FiiO EM3s – HiFi Open Earbuds

Author：Makai András

Review from：MakaiTechReviews

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FiiO is a well-respected brand, predominantly known for their excellent amplifiers and Hi-Fi music players, although their FiiO EM3s earbuds aren’t anywhere near being their flagship model, they do offer a decent sound and a superb comfort, especially for earbuds.

Packaging

Not surprisingly, FiiO’s presentation game is on point; Whether you are buying a $20 item or a $200 product from them, you can always expect a classy presentation and well thought out packaging. Taking out the innards you are greeted by a nice frosted paneling, removing which reveals the earbuds and a small compartment housing 3 sets of full cover foams.

From a hardware perspective, the FiiO EM3s has a rather handsome design, utilizing a more futuristic looking design instead of the tried and true stock earbud shells.

Build

The FiiO EM3s is quite easy to drive with portable devices such as cell phones and laptops. While it did sound better with better sources and amping, given its intended use it would defeat to be using an amp for it on the go.

The FiiO EM3s cable is soft, supple and easy to roll up into a bundle without having the wires tangle in my pocket, all the while retaining great build quality.  The FiiO EM3s overall has a sturdy physical build that will surely stand up to the rigors of daily life, both in and out of home.

Comfort and Sound quality

Considering the fact that I find many earbuds uncomfortable or not sealing properly, the EM3s is actually one of the most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever used. They sit very firmly, seal perfectly and don’t cause any discomfort even after prolonged use.

The FiiO EM3s sounds “big” for lack of a better word. The soundstage sounds spacious and diffuse, wider than it is tall with a shallow sense of depth.  Instrument separation and layering were average, but enjoyable nonetheless. When it came to more complicated or intricate music tracks, things tended to get smeared and jumbled together.

Before listening to the EM3s for the first time I had assumed that FiiO would have gone for a bass heavy signature with lots of bloats. It was anything but! While the bass is emphasized, it is not bloomy nor bloated. The bass could use a bit more kick and impact in my opinion. It however still manages to rumble and is emphasized in a way that is rather tasteful. There definitely was some bass leakage into the lower midrange, but it all added to the thick and fun sound.

The EM3s is FiiO’s upgraded Open earbuds release, designed to be an upgrade for common stock earbuds that come bundled with cellphones. And to that end, FiiO has put out a great product.

The product can be purchased here:

Product page:

FiiO EM3K&EM3S

Comfort - 97%

Low - 90%

Mid - 80%

Highs - 90%

Price - 90%

89%

Decent sound and a superb comfort

The EM3s is FiiO’s upgraded Open earbuds release, designed to be an upgrade for common stock earbuds that come bundled with cellphones.