INTRODUCTION

   I may not use headphones and earphones (IEMs) while at home or at the office much (testing aside of course) but i do just about everywhere else and as a matter of fact since i really happen to enjoy that I’m always looking for new models to test. When it comes to earphones especially, I’ve been on a "quest" since well over a decade ago to find the best and although to date several top-end models have reached my hands there always seems to be something better out there. FiiO may well be known to be the leading "force" in the Hi-Res music player industry but they've actually also released several Hi-Res audiophile-grade earphones over the past 5 years or so and the FA9 IEMs which i have here with me today are their brand new flagship model.

   FiiO was established in 2007 and has experience in researching and developing countless portable music products of different types, and sell FiiO-branded products through sales agents worldwide. The brand name FiiO is composed of Fi(fidelity from HiFi) and iO(number 1&0), representing the real feeling and convenient life that digital brings to life. Meanwhile, the Chinese “飞傲” is the transliteration of FiiO, indicating the positive and innovative spirit as thriving as spring. FiiO is focused on product quality, adheres strictly to ISO9001 standards in quality management and works hard to attain the lowest repair-related product returns rate.

   The FA9 IEMs are unlike any other earphones I’ve tested to date and that's not only due to one feature but several special (and quite unique) ones. For starters each of the two DLP 3D printed shells of the FA9 house a total of 6 Knowles BA armature drivers (SWFK-31736/EJ-33877/HODVTEK-31618) together with 4-way electronic crossovers and 80.6mm ultra-long sound tubes (act as low pass filters). Thanks to this innovative combination FiiO has made it possible not only for consumers to be able to configure the FA9 IEMs with up to 8 different audio results (can focus on highs, mids or bass via 3 switches located on the exterior of both enclosures/shells - combinations are also possible) but the resulting numbers are nothing short of impressive as well (frequency response of 15Hz-40KHz with 16-32KOhm impedance and 110/113dB sensitivity). Other features that really stand out from the crowd include a diamond-cut faceplate, shells made out of EU IIA medically certified translucent black resin, ergonomic shape engineered from thousands of ear scans/models, detachable 8-strand monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable and MMCX gold plated connectors. If all of the above weren't enough the FA9 IEMs are also shipped with the most impressive bundle I’ve seen to date, this however i will cover later on.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The FA9 IEMs are packed inside a black box with just the company name at the front and the Hi-Res Audio logo.

Just like with other FiiO products you can find an authenticity barcode on the left side of the box.

A quick description of how to use the 3 switches is printed at the rear.

Once you remove the outside cover you will once again see the FiiO logo on the main box.

Both the IEMs and the bundle are placed inside thick pieces of black foam.

Along with the FA9 FiiO has also bundled a carrying/storage case made out of leatherette (inside which there's a cloth pouch along with a magnetic cable holder and a cleaning brush which can also be used to toggle the 3 switches), 14 pairs of eartips (15 sets with the already mounted ones) and the user manual.

THE FA9

This is not only the very first time I’ve seen any IEMs get shipped with a total of 15 pairs of eartips but also 6 different types, including two SpinFit pairs.

The blue HB3 carrying/storage case is made out of polyurethane synthetic Leather, closes magnetically and measures 110mm in length, 77mm in width and 43mm in height.

Once you open it you will find a small cloth pouch inside which FiiO has placed the SK-01 magnetic cable organiser (features 3 grade N40 neodymium magnets and is dressed with leather) and a cleaning brush which can also be used to toggle the 3 switches.

As you can see from the above picture there's just enough space for the FA9 IEMs and a few eartips inside the pouch.

FiiO has equipped the FA9 IEMs with a 1.2 meters long tangle-resistant cable (for this review i used a piece of black foam to get optimal pictures).

As mentioned earlier this cable is detachable and makes use of MMCX gold plated connectors.

The diamond-cut faceplate looks great and actually changes color slightly when viewed from different angles.

The 3 audio switches are located at the top of both enclosures.

By using an EU IIA medically certified translucent black resin FiiO allows you to take a glimpse on the interior.

Left and right markings are not only placed right next to the 3 switches but also on the top ends of the cable both as letters and color.

The 8-strand monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable may not be very thin but it ensures optimal audio quality/transfer.

Both the y-splitter and the gold plated 90 degree angled 3.5mm plug are made out of aluminum.

Thanks to the long tip of the FA9 IEMs it's also a lot easier to swap eartips (aside getting further inside your ear canal for optimal results).

To properly test the FA9 IEMs i primarily used the brand new M15 flagship Hi-Res audio player by FiiO (review soon).

CONCLUSION

   The FA9 IEMs are the most expensive to ever arrive in the office so naturally i had very high expectations from them and luckily i wasn't disappointed one bit. You need to understand however that the FA9 are far from your typical IEMs since thanks to the 3 audio switches they can perform differently and that means a far wider audience compared to regular ones. For example, depending on what you want the focus of the FA9 can be to sound just like either the Carbon (crisp highs) or the Beryllium (deep bass) by Periodic audio and/or like the Falcon-C (detailed mids/highs) by DUNU. They may not be worlds apart with any of the three that i mentioned but the fact alone that you can adjust/calibrate their audio quality/performance to fit your taste (or music genre) at will is pretty much amazing. On top of that the 3D printed shells fit exceptionally in my ear and according to FiiO the same should apply for pretty much any ear out there so again this is a huge thing. Add the 15 available pairs of eartips and honestly i doubt there are many IEMs out there which can compete in that area with the FA9 IEMs. Of course, much like everything else in the market not all is perfect so even though i admit that the 8-strand copper cable is of the highest quality I’ve ever seen used with an IEM the fact remains that this is a very thick cable which is also far from tangle-proof. Again, i might be nitpicking here and i do realize that you can't have both a high-quality cable with high durability which can also be thin (or perhaps you can but the cost could be many times over this one) but it is what it is. The color of the bundled storage/carrying case may also not agree with many of you out there (would prefer black or red myself) but again, nitpicking.

   The FA9 IEMs are currently FiiO’s flagship model and with a price tag of USD499.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at around 530Euros inside the EU these are far from what anyone would call affordable. We are however talking about a pure audiophile product and judging but what we see in this industry from time to time there’s certainly a target audience FiiO has set their eyes at. Honestly there’s not much more I can say about the FA9, build quality is excellent, audio performance is amazing and the bundle well it’s second to none really so since these are clearly the best IEMs, I’ve had the chance to test (at least to date) they naturally deserve our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Audio Performance (Mids /Highs /Bass)
- 6 Knowles BA Drives (8 Possible Audio Combinations)
- Design (For Some)
- Detachable Cable with MMCX Gold Plated Connectors
- Very Comfortable And Secure Fit
- Rich Bundle (Carrying Case /15 Pairs of Eartips /Magnetic Cable Organizer /Cleaning Brush)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Cable Thickness