It is a pleasure for us to present the review of the FiiO FW5the first in-ear headphones tws that the brand offers. With them, it promises to bring high-definition audio closer to the wireless environment, equipped with a combination of a 10mm dynamic driver with 2 balanced armature to deliver sensational sound. In addition, it offers compatibility with aptX, aptX Adaptive and LHDC codecsperfect to get the most out of them.
Before starting the review, we want to thank zococity your confidence in sending us these FiiO FW5 for your analysis.
FiiO FW5 Technical Specifications
| FiiO FW5 | |
| drivers | 1 Dynamic 10mm + 2 Balanced Armature (DD + 2 BA) Impedance: 32 ohms Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz Sensitivity: 108dB (@ 1mW) SNR ≥ 106dBA THD+N < 0.0016% (1kHz / 32Ω) |
| chips | DAC: AK4332 (96kHz – 24bit) Bluetooth: QCC5141 |
| connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 + TWS Codecs LHDC, APTX ADAPTIVE, APTX, AAC, SBC |
| Autonomy | Headphones: 7 hours (65 mAh) Case: 14 overtime (380 mAh) |
| Loading time | Headphones: 1 hour Casing: 1 hour 40 minutes |
| Dimensions | Earpiece: 28.4 x 22.9 x 22.6mm Charging box: 68.4 x 43.9 x 32.3mm |
| Weight | 2 x 6.4 grams + 44.4 grams (box) |
Packaging and Accessories
We begin the review of the FiiO FW5 facing the compact cardboard box that perfectly protects them while they reach our hands. On the front, we see the desEsports Extrasof the headphones themselves, while on the back we have some of their technical specifications, but quite incomplete.
Opening the cardboard box, we find ourselves before all the components of the pack very well organized and protected, highlighting the placement of the alternative pads in the holes formed by the protective foam.
We have 6 sets of silicone ear tipssince a set is assembled, which form two sets in sizes S, M, L. While the gray set is more conventional, the alternative is the FiiO HS18 itself, with thinner edges that, although they promise a more open sound, have a more complicated seal to the ear.
In addition, the FiiO FW5 include two tools for cleaning the headphones, great detail to always keep them in perfect condition, and a small USB to USB-C cable that allows charging the battery of the case. Obviously, they require a separate USB charger, although who doesn’t have one at home?
FiiO FW5
We continue the review of the FiiO FW5 already with its casing released. This allows both their well-protected transport and their loading, something that we will talk about later.
Once open, we find the headphones in the foreground, being very easy to remove and turning on automatically in the process.
The FiiO FW5 They offer a desEsports Extrasvery similar to that of other brand products, especially the FD7 and FD5. However, they choose True Wireless Sound connectivity (TWS), that is, wireless connectivity without any cables. It is a rather peculiar desEsports Extraswith a plastic chassis and a (decorative) metal grill that is more attractive in person than in photos. In addition, the build quality is very good, giving a feeling of quality from the first moment we have them in hand. Of course, they are quite large to be able to house everything they offer, 28.4 x 22.9 x 22.6mmbut nothing heavy 6.4 grams eachbeing well attached to the ear if we choose the appropriate pads.
With a hybrid design, inside the FiiO FW5 we find 2 balanced armature driversspecifically some Knowles Balanced Armatures, and a 10mm dynamic driver which uses N50 neodymium magnets. This configuration is usually referred to briefly as 2 BA + DD, although only those used to them will understand it on the fly.
Thanks to this combination of drivers, they promise to reproduce frequencies that start from the 20hz and reach the 20kHz with a 32 ohm impedance and one 108dB sensitivity at 1mW. Furthermore, they promise an SNR greater than 106 dBA and a THD+N less than 0.0016% (1 kHz / 32 Ω).
