FiiO FH3

My ears are meticulous when it comes to earbuds fitting. Most earbuds fall out of my ears or hurt after a while. Very few true wireless earbuds comfortably stay in my ears. I've gone through too many pairs to count at this point, and they all have issues. It's either comfort, Bluetooth connectivity issues, or terrible sound quality. I decided to go back to basics with a pair of wired earbuds. Specifically, I wanted IEMs as those are designed to be comfortable and have better sound quality than traditional earbuds. I narrowed down to a couple of different pairs from the Chi-fi market due to them leading the IEM industry. I went with FiiO because they have a well-known reputation and I'm not into the "waifu" aesthetics that so many other IEM companies use. I also wanted a pair of IEMs that had a detailed yet fun sound signature (slightly warm on the Harmon curve), were well-built and wouldn't have paint peeling/chipping issues and offered a series of accessories without me needing to use a converter to go from 2-pin to MMCX or vice versa. I landed on the FH3 after conducting research over a 3-week period. They're a little older, but they ticked all the boxes I wanted. They have a detailed yet fun sound signature, are made of non-painted aluminum, and rely on MMCX connector with FiiO offering tons of accessories (like their true wireless adapters). The sound quality of these is beyond that of every pair of true wireless earbuds I have tried including flagship models from Apple, Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, and Bang & Olufsen. The FH3 stick to the Harmon curve with a slight bump in the low spectrum. Music is vibrant with audible details in songs I haven't noticed. Bass is ample but does not bleed into the mids. The highs are recessed but still fit within a V-shaped curve. FiiO includes four different ear tip types with each one having 4 different sizes (except for the foam ones). The ear tips that worked best for me were the ones that came pre-installed. The bass and treble boosting tips did not create a seal in my ears and that is paramount of audio quality with IEMs. The foam tips created a nice seal, but they aren't comfortable for me. The round, black ear tips are comfortable and make a seal so well that I don't miss ANC. Despite their aluminum construction, I don't have issues wearing these all day. The IEMs nestle in my ears without moving. I can walk, eat, bend over, and lean without these moving or needing adjustment. The FH3 are stable even without me plugging in their wire. The included cable is high quality and doesn't have memory. It includes a metal 90 degree 3.5mm end that can't be swapped out. FiiO also includes a transparent plastic case. It's not waterproof like Pelican cases, still nice. The FH3 have become my daily drivers and I have FiiO's UTWS5 adapters on my list to buy next. I highly recommend these for anyone wanting a well-built pair of IEMS that offer exciting, detailed sound from a company withn established reputation.

Amazing sound quality. Better than air pods pro 3, more details. Fits perfect in my ears. You can lay down on the side and it will be still pretty comfortable to wear and listen. Build quality outstanding. You got hard case and soft case. Many tips. Worth the money. Looking good.

