There is no doubt that FiiO FD15 is fully qualified as an iterative version, and it is obviously stronger than FiiO FD5. It is not an exaggeration to call it an upgrade.
FiiO FD15 specs and features:
- 316L stainless steel shell
- 13.8mm large dynamic driver
- Magnalium diaphragm DLC gasket
- Furukawa monocrystalline silver-plated copper braided headphone cable
- Tesla valve patented bass enhancement acoustic design
- Comes with 15 sets of eartips, 2 swappable plugs, 2 sets of sound nozzles, etc
- $150 – Check latest price on AliExpress, Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Appearance Design, Workmanship and Accessories
The FiiO FD15 earphone cavity is made of 316L stainless steel, which gives them a strong and durable feature. After a series of fine processing, including powder metallurgy high-temperature sintering, composite process, hand-polishing and PVD electroplating, it finally presents a mirror effect. I don’t know what you think of this appearance, but I personally think that FD15 is quite textured.
FD15 continues the design style of FiiO FD5, inherits its classic design elements, and optimizes them. Not only does it bring a fresh look, it also has a positive impact on the sound quality, providing better sound insulation and sound concentration. Plus, the optimization of the sound mouth angle makes it more comfortable to wear, and it will not cause discomfort to the ears even if used for a long time.
The FD15 comes standard with 22AWG, 480-core Furukawa monocrystalline copper + Furukawa monocrystalline silver-plated copper braided headphone cable – the same as LC-RC2024. For the tuning of the FD series, FiiO defines it as a pop vocal style, and highlighting the tone, so the headphone cable is specially adjusted to a coaxial structure design. With 20 0.08mm Furukawa single crystal copper silver-plated wires as the axis, and 100 0.05mm Furukawa single crystal copper wires wrapped around the periphery as a shielding conductive layer, it can effectively shield signal interference, and also adjust the mid-frequency vocal positioning to make the vocal more prominent.
However, I think there is a little shortcoming. Although a single earphone weighs only 12g, because the headphone cable is heavy, it will naturally droop when worn, which will bring a sense of weight to the ears.
It is worth mentioning that if you feel that the vocals are positioned forward, you can also replace the LC-RC monocrystalline silver-plated copper cable or LC-RD pure silver cable. Plus, the FD15 also adopts a replaceable plug design, equipped with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs, which is convenient for users to choose according to different devices and needs.
In terms of accessories, the packaging is equipped with 3 pairs of balanced eartips (M-size pre-installed on the headphones), 3 pairs of vocal eartips, 3 pairs of bass eartips, 2 pairs of foam eartips, 3 pairs of HS18 eartips, HB11 storage case, headphones cable, MMCX quick release tool, cleaning brush, 3.5mm/4.4mm swappable plugs, and 2 sets of swappable sound nozzles.
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$190 – FiiO FD5 Review
Hardware Configuration and Acoustic Structure
The design concept of the driver system of FiiO FD15 is derived from the HI-END sound system, integrating many excellent features. It uses a 13.8mm dynamic driver, which is 1.38 times larger in diameter than the previous model and has a 40% increase in diaphragm area. This unit size is unique among in-ear earphones, and can push more air, obtain greater energy, achieve lower low-frequency extension and better dynamic performance.
FD15 adopts a large-size sound coil design, which increases the sound coil to Φ8.6mm. Plus, it also adopts a 1.5T external magnetic drive structure. The external magnetic design can obtain a larger magnet size and strong magnetic properties, providing driving force and stability for high-specification diaphragm and acoustic design.
The diaphragm is composed of a magnesium-aluminum alloy dome and an independent DLC gasket with a narrow edge design – presenting a W shape. As a hard metal material, the magnesium-aluminum alloy dome can effectively solve the split vibration caused by high-speed vibration, reduce distortion, ensure the cleanness of the sound, and improve high-frequency resolution. The DLC material is selected as the suspension system to ensure the stability of the diaphragm movement. Compared with the small sound coil + large arc diaphragm design, the W-shaped diaphragm design has a much larger actual effective diaphragm vibration area.
Sound Quality of FiiO FD15
From the perspective of tri-frequency, FiiO FD15 can be said to be very balanced and excellent compared to its competitors at the same price.
Low-frequency and mid-frequency: The low-frequency is deep and powerful, with good elasticity and rhythm, and can create a rich atmosphere. The mid-frequency vocals have enough details and thickness, and the vocals are clear and appealing. At the same time, the texture of the instrumental music is also fully expressed, and the timbre and emotion of each instrument can be accurately conveyed.
High-frequency: The high-frequency is bright, clear and detailed, and can show the subtleties in the music. In some classical music and instrumental performances, the performance of high-frequency can make the audience feel the crispness and pleasantness of the instrument. However, it is slightly worse in terms of the clarity and penetration of the treble, and is more suitable for some softer tracks.
Soundstage: The sound is spread out in a wide space. The horizontal soundstage can clearly present the position of different instruments and sound elements, so that there is enough separation between them without feeling crowded or chaotic. At the same time, the instrumental extension and vocal breath of the vertical soundstage are very natural, and the layers and depth of the sound can be clearly felt.
Overall, the low-frequency is deep and powerful, full of elasticity and rhythm, and can create a strong atmosphere. The mid-frequency vocals are clear and contagious, rich in details, and can accurately convey the singer’s emotions. The high-frequency is bright and clear, and the details are well displayed. However, the clarity and extension of the treble can be improved.
Conclusion
FiiO FD15 has excellent performance in appearance, workmanship, accessories and sounding. It inherits the excellent features of FiiO FD5 and has been upgraded and improved in many aspects, and the price is only half of the previous model. In my opinion, the FD15 is a choice worth considering for users who pursue high-quality music experience or for consumers who focus on great budget.
Check the FiiO FD15 price:
- Check latest price on AliExpress
- Check latest price on Amazon US
- Check latest price on Amazon Germany
- Check latest price on other Amazon countries
