Introduction
FitEar is a relatively unknown brand in the west that is the side practice of 株式会社須山歯研 (Suyama Dental Laboratory Co., Ltd.), a manufacturer of dental prosthetics and, recently, facial protection for the ongoing pandemic. The founder, 須山慶太さん (Keita Suyama), seems to be both a dentist and audiologist. According to the man himself, FitEar has apparently been subliminally influenced by anime:
We've never been aware of it, but if I had to say, I might have been influenced by Japanese anime songs. Japanese anime songs don't get a lot of evaluation as music but the musical elements that it embraces are many. Adding it as a reference for product evaluation gives diversity to our products.
―須山慶太, via InEarMonitor
The FitEar brand is mostly known for providing custom IEMs, which are extremely difficult to get outside of Asia: they require proof of residency onsite before they'll take a custom order. It's reportedly quite popular among musicians and voice actors in Japan, though the only well-known band I could find wearing FitEars was BabyMetal, and it seems that they switched to Westone in 2016.
The FitEar ToGo! 334 was once their top-of-the-line universal IEM offering, based on the custom MH334; it released at some point in 2012 (I can't seem to find the exact date), and retailed for $1,399 at the only US-authorized retailer for FitEar, ALO Audio. These days, it seems to go for around ¥130,000 new, or about $1,300 at the time of writing. The current FitEar TOTL universal IEM is the ToGo! 335, which seems to go for almost $600 more, and is again based on the similarly named MH335DW.
The TG334 uses a 4BA setup, wired 3 ways with a central titanium bore and two flanking outputs. The tweeter is hooked up to the central titanium bore, which allegedly reduces acoustic interference from the other drivers.
Tweeter: Knowles ED-29689
Mid-range: Knowles CI-22955 (2)
Woofer: Sonion 33A007
(via Rin Choi)
I purchased my pair used for $750 shipped, which seems to be close to the going rate for most used pairs internationally; it was the cheapest option for me, especially given that they're fairly rare outside of Asia.
Accessories
The TG334 comes with a nice little Pelican 1010 micro case, 8 pairs of tips, a shirt clip, cleaning tool, and drawstring bag (which I sadly did not receive). My package came with two extra pairs of tips; two unidentified orange foam tips (small), and a pair of JVC Spiral Dots (also small). I did not get the original cable, but instead a BTG Audio Sunrise cable with an Oyaide 3.5mm right angled connector. It's honestly a very nice cable, but there seems to be some funkiness going on at the FitEar connector end, and the 3.5mm end is losing some of its gold plating.
Pretty okay selection of accessories, in my opinion; little bit sad about the missing drawstring bag, but the selection of tips is nice. Doesn't seem to quite compare to what you can get from other high-end IEMs like Sony's IER-Z1R, though.
Aesthetics & Fit
The FitEars come in a subdued, stealth look that I'm personally quite fond of. The shells are very well molded and feel sturdy. The faceplates are a handsome matte black, with the right one marked with a red enamel dot; I believe they also come in a smoother finish. The bulk of the shell is in some sort of translucent dark purple, though by most accounts it looks opaque and black as night.
These are pretty big universal IEMs, and more importantly, the nozzles go deep. They're shaped somewhat like other pseudocustoms, though they're not quite as big as the MoonDrop Blessing 2. The nozzle width is also a bit smaller, though not by much; I think it's about 5mm or so. I had the best results with the bi-flange ear tips and JVC Spiral Dots; the extremely small stock tips weren't too bad either, though they didn't quite get a good seal and were worryingly shallow. I find these to be a fair bit more comfortable than the Blessing 2, and I've had these in my ears all day with minimal soreness.
Performance
Having listened to these for the better part of the week, I feel fairly confident in saying that these are not neutral. They're somewhat dark and warm, which is to say that the bass is slightly emphasized and the treble is slightly tamed. The tonality is quite a departure from the usual stuff I listen to, which tend to be bright and "studio reference". The overall sound signature is honestly very pleasing in my opinion, though it's definitely colored and sounds like it's being powered by a tube amp. I'm fairly certain these were tuned with anisongs in mind.
The TG334's bass doesn't have the same snappy detail that the Blessing 2 has, but it has noticeably more impact, which is strange since it's all handled by BA drivers in the FitEars (as opposed to a dynamic driver). It's somewhat muddier and bloated, which can be pretty noticeable depending on what you listen to.
The mids are handled well, and sound very pleasant. I still hear that hollow BA timbre in instrumentals, but vocals sound particularly good, especially in pop music; I'd be genuinely surprised if anyone didn't enjoy the vocals on these. The upper mids are a little darker than I'd like, though.
Treble is definitely subdued. I actually find that it tames some of the rather painful highs in certain idol groups' music (looking at you, LOOΠΔ). There's a pretty sharp roll-off after the upper treble ("air"); it's pretty noticeable in a sine sweep (I actually thought my hearing was going...) but hasn't particularly bothered me, even in the atmospheric NieR:Automata soundtrack.
Soundstage feels a little more expansive than the Blessing 2; I can't say for sure whether that's placebo or not, though. Instruments certainly sound like they're filling a larger space, but I'm not totally convinced that it's a tangible difference. I haven't really been wowed by IEMs in general regarding soundstage, and these are no different; I suspect part of my problem is psychological. For what it's worth, I found the live album 調べる相対性理論 by 相対性理論 to sound pretty remarkable with these.
Closing Thoughts
Personally, I really like the TG334 sound signature, but on overall performance I doubt these are worth even the used price I paid for them. They're certainly a different experience from the Blessing 2 though, and are likely more than anything just dated by their original release year. As I've mentioned above, they're probably most notable for their mids, and yet I'm certain there are better options for mids in this price bracket.
Contrary to what reviews you may find on Head-Fi, I don't think these are game-changing or best-in-class IEMs. I'd definitely caution against purchasing these blind unless you know you like the sound signature or aesthetics, and certainly not at retail price; fans of Aimer, 藍井エイル, or LiSA will probably be quite pleased with these, though. I also really like how Vivaldi's violin concertos sound with these.
With that being said, I do like the somewhat warmer and darker sound signature for most songs, and I think these sport a pretty nice, subdued look for taking out in public. Personally, I find myself reaching for these most often for casual listening; if that means I have poor taste, then so be it. They may not be exciting or neutral, but they're definitely comfy.