Sound preferences are highly subjective, so I'm not going to bother trying to describe how these sound really other than to say they sound really great -- the best I've ever experienced. I've owned a variety of both over-ear and in-ear listening devices over the years. I usually just try to pick something with good build quality and/or serviceability in the $100-200 range. I don't consider myself a hi-fi snob; I don't really know how to grade these things critically; but, I really find it difficult to enjoy a listening experience on a device that isn't producing clear, smooth sound. This is the first time I've purchased an IEM that had triple drivers. I've owned dynamic drivers, and balanced armatures, but never both in a single device like this before. In my past experience, dynamic drivers tend to be not-so accurate and prone to distortion, armatures tend to be very accurate but somewhat dry and lifeless. I was excited to finally get an IEM that combined the best of both worlds and I am not disappointed. Any other IEM I've owned comes with one set of silicone and one set of foam cushions in three different sizes. This is the first model I've bought that has cushions that give you options for sound customization. I know there can be a significant difference in sound between silicone and foam tips, but I was very skeptical that the different types of silicone would have much effect. I usually throw the foam tips right in the trash because I can't stand them, and these were no different. I know there must be someone who likes either they way they feel, or the way they sound, but I don't like them in either respect. I experimented with the silicone tips extensively, with different types of music and I found a very clear winner for my personal tastes. The clear/red tips I think provided the clearest sound with the deepest bass (sub-bass deep). I found all of them comfortable enough to experiment with for 30 min or so. The small tips didn't seal in my ear canal and the large tips sealed well, but kept pushing their way back out The medium tips both seal and stay in even when I'm chewing. Obviously, your own mileage is going to vary. I found that the best way to get them to seat into my ear canal was to loosely set them into the outside of my ear canal, then hook the cord over the top of my ears, then use my thumb and forefinger gently turn and seat them into my ear canal. Like all IEM's I've used If I push them in too far, or don't get them to seal up the sound is just empty; poor bass response; no detail; no staging; nothing. Fortunately, it doesn't seem at all difficult for me to keep these in their sweet spot with the right cushion and the proper insertion angle. I found the cord to be high quality. If anything it's a bit short. Like all IEM's there is a bit of cord noise through vibration but it's not very prominent -- this is probably the quietest I've ever owned in this respect. The driver casings are metal, so they feel cold for a few moments when I put them on. In an indoor setting this isn't bothersome but I can imagine that in cold environments this would be a chilly experience. Other than the chill factor, they fit very nicely in my outer ear and do not cause any discomfort after hours of use. I do have rather large ears, and they are quite sensitive -- I could not for instance use the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo for very long because they pressed against my ear too much (and they sounded pretty terrible, especially compared to these).

First: Although I strive to remain objective, everything I say here is still relative and at least partially subjective. Second: these are my observations, based on my experiences, biases, and the gear I use. Third: hats off to all the audio companies and audio engineers out there, getting us amazing audio quality at great prices. The review: This is my first hybrid earphone. Based on stellar reviews on Amazon.com I had high hopes for the FH3 to complement a Sennheiser CX 400 BT (true wireless) for long listening sessions, as the Sennheiser becomes uncomfortable fairly quickly. Like other reviewers already stated, Fiio’s quality, packaging, and included accessories are excellent. The bass is very good and well implemented. The highs are very detailed and clean. I hear more details in the treble from the FH3 than the Sennheiser, Sony MDR1R, and HiFiman IE 400i. The last 2 are wired over the ears headphones driven by a HiDiZs S8 DAC, connected to a Fiio A5 headphone amp. The FH3 bass is also a bit better than that of the CX400’s. I wanted to love the FH3, as it is extremely comfortable in my ears, but..alas.. I could not. Where the FH3 fell short for me is the highs and mids. I felt the sound, though crisp and detailed, was too “thin” outside of the bass frequencies. This may not be as noticeable to you, but I got spoiled by the beautiful mids of the Sennheiser. I listen to the FH3 with the HiDiZs S8 and Apple Music lossless. I also tested it with Adv. Sound Accessport (1st version), the apple dongle, and the Yamaha RX-A1070 home theater receiver. If you are listening to this earphone with the apple dongle, you may be missing a lot of details depending on your source quality. As mentioned in other reviews, the different tips included change the sound significantly and if you use an equalizer the FH3 becomes very tunable. Despite the treble being not quite as detailed and more rolled back compared to the FH3, the Sennheiser sounds more full bodied and gives a more pleasant listening experience. Both male and female vocals are significantly better on the Sennheiser. The thin mids and highs of the FH3 are more noticeable on certain tracks over others, and perhaps with certain genres. I noticed that acoustics were too thin, and just didn’t sound that pleasant. I don’t know if this a BA thing or not, but I have never felt that on any track with the Sennheiser which has a dynamic driver only. Compared to the apple dongle and the Accessport, the S8 seems to make that issue more pronounced. Meaning, although the sound from the S8 is much cleaner and more detailed, the other 2 seem to mask the problem with the mids and highs to a some extent although at the cost of less crisp sound. Is it fair to compare the FH3 and the CX 400 BT? I think so, they are both in the same price range. The Sennheiser should be at a disadvantage because it is wireless. It is less detailed in the treble, but in my opinion it sounds more pleasant in the mids and highs, and has a bigger soundstage. Unfortunately it is less comfortable than the Fiio. So here it is, Fiio wins on comfort, bass, details/resolution of highs. Senns winn on convenience, vocals, mids and overall sound signature. I give the edge to the Sennheiser for an unbeatable sound especially for a wireless earphone selling for $99-$129. Hopefully this gives you an accurate idea of what to expect from these earphones. Happy listening! Since we’re in the age of likes and upvotes, if this was helpful to you please hit the helpful button at the bottom. Thanks!

