REVIEW: FIIO F1 AND F3 | DYNAMIC DUO

Author：Berkhan

Review from：Headfonia

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Disclaimer: We received the Fiio F1 and F3 directly from FiiO. They are one of our site advertisers. The prices of F1 and F3 are $15 USD and $25 USD respectively.

INTRODUCTION

FiiO is a brand with history now as we all know what they do and what they’re all about. But the things that we know is about to change partly, since our friends from China came up with the idea of releasing IEM’s. Building DAP’s and IEM’s are of course different things from top to bottom and it’s not so easy to achieve a coherent sound. I’m not saying building DAPs is easy but IEM’s can get a little tricky when it comes to critical tuning. Let’s see what they have achieved with these new earphones.

FiiO was established in 2007 and has experience in researching and developing countless portable music products of different types, and sell FiiO-branded products through sales agents worldwide.

I love FiiO, literally. My first serious DAP was the original X5 and it introduced me to mid – high end sources, and it taught me how important a source really is. Also my first DAC was the E17 combined with my first amp, the E9. As you see FiiO was a very important brand for me to find my way in this hobby. Last year I reviewed their X7 DAP in a local website and it was really fun to use.

The Turkish Distributor of FiiO is a friend of mine and I’m happy that they can ship their product line to so many countries. Their efforts to produce good audio products with reasonable prices deserves praise. In a very expensive market, Fiio manages to stay true to their core and identity. They’ve continued to do same thing by creating these IEM’s. Since FiiO is all about price/performance, I hope they will resume their record with the same way and stick to their philosophy.

FiiO F1 and F3

Let’s get into these new earphones. These are obviously not the first ones from FiiO so they have some experience with manufacturing IEM’s by now. The first ever IEM from FiiO was the EX1 and it was a nice first step into a new market. Then they also released the EM3, which is a mainstream type of earbud. Then came EX1 2nd Gen, with a newly acquired “Hi-Res Audio” tag.  The general reception for these new products were mostly positive, therefore FiiO is heading to the right direction when we think about their goals and vision.

The Fiio F1 and F3 are the newest Fiio earphones and as far as I know they haven’t started to push them to their distribution networks just yet. I think when they do, these will also get positive receptions from the crowd as I think these are very good earphones for the money. I’m not surprised though, this is what made FiiO who they are.

In terms of specs there only are 2 differences between the two IEMs. The F3 has a 11mm Dynamic Driver compared to a 9.2mm driver inside the F1. It also has a higher impedance of 40Ohm, where the F1 has 16Ohm.  All other specs are identical to each other.

OTHER THAN SOUND

FiiO F1 and F3 have the same packaging in terms of content. Both of them have 3 pairs of medical grade silicone tips and a nice small carrying case. The only difference is the F3 having two more replaceable plates to get different (color) looks. The carrying case seems a little small to me but for this price it’s more about just having a dedicated carrying case. I would also like to add that the new cable organizer is sweet. It is fixed to the cable itself and when you need it you just strap up the cable and store it in the carrying case.

Design-wise of course there’s nothing exceptional in terms of looks. The F3 has some kind of a shiny design with changeable plates. They have  semi-transparent shells so you can see the internals when you look carefully. To be honest you don’t see too much of the inside but still it’s a nice feature to have. The cables are from a soft material called “polyurethane” and they don’t have a microphonic effect. Durability also seems good to me but I haven’t tested these IEMs extensively on outdoors. Both IEMs also have built-in mic should you be interested in that. The overall build quality is normal for the price so I can’t really criticize them about this.

After studying many people’s ear canals, it was found that a 45-degree angled design allows the in-ear units to better and more comfortably fit the human ear canal – thus, F1 adopts this design.

Maybe these will not attract people who seek a fashionable inear, but what matters most to me is “convenience”. The Fiio F1 has a 45° nozzle angle and a good shape, the fit is seamless and the monitors are easy to insert. You can both wear them over ear or from the ear down but remind you it’s intended to be the casual way. The Fiio F3 is an around the ear model but I personally found the Fiio F1 to be a better fitting IEM. Both earphones are very comfortable though and with the light and flexible cable they are extremely lightweight. So it’s nice to use them on the go.

On the isolation side, things are not superb but not below the required level to use them outside, especially when you find the proper tips. To me it looks like the design is primarily considered to get the best comfort, not the best isolation and they actually achieved that. So you shouldn’t ask or expect a great isolation from these IEMs but they do have great portability and comfort overall.

Check how they sound on PAGE TWO

UND

Before I start I should remark to take into consideration the price level of these Fiio IEMs. To remind you again, FiiO F1 and F3 will only cost you $40USD in total. But I’m telling you, you will be surprised if you ever get to hear these: both these are delivering a performance that exceeds the price level .

A lighter voice coil makes for faster transients and better overall sound quality. This exactly describes the Japanese copper-clad aluminum utilized, which allows to present a transformative listening experience by clearly bringing forth even the subtlest of details within the music.

Both are good in their own way and they carry a different mentality to music. There are some apparent differences and I’m going to start with the F1. This is one hell of a coherent earphone for just $15 USD. It is my favorite of both IEMs. Why? Well, it’s warm, dark and easy going. It has good bass and mids and while treble is somewhat behind, I don’t think that anyone will care. As long as it gives those upfront and lovely mids, I actually don’t mind at all. It produces  sweet tones and smoothness as far as I’m concerned and I can live with some some missing treble response. As you can understand the F1 is the sweet choice of the new earphones from FiiO. Additionally, it has a great fit with those 45º angled nozzles.

The Fiio F3 is technically better but with a more v-shaped sound and much more accentuated treble response, the opposite of the F1’s rolled of treble. Bass is strong, hits quick and recovers very well. Mids are more on the backside the whole time and the highs have serious articulation for the price. Overall a great treble performance from this little IEM and I didn’t expect that to be honest. If you love a v-shape sound you will fall in love with this for just $25 USD. Particularly if you listen to EDM, as dance music sounds so much fun with the F3.

To make some comparison between both I should say that the F1 is more for Jazz, instrumental music and vocally strong music types with some mid focus. The F3, as I explained, is more for energetic sound such as trance, EDM or pop. The lows are more midbass focused on the F1 compared to strong subbass of the F3. The F1 has fuller and darker mids with a really good tonality, but the F3 tops it with that beautiful treble response that I really admire technically. In comparison F1’s treble is far more back than the F3’s. Both FiiO F1 and F3 has good positioning but it’s a littler better on F3.

On technical aspects the F3 is more successful having better resolution overall. Micro details are apparent with the F3 compared to the F1 which sometimes sucks out those details with its musical sounding mentality. Staging is another point that I loved on both of them since I think soundstage is amazing for these prices. Marvelous job by Fiio right there. Driving them is easy but the F3 needs a little more power, yet there’s nothing to worry about as it’s still easy to drive.

SUMMARY

I know this review is quite shorter than my usual articles but I think these new earphones speak for themselves. Just get them and listen. You will be shocked of the sound quality. What are you going to lose anyway? $40 dollars? That’s basically nothing in today’s market and I really believe you can’t get better than this for the price with the exception of the VE Monk as these are the best budget earbuds I’ve ever listened to. I’m really happy to see Fiio to be so spot-on with their new products. FiiO F1 and F3 have the portability and durability for an active lifestyle, good comfort and more importantly, great sound.