Looking back on the year 2014 was the first time I heard the brand name Fidue mentioned, there was a lot of noise surrounding their first release 3-way hybrid, Fidue A83, and for good reason. It was ranked extremely highly by myself on a price to performance ratio reaching close to top tier earphones at a fraction of their price. With such forward motion It didn't take long for Fidue to stamp their name onto the vastly evolving portable audio market.
After their A83 Fidue released some middle/lower end models such as A73, they were all well received but fans dearly wanted a new flagship. Everyone was waiting on an A83 successor but Fidue themselves went rather quiet without a word of something new in the pipelines. That was until around 6-months ago while browsing facebook I saw some new images emerge on Fidue's page.
Their new hybrid is a 5-way design using x1 dynamic driver and x4 balanced armatures in each housing, we soon found out it was known as Sirius, or Fidue A91 and the promo images looked stunning. Today we'll be looking at the new flagship giving some thoughts, I will say there are some excellent aspects I perceive from Sirus but others I was left slightly questioning.
Fidue Sirius A91
Pricing from Penon Audio: $899 USD
Specs:
- Model: FIDUE SIRIUS
- Color: Dark Grey
- Driving Units: 4 Balanced Armature driver & 1 dynamic driver
- Frequency Response: 4-45000 Hz
- Impedance: 20Ω
- Sensitivity: 113Db
- Input Power: 30mW
- Total Harmonic Distortion: <1%
- Plug: Protogenous 2.5mm balance stereo rhodium plating plug
- Cable Length: 1.3m 8cores silver plating OFC audiophile cable
- Converting Cable: 2.5 to 3.5mm quadruple balance converting plug; 2.5 to 3.5 mm universal stereo converting plug
- Applicable products: iphone, Samsung, HTC, Xiaomi, Meizu(all models), Ipad (Tablet&PC). It applies to 99% market electronic products
Packaging:
The new flagship is considered a top-end release in all areas visually. The unit comes in a wonderful black leatherette style box you keep and store Sirius inside (if you wish). The lid pops open held by two soft ribbons revealing the superbly built alloy earpieces and tips laid out before you. A word of mention, when I received this review sample the lid on my box was rather hard to open, almost like an airlock was holding it closed, I did try gently though it needed some force. When I strained the lid open one of the earpieces came flying out onto my bed. It was a little frightening for a first impression though possibly only this particular units storage box.
The original fluoro green outer packaging sleeve we know remains, It wouldn't be Fidue if we didn't have this artwork on each release outer boxing, its their brand stamp or trade mark logo and I do quite like the impression in puts across for a consumer.
Once you have the lid open you'll need to remove the first layer of the box to reach your goodies such as storage tin (a complete work of art in itself) and other accessories. Also flipping the first layer upside down you will find your balanced cable adapters which had me puzzled at first where they were located.
Accessories:
- User manual
- 3.5mm to 6.3mm cable adapter
- Airline Adapter
- Storage tin
- x2 balanced cable adapters
- x4 sets of silicon ear tips (XS/S/M/L)
- x1 Comply tips
- Warranty card
Once inside the storage tin you find your extra accessories in plastic bags, these include some comply tips, an airline adapter, 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter for home amps and a strange looking metal object which resembles a guitar pick. Turns out this item is a tool for removing the cable from each earpiece and another even smaller piece for cleaning the vents on the earphone housings. There are instructions inside the included manual explaining how this is accomplished and I'll show a photo to explain. I do think the cable removal/cleaning tool is something you'll need to keep an eye on, its small and may vanish into the realms of your apartment or house if not careful. Personally, I have not used the tools however it seems Fidue recommend you should as a safety measure with the MMCX connections.
The large metal tin itself is sensational supporting a twist/off lid, the inside padded out with what appears a soft velvet material so the metal earpieces never rub or knock anywhere. Its also weighs quite a lot giving a feeling of quality when in the hand . On the lid you can see the Fidue logo engraved deeply displaying itself with a chrome like finished indentation . The tin again like the entire package gives a strong impression of high quality, I doubt however it could be placed in a pants pocket as its an oversize design which suits me fine for home storage, easy to use.
Build Quality:
Fidue truly have gone for something different than their previous earphones, they've really upped the anti on build quality for their new flagship. Gone are the plastic housings we've seen on past models, Sirius has full metal construction housing with excellent attention to detail. Probably the only thing which remains similar are the vent or fin detailing on each face-plate.
The entire earphone looks extremely mature or grown up over anything we've seen from this company before. When in person you really think you're looking at something built by Sony or the likes of a true craftsmanship. Sony H3 was probably some of the nicest build I'd seen, that was until I laid eyes on Sirius in person.
