FiiO FD11 is a HiFi earphones with the ultimate cost performance. At the price of 35 dollars, FiiO FD11 achieves excellent workmanship and good sound quality.
- $29 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US or other Amazon countries
Conch appearance brings comfortable wearing
FiiO FD11 is made of liquid die-cast zinc alloy construction. The surface of the earphones has been treated with mirror plating, which has a very good smooth texture. The appearance of the earphones borrows from the elegant curves of the conch, based on bionic design – hence the name “little conch”. The side of the earphone is decorated with a six-star pattern under the tempered glass, which further adds to its unique visual charm and is very recognizable when worn. However, mirror surfaces are relatively prone to fingerprints.
Thanks to the “conch” shape, FiiO FD11 is very comfortable to wear. Although a single earphone weighs 10g, you can obviously feel a certain amount of weight when you hold it in your hand, but it feels relatively easy when you wear it on your ears. The spiral raised part on the inside of the earphone fits very well with the auricle, and the intrusion into the ear canal is relatively small when worn – and the ear fatigue is very low when worn for a long time.
I’m actually a little surprised at how comfortable the FiiO FD11 is. Unexpectedly, this entry-level HiFi earphones is actually better than some mid-high-end earphones in terms of comfort. In addition, the FD11 is equipped with three different sizes of silicone eartips, which can be adapted to people with different ear canal sizes.
0.78mm 2-Pin Interface
Although it is an entry-level earphones, FiiO FD11 still adopts a replaceable cable design. The earphone cable can be replaced through the 0.78mm 2-pin interface on the earphone. Compared with MMCX, the 2-pin design is more likely to cause damage to the interface when replacing cable. However, considering the crowd positioning of the FD11, the frequently of cable replacement will not be too high.
Sound Description: 10mm carbon-based dome diaphragm
One of the acoustic highlight of FiiO FD11 is use a 10mm carbon-based diaphragm dynamic driver, which is also used in FiiO FF5 and FiiO FH15. The benefits of carbon-based materials are light weight and high rigidity- which can reduce distortion when used in dome diaphragms.
Another acoustic highlight is the 2-generation asymmetric internal and external dual magnetic circuit system. Combined with N52 high magnetic density NdFeB magnets, it brings lower nonlinear distortion performance. In the rear cavity of the FD11 dynamic driver, a unique double-layer cavity structure is used to make the low-frequency more speedy and bring better transient response.
The sensitivity of FiiO FD11 is very high, and its original intention is to be a earphone that users can easily drive even with an audio adapter. In most of the scenarios where I experience FiiO FD11, I use the lightning audio adapter and connect it to the music streaming software on my phone for listening.
In terms of hearing, the low-frequency performance of FiiO FD11 is relatively restrained, and the low-frequency flexibility is very good. However, the low-frequency quantity of FD11 is not much. For users who pursue rich low-frequency, they may find the low-frequency performance of FiiO FD11 not attractive enough. The resolution of the earphones is also very good, and the details in the music are rich. The musical instruments and vocals in the music have a good separation, and the layering of the song is very clear.
The low-frequency extension and ambience sense are available, but the disadvantage is probably that the details and micro-dynamics will be covered by the high-frequency extension. But the handling of large tracks is very good – especially the low-frequency band even has standing waves. According to the official announcement, FiiO FD11 focuses on vocal charm and detail performance, suitable for vocals, folk songs and ACG. But I think FD11 is really suitable for rock and ACG, and ordinary soft vocals and folk songs may have a feeling of excessive force.
Of course, if you choose a portable decoding headphone amplifier or HiFi player, you can further release the performance of FiiO FD11.
Conclusion
FiiO FD11 is a HiFi earphones that pushes the cost-effective to the extreme. At the price of 35 dollars, FiiO FD11 achieves excellent workmanship and good sound quality. Moreover, by decentralizing the technology and configuration of mid-high-end earphones, it shows FiiO’s sincerity for this entry-level HiFi earphones.
Overall, FiiO FD11 has given me enough surprises. Especially considering the affordable price of this earphones, it is definitely worth starting with.
FiiO FD11 specs and features:
- 10mm carbon-based dynamic driver
- Asymmetrical internal and external magnetic circuits
- Liquid die-cast zinc alloy construction
- Fine-tuned frequency response
- 0.78mm 2-pin detachable cable
- $29 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US or other Amazon countries