FiiO FW3 Review | Trusted Reviews

Verdict

There’s loads to get pleasure from concerning the FiiO FW3, from the best way they appear to the sky-high element ranges of their sound. However their sonic stability isn’t all it is perhaps, and so they’re the primary TWS I’ve heard in who is aware of how lengthy which have imperfect wi-fi connectivity.

Introduction

For many who haven’t been paying consideration, and for the avoidance of doubt: FiiO is lethal severe.

Its ever-expanding vary of digital audio gamers, desktop amps/DACs and, recently, headphones have all impressed to a lesser or larger extent and all sport eye-catching costs when in comparison with equally specified rivals.

Ordinarily, the sight of yet one more pair of fairly reasonably priced true wi-fi in-ear headphones wouldn’t be all that thrilling – however that is FiiO. What has the Chinese language specialist managed to ship for lower than a ton this time?

Availability

The FiiO FW3 true wi-fi in-ear headphones are on sale in the UK they value not more than £95 per pair. In America they promote for $99. No worth has been confirmed for Australia simply but, but when right this moment’s alternate charges are something to go by you’re taking a look at AU$189 or one thing fairly prefer it.

Within the pursuits of each brevity and sanity, I gained’t listing all of the very many pairs of true wi-fi in-ear headphones, from all of the very many alternative manufacturers, which you could purchase for this type of cash. A few of them are wonderful, a few of them are rotten – however they’re all opponents to the FW3, and can all must be bested if these FiiO are going to make it to the highest of your shortlist…

Design

• White or gray finishes
• 6g per earbud
• Distinctive seems

Ordinarily, the dialog concerning the design (or in any other case) of a pair of true wi-fi earbuds is proscribed as to whether or not they’re the Apple-tastic dangly stem design or not. So FiiO is to be congratulated on serving up a pair of TWS that genuinely don’t seem like anybody else’s. Whether or not or not you’re into the exceptional ‘oystershell-meets-Asian-car-manufacturer-logo’ loom is completely a query of style.

The earbuds are a trim 6g every, and due to the six-strong choice of ear-tips within the packaging must be easy sufficient to suit each securely and comfortably. There’s a good bit extra earbud taking place exterior the wearer’s ear than is common, however so long as you benefit from the design that’s nearly actually an excellent factor.

The charging case is, just like the earbuds, manufactured from unremarkable plastic and is, at 45g, decently light-weight. Not like the earbuds, although, it’s totally bland in its design – it’s a easy little pebble, and if it wasn’t for the fairly assertive FiiO branding on the lid it could possibly be by any producer you care to say. It has a helpful little row of LEDs on the entrance to point charging stage, and a USB-C enter on the again to do the precise charging.

Options

• 10mm full-range carbon drivers
• Bluetooth 5.2
• 21 hours battery life (whole)

Not for the primary time the place certainly one of its merchandise is anxious, FiiO has specified the FW3 fairly extra extravagantly than the asking worth would recommend.

For example, the FW3 use Bluetooth 5.2 for wi-fi connectivity, and are suitable with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and LHDC codecs with LDAC on the beta stage on the time of writing.

As soon as the audio info is on board, it’s pored over by a extremely succesful AKM Velvet Sound’s AK4332 digital-to-analogue convertor chipset – which suggests if you happen to’ve some appropriately chunky audio recordsdata out there, and you utilize an LHDC-capable supply participant, the FW3 are able to assist 24-bit/96kHz playback. And by the use of an encore, they’re Snapdragon Sound-certified too.

Getting the decoded sound to you is the accountability of a few 10mm carbon-based full-range dynamic drivers. FiiO is claiming a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz, and suggests using the carbon-based materials for the motive force diaphragm provides superior transient response and distinctive decision.

All of those claimed sonic benefits will be loved for seven hours at a time – that’s the quantity of cost saved within the earbuds. There are a few full prices held within the case, giving an OK-but-nothing-special all-in whole of 21 hours between visits to mains energy. There’s no wi-fi charging right here, and from flat to full takes round 100 minutes.

