When I was considering buying a Custom In-Ear Monitor (CIEM)
a while back, a company that seemed to get a lot of recommendation for being a
good entry level audiophile CIEM was Custom Art, based in Poland. They were considered
relatively inexpensive, while delivering capable and likable products.
Up until now, I still had not ever tried a Custom Art
product, but with Headphones.com adding more inventory of new brands this year,
and Custom Art being one of them, I was asked recently if I wanted to take
advantage of the Community Preview Program at The Headphone Community, and try
out the all-new flagship from Custom Art – The Fibae 7, in a limited edition
universal-fit Anniversary Blue color.
The Package
The Anniversary Blue Fibae 7 was sent to me with just the
neoprene zip up carrying pouch, along with a few tips and the IEMs and cable. I
do not know if the real unit will have any additional packaging to go along
with it at this time.
The cable features a 2-pin connection and is a bright white/silver colored cable that is thin and lightweight and very easy to handle and use. There’s a chin strap cinch that is useful if you want less cable movement and the connection at the source is a right-angled 3.5mm jack.
The Fibae 7 features 7 balanced armature drivers and
features a patent-pending “Flat Impedance” design. The seven drivers include 2
sub-low, 1 low-mid, 2 mid-high, and 2 top firing tweeters and while most
multi-BA IEMs feature low impedance which can cause wild fluctuations with
sources, the Flat Impedance technology uses is supposed to minimize any source
impact on sound.
Listener Profile
Before I hit the sound category, let me give you a little
look into what I find neutral and what I am using in this review. First off, I
tend to lean towards the Diffuse Field target as a neutral signature as opposed
to the Harman Target curve which is popular today. My own preferred curve is
somewhere in between the two, but more of a warm DF curve with less treble
emphasis. As a reference, I currently am using the qdc Anole VX as my daily
driver IEM, and before that the Campfire Solaris. I also really enjoy the
Moondrop Kanas Pro and ER2XR as a more budget tier IEM that fits my sound
signature well.
My sources used in this review include the RME ADI-2 DAC and
it’s 3.5mm IEM output, and 4 different portable sources: The Astell & Kern
SR15 A&Norma (warmer DAP), Pioneer XDP-300R (cooler and airy), Fiio M11
(neutral-ish airy), and the Samsung Galaxy S10e phone. I ended up using Final
Audio E tips with the Fibae 7 for most of the usage.
Tuning
The CustomArt Fibae 7 quickly reminded me of a warmer, more
detailed and more exacting version of the Etymotics ER-series of in-ears. That
is, a diffuse-field tuned IEM that has a slight bump in the bass region that
provides a little more warmth and energy. I have not heard the ER4XR before nor
have I heard the ER3XR, but given that they are less elevated than the ER2XR
that I do have, I imagine that the Fibae 7 is on-par with that type of sound
profile.
Some will find the bass a little lacking, depending on where
you come from, but for me, the bass is nicely defined, has some extension,
though don’t expect any low-end rumble, or punishing impact. Bass lines are
well layered and textured, and provide plenty of detail. As this is a
multi-balanced armature IEM, the bass is fast and quick and may not provide a
basshead that needed slow decay and punch. It’s also not tuned to do that.
Instead, you’ll be rewarded with a nice clean presentation that provides enough
elevation to give a little body to the male vocals and the lower midrange.
Speaking of which, the mids are very coherent. Transition
between bass to lower mids and into the upper mids is smooth and I find very
appetizing. Male vocals have a little bit more body than female vocals, but
both are equally weighted in terms of presence.
The upper registers of the Fibae 7 are pushing the
boundaries of being harsh, but is toned down just enough to provide none of the
harshness to me, and also no sibilance. CustomArt made a good balancing act
here, and I was rewarded with clean, airy soundscapes and clarity. Treble isn’t
quite as extended as I had hoped, but still does not seem like I am missing
much with it rolling off.
Imaging is pretty well done here. There’s clear separation
of instruments despite it having a soundstage that is between the ears. Depth
and height aren’t as big as I would like, and this IEM is more of a left to
right soundstage than a 3D holographic one that I have gotten more used to with
the Solaris and the VX more recently.
In some selective track listening….
Daft Punk’s Contact:
This track from Random Access Memories starts off with a
spacey soundscape and radio transmissions which sound a little more intimate
that I would like. The transition into the main song doesn’t quite have the
impactful drum kicks and sustained decay either, but instead hit with tight
precision as do the cymbals, which aren’t overly splashy and sound on point.
During the busiest section of the song, which is one the most busy tracks in my
normal rotation, I found that the Fibae 7 handles it well and never sounds
congested or smeared. When comparing to the Campfire Solaris in this track, I
found the Solaris to struggle a little bit more with the congestion, however
details were more resolving and defined, and the bass impactful and bigger with
the Solaris than the Fibae 7.
M83’s Atlantic Sud:
This is a track where the Fibae 7 really excels in. Despite
being made by the dancey-electro-rock band M83, this is a slower piano ballad
featuring Mai Lan trading her beautiful French vocals with M83’s Anthony
Gonzales back and forth. The Fibae 7 handles this song with grace and elegance
and is ultra-smooth throughout. Both male and female vocals bounce of each
other with ease and equally distributed.
Some other genres to note:
The Fibae 7 isn’t going to be the best for music that
requires a big bassline or big drums like electronic dance music, hip hop, and
the like. It’s well suited for vocals, vocals and more vocals. It also plays
well with most rock
Comparisons
Campfire Solaris
The Solaris is a much bigger and heavier IEM, over doubling
the weight of the Fibae 7. The fit can be challenging with the Solaris, as I
personally experienced this and documented it in my previous review of the
Campfire product. The Solaris provides a bigger dynamic driver-led bass section
that punches, extends, and feels more lively than the Fibae 7. It also provides
greater warmth and musicality to the signature. The Fibae 7 is tighter, faster,
and has less hollow vocals, but may sound a tad boring and sterile when
compared to the Solaris. It also has a much smaller soundstage in all
directions than the Solaris.
Meze Rai Penta
The new Rai Penta is the flagship IEM from the Romanian
outfit, Meze. The major aesthetic difference between the two is the Rai Penta
uses a very attractive CNC machined aluminum alloy shell that is quite a
looker. Both feature very similar sound signatures, a warmer diffuse-field-like
tuning. The Penta plays it just a tad more safe though, with less extension on
both sides, but has punchier bass. On a detail resolution stand point, I find
both on par with each other, with maybe a slight nod to the Penta.
Campfire Andromeda
The Andromeda features both more elevated and punchier pass
than the CustomArt Fibae 7, but lacks the midrange presence and vocal clarity.
The Andromeda provides much more treble sparkle than the Fibae 7 but I find the
Fibae 7 more tonally correct and more coherent in general. It’s also much less
sensitive to output impedance than the Andromeda due to it’s Flat Impedance
technology.
Overall
At the end of the day, I find the CustomArt Fibae 7 a very
appealing package despite a generally safe tuning approach. Its minor issues
are really only present if you want big bass or need a grand soundstage, but
other than that, this is a very engaging, coherent, and well-tuned package, and
one that is an upgrade upon something like the Etymotics ER series.
I do find myself really enjoying this IEM because it works
for so any of the genres I listen to the most, and that’s a big plus in my
books. There are some things I wish it could do better, but I’m pleased with
how this one turned out and would consider it as a good reference-type tuning
if I wanted to go towards a CIEM in that profile.
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