FiiO JD1 HIFI IEMs – Jade Audio Universe Of Metal Earphones
FiiO JD1 is a $15 USD Entry-Level IEMS that we’re going to shortly review today and see where the ultra entry-level range is at right now, exploring whether you can settle there, or if you should pursue a higher range when in this hobby.
Introduction
FiiO wnts to step up their game when it comes to entry-level IEMS, so today we have their most affordable IEM of this year, which is part of their sub brand Jade Audio, which currently is mostly swallowed by the FiiO branding, as having a separate brand for entry-level created too much confusion, and the quality of Jade audio products was still as good as most FiiO products are, just very affordable. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to FiiO for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Fairly good comfort, good build quality, good detail for the price, natural midrange, warm and large bass, sharp and clear treble.
Cons – At this price no cons.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/3yjhMsq
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
While some companies have far too little information about their products available, FiiO puts in great effort to have a lot of info available for each product, even those super affordable IEMs. We know JD1 uses 10mm dynamic drivers, with a lightweight shell that’s just 7 grams per unit.
JD1 offers very little passive noise isolation, but fairly good comfort, with a medium-deep fit, somewhat large bores, and tight cable that coils around your ear. The cable is quite springy and slihgtgly tangle prone, but it has a fair microphonic noise conduction.
With a 3.5mm single ended jack, we have 4 poles, because there is an inline microphone included with JD1. JD1 is one of the most sensitive IEMS out there, being really easy to drive, and going super loud super easily, so you can safely use them with a smartphone, entry-level DAC/AMP, and so on.
At this price point, to review the FD1 I have paired it with sources you’re somewhat likely to pair them with, including Creative Sound Blaster AE-9, Shanling Onix Alpha Xi1, iFi Zen DAC V3, Shanling H2 and Hiby R4. Despite being incredibly easy to drive, JD1 is not prone to hissing and background noise, which is pleasing, although they are clearly made for entry-level sources and do not scale with better sources.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – The tuning is a strongly V-Shaped one, with a boomy, bassy and high THD bass, clean, slightly recessed midrange, and a sharp, somewhat shouty treble. Considering that the main competitors are cheap supermarket earphones that can’t really reach 100 Hz in the lows, and which roll off around 6 kHz (I tested a few pairs from friends, for the sake of this review), we can say that JD1 sounds much cleaner and more detailed. At this price point, you’re far more likely to break the IEMS after 2-3 weeks of usage, but JD1 looks and feels like they can survive even more than a year of usage, which makes it a good alternative to entry-level IEMs.
Bass – The bass is fairly large in amount, reaches down to about 50 Hz, with a sharp roll off below. The bass in particular has a higher THD, showing vibration but also distortion and exaggerated amount easely. This being said, the tuning is best made for EDM, Pop, Commercial music and anything that’s mixed and mastered for radio.
Midrange – The mids are sweet, detailed and sharp, with excellent clarity for the meager price, good instrument separation, and a fair amount of texture too. You can actually hear a natural midrange, for both male and female voices, the sound is great for EDM, Pop, ACG, Electronic music, and just commercial music in general. You can expect Kesha, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake to sound pretty good with JD1, and the same can be said for K-Pop. Voices are projected forward, really intimate to the listener, giving you an in-your-ear feeling, while background instruments play around your head, with a good separation between the forward and the background layers.
Treble – To complement the warm and large bass, the treble is sharp, defined, and has extension up to about 13 kHz, which is very good for the price point. The treble is fairly smooth in texture, but can overwhelm the midrange at times. I noticed a lot of folks calling those bright, and the tonal balance is in favor of the upper midrange, with a colder, recessed lower midrange, resulting in the feeling of a colder sound. This being said, the treble is actually tastefully detailed, and doesn’t have quite that high of a THD, although the bass can have a high THD, shockingly with music that has low bass. With bassier tracks, the sound is controlled and has good contrast.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – A big part of why the sound can be considered excellent is JD1 has a smoother texture ion the midrange and the treble, which is different from what most KZ entry-level IEMs go for, as they are far more textured, and more fatiguing as a consequence. Dynamics are good, as much as you’d expect from an entry-level dynamic driver.
Volume Control – FiiO FD1 sounds better at higher volumes, losing control at lower volumes, while at lower volumes, the bass overwhelms the midrange a bit, and the treble is less bright, less shouty, the whole sound being far more enjoyable. This is unusual, as most entry-level IEMs can’t really sound good at high volumes, but FD1 is an odd case, it is enjoyable louder.
Value and Conclusion
Given that we’re seriously discussing a 15 USD IEM, if it survives one year in your collection, it is merely more than one dollar per month, to use it, which would have the highest price / performance ratio you could expect. I had a lot of IEMs that broke in less than three months in the ultra entry-level range, but I trust FiiO to make something that will survive for a longer time.
The sound is also great, plenty detailed, natural in the midrange, and the bass is satisfying, for the 15 USD paid, you get a good pair of IEMs, FD1 being a fully recommended earphone if you’re ion the marketing for something really affordable.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/3yjhMsq
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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