Fiio FH5 VS Kiwi Ears Septet

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Fiio FH5 and Kiwi Ears Septet use 1DD+3BA and 1DD+4BA+1Planar+1PZT driver setups respectively. Fiio FH5 costs $250 while Kiwi Ears Septet costs $269. Kiwi Ears Septet is $19 more expensive. Kiwi Ears Septet holds a decisive 1.5-point edge in reviewer scores (5.8 vs 7.3). Kiwi Ears Septet has better mids with a 0.5-point edge, Kiwi Ears Septet has better treble with a 0.5-point edge and Kiwi Ears Septet has significantly better soundstage with a 1.5-point edge.

Insights

Metric Fiio FH5 Kiwi Ears Septet
Bass 5.5 7.3
Mids 4.5 5
Treble 4.5 5
Details 5 7.3
Soundstage 5.5 7
Imaging 5 7.3
Dynamics 5.8 6
Tonality 5.2 7.1
Technicalities 5.3 7.2

Fiio FH5 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Nymz
Shuwa-T Precogvision
Crin
Super* Review

Average Reviewer Score:

5.8

Mixed


Kiwi Ears Septet Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Jaytiss
Jays Audio
IEMRanking AI

Average Reviewer Score:

7.3

Generally Favorable


Fiio FH5 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Kiwi Ears Septet User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Fiio FH5 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

5.2

Gaming Grade

C+

Kiwi Ears Septet Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

7.1

Gaming Grade

A-

Fiio FH5 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

C+
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

C+
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Bass B-
Average bass performance - present but unremarkable. Has reasonable texture but lacks depth and physicality.
Mids C
Midrange is passable but unrefined. Lacks detail and smoothness, with occasional harshness in upper mids.
Treble C
Average treble performance - present but lacking refinement. Some graininess or splashiness affects clarity.
Soundstage B-
Decent spatial presentation with noticeable width. Some depth perception but height dimension remains underdeveloped.
Details C+
Decent detail retrieval. Handles most textures adequately though micro-details and ambient cues could be more pronounced.
Imaging C+
Decent positional accuracy. Good left/right placement with acceptable center image, though depth positioning is approximate.
Gaming C+
Fundamental left/right positioning with limited depth perception. Works for non-competitive gaming but lacks precision. Value-to-cost may not be optimal for gaming-focused users.

Kiwi Ears Septet Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A-
  • Competent technical presentation. Handles separation and detail well in most tracks, with modest soundstage and acceptable imaging capabilities.
Mids C+
Decent midrange performance - balanced but unremarkable. Adequate clarity for most genres without notable flaws.
Treble C+
Decent treble with acceptable extension and detail. Can sound slightly unrefined but avoids being harsh or sibilant.
Dynamics B
Good dynamic expression with solid impact. Handles volume contrasts well while maintaining good transient snap.
Soundstage A-
Excellent spatial presentation - wide, deep and tall. Precise instrument placement with clear separation in all dimensions.
Gaming A-
Good fundamental spatial awareness for most gaming scenarios. Handles basic positioning well but may lack nuance in complex situations. Value-to-cost may not be optimal for gaming-focused users.

Fiio FH5 Reviews

Super* Review 8* * score normalized
check links for more info:

Super* Review original ranking

Super* Review Youtube Channel
- Super* Review
Crin 6 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
B Tech
Stellar bass response and decent technical ability, not much to fault.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel
- Crin
Shuwa-T 5.2 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
C+ Tech
Clarity improvement over the FH3

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

- Shuwa-T
Bass: C+ Mids: C+ Treble: C+ Soundstage: B- Details: B- Imaging: C+
Precogvision 5 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
C+ Tech
Easily the best Fiio IEM. Warm, pleasant tuning with decent detail.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
- Precogvision
Nymz 4.7 Reviewer Score
C Tuning
C Tech
Discontinued. Stellar bass response. Treble and timbre are a bit off, but still a solid offer and not much else to complain about. Detail is enough to keep up with the tunning.

Nymz original ranking

Nymz Website

- Nymz
Bass: B Mids: C- Treble: C- Details: C Imaging: C+

Kiwi Ears Septet Reviews

Jays Audio 7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Bright-leaning with slight warmness - has an unique sparkly/lush, airy, and spacious sound. Great tech for the price, treble is not overly harsh or peaky (at mid volume), pretty smooth with the extra mid-bass balancing out the treble boost. Vocals are pushed back/not fully extended and not as prominent. Mid-volume set, doesn't scale well. Gets spicy with energetic genres past mid-volume. Great for instrumentals, acoustics, indie, classical, etc.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel
- Jays Audio
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Price: $269

Buy Kiwi Ears Septet on Linsoul
Jaytiss 6.8 Reviewer Score
B- Tuning
C+ Tech
A unique open back iem.

Jaytiss original ranking

Jaytiss Youtube Channel
- Jaytiss
Mids: C+ Treble: C+ Dynamics: B Soundstage: A-
IEMRanking AI 8 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
S- Tech

The Kiwi Ears Septet delivers a neutral-bright sound signature characterized by clear vocals and a notably forward treble that enhances detail retrieval, particularly in female vocals and acoustic instruments. Its bass response is neutral and controlled, lacking the weight of closed-back designs but offering tight, fast decay. While this tuning excels with well-recorded tracks, it can become fatiguing with bright or poorly mastered material due to its upper-midrange and treble emphasis. The open-back design contributes to an airy presentation, though it reduces isolation significantly.

Technically, the Septet showcases a wide soundstage with precise imaging and strong microdynamics, allowing subtle instrumental textures to shine. Its seven-driver quadbrid configuration (dynamic, balanced armature, planar, and piezoelectric) integrates cohesively through a sophisticated 5-way crossover. However, the low sensitivity (95dB) demands powerful sources to avoid dynamic compression, and the open-back design makes it less suitable for noisy environments despite its comfortable fit.

Buy Kiwi Ears Septet on Linsoul (affiliate)

- IEMRanking AI

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