FiiO EH13 Review

Design

• Sleek and simple
• Soft padding
• Logical button controls

The EH13 are focused on doing the basics well. I’ve encountered several budget cans that aren’t comfortable, and these aren’t like those. They’ve got plenty of earcup and headband cushioning, and a well-judged clamp force that means you can wear them for several hours with no issue. There’s no weird squeaking or creaking, and I can’t even say that of the much pricier Sonos Ace.

Control-wise, everything’s pretty sensible too. Pairing, power and playback are covered by a single multifunction button, there’s an ANC button to cycle between noise-cancelling and awareness modes, and volume buttons (which also skip backwards and forwards when held down). I wouldn’t mind these being slightly better positioned and more premium buttons, but I’m not really complaining given these are cheap cans.

The overall look is clean, tasteful and not too generic. They’re squareish, with sturdy hinges and a shiny accent around the exterior on each cup. The light on the right side could do with being less eye-catching and would probably be better placed on the bottom of the cup rather than the side, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker.

Overall, these look good, fit well, and are comfortable. So far, they’re ticking all the right boxes. But it is a shame they don’t come with any travel pouch or case. They’re light and foldable, so great for long journeys, and I think some protection would’ve been a great addition here.

Noise-Cancellation

• Hybrid system up to -42dB
• 4 dedicated ANC mics
• Three adjustable levels

These cans are reasonable when it comes to both blocking out and actively cancelling annoying background noise. I’ve used them on trains, planes, at home, and while walking London’s streets, and while they’re not going to best certain Soundcore and Sony options that may cost a smidge more, they’re solid performers for this price.

On my flight, they didn’t quite fully eliminate the engine sound, but they did a very good job at reducing it to a low rumble. I found that my audio played at 50% volume was still audible, but you’ll probably want to increase the volume a little.

I found them great at passive isolation, so the plush padding actually blocks more from reaching your ears, meaning the ANC system doesn’t need to work quite as hard as rivals. They don’t beat something more expensive like the Sony ULT Wear, of course, but they also offer a more stable fit.

Advertisement

In other environments, I find that higher frequency and mid-range sounds, including people chatting and traffic noise, can get through this ANC system even when it’s manually set to its highest level. They also don’t handle wind noise well – with wind crackling through the microphones when walking.

But, unlike some rivals, there isn’t much of a noticeable hiss or noise floor to the “anti-noise” signal, and that helps keep your music sounding its best. That relative lack of background irritation is why, overall, I probably prefer the ANC here over Soundcore’s Q20i.

The transparency/ambient mode is also a bit of a weak point, though. It sounds muffled and unnatural, and I wouldn’t rely on it for anything other than some basic spatial awareness.

Features

The FiiO EH13 come with the up-to-date Bluetooth 6.0 standard and support the AAC, SBC and LDAC codecs. The latter, a high-res codec supported by Android devices, isn’t always a given on cheaper headphones, and is capable of transmitting more data for high-res listening. As I’ll explain in the sound quality section below, using this codec does deliver a subtle improvement in clarity.

The EH13 also supports Bluetooth multipoint so that you can stay connected to two devices at once (also not a given at this price point), and there’s a 3.5mm jack for a hard-wired connection. This isn’t passive playback, though; they’ll need to have some juice to be used in this mode.

What features do they lack? There’s no auto-pause/wearing detection or an auto-off sleep timer, so you’ll need to remember to turn them off. There’s also no spatial audio for immersion or low-latency mode for mobile gamers.

The secret weapon of these cans, though, is within the relatively clunky and poorly-designed FiiO Control app. And that’s a 10-band parametric equaliser. It enables you to dial in your ideal sound with more precision than a standard graphic EQ, enabling you to pick the exact frequency you want to “fix” and then how much you want to boost or cut that frequency. You can also tweak how wide or narrow the adjustment is.

It’s impressive to have this feature in budget headphones, even if it may be a little intimidating for some to use. Once you’ve tweaked it, you save it to the EH13 themselves, so your sound curve is retained no matter which device you connect to. It’s handy, and there are a lot of community presets made by users which can transform the sound of these cans.

Battery Life

To check, I conducted a battery drain test streaming a Deezer playlist over the high-bitrate LDAC codec using the Nothing Phone (3), with volume set to 50% and ANC switched on. After 4 hours of playback, it dropped 10%, which indicates a total battery life of roughly 40 hours.

This is impressive for high-resolution listening, and lines up closely with FiiO’s battery estimates. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the most precise test, as both the companion app and Android’s quick settings display battery life only in 10% increments.

Recharging takes about two hours via USB-C to get you back to a full charge. FiiO also includes a 3.5mm audio connection on the headphones. It’s worth noting, though, that these aren’t truly passive headphones; the internals are required to process the audio signal, meaning the headphones still need to be powered on with battery remaining to listen via the cable.

Sound Quality

• 40mm sapphire-coated drivers
• Warm, clear, detailed tuning
• Punchy bass and smooth highs

By default, the EH13 deliver an excellent sound for easy listening. They’re smooth, relaxed and warm, with greater clarity than you’d expect from budget headphones. The approach is not searching for analytical neutrality, although you can definitely achieve that with the equaliser!

While there’s a low-end boost, it’s not as exaggerated as I’ve heard in other cheap rivals. They’re tuned for fun and impact, but not at the cost of detail in the mids, where vocals sound full-bodied and controlled. You may not quite get all of the detail you’re hoping for in the highs, but they’re not sibilant or fatiguing.

I found Charli xcx’s SS26 a great demonstration of the EH13’s abilities; you hear great presence in the vocals which sit over the pulsing bass. The heavy beat swallows none of the lyrical details, and I found the experience notably improved by LDAC via an Android phone.

Advertisement

These cans don’t have much of a wide soundstage, but instead are great for an intimate listening experience. I found this ideal for hearing micro-details and texture in Gorillaz’ Cracker Island, once again clearly improved by the LDAC codec on an Android phone.

Ultimately, the EH13 stand out as the best proof yet that you don’t need to spend loads for high-quality sound. They offer great driver performance, plus LDAC and a comprehensive EQ in the app. And they give you a clean default sound, which is significantly better than anything I’ve heard at a £50 / $50 price point.

Should you buy it?

You want a great pair of affordable headphones

Honestly, these are far better than any other pair of cheap headphones I’ve tried to date. They sound great, have loads of battery, and have a fully customisable equaliser in the app. You’re getting Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, exceptional comfort and a great listening experience prioritising warmth and detail.

You need top-tier ANC and transparency

While I personally find the noise-cancelling good enough for most uses, including travel and work, it is true that costlier rivals offer better performance to not only tackle low-end rumbles but also higher-pitched sounds like background chatter. They’re also not good at handling wind noise, and the transparency mode sounds artificial.