FiiOEM5 Hi-Res Earphones,Beryllium-Coated 1DD Earbuds,Strong Bass,Silver Cable,Swappable Plug 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm

Last year I rediscovered the Venture Electronics Monk+ earphones which had been sitting neglected in a draw for years. Sometimes comfort is the most important factor and I found that none of my headphones or 'in ear monitors' would do. The VEs were more enjoyable than I remembered, which encouraged me to experiment with a variety of other 'flathead' earbuds, all budget 'mx500' style, but also these much more expensive Fiios.The Fiio EM5s are clearly in a different league to the cheaper 'buds I bought, there is much more information going into my ears, more detail, dynamics and variety of tonal colour. These are the only flat earbuds I ever used that are good enough to do justice to classical music. The experience is much closer to over-ear or on-ear headphones, albeit with little low bass (which is to be expected). The problem is that they sound like a pair of full size headphones which I wouldn't be particularly enthusiastic about, there is a touch of stridency in the upper midrange which can sometimes spoil the experience.

Absolutely amazing sounding earbuds, never thought earbuds could sound so good. Nice open sound with bass which is not easy for earbuds. Cable is very good quality and detachable plugs great idea. They’re not the easiest to fit in ears , I’m using earbud fins which work really well. I’m using them with my Fiio M11 on balanced output.....fantastic. If you don’t like in ear earbuds then these are for you ....much more open sound.

Sorpredenti per la grande qualita' del suono da un piccolo auricolare. Molto dettagliati e quindi e' importante avere fonti di buona qualita'.

I don't think it's worth the $300 price tag to be honest, but the sound quality is amazing. I managed to grab these on prime day for $50 dollars off new and am pretty happy with my purchase.Pros:- Mid-bass presence is what makes this earbud- Low fatigue, able to use for long periods of time (~5 or 6 hrs)- Open design gives good soundstage- Swappable plug nice bonusCons:- Fit was on the smaller side for me*- Lower bass frequencies suffer as a result of the open earbud design, no seal like other closed IEMs*I think these buds are designed to be used with the foam bud wraps but this muddied the bass response for me. And even with the added bulk from the foam, the fit was still small. I had to find a rubber wrap and another foam wrap with a center cut-out in order for the fit to be nice and snug. Otherwise it always felt like they were gonna fall out. Who knows, maybe my ears are bigger than average.. either way, dinged 1 star from comfort because the initial fit was not as comfortable.

The FiiO EM5 is an enjoyable set of earbuds that yields clear, detailed sound. I recommend burning in before listening. I use the Balanced foams, and haven't tried the other types. Bass comes across well-defined but doesn't overpower. Mids are clear and well-rounded, instruments are easy to distinguish and come across well in all genres. Both male and female voices come across beautifully - no shoutiness or distortion in the highs. This is a musical earbud, very good for listening to classical, jazz, vocalists, bluegrass/newgrass, acoustic musics. (I haven't listened to other genres.) Soundstage is wide with positioning of performers well defined, depending on the recording. The earbuds are comfortable. YMMV.These make for very enjoyable listening!