IEMs Gear Reviews

FiiO FA19 Review: All BA 10-Driver Flagship IEM with Exceptional Bass

by The Metalverse

Updated October 20, 2025

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for my honest review. The Metalverse is an independent website, and all opinions expressed are our own with no monetary incentive. We thank the team at FiiO for giving us this opportunity.

VST Review Table

Fiio FA 19

9.3

The Metalverse Score

Pros

Impressive Bass Quality (particularly for BA)
Great selection of ear tips and accessories
Natural timbre and detail retrieval
Comfortable and light for 10 drivers

Cons

Tuning Switch masks high frequencies when set to "On"
Treble is great but not amazing

Price

$999

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FiiO has built its reputation as an innovator in portable audio over the past decade and a half. The Chinese company consistently delivers products that exceed expectations for their price point, offering a diverse portfolio of IEMs, headphones, and digital audio players. Until the FA19, FiiO had never ventured into the true flagship $1,000+ in-ear monitor segment.

FiiO FA19

The FA19 is a flagship universal fit in-ear monitor that is built with 10 balanced armature drivers–4 bass, 2 mids, 4 treble. The FA19 introduces a "monitor" and "HiFi" tuning switch that can be manually changed depending on personal preferences.

Priced around $1,000 USD, FiiO places the FA19 firmly within the premium audio category.

Packaging

With a higher price point, companies have the opportunity to include more interesting packaging and accessories and FiiO provides a great package with the FA19. The outside sleeve is has a black-blue sheen that once removed reveals a bunch of included accessories.

Whats in the box:

1 x FiiO FA19
Swappable High-purity silver cable (224 wires)
1x Magnetic Leather Carrying Case
16 x pairs of silicone ear tips (SpinFit, HS18, Vocal, Bass, Bi-flange)
2 x pairs of memory foam
1 x 4.4mm plug and 1x 3.5mm plug
Cleaning Brush
MMCX Removal Tool

Whats included in the box of the FiiO FA19

Ear Tips

The included eartips with the FiiO FA19 are great, and contain multiple options for every ear type. With 18 pairs of ear tips, you can swap between all of the choices until you find the best sound quality, isolation, and fit for your ears. We found the vocal, bi-flange, and foam tips to provide the best isolation and fit.

Case:

The blue leather case is small enough to fit in a bag or pocket and is sturdy enough that it is certain to confidently protect the FA19. The case has a magnetic closure and removable section for placing the shells, and comes with a magnetic clip inside as well.

Cable:

FiiO includes their LC-RD Pro cable made of 224 strands of high-purity silver wire. The cable has an very well implemented swappable termination that allows you change between 3.5mm and 4.4mm easily and securely. The cable isn't stiff and has a stainless steel chin slider that works great. The aesthetic of the cable matches the FA19 perfectly with a black-silver sheen that fits with the design of the IEM shell.

Build Quality and Design

The FA19's construction demonstrates impressive attention to detail. The shells feature a sophisticated black resin finish achieved through biological dyes and a gold-embedded coloring process that creates an elegant, understated aesthetic. Despite housing 10 drivers internally, these weigh just 7 grams per side. The shells feel polished and smooth in hand, with a silky finish that feels premium.

FiiO implemented several proprietary acoustic innovations within the FA19. The S Turbo design works alongside a custom Negative Feedback bass enhancement system that minimizes resonant frequencies and improves driver motion control. Additionally, the inner shell geometry is engineered to dissipate resonances through a rear chamber, while a HiFi mid-frequency notch filter reduces unwanted resonance production. These design choices collectively contribute to a remarkably natural timbre.

The most notable feature is the dual-position microswitch offering "Monitor" and "Music" modes. However, our testing revealed that only the Monitor mode (off position) delivers a more transparent and enjoyable sound. The Music mode applies a 3dB bass boost that unfortunately tends to mask treble frequencies.

Sound Quality

Fiio FA19 Sound Tuning Graph — Graph Credit: Squiglink

Overall Sound:

The FA19's overall signature is colorful with a v-shape sound that emphasizes low and high frequencies. While it is colorful, FiiO still keeps things precise, and technical with great detail retrieval and while the FA19's balanced armature drivers where designed to have the energy of a dynamic driver, the bass doesn't overpower the rest of the sound (in the monitor mode).

