FiiO FW3 Wireless In Ear Earphones

The FiiO FW3 are true wireless earbuds built like a hi-fi product. Each earbud has its own AKM AK4332 DAC and headphone amplifier, fed by a Snapdragon Sound certified Qualcomm QCC5141 Bluetooth 5.2 chip with LHDC and aptX Adaptive. A 10mm carbon-based dynamic driver, four physical buttons, a 10-band parametric EQ and up to 21 hours of listening with the case make them a strong choice if you want wireless earbuds that put sound first.

A dedicated DAC in each earbud

Most wireless earbuds decode music inside the Bluetooth chip. The FW3 hands it to a separate AKM AK4332 “Velvet Sound” DAC with a built-in headphone amplifier instead. FiiO quotes a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 106dB, distortion as low as -96dB and a dynamic range of up to 102dB, measured on the FW3’s own circuit.

Hi-res Bluetooth you can control

The dual-core QCC5141 chip keeps the connection stable and handles LHDC, aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC; over LHDC it streams up to 24-bit/96kHz. In FiiO’s app you can choose which codecs the earbuds are allowed to use, so they don’t settle on a lower-quality one by default. A low-latency game mode brings the delay down to under 100ms, which keeps games and fast-moving films in sync.

A 10mm carbon-based driver, tuned for voices

The 10mm dynamic driver has a light carbon-based diaphragm for quick transients and low distortion. FiiO’s in-ear team tuned both the digital and analogue stages, and a PU gasket around the diaphragm is there to bring out the timbre of vocals. FiiO’s chief IEM engineer sums up the FW3’s strength as its reproduction of mid-range vocals, with clear, delicate detail on strings.

EQ, buttons and battery

The FiiO Control app adds a 10-band parametric EQ, where you set the frequency, gain and Q of each band, as well as ready-made presets. Each earbud has two physical buttons, set at right angles to the way you wear it, so you can press them without pushing the earbud into your ear and without the accidental taps of touch controls. The earbuds last about 7 hours and the 380mAh case adds about 14 more, around 21 hours in all. The earbuds charge in about 1 hour, and the case in about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Good to know

• LHDC and aptX Adaptive need a phone that supports them; iPhones use AAC.
• LDAC: firmware v0.5 added optional LDAC support. It is off by default: update the earbuds and turn LDAC on in the FiiO Control app on a compatible phone. Because both earbuds share the bandwidth, FiiO describes LDAC support as conditional: compatibility and connection stability vary by phone (Snapdragon Sound phones work best), and you can switch it off again if the sound drops out.
• There’s no active noise cancelling: the ear tips do the isolating, so getting the right size matters.
• FiiO’s HS18 ear tips come in the box and are also sold separately.
• FiiO’s other true wireless earbuds: the FW5 and the JW1.
• In the box: charging case, USB cable, HS18 and balanced ear tips (S/M/L), cleaning tools and quick start guide.