FiiO FW5 TWS IEM Review

 

 

FiiO FW5 TWS IEM Review

 

Introduction:

FiiO FW5 is the brand new True Wireless (TWS) earphone of the company with a 2BA + 1DD Hybrid Driver configuration that has some pretty interesting features such like an independent AK4332 DAC chipset, Qualcomm QC5141 Bluetooth SoC with LHDC, AptX Adaptive codec support, IPX4 Water Resistance, up to 7hours of battery life and many more.

 

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank FiiO for providing me the FW5 TWS Earphone for review purposes. I am not affiliated with FiiO beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about the product.

  

Price & Availability:

The actual price for the FiiO FW5 TWS Earphone is 134.99 US$. More information’s can be found under the link below;

 

 

Package & Accessories:

The black rectangular box with the illustration of the FiiO FW5 looks pretty nice. This box reflects the companies new design language for the presentation of their latest products.

 

This box contains the following items/accessories;

  • 1x pair of FiiO FW5 TWS Earphones
  • 1x Charging Case
  • 3x pairs of FiiO HS18 Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L)
  • 3x pairs of Balanced Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L)
  • 1x Cleaning Tool
  • 1x Cleaning Brush
  • 1x USB Type-C Charging Cable
  • 1x Print Material (User Manual, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card)

 

 

Design & Build Quality:

The FiiO FW5 is a very esthetic looking True Wireless (TWS) earphone that shows an excellent build quality same like all previous products I have tested of the company. Each of the monitor features a Hybrid Driver configuration, which is a combination of 2x Balanced Armature Drivers + 1x 10mm dia. DLC Diaphragm Dynamic Driver with a PU gasket. The 10mm Dynamic Driver is responsible for the Lows and Mids, while the two Knowles BA Drivers are dedicated for the Highs.

The faceplate has a gorgeous design that looks similar to the one that was found on the FD7 flagship In-Ear Monitor of the company. The rear surface of the faceplate is equipped with multiple components such like an air guiding mesh, followed by a water-resistant sound-permeable cotton part and a FPC antenna.

The faceplate with a semi open back design and the has a small LED light status indicator behind it.

On the top of each ear piece are two multifunctional buttons one for volume, track, reset, etc. while the other button is dedicated for power on/off, activation of voice assistance, call answer, etc.

The inner surface of each monitor features a slightly angles sound nozzle with a fine metal mesh on the top.

Near the sound nozzle is a small opening dedicated for the 10mm dia. large Dynamic Driver. This opening is equipped with water-resistant sound-permeable cottons to fulfill the IPX4 water resistance. Here area also the L (Left) or R (Right) markings and 3 metal connectors in gold color.

At the bottom and top of each earpiece is a dual microphone setup that features Qualcomm’s latest cVc Noise-Cancelling Microphone Technology.

All openings are equipped with waterproof membranes and/or water-resistant sound-permeable cottons in order to fulfill the IPX4 water resistance.

 

 

Charging Case & Battery Life:

The FW5 has a quite small battery case made from plastic material in dark grey color that fits easily in to a small pocket, which I really like about it. The case has a rounded shape that is comfortable to hold in my hand.

On the front of the charging case are four small LED status indicators and a small recession to open the cover.

The rear surface of the case sports the USB Type-C charging port and the hinge mechanism.

At the bottom of the case are the FiiO logo and some technical specifications and industrial certification about the FW5.

When you open the case you will see the seats, male connectors and L (Left) and R (Right) markings for the TWS monitors.

These seats have a magnetic surface to ensure a tight/save connection for the charging process and to avoid any drop out of the monitors.

The charging case has battery with a capacity of 380mAh, which means 21+ hours when the when the battery is fully charged. The Charging time for the charging case is approx. 1h40min.

Each monitors is equipped with a 65mAh build in battery that offers continues playback of approx 6.5 – 7 hours, when used with the AAC codec.