Photos simply don't do the build full justice, its more an art form than an earphone housing, with the precision of today's machining tools each earpiece is a true mirror image of the other. I also appreciate Fidue going for a more laid back colour scheme with Sirius, no more red/blue bright housings or loud colours stating their name. Fidue have upped the game substantially.
Each earpiece still retains a similar shape to their previous models however the size seems to be kept quite small considering the amount of drivers inside. The metallic grey coating over the earpieces works very well in combination with the cable locking mechanism and coloured collars. They support popular MMCX connections with a locking collar system implemented, its good seeing this new approach taken on-board and hopefully solves any connection issues.
Another thing to mention is the nozzles on Sirius have no raised lip or section to hold your tips on securely. Because of this you may find tips coming off inside your ear canal after removal occasionally. I really do wish this area had been treated differently, but it is what it is.
Cable Quality:
The excellence in craftsmanship doesn't halt at the cable. After some research I've found its an 8 braid silver plated cable terminated with 2.5mm balanced jack (the same configuration as Astell & Kern use for their balanced output). The cable is also sheathed with a material that makes it extremely stylish usually found from custom cable makers. Included with the accessories are x2 adapters we talked about earlier, these attach to the default 2.5mm balanced connection converting your Sirius for single end 3.5mm or balanced 3.5mm input jacks.
While I see the functionality having 2.5mm balanced jack as default I really don't know if the market is prepared for this as an everyday use. We're still much in the 3.5mm single end jack lifestyle and I do wonder if simply another balanced cable should have provided instead of these add-on accessories. The downside to needing the adapters with your iPod or older MP3 players is they must remain attached full-time, they add weight to the already sturdy cable and it seems odd overall from a consumer perspective to take this direction. I do see where Fidue we're heading although not sure if I agree with it totally. As for the cable quality its wonderfully built, when attached to the earpieces only adds to the pure attraction of Sirius, there's no two ways about it.
Areas like the MMCX male plug connection are well designed. The locking mechanism collar allows each plug to stay on tight and the housing
can swivel (or be adjusted) before screwing them down tightly, afterward the housing will hold that position/angle you select.
Fit / Isolation:
Fit wise I had an easy time, the housings seat neatly inside the cavity outside my ear as the lower-end of the housing slips in behind almost locking the housing in-place. I'm able to jump up/down with them worn or even jog slowly. I will stress though this is just with my ears, some who experienced rough fit a with the earlier A83 model may also run into problems. Areas like the nozzle still have limited reach and you must really align the housing in the correct position to get a tight sealed fit depending on your tips used.
I was able to use the stock included large tips without much problem, considering the housing lock into my outer ear so well. Others on the forums have needed to try tip alternatives, many of them saying JVC Spiral Dot worked well. Others have wished there were more tips included.
Because the nozzle still provides limited reach you're going to have a downside in isolation, its an area Sirius cannot keep out lots of noise. I was able to hear traffic and ambient sounds quite easily depending on my situation and how loud my music was playing. I couldn't really recommend Sirius for someone who spends their day in busy cites or around hectic train platforms.
Sound Quality:
Sources used:
- Astell & Kern AK300
- iBasso DX90
- Shanling M3
- Tralucent Dac Amp One
Files used:
- All files 16/44 FLAC
Tonality:
To my ears the tonality of Sirius is slightly on the warmer side of neutral, particularly around the mid-range where it can come across as smooth or as another word sounding matured. The downside is those who admired direct vibrancy and energy from Fidue A83 may find themselves wondering exactly what Fidue tried to do. For myself I understand the smoother signature is to display a more evolved sound though those who seek drop of a hat clarity may be left wondering.
Areas like the upper mid-range still have some push at higher volumes but again its all put across with a slightly warm tilt to the mids and it can be confusing if you dislike any kind of veil or lack of vibrancy, I've found myself tempted to add some EQ to bring Sirius at a level I like.
Bass:
The bass is slightly forward from neutral but only fractionally and it comes across to me having a slightly elevated mid-bass hump depending on the tips used, its not the kind of mid-bass that's overly intrusive or annoying but enough to hear its presence along with the accompanied sub-bass, it seems to show more presence at higher volume regions.
Areas like speed are decent and texture but its not the kind of bass detail or clarity I have heard from some cheaper IEMs in the past. T-Peos H-300 being a good example. I do hear decent extension but when compared to something like Tralucent Ref.1 the reach into lower territory from Sirius suffers in creating the deepest sub-bass notes and remaining tight. My overall thoughts on the bass are not negative nor anything extraordinary amazing either.
