Fiio needs no introduction, they are one of the biggest names in the audiophile community with vast range of products starting from IEMs to desktop DAC/amps and everything in between. Back in the days, it was Fiio that basically introduced Audiophile grade resolution to DAPs and portable DAC/amps. Their X5 lineup still has a special place in our hearts. Fiio wasn’t limited to sources, they gradually ventured into main stream IEMs with their F9. They still make some of the most popular DD and hybrid IEMs in the market. Here is my review of their last gen flagship hybrid IEM FH9. After tasting success in most categories Fiio ventured into desktop DAC/amps and speakers couple of years ago. They have a good range of USB dongles under their belt and the KA17 is one of the best USB dongles under $200. What they had not tasted success with was headphones but their FT3, housing 60mm DD and FT5 with Planar drivers were received with a lot of positivity from both users and reviewers.
What I have with me is their latest headphone, a more budget offering with flagship like attributes. Fiio FT1 , priced at $160 this looks much better than both FT3 and FT5 thanks to its wooden back and unique metal build. We usually see 40, max 50mm DD in this price range but the FT1 ups the ante with a 60mm DD that promises a lot. Let’s find out what this, kind of budget headphone has on offer. I will compare it with Sennheiser HD569 and occasionally with FT3.
Get one from these links:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256807361744354.html
https://fiio.eu/product/fiio-ft1-closed-back-60mm-large-dynamic-driver-headphones
FT1 Highlights:
1. American black walnut and beech ear shells
2. 60mm large dynamic driver, Nano wood fiber composite diaphragm; W-shaped suspension gasket
3. Ear-parallel driver placement, conical baffle plate
4. 3-axis adaptive headband, Automatic rebound; Ball bearing slide rail comparable to high-end models
5. Internal sound tube design, 26dB passive noise cancellation
UNBOXING AND ACCESSORIES:
Unlike the FT3 which came with an elegant packaging and premium set of accessories, FT1 has a more minimalistic approach. Open the box, we are greeted with a hard carry case and all the stuff is placed inside it. Interestingly we get two cable, it’s not the premium type yet two is always better I guess. There is a 6.35mm adapter and that’s it.
CABLE:
Unlike FT3, FT1 has a more mainstream kind of SPC cable without any fancy branding behind it. It’s an aesthetically decent cable though and compliments the headphone. Thanks to the layer of nylon braiding on the cable and it doesn’t feel supple or soft. It’s bouncy, has memory issues, but microphonics is not a problem. Thankfully it isn’t heavy, parts used are good looking and minimal in size. All the connectors and the Y splitters have metal jackets, elevating their quality. All in all, it’s a good cable and having two with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm termination is always better.
BUILD QUALITY:
Fiio does not make clunky or shoddy headphones and the FT1 is no exception. Built around a lightweight metal frame and wooden cups this headphone isn’t heavy or lightweight yet feels strong and sturdy. Its headband extends and expands comfortably and should fit larger heads without any issues. At 340g this isn’t exactly feather weight but its minimal looks do give an impression of that. I think a big chunk of weight comes from the big back plate and metal headband. There is no excessive use of metal or padding but it still is very sturdy and flexible. Adjusting the band is assuring as it has a bit of resistance to it and doesn’t feel like sliding asymmetrically on its own. Its wooden cups with their own texture and patterns add a classic look to.
Comfort wise there is little to no complaint. FT1 has an ergonomically designed hybrid pad with cloth like texture on the face side and faux leather on the sides. Thankfully this time around we are getting an oval and bigger pad providing more cushioning and can easily accommodate bigger ears than the FT3. These pads are fairly comfy but can get a bit ticklish after a while, I had it on when I was doing some twists and it started to feel a bit funny after some time. I should not complain but this is a possibility, especially in humid conditions.
PAIRING WITH SOURCES:
If you look at the specifications, we have an easy to drive headphone in our hand and it’s more or less true. With a nominal impedance of just 32 ohm and 98db sensitivity it is a fairly easy headphone to drive out of nearly anything with a decent amount of power. This headphone responds nicely to my mobile phones with a 3.5mm jack. My Infinix GT10 pro are driving this headphone without any issues.
I used a few dongles and the difference in SQ wasn’t great. That’s definitely not odd given that FT1 isn’t fighting with mobile phones. Everything is a bit more tighter here while the after decay effects are slightly less pronounced, nothing else changes. Then I moved on to the Q15 and voila!! This headphone enjoys this paring and happily responds to the extra power. The natural warmth and timber comes to the forth. We get very good details and clarity with some of the best tonality. But the best part is, this headphone does not need this much of power and will work fine with smaller daps and even mobile phones.
SOUND QUALITY:
I was totally sold on the 60mm DD, it’s rare at any price point and I was aware of the fact that if tuned properly FT1 can be the best HP to get under $200. If a 50mm is good, I guess a 60mm can do wonders and FT1 doesn’t disappoint. It has a lot of potential while maintaining a slight bit of distance from the FT3’s Technicalities and precision. FT3 is open back and has a wider staging while this closed back HP has a more rounded and taller atmosphere at its disposal and it used that beautifully.