To achieve these specifications, the FiiO FW5 make use of the excellent DAC/AMP AK4332 capable of streaming music in up to 96kHz and 24-bit, a model more typical of an external DAC than of headphones. This chip is accompanied by a QCC5141 for Bluetooth 5.2 transmission, which allows the use of LHDC (900 kbps), aptX, aptX-Adaptive, AAC and SBC codecswhich allows you to obtain the certificate sounddragon sound. Unfortunately, it does not support the LDAC codec, although a future firmware update is expected to support it.
A rather peculiar detail in the FiiO FW5 is that they each have two physical buttons, a choice that personally seems much more successful than the tactile options of most TWS models. Of course, the volume control requires some practice in pressing the buttons without marks. If we make a quick press, they do nothing, and if this is too long, they go forward or backward in music playback. They require neither a short nor a long press, although it won’t be too much of a problem to get the hang of them.
In addition, we must note that they have IPX4 water resistance certificateinsufficient to use them under it, but enough for them to survive an accident.
Returning to the charging case, we must indicate that the headphones have a 65 mAh battery that gives them up to 7 hours of autonomy. However, we can recharge them in the casing by adding 14 extra hours of autonomy thanks to its 380 mAh battery. A full charge of the headphones requires approximately one hour, while the charging case takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.
FiiO FW5 tests
It is the moment in the review of the FiiO FW5 in which it is time to talk about our experience after hours of using them to enjoy music connected to the Nubia Red Magic 5G smartphone. This terminal allows us to use the aptX-Adaptive codec, so the wireless connection is made with good quality, far from that offered by models only compatible with SBC. Of course, first of all we have installed the application FiiO Connect from which we have updated its firmware to the latest version. In addition, it allows us to configure some autonomy parameters, equalize the sound and configure the volume, both general and for music, tones and calls separately.
Finally focusing the review of the FiiO FW5 In their sound, we must say that they have a slightly V-shaped profile that enhances bass and treble a bit to make it very warm. Even so, the sound is quite balanced and no band stands out from the others, giving it spatiality, while filling out the sound scene very well. They offer a clean, detailed and quite warm sound, far superior to that of most TWS headphones.
We are faced with basses with good punch and depth, very pleasant for modern styles of music, but without excesses that make them incompatible with more classic ones. The mids are really good, generating very warm vocals and very dynamic melodies. For its part, the treble is very detailed and has good extension, seasoning the mix with subtleties.
We cannot conclude the review of the FiiO FW5 not to mention its autonomy. This complies with the 7 hours that they promise from the factory and we can think that the 14 hours that they promise to extend with the casing will be true, so they will reach 20 hours of use without problems before plugging them back in. It is not the highest figure, but it is very good for its benefits.
Conclusion
We have concluded the review of the FiiO FW5 highlighting that they offer excellent sound quality that is quite close to the quality of TWS wireless headphones to that of wired ones. The brand has done a very good job in combining its drivers to offer very good sound quality on all bands, as well as a wide and very clear soundstage. They are also quite comfortable, beyond what their size seems to indicate, since they are quite light, although we must always choose the ear pads well so that they do not move from the ear and soundproof well.
Zococity offers us the FiiO FW5 by €164.99a sensational price for the quality they offer, both in sound and in finishes and accessories.
| Main advantages | |
| + | Excellent quality of desEsports Extrasand materials |
| + | Very good sound quality for wireless in-ears |
| + | Very wide and dynamic soundstage |
| + | Good combination of 3 drivers: DD + 2 BA |
| + | DAC AK4332 + BT QCC 5141 |
| + | Compatible with aptX-Adaptive and LDHC codecs |
| + | Includes 6 erasers of different sizes and thicknesses |
| + | IPX4 water protection |
| + | Very successful FiiO Control application |
| Negative Aspects | |
| – | No active cancellation (ANC), but good passive |
| other aspects | |
| * | 7 hours of autonomy, up to 20 hours with the housing |
| * | Physical buttons for media control |
| * | Will be updated to support the LDAC codec |
from the The Computer Tinkerer we grant him the Platinum Award to headphones FiiO FW5.
