DISCLAIMER: Custom Art provided me with the FIBAE 4 in return for my honest opinion. I am not personally affiliated with the company in any way, nor do I receive any monetary rewards for a positive evaluation. I’d like to thank Custom Art for their kindness and support. The review is as follows.
Custom Art is one of the most eminent value-for-money CIEM brands today. Although many have gunned for the throne, a balance between constant invention and community dialog have made Custom Art the most impressive of them all to watch as they grew sonically, technologically, and aesthetically too. Their recent innovations in FIBAE technology and the Pressure Optimising Design have given birth to the FIBAE Black – one of the the best value in-ears I’ve heard period. And now, with top-firing balanced armatures comes the line-up’s fifth entry: The FIBAE 4 – gutsy, bold and a
whole lot of fun.
Custom Art FIBAE 4
- Driver count: Four balanced-armature drivers
- Impedance: 8.1Ω @1kHz (+-0.95Ω 10Hz-20kHz)
- Sensitivity: 115dB @1kHz @0.1V
- Key feature(s) (if any): FIBAE technology, top-firing drivers
- Available form factor(s): Custom and universal acrylic in-ear monitors
- Price: €725
- Website: www.thecustomart.com
Build and Accessories
The FIBAE 4 comes in Custom Art’s signature shoebox, within which are two included cases: A Peli 1010 hard case and a smaller zipper case. Inside the former is the company’s customary
Hi booklet, which acts as a quick-start guide, warranty card and certificate of authenticity all in one. There’s also a hand-written date-of-manufacture, which is a nice touch. And finally, below that are your custom IEMs attached to a Plastics One
Hi-Res cable, along with a cleaning tool and desiccant.
It’s become a running gag through my numerous encounters with (Custom Art founder) Piotr Granicki on- and offline to contrast his forward-thinking in-ears with his
stubbornly stagnant packaging. This plain, black box has been here since Custom Art’s conception in 2012. At this point in their career, I think a packaging revamp with more prominent branding, a classier aesthetic and a couple more accessories here-and-there is
long overdue. At the end of the day, although it’s not ultra-crucial to the success of the in-ears, it would definitely make their already-accessible prices
all the more sweet.
Thankfully, Custom Art have spared absolutely
no expense where it counts. The monitors themselves are gorgeously designed, immaculately constructed and superbly fitting too. Although the shells aren’t 3D-printed per se, they do take advantage of Custom Art’s recent shift towards digital processing. The ear impressions are scanned and trimmed in the digital domain. Once the shape is finalised, it’s printed and turned into a cast for the traditional, hand-poured technique. So, you get the precision of digital processing
with the transparency and pristine-ness of hand-poured, UV-cured acrylic.
Visually, the earpieces are exquisite. The faceplates are a hybrid between maple wood and blue acrylic resin, finished on top with a
FIBAE IV logo I quickly put together on Photoshop. Below are clear shells flaunting those top-firing drivers as much as possible. As has always been the case for Custom Art, the in-ears are smoothly finished with zero seams, rough areas or dull spots. The colour-coded wiring for
left and
right are especially nice touches. Combined with the improved fit thank to Custom Art’s digital processing, my FIBAE 4’s are yet another home run on their fit-and-finish track and record.
FIBAE Technology
FIBAE is short for
Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone, and it has become Custom Art’s flagship innovation. First introduced with the FIBAE 1 and the FIBAE 2, what the technology ultimately aims to do is preserve the in-ear monitor’s tonal balance no matter the source it’s connected to. So essentially, whether you’re listening to a FIBAE monitor through your laptop or a dedicated DAP, the frequency response should remain the same. This is especially crucial if you plan to use these on mixing consoles, monitor mixers, etc., where the output impedances can vary wildly from one to the other.
However, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear
any differences between said laptop and DAP either. Although FIBAE tech leaves the frequency response intact, the earphone
will scale based on whatever data is fed to it. A more resolving DAC is capable of exhibiting superior stage expansion, background blackness, etc. So, although these in-ears won’t bridge the gap between capable and less capable sources, it will allow the user to judge those differences in a clearer manner. And, whatever source you choose to use at the end of the day, you’ll always be guaranteed the sound Custom Art intended.
