Introduction

Guangzhou FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd., more commonly known simply as FiiO, has been a mainstay of affordable, good quality audio gear for well over a decade now. Its desktop amplifiers in particular have often challenged gaming-branded sound cards for available features while costing far less for an equivalent offering. We have covered a set of FiiO in-ear monitors before, and I have also finished testing a Bluetooth DAC/amp from the brand that may or may not be published before this article goes live. When the company offered a first look at not only its new, more budget-friendly IEMs, but also an update to a popular desktop amplifier, I decided to combine the two in a single, longer review. Thanks to FiiO for providing review samples to TechPowerUp!


Seen above is FiiO's new FD3, a new single dynamic-driver set which takes a lot of the parameters from the highly recommended FD5 to a lower price point. It comes in two color options—black and gold or silver—as well as in a Pro version that is only available in the black and gold color scheme at this time, but switches the cable for a more customizable one. It is paired to what FiiO refers to as the "New K3," which I maintain can be a confusing name. The FiiO K3 is one of many products that have fallen prey to the ongoing chip shortage issues, especially with the previously used DAC from AKM further being affected by the big fire at the AKM factory late last year. As such, the new K3 goes with ESS Sabre instead, and we will examine it as an accessory in this article which otherwise uses the FD3 as the focal point and begins with a look at the specifications of the FiiO FD3 in the table below.

Specifications