FIIO FH5 Review

In this review I’ll be reviewing the FiiO FH5 Earphones. Not only are these one of the best IEMs I’ve heard in the under $300 price range, but the FH5 represents one of the best values in an IEM at any price in the market today.

Currently this retails for $259, but you can click here to check for the current price and availability.

ACCESSORIES

Included with these earphones are one 6N monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable with 3.5mm plug, 12 pairs of silicone eartips (balanced, vocal, memory foam, and bass), a carrying case, a cloth storage bag and a cleaning brush.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

Regarding the design, the FH5 is very well built and designed with comfort in mind. The build quality is impressive and the provided cable is removable and high quality (something you might normally expect as an upgraded option).

It has a hybrid design where each channel uses one 10mm dynamic driver and three knowles balanced armature drivers.

The cable has in-line control, is 1.2m long and terminates in a single 3.5mm right-angle, gold-plated plug. The left and right channel are completely insulated from one another which I think is an excellent decision to do with the cable. Just make sure that if you end up exchanging your cable that you make sure the left and right earphone units match the corresponding cables you’ll be using.

The ear hooks and cable are easy to take off. Be sure to refer to the instruction booklet provided on how to do this in order to help make sure you don’t damage the cable. There’s not a lot of memory in them but that ends up being just fine, and I actually prefer it this way.

The slider on the cable is very stable and easy to keep in place. You don’t have to worry about it moving around unless you intentionally want to adjust or slide it.

These have an impedance of 19 ohms so you can certainly use and power these with a smartphone if you like.

COMFORT

Although the FH5 is a larger IEM, thanks to its ergonomic shape, it’s still very comfortable and stable to wear. So you can easily wear these for hours at a time without any discomfort. Even with their size, you never get the sense that they’re too heavy or cumbersome in the ear.

The tips are also all comfortable to wear and the different sizes they provide makes it easy to find one for a comfortable fit.

SOUND QUALITY

The overall sound signature is a bit v-shaped, with a soft impact leaning towards a warmer, fuller and more musical sound. So although they’re not as analytical, this type of tuning helps to prevent them from sounding lifeless and boring. The clarity is outstanding and the FH5 produces a wonderfully dynamic and quite balanced sound overall.  

Bass impact overall is more intimate, sub-bass is well executed and mid-bass comes through with a nice punch to it. It’s a very agile, tight and clean sounding bass. There’s a slight dip in the upper-bass and lower mid-range frequencies which helps prevent any bleeding of the lows into the mids. So it’s not boosted sounding or influencing the sound of the mids in any kind of negative way. And while overall the bass has good impact, it might sound a bit too polite sounding for those who prefer a punchier sound in the low end.

The mid-range is never overshadowed by the lows. It’s fairly natural and neutral sounding. There’s a bit of a spike in the mid-range which helps to draw vocals a bit more to the forefront. So although the mid-range tends to be slightly recessed overall, the vocals are a bit more forward and also have a fuller sound to them..

The lower-treble is crisp, with a lot of body and detail to it.  The treble overall is not too sparkly and the FH5 manages to provide a lot of detail and extension without ever becoming piercing or fatiguing. The highs are exceptionally nuanced and a real pleasure to listen to.

The sound quality is affected by which tips you use. It’s subtle, and it’s not something everyone may notice much of a difference (or any difference), but there is a slight difference in the listening experience when you use the different tips they provide. The additional tips they provide are labeled bass, mids and balanced. And when you use these, they do highlight these frequencies but only very slightly.

So overall you have vocals that are a tad forward with a more upper mid to high emphasis. Bass is very clean, accurate and gives a little warmth. And ultimately, nothing was really done with the tuning to cause any type of fatigue such as too much mid bass, mids that are overly forward or treble that’s overly bright/sparkly. The FH5 steers clear of all this while still delivering a sound profile that’s wonderfully full, dynamic and well balanced to listen to.

REASONS TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE

As wonderful as these sound, there are a few reasons you may want to go with something else.

If you want a more analytical sound, then these may not be for you. The tuning does add a bit of warmth to these and while they’re still very natural and balanced sounding, if you prefer a more analytical tuning then you might want to consider a different pair of IEMs.

Next, if you prefer vocals to be more subdued or recessed then you may not like the sound of the FH5 as much which has the vocals a tad forward.

Finally, if you like bass that’s a little exaggerated or a little overly pronounced then you may find the low end a little too polite for your taste. While the bass is extremely well controlled and has good sub-bass, it’s not really boosting anything here so if your ears prefer a meatier low end, then the FH5 may not be your best bet.

BOTTOM LINE

But otherwise, In the world of sub $300 IEM’s, these earphones are absolutely outstanding and truly represent one of the best choices available. I would actually consider these to be one of the best in the market right now at this price point and a true leader in this class. The range of tips gives you additional listening options (which is great), but even just on it’s own, this IEM performs wonderfully and sounds fantastic with any genre of music.

What I particularly love about the FH5 is that you’re getting a ton of value and sound quality for your money. In other words, to get better resolution, better clarity, etc. you’re going to have to spend about twice as much. However, you’re not going to get twice the clarity, resolution and so on. You’ll get some improvement but you’re going to start paying quite a bit more, for just marginal improvements.

Yet for those who are looking at stepping up from a lesser IEM, you’re absolutely going to be able to hear and appreciate the improvement in sound you’ll be getting.

Also, I love that the FH5 comes with a very nice cable, so while you have the option of switching to something different, it’s really not necessary to get an incredible listening experience out of the box.

Check Price for FiiO FH5

So overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the FH5. They’ve quickly become one of my favorite balanced and natural sounding IEMs to listen to. Should you have the chance to listen to these for yourself, I believe you’ll be truly impressed!