It’s hard to imagine that the FiiO JadeAudio JD1 is a HiFi earbuds priced under $20. FiiO JD1 surprised me in terms of appearance design, workmanship and sound quality.
- $14 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries or Banggood
Design: Mirror effect presents a high-end feel
FiiO JD1 earbuds use zinc alloy as the panel, which shows a mirror effect after polishing process. In addition, the earbuds also have a convex design on the panel, making the entire JD1 look more three-dimensional.
FiiO JD1 also adopts a replaceable cable design, and the headphone jack is a 0.78mm dual-pin interface. JD1 is equipped with an oxygen-free copper headphone cable with a 3.5mm interface, which supports microphone control and can realize volume +/-, answer/hang up calls and play/pause music.
If you use mobile phone or iPad to listen to music every day, you may consider replacing the FiiO LS-TC1 digital audio cable and replacing the earbuds directly with the USB-C interface, which is more convenient to use.
Comfort Fit & Acoustic Configuration
FiiO JD1 weighs only 7g (single), fits both ears well when worn, and there is no pressure when worn for a long time. The earbuds also come with 3 pairs of eartips of different sizes, which can be replaced according to the size of the ear canal. However, the earbud cavity is not small – if your auricle is relatively small, I would recommend the FiiO FD11 with a smaller cavity.
In terms of acoustic configuration, FiiO JD1 is equipped with a 10mm LCP dome diaphragm dynamic driver with an asymmetric internal and external dual magnetic circuit design. The asymmetric dual magnetic circuit design is a very mature headphone acoustic design solution that helps the headphones achieve better sound quality by increasing magnetic density and uniformity. The impedance of JD1 is only 24Ω, making it easy-to-drive the earbuds. In daily use, you can easily use FiiO JD1 to listen to music whether using a portable decoding headphone amp or an audio adapter cable.
Sound Description of FiiO JadeAudio JD1
The soundstage of FiiO JD1 is wide, the sound is natural, and it shows rich musical details. The sound lines are clear, and there is good separation between vocals and background sounds. JD1 can clearly reproduce some subtle parts of music.
At the same time, I was very pleasantly surprised by the mid- and high-frequency parts. The high-frequency is bright and transparent, and you can feel the soft and smooth air when listening to classical and delicate female voices. The low-frequency quantity is abundant and the extension is also deep. If you usually listen to more pop music, you will really like the refreshing hearing that FiiO JD1 can bring you. However, I personally feel that JD1 has a bit too much low-frequency performance, and it is not the more restrained low-frequency hearing that I like.
Sound Comparison: FiiO JD1 vs. Moondrop CHU II
FiiO JD1’s low-frequency extension is deeper, the outline is relatively fuller, the low-frequency quantity is sufficient but not excessive, and the control and atmosphere are very good. The vocal image will be slightly forward (eyes position), the mouth shape will be clear, bright, and full of emotion.
The timbre is slightly biased towards rigidity, and the momentum is fast and furious. The treble quality is very good, condensed and clear (characteristics of the liquid crystal diaphragm), rich in details, and the brightness and control are very good. However, due to the slightly larger size of each detailed imaging, the airiness of complexly arranged music may not be enough.
Compared with Moondrop CHU II, the mids are fuller and have more stable power. It is similar in style to SIMGOT EA1000.
The final feeling is that Moondrop CHU II has a better airiness at extremely high-frequency. The overtones are vivid, the full-frequency control is exquisite, the tri-frequency is balanced, and the timbre style is slightly softer.
Overall, I feel that FiiO JD1 can express European and American pop, rock, and electronic music better. Moondrop CHU II appeals to a kind of freehand brushwork, or a pursuit of airiness.
Conclusion
FiiO JD1 is completely beyond the level of $20 products. Its hardware configuration and acoustic tuning are close to those of higher-priced dynamic earbuds, only slightly lacking in some details.
FiiO JadeAudio JD1 specs and features:
- 10mm LCP dynamic driver
- Front-rear cavity balanced pressure relief
- Asymmetrical internal and external magnetic circuits
- Liquid die-cast zinc alloy faceplate
- Comes with 3 sets of eartips, headphone cable, user manual
- $14 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, other Amazon countries or Banggood