(update: early on I had slight driver flex when adjusting them while fully in my ears but nothing unusual or annoying. at about 2.5 months in and the driver flex is almost non-existant after a few hours use each week. Everything seems to sound the same but I suppose it broke-in a bit) More sensitive to tip selection than I've experienced before. Tip selection can go from excessive bass boost to a more neutral bass/treble boost and in between. the provided tips won't let you tune it very much, but this is my experience with a handful of tips: -Spinfit 145: slightly-too-much boosted bass (still clean but too much mid-bass)/somewhat subdued treble. -Narrow bore (eg. Final Type E) - less bass than Spinfit but still a few dB above neutral bass / neutral treble (not my preference forget exactly which tips did this, but narrower bore than Spintfit 145/KZ Starline so under ~4-4.5mm.) -included widest bore tips / shorter-wide bore - sub-bass boost, mid-bass a bit less than "narrow bore" above, and slight treble boost. -KZ "Starline" tips (newer revision is actually soft/usable) might have given me my favorite tuning: boosted bass but less mid-bass than Spinfits, and a slight treble boost). Tips don't seem to effect mids/upper mids enough for me to consider them due to the bass/treble tuning being affected so much. Upper mids can get a slight glare depending on the tip but at it's worst I have to be looking for it during tip comparisons. The way Fiio has done the venting is also very consistent with the bass tuning, the other sets listed below that have inner vents are very inconsistent based on how the inner vent is/isn't blocked. some differences with my 2 best sources: (Shanling M2X / Fiio Q1 [not MK2]) Using these from PC USB - Fiio Q1 or Shanling M2X line out - Fiio Q1 is the best sound i've found with these and has me agreeing with the more stellar reviews these have gotten. I don't normally use my Fiio Q1 since getting the Shanling M2X but in trying it out of curiosity when I first got the FH3 , i found they sounded better when powered by the Q1. Running these from my Shanling M2X they lose soundstage and are a bit closed in sounding, everything loses a bit of definition, bass loses some of that great speed and and seems to gain a bit of messy mid bass. just worse sounding all around, soundstage, bass speed/detail, treble detail and energy. I couldn't say exactly why this is happening but the Q1 advantages are: a lot less output impedance (0.3ohm vs 1.0ohm) and quite a bit more power headroom (190mw - 32ohm vs 106mw - 32ohm). High gain on the Shanling M2X seems to alleviate the issue a bit, but hard to say because the difference when using the Fiio Q1 is obviously noticeable when A/B testing but the M2X high gain setting is not obvious. I may order a balanced cable to see what happens with more power out of the M2X. I can see some reviews leaning more negatively if they experienced what I'm getting from my Shanling M2X, it honestly doesn't sound amazing, but still good for the price. Out of the Fiio Q1 I find myself agreeing with the more excessively positive reviews out there. --Original review notes-- less of a review, more just a couple notes about what i was concerned with before purchase If you're like me, I'm used to more V or U tuned iem / earphones and was worried this would be too bass light due to some reviews but this has as much bass as others i'm used to (tip dependant) such as ZS10 pro, TRN v90, mh755, 1more Triple. this seems to be thanks to the upper mids and treble tuning not being elevated like my other sets, so i can turn this set up a bit more overall. Most of the tip selection provided runs a bit small, i would call the largest tips more of a medium or in between med/large, 1 set of the 9 included tips is a larger standard size (short, wide bore). since the nozzle diameter is a pretty typical size my narrowest and widest bore tips work well enough to not slide off.