Mids:
The meat of Sirius is its mid-range, where the life and soul of this earphone lies. Like mentioned the tonality comes across slightly thick, and warm which presents the mid-range with some maturity or a smoother perception. While the detail is quite decent it expresses itself more in the thickness of each note over throwing it directly at you with edge clarity, it uses weight to express detail. For me, when using higher volumes I find this note weight gets in the way of separation and imaging, it can make Sirius confused, unclean or overcrowded at times which I don't feel is a pleasing experience.
At lower volumes when the drivers aren't working hard Sirius maintains its true sound and its quite enjoyable particularly when idling late at night whilst laying in bed. Its just for me when an earphone begins costing roughly $1000 its ability to remain coherent without congestion or sound like its laboring is extremely important. Tralucent 1Plus2 being an excellent representative. At the end of the day its all relative to your standard or reference level so opinions will vary between each person depending on their preference and experience with other quality earphones.
Areas like timbre are quite good with piano and guitar if you're interested in a slightly unreal sound, if you close your eyes and imagine or visualize a live concert inside a hall Sirius can place that across depending on the genre or music you listen to. I need to stress though those looking for a direct A83 upgrade in the mid-range need to consider the changes made to this signature.
Treble:
To these ears treble is slightly on the smoother side as well, Its not highly active or aggressive, It displays itself well throughout most tracks and has never become too forward or itching my nerves on sibilant or harsh. It sometimes takes a back-seat when the volume is loud as the mid-range comes forward and its thickness takes a front-seat, but again its not done in 100% clean manner.
Extension seems to suffer and the highs can sound a little rolled, if you're looking for a lot of shimmer, a treble head or needing your ears massaged by highs Sirius will not do that. Its more what I'd consider consumer friendly treble, a safe approach to not offend anyone.
Soundstage:
The first day I tried Sirius was with a track I'd not listened to for sometime, Agnes Obel, - ”Aventine”, its the first album on my sd cards. It had me convinced Sirius used some form of magic as the depth on the left/ right channels had an uncanny level almost like a binaural recording. While Sirus does contribute to this later that day I tested with a few other earphones and it was indeed the mastering of that track, not Sirius all alone. So I can say the soundstage does have quite good width and depth on the each side channel, it can almost come across holographic but you must have the correct tips and recordings for it to express this character.
One area that suffers is again the lack of air around the presentation when lifting the volume, again the mids sound sluggish, thick and it can compress the soundstage. With another higher-tier earphone the soundstage should be able to 'explode' outwards with tracks when there's a climax, the amount of dynamics should hit clean and then leave as quickly. Sirius cannot do this and loses marks.
Separation / imaging:
Imaging as mentioned can hold great refinement at lower volumes, its able to place instruments around the stage on each channel and the stereo imaging is decent, but again if there's any congestion it loses balance and becomes loose, the thickness takes control. When an earphone is excelling at higher volumes the imaging and separation should hold tight posture, it should surround you and create a large wall of sound that can immerse you.
I am actually quite surprised Sirus cannot hold a higher level of separation, I understand its signature is on the thicker side but it really loses some marks from me, it simply doesn't become a stand out area I think
'wow, that's good'. Instead an area I need to listen for, it doesn't find me, I need to find it then become slightly underwhelmed what I hear.
Conclusion:
I'm giving Sirus a total of 4 stars, most of them allocated towards the build quality, packaging and overall presentation of your purchase. Fidue have pushed the bar in terms of expressing quality from their latest product, the housings, cable, and appearance are all absolutely first class. It really is a beautiful looking earphone one people will ask you about in the street, pieces like the storage tin make it a complete package, a very exceptional one. I do think they should have provided a separate balanced cable over the adapters but its their choice.
When it comes to sound I cannot agree Sirius pushes any boundaries or excelling what could be done with its amount of drivers. These coherency issues I detect at moderately higher volumes and that laboring causing Sirius to lose separation tell me there's something going on with the tuning that wasn't finalized or could have been implemented more accurately. Now, one can argue Sirius isn't my signature and I'd agree its not though my reference point being the Tralucent brand Sirius is a way off even the aging 1Plus2 hybrid design which uses less drivers. For an earphone to excel it must be strong technically, then you begin to draw a sixth sense from music, you begin to extract emotion, goose bumps, all those fun things. Sirius barely has the technical aspect nailed consistently.
I do hear its ability at lower volumes, its a decent sounding IEM, but decent for $899 is not enough. For almost $1000 I want amazing, I'm paying you so provide that sound. Receiving Sirius as a review sample I need to ask myself how my conscious had felt if I paid the full amount, would I be pleased with its sound performance? My answer is no, I would not be completely satisfied for the money and need to be honest. At the end of the day its not my cup of tea though others will always feel different and I hope they enjoy their purchase,
genuinely.
Thanks to Michael from Fidue for sending the sample.
that was hilarious, i know that feeling