Bass

The FA19's bass is where balanced armature technology truly flexes its muscles. FiiO's custom bass drivers with enlarged rear cavity vents produce fast, articulate low-end notes with extraordinary impact and body—characteristics typically associated with dynamic drivers. The bass energy is plentiful yet controlled, offering excellent note distinction even during busier songs. FiiO provides possibly the best bass response of any of the IEMs so far with the FA19.

Mids

The midrange takes a step back from aggressive presence, adopting a well controlled, reference-like character. Vocals sound natural and emotionally engaging rather than etched forward. Wind instruments shine here—saxophone, trumpet, and clarinet recordings maintain remarkable neutrality without becoming shouty or fatiguing. Male vocals occasionally adopt a deeper tone than some listeners might prefer, while female vocals feel realistic and well-balanced. This moderate mid-forward approach is a deliberate design choice favoring neutrality and accuracy.

Treble

When the switch is set to Monitor mode, treble presentation is clean, detailed, and well-extended without excessive sparkle. The upper midrange remains controlled, preventing the harsh peaks found in many mid-tier all-BA IEMs. Cymbal crashes, hi-hat cymbal work, and vocal sibilance are handled with restraint—refined rather than bright. Treble is handled with great clarity and isn't overshadowed by bass. While the Treble is implemented well, it's not particularly exceptional and we think the bass and mids are more the strong suit of the FA19.

Comfort and Isolation

The FA19 adopts a universal fit design that accommodates most ear shapes comfortably. We found that the FiiO did a spectacular job with comfort, the shells did not cause fatigue after long listening periods and are remarkably light for a 10 driver configuration. The smooth shell leaves no pointy edges to bother your ears, keeping comfort optimal.

The FA19 is a slightly looser fitting shell and using a wider or tackier ear tip may help with security in your ear, although I never felt that it would fall out of my ear.

Isolation is moderate with noise suppression estimated around 22 decibels. The seal depends heavily on proper ear tip selection and insertion depth but fortunately, FiiO's massive selection of included tips will leave you with the right amount of choices to find your ideal fit.

FA19 Comparisons

FiiO FA19 vs. 64Audio Tia Fourte ($1,199) The 64Audio Tia Fourte employs a hybrid design with dynamic and BA drivers, while the FA19 pursues an all-BA philosophy. The Tia Fourte delivers more aggressive bass and forward-leaning treble, making it more "exciting" for casual listening. However, the FA19 offers superior midrange coherence and technical control, making it the better choice for neutral, analytical listening. The Tia Fourte costs $200 more but doesn't offer dramatically better performance across the board.

FiiO FA19 vs. Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 ($1,099) Both are neutral-leaning IEMs, but the Andromeda 2020 uses a hybrid driver configuration. The Andromeda excels in treble extension and airiness, while the FA19 emphasizes bass impact and midrange refinement. For classical and orchestral music, the Andromeda performs better; for bass-forward genres and monitoring applications, the FA19 leads. The $100 price difference favors the FA19 for value-conscious buyers.

FiiO FA19 vs. Fearless Audio S8Pro ($849) The S8Pro is a more affordable all-BA alternative with eight drivers and a warmer sonic signature. It offers comparable comfort and build quality at $150 less, making it attractive to budget-conscious listeners. However, the FA19's additional bass drivers and refined tuning provide noticeably superior technical performance and bass articulation. The S8Pro represents better value for budget-limited buyers, while the FA19 justifies its price for listeners who prefer improved performance.

Final Thoughts

Closeup of FiiO FA19 IEM with Cable Attached

The FiiO FA19 is an impressive showcase of balanced armature technology in the flagship segment. By refusing to compromise on technical excellence and without charging an absurd premium, FiiO has proven that all-BA configurations can compete with hybrid designs costing significantly more.

Is the FA19 perfect? No. The Music mode switch underwhelms, and the $999 price tag isn't insignificant. Yet when you factor in the exceptional sound quality, premium build, generous accessories, and included flagship-tier cable, the FA19 delivers a great value for listeners looking for a balance between exciting bass and neutral monitor accuracy.

Overall, the FA19 impressed us with its detail, great sound quality, and bass response. Not only does it showcase the all BA driver designs can compete, but it showcases that FiiO can create a great flagship IEM that rivals other popular options.