Fidue A73 Hybrid IEM Earphones - Hybrid Hijinks

Intro:

Design and appearance (e.g. attractiveness, feel)

Durability & build quality (e.g. cabling, connectors, materials)

Comfort

Sound isolation

Portability

Sound characteristics:

Bass:

Mids:

Treble:

Soundstage & Separation

Music genres good for and why

Pros:

Cons:

Just when the heat of summer starts to loosen an Englishman's resolve to keep a upper lip stiff, along comes something to turn it completely to mush, and give the thermostat a good twist to boot. Fidue's new A73 shows that IEMs under £100 are facing challenges unthought of until recent times - there's fierce competition within the fertile £50 - £100 section of the market and it's getting better all the time.The A73 is silver to the A83's gold - literally. Well we're talking about aluminium in this case, but the A73 bears a striking resemblance to its more expensive stablemate. Designed to fit in the ear 'monitor style' with cable trailing down the back of the ear, the A73 is relatively petite with one balanced armature rather than the A83's two, along with a dynamic driver of course. Both 'left and 'right' capsules are composed of the same translucent red plastic. The cable is rubber coated with braided or twisted cable within. It has the feel of rubber at least, but does not stick to itself. It's very well behaved. Strain reliefs are composed of stout rubber sheaths which match the colour of the ear capsules. The straight jack may not be favoured by some but one gets the feeling that the build is sturdy enough to last very well. The jack, mic/button casing and cable join/Y-split are composed of a ridged cylinder which, along with the rest of the design, puts one in mind of the 1950s; in build quality as well as style. The cable is not of the detachable variety which isn't unusual for an IEM under £100 but some users prefer them. Everyone's different of course, but this design should suit everyone except those who really must have the cable dangling straight down from the ears. The small capsule size should be a good fit for all but the tiniest of ears.There's a few eartips to try included in the box, and it is recommended that they be experimented with. I found the change in frequency response can be quite dramatic depending on whether the eartips are right for the ears or not. When a suitable fit is found, sound isolation is fair but not dramatic. Using Comply tips a little bit, and the sound is further enhanced (The Comply 200 range is correct for this model).In the box, there's a a decent case for the Fidue A73, with a near-rigid construstion which will protect the earphones in most scenarios. There is webbing within it so a few alternative tips may be carried without jumping out once the case is opened.Bass is both tight and slightly elevated in volume compared to the midrange; there's a real power to it which underpins kick drums and bass guitars, for example. It extends low so sub bass is not lost on the listener. There's a good width to it as well, as there is across all frequencies here. It's further enhanced by some very clear harmonics coming through from higher up in the frequency spectrum..As above, mid-range is pristine with very subtle details not at all lost on the A73. There's a wonderful sense of space from vocals with a bit of reverb treatment in the production; it's really involving, along with the harmonics which creates a real immersive 3D effect. I've noticed harmonics on synth basslines that I've not come across before - I'd probably be able to pick them out with other IEMs if listening for them, but the Fidue A73 serves them up on a plate.Treble is all there, it's perhaps a little smoother than some would like but probably hits the mark with most people, without causing the discomfort of an all-too-present brightness. Details are laid bare, but bask in a tuneful glow. This is another thing the A73 does really well! As alluded to earlier, the experience is involving and riveting. Soundstage is great for a closed IEM, and is as wide as your sense of disbelief will allow you to grasp! Separation is also excellent, as details are always there to be picked out by the discerning listener. Everything hangs together but individual elements can stand up and be counted at the same time.The Fidue A73 can do it all, however dance genres can be enhanced very well with the tremendous bass response. Also rap music and pop for the same reasons. Older pop also does very well on the A73 with the clear midrange offering a crisp presentation of tracks which are 50 years old, further enhanced by the clear reproduction of reverb equipment and compressors which were used back in the day.Great quality at this price Good tuning Wide soundstage Sturdy build qualityCable not detachable Lack of slider on cable