FiiO EH11 Review: An Amazing Value BT On Ear

Disclaimer

Hello everyone! Before we dive in, I want to let you know that FiiO sent me the EH11 so I could test it properly and share my honest thoughts. I’m not being paid for this review, and FiiO hasn’t asked me to say anything specific, check my draft before posting, or set any publishing schedule.

Everything you’ll read here is based entirely on my own experience with the EH11. I always try to be as fair and objective as possible, but at the end of the day this is still just my personal opinion. We all judge products differently, and those differences are part of what makes this hobby so interesting and enjoyable.

Huge thanks to FiiO for giving me the opportunity to try out the EH11, and of course, a big thank you to you for taking the time to read and support my reviews. It truly means a lot to me!

Introduction

I’ll admit it, when first FiiO contacted me about the EH11, my expectations were pretty low. At this price point, I honestly thought it would be more of a gimmick toy than a serious product, something that looks cool and retro but doesn’t really give anything beyond that. But once again, FiiO managed to prove me wrong.

Of course the EH11 immediately stands out with its retro look, but those cool wooden faceplates, make it feel different from the rest of the on ear headphones. Still, what really surprised me is how much FiiO pushed into such an affordable device. App support with PEQ, nice physical controls, and an overall design that actually is comfortable for me (at least for a while, haha), not just “cheap but acceptable”. It feels like FiiO didn’t just want to make another budget headphone, but something with character.

After spending some time with the EH11, my skepticism actually turned into joy and appreciation. It’s clearly not trying to be a high end reference headphone, and that’s perfectly fine. It focuses on being fun, usable, and well thought out, especially for the price. And honestly, that’s exactly where FiiO tends to really shine.

Unboxing

When I got the EH11, I wasn’t expecting anything fancy, and it was no surprise that the box matches the price. It’s not that small, because the headphones aren’t foldable, and it’s just a simple package.

Inside is just a plastic compartment, and the headphones sit right there on top. Even before you turn them on, they do give a different vibe from the usual cheap on ears. The transparent design and those wooden faceplates just give them a cool character.

Underneath the headphones, there’s a small compartment with the accessories. You get the charging cable, two additional replacement pads, and the basic paperwork, that’s it. Just simple and straight to the point.

What I liked is that even though this is a very budget product, it doesn’t feel too bad. I mean, there are some sharp parts on the plastic, and inside the headband is just plastic with no metal inserts, but on the good side, it keeps it super light, and that makes them quite comfortable (of course, as much as an on ear can be… and we will talk more about it later in this review). Back to the unboxing. It’s not a premium unboxing, obviously, but it also doesn’t feel cheap in a bad way. It feels honest. You open it, you take them out, and you’re ready to go.

And honestly, at around 32 dollars, I didn’t expect more than that, and that’s fine.

Technical Specifications

Specs

• FiiO EH11 On‑Ear Bluetooth Headphones
• Driver: 40 mm dynamic with composite diaphragm
• Frequency response: 17 Hz – 40 kHz
• Impedance: 16 Ω
• Bluetooth version: 6.0 (supports SBC/LDAC)
• Supported Bluetooth codecs: SBC, LDAC (up to 990 kbps)
• Battery life: up to ~30 hours (varies by codec and volume)
• Charging time: ~2 hours via USB-C
• Weight: ~92 g
• Dual-device connection (multipoint)
• Replaceable ear pads included
• FiiO Control app support (custom EQ, presets, firmware)
• Built-in microphone
• Semi-open acoustic design
• Colors: Transparent, Transparent Black, Off-white, Burgundy, Cyan

Driver and Open Design

Inside the EH11, FiiO went with a 40 mm dynamic driver, which is a pretty standard size on paper, but it makes sense for this kind of headphone. A driver this size can move a decent amount of air, and that usually helps give the sound a bit more body compared to tiny portable drivers. And to give you a small spoiler, the bass performance is quite good for this type of headphones.

What makes it more interesting is the semi open design. These are not fully open back headphones, but they are also not sealed (if that’s even possible for an on ear headphone), but it actually feels open, and my ears are never sweaty and do breathe. That gives them a slightly more airy feel, and you do get some sound leaking in and out. So I’d be picky about where I use them publicly. At the same time, that open structure helps the sound breathe a bit more and gives them a nice stage (but more will be in the sound performance section).

Build Quality and Design Feel

First of all, we must take into consideration that these are Bluetooth budget on ears, so we can’t expect a premium quality, but we definitely are getting a good value here. The headband and main body are made from a light, transparent plastic, so they feel light and splasticy. The sliders are metal, though, so it adds a bit to the feel without adding too much weight. The earcups are quite comfortable for me, and while they do tilt up and down, side to side movement is pretty limited. At first I found that restriction a bit annoying, but the foam pads are fairly large and soft, so it somewhat compensates for that. The lightweight helps too, so even though on ears can start to pinch after longer sessions, I didn’t get to the point of real pain too quickly.