"FiiO FH3" (SpinFit CP360/Stock Cable/XDUOO TA-10 Amp) Phenomenal! Excellent bass, goes low with rumble with a quick fade and a soft yet felt hit, highs sparkle without any harshness, a perfect balance of warmth & brightness, mids have nice detail, vocals are not recessed and have a touch of life to them. I like them on the XDUOO Tube as it tames the bass even more making the iems clean yet have even a softer character to them which is absolutely beautiful, though they played awesome on my other amps, no complaints and the fit is awesome. Comparisons: It’s a step up from "iBasso IT01s, It has a better resolving bass, just a touch more of it, has better clarity and detail, but the iBasso only has a single dynamic driver, so for how it sounds, iBasso did a wonderful job on it. Next would be ikko 01’s, bass is more on the ikko’s, but the bass on the FH3’s is more resolving, quicker, and better imo. Also the clarity & detail of the FH3 is better, and the vocals are also a notch up in clarity and smoothness. Here’s where it gets a little tricky, cause I was listening to the KZ ZAX, and it has better detail retrieval, good bass, not as defined as the FH3’s nor as quick, but it’s still nice. Treble is on par with each other, vocals are basically in the same position, but the vocals on the FH3 are a touch softer, smoother, sweeter. But the FH3 comes with as good cord, a nice case, and is all metal body, I like them both on equal ground and both are comfortable with basically the same isolation, not the best not the worst, but nice overall. Another tri-bred in the same price bracket is the ThieAudio L3's(Not the Customs), I prefer the bass more on these, it's more refined and I prefer it more, also the vocals are better sounding to my ears than the L3, both have nice detail retrival, but I prefer the FH3's, though the L3 has switches, none of them make it sound better to my ears, though they are close. The ikko OH10’s I find is warmer and is a notch up from these, but it’s the only other iem that I like better, but is also more expensive. I own the Tea’s, Fearless Rui S6, and I would trade them in a heartbeat for these(FH3’s). Also I was kinda on the edge about buying these, cause everyone was saying how warm they are, but they’re not that warm, unless you’re coming from the other Fiio lineup, I find it to be a perfect blend of warm and bright, the best balance act of those degrees I’ve heard so far. As you can tell, I’m very happy about the FH3’s, it’s in the top 3 of about 40 iem’s I own, and yes I’m going to be listening to these for sometime if the One permits it.

This past year, I rediscovered iems after a 20 year absence from the scene. Things have changed a lot since the days of Circuit City and The Good Guys (okay, maybe more than a 20 year hiatus). I tested many options, noted below, so you can get a frame of reference. My favorite iem is the ikko OH10. I was drawn to its musical presentation of instruments which sound natural and full. The sub-bass rumble and defined highs made it an even more enjoyable listen. I flat-out don't like: Final 7200 (soulless, no energy, but very analytical), Legacy 3 (boomy bass, instruments sounded not-quite-right), YGF-ISS04 (just a mess). I could see how others might like these, but they sounded off to my ears - either too thin/tinny or fake/plasticky sounding: FD1, KXXS, Shozy CP3 and Form 1.1, T2+. I liked these, but they were not as "good" as the OH10: Yamaha EPH-200, Tape, FH5, JVC/Drop HA-FDX1. But I quickly tired of the heavy OH10s falling out of my ears, so tried to make a custom mold using radians. I made a mistake, clogged the tube filter, and was on the hunt for a replacement (since the OH10s have been out of stock at Amazon for a long time). The FH3s are less expensive, much lighter, have better ergonomics, a more solid cable, and come with better accessories. I enjoy the sound just slightly less than the OH10s, but they are on the same level. The FH3 bass is very good, but compared to the OH10, it is slightly boomy with just a bit less sub-bass rumble. Vocals are every-so-slightly more recessed and I hear a slight "grain" in the vocals. The vocals on the OH10 sound true, as if someone was simply singing next to me, but the FH3 sounds like a recording - a great recording, but still not the same experience. Treble on the OH10 gave me a slight problem at higher volumes, but the FH3 has the detail I'm looking for without any discomfort. The number of "wow" moments I have while listening to music is about the same as the OH10s. But take all this with a grain of salt since my OH10s are broken and I cannot do a side-by-side comparison. When it comes down to it, I have a slight preference for my memory of the OH10 sound, but what good are they if such a hassle to wear (tried lots of different tips, but not spinfits)? If possible, I suggest trying out the both OH10 and FH3; they are similar styles of headphones and both great options. But if you want to know the truth, you've got to follow the money. I'm keeping my FH3s and not waiting for the OH10s to come back in stock. The FH3 is a great iem - I would purchase it over any competitors under $300. I haven't tried anything over that price, but I doubt there is a magical "next echelon" of iems which exist just above $300, so I'm sure the FH3 would compete in the $300+ range as well.

