Right on, thank you for the insight, will put this on my short list
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Glad i could help, but i am not a reviewer so please take my impressions with a grain of salt 
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Its all grains around here man, I take in everything, all impressions matter so I appreciate the reply.
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I would also be interested in how the Zen handles Vortex - Make them Suffer⊠That is a lot of speed and complexity for a single DD. Curious how it handles it.
Also @Strifeff7 thanks for introducing this song to me. Always happy to find an interesting metalcore band.
Vortex doesnât have the cleanest low end to begin with, just worth noting, that kick is pretty loose. Elevated low end can muddle that track real quick.
This place is dangerous lol - read through a lot of this thread and couldnât help but pull the trigger on a set. Canât wait to see what they sound like, how they compare to the Legacy 2s and the Teas and Iâm interested as to how different they might sound to me and my ears.
Will want to get a balanced cable but slightly concerned if the mmcx connection is as tight as some folk have said - other IEMs are all 2-pin - so any advice on changing without breaking something would be appreciated.
Get a mmcx removal tool like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Accessories-Connectors-Disconnection-Headphone-Disconnect/dp/B08P1Y3LR9
It pushes the connection apart rather than pulling on if you were trying to use your hands.
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yes, a comparison would be interesting,
Just wanted to give a little heads up about my experience with the FH3s.
Bought my pair on March 23rd and just a couple weeks ago the DD either died or is damaged because it sounds like the bass has been removed significantly to the point where low freqs are only reproduced on the left and is super weird to listen to.
I never really do RMAs or manufacturer returns because of the wait time but i did contact FiiO and they were open to replace them if i sent out the damaged ones back, instead i just bought a pair of Arias with 1 day prime shipping and have been enjoying them ever since.
I really liked the FH3s while they lasted but i would much rather my IEMs last more than a couple of months.
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That sucks dude. Mine have been going strong ~6months. How do the arias compare?
Less bass and slightly smaller soundstage. With the FH3s i was able to tell that the highs sounded a little metalicky (?) if thats a word probably because of the BAs which i dont hear in the aria.
Overall, iâm probably gonna end up RMAing the FH3s or buying a second pair because the FH3s are truly a good IEM in my mind, just thought that QA would be a little better since i bought it roughly 8 months after release.
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Yup! We call that BA timbre. Perfect description. Iâve described it as a âcrunchyâ character to the treble.
I was almost sold until he said, the FD3 has more midbass. Iâm gonna keep my FH3.
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It is not just the midbass, there is a lot that is just more in quantity on the FD3 vs the FH3. The FD3 defiantly has a much more defined V-shape to itâs sound with more of the bass energy carrying into the lower mids and a much more dramatic rise starting later then the FH3 into the upper mids/treble.
If these 2 IEMs were boxers then the FH3 would be a technical out boxer throwing precise blows and the FH3 would be a slugger of an in boxer just beating opponents with brute force.
Just a little follow up to this, i sent out my FH3s to FiiO on the 5th and today (14th) my replacement was delivered. Hearing them again when theyâre fully working really puts a smile on my face, compared to the Aria for the type of music i listen to, no competition⊠at all.
Customer Support wise FiiO really made a good first-impression with me about warranty, they sent me out an address in California to ship them out and a day after they were delivered i got a tracking number and an email saying my replacement would be shipped out the following day. Amazing stuff.
I listen to mostly fast-paced EDM being mostly harder styles like hardcore, some hardstyle here and there and some chiptunes for nostalgia. The amount of clarity it offers when a ton of stuff is going on is insane and miles above the Aria, and the bass which works oh so well with hardstyle kicks and hardcore basslines. Amazing IEM and im glad i can listen to them again.
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I am no longer using Hiby Music app for my iem FiiO FH3. Iâm using UAPP now + phone + FiiO Q3 dac-amp. With bit perfect mode (no EQ at all), the sound just gets better. I also off bass boost on Q3. The bass mid and treble, everything just perfect for me. I donât know what else to ask. I just did tips rolling too, bought Deep Mount Radius (size XS) as per @Rikudou_Goku recommendation. It is very comfortable to my small ears, sounds good too. I also use 4.4 balanced copper cable, which enhances the soundstage and dynamics. This FH3 is really a good all rounder. This is my only iem other than Tin Hifi T5, which is inferior
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How it happened? U heat gun it? Under hot sun?
As far as I could discern, there are only two to three things holding the mmcx port in place: a small amount of adhesive (CA glue, I think) under the port within its slot and a small internal faceplate extrusion which theoretically locks the port from being able to be pulled out of the socket once both are in place. The faceplate itself is also fastened in place with some strong jell-like adhesive.
Since the mmcx connection is so tight on this IEM, if the port was not properly secured into place with an appropriate amount/ strength adhesive and the faceplate adhesive were not strong enough to hold it alone, one could simply end up being able to rotate the entire port within its slot on purpose or on accident which would simultaneously pull on the internal wires and have the effect of pushing the faceplate away from the locking position. One could notice the physical effects of this as a somewhat âwigglyâ mmcx cable connection (which is actually port wiggle), a slight rise in the position of the faceplate, and even some exposed faceplate adhesive (which just ends up getting smudged away over time).
In this case a proper amount/ strength adhesive just holding the faceplate in place could permit the port to be fastened strong enough for the iem to still work but with potential auditory issues on the left and or right channels (since the internal wires are being jostled). If the faceplate adhesive was not adequate to begin with or enough of it has come off over time then an owner could end up on purpose or on accident being able to rotate the entire socket in place and destroy one or two of the internal port connections. If both are destroyed then the port can come out. Thus explaining some of the online reviews for the FH3 Left/Right Channel imperfections/ imbalances, as well as entire ports being ripped out on accident.
In my case, the left piece port had already become wiggly enough because no adhesive was holding it down in its socket, the faceplate had already risen enough because the port was wiggling it out of position as the cable was rotated, and enough of the faceplate adhesive had already been smudged off, that I could just use my fingernail to pry the faceplate off.
Fiio could either have used screws or used more/better adhesive, in any case locked the mmcx port into place a little better and or not have implemented such a strong mmcx connection, these issues could have been prevented, this should not be an issue with a $100+ IEM.