Closer Examination

The cable that ships with the Custom Art FIBAE 5 sells for €85 separately and doesn't even need that cable tie on there given it's one of the better cables I've used as far as simple usability goes. This is an 8-core, silver-plated copper cable in a Litz configuration that comes with a straight-angled 3.5 mm TRS single-ended connector on the source side by default, but you can specify whether you wish to instead have it use a 2.5 or 4.4 mm TRRS balanced connector when placing the order directly from Custom Art. There are a couple of other cable options available with the FIBAE 5, including one with an in-line microphone and another with a Bluetooth adapter, but suffice to say that this will be the cable most people will end up with when it comes to these IEMs. It complements the silver aesthetics of the cable conductor with aluminium housings throughout and I noted immediately that the cable is supple, easy to re-shape, doesn't kink up, and displays no microphonics in use either. The cable/chin cinch is also highly functional so I have very little to complain here. If I had to say something, it would be that the pre-formed ear hooks are a bit more aggressively curved than I'd prefer, but it's not a deal breaker and can be handled with a heat gun or hairdryer. The cable terminates in 0.78 mm 2-pin plugs that get subtle blue/red markings on the housing to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. These can wear out over time however, so I'd rather see L/R marks etched on the housing instead. There is an extension here which makes this cable more conducive for use with recessed connectors on the IEMs themselves and the various metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


Custom Art seems to prefer going with resin shells and this working formula continues with the FIBAE 5 in either UIEM or CIEM form. We saw the various custom design options available from Custom Art for its CIEMs before so I was excited to see how the FIBAE 5's default design would look like. The shells are resin 3D-printed in a solid black finish and they get an ergonomic design to better fit the human ear. The nozzle is part of the resin shell as opposed to having a separate metal nozzle insert that can be more durable—just be careful either way with IEMs. The opaque black shells also get extensive polishing and the printed decorative face plates are glued to a high standard of craftsmanship, to where you can't even see the glue used to attach them.


A closer look at the face plates reveals an almost hypnotizing design comprising of shiny pink glitter lines in a wave pattern over a white background. The truncated Custom Art logo in white is inset in the middle for tasteful branding. A look from the side reveals near-flush mounted 2-pin connectors with a hole below where the filter would fit into. You can pick it up with your fingers and place it in the hole if you are dextrous enough, but it's far simpler to use the provided tool to first place it in and then use the other end to push it in place. Given these are generic Knowles dampers, you can also use your own replacement dampers in case you lose these or want to try others for reasons we will get into on the next page. We then see the shells themselves employ a squarish form factor with the nozzle section being quite angled and long. This bodes well for getting a comfortable fit, given the shells are not as thick as most tribrid sets and the longer nozzle can get in the ear canal for a secure fit too. The nozzle is also average in size at ~5.4 mm width at the widest point and we get a retaining notch here to help keep ear tips in place. There is no filter on the end to help keep contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber, but we do see three individual tubes that make it hard to get dust/ear wax inside anyway while also showing the nature of the acoustic tubes used here with the drivers inside. The left and right channels are marked via the "FIBAE 5" writing on the inner side in blue and red, respectively.


Fitting the different ear tips will require you to slightly stretch the inner bore to fit over the nozzle before pushing them in and going around to ensure they are not at an angle. The retaining notch further helps prevent them from coming loose in the ears, and seen above is the included size M silicone ear tip installed on the FIBAE 5—there isn't any other to really show off here! Feel free to tip roll and try out various different tips and sizes, and keep in mind that both ear canals don't need to have the best seal with the same size or set, either. Regardless of which tips you pick, the next step is to re-connect the cable by carefully identifying the matching channels and orienting the ear hooks around your ear when connecting the IEMs. Doing so is simple, as you just push the 2-pin connectors in place and they remain there via a friction fit. Note the connectors on the cable not going into any recessed housings on the IEMs, so they do jut out slightly and take away from the otherwise excellent aesthetics. The 3.5 mm connection, if you choose that route, necessitates a decent source and I found myself using this set on the go mostly paired with the excellent Questyle M15 or the FiiO Q7.