Fiio FT3 HEADPHONES REVIEW

Whilst the Fiio FT3 may not be the brand’s latest release, they were the first full-size dynamic headphones from the company and deserve a full review here on HiFi PiG. 

The FT3 headphones from Fiio use a large 60mm 350 Ohm beryllium-coated dynamic driver and are open-backed. Priced at £289.99 they are affordable and the high impedance design makes them perfect for desktop headphone amplifiers (including valves). 

BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE NAME OF THE FT3

The build quality of the FT3 is excellent, the headband is made of leather and the earcups are made of aluminium. The swivel joints are smooth and robust and the cable uses the common dual 3.5mm mono plugs, meaning swapping cables is extremely easy with lots of after-market options available. 

The earpads are easily replaceable and Fiio includes 2 pairs with the FT3 for different sound tunings. The cable uses UPOCC copper and comes with an interchangeable termination allowing for 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended plugs. They even include a 4.4mm to 4-pin XLR adapter, along with a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack adapter meaning all bases are covered. The cable itself is sheathed in fabric and is flexible in use. They come with a nice leather carry case that will keep them protected in transit. 

Feature-wise the FT3 have quite large 60mm drivers with an impedance of 350 Ohms. This is quite high, yet the sensitivity is high too at 105dB/1Vrms @1kHZ, this means they work well with a variety of devices, however, they are aimed primarily at desktop setups. High impedance drivers use thinner voice coil wire which allows the driver to react quicker to transients, the drivers are mounted at an angle in the earcups and the earcups are open-backed to reduce any resonance and for superior sound quality. 

These are a headphone that are designed to last, they are also built to be comfortable for long listening sessions with deep and comfy earpads (although the diameter may be a little small for some) along with a self-adjusting headband strap that ensures even distribution of the weight across the top of your head. The cable is also flexible and lightweight, meaning I had no issues wearing these for prolonged periods of time. 

For their first full-size open-back headphone Fiio has really put a lot of work into the design, build, and features of the FT3. They have done this all for a very reasonable price and I can think of a few more expensive headphones that don’t feel as sturdy as the FT3. 

SOUND QUALITY

I’ve been using the FT3 with the iFi iCAN Phantom (4.4mm balanced output) as my reference amp, in solid-state mode with the S.M.S.L D6s as the DAC.

Starting off with the suede pads that came installed you get a slightly full sound that’s never fatiguing. Fightstar – Paint Your Target came on and these headphones do a superb job of separating the mix, the layering allows you to easily distinguish between the bass and guitar lines, vocals are clean and crisp with subtle panning effects being easy to pick up on. The kicks hit with good power, cymbals extend without rolling off early, and the whole sound is well-balanced without any part sounding emphasised. These allow you to dig deep into the mix without sounding analytical or unpleasant with the sound being presented as a cohesive whole yet allowing you to listen for hidden details should you wish.

Sigur Ros – Festival highlights this headphones ability to render an atmosphere from the music, the sweeping and vast soundscape perfectly portrayed with the depth it deserves. The large drivers also allow the FT3 to bring out deeper notes in tracks effortlessly, yet they are always well-controlled – these are not a bass-dominant headphone. When the band kicks in, nothing gets lost in the soundscape and the hard-panned vocals sound natural and there is an excellent sense of space within the recording.

A new track I recently discovered, Borknagar – The Wild Lingers, is an excellent song and the production is fantastic. The suede earpads give the FT3 a smooth and slightly thicker tonality but one that luckily falls short of being considered dark. The vocal harmonies are naturally portrayed with the higher-pitched guitar line well placed alongside them, the string section during the chorus is perhaps a little muted with these earpads but is still easily audible. They handle this track very well with good power and great separation, they are a headphone that do well with snappy transients and complex mixes. 