So, if you have any issues with these, the "support" from the company is for you to run out and buy a separate cord, and troubleshoot on your own. Essentially, they don't want to be bothered, so instead of continuing to "bother" them, I'm posting this review instead. They "could have" simply said: "Hey, we'll ship you a replacement and a prepaid return box for your current unit." - Here's what my end user experience was like: Yes, they DO sound better than my (Still working) Skull Candy buds from 2010; One thing I did notice was a persistent buzzing noise, could be the buds, but likely my old Emotiva DC-1 DAC, as these buds reveal more noise. Liked: They reveal everything, and tend to bring out certain recordings Did not like: Some music sounds more harsh, so plan on a little bit of EQ; this obviously depends upon the recording quality and file quality. They do need just a hair more bass, as they push vocals more overall. I suppose that's why there's the more expensive models and these are the "entry level" "gateway" product. As mentioned in the headline: The right channel over just 2 months of ownership, at first, slowly attenuated, and then, all of a sudden just stopped working completely. I tried moving the cord around a bit to see if that was the issue, it's not.... So I'm the "outlier" here among all of the positive reviews. It is what it is... Personally I'd just have low expectation and it's a reminder, that sometimes it matters more WHERE you buy a product than the product itself. Had I purchased somewhere other than Amazon, I probably would have had an easier return process. Not everyone wants to be "tech support" and really - is ONE return going to put the company in a chapter 11 situation?! By the way: I have been on Amazon > 20 years and have returned a grand total of ONE Item. So I do not have a "habitual" returns problem. Most of my reviews are positive. I just was made to believe by contacting the company in this case, that I was more of an "inconvenience" for them, so, you get this review instead.

J'étais à peu près certain d'aimer la sonorité, j'ai déjà des FiiO FH5S pour me balader mais que je cherchais des intras pour vraiment bouger (sport, travaux, etc...), j'avais peur de les abimer. Donc je connaissais le principe tour d'oreille avec eux, son confort et son maintien impeccable. Ce que je ne pensais pas c'est la qualité sonore que l'on a avec ce modèle inférieur, vraiment très agréablement surpris. Scène sonore large, medium grave aigu tout y est bien détaché. Ces écouteurs ont une légère tendance aux graves mais ce n'est pas "grave"... J'ai poussé le volume plus haut qu'il ne fallait pour tester ces écouteurs, les membranes ne décrochent pas (pour schématiser). Des embouts divers et variés suivant la convenance de chacun. Très très important de choisir la bonne taille, prévoir 1/4h avec écoute en bougeant pour trouver ce qui va le mieux. Une petite boite PVC transparente, un pinceau de nettoyage et une petite housse zippée fournis. On peut changer le câble avec un FiiO symétrique jack 2.5mm si on a l'appareil pour, encore mieux. En plus expédié rapidement comme toujours avec son vidéo.

