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FiiO F9

Discussion in 'IEM Measurements - La Cenric's IEM Playhouse' started by Crinacle, Sep 12, 2017.

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  1. Crinacle

    Crinacle Friend

    Staff Member Pyrate IEMW MZR
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    Foreword: FiiO has graciously provided me a unit upon my request, in exchange for my honest opinion. The F9 is a "budget" triple-driver hybrid IEM that seats itself in the highly competitive $100 space.

    Frequency Response
    FR (CM) (widebore).png

    Impulse
    Impulse (L) (widebore).png Impulse (R) (widebore).png

    CSD
    CSD (L) (widebore).png CSD (R) (widebore).png

    THD
    THD (L) (widebore).png THD (R) (widebore).png
    ​
    Analysis
    • V-shaped response, notably its recessed mids. Quite distant from the rest of the frequency.
    • Midrange (notably vocals) don't have a lot of layering ability and lack weight. Singers feel like they are constantly using head voice, resulting in a thin and sometimes shrill sound.
    • Pretty bright, could see it being sibilant for some. It's pretty borderline for me; then again I'm quite sensitive to high frequencies.
    • CSD shows bass decaying closer to the typical BA than its DD brethren. Bass is also skewed towards the midbass rather than the sub.
    • THD numbers aren't stellar but also not horrible. I've seen worse.
    • First impressions, it's pretty decent at $100. Definitely bests the 1More Triples but if given the choice I'll stick with my tried-and-true GR07 anyday.

    Upcoming will be measurements for impedance characteristics and tiprolling.
     
    Crinacle, Sep 12, 2017
    #1
  2. Michael Hoopes

    Michael Hoopes New

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    It's been widely acknowledged that tip rolling (specifically, to foam tips, such as Comply) has helped tame some of the brightness in these earphones. I haven't yet seen measurements that quantify that difference.

    On a FiiO-related note, they've recently stepped up in class with their new FH5, but there's paltry measurement data posted on the interwebs on these earphones (only Paul Brooks, and he hasn't delved into transient response or THD). Perhaps you'd like to contact FiiO and get a sample?
     
    Michael Hoopes, Aug 22, 2018
    #2
  3. Brooko

    Brooko Facebook Friend

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    If I can ever get some time off (doing a lot of biz travelling!), I can probably do the transient response and CSDs. Might need some help setting up the other plots - as I haven't really used Steps before.
     
    Brooko, Sep 3, 2018
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