Audiophilepure

The aluminum enclosure is similar to FiiO’s range of digital audio players but with more refined and elegant design elements. The case is precision machined and finished with a sandblasted matte black coating for a sleek yet robust look that will appeal to any audio enthusiast. The build quality is exemplary. It is sturdy, durable, and meticulously assembled. Details such as the RGB LED under the volume knob, radiant design buttons, and a radiant design black volume pot add to the premium aesthetic.

The design of the unit is simple and functional, combining elegance with a professional feel. The front panel includes essential controls, multiple headphone outputs (3.5mm, 4.4mm, and XLR 4-pin), volume pot, and status LEDs. Although there is no remote control, the FiiO Control app, available for both Android and iOS, provides remote volume control for added convenience in select modes.

I decided to stream Qobuz and quickly settled on “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac (2001 Remaster). Setup via Bluetooth was a breeze and pairing it to my iPhone took seconds and as soon as “Second Hand News” started playing, I knew that I was going to be in for a treat! The overall presentation was incredibly balanced and surprisingly neutral. Usually, headphones under the $300 price tag tend to be bassy, a bit bloated with a distinct lack of treble extension and a sense of air. But what I heard with these headphones was a very natural and balanced signature with a very good amount of detail retrieval and openness. If you’re looking for a bass-heavy presentation for hip-hop, then maybe I’d suggest you look elsewhere, but if what you’re after is a very taught and detailed bass with a satisfying punch akin to the HD800S in terms of presence, then the SE-1’s are right up your ally. Conversely, the vocals by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were almost in perfect proportion to the bass and treble. Each frequency range was very well balanced and layered on top of each other such that I never once felt that there was too much of a predominance of one over the other. Finally, throughout the 40 minutes of this excellent experience, the comfort of these headphones was very good. They may not be towards the very top of on-the-go headphones that I’ve tried (like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra), but they were still very easy to use without a sign of fatigue or excessive wear