What I think is most unique here are the wooden faceplates. They aren’t just for looks, they are functional knobs you can actually turn. And that’s pretty cool.

Physical Controls and How They Work

The control system on the EH11 isn’t a common one with buttons or touch controls. Instead, FiiO made the wooden faceplates rotate like a knob with feedback clicks.

The right cup adjusts the volume. It’s not a separate digital volume inside the headphones, so the changes you hear are directly tied to whatever device you’re using. That means on some phones the volume steps can feel a bit jumpy and too big, and I kind of wish they’d make it independent with a firmware update someday. Turning it one way makes the music too loud, turning it the other way makes it a lot quieter, and it’s a bit annoying.

On the left cup, turning it skips tracks. One way for the next track, the other way for the previous one. Pressing the power button plays and pauses your music and also handles calls. It’s simple, intuitive, and surprisingly satisfying.

App Support and PEQ

One of the things that really makes the EH11 worth the price is the app support. Through the FiiO Control app, you get access to a parametric EQ where you can change the sound how you want or use the auto EQ option, although it still doesn’t have the EH11 graph, and hopefully they will add it soon, so it will be a lot easier to tune it to the curve you want. There are, of course built in presets for different music genres as well. That makes these feel much more flexible than a typical budget Bluetooth headphone.

PEQ alone makes the EH11 a more interesting choice if you like to EQ the sound instead of just settling for whatever default tuning came from the factory (which, btw, is quite good out of the box). It’s rare to see this level of customization on a product this affordable.

Comfort and Wearing Experience

For me, on ears never were the first priority for comfort, but I guess there are people who love them while others don’t. Although I don’t quite find on ears to be comfortable, the fact that these are very light made them usable for me. The pads are soft and big enough that they don’t immediately press painfully against my ears, and the headphones are so light that I barely feel their presence, at least for the first 20 min.

But because on ear designs inherently press against your ears, if I wore them for longer listening sessions, I did start to feel a bit of pressure and sometimes a bit of pain after a while. It never got unbearable, and if it did, I took them off for a couple of minutes to reset my ears, and it’s something to be aware of. The limited left right tilt could have helped with that, but unfortunately it is a bit limited, and hopefully future versions will include that.

Rings around the driver

When I removed the pad to see what’s going on underneath, I saw that around the driver area there are these slightly raised plastic rings, and they feel a bit sharp and pointy instead of smooth and rounded. You don’t feel it immediately, because the foam pad is thick and soft, but after some time, I can feel that this shape underneath starts to create pressure points on the ear. If that inner structure were flatter or rounded, I honestly think the EH11 could have been noticeably more comfortable for longer sessions.

Bluetooth Stability and Battery Life in Real Use

On paper, the EH11 supports Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, and in real life I can say it worked exactly as it should. I never had random disconnects, dropouts, or pairing issues. Once connected, it just stayed connected. I walked around the house, moved between rooms while my phone was on a desk, and walked a reasonable distance away, and the signal stayed stable unless I went to the other side of the house. All I can say is that the Bluetooth capabilities are good.

As for battery life, it actually is very close to what FiiO claims. I didn’t watch the time I was sitting with them on one charge, but in normal daily use, a few hours here and there, the battery did hold nicely. For a small, lightweight on ear headphone, the life of these is more than solid enough for several days of casual listening.

Sound Performance

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much at first. It’s a 32$ Bluetooth on ear headphone, so I was ready for something just “okay”. But the EH11 actually surprised me.

Out of the box, I did notice quite a dip around 5 kHz and also a bit of a softer sub bass region. It’s not bad, but you can feel that something is slightly not quite there. The good thing is that because you have full PEQ in the FiiO Control app, it’s very easy to fix. A small boost in the sub bass and around that 5 kHz area, and suddenly the whole presentation becomes more alive. Honestly, with just a few adjustments, they jump from “decent for the price” to “wait… these are actually good”.

Bass

The bass is stronger than I expected. It’s not weak, and it’s definitely not dry. There’s a good punch to it, and when it needs to, it can even rumble a bit. Listening to Mara by The Haxan Cloak surprised me. That track has deep, rumbly physical sub bass, and the EH11 actually managed to shake things up more than I thought possible for an on ear headphone. It doesn’t have the depth of a big over ears, obviously, but for what this is, it brings a satisfying low end.

Mids

The mids are where that 5 kHz dip plays a role. Stock tuning makes vocals feel just a little bit laid back. Not muffled, not distant, just slightly less forward than I would prefer. But once you boost that region a bit with the PEQ, vocals become much more present.

