FIIO SP3 High Fidelity Active Desktop Speakers (Black)

Product Information

The balanced 4-pin XLR, 6.35mm and 4.4mm headphone ports up front should clue you in that the R7 is fully loaded when it comes to connections. Sonos ERA 100: the new Sonos recently replaced some of my One at the house, thanks to their extended low range and dual tweeter system. On my desk, a pair of ERA 100 output a crazy wide soundstage, but head to head with the FiiO SP3, it immediately felt artificial, almost chemical. That said, the bass of the Sonos is a world above what FiiO has to offer and in my multi-room setup, I’d never exchange the ERA100, for the SP3.

You can even abandon the built-in AC power supply for an external DC unit, although we found the sound output was perfectly clean straight out of the box. The presentation of FiiO SP3 is sweet, clean, relaxed. They play inspired and soft, you can feel the characteristic cheerful colors of FiiO, a common breed with other devices of the brand. The tonalka is balanced, even, it is devoid of sharp peaks, but these are definitely not dry monitors, without strict analytical or emphasized detachment. SP3 has its own way, they are atmospheric, juicy, very alive and carefree. They add some weight and singing to the notes, they like to decorate the picture with pronounced dynamics. Not that for fans of analog mutedness and completely vintage velvet timbres, some crystallinity is present, but the setting still leans towards warm. If we focus solely on sound, then I can’t say that it is amazing and it isn't something that I have fallen in love with, but that does not mean it sounds bad, far from it. I have used it for many hours, with many different headphones (and a few speaker set ups), and I really don’t have any complaints about it, just that there are other combinations that I prefer personally. I think this competes with the majority of combo units out there that are priced at the same level or below.They aren’t as dense as monitor speakers, but head-to-head against multimedia speakers, I think the vast majority of you will be more than pleasantly surprised by the perceived quality of the SP3. In my opinion, those are one of those speakers that look better in real life, than in picture, which is no small feat. Focusing for a moment on the hardware functionality, as I mentioned in build, on the front we get two balanced and one unbalanced headphone outputs, with two knobs located above them. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

The FiiO SP3 comes with an external power adapter, a high quality 3.5mm to RCA cable, an interconnect cable between the two speakers and two sets of rubber isolation pads.Usually, the largeness would be the WHOA factor, but in this case, it’s the tininess that is the whoa factor and how they are just a pleasure to use, for treble instances, with horrific quality music. I sometimes use Spotify, but mostly it’s gross quality YouTube streams and so on. The FiiO R7 is the most innovative and intriguing product FiiO has ever designed, it points the way to the future and makes us wonder about the already announced FiiO R9. So, I am sure that is why FiiO made sure their SP3 speakers here might be able to be run through a preamp so to speak, even though you don’t need the extra power. Overall, the SP3 plays very well with different types of DACs, from something like the SMSL M400 to line-outs from DAPs such as the TempoTec V6. You don’t need an amp, it runs off the wall outlet power, but you can drop an amp in the middle if you want to change the sound qualities and if that amp allows you to use a bass or treble switch. The SP3’s 3.5-inch carbon fiber midwoofer outperforms its smaller counterparts in dynamics, soundstage projection, and overall sonic attributes. Its carbon fiber composition ensures rapid transient response and reduced non-linear distortion, offering an immersive high fidelity listening experience. Features 3.5-inch carbon fiber midwoofer. Soft sound-absorbing treble dome design. Asymmetrical internal and external magnetic circuits. Directional acoustic waveguides Double-diffused S-shaped port tube. 1-inch silk tweeter. TI power amplifier. 30×2+10Wx2 power output. Tiny 2.35L volume. Pressure die-cast liquid metal cabinet. LED lighting effects. Exclusive stand with 7-degree elevation. High-quality exclusive cables. Powerful Asymmetrical Magnetic Circuits

Dynamic is very good, even more, if you use high-end sources like I did – I even preferred the Node X to the CA1000T in that regards – and unless you reach top volume, you’ll never hear a shred of distortion. Paired with those two sources, the voices were natural, poised, and I could easily pinpoint each of them in the space. In addition to that, you get an excellent layering and left/right pan are delightful to listen to, even after a few hours of listening. FiiO has squeezed in two dials and a trio of audio outputs to the right of the 5in display, saving you from reaching around to the rear of the unit every time you want to plug in some headphones. A dust cover in the box blanks off those outputs completely if you don’t plan on using them, and there’s a single cover for the beefy XLR port to keep things looking shipshape. The SP3's 3.5-inch carbon fiber midwoofer outperforms its smaller counterparts in dynamics, soundstage projection, and overall sonic attributes. Its carbon fiber composition ensures rapid transient response and reduced non-linear distortion, offering an immersive high fidelity listening experience. Powerful Asymmetrical Magnetic CircuitsLet’s start with theory, then move on to practice. In fact, at one time I was very interested in the topic of stationary systems, but here I will try not to torment you with boring data, but you and I like to read mainly about headphones. The Bluetooth connection is stable and reliable but with so many options lying around the Bluetooth would be my last choice and I would use it only for transmitting music to a Bluetooth headset. The SP3's tweeter is precisely angled for lossless transmission of sound waves, while the horizontal striped pattern diffuses sound effectively throughout the room. This design enhances the perceived soundstage, making you feel like you're in a grand concert hall. The SP3 utilizes asymmetrical internal and external magnetic circuits to maximize the potential of the 3.5-inch carbon fiber midwoofer. This innovative design increases magnetic flux, reduces non-linear distortion, and ensures consistently excellent sound quality. Silk Tweeter for Unparalleled Treble Resolution In terms of I/O, the FiiO SP3 is surprisingly conservative and you only get two inputs: a RCA and a 3.5mm line input. A layout that might seem a bit light for many users, as you usually get a phono in, and some digital inputs on this kind of speakers.

You can passively run the 3.5mm cable into a budget to mid-tier amplifier with a good bass switch, or hopefully run your music through something like the Foobar2000 app or the HiBy Music app. With that, you can upgrade the bass depth and weight with the right combo set of extra add-ons. The FiiO SP3 speakers are delivered with 7° inclined stands. These allow for optimal proximity listening, e.g. when placed on a desk. Furthermore, these stands are made of silicone and also act as vibration absorbers.FiiO will be launching the SP3 active monitors seen in the R7’s press shots sometime later this year. Pricing on those remains TBC. The innovative double-diffused S-shaped porting tube enhances bass extension and control, resulting in fast bass transients and superior bass quality. This design allows the SP3 to remain compact, maximizes airflow and reduces turbulence to reproduce deep, punchy bass. Gamers will love the SP3 speakers. I know I did. Explosions and deep rumbling bass on near-field sets like this are so yummy at times, but without shaking your entire desk and dorm, or house, or enough to have the neighbors call the cops on you. When turning the volume knob, this brings up a red dial on the screen, reminiscent of a car speedometer, that shows the volume level in digits in the center, the current set gain level underneath and the volume level also on the dial surrounding this info. I don’t find the volume knob to be very smooth when turning, or rather the digital response (the knob itself is very smooth) as it does seem to skip a little when turning fast. However, once the dial is shown on screen, you can just slide your finger up or down to change the volume, which is much faster and smoother in its response.