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Fiio is without doubt one of the most recognizable manufacturers on this planet of high-res audio, and whereas its transportable DACs and IEMs are extremely regarded, the model hasn’t made a dent within the wi-fi earbuds class. That is altering with the introduction of the FW5; Fiio has dabbled on this phase earlier than, however the FW5 is a ground-up overhaul of the UTWS5, and it features a host of recent options in addition to higher connectivity and new drivers.
One of the best wi-fi earbuds are made by the likes of Bose, Sony, Samsung, Jabra, Google, and different mainstream audio manufacturers, and whereas Fiio is decidedly the underdog right here, it has a wealthy heritage in fanatic audio due to its IEMs, and it is aware of how one can tune earbuds to ship the very best sound.
Because of this, Fiio did issues slightly in a different way with the FW5; these earbuds have bodily buttons (4 in whole), three drivers in every ear, higher battery life than most wi-fi earbuds I’ve used, and a singular design that is extra in keeping with the model’s IEMs. If you happen to’ve tried different wi-fi earbuds and weren’t thrilled by the sound, you need to think about giving the FW5 a go — I am not exaggerating after I say that these are the best-sounding wi-fi earbuds round.
Fiio FW5: Value and availability
Fiio unveiled the FW5 on the finish of December, and the earbuds are actually out there globally. In North America, you may get your arms on the FW5 at Amazon for $119, $30 off their retail value. You may additionally discover the earbuds at most main audio retailers, and all Fiio distributors all over the world.
Fiio bundles a whole lot of equipment with its earbuds, and that is true for the FW5 as effectively. You get a number of silicone ear ideas in small, medium, and enormous sizes, and there is additionally a pair of balanced ear ideas that supply a barely totally different sound. There’s additionally a cleansing brush that can be utilized for the sound nozzle and the ear ideas, and a USB-C to USB-A charging cable.
Fiio FW5: Design and construct high quality
The FW5 makes use of Fiio’s newest packaging, so meaning you get a relatively giant case with the charging case, earbuds, and all of the related equipment bundled inside. Now, the case is not significantly fascinating, and the design feels strictly utilitarian — there isn’t any branding or fascinating design prospers, and you may simply discover the Fiio emblem and regulatory labels on the underside.
However open the case and you will find probably the most unique-looking wi-fi earbuds available in the market at this time. The FW5 carries the identical design aesthetic as Fiio’s wired IEMs, and that is smart because the model is thought to make use of the identical tooling for numerous merchandise to avoid wasting manufacturing prices — just like the K5 Professional and K7.
The earbuds have a darkish gray end that appears fairly good, they usually have the same mesh construction because the FD5 with silver accents that widens on the high and narrows on the backside, and this does an amazing job in giving the earbuds character. There’s an LED on every earbud that offers you a visible indicator of pairing standing, and the general construct high quality is fabulous.
One other distinctive characteristic on the FW5 is the match; the earbuds have an elongated design with an angled sound tube that nuzzles in your ear, and many of the weight of the earbud rests in your outer ear cavity, so that they’re snug to put on for prolonged durations. Every earbud weighs simply 6.4g and has a 65mAh battery, and the case is available in at 44.4g and has a 380mAh battery.
Whereas the case does not have as hanging a design because the earbuds, it manages to do an amazing job holding the FW5 securely by way of magnets. There are LEDs on the entrance that point out the cost degree, and whereas there isn’t any wi-fi charging or quick charging, you get USB-C on the again.
Fiio FW5: Options
Persevering with with the variations, the FW5 eschew gesture controls for bodily buttons, and you will find two on every earbud. There is a raised indent on one button that allows you to differentiate between the 2, and these can be utilized for controlling music playback, receiving calls, powering the buds on or off, and invoking Google Assistant.
The controls aren’t configurable, and I might have favored the flexibility to customise the settings by way of the Fiio Management app. The app lets you allow a low-latency recreation mode, set channel steadiness, manually choose a Bluetooth codec, change idle power-off time, and select between a low move filter. One of the best characteristic is a 10-band EQ that allows you to tweak the sound steadiness of the FW5 to a level that you just simply do not get on another wi-fi earbuds.
Rounding out the options, Fiio Management additionally provides a battery safety mode that does not cost the battery on every earbud past 85%; that is completed to lengthen battery longevity. The FW5 additionally manages to ship IPX4 water resistance, and that is useful throughout exercises.
