In this article, Lynn reviews the FiiO FT1, a new set of budget headphones with a 60mm closed-back dynamic driver and solid black walnut wood cups. They are priced at $149.99.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. I appreciate Fiio for your support.
You can click here to learn more about the FiiO Audio Products We have previously reviewed it on Headfonics.
Please note that this post follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
FiiO FT1 Review
Summary
With a competitive and enjoyable sound signature, the FiiO FT1 is a completely impressive set of closed dynamic driver headphones considering its affordable price.
Advantages
The sound characteristics present a smooth and precise response.
The comfort is good for long listening sessions.
The build quality is top notch.
Cons
The upright and adjustment headband could be improved with a better adjustment mechanism.
It is difficult to keep cables untangled with their wrapping.
FiiO recently launched the FT1, a full-size closed-back wooden cup headphone priced at $149.99 that falls in the same realm as the entry level. JT1 Headphones launched under their Jade Audio brand.
Designed to satisfy those looking for a simple and straightforward closed-back headphone, the FT1 features a larger 60mm dynamic driver tuned to offer flexibility across a wide range of recording genres.
With build quality on par with other FiiO products, including a beautiful wooden cup finish, we're off to a good start with these headphones.
For more information on its performance and how it competes with the JT1, SIVGA Robin SV021and the Meze Audio 99 Classics Read my full review below.
Characteristics
The FiiO FT1 uses a second-generation 60mm dynamic driver carrying a nanofiber composite diaphragm made from paperwood fibers from 90-year-old fir trees.
Soaking, cooking, blending and pulping the material provides a consistency from which the diaphragm can be manufactured with greater quality control.
This process also ensures a lightweight, fast-responsive surface (0.14g weight) for the paper cone. Carbon fiber is also added for strength and a stiff, fast response to music.
Dense hickory cups reduce resonance and minimize interference from standing waves. Highly polished, the glasses add a luxurious look to the overall character.
The 25mm voice coil is larger than many that use a similarly sized dynamic driver. The W-shaped diaphragm provides a 25.8% increase in effective vibration area, allowing for greater energy storage.
This further minimizes vibration loss in sound quality and distortion, which can occur with less rigid materials.
Comes with two 24 AWG silver-plated oxygen-free copper cables finished with a fabric windproof cover. One is a 3.5mm single-ended cable and the other is a 4.4mm balanced cable.
With a relatively sensitive rating of 113 dB/Vrms at 1 kHz (98 dB at 1 kHz) for SPL and an impedance of 32 Ω, the FT1 is also easy to drive.
Design and Comfort
The FT1 is stylish, that can't be denied. Solid hickory mugs give that upscale look, without being garish.
Those soft cups may seem slippery, but the metal casing helps prevent slipping. The aluminum yoke with silver accents looks slender while providing support to the cups.
The silver continues on the uprights, which have soft detents to adjust each side. A small unmarked “scale” is located on the inside of each stud, allowing the user to make precise adjustments.
I wish there was a little more click to the mechanism, but you can align each side using that scale.
The headband carries minimal padding on separate “pillows” that provide additional support and comfort. Based on the look and feel alone, you wouldn't expect the headband to provide the comfort needed for extended wear, but it does. I never ran out of feeling comfortable with 5-6 hour listening sessions.
The soft plush pads also helped with comfort. The leather sides give way to a suede-like synthetic material for breathability.
Mounted on the traditional elastic and grooved lip, the cups can be easily exchanged for non-original brand pads. I recommend putting together many hours of use before thinking about a change. The existing pads are very good.
Aside from the cables, which are a little too stiff for my taste, the FT1 has a premium look, feel, and fit.
Packaging and accessories
The FT1 comes in a typical square case with a sleeve, with the interior protected by a foam insert. Inside the case, you'll find the 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced cables along with a storage bag for the other cable and a 6.35mm SE connector.
The look is premium and the case reminds me of the Focal iterations with the tweed-like pattern, but this time in brown patterns. A quick start guide completes the package.
The premium presentation (there's that word again) belies what FiiO is trying to achieve with each successive model, be it headphones or an amplifier. Quality offerings ooze looks and FiiO products have the products to back it up.
Case
The brown tweed print case feels quality when you pick it up, but that case isn't perfect. While a case like the Focal has an indentation, which helps act as a grip point when picking it up, the FiiO case is smooth. This causes you to lose your grip on the case when you lift it.
