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FiiO FD15 Review

SeanG

Disclaimer

The FiiO FD15 was provided to me directly by FiiO for this review. They did not review or influence this review before publication, nor did they dictate what I should write or when to publish it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and reflect my personal experience with the product.
I would like to thank FiiO for providing the sample and thank you, the reader, for taking the time to read and trust my review.

Introduction

The FiiO FD15 stands out in the world of IEMs as a single DD IEM and a successor to the FD5. FiiO is a brand that is known for its dedication to quality and innovation, has crafted the FD15 to bring great quality for what you are paying for. Despite being a single DD IEM it promises to rival and even surpass multi driver IEMs in some aspects. The FD15 has premium build, versatile tuning options and impressive technicalities for a single DD. In this review I’ll talk about the unboxing, build quality, technical specifications, and sound performance of the FiiO FD15 and I’ll walk about its capabilities and what sets it apart in its category.

Unboxing

The unboxing experience of the FiiO FD15 already tells its premium nature. The box itself has a robust and elegant design, similar to the packaging of the JH5. Adorned with the name and illustration of the FD15, it exudes a high-end feel right from the start.

Upon opening the box you immediately encounter the user manual, neatly placed on top. Underneath it, the IEMs themselves are nestled securely in foam, showcasing their sleek, mirror-finish design. Alongside the IEMs is a beautiful brown 4-core cable with swappable plugs, including 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors, which I will talk about in more detail in the specifications section.

Under the foam insert lies a black box containing a stackable, Lego-like storage case for the IEMs, exactly like the one included with the JH5. Inside this box, you’ll find:

1 / 7

Eartips:

Additional Accessories:

Overall, the unboxing experience is highly premium, offering a wide range of accessories that enhance the usability and customization of the FD15. The only minor drawback is that the box itself is not a carrying case, though it serves well as a storage box.

Technical Specifications

Specs

Design and build quality

The FiiO FD15 brings a robust and elegant design, with a shell made of 316L stainless steel. It has a barrel like shape which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical and provides a comfortable fit for. The FD15 is available in two finishes: a shiny mirror finish silver and a sleek shiny black for different style preferences. Additionally, the IEMs are HiRes Audio certified!

The ventilation system of the FD15 is particularly unique, employing the Tesla valve principle. This design efficiently brings air into the IEMs while making it harder for air to escape, enhancing, from what FiiO says, the bass depth, quality, and overall performance of the driver, making it work fully at its best.

Driver

At the heart of the FD15 is a 13.8mm dynamic driver made with a magnesium diaphragm and a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) gasket. FiiO claims that this W shaped gasket increases the vibrating area by 30% compared to the FD5, and features a long 8.6mm voice coil (up from the FD5’s 6.3mm). FiiO claims this design boosts driver power by 78%, providing a powerful and detailed sound output. Additionally, the driver boasts a 1.5T magnetic flux, contributing to its impressive performance.

Cable

The included cable has a beautiful brown/bronze color and is crafted with a 4 core braided design, and inside is Furukawa monocrystalline silver and Furukawa monocrystalline silver plated copper wires. This high quality cable also features swappable plugs, offering 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors for versatile connectivity options. 
The cable could have been almost perfect. The MMCX connectors were like the ones on the FA19 cable, which are mirror-finish metal and not transparent plastic, which looks cheaper. 
Other than that, this cable is one of the nicest cables I’ve seen and definitely a premium one for the asking price.

Tuning Nozzles

The FD15 comes with two sets of tuning nozzles, allowing users to choose the sound to their preferences. The pre installed black nozzles offer a brighter sound, while the red nozzles reduce the treble a bit and this adds some warmth which provides a more balanced sound signature. This flexibility in tuning enhances the overall experience of this IEM. I personally preferred the red nozzle because of its more balanced nature, although the differences aren’t that big and some may even not notice them at all.

Sound Performance

Timbre

The FiiO FD15 offers a relatively natural and accurate timbre and generaly this is a characteristic of most single dynamic drivers. The midbass is more pronounced, adding warmth and body to the sound. The upper mids and treble are well-extended, making this IEM surprisingly detailed for a single dynamic driver. This gives a realistic and engaging sound signature which gives instruments and vocals lifelike sound. The FD15 manages to deliver impressive detail without sacrificing musicality and this makes it a great performer.

Bass Performance

For me the FiiO FD15’s bass performance is impressive especially when considering that it is a single dynamic driver IEM.

Sub-Bass:

The sub bass has a slight roll off, which means it doesn’t reach as low and I would like to… But it’s still present and adds a bit depth to the music. It’s not powerful but I feel that it provides a nice base to the overall sound signature.

Mid-Bass:

The mid bass is more pronounced and delivers a solid and punchy impact. This gives the bass a fuller and more satisfying presence without becoming too boomy. The mid bass control ensures that tracks still remain clear and detailed!

Tactility: 

The bass is quite tactile and offers a good sense of texture and detail. It’s pretty fast and responsive. This tactile nature of the bass helps to bring a more engaging sound while almost never becoming muddy!. Even in the song “Everybody Walkin’ This Land” by Home Free, the vocals never become blended together or muddy at all.

Overall, the FD15’s bass is well-balanced, providing enough impact and depth without overshadowing the mids and highs. It’s a strong performer in the bass department, making it suitable for a wide range of music genres, although a little drawback is its early roll off.

Mids Performance

Lower Mids: 

The lower mids of the FiiO FD15 are slightly recessed and this helps prevent muddiness and lets the mid bass to shine without muddying the mix. This tuning choice brings a cleaner separation between the bass and mids and the overall sound more balanced.