 

 

Technical Specifications:

  • Model                                     : FW5
  • Driver Configuration               : 2x Knowles RAD BA + 1x 10mm DLC Diaphragm DD
  • Frequency response              : 20-20kHz
  • Sensitivity                               : 106dB/mW (@ 1 kHz)
  • Impedance                             : 32Ω±20% (@ 1 kHz)
  • DAC                                        : AK4332
  • DAC Distortion                       : 0.0016 %.
  • DAC Signal to Noise Ratio    : 106dB.
  • BT SoC                                  : Qualcomm QCC5141
  • Bluetooth Version                   : BT 5.2
  • BT Codec’s                            : SBC/AAC/AptX/AptX Adaptive/LHDC
  • Max sampling rate                 : 96 kHz-24bit
  • Supported protocol                : A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP
  • Transmission distance           : approx. 10mt
  • Battery Life                             : about 6.5 – 7 Hours (with AAC Codec)
  • Charging Time                       : approx 1.5 hours (Adapters)
  • Waterproof Level                   : IPX4
  • Charging Connector Type     : USB Type-C
  • Charger dimensions              : 68.4*43.9*32.3 mm
  • Battery capacity earpiece      : 65mAh
  • Charger                                  : 380mAh

 

 

Pairing, Signal Strength & Call Quality:

The pairing process for the FiiO FW5 is quite easy, just put out the monitors from the charging case and it will automatically go in to pairing mode. Once you have paired FW5 it will automatically connect with the last source.

The operating distance of the FW5 is approx. 10 meters same like many other TWS IEM’s on the market. But what I really like about the FW5 is the very stable connection with the source even if there is a wall.

The FiiO FW5 offers a decent voice transmissions that is fairly clear when paired with my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, thanks to its Dual Microphone setup that supports Qualcomm’s latest cVc Noise-Cancelling Microphone Technology.

 

 

Fit, Comfort & Isolation:

The FiiO FW5 is not the smallest TWS IEM/Earphone due to the 2BA+1DD Hybrid Driver configuration that needs a larger acoustic room. However, the fit is surprisingly good with consideration of its size. The FW5 does not come with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), while the passive noise isolation is on an sufficient level, efficient enough to use it in relative noisy environments such like a bas us train.

 

Key Features:

AK4332 Independent DAC Chip:

The FiiO FW5 is equipped with an independent AK4332 DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) chip of the company Asahi Kasei that supports the companies AKM VELVET SOUND Technology. The AK4332 chip achieves a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of up to 106 dB, a distortion of 0.0016% and a Dynamic Range (DNR) of up to 102 dB.

 

Qualcomm QCC 5141 BT SoC:

FiiO FW5 adopts Qualcomm’s latest QCC5141 Bluetooth signal receiver chip, which brings major performance upgrades over the previous generation CR8675 or QCC3020 SoC in terms of connectivity and stability. The QCC5141 offers a decent Bluetooth audio transmission thanks to its dual-DSP and dual-core architecture. In addition, the FW5 is Snapdragon Sound-certified, which is another major improvement in terms Hi-Res Audio Transmitting.

 

FiiO Control APP:

The FiiO FW5 has been advertised to be compatible with the FiiO Control APP, which is a pretty useful tool to fine adjust and update Wireless & Wired products of the company. However, the FiiO Control APP couldn’t recognize the FW5, which seems to be added with a future FW update.

 

Equipment’s used for this review:

  • TWS IEM’s                 : FiiO FW5
  • Paired Sources         : FiiO M11 Plus ESS, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

 

 

   

Albums & tracks used for this review:

  • Adele – My Little Love
  • Randy Crawford – On Day I Will Fly Away
  • Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer
  • Hayley Westenra – Odyssey Album
  • Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
  • Sarah McLachlan – Angel
  • Edith Piaf – Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
  • Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
  • Dave Gahan – Kingdom
  • Sting – Englishman in New York
  • Barry White – Just The Way You Are
  • Isaac Hayes – Walk On
  • Elton John – Rocket Man
  • Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
  • Sting – Englishman in New York
  • Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers
  • Fazıl Say – Nazım Oratoryosu (Live)
  • Chopin – Nocturn No. 20 In C-Sharp Minor
  • Vivaldi – Le QuarttroStagioni “The Four Seasons”
  • Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River
  • Gogo Penguin – Raven
  • Lunatic Soul – The Passage
  • Metallica – Sad but True
  • Megadeth – Sweating Bullets
  • Rush’s – Leave That Thing Alone
  • Slayer – Angel of Death
  • Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain
  • Lorde – Royal Massive Attack – Angel
  • Toutant – Rebirth
  • Really Slow Motion – Deadwood
  • Daft Punk (feat. Panda Bear) – Doin’ it Right
  • Massive Attack – Angel
  • Bear McCreary – Valkyries (Gof of War)
  • Muse – The Handler
  • Twerl – Lishu
  • U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
  • Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles

 

 

The Sound:

The FiiO FW5 is a pretty spacious sounding TWS Earphone/IEM with a mildly V-shaped sound signature that shows slightly warmer than neutral tonality and relative natural timbre especially for a TWS product while listen to instruments and vocals. The nicely implemented independent AK4332 DAC plays a big roll for the general sound performance of the FW5.

