FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds Review - Nothing in, but only in front of the ear
- The FiiO JW1 offers a new wearing concept, as it is the first open-ear headphones from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.
The market for headphones, especially in the field of mobile solutions, is immense and the range of solutions offered by various manufacturers for a wide variety of requirements and tastes is almost unmanageable. Nevertheless, solutions such as the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds are still something special, as there are not yet many products of this kind in the personal audio device sector.
The FiiO JW1 are also a first for personal audio device specialist FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. as they are headphones with a very special wearing concept. These are so-called open-ear headphones, which are designed to be particularly comfortable to wear.
No in-ear headphones, no earbuds
Even though the full name of these headphones contains the word earbuds, the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds should not be equated with classic earbuds. Earbuds are headphones that are fixed in the auricle, a design principle that is comparatively rare on the market anyway. The market is clearly dominated by in-ear headphones, i.e. models that are inserted more or less directly into the ear canal.
There are an astonishing number of users who find it extremely uncomfortable to have to insert headphones so deeply into the ear canal, as is the case with most in-ear headphones; even earbuds are often perceived as annoying. Until now, these users have had to use over-ear headphones or on-ear headphones, which are much bulkier. However, the new type of over-ear headphones could provide a real alternative in a compact form.
The ear always remains free
One of the key advantages of over-ear headphones such as the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds is that the ear remains de facto free. The special design ensures that the headphones are fixed behind the ear by means of a headband and the driver is positioned in front of the ear cup.
In the case of the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, the headband is firmly attached to the housing, which contains the electronics and the drivers. The headband is also made from the same plastic as the housing and is not covered in silicone.
In practice, this means that the FiiO JW1 is actually very easy to put on, as the stiff headband more or less finds its way behind the ear by itself. The correct position for optimum radiation into the user’s ears is also quickly achieved, even if nothing can actually be adjusted for individual customisation.
Robust, equipped for everything
It must be emphasised that the FiiO JW1 are extremely robust, they are resistant to water and sweat and can therefore be worn in all weather conditions and especially during sport.
Only when you put the headphones back into the transport case should you make sure that they are dry and clean, especially the contacts for charging.
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3 is already used for signal transmission, although only the SBC and AAC codecs are used. However, the advantages of Bluetooth 5.3 are that a fast and always stable connection to the source device is guaranteed, and so-called re-pairing, i.e. reconnecting to a smartphone, for example, takes place within seconds. In fact, the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth earbuds are already connected to the source device when you take them out of the transport case and put them on.
You can also use just one of the headphones, for example when making phone calls, which you can of course do with the FiiO JW1 via the integrated microphone with very good voice quality, as well as video calls.
Convenient touch control via sensor field
As is usual with Bluetooth headphones, the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds also feature convenient control via a sensor panel. Both the left and right earbud have a sensor field, whereby a double tap starts or pauses playback, and calls can also be answered or ended in this way. A triple tap on the left-hand side switches to the previous track, while a triple tap on the right-hand side takes you to the next track. Tapping four times activates the smartphone’s voice assistant and holding the button for five seconds switches the headphones off and on again.
Appealing sound thanks to 14,2 mm drivers
The FiiO JW1 conceals dynamic drivers with a diameter of no less than 14,2 mm, which are designed to provide fine sound. In this case, it should be noted that the special design of the headphones allows the environment to participate in the music consumption to a certain extent. Especially if you want to listen to music surrounded by people, whether on public transport, in the office or at home, you should always bear this in mind.
Long battery life
The FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds can be used to listen to music for up to six hours at a time – we were actually able to achieve this manufacturer’s specification without any problems in our extensive test, with a further three charges and thus up to 18 hours possible via the transport case. The transport case, which is unfortunately a little bulky, can be charged via USB-C.
From the field
Right at the beginning of our experience report from the extensive practical test, it should be noted that the concept of open-ear headphones is indeed an extremely exciting one, as the FiiO JW1 shows.
Getting to the point that you don’t have to put anything in your ear to listen to music anytime and anywhere, but can still use extremely compact headphones, is a decisive argument in favour of this type of headphones.
However, the FiiO JW1’s rigid design means that they are not quite as comfortable as they could be. Although this rigid design makes it easier to put them on, as the headphones are “screwed” more or less from the front behind the ear using the headband, thus ensuring a secure fit even during sporting activities and automatically achieving the right position for the best sound quality, the hard headband does put pressure on the ear in the long run, especially if you wear glasses, as the test showed.
On the other hand, there is no reason to complain about the sound quality, which is quite good. Even in the bass range, which is actually critical due to the design, the FiiO JW1 can deliver an appealing performance, as well as in the mid and high frequency range, although other manufacturers have shown that they can do better in this area.
To be fair, it has to be said that compared to in-ear headphones, a compromise has been made here, not only due to the system, but the quality that in-ear headphones from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. can offer in the same price range cannot be achieved.
Prices and availability
The FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds are already available from specialist retailers at a recommended retail price of € 34,90. Customers can choose between white and black.
Getting to the point
All those who are looking for headphones that are as compact as possible as an everyday companion, but are not comfortable with in-ear headphones, will find an extremely exciting alternative in solutions such as the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. Designed as open-ear headphones, this solution only rests on the ear and can still achieve a very appealing sound, although you have to realise that you are in the entry-level range here. Unfortunately, these headphones from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. are not quite as comfortable to wear as they could be due to their rigid headband, but they are offered at a surprisingly favourable price, which ultimately puts our points of criticism into perspective and makes them very good value for money.
| PRODUCT | FIIO JW1 OPEN TRUE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH EARBUDS |
|---|---|
| Price | € 36,90 |
| Brand | FiiO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. |
| Distribution | NT Global Distribution GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
An exciting alternative to in-ear headphones are so-called open-ear headphones, such as those offered by FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. in the form of the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. Even if these are not the most comfortable in their class and other solutions of this design can offer a finer sound, they are by far the cheapest in this area to date and therefore ultimately offer very good value for money despite these criticisms.
Positive
- Real alternative to in-ear headphones
- only rests on the ear
- easy to put on
- simple to use
- robust for all weather conditions and sports
- excellent price-performance ratio
Negative
- Rigid bracket and therefore presses after prolonged use
- Transport case somewhat bulky
- Can’t quite keep up with in-ear headphones in the same price range in terms of sound quality
Test Environment
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro
- Apple Music
- Roon ARC
Conclusion
Sound
Design
Handling
Price/Performance
Good
The main thing that speaks in favour of the FiiO JW1 Open True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds is their extremely affordable price. In view of this, you can't really go wrong, because it is precisely with regard to this price that the few points of criticism that we found during our detailed test are put into perspective.
