Link Gym To Audiophile Wonders – FiiO UTWS5 2025 Bluetooth Earphone DAC Amplifier
FiiO UTWS5 2025 is a $175 USD True Wireless Bluetooth adapter for Earphones and IEMS, with either MMCX or 2-Pin connectors, designed to drive even flagship IEMS, Wireless Charging, and even 10-Band PEQ and 96 kHz / 24 Bit HD Bluetooth support.
Introduction
FiiO made the new UTWS5 2025 as an update from their original UTWS3, which was a huge hit with the audiophile crowds. There are a few key changes, but I always felt like I haven’t given enough thought and love to the original UTWS 5 back a couple of years ago, and upon redicsovering the UTWS5 I actually made this one a part of my daily life, and a partner in my progress of losing weight and gaining muscle at the gym, right now feeling like UTWS 5 2025 is a piece of Tech I simply couldn’t live without and if it were to ever break, I would purchase it again without a second thought.
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 the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4hXMHf6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ol4OxQi
Build Quality/Aesthetics
FiiO UTWS5 2025 is a direct upgrade from the UTWS 5 that I’ve reviewed a couple of years ago, but it comes with important upgrades. Out of what is the same, UTWS5 2025 has about the same size, same weight and a very similar shape to the original, including the larger ear hooks that go around of your ears and which keep them in place. One of the most important key upgrades is the Wireless Charging, which solves the issue where on the original UTWS3, users that had UTWS5 as a daily driver would notice oxidation on the contact pins of UTWS 5 due to sweat, and subsequently UTWS 5 the original would eventually stop charging due to corrosion.
Usually, the original UTWS3 managed to outlive its warranty, but still, FiiO wanted to make a product that would last a couple of years at least, so UTWS 5 2025 comes fitted with a wireless charging coil. This allows UTWS5 to both charge without any exposed metallic parts, to have an improved Ingress Protection or IP Rating, and also to have other smart features like the IEMS turning off when they are inside the case, or turning on when they are outside of the case.
As there is no contact pin on the UTWS 5 2025, there is no oxidation risk, no dirt, and the only downside is that wireless charging is somewhat less efficient so the IEMS get a bit warmer while charging, but usually it will not be an issue as they will be turned off while charging. While UTWS 5 the original was water resistant in normal conditions, UTWS 5 2025 is IPX4 rated. This is not to say that the inner part isn’t brilliant, and UTWS 5 2025 uses a QCC5141 Bluetooth chip, and an AK4332 DAC inside for processing and amplification of the audio signal. Each ear piece has its own QCC5141 Bluetooth receiver model, and its own AK4332 DAC + AMP module.
If you have a modern smartphone, you will be happy to hear that UTWS 5 2025 supports SBC, AAC but also Qualcomm aptX, aptX Adaptive, LHDC and even LDAC as tested by me on a Samsung S24 Ultra. This includes 24 Bit / 96 kHz support. Inside each earpiece you will also find a dual-core 120 MHz Qualcomm Kalimba DSP audio subsystem that allows you to handle multiple audio streams or execute PCM Audio processing, microphone and noise reduction, as well as EQ. FiiO implements a 10-Band Parametric EQ with 6 presets, allowing for a really accurate configuration and correction for IEMS.
The technical numbers of the UTWS 5 2025 are impressive, and we have a SNR of 110 dB, Noise of 4 uV, Driving power of 55mW for a 16 OHM Impedance, and a Frequency response of 20 Hz – 40 kHz. FiiO’s control app is needed to take advantage of most of the advanced features, and UTWS5 2025 has its own volume control, which is separate from the one on your smartphone in general. The case charges a couple of times to tell you how charged it is, and you can control the IEMS with no app, just by pressing on the tactile buttons on the outside.
Battery / Subjective Usage
I am generally anxious about the battery life of a device that is as essential to my workouts as UTWS 5 2025 is, but in general, I am able to get around a full week of workouts, which is around 14 – 16 hours of actual listening at loud volumes, using LDAC or apX, with interrupted usage, and chagrin the IEMS in between. The total promised playtime by FiiO is 20 hours, I would say 14 is realistic to be on the safe side, each earpiece can play about 6 hours on a single charge, and the case has around 2 full charges, so 2 in total, if the IEMS are topped up, but you lose some as the wireless charging is less efficient than the one with contact pins.
