Fiio may be best known for its IEMs, players, and DACs, but that may be about to change with the new Fiio FT3 over-ear headphones. It’s Fiio’s second-ever headphone and it’s learned a lot since its first attempt. With massive 60mm dynamic drivers, a unique design, comfy fit, and stellar sound quality, this is a pair of headphones that punches above its class. The Fiio FT3 is a great value and easy recommendation to make.
Specifications
- Current Price: $299.99 (Amazon)
- Headphone Type: Dynamic driver headphones
- Frequency Response: 7Hz-40kHz
- Driver Type: 60mm dynamic driver
- Diaphragm Material: Beryllium-plated gasket+DLC diaphragm
- Impedance: 350 ohms
- Sensitivity: 102dB (1Vrms)@1kHz
- Weight: About 391g (excluding cable)
- Earpad Pressure: 4.0N +/- 0.3N
- Cable Length: About 3m
- Cable Material: Furukawa monocrystalline copper wire
- Headphone Connector: Dual 3.5mm
Fiio FT3 - First Impressions and Key Features
The Fiio FT3 is an audiophile-grade over-ear pair of headphones designed to bring a higher level listening experience to a more accessible price point. That extends beyond sound quality — which is very good — and into build quality, comfort, and even accessories. When the company announced the FT3, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. Now that I have it in-hand, I can easily say that Fiio has knocked it out of the part for this price point.
It arrives in a surprisingly large cardboard box with an image of the headphones on the cover. Inside, you’re greeted with a large, hardshell case trimmed in brown leather. It’s quite nice — definitely a step above anything else I’ve seen at this price point (the nearest is the Sivga SV023 at $450). Underneath is a pair of leather ear cushions.
Inside the case, you’re greeted with the headphones and accessories. Fiio really did a great job presenting these earphones and making them easy to travel with. In addition to the headphones themselves, which sit in a custom mold so they don’t shake or rattle on the way, the three swappable terminations are protected in an elastic sleeve that’s held in place by velcro. The cable, long at nine meters, is wrapped with a velcro strap and held safely in the top half of the case with an elastic strap. There’s very little management here, which is great to see, and demonstrates the attention to detail throughout its design.
The headphones have a unique design that you’ll either love or hate. The open-backs are trimmed with a bladed wheel that looks vaguely sci-fi. They’re unlike anything else on the market, but I wish it wasn’t quite as over-stated. It reminds me of the gaming headsets we’ve seen over the years, though clearly tamer thanks to the lack of bright colors or RGB. It’s not that bad but doesn’t seem quite as mature as the rest of the headphones.
The construction of the headphones is excellent. It’s made almost entirely of aluminum and leather with only the tiniest bit of plastic holding the suspension strap in place. There’s no worrying rattle or anything that makes these headphones feel cheap. They also stretch and can accommodate everything from an average listener to a reasonably-sized giant. The suspension strap also works wonders for weight distribution, making these an exceptionally comfortable pair of headphones to wear over extended periods.
The ear cushions are excellent. In addition to the leather pads included in the box (which are perforated on the sides for breathability), a pair of suede cushions come pre-installed. The sound is close, though as you’ll see in the graph below, there is a slight impact on the bass between the two. The suede pads are pillowy and so nice. I could wear this style of pad on every headphone and be a happy man.
The FT3 use huge dynamic drivers to deliver its sonics and does so with aplomb. While most other headphones use 40mm drivers and the rare few push that to 50mm, the FT3 uses 60 millimeter drivers. They can move a ton of air and have great dynamic range. This is only partially due to the size, as Fiio has also coated the gasket in beryllium and used diamond-like carbon for the diaphragm, adding rigidity and responsiveness to each speaker.
The headphone has also been designed to offer a high impedance to filter out more noise from the listening experience. Paired with its fine-wire Japanese voice coil, it has great dynamic range. The other edge to this sword is that it’s also much harder to drive. At 350 ohms, this isn’t a headphone you can plug into a simple dongle DAC or straight into your PC and expect to sound good. You’ll need a mid-sized amp to drive these headphones properly.
Thankfully, it comes prepared to connect to just about anything. The cable features modular terminations, allowing you to swap between 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced, and XLR. The cable itself is fantastic. It’s soft, braided, and made with premium 23AWG monocrystalline copper by Furukawa. Note, however, that if you’re coming to this review late, the company making this cable has discontinued it, so Fiio will be replacing it after the first 5000 units have been sold through. The only problem here is that the cable is nine feet long and there are no smaller options included in the box. It’s a bit difficult to manage but gives you freedom of movement at least.
