CONCLUSION

    Four are the things you'll notice immediately once you take the SA1 out of their box, their compact size, design that really stands out, the rather impressive build quality (always for the size/cost) and the wealth of available connectors at the rear. To be completely honest with everyone I do enjoy using larger speakers more (mainly due to higher volume and bass levels) but the SA1 are probably among the only compact speakers I'd ever use if space was an issue. The MDF enclosures may not be heavy but thanks to the faux solid wood veneer panels and the front brushed aluminum accents they look nothing short of impressive. Moving to audio quality things are better than expected, mids and highs are crisp, detailed and accurate (the SA1 emphasize mids a bit more than highs) no matter if you listen to Coldplay, Teddy Swims, Bon Jovi or Iron Maiden. Things however change when it comes to bass heavy tracks and well here the SA1 aren't as forgiving (the 3.5-inch/9cm woofers simply can't produce miracles). This is also why FiiO made sure to include a subwoofer port and well, I'd make sure to use it regardless of what audio genre I’d be listening to. As for the control app the 31-band PEQ and the 11 available presets are certainly useful (somewhat demanding users will be playing around with these quite a bit), but the best news is that even if you don’t use the app, you will not be missing out on much.

    At the time of my review the SA1 High Fidelity Desktop Active Speaker by FiiO retail for just USD179.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for around 199Euros inside the EU so they are priced very well. Yes, if you listen to bass-rich audio tracks you will need to add the cost of a subwoofer eventually, but my guess is that many will not take that path. At the end of the day the FiiO SA1 deliver as advertised and are well worth of the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- Audio Performance (Crisp & Detailed Mids & Highs)
- Active Speakers (50W Total)
- Bluetooth v5.4, 3.5mm Aux, Coaxial, USB & Stereo RCA Connectivity
- Features (Phono Preamp / LDAC Support)
- Sub Port
- Volume & Bass Control Knobs
- Available In Black/Wood & White/Silver Colors
- Control App (31 Band PEQ)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Bass Levels (For Some)
- Overall Availability