FT1’s tuning is a huge departure from what the FT3 offers. It has a more generalistic tuning with warmer, slightly smoother and fuller notes across spectrum. It doesn’t try to belt out the best possible details but has a relaxed, engaging and entertaining presentation. We get cohesive notes with its slightly W shaped signature but it’s not the best when it comes to resolution. It does have enough coloration to label it colored but it’s not the fatiguing or unnatural type.
BASS:
I missed this type of bass with the FT3. What we get is full bodied, wholesome slams with very good sub-bass rumble and one of the best sub-bass extension for an HP under $200. Mid bass is slightly more prominent with bigger area of impact, very good volume while moving okay amount of air. In fact it doesn’t move the air deep enough. It has meaty notes with a nice punch. We have most of the heft at the edges of the notes while the centre feels slightly lacking.
I won’t deny that I like the bass of this HP but it’s not the best when it comes to control and definition. It’s a bit on the loose side with very good amount of rumble. Decay is not paced for clarity so it leaves a bit of softness to upper bass notes, they aren’t the cleanest but aren’t bloated either. It’s very good when it comes to dynamics or variation but not the best when it comes to technical abilities as it’s unable to control the height of notes and finishing definition but it’s not monotonous or wooly, that’s a great thing at this price point.
MIDS:
We are treated with one of the best mid range on a headphone under $200. There are cleaner and more detailed headphones around this price but not many of them can state that they can please everyone with balance of tonality, timber and details.
FT1 is a clear upgrade to the FT3 when it comes to tonality and timber, it has a more effortless, full bodied and natural and texture filled presentation. We get a nicely transparent and cleaner yet controlled mid range that delivers very good details without being thin or sharp. Notes aren’t heavy, slow, oversized, rapid or thin yet they are aptly paced with appropriate amount of heft and body. Notes have the right amount of grounding on the floor while the finishing sharpness is okay with a bit more focus on texture. Timber is a bit on the smoother, more cohesive side with a slightly slower decay that elevates its natural and analogue presentation. Female vocals have superb accuracy and clarity while male vocals are aptly throaty and grunty when needed. Both enjoy accurate tonality and very good texture. Instruments too have very good transparency and details with good separation and air. There is no sharpness or aggression in the upper mid range to worry about.
HIGHS:
There is something really interesting here. This treble range isn’t exactly forward but the clarity and details it delivers are very good. Especially the finishing definition is very good for the asking price. Notes are tingly up top but aren’t thin at the base giving them a well weighted balance. We get good clarity and transparency. Treble extension is very good too with good amount of energy at the upper treble region too. Notes do not cross a comfortable range of energy. Instruments have good layering, separation and contrast of back and foreground acts but it can feel slightly lacking when it comes to cleanliness. It doesn’t have the best placement as it did hear a bit of unnatural, collision of notes ( in the mod range) that isn’t there with others. IU might be asking for a lot and how much one can expect from a budget headphone is the question.
STAGE:
Fiio lives up to the reputation of the FT3 with a well developed stage and high quality imaging. It has a rounded stage like the Sennheiser HD6XX and 600 with very good height and decent depth. Z-axis presence is very good too. Bass note are placed closer to the head and are taller and but not very deep. They fire up and into the head. Vocals and instruments have nice height but they get shorter as they move away from the head. It has one of the best Instrument distributions in this price range. Imaging though is very good with fairly accurate cue placement can be a bit messy as it is unable to place instruments with accuracy. There isn’t a lot of air between instruments but the finishing definition saves the day. Sonics are very good, it has very good control over emphasis and subtlety. Strong and clear transient effects give it a stage like feel and are more cohesive, agile and transparent presentation.
COMPARISON:
VS Sennheiser HD569:
FT1 is a more musical and calm sounding HP with focvus on tonality and timber while the 569 is a more Vshaped HP with tighter bass and clarity in mind. Oddly, 569’s smaller driver has very good treble energy and better imaging than the FT1 while the FT1 is a better HP for vocals, its texture and throatiness in more true to reality. Here is my in-dept video comparison review:
CONCLUSION:
FT1 is an effortless, fun and musically tuned headphone with natural tonality and organic timber in mind. It has a huge driver inside which delivers very good end to end extension and excellent texture. Its macro dynamics and imaging is plenty for most of us to be seated. I do find its bass to be a bit limited and that’s it, there is barely anything I should complain about. If I have to nitpick, it would have been nice to have a bit cleaner layering and separation and a bit more micro details would have been awesome but look at its already sky high VFM proposition.
All in all, Fiio FT1 is an excellent headphone with high quality build and a lovable sound. I have to say that Fiio has done it, this is a pure win for Fiio and the consumers. FT1 will sell like hot cakes and it definitely should end up as the best headphone under $200 for 2024.
