In short : I could have bought the FiiO F9 Pro’s instead of the Shure SE215’s.
I recently had both of my Shure ear bud / in ear monitor setups break on me. To say I was a bit pissed off is great understatement. Thankfully they are within the warranty period and I shouldn’t have to pay for fixes. I’ll be posting about that later hopefully.
In the mean time I’m stuck with a goofy hybrid earbud setup (I tried, too annoying) or new headphones to get me through the warranty process.
I found the FiiO F9 Pro ear buds last year while helping a lovely human sort out some ear bud stuff. At the time I had 2 sets of Shure ear buds and just marked the F9 series as something to put forth as part of my suggestions but not buy as there was no need…
Thankfully I had these saved from previous research and could buy a pair to get me through my Shure ear bud woes. Once I realized I couldn’t get along with a hybrid Shure earbud setup (more on my music needs later hopefully – it will explain why I did this). I bought these earbuds without a second thought.
I have no regrets with this purchase.
They use the same MMCX connector the Shure’s do, are light (yay titanium bodies), have a large and sturdy ear piece post and sound good for the price. The audio is a bit heavier on bass like the special edition Shure SE215’s but it’s not absurd or over the top. I can work with it, even if it’s my day to day preference.
On top of that they came with a large number of accessories:
- 2.5mm wire
- 3.5mm wire
- Knock off Pelican Otterbox style case
- Soft case
- Over 12 ear pieces
Even better is they have a titanium case / housing so are durable by design and are super light.
For the Sub $150 USD price point you’d be hard pressed to find a better alternative.
I have bought a bit of FiiO kit over the last year and love all of it. They are definitely a brand I recommend without any question at this point. The FiiO F9 Pro’s are exactly what I expected from FiiO.
Quality hardware that won’t destroy my bank account.
Based on what I’ve heard coming from these earbuds over the last week or so, I will be suggesting these to anyone looking for good, quality headphones.
If you’re looking for ear buds and are ok with a little bit of extra bass, consider the FiiO F9 Pro’s. They didn’t disappoint me.