Fireye Mini Quick Review

Fireye Mini Quick Review

Thanks to Firestone Audio for the sample.

Brief:  Teeny little amp.

Price: €35 or about £29

Specifications:  Amplifier Structure : Class-A / B amplifier, Power Structure : Built in battery power supply, Headphone Impedence : 32 ohm to 600 ohm, Circuit Protect : Output shortcircuit / temperature protect, Usage Time : With 100% full battery arround 24hrs, depending on volume used., Charging Method : Using PC or USB adapter to charge, Charging Time : Fully charging (3hrs), fast charging (1.5hrs = 80%), Main OPAmp : TI - DRV601, Audio Performance (1kHz sine wave, 2Vrms output, 24-bit / 48kHz), dB-Weighed Frequency response (From 40Hz to 15kHz) : 40Hz +0.1dB, 15kHz -1.67dB, Actual Frequenxcy response 20Hz to 20 kHz, Noise level (1kHz, A-Weighted) : -110.5dB, Dynamic range (1kHz, A-Weighted) : 110.4dB, THD% : 0.0068%,  Stereo crosstalk : -96.0dB, Housing material : Shock absorbing flexible silicone., Housing color : 5 colors available : Red, Black, White, Green, Purple, Dimensions : 40 x 24 x 9 mm (D x W x H)., Weight : 14 gram (without cables)

Accessories:  A 3.5 to 3.5mm cable so you can connect it to sources.

Aesthetics:  Its colouring is nice, visually fun more so than pretty.

Build:  Not sure I love the no hard case, so for seems okay but I wonder how it might stand up to heavy rain.

Power:  Doesn’t seem to add a ton of volume but should be sufficient for most.

Sound:  Unlike many amps and DAP’s from the Far East I found it to be a little on the lighter, brighter side of things.  That seems a sound much more popular in the West than the East and true to stereotype I liked it.  Particularly when paired with a warm earphone it added an air of transparency and clarity.  I’d bet it would really suit a warm source like an Iphone too.  It did mean that the bass was a hair lighter and lacked a bit of depth (though the extra power may drive the bass of the earphone much better.)  It didn’t have a bass boost which many little amps do so if that’s what you want, its not for you.  On the whole a nicely clean and crisp little amp that I found rather lively.  It was nicely dynamic too.

Value:  Hmm for the money cheap FiiO’s seem rather more practical but I did like the Fireye Mini’s sound more.  It really will depend what your source and earphone options are to what will suit you better, for me I liked the clarity here.

Pro’s:  Clean and lively sounding.  Nicely dynamic.

Con’s:  No off button.  Not sure I love no hard casing.  No bass boost button.