Fiio FT3 - Listening Impressions
Graph Credit: Kuulokenurkka at Squig.Link
As I mentioned above, the Fiio FT3 requires an amplifier to sound its best. At 350 ohms of impedance and a sensitivity of 102dB, it’s less sensitive than the Sennheiser HD6XX, though you won’t need a massive amp to make the most of it. The headphone power calculator at Headphonesty suggests 1.49v is required to get them to 110dB of loudness, which can easily be accomplished with small amps like the Schiit Fulla or the Fiio KA3.
The overall sound of these headphones is a warm neutral. They don’t overly color the sound but instead deliver a smooth, natural listening experience that’s very versatile and well-suited to many different genres and gaming experiences. The ear pads change the sound slightly, so stick with the suede pads for more bass and the leathers for more crispness to the listening experience.
Bass: The bass on these headphones is very well done. It reaches deep and offers a good amount of rumble, but what really stands out is the quality of the bass it provides. The 60mm drivers deliver both speed and detail, offering a realistic listening experience that’s rich in texture and nuance. These aren’t bass-head headphones but lean slightly warm with the suede pads.
This tuning can be very good for different genres as well as gaming. There’s enough bass here that you’ll never feel like they’re thin or lacking “oomph.” But there’s not so much that the low-end dominates the experience. The bass hints at the mids, giving vocals a bit of lushness, but you’ll still be able to enjoy their excellent layering, separation, and detail higher in the spectrum too. These are warm with an eye toward clarity.
Mids: The midrange is ever so slightly forward, which is great for vocals and gives a slight bite to guitars and gunshots. There’s an excellent clarity here that allows string instruments to well and ring out. I really enjoyed listening to Coheed and Cambria’s Pearl of the Stars and Mother Superior with these! At the same time, rolling a new character in World of Warcraft was also very fun as the soundtrack between the different regions of Elwynn Forest, Stormwind City, and Westfall were enrapturing (though, I admit, nostalgia played a part — but it’s so nice to have these sound cues hit so well!).
Treble: The treble region has plenty of clarity without sharpness using both sets of pads. There’s a smoothness to the high end that makes the easy to monitor with. Yet, even with this smoothness (which might sometimes denote a roll-off), the rise at 3kHz, 5kHz, and 10kHz allow detail and air to shine — literally — through. Fiio walked a fine line here between clarity, air, and smoothness and pulled it off. The treble tuning is very well done!
Technical Performance, Soundstage, and Imaging: The FT3 sounds big, wide, and open. There’s lots of space between instruments and audio cues, which also enhances the imaging. The open-backs help ensure this spacious sound signature but beware, they also bleed a lot of sound. This isn’t as much of an issue as other, more portable headphones. Since they’re harder to drive, you’re much more likely to use these at home where you won’t risk bothering more than your roomates or significant other! Still, the benefits to spaciousness are well worth it!
Gaming: I really, really enjoyed the Fiio FT3 for gaming. The spaciousness is perfect for getting immersed in your favorite games, whether that be MMORPGs or first-person shooters. The layering is also a major benefit as your environment around you sounds much more realistic and clear than your average gaming headset. Just as importantly, their comfort really is exceptional, so you can wear these for hours without any soreness or fatigue. These are excellent headphones for gaming, just be sure to have a standalone mic!
Overall Impressions and Final Thoughts
The Fiio FT3 were such a pleasant surprise. Fiio really went back to the drawing board after its first headphone and returned with something that absolutely punches above its class. Their sound signature is much more engaging than the Sennheiser HD6XX or HD58X and is also more open, spacious, and positionally accurate (and feels better built, too!). Surprisingly, I also find the FT3 to be clearer and more resolving. I also found the FT3 takes EQ a bit better, too, if you’d like to personalize their sound.
Taken as a whole, the FT3 is nothing short of impressive. It’s not a budget set but is absolutely a great value for how much Fiio is asking. If you’re looking for a great pair of headphones that can grow with your setup over time, are built to last, and won’t leave you wanting, they’re very much worth adding to your Wish List.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. Articles may include affiliate links from which we may earn a small commission to help support the site. Authors do not earn affiliate revenue or commissions.