FiiO FA19 review: 10-driver IEMs are glorious overkill

Introduction

Once any wired headphones nudge over the four figure mark they’re firmly into enthusiast territory; when a pair of in-ear monitors (IEMs) does it, those enthusiasts rightly expect something special. With a whopping ten drivers per ear, the FiiO FA19 takes the “more is more” approach – but also rejects class norms by going all-in on balanced armatures.

Most IEMs take a hybrid approach that uses dynamic drivers to bring the bass, but isn’t the last word in precision or clarity. FiiO’s flagship isn’t short of either, yet also delivers the sort of low-end oomph you don’t expect from balanced armature tech. With a distinctive yet comfortable design and comprehensive accessory pack, there’s little doubt you’re getting what you pay for. But at $999/£999, can these seriously pricey earphones really sing more sweetly than the boutique multi-driver IEMs flowing out of China, as well as more established flagships such as the Shure SE846 2nd-gen and Sennheiser IE-900?

Design & build: resin for being

FiiO hasn’t just gone against the grain with its audio hardware; each FA19 earbud eschews aluminium for acrylic. The shells have been 3D printed out of semi-transparent resin that shows off the decade of drivers lurking inside, and capped with a geometric pattern that nicely compliments the silver braided cable.

They look and feel suitably high-end, with a sculpted shape that sat very snugly in my outer ears. They’re impressively light given how many drivers have been squeezed inside, and the shell is easy to grip when adjusting the fit. These are still chunky IEMs, mind; I couldn’t lie comfortably in my side without the driver housing being forced into my ear canal.

The only embellishments are the small silver grille on each ear that indicates these are vented earphones (which should help relieve pressure build-up and are a rarity among balanced armature IEMs) and a small switch on the top, which physically toggles between two tuning modes. They’re set to Monitor mode, which is a bit more reserved at the low end, by default; Hi-Fi adds some extra bass for those that want it.

Any high-end earphones worth their salt use detachable cables, and the FA19 is no different. FiiO has gone for MMCX connectors, but not the cheap kind that threatens to detach with anything more than a light breeze. There’s a reason the firm includes a removal tool in the box; these things hold on tight.

The cable itself is equally top-tier. Its eight strands have been braided in a way that majorly cuts down on tangles, and micro-phonics are kept at a minimum too. pre-formed ear hooks kept the earphones in place and the wires out of my face. I was grateful for the modular plugs, which let you swap between 3.5mm and 4.4mm connectors when going between unbalanced and balanced sources without having to detach the IEMs themselves – or break out the tool kit. There’s no 2.5mm connector, but I didn’t miss it – the standard is pretty rare these days.

Features: every box ticked

Extensive doesn’t even begin to describe the FiiO FA19’s collection of add-ins and accessories. As well as a cleaning brush, magnetic cable clip, cable removal tool and the aforementioned 3.5mm and 4.4mm cable connectors, a whopping eighteen sets of ear tips has to be the most I’ve ever seen bundled with one pair of earphones.

Twelve sets live in their own little plastic case, with labels indicating what each one is best for: bass, vocals, overall balance, double-flange for the best seal, and memory foam for peak comfort. The extras aren’t so neatly presented, but are normally sold separately, so are a welcome inclusion all the same.

I almost wish FiiO shipped the FA19 without any tips fitted to the earphones in the box; comfort, background noise isolation and sound signature all vary greatly until you find the pair that fit your ears perfectly. The foam tips in particular are a game changer for stopping exterior sound in its tracks.

The leather-wrapped, velvet-lined carry case is a bit like a jewellery box, and is reassuringly solid; it kept the earphones safe and the cable free from knots while stashed in my backpack. There’s just enough space to slide in a few accessories, too. I kept the cleaning brush close by, mainly because the thin end came in handy for tweaking the tuning switch on each earbud.

Sound quality: in-ear orchestra

Straight out of the box, the FA19 puts in a superb performance. FiiO has gone for a neutral-warm signature that suits a whole host of genres, with bass definition that got so much lower than I was expecting considering the all-balanced armature arrangement. Royal Blood’s Supermodel Avalanches sounded effortlessly impactful, with an impressive amount of low-end subtlety on display.

Switching the tuning mode from Monitor to HiFi adds even more oomph here; FiiO likes to deliver plenty of bass, and anyone that likes the same will be very happy. Personally I think it goes a little too heavy, sapping definition from the sub-bass synth on Burial’s Phoneglow.

The vented design can’t produce a soundstage on par with a pair of open-back headphones, but the presentation is still wonderfully wide, with great separation and layering of instruments. Mid-range and vocal frequencies really benefit from this sort of driver setup, with a level of intelligibility and cleanness dynamic driver in-ears really struggle to match. Importantly, the frequency crossover points – where one set of drivers cuts out and the next set takes over – are all but imperceptible.

Impedance is low, so you don’t need an especially beefy DAC/AMP to run the FA19 – but sensitivity is such that it’ll magnify any weaknesses in your source.

If I have any bugbears, it’s that the treble could sometimes be just a little bit too spicy. Cymbals and breathy female vocals were the main offenders, but was very track-dependent. The hi-hats on Keeno’s Enigma sounded especially sharp and shrill, but Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy was judged brilliantly. If you’re particularly sensitive to high frequencies, some EQ-ing may be in order. Others will appreciate the intensity and definition this tune brings to your music library. Film soundtracks and orchestral scores in particular are properly breath-taking.

FiiO FA19 verdict

The FA19 manages to be the best of both worlds. It has the technical brilliance and accuracy of a balanced armature earphone, with the more engaging bass response of a dynamic driver model. There’s a level of clarity here that lesser IEMs simply can’t match, in sharp-looking shells that are very comfortable to wear. The vented design also helps prevent pressure built-up during long listening sessions. An unparalleled ear tip selection guarantees you’ll find the perfect fit eventually, and the rest of the package is as comprehensive as it gets.

Even ignoring the price, these absolutely aren’t everyman in-ears; they demand a high quality source to hear them at their best, and some might want to reign in the top end frequencies just a little. It also takes a certain subset of audiophile to drop $1000/£1000 on a pair of earphones without blinking. Those that do, though, will be blown away by the FA19’s range.

FiiO FA19 technical specifications

Drivers	10x balanced armature (4x bass drivers, 2x mid drivers, 4x treble drivers) per ear
ANC	No
Frequency response	20 Hz–40 kHz
Impedance	10ohms at 1kHz
Cable type	3.5mm/4.4 mm to MMCX
Cable length	1.2m
Dimensions	7g (per ear)