Coming from a TWS earbuds arena and after burning so much cash buying Sennheiser momentum 2, Sennheiser CX and Sony WF-1000XM4, besides TWS from jabra, monster, JBL, audio-technica and yamaha, this is another level. Let me putting in simple terms so people can understand. Those TWS earbuds mentioned above which are top audio quality performers are limited by current bluetooth technology where IEM's earbuds represent the 800-pound gorilla regarding HI FI audio quality. After doing a careful research in specialized audiophile forums, I decided to go with FIIO FH3 which currently represent the best bang for the buck, which compare to most $300~500 IEM's. If you look for next level after FH3, you will need to go with FIIO FD5, FIIO FH9, THIEAUDIO Monarch and Shuoer/ SOWE EJ07 which go from ($400~$800) price range. To really benefit of these IEM's, you need to get an headphone amp, I'm currently using using a BTR5 2021, currently just waiting for my shaling UP5 and Qudelix 5K portable headphone amp to arrive. You would benefit even from $30 headphone amps. Level of detail is simply stunning, I'm able to listen some additional voices and extra instruments that weren't present using same audio sources when listening with Momentum 2 or Sony WF-1000XM4 for example. These IEM's are comfortable to wear for long period of times and are built to last. They are not cheap but you definitely get what you pay for with these. Comes with a large acrylic transparent case to protect the earbuds na deven a pouch case full of ear tips which I use a case for my FIIO BTR5 2021. Will work better with lossless audio sources but even youtube audio videos in HQ will have a great impact in detail and audio quality improvement over those TWS earbuds mentioned above. Included cable is a very high quality one, same as more expensive FIIO FH5. I'd not recommend these IEM's for using with a smartphone , even if it's a flagship model. These are intended for use with a headphone amp. I'm not affiliated or work for FIIO, just happen to be easily available for purchase from amazon where other direct competitors as shanling UP4, UP5, ES100MK2, and Qudelix 5K are not.

Brilliant sound. Quite close to the Shure which costs 5 times the price. If you are a basshead, don't get these. Don't get me wrong, it has sufficient bass; tight and accurate... it can handle the lows of albums like Musica Nuda. But if you like transe music with cranked up lows, then get the Sony XM3 headphones.

Great build & super clear, balanced sound from these IEM. Much better than usual mainstream commercial Brands of similar price. Got it at a great deal during CNY for first buy

Venía de unos Sony mdrxb50apl que me costaron en Amazon hace dos años 28 euros que sonaban muy muy bien, pero quería pasarme a Hi-Res y me compré estos Fiio Fh3, y tan solo me ha hecho falta media hora para darme cuenta que supera con creces la calidad de sonido de mis antiguos Sony, donde tenía que poner el volumen a tope para sacarle todo el jugo y con estos Fiio fh3 a tan solo mitad de volumen ya se escuchan más potente. El sonido está lleno de matices, rico en detalles y con muchísima resolución, soy capaz de distinguir los instrumentos en una canción donde antes no podía, medios excelentemente conseguidos, agudos muy buenos y quizás los bajos poco potentes pero llegan sin problemas, de diez. Por otra parte la construcción de estos Fiio son de altísima calidad, nada comparable a mis Sony, donde estos están hechos de plástico, y Fiio te da unos auriculares con parte de la construcción en aluminio, el cable es gordo y de calidad, y el jack de conexión también fabricado en aluminio. Cuando los vi y pude ver su tamaño pensé que sería un engorro ponérselos y que dado el peso por el tipo de fabricación sería susceptible de que se soltaran de la oreja, pero no, de hecho me resultan incluso más cómodos que los Sony, dando una sensación de que casi crees que no los llevas, un diez en comodidad. El empaquetado también es de calidad, nos viene un cepillito para limpiarlos, una caja para guardar los eartips en incluso una bolsita de tela con cremallera para transportar los auriculares, aunque he de decir que es pequeña y dado que el cable es tan gordo y poco enrollable se me hace difícil poder meterlos sin estrujarlos, pero aún así es un detalle. No quedarás defraudado si te compras estos auriculares. De lo mejor del mercado en relación calidad/precio.