After EQ, voices sound clear and natural. They are not hyper detailed or ultra resolving, but they don’t sound dry either. They sit nicely in the mix and don’t get overshadowed by the bass. For a fun, everyday headphone, the midrange is more than enjoyable once you fine tune it.

Highs

The treble is actually pretty smooth. I never felt like it is had sharp peaks or any harshness. It’s not the most detailed or sparkly top end I’ve heard, but it avoids the common budget mistake of being either too dull or painfully bright.

For example, Breathe from Legends of Runeterra sounds really nice on these. The vocals are clear and stand out well, the bass has good presence, and the overall balance feels surprisingly mature for something this affordable. Again, a little EQ just makes everything come together even better. I really do recommend using the PEQ because it unlocks more of what these can do.

Technical Performance

Let’s be realistic. These are not reference headphones. They are not going to compete with high end gear. But for the price, they absolutely surprised me.

Listening to Line Gone Cold – Deconstructed by Forest Swords, I could clearly feel where sounds were placed. The stage is not huge, but it’s not cramped either. It actually feels fairly open, probably helped by the semi open design. There’s a decent sense of width, and instruments don’t collapse into each other. Everything stays clean and separated enough to enjoy the layers in the track.

Detail retrieval is good for what they are. Not mind blowing, not analytical, but solid. And that’s the thing with the EH11. They are not trying to be the best. They are trying to give you fun, adjustable, surprisingly capable sound for very little money. And in that mission, I think they succeed.

Conclusion

Going into this review, I honestly didn’t expect the EH11 to impress me. At around 32$, I thought it would be more about looks than performance. But after using them for a while, I can say this is one of those small surprises that remind me why I enjoy testing budget gear so much.

Is it perfect? No. The side to side cup movement is a bit limited, and as an on ear design, it’s not something I can wear for endless hours without eventually feeling uncomfortable. The stock tuning also needs a bit of EQ, especially around the sub bass and that 5 kHz region.

But once you use the PEQ and fine tune them a little, the EH11 becomes a genuinely enjoyable headphone. The bass can rumble (of course as much as an on ear can…), the mids come alive with a small boost, and the highs are smooth. Add to that the good Bluetooth connection, good battery life, the unique rotating wooden faceplates for control, and the overall retro vibe, and suddenly this doesn’t feel like a random cheap product.

For the price, I really think FiiO packed a lot into this little headphone. It’s fun, it’s different, and it sounds better than what you would expect for 32$. If you’re looking for a lightweight, budget, wireless headphone with a good PEQ, the EH11 is honestly a very easy recommendation from me.

Pros

• Nice retro look and cool wooden knobs.
• PEQ in the app is a huge bonus and makes the EH11 sound much better.
• Bass is strong and can even rumble (after some EQ), which surprised me for an on ear.
• Bluetooth worked flawlessly for me, and battery life felt close to the rated spec.
• Very light and comfortable at first.

Cons

• On ear comfort is still limited, and my ears start to hurt after a while.
• Side to side cup movement is a bit too limited.
• Under the pads there are pointy plastic rings that could have been smoother.
• Volume is linked to the phone, so the steps can feel jumpy.
• They leak sound both ways, so you will have to be cautious with public use.

Where to buy:(Non-affiliated! None of my reviews use affiliated links!)

FiiO Official AliExpress Store

Q&A

Who is the FiiO EH11 for?

The EH11 is for someone who wants something fun, affordable, and different and is on a tight budget. If you like that retro look, Bluetooth, on ear, and the ability to use it with a proper PEQ, this makes a lot of sense. It’s also great for casual everyday use, commuting, or just relaxing at home without spending much. For around 32$, you’re getting solid wireless performance, good battery life, and surprisingly enjoyable sound (after a bit of EQ). If you enjoy adjusting your sound and want a lightweight on ear headphone, the EH11 is a very easy pick.

Who should avoid the FiiO EH11?

If you are looking for a serious, long session headphone with top tier technical performance, this is probably not it. It’s still an on ear design, so comfort over many hours can become an issue for some people. Also, if you do not care about EQ and want perfect tuning out of the box without touching anything, you might find other options more suitable. And if you need strong isolation for noisy environments, they will not be ideal.

What are some good alternatives to consider?

If you want better isolation and a more traditional wireless experience, a closed back over ear Bluetooth headphone, like some Anker Soundcores, might be better for you. If your main goal is pure sound quality and you do not mind using wires, there are many budget wired IEMs at a similar price that can offer more raw performance. But if you specifically want something wireless, stylish, EQ, and budget friendly and don’t mind the on ear design, the EH11 stands out in its own unique way.