Presentation
Custom Art’s FIBAE 4 is a fast-paced, spacey and impactful-sounding earphone. Perhaps Piotr’s most v-shaped entry to date, the in-ear
thrives on energy. The low-end provides a bold, gutsy and almost subterranean foundation, undercut by the top-end’s swift, articulate cuts. And, the midrange humbly bridges the gap. However, while monitors of this type usually cause fatigue to set in much quicker than usual, the FIBAE 4 largely avoids this downfall. This is achieved through rapid decay. Images come-and-go with great immediacy, so the listener is never bombarded with noise during listening.
Now, there
is a less desirable aspect to this speed. If you’re one to enjoy lots of wispy, euphonic warmth permeating throughout your soundscapes to bind instruments together, the FIBAE 4 won’t provide that. The images this monitor renders are almost their own little islands scattered throughout the soundscape, rather than one big, unified, wall of sound. Obviously, where this benefits the FIBAE 4 is in separation. Detail retrieval and layering is the FIBAE 4’s strong suit. A clean stable background and precise imaging also make for a tactile and convincing
surround sound experience. Again, it’s a refined, smooth, fast-paced sound with bounds of air and space, founded by a dense, bold low-end below.
Bass
The low-end is the FIBAE 4’s engine. It’s impact-driven, dense and generously-bodied. There seems to be a rise towards 100Hz that bolsters kick drums forward – one of the FIBAE 4’s highlight instruments. Whether listening to or performing with them, kick drums always cut through the mix very clearly. Personally, I find that feature wonderful when I’m having to learn a new kick pattern from a busily-arranged track. And, it works wonderfully with genres like prog-rock and metal as well, where double pedals are abundant. Past that 100Hz mark though, they low-end dips, especially toward the low-mids. This is what steers the FIBAE 4’s bass towards a quick and open timbre, rather than a warm, euphonic or wet one.
This dip allows the low-end to have tons of concentrated impact with minimal bleed. The FIBAE 4’s stage remains clean as a result. In fact,
clean can also be used to described the low-end notes themselves. Kick drums and bass guitar come through with tons of clarity and textural data. It isn’t this blubbery mess that trades in resolution for volume. Rather, it achieves both through clever tuning and raw extension. I also admire Piotr’s decision to keep sub-bass relatively linear. It’s what gives the bass headroom, and allows the natural textures of the track to come through without any artificial rumble. All in all, it’s a response with the right blend of bigness, clarity and warmth to sit well with a
plethora of genres.
Midrange
The midrange is where
airy and
open come in. Instruments are given tons of space – both from each other
and from the listener – as they’re positioned neutrally in the stage. One thing the FIBAE 4 never is is
in your face; stuffy. Whether or not that’s a good thing will ultimately depend on your tastes. Technically, a low-mid dip encourages definition. Images are well-defined, compact and tight, so there’s always air around them. This allows clarity to always be apparent even in the busiest of arrangements. Transitioning from there is a rise around 1-2kHz, where the majority of the FIBAE 4’s midrange energy is focused. This gives instruments a solid body, so despite the neutral positioning, they never lose their integrity.
In the upper-midrange lies the FIBAE 4’s most audible colouration: A 3-4kHz dip. It’s what pulls the instruments back for a more reserved, open profile. As mentioned, they more so resemble tiny islands scattered throughout the soundscape; modest in note size and in projection. This ensures the soundscape is never saturated with
loud instruments fighting for attention. But, at the same time, I find it has the adverse effect of limiting dynamic range. Midrange instruments have a tendency of lacking impact and punch. This is especially true of brass sections, like those on Snarky Puppy’s
Chonks. The drama from those horns projecting boldly in your face is diminished. But, at the end of the day, when you consider the bigger picture, it is a compromise necessary for the FIBAE 4’s v-shape to work, and one that others may enjoy regardless.