The FiiO FW5 review has been written after a burn-in period of about 50 hours. My sound impressions below are mainly based on pairings with BT sources like the FiiO M11 Plus ESS and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon Version).

  

Bass / Midrange / Treble / Soundstage:

The lower frequency response is one of the main highlights of the FW5 that is produced with a pretty capable 10mm DLC Diaphragm Dynamic Driver and shows a pretty entertaining performance with genres like Pop, Hip-Hop, EDM or Trance music. The subbass region has a moderately warm tonality and is able to produce a good level of depth, intensity and rumble that can compete with wired IEM’s, when I have listen to songs like Lorde’s “Royals” and Daft Punk’s “Doin’ it Right”.

The midbass region on the other hand is pronounced but doesn’t show any midbass hump, which could lead to a muddy presentation. The level of clarity, body and impact is excellent for a TWS IEM/Earphone when I listen to instruments such like a bass guitar, cello or kick drum. What I also really like is the sense of authority and speed that can compete with many wired IEM’s at price range between 100 and 200 USD that was pretty audible in complex songs like Gogo Penguin – Raven.

The midrange is slightly recessed compared to the lows and highs due to the mildly V-shaped sound signature, while these tuning creates some headroom/space while listen to songs with a lot of instruments without to make them sound too distant. The general tonality is a bit warmer than neutral and the timbre of both instruments and vocals is pretty natural and rich.

The lower midrange is produced with an adequate grade of depth and fullness, which makes male vocals and instruments like electro guitars, toms or violas are quite enjoyable to listen to. The upper midrange is nicely pronounced but without to sound overly bright or sibilant when I do listen to female voices such like Edith Piaf, Adel or Sertap Erener. Instruments on the other hand are reproduced in general with a good sense of brightness, resolution and extension.

The treble range that is produced with 2 x Knowles RAD Balanced armature drivers, which are located inside the sound nozzle of the FW5, are able to produce a decent sense of clarity, airiness and brilliance, without to create unwanted conditions such like unnaturalness or over-sharpness. The 2x Knowles BA divers do work in a pretty good synergy with the 10mm dia. Dynamic Driver unit.

The lower treble range shows an efficient level of presence so that vocals or instruments such like a violin do have a decent grade of clarity, while kick drums are reproduced with good sense of attack. The upper treble region offers a nice sense of airiness and sparkle, while the extension of instruments such like percussions is on a moderate level.

What I really like about the FiiO FW5 is the pretty spacious and airy soundstage atmosphere, which offers a good sense of depth and wideness, especially for a TWS Earphone. The FW5 is also quite successful when it comes to the separation of instruments and vocals.

 

 

Conclusion:

The FiiO FW5 is an excellent sounding TWS earphone with a beautiful faceplate design that is equipped with some solid hardware features such like an independent Asahi Kasei AK4332 DAC Chip and Qualcomm’s latest QCC 5141 BT SoC. Moreover, it offers a sound performance that can compete with many wired earphones on the market at the same price range, which impressed me with its nicely tuned mildly v-shaped sound signature and its pretty spacious and airy sound atmosphere.

 

Pros & Cons:

  • + Versatile Sound Tuning
  • + Airy & Spacious Atmosphere
  • + Powerful and Clean Output (AK4332 DAC Chip + QCC 5141 BT SoC)
  • + Very Stabile Connection with Low Latency
  • + LHDC BT Codec Support
  • + IPX4
  • + FiiO APP Control
  • + Good Value for your Money

 

  • – No LDAC support (may come with a further FW update)
  • – No Active Noise Cancellation
  • – No Touch Controls (a matter of preference)

 

Thank you for the Read!

 

 

 

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1 Response

  1. Mark Edge says:

    Good review tells you what is important in a good basic way. That’s not a bad thing some reviews waffle on about things that make no difference to ordainry people. Going to sign up for future reference.

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