FiiO EH11: Is the $38.99 LDAC On-Ear Headphone Worth It?

The FiiO EH11 is a retro Bluetooth on-ear with a see-through shell and maple-wood earcup knobs; almost all the units we currently stock are the clear Transparent colorway. Specs below come mainly from FiiO's and 1More's own pages; sound, comfort and build notes come from independent reviews.

Is the FiiO EH11 Worth Buying?

Yes, the FiiO EH11 is worth buying if you'll mostly use it somewhere fairly quiet. For $38.99 you get:

• Very low weight: about 92g, with a gentle clamping force of about 1.7N, per FiiO.
• A 40mm dynamic driver in a semi-open design, which Headfonics found sounds airier and more spacious than most closed on-ears at this price.
• Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC at up to 990 kbps from a phone that can send it. The only other codec FiiO lists is SBC, though several reviews also list AAC.
• Up to 30 hours of battery, with about 2 hours to recharge over USB-C.
• Two devices connected at once (multipoint), such as a laptop and a phone.
• Wooden knobs for volume and track skipping, plus a built-in mic for calls.
• App EQ: FiiO Control adds genre presets and a 10-band parametric EQ, which Headfonics and Creative Bloq both singled out as a highlight at this price.

Creative Bloq found the stock sound warm and well balanced; Headfonics heard a mild V-shape with slightly recessed mids and liked it best with community EQ profiles from the app.

What Are the FiiO EH11's Downsides?

The FiiO EH11's main downsides are a light plastic build, no carrying case, on-ear pressure for some listeners, little noise isolation and a finicky companion app.

• Light plastic build. Creative Bloq found it cheap enough to feel disposable and doubted it would last for years; Headfonics said the plastic headband doesn't inspire a steel band's confidence. FiiO says the polycarbonate headband passed reliability testing for normal use but advises against excessive bending.
• No case. The box holds the headphones, a spare pair of pads, a USB-A to USB-C cable and a quick start guide.
• On-ear pressure. Headfonics and Creative Bloq wore it for hours comfortably, but MobileAudiophile's reviewer felt some pressure, and sometimes a bit of pain, in longer sessions.
• Little isolation: no noise cancelling, and the semi-open cups let sound in and out.
• A finicky app. Creative Bloq found FiiO Control slow and prone to losing the headphones, though their Bluetooth connection itself was reliable.

Does the FiiO EH11 Have Noise Cancelling or Block Outside Sound?

No. The FiiO EH11 has no active noise cancelling, and its semi-open housing uses vents and damping filters to avoid a closed-in sound. FiiO says the damping keeps leakage below a fully open-back design, but the EH11 isn't sealed. Headfonics found that ambient conversation and noise get through fairly easily, though office chatter was barely audible over music at a reasonable volume, and the reviewer's music was a faint whisper to people right next to the desk. Creative Bloq's reviewer could tune out their surroundings fairly well on most trains and in cafes, but pub chatter and overhead speakers overpowered the EH11.

It suits home, casual office use and walks where hearing traffic is a plus. For commutes, flights or noisy offices, pick a noise-cancelling model such as the FiiO Snowsky Anytime or 1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51, or browse our noise cancelling headphones.

How Do the FiiO EH11, Snowsky Anytime and SonoFlow Pro HQ51 Compare?

The FiiO EH11 is the lightest and cheapest of the three and has LDAC but no noise cancelling; the FiiO Snowsky Anytime adds ANC and about 58 hours of battery (ANC off) but no LDAC; the 1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51 combines LDAC and hybrid ANC with up to 100 hours of battery (ANC off) in a heavier over-ear.

Battery figures are the makers' ratings; 1More rates the HQ51 using AAC at 50% volume.

FiiO EH11 vs Snowsky Anytime: Should You Pick LDAC or Noise Cancelling?

Both sit on the ear and they're $10 apart, so pick by where you listen.