In a subjective fashion, UTWS 5 2025 is literal perfection for a gym companion IEM. They are somewhat heavy and large, at 8 grams, but all that weight is around and at the back of the ear, and it pulls the IEMS to stay inside of your ears, which is exactly opposite to what most TWS IEMS do, which is have between 8 and 10 grams of weight pulling the usual TWS IEM out of your ear. I have been using UTWS 5 literally wet with sweat and water, after running a couple of kilometers and they are alive, same can be said about the IEMS used, Letshuoer Cadenza 12, so I am a happy user of the combo for gym.
The one disadvantage is that you have to purchase a separate UTWS5 for a 2-Pin IEM and for an MMCX one, and the MMCX variation is not compatible with IE900 and other fussy IEMS that have a specific MMCX connector, while the 2-Pin variant is also not fully compatible with every IEM, so while I use the 2-Pin variant on a daily with Letshuoer Cadenza 12, I was unable to get a proper fit with ThieAudio Origin, which seems to have a slightly larger 2-Pin hole and which falls out of the UTWS 5 2025.
On a strongly subjective note, I personally love UTWS 5 for gym, it is a very reliable IEM, but when I wrote my article about Bluetooth protocols and what exists on the market I had little experience. After a lot of experience buying multiple smartphone flagships, the maximum volume, clarity and sound will be heavily dependent on the smartphone you’re using and the best sounding smartphones for Bluetooth are basically any Samsung Galaxy phone (don’t mind the absence of aptX Lossless, it won’t matter in the long run), Red Magic smartphones, and Asus smartphones. Xiaomi and Motorola phones, for example, have a much lower maximum volume, and a much worse sonic quality, which seems heavily compressed. Keep this in mind, not all phones sound equal when driving a bluetooth IEM.
Sound Quality
Pairings – To test the new FiiO UTWS5 2025 I had it paired with Samsung S25 Ultra, and amplified a couple of IEMs, mostly using them at the gym in my workout time, or at home while writing reviews. I have both the MMCX and 2-Pin variants to test with multiple IEMs. The IEM list includes Simgot EM10, Letshuoer Cadenza 12, RAPTGO Leaf D01, NF Audio NE4, Rose Technics QTX, Moritz Dragon, Campfire Moon Rover, ZiiGaat Arcadia, HarmonicDyne Devil, HeartField Blanc, Soundz Flame and TinHiFi P1 Max II. UTWS 5 does an excellent job at driving all of those IEMS, and you have access to an effective PEQ, but the maximum driving power should be sufficient for all those IEMS anyways, even up to very loud volumes at the gym. The background noise is generally not audible with UTWS5 2025, but I have to admit, I am not listening very quietly with them, nor do I think most users will, as they are made to be used in noisy environments where their portability is a key factor. Upon testing, most IEMS do not have an audible background noise, but some might, especially the very sensitive ones.
Overall Signature – FiiO made a fairly natural sounding adapter, managing to keep the compression to a minimum, resolution to a maximum considering the DAC used, and the fact the signal is always compressed by the bluetooth compression algorithm. Basically once you add a pair of IEMs to the UTWS 5 2025, it adds a bit of that commonly known bluetooth sound that most devices tend to have, having a similar sound to a FiiO BTR5 but with a much lower driving power. This being said, the maximum volume is very high with the right phones, and for me it achieves the perfect balance of sonic quality, comfort, and ergonomics to be a daily driver at the gym. There is a far larger difference in quality between using Motorola Edge 40 PRO and Samsung S24 Ultra (phone versus phone) than there is a difference between LDAC, aptX or even SBC. I used to obsess far too much about what protocols are supported on each phone, but after having literally done the test, the biggest difference is between phones not between protocols.
You can theoretically get more of a signature out of FiiO UTWS5 2025 by using EQ, and the EQ works really well. This being said, as a reviewer I am supposed to test the default sound of each device, and also in a personal way I started to prefer allowing everything to sound its intended tuning, you can barely fix a wrong tuning, and if something needs significant changes, you’re likely better off with a different pair of IEMS or Headphones.