Next up I moved onto the other pair of earpads that came with the FT3. These are the newer hybrid pads that have suede on the inside and the face that goes against your head with perforated leather on the outer edges. Much like the FT5, Fiio includes two sets of earpads for sound-tuning purposes, which is great. These hybrid earpads give the FT3 a slightly cleaner sound than the full suede ones, the changes here are audible but more subtle than the differences between the earpads on the FT5. Another benefit of the hybrid earpads is a slightly wider soundstage, giving a little more air to recordings. 

Electric Callboy – MC Thunder II (Dancing Like a Ninja) has a clean midrange and the heavy crunching guitar lines cut through with great authority. This is a band that blends metal and techno to great effect and when the beat comes in it is tight and punchy with the ability to extend deep into the sub-bass region with ease. Whilst the suede earpads give you a little bit more of a laid-back and smooth sound signature, the hybrid earpads sound cleaner and more engaging which is what you need for tracks like this. 

Next up I listened to Florence + the Machine – Binding, the extra sound staging width works well with this kind of music. Nothing ever gets lost in the mix and subtle effects get pushed out wider than when using the suede earpads. Luckily, they are still musical-sounding headphones with these earpads – they don’t suddenly turn into boring or flat-sounding headphones. With these earpads everything sounds like it is in the right place, nothing sounds off or unnatural and the slight warm tilt is reined in allowing a little more focus on the midrange and treble, making them sound more balanced and neutral. 

As mentioned, the imaging and separation are strong points of these headphones and this makes them a great choice for gaming. I’m not a competitive gamer myself, but I do enjoy a few rounds in Battlefield from time to time and the FT3 makes it very easy to distinguish where sounds are coming from. They give you a bit of a competitive edge being able to accurately place where your enemies are. 

QUIBBLES

The inner opening of the earpads is on the smaller side and the stock cable is quite long (including a shorter one would have been quite nice). 

CONCLUSION

Fiio’s full-size headphone range is growing. The FT3 was their first model and they did a fantastic job in terms of both build quality and sound quality. They are made with easily replaceable parts and the two sets of earpads give you two slightly different sonic profiles. 

With the suede earpads they are slightly relaxed and smooth yet still have very good dynamic qualities. Fit the hybrid earpads and the sound tightens up and becomes a little wider and clearer.

The FT3 is engaging, dynamic, and most of all, easy to listen to. They are tuned to closely follow the harman curve, which won’t be to everyone’s taste. However, Fiio have made an exceptionally competent headphone for the price.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality And Features:

Solid build with mostly aluminium parts

Easy to replace the cable and earpads

Pretty much every cable termination is catered for out of the box

Sound Quality:

Dynamic and punchy

Well-balanced but not boring

Two sets of earpads give you two slightly different tunings

Value For Money:

These cost less than £300, they are very good value for money in my opinion with excellent build quality, sound quality, and I also find them comfortable for long listening sessions

The included accessories also impress for the relatively low cost of these headphones

We Loved:

The ability to tune the sound with earpads

Great build quality

Impressive sound quality that is dynamic with snappy transients

We Didn’t Love So Much:

The opening of the earpads is fairly small, which may be an issue for some

The included cable is quite long, an additional shorter cable would have been nice

Elevator Pitch Review: Fiio’s first full-size headphone comes in at under £300, they offer up a sound that closely follows the Harman curve which gives them a non-fatiguing yet well-balanced sound signature. The two pairs of earpads offer up slightly different presentations and the overall package is excellent value for money, there’s very little these do wrong for the money. 

Price: £289.99

Oscar Stewart

SUPPLIED BY FIIO

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION

Features

• Large Dynamic High-Res Over-Ear Headphones
• 60mm large dynamic driver
• Beryllium-plated gasket + DLC diaphragm
• 350Ω high impedance
• Asymmetric internal and external magnetic circuit system
• Open-back design
• Furukawa monocrystalline copper cable
• Aluminium alloy construction
• Lightweight hollow design
• 4 different audio plugs included
• 3-Axis Swivelling Design with Angled Placement for Drivers
• Two Types of Ear Pads Included
• Sensitivity: 102dB | Frequency Response Range: 7Hz-40kHz
• Weight: Approx 391 grams
• Cable Length: Approx 3m