FiiO FH19 Flagship Hybrid IEMs with 2 Dynamic and 6 BA Drivers

The FiiO FH19 is FiiO’s flagship hybrid in-ear monitor and a significant upgrade on the much-loved FH9, co-developed with Tokyo Onkyo in Japan and Knowles in the USA. Each earpiece has eight drivers: a push-pull pair of 13.7mm dynamic drivers for the bass, four custom Knowles balanced armatures with enhanced midrange, and a Knowles SWFK dual tweeter, in a four-way design with Rubycon film capacitors, a mid-frequency notch filter, FiiO’s S.Turbo bass tube and a semi-open shell of titanium and 7000-series aluminium. A pure silver cable, three tuning filters and 22 pairs of ear tips are included. It won a CIHE EHA 2024 Gold Award and a VGP 2025 Summer Gold Award.

Building on the FH9

Three years after the FH9, FiiO’s first high-end flagship hybrid, became known as a great example of a balanced earphone, the FH19 builds on it with much user feedback. It keeps the FH9’s signature sound and flagship craftsmanship while adding a truly high-end acoustic design: richer, fuller mids and more robust yet agile bass, with a fit redesigned around the shape of the ear.

A four-way acoustic design

As the chief engineer of FiiO’s IEM R&D centre explains, the FH19 updates the bass and mid drivers and puts them into a more precisely controlled four-way crossover. The bass uses the custom push-pull dynamic pair with turbine low-frequency boost (S.Turbo) as a physical low-pass filter, for relaxed, natural bass. The mids use an innovative “3+1 semi-open” layout of balanced armatures with a new resonant cavity, giving two separately managed midrange zones for richer, more emotional mids. The treble keeps a coaxial design with an acoustic guide, plus Rubycon film capacitors, for high resolution with excellent tone.

Push-pull dual dynamic drivers

Developed with Tokyo Onkyo from push-pull technology used in high-end audio, the bass unit uses two 13.7mm high-magnetic dynamic drivers with PU and DLC composite diaphragms, facing each other. When one diaphragm pushes out, the other pulls in, so the pair moves as one with consistent phase: the driving force doubles, the diaphragms damp each other’s air for steadier movement, and residual sound stops cleanly when the signal does. Needing only half the movement of a normal driver for the same volume, they stay more linear with less intermodulation distortion, for a cleaner sound with deeper, more cohesive and faster bass.

A suspended voice coil

The voice coil leads run from the centre hole beneath the diaphragm and float within the gap, so there is no unnecessary contact or extra adhesive. Conventional diaphragms bond the coil leads with adhesive, adding weight and risking imbalance and coil rub; the suspended coil keeps the diaphragm’s movement even and smooth.

Custom Knowles midrange armatures

All six balanced armatures are from Knowles. For even better vocals, FiiO and Knowles created a custom mid-frequency armature with acoustic vents in its rear cavity, giving it more sound energy than a typical mid driver: rich, mellow vocals so real the singer could be beside you. A Knowles SWFK dual armature handles the treble.

A mid-frequency notch filter

Making so many drivers work as one is the essence of high-level tuning, so FiiO designed a mid-frequency notch filter for the FH19. It keeps the armatures’ resolution while raising the midrange level for denser, fuller vocals and a smooth hand-over from the dynamic drivers; it removes the 8kHz peak from the mid drivers, reducing their overlap with the tweeters to stop sibilance; and it brings the armatures’ crossover point forward so each has its own range. It works like a resonant cavity: near the cavity’s natural frequency, friction between the air and the walls turns sound energy into heat, absorbing that band, while other frequencies pass, giving a purely physical crossover.

Rubycon film capacitors and S.Turbo bass

Like the FA19, the FH19 uses high-precision Japanese Rubycon film capacitors in its crossover, with an error of just 0.1% against around 1% for typical crossover parts, for more precise crossover points, better phase alignment and more treble detail than ordinary ceramic capacitors. FiiO’s patented S.Turbo design (patent ZL2018211416279), inspired by supercar turbochargers, guides sound through a turbine-shaped tube for deep, vibrant bass while filtering excess mids and treble from the dynamic drivers for a smooth transition.

Semi-open design

The semi-open design praised in the FH9, FH7S, FH5S and FD5 returns, specially tuned with FiiO’s front and rear cavity pressure relief, for a more natural, relaxed sound with a wide soundstage and no pressure on your eardrums, so you can listen for hours without fatigue.

Titanium and aerospace aluminium

The shell is 7000-series aluminium, used in aircraft fuselages and wings for its strength, rigidity and corrosion resistance, keeping the FH19 light despite its drivers. The midframe, the part you touch most, is pure titanium, with a distinctive titanium colour and the toughness to resist everyday wear.

Flagship comfort

• 10° nozzle: after user feedback and many refinements, the nozzle is angled at 10° on the Y-axis (same length), for a more accurate, comfortable and stable fit.
• Gap-free fit: a new, more three-dimensional rear shell with ear-friendly ridges about 1.4mm thick that stop unwanted movement.
• Less pressure: the shell is about 1mm thinner where it meets the fold of your ear, reducing the feeling of pressure.

Three tuning filters

Pure silver cable and 22 pairs of ear tips

The cable (identical to FiiO’s LC-RD Pro 2022) is high-purity pure silver: 8 strands of 28 wires (224 in all), each enamel-insulated and Litz-braided, in a clear TPU sheath that resists yellowing and stiffening in the cold, with stainless steel expanded MMCX connectors and straight twist-lock 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs (a design licensed from FABRILOUS). Twenty-two pairs of ear tips include FiiO’s new HS20 (high-temperature moulded clear silicone), HS18 (0.4mm thin, with a wide bore) and SpinFit CP tips that rotate 360° for less pressure.

Good to know

• FiiO ships either the new or the older design of interchangeable plug; both are genuine and the cable is the same.
• The ear tips are: HS20, HS18, SpinFit, bass, balanced (M fitted) and vocal (three pairs each, S, M, L), plus foam and dual-flange (two pairs each, M).
• FiiO’s HS20 and HS18 tips are also sold separately: HS20 and HS18.