Bass – From the low-low, we start with a powerful, beefy bass that can truly rattle and shake the earth inside your head with the right IEMs and music. UTWS5 2025 is fairly warm, although at the deepest point, with harder to drive IEMs, it can lose control slightly, and here you will hear why you’d need a wired connection for more, but at the gym they have the right amount of kick, depth and punch.
Midrange – In the middle is where you may notice a bit of compression, and UTW 5 2025 focuses the most on keeping the voices natural, the midrange free of distortion, achieving an excellent resolution and clarity, but having a slight compression effect for the dynamics in the mids. This means that most music sounds a bit loud and compact, although the effect is welcome for a gym or active setting, where pushing your limits would anyways blur out both your vision and your hearing half the time you’re listening to music, and when coming back in between sets, the music of UTWS5 2025 actually sounds really nice.
Treble – We get a sharp, bright treble with excellent extension, and it feels a lot like UTWS5 2025 does an active job to make up for any treble loss through the bluetooth compression algorithm, having considerably more energy, life and bite than I’d have expected. In fact, the treble response is a bit brighter and more open sounding than even FiiO’s BTR17. I find this okay, as most IEMS likely to be connected to FiiO UTWS5 2025 will be smooth, but if you have a bright sounding pair of IEMS, it will only enhance and not dampen it.
PRaT / Textures – We get a natural level of textures, without the obvious Bluetooth compression typically heard with this kind of adapter. For the most part, textures and impulse response is natural, not dry, but not slow and sloppy either, just right in between.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – We get a consistent response from the UTWS5 2025 across all loudness levels, they keep their cool at max or close to max, with very low distortion, and they sound controlled, crisp and detailed at low volumes too. As it has a very low driving power, it will work only for IEMS, and even there, if an IEM is known to be extremely hard to drive, UTWS5 2025 might struggle to achieve a loud volume or good results.
Soundstage – I like how UTWS5 can get a wide, holographic soundstage with both a good width and depth. It is slightly compressed as most Bluetooth devices are, but for the most part it is natural, clean and airy.
Value and Conclusion
Although I have skipped on the comparisons, UTWS 5 2025 is better than the original in the ergonomic and usability departments, and it is not quite as good sonically as a wired solution, for example FiiO M11 PRO will sound a bit more detailed and less compressed, but the value of the FiiO UTWS5 2025 is incredible, as it is the only Wireless Bluetooth Adapter that delivers and satisfies my needs for music at the gym without having me panic that it will corrode and die.
Award – FiiO BTR5 2025 has been my daily driver for the gym for the past 2 months, and it helped me fuel my workouts to lose almost 7 KG of weight, and I am in a better shape than ever, it is a piece of tech I find essential for my audiophile needs at the gym, and I will award it the Audiophile-Heaven Hall Of Fame award, I use it personally, like it, it delivers on what it promises to do, and resists to the environment of its usage (does not get damaged from sweat at the gym).
At the end of the day, if you need a portable listening solution for your IEMS, and if you listen mostly medium and loud, if you workout a lot but want an audiophile delight to take with you at the gym, FiiO UTWS5 2025 is an excellent option for you and should deliver an excellent sonic performance and outstanding build quality, plus a reliable battery life and a crisp, powerful, loud and detailed sound with a very low THD, being a fully recommended purchase.
PROs
- Excellent sonic performance
- IP4 rating, sweat resistance
- Reliable battery life
- Excellent design
- Compatible with most IEMS on the market
- Good PEQ
- Tactile and not touch buttons are a huge plus
- Outstanding price / performance ratio
Cons
- Not compatible with every single IEM out there (Ie900 and ThieAudio Origin do not work)
- Maximum driving power is a bit low, some IEMs might struggle at high volumes
- DACs used could be improved with a high-end variant, maybe in a UTWS7 in the future to make something better for flagship IEMS
- No aptX Lossless support, and sound is heavily dependent on how good your smartphone is with Bluetooth
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4hXMHf6
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ol4OxQi
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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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