INTRODUCTION

   Wireless headsets and more specifically TWS (true wireless stereo) models may offer a convenient, wire-free way for people to listen to music but honestly speaking they simply can't compete with their wired counterparts, at least not in terms of audio performance. So, if audio quality is your thing and you care not about cables the obvious and best choice is to grab yourself a pair of wired over the ear headphones or IEMs (in-ear monitors). There's a catch however, the majority of headphones and IEMs are configured for specific music genres and even though audiophiles and professionals alike can certainly tweak various frequencies by using an equalizer that's not something the majority of users out there is capable of. This is where IEM models like the "tweakable" FH5s 2BA-2Dynamic Driver Hybrid Earphones by FiiO come in.

   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 hybrid part of the FH5s (currently available in white/silver/rose gold and black/gold colors) is due to FiiO placing 2 balanced armatures and 2 dynamic drivers behind a semi-open housing which according to their engineers should produce larger soundstage with a more natural sound and at the same time being more comfortable (with a frequency response of 10Hz-40KHz with 40Ohm impedance and 106dB sensitivity the FH5s are also Hi-Res certified). To be more specific inside each housing FiiO has squeezed a 12mm Beryllium Plated Tesla dynamic driver (paired with a polyurethane polymer gasket) aimed towards richer bass levels, 6mm Beryllium plated dynamic driver optimized for mids and dual TWFK-30017 Knowles balanced armatures right inside the sound tube for optimal treble. Its drivers however are not the only selling point of the FH5s since FiiO has used housings that feature a TRISHELL structural design out of 5-axis CNC-machined aluminum-magnesium alloy which results to reduced internal resonances and a more rigid/durable construction. Also just like the higher-end FA9 IEMs (review here) the FH5s comes ready with 3 DIP switches which can be used to switch their sound signature by emphasising bass, mids and/or treble. As if these weren't impressive enough already the FH5s also feature a "dragon scale" design on the exterior side, angled sound tubes for optimal comfort, gold plated MMCX connectors, 120-core Litz Type-2 4-core silver plated copper cable with metal splitter and gadget and a very rich bundle which consists by 13 different eartip sets, 3 twist-lock stainless steel gold plated plugs (2.5/3.5/4.4mm), carrying/storage case, MMCX assist tool and a cleaning brush. So, are the latest FH5s by FiiO the mid-range IEMs to get if you want a more "versatile" sound signature?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture next to the main product features and under the company and Hi-Res logos is what you'll see at the front of the box.

Some of the product parts are showcased at both top and base of the box as drawings.

Basic instructions on how you can use the DIP switches are printed at the rear of the box.

Once you remove the exterior cover you will find another product drawing (strangely enough this drawing is made out of something that resembles glitter so my hands got covered with it).

The entire bundle is packed securely thanks to both plenty of black foam and cardboard.

Aside the FH5s inside the box you'll also find the carrying/storage case, eartips, MMCX assist tool, cleaning brush, 2.5/4.4mm plugs (3.5mm is mounted onto the FH5s), instructions on how to use the MMCX assist tool and the quick start guide.

THE FH5S

Aside the already mounted silicone eartips FiiO also bundles 12 extra sets, 3 silicone ones (s/m/l bass oriented), 3 silicone ones (s/m/l vocals oriented), 3 memory foam ones (s/m/l), 2 silicone ones (s/l balanced sound - the medium sized already mounted one is part of these) and a bi-flange one (medium).

Black and white is a great color combination but not when you have to take pictures on a white bench so for some i used a black cover seen above.

As with previous models the red stripe stands for right and the blue one for left so you can know at a glance how to put the FH5s on.

Just in case however there are also markings on the interior of each earphone.

Using MMCX connectors allows me to remove the cable to showcase and housings and the FH5s with its CNC-machined aluminum-magnesium alloy and the dragon scales design does look great right?

The 3 DIP switches are located at the rear of each earphone and to switch them on/off i suggest using the other end of the cleaning brush.

I know i pointed out the left/right markings before but I’d really like it more if they were also red and blue, or even gold (brown is not very easy to see).

4 drivers squeezed inside each of the earphones is not the most we've seen to date but still it seems impressive to me.

As mentioned in the introduction page the MMCX connectors are gold plated.

The 120-core Litz Type-2 4-core silver plated copper cable with its y-splitter may not be exactly tangle-proof but it looks and feels great.

At the end of the cable, we find the swappable 3.5mm gold plated plug.

A brown and blue carrying/storage case with a magnetic clip is also bundled with the FH5s.

This may not be a very large case but it still has plenty of room for the FH5s, its plugs and some eartips.

Here we see the 2.5/4.4mm gold plated plugs (which i didn't actually use in this review - no need to).

Since just over a year ago my "weapon" of choice has been the M15 Hi-Res player by FiiO so this is what i primarily used to test the FH5s.

CONCLUSION

   The very first time i put the FH5s on and used them with several 24bit FLAC tracks i have to admit that even though the sound stage is indeed spacious audio seemed very plain, some may call it neutral or flat, i guess. Clarity and detail (and even color) were good but audio performance just didn't stand out as much as i was hoping it would from this particular model. So next stop was to start tweaking audio by using the 3 available DIP switches and here's where things started to become interesting. Now right from the get go don't expect bass levels that will blow you away but the FH5s do a very good job in that area by producing deep and warm lows which really shine when listening to bass-heavy tracks. Highs are also very good but unlike for example the FA9 they start to become very intense at almost full volume so do keep that in mind. You should also keep in mind that the FH5s need to be paired with a device that can actually drive/power them to the max and even though the M15 is perfectly capable of doing that i found that my RealMe 7 Pro and Redmi Note 8/9 Pro smartphones just fell a bit short in that regard (which is something you'd expect from most if not all smartphones honestly).

   Retailing for USD249.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 265.27Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the FH5s by FiiO are priced just about right. Granted they may not offer the best possible all-around audio reproduction out there which means that you should be able to find a specific sound signature model for less but what the FH5s have going for them is that you can use the DIP switches to cover all sound signatures (music genres effectively) and for some people that’s invaluable. At the end of the day just like the higher-end FA9 before them the FH5s are the jack of all trades and since they deliver on everything, I was hoping they would they deserve the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Overall Audio Performance (Mids /Highs /Bass)
- 2 Knowles BA Drives (8 Possible Audio Combinations)
- Design (For Some)
- Detachable Plugs & Cable with MMCX Gold Plated Connectors
- Rich Bundle (Carrying Case /13 Pairs of Eartips /MMCX Assist Tool/Cleaning Brush/2.5mm & 4.4mm Connectors)
- 120 Core Litz Type 2 Silver Plated Copper Cable
- Available In 2 Colors

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Cable Thickness