That brown patterned fabric is also too smooth and flat for my taste with little tactility. A thicker, rougher fabric would alleviate both problems and hopefully FiiO can change that.
Sound impressions
The following prints were made using the Hello for R4, Cayin N6iiand Shanling M6 Pro. Comparisons were made with the FiiO JT1, Robin (32Ω), and the Meze Audio 99 Classics.
Summary
I generally find that closed-back dynamic driver headphones tend to have a warmer signature at these lower prices. The opposite is also true when manufacturers aim for an overly bright sound signature.
The FiiO FT1 balances both sides by presenting a very melodic signature that neither seems too bright nor too dark.
Yes, the FT1 seems richer than bright, but it doesn't completely lose that technical ability to profess highs like crashes and precise cymbal hits.
A rich textural response is heard in the electric guitar and bass notes, while the percussion instruments promote an alacrity that, while not overly bright, appears natural with added precision.
The sub-bass is strong but not overbearing, with a little bleed into the mids, more so than the JT1. However, this combines well to present a holistic sound mix rather than a confusing effect.
The energy on top seems perfect with adequate air in the notes counteracting the additional sub-bass underneath.
Ring
The FT1 offers a richer, darker sound signature, but not as much as acclaimed headphones like the Campfire Audio Waterfall.
Where you're drawn to Cascade's rich, deep signature, the FT1 presents music more harmoniously, but with a less dynamic effect. It's not really a fair comparison, but I hope this gets the point across.
That richness in quality is combined with a fun overall signature that can offset any lack of detail by producing a euphonious signature that's a blast to drive into higher volume levels. Not exactly like the aforementioned Cascade, but along the same lines.
Precisely presented, the timbre is perceived individually in the plucking of the guitar strings, with depth and a richer tonality than does not appear. The dark whispers of brass instruments are heard clearly, increasing not only the precision of the notes but also the quality.
Female vocals come across rich and deep (when called upon) in the presentation, and with precise detail too. Breathing may occur, but the representation is as it should be by the artist.
Staying true to the music, the FT1 flows with an organic nature that is neither lacking in clarity nor overly dark. The balance I spoke of unites the whole.
Staging and dynamics
Dynamic driver headphones, especially closed-back ones, are also often associated with smaller dimensions in their setting.
The FT1 balances that potential shortcoming with sound quality that's thick but not drippy or molasses in depth and breadth. The height, although average, is favored by that additional space coming from the other dimensions, portraying an almost false ceiling; which gives an excellent layering to the music.
The dynamic driving effect means that there is much more activity towards the center of the stage than towards the periphery, and the only inaccuracy I can attest to would be on those long-range edges.
Those edges tend to get lost a little, especially in busy areas, but not too bad. The FT1 allows the weight of the bill to support the stage, compensating for the aforementioned deficiencies in the edges.
However, a strong bassline can overwhelm the signature, limiting the overall rim space and forcing me to reach for the R4's volume wheel. This isn't all bad, but the din (often anticipated in the music) cannot be hidden within the FT1 stage.
The fun factor mentioned in the Cascade also emerges here, as the FT1 wants more volume, even with those “shortcomings.”
Synergy
Efficiency
There was never a lack of power when using the DAPs mentioned above, and they all provided enough headroom to push the FT1 to ear-ache levels. The scaling between platforms and high volume levels show that the FT1 has a note quality that transcends many options.
Pairings
Using both the Shanling M6 Pro and the HiBy R4, the FT1 performed impressively on both. The Shanling features an even darker signature than the R4, but the dual use of DAC makes it a very impressive combination and my favorite of the lot.
The HiBy R4 has become a regular in my rotation, and with good reason. It provides sound quality that is neither too bright nor too dark, and with sufficient levels of detail to meet the needs of most equipment tested.
This also shows that the level of enjoyment sought between the R4 and FT1 can satisfy many looking for affordable options. Detail levels especially lag behind both the Shanling and Cayin, but aside from the FT1's fun factor, the R4 is hard to beat.
The Cayin N6ii is an excellent DAP, providing excellent levels of clarity and detail retrieval that can benefit many headphones that lack them.
While the FT1 doesn't lack much in that regard, the N6ii provides an additive effect, which presents another quality of the FT1; the ability to work and play well together with many options.
Click on page 2 below to see my selected comparisons.
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