There aren’t any touch-controls on these earbuds. As an alternative, FiiO has fitted every with a pair bodily push controls that care for energy on/off, play/pause, quantity up/down, skip forwards/backwards, reply/finish/reject name, summon voice assistant and, fairly disturbingly, reset. They’re fairly optimistic of their motion, however positioning them on the highest fringe of what are fairly giant earbuds means placing your finger inside your pinna – or, no less than it does in my case. Maybe my ears are uncommon, however nobody’s talked about it earlier than…

There’s a mic in every earbud, which takes care of telephony and voice-assistant interplay. In each instances, intelligibility appears high quality – so it’s simple to have a dialog and/or to regulate your FW3 just by talking.

You may as well exert a little bit of affect utilizing the FiiO Management app that’s free for iOS and Android. There aren’t any playback controls right here, admittedly – however what there’s proves helpful, and the app itself is obvious and secure. It offers you a sign of battery life, affirmation of the codec chosen (plus the flexibility to disable any or the entire codecs the FW3 are suitable with), and choose how lengthy you’d just like the earbuds to remain powered up whereas they’re inactive.

You’ll be able to flip the LED on every earbud on or off, choose Battery Safety (change it on and the battery will solely ever cost to 85% capability) and switch Recreation mode on or off. There’s a 10-band equaliser, permitting you various affect on the sound, and a management to set a most quantity stage. There’s even a Stability management, which is one thing you don’t see day by day.

Sound High quality

• Detailed, eloquent and spacious sound
• Missing in bass presence
• Vulnerable to drop-outs

All in-ear headphones, wired or wi-fi, depend upon the standard of their match in terms of sound high quality – and the FiiO FW3 aren’t any totally different. In reality, they’re probably the most fit-dependent pairs of in-ear headphones I’ve ever heard – and I’ve heard my justifiable share.

So it’s price taking just a bit time to be sure you’ve bought probably the most acceptable ear-tips hooked up, and that you simply’ve mastered the twist and lock fitment methodology earlier than you rush to evaluate. As a result of it’s simpler to do these true wi-fi in-ears a disservice than it’s with nearly any various.

As soon as they’re correctly positioned, there are features of the FW3 sound which can be uncomplicatedly pleasurable. With a 16-bit/44.1kHz file of Handsworth Revolution by Metal Pulse aboard, there’s loads of element out there all through the frequency vary and a pleasant sensation of unity to the presentation. Integration of the frequency vary is sweet and even from high to backside, and the soundstage the FW3 create within reason spacious and correctly outlined.

The highest of the frequency has good extension and loads of substance to stability the good ranges of chunk and assault that treble sounds get pleasure from. There’s shine to the highest finish, but it surely’s by no means onerous or edgy – even at important quantity. Element ranges are excessive right here, as they’re in all places, and the low-level harmonic variations that some much less succesful designs ignore are given due prominence by the FiiO.

The midrange, too, is informative and fairly express. Actually vocalists of each competence are given full expression, and the quantity of house the FW3 afford them on the soundstage means there’s no hiding-place in terms of character, dedication or emotional situation. Irrespective of if it’s the close-mic’d intimacies of Nick Drake’s Which Will as a 24-bit/96kHz file or the ranting on two chords of I’m a Poseur by X-Ray Spex through Spotify, the FiiO talk freely.

The underside of the frequency vary is a bit more problematic, although. FiiO’s claims for extension right down to 20Hz appear optimistic within the excessive, and the low-frequency presence the FW3 create is tentative and altogether too well mannered. There’s a profound scarcity of punch and drive to the best way these earbuds cope with bass sounds, and whereas the low-end stuff they describe is simply as detailed as the remainder of the frequency vary it’s sorely missing in animation. There’s one thing fairly matter-of-fact about the best way the FiiO deal with the decrease frequencies that saps rhythms of vitality and drive.

And this isn’t helped within the slightest by the FW3s’ lack of dynamic impetus. Every part that happens in a recording, in accordance with the FiiO, happens at a set stage of depth and doesn’t deviate from there – not ever. The consequence, once more, is a presentation that’s in need of animation and pleasure – and the FW3 are an unengaging hear in consequence.

The opposite main downside right here has nothing to do with the best way the FW3 sound. The wi-fi connection between the 2 earbuds isn’t excellent – in actual fact, one or different of the earbuds will very briefly crackle or drop out as a matter of routine. It’s not in contrast to the disruption that happens if you happen to wander out of vary of your supply participant, besides that it occurs right here when your smartphone or what-have-you is true subsequent to you.

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