Once again, Fidue have released another iteration of their popular line-up: the Fidue A65. Much like DUNU, it is a respectable Chinese brand within the audiophile community for its dedication in achieving an outstanding sound coupled with great aesthetics.
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| Meet Fidue A65 |
Priced at $65, it is quite rare for a headphone of this type to include micro dynamic titanium drivers but it is a welcomed and even necessary change to renew the low-budget arena of in-ears.
What you get - the box & accessories
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| The packaging |
The Fidue box is recognisable with a slide out top that opens much like a jewelry box compartment. It is a standard design and consistent with the Fidue brand and their line-up.
Included in accessories are 3 pairs of small, medium and large silicone tips and 1 pair of double-flange tips. The signature high-quality leather pouch is also available with a shirt-tip side.
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| The pouch |
Build quality & Fit
The design of the Fidue A65 is very much reminiscent of DUNU’s DN-2000 headphones. They both feature a bullet-shaped design and similar colour choices with the A65 opting for a more rose-gold shade and the DUNU a champagne-gold hue. The two also differ slightly in shape with the A65 being more like a triangular prism and the DN-2000 a cylinder.
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| The bullet-shaped design |
Nevertheless, both earphones look to be very durable. My preference leans towards DN-2000 for the all-metal inclusion and general build. However, the Fidue A65 provides a much better fit compared to the DN-2000’s rather weighty presence.
The earphones also happen to include a microphone which again is quite unusual for the Fidue line-up especially. This addition may help to bridge the gap between the mass market and audiophile one or to even provide an entry-level model; a quite well-implemented decision from Fidue’s behalf.
Sound impressions
Lows
Bass is neither boosted nor recessed but flat within the overall mix of tracks. For its price, I am impressed at its ability to handle songs with bass drops and sub-bass extension. With that said however, it is not as controlled as the Sennheiser Momentum’s nor is it tight as the Rock-it Sounds R-50. One thing that bass has going for is that it never bleeds into higher frequencies like the Alpha & Delta AD01; thus, bass is called upon when needed and disappears when not.
Mids
I’d never thought I’d be as surprised as I am for the midsection of this IEM especially for this price range. It is just exquisite; there is a real sense of airiness and mid-forward signature that characterises the Fidue house sound which is so compelling and enchanting to my ears. It’s really a smooth warm ride where the sound is devoid of any discernible peaks or edginess that BA-armatures can often give out. I am particularly impressed at how full a sound this IEM achieves and the great musicality it renders; a definite keeper.
Highs
As the overall sound is a balanced one, the treble is neither boosted nor recessed akin to the mids and bass. Although there is good extension and decent amounts of detail in this part of the frequency range, it is nowhere near the best at achieving the sparkling clarity of the Rock-it Sounds R-50. However, the highs mirror the midrange frequencies in that they are pleasant and smooth. There is really no aggression anywhere and again, the A65 are an excellent choice for night-time listening or any time for that matter where perhaps you want a smooth and airy delivery of music.
Soundstage & Imaging
Soundstage is quite a bit larger than average and tracks are very airy with vocals being diffuse yet still carrying heft to command authority. I am pleasantly surprised once again at this price, what the Fidue A65 is able to achieve. Instrument separation however is average with no ultra-distinct definitions of instrument within the tracks due to the aforementioned diffuse nature of the midrange frequencies.
Conclusion
Overall, the Fidue A65 is an IEM that is great for its $65 price. Warm and fulfilling, the sound signature is engaging and is a really a must buy due to its excellent value for money. There are certain improvements however that Fidue could implement to take this iteration to the next level. This would include better clarity levels to make the sound more analytical. I realise that this is a preference in sound but I am always amazed at how the Rock-it Sounds R-50 are able to capture a mixture of an analytical yet sweet and perhaps musical sound signature. The A65 could also do this by resolving more micro-details whilst still retaining that airy and musical styling. Once again, an incredibly solid effort from the up and coming Chinese company.
Specifications
- Driver Unit: 8mm dynamic Drive with Titanium Composites
- Frequency response: 16Hz - 22000 Hz
- Rated impedance: 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 101db
- Distortion: <1%
- Max Input Power: 30mW
- Plug: 3.5mm mini stereo gold-plated plug
- Cable: 1.3m
- Sensitivity of Mic: -42+-3db
- S/N Ratio of Mic: ＞55db
Pros
- Outstanding midrange; airy, full and engaging
- Great durable design
- Comfortable fit
- Ability to wear straight down or over-the-ear.
- Outstanding value for money
Cons
- Treble could have better extension
- Details could be more resolving
Verdict
This is a must-buy at this price point!
