Our favorite budget audio brand just launched super-cheap flat earbuds with a beautiful wooden finish
- The new FiiO flat earbuds are available in walnut or rosewood finish
- The same “Tesla Valve” bass amplifier as the FD15
- Under $100 / £80
FiiO, maker of fine and affordable audio products (see our recent FiiO FT1 and FiiO FH19 reviews for headphones specifically), has announced a new set of flat earbuds with a choice of rosewood or black walnut wood faceplates. And according to FiiO, they sound as good as they look.
The new FiiO FP3 is designed with an ultra-light aluminum and titanium coated membrane that is exceptionally thin and exceptionally stiff. That diaphragm is driven by fourteen magnets, seven on each side of the diaphragm, delivering what FiiO says ‘a powerful, responsive sound’.
FiiO FP3 Planar Earbuds: Key Specs and Prices
The FP3 is Hi-Res Audio Certified and has a frequency response of 10 Hz to 40 kHz, an impedance of 36 ohms and a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW at 1 kHz. Their cables are made from 392 silver-plated copper wires, bundled into four strands which then terminate in a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin connector at the end of the earbuds and a gold-plated 3.5mm stereo jack at the other end. This can be exchanged for a 4.4 mm plug.
One of the main selling points here is that the FP3 has the same “Tesla Valve” acoustic design as the FD15 earbuds. That’s designed to deliver enhanced bass, and judging by the reviews of the FD15, the result is an impressively natural low-end that’s punchy without sacrificing clarity.
The wooden fronts do not add any significant weight: the earbuds weigh 6.5 grams each.
The new FiiO FP3 is available now from AliExpress and Amazon with a suggested retail price of $92.85 (which makes them about £71 or AU$140, give or take) and puts them squarely in the budget sector – one to consider in our guide for best wired earbuds for sure.