Treble
Despite the
v-shape descriptor I’ve been using throughout the review, the FIBAE 4 isn’t as egregiously contoured as the adjective may imply. This is especially true of the top-end. The FIBAE 4 possesses a clean, crystalline top-end with tons of air and detail, but it isn’t as sharp and crisp as one might probably expect from such a signature. This allows the FIBAE 4 to maintain a neutral tonal balance that errs too far neither in one direction nor the other. And, it also allows the FIBAE 4 to maintain coherence. Top-end transients are never too distant from the harmonics of the lows, so there’s a unified feel to the FIBAE 4 that’s become less common in the new hybrid era. It performs with precision and speed; no more, no less.
The top-end efficiently cuts without overdoing brightness or sharpness. Edges are refined, but never blunt or muffled. This comes from the top-end’s immediacy in both transient and decay. Notes appear out of thin air, then vanish just as quick. This is evidently showcased in David Benoit’s
Cast Your Fate to the Wind, rife with extremely delicate hi-hat and ride cymbal work. All those
tiny touches are rendered through the FIBAE 4 with stunning clarity, and a convincingly realistic timbre. The second part to that equation is the stable backdrop, courtesy of strong extension. Composure is something the FIBAE 4 is never short of, and the same can be said for left-right separation. Stereo spread is downright out-of-head with the right material, and thus completes a wonderful top-end response: Clean, smooth, precise and full of technique.
General Recommendations
The FIBAE 4’s lightly-contoured frequency response makes it an exciting, clean-sounding monitor ideal for a number of genres, as long as you enjoy lots of openness, clarity and air. Above all, though, here are three things it does
very well:
Tight, clean and open-sounding instruments: The FIBAE 4’s airiness comes from its clean, well-defined instrument timbre. Images are crisp and well-outlined, which results in strong separation. And, great stereo spread places them all around you in convincing fashion. If you like light and fast instruments that don’t exude too much warmth, the FIBAE 4 is for you.
A guttural, full-bodied low-end with clarity: A great balance between heftiness and definition runs throughout the FIBAE 4’s lows. Although its inherent timbre is airy and clear, it carries tons of weight in its impact due to clever tuning and strong extension. This is especially ideal if you’re playing or monitoring kick drums, or you simply want them to
pop in the mix.
Smooth, delicate yet crystalline highs: The same balance between finesse and cut exists in the FIBAE 4’s top-end. Notes cut through with airiness, refinement and clarity, yet they remain smooth and feathered in texture. These aren’t shrill, brittle highs that cut through the mix by force. Rather, they’re speedy, refined transients with a forgiving, effortless sense of air.
However, to achieve its effortless clarity, the FIBAE 4 certainly has its fair share of compromises. It’s not the wettest, warmest or most intimate in-ear monitor out there. Here are three attributes in which those colourations most lie:
Intimate-sounding, rich, warm mids: The FIBAE 4’s midrange is decidedly dominated by air. Instruments aren’t the most full-sounding, nor are they forwardly-positioned or intimate. They’re sat neutrally in order to emphasise spaciousness. So, if you prefer your instruments warmer, richer and more
in-your-face, the FIBAE 4 may not be the ideal pick for you.
Impactful, dynamic upper-mids: This airy sensation is most prevalent in the upper-mids. If you’re a rock aficionado – or a concert go-er in general – instruments like electric guitars and horns won’t have that visceral, dramatic sense of impact. Rather, they’re slightly restrained to avoid saturating or congesting the image; limiting dynamic range as a side-effect.
Ultra-crisp and bright transients: The FIBAE 4 is only mildly v-shaped; particularly in the highs. The FIBAE 4’s top-end is crisp and articulate, but feathered and linear relative to the mids and lows as well. It’s a balanced presentation that may lie more towards the modest side to some, especially if you’re a
treblehead looking for ultra-crisp, ultra-bright transients.
Select Comparisons
Custom Art FIBAE Black (€450)
The FIBAE Black is slightly warmer and denser-sounding than the FIBAE 4. Its instruments are unified by a very light whiff of warmth, while the FIBAE 4’s are more separated, airy and tight. Though, in midrange projection and vibrance, they are very, very similar. What then makes the FIBAE 4 the more energetic of the two is its sparklier treble. Presence along 5kHz and 8kHz give the FIBAE 4 a brighter, crisper edge. But, in terms of
overall quantity, the FIBAE 4’s top-end isn’t too much greater than the Black’s. So, they can both be considered equally linear and realistic, despite lightly differing tonal hues.