As for battery life, I simply bought near the seven-hour determine that Fiio touts on its web site, and that is over the AptX codec. That is greater than the Nothing Ear (2) and the Galaxy Buds 2 Professional, and the FW5 is definitely among the many finest on this explicit class. The case has sufficient energy to cost the earbuds twice over, so that you get a complete of 21 hours of music playback earlier than it is advisable cost the case.
Charging the case takes over 100 minutes, and there isn’t any quick charging right here; the earbuds take below an hour to totally cost. You miss out on wi-fi charging as effectively, and whereas the battery life is stellar, Fiio must do some higher on the charging tech, as a result of the case maxes out at 5W.
And as I am speaking about issues that may very well be improved, the largest omission on the FW5 is ANC. The earbuds type a good seal and also you get passive isolation in that regard, however there isn’t any ANC in any respect right here. That is a letdown contemplating what these earbuds supply in different areas, but it surely’s clear that this wasn’t a precedence for Fiio at this cut-off date, and we may see the mode launched in a future iteration.
Fiio FW5: Sound high quality
I’ve used too many wi-fi earbuds to depend during the last 5 years, starting from price range Xiaomi fashions that retail for below $30 to high-end Sennheiser and Sony earbuds. The FW5 completely demolishes each different product on this class in the case of sound high quality; the imaging and soundstage that you just get right here is nearer to a wired IEM than a wi-fi product.
Quite a lot of that has to do with the truth that the FW5 makes use of a standalone AKM AK4332 DAC that handles audio decoding as a substitute of the built-in Bluetooth DAC, and this makes an enormous distinction within the sound high quality. Every earbud has a 10mm dynamic driver joined by two Knowles balanced armature drivers, and it options Qualcomm’s high-end QCC5141 Bluetooth {hardware}. Because it makes use of the total suite of Qualcomm audio applied sciences, the FW5 will get the Snapdragon Sound label.
You get Bluetooth 5.2, and all of the wi-fi codecs you may ask for; there’s SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, and LHDC. Because of the standalone DAC, you get 96KHz/24-bit native playback, and I have been utilizing the FW5 for practically six months and had zero points with Bluetooth connectivity. I bought a powerful sign as much as 35 ft, and I paired the buds with a number of telephones, together with the likes of the Galaxy S23 Extremely, Pixel 7 Professional, and the Xiaomi 13 Professional.
The sound high quality itself is phenomenal. The FW5 delivers a completely partaking bass with a great quantity of rumble and vibrancy, and the sub-bass frequencies have a whole lot of element. The mids have a pure tuning with good timbre for the vocals, and nice instrument separation. If you happen to’re utilizing a telephone that has an AptX codec, you may hear particulars that you just beforehand missed.
The treble has good extension and vary, and also you get a way of airiness with none harshness to the sound. The largest power of the FW5 is the soundstage; you get a large and fascinating soundstage that is extra in keeping with conventional IEMs than wi-fi earbuds, and it makes listening to all kinds of genres extremely pleasant.
Fiio FW5: The competitors
I like what Nothing did with the Ear (2), and the fascinating design mixed with the tuning makes the earbuds a sensible choice on this class. They do not sound as vibrant because the FW5 and the battery does not final wherever as lengthy, and the gesture controls are nonetheless finicky at instances. However you get glorious noise isolation, and the design is a bit more pocketable.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Professional are among the many finest wi-fi earbuds, they usually ship nice sound high quality and have a couple of extras that turn out to be useful in case you use a Samsung telephone. The match is not fairly as snug because the FW5, and you aren’t getting the flexibility to customise the sound to such an extent, however if you would like a mainstream alternative, they’re as protected a guess as you may get nowadays.
Fiio FW5: Must you purchase it?
You can purchase this if:
- You need the best-sounding wi-fi earbuds
- You want a refined sound signature with glorious bass
- You need a huge soundstage
- You want bodily controls on the earbud
- You need long-lasting battery life
You should not purchase this if:
- You need all of the extras
- You want quick charging
- You need a case that expenses wirelessly
Fiio nailed the fundamentals with the FW5. The wi-fi earbuds have a singular design, are snug to put on, and last more than their fast rivals. I typically don’t love gesture controls, so the truth that these earbuds have bodily buttons is an enormous win in my use case. One of the best characteristic is the sound; with a extremely partaking sound and huge soundstage, the FW5 sounds higher than another wi-fi earbuds I’ve used to date.
Certain, it is lacking out on a couple of extras, and the earbuds take a very long time to cost. However in case you do not want ANC and are as a substitute on the lookout for earbuds that ship the very best sound, the FW5 is a simple suggestion.
The FW5 sounds higher than simply about each different wi-fi earbuds I’ve used to date, and that is right down to the tuning and drivers onboard.
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