Mids: 

The mids themselves are well balanced and I feel that they give a clear and pretty natural sound. They are neither too forward nor too recessed and allowing for a natural presentation of instruments and vocals. This makes the FD15 pretty versatile for various genres…

Upper Mids: 

The upper mids are more pronounced, contributing to the overall detail and clarity of the IEMs. This emphasis makes female vocals and higher pitched instruments stand out with great clarity and presence. There’s a slight boost here that enhances the sense of detail and articulation without becoming harsh or sibilant!

Vocals: 

Vocals are a standout feature on the FD15, and to my taste both male and female vocals are presented with excellent clarity and detail. Female vocals in particular, sound forward, detailed and benefit from the pronounced upper mids. The natural timbre of the single dynamic driver makes sure that vocals sound realistic.

Instruments: 

Instruments are well rendered and each note coming through clearly! The pronounced upper mids help bring out the details in string and brass instruments, and other mid to high frequency instruments. The separation between instruments is impressive and allows for a clear presentation.

Overall, I think the mids performance of the FD15 is balanced and detailed, brings a natural timbre and clarity that makes it enjoyable for a wide range of musics. The focus on the upper mids adds to the sense of detail, making both vocals and instruments sound engaging!. This characteristic is very special and highly desired in a single DD IEM, as they tend to have worse technical performance than a multi-driver IEM, but this one proves that this isn’t always the case.

Treble Performance

Lower Treble: 

This region is very clear and gives a good amount of energy without me ever feeling it becoming overly aggressive!. This helps in bringing to life the details and presence of cymbals, hi hats, and other high frequency instruments.

Upper Treble: 

The upper treble extends quite well I’d say! and brings a good sense of airiness and openness in the sound. This extension makes sure that the finer details in high frequencies sound well represented and adds to the overall clarity of the IEM!.

Extension: 

The treble extension is also very impressive and I feel like it is reaching the very high frequencies without noticeable roll off. This allows the FD15 to produce little nuances and overtones in music and give a more lifelike and immersive sound with long lasting decay. The extended treble response adds a sense of space to the soundstage.

Air Region: 

The air region and is giving a spacious and airy feel to the sound. This airiness also helps create a bigger soundstage which allows instruments and vocals to breathe and be placed more accurately in the stage. The airiness adds a level of refinement to the overall presentation. And to be honest, I’m very impressed by hearing this kind of extension from a single DD IEM!.

So… I would say that the treble performance of the FiiO FD15 is one of its strong points because it provides clarity, detail and a sense of airiness that enhances the overall sound quality. The well extended upper treble and also the balanced lower treble really helps to bring balanced!

Technicalities

Imaging: 

The imaging on the FiiO FD15 is decent. While it isn’t the best I’ve experienced, it still provides a fairly accurate representation of instrument placement. I can pinpoint the location of different elements in the mix, although it doesn’t reach the precision of higher-end or multi-driver IEMs, and that’s fine because it doesn’t compete with them in the first place.

Soundstage: 

The soundstage is pretty average. It still offers a quite good sense of space. I’d say it’s fairly good and it gives enough room for instruments and vocals to breathe without making the sound feel too congested.

Layering: 

I’m quite impressed with the layering capabilities of the FD15, especially considering it’s a single dynamic driver IEM. It manages to separate different instruments and vocals in a way that allows each element to be heard distinctly. However, I still think it can’t quite compete with well tuned multi driver IEMs at the same price…

Details: 

The level of detail the FD15 brings out is impressive. From the textures of string instruments and the presentation of vocals I find that the FD15 does a great job of revealing the finer points in my music. It’s particularly noteworthy for a single dynamic driver, which traditionally might struggle to deliver such clarity in addition to bass.

So overall, the FiiO FD15 brings solid technical performance for a single dynamic driver IEM. While its imaging and soundstage are average, I find the impressive layering and detail retrieval make it a compelling option in its price range.

Comparing it to the TinHiFi T5S (140$)

When I’m comparing the FiiO FD15 to the TinHiFi T5S I’m noticing several differences which immedietly stand out. One of them being that the T5S offers a more balanced sound overall, with a focus on macro details and providing a solid all rounder experience. In contrast I feel that the FD15 leans towards micro details and is delivering a more nuanced sound. Also vocals on the FD15 are more pronounced and detailed which makes it a standout in this area. Additionally, the FD15 gives overall better technical performance and offering a better imaging, layering, and details compared to the T5S.

When considering the included accessories I find the FD15 to come with a generous selection which includes a bit better eartip selection, a swappable plug with 4.4mm balanced and tuning nozzles. All this makes the feel much more premium. On the other hand the spare filters with tweezers and an actual carrying case are provided with the T5S and it offers better protection and convenience. Overall, the T5S provides a well rounded sound and an excellent carrying case, and the FD15 stands out for its detailed sound and extensive accessories.

Conclusion

To sum it up, I would say that the FiiO FD15 impresses with its natural timbre, detailed sound, and very solid build quality. Despite the sub bass roll off…, I feel that the midbass is pronounced and provides a satisfying thump. The mids and treble offer a detailed presentation, with vocals and instruments shining through. The treble extends well and provides a sense of airiness and openness.

In terms of technical performance, the FD15 really holds its ground with accurate imaging, a fairly nice soundstage and impressive layering for a single dynamic driver IEM. While it may not compete with well-tuned multi-driver IEMs, it delivers a commendable performance for its price.

Compared to similarly priced IEMs like the TinHiFi T5S in my opinion the FD15 offers better vocal performance and overall technicalities, although the T5S gives a more balanced sound and a superior carrying case. The FD15’s premium accessories and detailed sound make it a great choice for those seeking a versatile sound signature. So I think I can pretty confidently recommend the FD15 to anyone who wants a premium feeling and sound single DD IEM.

Pros: 

Cons:

Where to buy: FiiO Official AliExpress store

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