FiiO FW5 True Wireless Stereo Earphones

FiiO FW5 True Wireless Stereo Earphones

The FiiO FW5 represents FiiO's first fully integrated true wireless stereo earphone, built without compromise around sound quality rather than feature checklists. Developed by the same engineering team behind the flagship FH9 wired IEM, the FW5 packs a triple-driver hybrid configuration, a high-end Qualcomm QCC5141 Bluetooth chip, and a discrete AKM AK4332 DAC into a compact earphone shell -- an approach rarely seen in the true wireless category.

At the heart of each earpiece sits a 10mm dynamic driver with a DLC (diamond-like carbon) diaphragm and PU gasket, handling bass and midrange with authority. Two Knowles balanced armature drivers positioned near the sound nozzle take over for high frequencies, delivering an airy, finely resolved treble that reaches clearly to 16 kHz without the roll-off typical of lesser TWS designs. The result is a coherent, full-range presentation that rewards careful listening.

Connectivity is handled by the Qualcomm QCC5141 chipset with Bluetooth 5.2, supporting Snapdragon Sound certification and high-resolution codec compatibility including LHDC and aptX Adaptive -- both capable of transmitting audio at significantly higher bitrates than standard aptX or AAC. The dedicated AK4332 DAC handles digital-to-analogue conversion independently within each earpiece, bypassing the compression artefacts inherent to less sophisticated TWS architectures.

Battery life is 7 hours per charge from the earphones themselves, with the 380 mAh charging case providing a further 14 hours -- 21 hours total. The FW5 carries IPX4 water resistance, making it suitable for everyday use in variable weather. Physical buttons on each earpiece provide tactile, reliable playback and call control. The FW5 was awarded the Japan VGP 2023 award, one of the most respected consumer electronics accolades in the Asia-Pacific region.