Technically, the Black puts up a great fight. Its stage is wonderfully stable, well-defined and expansive. When it comes to background blackness, the Black does win out a hair. However, the FIBAE 4 has the edge in resolution and tactility. When you listen to hi-hats and ride cymbals, although they may be heard on the Black’s just as much as they are on the FIBAE 4, the latter’s reproduction sounds more tactile and corporeal. The Black loses a tad of integrity further up the range to the FIBAE 4. This is also because of the FIBAE 4’s more recessed lower-mids, which gives its notes more definition, clarity and contrast. This is what allows instruments like those to jump out at the listener more effectively, and boost realism.
Custom Art FIBAE 2 (€475)
Compared to its sibling, the FIBAE 2 is a more upfront-sounding monitor with a greater midrange emphasis. Images are larger in size and richer in timbre, assuming a more
wall-of-sound presentation. However, this intimacy also comes from a significantly smaller soundstage. The FIBAE 4 expands far further, especially in terms of width. It also achieves stronger stereo spread with a more convincing
surround sound sensation. Tonally, the FIBAE 4 is the cleaner-sounding of the two with tighter, faster, crisper and airier notes. It wins out by a sizeable margin in terms of resolution and transparency too.
The FIBAE 2’s lows are richer, darker and fuller than the FIBAE 4’s more concentrated hits. Nevertheless, the latter wins out in physicality and slam because of its superior extension. Texture more easily comes through as well. The same goes for the top-end. The FIBAE 2’s comes across more blunted. Although its top-end extension is fine for a dual-driver IEM, it simply can’t compete with the FIBAE 4’s. This is shown in the latter’s far cleaner, stabler and more transparent stage. If I were being honest, the FIBAE 4 beats out its younger sibling in just about every technical regard by a clear margin. If you own the FIBAE 2 and you crave leaps in cleanliness, resolution and imaging precision, the FIBAE 4 is a very strong option.
Custom Art FIBAE 3 (€525)
The FIBAE 3 is a closer competitor to the FIBAE 4 both tonally
and technically. In terms of sheer size, the two aren’t far off. However, the FIBAE 4 has the more proportional stage. Its expansion in terms of width and depth are near-equal, resulting in a near-perfectly spherical sound field. The FIBAE 3 is noticeably wider than it is deep, which results in lead instruments that are more upfront and panned instruments that sound further away. This gives the FIBAE 4 the more believable
surround sound experience; immersive and realistic. The FIBAE 3 meanwhile comes across a touch more flat.
In the lows, the FIBAE 4 is a touch meatier and more impactful. The FIBAE 3 perhaps has a hair more sub-bass content, but it really is splitting hairs as far as bass quantity is concerned. What is clear though, is that the FIBAE 4 is the victor in terms of bass extension, as the lows there possess a more realistic sense of slam. The FIBAE 3 possesses a more vibrant upper-midrange that gives it a touch more musicality than the FIBAE 4, while the latter’s more laid-back approach gives instruments more depth and air. The low-treble is the clearest discrepancy between the two. The FIBAE 3’s strong 5kHz dip will sound diffuse without proper adaptation, while the FIBAE 4’s is more tactile, coherent and realistic-sounding.
Verdict
The FIBAE 4 is Custom Art’s most impressive technical effort yet: Clean, vast and precise in imaging. At the same time, it’s Piotr’s most cleverly-tuned piece as well, getting away with more guiltless colourations than my hands can count. From a hefty yet airy bass, to a smooth, feathered yet crystal clear treble, the FIBAE 4 pulls off its many balancing acts with great finesse. Admittedly, its upper-mids were less successful; slightly unexciting dynamically. But, besides that – and with the tech and asking price in mind – this in-ear is quite difficult to fault. With the FIBAE 4, Piotr has given us his interpretation of a
mainstream sound, and – in true, time-tested
Custom Art fashion – it’s as clever, unique, balanced and refined as ever.