• Choose the EH11 for quiet places, LDAC on Android and app EQ. Headfonics, which compared the two directly, found the EH11's midrange clearly better and its 63g-lighter build more comfortable over long sessions.
• Choose the Snowsky Anytime if you commute or work around noise. Headfonics estimated its feedforward ANC cut background noise by about 70%, and it adds a transparency mode, about 58 hours of battery with ANC off (35 with it on) and a game mode under 60ms. The trade-offs: SBC and AAC only, no app or EQ, and 155g on your head.

On an iPhone, the EH11's LDAC advantage disappears, because iPhones don't support LDAC. FiiO lists AAC for the Anytime but only LDAC and SBC for the EH11, though several reviews list AAC for the EH11 as well.

Does the EH11's LDAC Work With an iPhone?

No. iPhones don't support LDAC, so an iPhone connects to the EH11 over a standard Bluetooth codec instead. FiiO's support page lists only LDAC and SBC for the EH11, while Headfonics, Creative Bloq, HiFi Oasis and StereoIndex also list AAC. The knobs, mic, two-device pairing and FiiO Control app (on the App Store with EH11 support) all still work.

On Android, the EH11 has LDAC enabled by default (you can turn it off in the app), but your phone must send it too. See how to enable LDAC on Android, and What Is LDAC? for what the extra bandwidth does and doesn't buy you. LDAC also costs battery life: at a loud 85dB, FiiO lists about 16 hours with LDAC versus 27 with SBC.

How Long Does the EH11 Battery Last, and How Heavy Is It?

FiiO rates the EH11 at up to 30 hours of playback and about 2 hours to charge, with no fast charging. At a loud 85dB, FiiO's support page lists about 16 hours with LDAC and 27 with SBC. It weighs about 92g, versus about 155g for the Snowsky Anytime and 246g for the SonoFlow Pro HQ51, and reviewers describe it as easy to forget you're wearing.

Can You Replace the EH11 Ear Pads?

Yes. The EH11's foam pads come off and go back on easily, and a spare pair in a second color is in the box. For later replacements, FiiO's HS-EH11A foam ear pads ($12.99) come three pairs per pack in a three-color set, and the color-set listing lets you choose Orange/Gray/Black or Green/Red/Blue. They're designed specifically for the EH11.

When Should You Spend More on the 1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51?

When you want LDAC and noise cancelling in one headphone. For $26 more, the 1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51 ($64.99) is an over-ear with hybrid ANC, a passthrough mode, SBC, AAC and LDAC, and up to 100 hours of battery with ANC off (65 with it on). TechRadar found its ANC heavily dulled transit chatter, keyboard clatter and passing cars, and called it comfortable for long sessions. It also adds a 3.5mm wired mode and a hard carry case.

The costs: 246g, more than two and a half times the EH11's weight; two-device pairing you must switch on in the app; and a build TechRadar found slightly flimsy, with plasticky buttons.

Which Should You Buy: FiiO EH11, Snowsky Anytime or SonoFlow Pro HQ51?

• FiiO EH11 ($38.99): Android users who want LDAC and EQ for home, office and walks; anyone who finds heavier headphones tiring; retro-minded gift buyers (see our affordable audio gifts guide).
• FiiO Snowsky Anytime ($48.99): commuters and students who want budget on-ear noise cancelling, a transparency mode and about 58 hours of battery with ANC off.
• 1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51 ($64.99): travelers and noisy-office workers who want over-ear noise cancelling with LDAC, a wired backup and the longest battery life here.

Browse more in our headphones collection or the FiiO range.

Who Should Skip the FiiO EH11?

• Commuters, flyers and open-office workers who need quiet.
• Anyone listening near people who need silence, since some sound leaks out.
• Buyers who want a rugged build or a case in the box.
• Listeners who find on-ear pressure uncomfortable over long sessions.
• iPhone owners buying it for LDAC, which iPhones can't use.