A73 in-ears, it was quite an exciting prospect seeing as the company has
progressed so much over the past years. With their flagship, the Fidue A83 and
even the A71 model, the company has earned notable respect within the
audiophile community for their valuable contributions. Sticking to their
principles of timely designs and that signature Fidue sound, the A73 has been
set for international release and has been heralded to be a showstopper
considering its mere $149 price tag.
Incorporating a premium balanced armature driver and
exclusive dynamic drivers, the A73's driver confirmation departs from the
traditional A71's dual dynamic titanium drivers and sticks to the hybrid
conformation which has earned the A83 its staggering success.
What you get: the box accessories
As
with its predecessors, the Fidue A73 comes in an unassuming plain box which has
all the necessary information including driver details as well as a description
of the "accurate sound performance". Inside, much like the A71 model, the IEMs
rest in a foam insert and there is a high quality leather carrying case. The
accompanying silicone eartips come in a small, medium and large variation to
suit all user tastes and there is a shirt-clip for reducing microphonics.
Build quality
Benny
Tan, the founder and chief tuner of Fidue, has opted for a stunning silver and
red avant-garde design. The connections to the Y-split and 3.5mm jack seem
pretty sturdy and the cable looks to be durable. Perhaps the Fidue team could
have really pushed the message home here by incorporating the same detachable
triple-braided cable as the A83 has to add a more premium touch to the IEM.
Nevertheless, the design and build are certainly above average and Fidue have
really done great on this aspect to secure the "durable" and "unique"
categories which are part of their slogan.
Fit
Fidue
have always been known for their not-so-optimal fits and the Fidue A73
unfortunately looks to be no exception to this trend. While I have achieved a
good seal, the shallow insertion of the A73 means that it's harder and
takes more time to achieve a secure fit. This is a slight issue and takes a
while to adjust so that you are able to benefit from the bass. The
larger than average housing size does not help in this regard either and is
something that Fidue may want to consider scaling down so that the optimal fit
can be achieved.
Sound
impressions
Lows
The
A73 delivers a delicate and fast-paced low-frequency range with a somewhat
boosted response. This is a far cry from the overly boosted A71s and manages to
still stay in line with the rest of the frequency range.
The
bass in particular is impactful and when listening to James Blake's "Limit to
your Love", the bass is very well paced with good decay speeds and transients.
There is nothing aggressive about the bass and tonally I'd say that it is very pleasant with good rumble, texture and depth. I was especially surprised to see a decent amount of sub-bass extension in Fractal's "Element"
track. With good weight, body, impact and speeds the bass has impressed me, and while not the tightest I have heard, is definitely a great
attribute of this IEM.
Mids
The
midrange presents as forward and intimate within a light and airy soundstage.
In comparison to the prior A71, the A73 delivers a slightly thinner note
presentation with more clarity levels. This is evident as there is no bass
bleed from low range frequencies into the midrange which the A71 was often
suspect to. The warm tone of the Fidue A73 is captivating with male vocals in
the lower midranges and becomes drier but more defined in the upper midranges.
To add to this, the lack of sibilance and harshness makes these great to listen
for extended periods of time.
Highs
The
treble of the A73 comes complete with great extension, air and sparkle. There
is no discernible roll-off which adds to the liveliness and energy of tracks.
The balanced-armature part of the driver configuration adds the needed clarity
to make the Fidue A73 a great all-rounder for its price. The A73, however, is
not as crystal clear as the clarity king known as the Rock-it Sounds R-50 but
still has appreciable revelations of micro-details and nuances. What makes it
different from other similarly priced balanced-armature sets is that the higher
notes carry more weight and presence aiding the delivery of a more natural
presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
Open,
airy and large are perfect descriptors to the Fidue's welcoming sound-staging.
While not as wide as the DUNU DN-2000 or even the Titan 1, the soundstage is
larger than average with good projection of sonic cues in the dimensions of
width and depth. Instrument separation is great with vocals and instruments not
blending into one another. Coherency is another aspect that this IEM excels
upon as there is no disconnect between the dynamic and balanced armature
drivers owing to the careful selection of appropriate drivers to fit into the
overall A73 sound signature.
Conclusion
Overall
then, Fidue have really impressed me with the release of the A73. A great
all-rounder that is able to deliver fast yet impactful bass, smooth and
intelligible vocals as well as a well-extended high frequency range. It is
great that companies are now able to deliver cheaper hybrid models as not long
before, the competition of models of this nature took place around the $300+
category. The A73, however, is not without its shortcomings as fit for me was a
particular issue. In future revisions, Fidue should try to incorporate a longer
nozzle for a more secure fit so that sound is not dramatically affected.
Nevertheless, this is a model well worth buying simply due its
price-performance factor.
gene posts on June 29, 2015 00:19
Fidue has pulled out all the stops to launch their new A73 in-ear headphones. Combining futuristic designs and a well-rounded sound, the A73s sport a hybrid driver configuration with a single dynamic driver and 2 balanced armature ones. The model departs from its predecessor, the A71, in various ways and brings more things to the table including great top-end extension and a controlled punchy bass. So has Fidue succeeded in winning over the audiophile community? Read on to find out.
Read: Fidue A73 In Ear Monitor Headphones Review
http://www.audioholics.com/headphone-reviews/fidue-a73-ieh
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