sounds leaner. Despite being lean, it’s still a smooth bass rather than a textured one. This is due to the boosted mids-treble region when changing to this set of nozzle but the bass quality remains despite a slight change in tonality.
Mids
The mids on the FD3 is slightly recessed but this indirectly contributes to the depth in its soundstage and I would say the mids are tuned to complement female rather than male vocals. It’s honestly insignificant but if you’re particular about vocals, you’ll notice. Lower-mids do not suffer with upper-bass bleed but the instruments and vocals within that range are well bodied. Mids sounds natural with good, above average detail retrieval. Upper-mids are revealing and engaging, plus they’re far from being shouty. Overall presentation of the mids are pleasant, transparent with excellent detail retrieval.
*Changing to the Black nozzle will slightly boost the upper-mids making the FD3 a little bit more shoutier as opposed to the Red nozzle. This is where the FD3 can be a bit too much for some. Mids can also sound a bit grainy – almost BA-like presentation.
Highs
Treble sounds energetic but lacks air. The lower-treble energy provided by the FD3 is just right to not sounding sibilant nor fatiguing which is great for longer sessions. The treble however can be a little bit harsh but nothing too much that would kill your senses. Upper-treble as mentioned earlier, lacks air and presence but presentation wise is far from being shy. Honestly a well articulated (despite can be peaky at times) which contributes to the detail retrievals and nuances.
*Changing to the Black nozzle makes the FD3 a bit too peaky for me. Oh don’t get me wrong, I do love sparkly highs but this one is a bit too much. Almost piercing to be honest but it’s nothing too extreme as can be heard from other types of ‘treble-dedicated’ driver such as the piezo found in the BQEYZ Summer.
Soundstage
FiiO’s semi-open back design shell might impose some ‘reliability’ (read: clogged) issue over time but for now, I can say it’s a complementing feature to the FD3. The soundstage can be considered as huge for an IEM within its price range. Remember, the T-Force Yuan Li still do have one of the biggest soundstage for a single-DD. The FD3 has above average width, extending a bit further to the outside of your head. Depth on the other hand is average at its best, extending just a bit farther courtesy of their sound signature. Soundstage height is average considering there’s quite a few hard hitters on the market right now which deters them from being evenly distributed (holographic per se).
Imaging & Separation
Imaging on the FD3 can be summed up as accurate. Just don’t compare them to multi-BAs for clinical precision and they can also sound a bit congested at times. A bit, yes. Stereo panning is defined and separation is mostly well balanced, showcasing good central image and an OK-ish distribution of sounds coming at you (but mostly from the front).
Driveability
Minus the Beryllium coating on the DLC driver, the FD3 is as easy as it gets to be driven well (provided that you use at least a dongle). Yes they are not that hard to be driven but with sub-par output power, they won’t shine at their best. This is because they REALLY scale well with more juice. Almost grandeur if you ask me.
Synergy
The FD3 pairs well with warm sources to complement the energetic upper-end which adds weight to the overall tonal balance. On a neutral/bright source, they can be a bit lean and tend to be unpleasant at times (even with the Red nozzle) but surprisingly never sibilant nor ‘too much’. Depending on your music library, they might just be one of the more engaging and fun IEM to listen to.
Comparison
FiiO FD5
The FD5 was provided with 2-different sized nozzles where the smaller nozzle made the FD5 sounding a tad more laid back while the larger (normal-size) nozzle made the FD5 more aggressive sounding. Applying the same concept, FiiO now uses a similarly-sized outer-diameter nozzle with different inner-diameter bore for the FD3. Now, for my ears they does the same job where the larger inner-diameter boosts the mids-treble while the smaller inner-diameter tames down the mids-treble thus brings up the bass region.
Bass is similarly authoritative and clean for both sets but the FD5 is more detailed and textured in comparison. They’re both not a bass-dominant set but rather a well balanced lower-region which will rumble and give a satisfying impact when called upon. Mids is more balanced and brought slightly more forward on the FD5. Not to mention detail retrieval is superior than the FD3 (almost BA-like response) in comparison. Treble on the FD5 while having more air and presence can be a bit too grainy for some while the FD3 sounds smoother in this region despite being well-articulated.
On to technicalities, soundstage is slightly wider and deeper on the FD5 (and taller too). The significant difference between the two is that the FD5 is much more holographic as compared to the FD3. Spatial imaging is otherwordly on the FD5 in comparison to the FD3. Mind you, the FD3 is no slouch but the FD5 just plays in another league. The Beryllium-coated DLC of the FD5 proves to be superior in terms of technicality; speed, detail retrieval, presence and nuances.
For Who?
Bored of the typical V-shape sound signature? Maybe you’ve had too much of boosted bass? Or you’re just looking to explore into another more exciting sound signature? Heck, even if you’re just looking for an upgrade for your current single-DD IEM the FD3 shall be given a chance to be auditioned. It’s a tough segment but one way or another some audience will love the FD3.
Verdict & Stars
I can see that FiiO is offering some of their flagship technologies to be more accessible to a lot of people and those who missed the opportunity to own FiiO’s flagship single-DD IEM, the FD3 shall fill the gap as it proves to be as close as possible to the FD5. While it may not be the best in its class, it will most definitely fill in the gap with insights of what FiiO’s ‘flagship-tier’ IEM can offer.
(4.5 / 5)
