Fiio is likely one of the most recognizable manufacturers on this planet of high-res audio, and whereas its moveable 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 latest options in addition to higher connectivity and new drivers.
The most effective 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 because of its IEMs, and it is aware of tips on how to tune earbuds to ship the absolute best sound.
In consequence, Fiio did issues a little bit in another 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 novel design that is extra according to the model’s IEMs. In the event you’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 once I say that these are the best-sounding wi-fi earbuds round.
Fiio FW5: Worth and availability
Fiio unveiled the FW5 on the finish of December, and the earbuds at the moment are obtainable globally. In North America, you will get your palms on the FW5 at Amazon for $119, $30 off their retail value. You will additionally discover the earbuds at most main audio retailers, and all Fiio distributors world wide.
Fiio bundles a whole lot of equipment with its earbuds, and that is true for the FW5 as effectively. You get a collection of silicone ear ideas in small, medium, and huge sizes, and there is additionally a pair of balanced ear ideas that supply a barely completely 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.
At the moment’s greatest Fiio FW5 offers
Fiio FW5: Design and construct high quality
The FW5 makes use of Fiio’s newest packaging, so meaning you get a somewhat massive 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 will simply discover the Fiio emblem and regulatory labels on the underside.
However open the case and you will find one of the crucial unique-looking wi-fi earbuds available in the market at present. 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 varied merchandise to save lots of manufacturing prices — just like the K5 Professional and K7.
The earbuds have a darkish gray end that appears fairly good, and so they have the same mesh construction because the FD5 with silver accents that widens on the high and narrows on the backside, and this does a fantastic 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 a lot of the weight of the earbud rests in your outer ear cavity, in order 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 would not have as putting a design because the earbuds, it manages to do a fantastic job holding the FW5 securely by way of magnets. There are LEDs on the entrance that point out the cost stage, 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 permits 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’d have preferred the flexibility to customise the settings by way of the Fiio Management app. The app permits you to allow a low-latency sport mode, set channel stability, manually choose a Bluetooth codec, change idle power-off time, and select between a low move filter. The most effective characteristic is a 10-band EQ that permits you to tweak the sound stability of the FW5 to a level that you simply simply do not get on some other wi-fi earbuds.
Rounding out the options, Fiio Management additionally presents 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 greatest on this specific 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 you could 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 perform a little higher on the charging tech, as a result of the case maxes out at 5W.
And as I am speaking about issues that could possibly be improved, the most important 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 way right here. That is a letdown contemplating what these earbuds provide in different areas, nevertheless it’s clear that this wasn’t a precedence for Fiio at this time limit, and we might see the mode launched in a future iteration.
Fiio FW5: Sound high quality
I’ve used too many wi-fi earbuds to rely over the past 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 simply get right here is nearer to a wired IEM than a wi-fi product.
A variety of that has to do with the truth that the FW5 makes use of a standalone AKM AK4332 DAC that handles audio decoding as an alternative 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 complete 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. Due to the standalone DAC, you get 96KHz/24-bit native playback, and I have been utilizing the FW5 for almost six months and had zero points with Bluetooth connectivity. I bought a robust 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. In the event you’re utilizing a cellphone that has an AptX codec, you may hear particulars that you simply 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 interesting soundstage that is extra according to conventional IEMs than wi-fi earbuds, and it makes listening to all kinds of genres extremely pleasing.
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 good selection on this class. They do not sound as vibrant because the FW5 and the battery would not final wherever as lengthy, and the gesture controls are nonetheless finicky at occasions. However you get glorious noise isolation, and the design is a bit more pocketable.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Professional are among the many greatest wi-fi earbuds, and so they ship nice sound high quality and have a couple of extras that come in useful if you happen to use a Samsung cellphone. 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 need a mainstream alternative, they’re as secure a guess as you will get nowadays.
Fiio FW5: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You need the best-sounding wi-fi earbuds
- You want a refined sound signature with glorious bass
- You desire a large 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 desire a case that expenses wirelessly
Fiio nailed the fundamentals with the FW5. The wi-fi earbuds have a novel design, are snug to put on, and last more than their quick 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. The most effective characteristic is the sound; with a extremely partaking sound and large soundstage, the FW5 sounds higher than some other wi-fi earbuds I’ve used so far.
Certain, it is lacking out on a couple of extras, and the earbuds take a very long time to cost. However if you happen to do not want ANC and are as an alternative on the lookout for earbuds that ship the absolute best sound, the FW5 is a simple advice.
