Introduction
We at Audiomonsta have always been on the lookout for hidden gems and new releases that have the potential to bring more joy into our hobby with audio gears that are worthy of our hard earned money. Recently I have stumbled upon a new brand that I think has great potential in producing awesome sounding in-ears, enter the FloAudio from China. They have just released their debut entry into the audio scene with a budget in-ears named Calla and they are equipped with a single dynamic driver along with a professionally made shell that looks stunning. FloAudio has kindly given us the opportunity to give an honest take on the Calla and we are grateful for the opportunity given. How will they fare in this ever growing market of chifi? We shall find out in this review.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Flo Audio Calla;
- Driver type: Metal composite single dynamic driver
- Shell: 3D printed full resin shell
- Impedance: 16 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 106dB
- Frequency Range: 20-22KHz
- Pin Type: Detachable 2 pin 0.78mm C type
- Cable type: 2-Core OFC 3.5mm termination
- Color: Black body with magma red faceplate
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Flo Audio Calla can be purchased at FLOAUDIO Offcial Store for only US $47.88.
Currently as of this writing of this review, Flo Audio Calla can be purchased with a huge discount coupon at AliExpress, so be quick!
Packaging & Accessories
The packaging of the Calla is a very basic packaging that certainly is a little too basic for the price paid as they only came in a black box that contains 3 pairs of different types of eartips, a basic C type cable similar to KZ or QDC cables, a manual and the earphones itself. An inclusion of a case and a braided cable will be appreciated but ultimately I don’t judge the books by its cover.
Design
The design of the Calla is actually very good. Though made of plastic resin, they are a solid and a very high quality type of resin that feels rigid. The faceplate is red in color and has a flare inspired theme with the branding done in chrome. They have a rather large metal vent on the side that is made from metal and a metal nozzle as well. They are very light in weight, rather small in size and fit like a glove. Very well thought of design and they do look pretty cool indeed. One minor problem is the driver flex that is present if the in-ears are inserted too quickly and hard.
The Calla is equipped with a metal composite dynamic driver that has a high sensitivity and they are easy to drive. The cable included is a 1.2 meter OFC cable with a 3.5mm termination and has a C type 0.78mm plugs. The cable is similar to ones that come with entry KZ in-ears and I do hope for a better braided cable inclusion at this price range.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M12 & M15
LetShuoer D13
TForce YuanLi
TinHifi P1Max Panda
Gold Planar GL20
Rose Technics QT9 MK2
Hidizs MD4
BQEYZ Topaz
Dunu EST112
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Calla is a well balanced signature with a slight bass boost along with an immersive sub-bass that is not overpowering. It has a thick, warm, velvety smooth sound that is fun to listen to without sacrificing any details in their frequencies. They have a high fidelity sound that has an organic sound presentation and they are suitable for a wide range of genres. They actually do remind me of the Cardas EM5813 in-ears that I used to own way back.
Soundstage
The Calla possess a surprisingly good sound stage for their price range as they have great depth and width and also have great height in their sound presentation. They are able to give out a holographic soundstage that has accurate placements of sound and they work well with gaming or movies. It gives out an airy presentation especially on their low end frequency giving a pretty decent headroom for an in-ears.
Separation and Timbre
Separation is truly superb on the Calla and they are maturely tuned single dynamic drivers in-ear and they are able to show the layers in music without any congestion and they are well suited with busy, fast tracks like metal or EDM genre. Separation from left to right is amazing and they do increase their soundstage and accuracy overall. They do sound quite cohesive with all frequencies well balanced without any gaps or hollowness. Instruments and vocals sound natural with a thickness to their overall presentation giving music a slight coloration. Their timbre is acceptable and they are quite accurate sounding but they do sound a little too intense at certain genres like hip hop or EDM.
Drivability
Rated at 32 ohms with a 108db sensitivity, they are easily driven and a simple setup like a dongle is sufficient for them to sound great but with a great DAC/amplifier, DAP or a more powerful source, the Calla does scale up very well and they do clearer and cleaner overall. They are not choosey with the type of files played but do perform better with well mastered tracks with higher bitrates like DSD or MQA.
The Bass (Low)
This is where I feel the strength of the Calla comes into play. The bass here is big in quantity and they have great quality as well, able to satisfy normal bassheads users without sounding too overpowering. They have a great clarity in their overall bass with details all intact clearly without any excessive boominess. They have a tight slam in their mid bass and they give music a great energetic vibe that is pleasingly good for EDM. They possess no bleed into other frequencies and that is a big plus. Sub-bass is sublime as it extends deep and has a medium sized rumble that sounds great. The bass has an airiness to it that is hard to find in this price range. But for critical listeners, the bass might be a little too fierce. Overall, their bass presentation is a truly fun, energetic and airy bass that has performed above their asking price.
The Mids
The midrange in the Calla is a slightly forward midrange with a thick sound that blends well with their bass response. They have adequate details and clarity that doesn’t sound hazy or fuzzy. Resolution is quite average for their asking price but they are still adequate for an accurate reproduction of music. There is some added coloration in their midrange but they are still able to sound natural enough mostly. The midrange is leaning towards a warmer side and they are more well suited for casual, fun listening instead of a critical listening. Vocals sound great especially with male vocals but only average sounding with female vocals. Instruments sound clean and clear but with certain strings, they lack a crisp decay. Overall, they have a fun sounding, warm, thick midrange with good clarity.
