FiiO FD5 vs Fearless Audio S8F

Short answer: the FiiO FD5. It ranks #335 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $505.28. The Fearless Audio S8F ranks #353, rated 3.5/5, at $489, $16.28 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.

Why pick the FiiO FD5: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of 70, and across seven hobbyist measurements on squig.link bass rises about 4 dB above target with flat sub-bass extension to 20 Hz, giving bass guitar and kick drums a full, punchy body. The tradeoff: The bass boost spills into the low mids by about 2 dB, which can thicken male vocals and make dense mixes sound slightly congested.

The case for the Fearless Audio S8F: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of 68, a moderate match to the response most listeners prefer. Watch for: A 2.5 dB standard deviation from target points to an uneven response.

Buy the FiiO FD5. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $16.28 you would save on the Fearless Audio S8F does not close the gap.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How FiiO FD5 compares with other leading options:

• Fatfreq Sakura vs FiiO FD5
• FiiO FD5 vs iBasso IT04
• FiiO FD5 vs Kinera Norn
• Kinera Norn vs Fearless Audio S8F
• iBasso IT04 vs Fearless Audio S8F

Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Headphones In Full

FiiO FD5: $505.28 Amazon eBay

Pros: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of 70, and across seven hobbyist measurements on squig.link bass rises about 4 dB above target with flat sub-bass extension to 20 Hz, giving bass guitar and kick drums a full, punchy body. Its 109 dB/mW sensitivity and 32 ohm impedance mean a phone drives it easily. It rates higher than the similarly priced iBasso IT04, and the warm balance suits bass-leaning listeners.

Cons: The bass boost spills into the low mids by about 2 dB, which can thicken male vocals and make dense mixes sound slightly congested. Hobbyist measurements also show a 3.5 dB dip near 3.6 kHz and a 4.9 dB peak near 8.4 kHz, so vocals can sit a little back while cymbals and sibilants gain an edge.

Full FiiO FD5 review and specifications →

Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.40 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 12mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	10Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	70 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	32 ohms
Sensitivity	109 dB/mW
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.4 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.45 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (11 g) per earbud

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -3.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+1.2 dB	0.70
Peak	155 Hz	-3.6 dB	0.58
Peak	815 Hz	+2.7 dB	1.04
Peak	3,920 Hz	+3.3 dB	2.56
Peak	5,234 Hz	-3.2 dB	5.78
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.4 dB	0.70
Peak	10,000 Hz	+3.6 dB	1.21
Peak	2,540 Hz	-1.4 dB	4.19
Peak	40 Hz	-0.4 dB	2.74
Peak	5,496 Hz	-1.7 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the FiiO FD5 (crinacle measurement)
  • Frequency response measurements of the FiiO FD5 by 7 squig.link measurers
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • FiiO FD5 vs Fatfreq Sakura
  • FiiO FD5 vs iBasso IT04
  • FiiO FD5 vs Kinera Norn

Fearless Audio S8F: $489.00 Linsoul eBay

Pros: Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of 68, a moderate match to the response most listeners prefer. Eight balanced armatures at 26 ohms and 113 dB/mW sensitivity make it easy to drive from a phone.

Cons: A 2.5 dB standard deviation from target points to an uneven response. The iBasso IT04 is rated higher at a similar price.

Full Fearless Audio S8F review and specifications →

Back	Closed
Built-in Microphone	No
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.47 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Balanced armature
Drivers	8 x balanced armature
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	15Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	68 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	26 ohms
Sensitivity	113 dB/mW
Tonal Tilt	-0.40 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -3.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+2.1 dB	0.70
Peak	177 Hz	-4.2 dB	0.41
Peak	864 Hz	+3.9 dB	0.91
Peak	2,553 Hz	+2.6 dB	2.45
Peak	181 Hz	-0.2 dB	2.11
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.4 dB	0.70
Peak	9,175 Hz	+2.2 dB	1.87
Peak	4,346 Hz	-1.2 dB	2.77
Peak	5,451 Hz	+1.7 dB	6.00
Peak	39 Hz	-0.2 dB	1.83

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Fearless Audio S8F (crinacle measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Fearless Audio S8F vs Kinera Norn
  • Fearless Audio S8F vs iBasso IT04
  • Fearless Audio S8F vs Fearless Audio S6Rui