The Highs
The high range of the Calla is a neutral to flat type of high range that is smooth and inoffensive but they do have the energy when called upon. Details and clarity here is quite good with them sounding clean and clear with decent micro details present. Sparkle is quite mediocre for my preference and they do lack crispness in their high range signature but they possess good extension along with an rather airy presentation. They are in no way peaky, harsh or have any shout present but instead have a well balanced high range that is quite natural overall. The calla treble has a mild strength to it playing well with their forward midrange and their strong bass. Overall, pretty well tuned high range with a smooth, clean, extended response but I do feel it lacked authority and crispness for my preference as a treble head.
Comparisons
VS BQEYZ Topaz
One of the more recent releases from BQEYZ equipped with a single dynamic driver but has a 9 layer piezoelectric technology in it that has a great soundstage along with a smooth inoffensive sound. The Topaz is slightly more expensive than the Calla but they come in a more complete packaging. Both are quite solidly built but I do prefer the fit and looks of the Calla more.
The high range on the Calla has the edge in their energy versus the rather laidback highs of the Topaz. Details on the Topaz are better but they do tend to roll off quite early. Sparkle on the Topaz is better and crisper.
Midranges on Topaz sounds thick and warm similar to the Calla but they sounded a tad more forward in their signature. Details and clarity on the Calla is better by a small margin. Both perform well on male vocals but the Topaz sounds lusher on female vocals with more intimacy.
Bass quantity on the Calla has the edge by sounding more complete with a better sub-bass extension versus the slightly recessed sub-bass in the Topaz. Mid-bass lift on the Topaz is higher making them possess a bigger thump but energy on the Calla bass sounds more enjoyable.
Soundstage on the Topaz sounds wider and taller by a small margin but separation on the Calla is better and airier.
VS LetShuoer D13
The LetShuoer D13 is one the latest releases from them that is equipped with a single DLC dynamic driver that has a very well balanced sound with interchangeable nozzle filter and they are one of my favorites in their price range. They are slightly pricier than the Calla.
High region on the D13 sounded a little more energetic and had a better sparkle than the slightly laidback high range of the Calla. Details on both are quite similar but clarity and resolution on the D13 is better.
Bass on the Calla has the better quantity and their sub-bass extends deeper than the D13. The bass on D13 sounds more natural and leaner and suitable for a critical listening while the Calla is more suitable for bassheads for a more fun signature. Soundstage in the Calla sounds deeper and wider by a small margin and the Calla is airier overall
Synergy
FiiO M17
The top of the line of FiiO’s DAP , the M17 and when it comes to driving power and packed with high end features, they are in my opinion as one of the DAP around. They have 5 levels of gain and I found the mid gain suits the Calla best. The bass the M17 is able to give the Calla is a cleaner and slightly leaner bass response, making their bass a little more controlled and clearer. Sub-bass quantity remains the same but they seem to extend deeper and they have a cleaner rumble. Details are pushed up a level in the whole bass department. Midrange sounded slightly clearer with vocals sounding a little upfront and female vocals seemed to be slightly lusher than usual. High range the M17 is able to give the Calla a better sparkle and with a better extension giving the Calla an airier high range signature. Treble is very well extended and they have a more energetic signature overall. Soundstage that they provide is awesome as the improvement in the width and height is great by making them sound bigger and gives an extra headroom to them. Overall, the Calla benefited from the clean signature from the M17 and the extra juice that the M17 gives the Calla is making them perform on a whole new level.
Questyle M15
The Questyle M15 is my favorite dongle DAC/amplifier as they sounded awesome with literally anything I feed it with and with their Questyle’s signature direct current amplification, they are unbeatable in their price range in terms of performance. They are a neutral to bright sounding device for a portable usage with a great extension on both ends. Bass on the Calla has the same quantity but in terms of quality, they sounded cleaner with a clearer bass response overall. Sub-bass quantity seems to be toned down a little but their extension remains mostly the same. Midrange has a more forward presentation with better clarity, lushness and more energy overall. Sparkle and crispness have increased by a little and they have a mild energetic sound to them. The M15 also seems to add some airiness in their high range as well. Soundstage mostly the same on this pairing but they seem to have a slight air added to them but in a small margin. Overall, I do find the synergy of this pair is quite good and it is a good pairing for a more portable setup on the go.
Who Is It For?
For those who want a true dynamic driver sound signature with an amazing separation along with a bass that has the quantity and quality, the Calla might be for you. For gaming and movies, the Calla is a suitable pick as they have an accurate timbre, great separation with a wide soundstage. They are suited for treble sensitive users as their high range is smooth like butter without sacrificing any details and clarity. It certainly has a fun sound tuning and is not suited for a critical listening as they might lack top end resolution. All that being said, they are still not slouching in their overall performance.
Final words
Though the Calla is an entry debut product from the ever growing collection of chi-fi products, FloAudio has certainly impressed me with the Calla as they are truly very enjoyable for me even though they do not suit my preference of a brighter sound. They indeed have an amazing sound separation and will go toe to toe with some products way above their price range in this area. With their authoritative bass response blending with their thick midrange along with a velvety smooth high range, the Calla is an easy recommended product for their fun sound. Their build is impeccably beautiful and solid but sadly, their packaging is a little too simple for their price range as they lacked a case and a better quality cable. Overall, a great debut for FloAudio and we are stoked for this newcomer’s future. Well done FloAudio!
I would rate this product 4 and a half stars over 5 stars
