FiiO FT3 Review | Trusted Reviews

Verdict

Make allowances – for the succesful, for the impedance – and the FiiO FT3 turn into a discount. An anachronistic discount, positive, however a discount nonetheless

Introduction

How far into left-field do it’s important to go earlier than you come again with some wired over-ear headphones? With the FT3, although, FiiO has made the journey worthwhile…

The FiiO FT3 are on sale, and within the UK they’ll set you again £289 for a pair. In america they’re an much more eye-catching $299, whereas in Australia you’re taking a look at AU$449.

Various wired over-ear headphones at this form of cash aren’t precisely quite a few, however one of the best rivals are worthy of respect. Grado’s SR325x, for instance, aren’t way more costly – and their sound high quality is such that it’s all too straightforward to miss their somewhat agricultural aesthetic.

Design

• Selection of suede or pleather earpads
• 391g weight
• open-backed configuration

You already know not a lot has occurred by means of design when essentially the most notable visible function of a pair of over-ear headphones is their two-tier headband association. Nonetheless, that’s most likely wise – nobody desires (or is anticipating) to be startled by some radical reinvention of the over-ear headphones template. The FiiO FT3 look more-or-less as you’d count on, and so they’re all the higher for it.

The open-backed earcups add a little bit of visible pizazz (only a bit, thoughts) because of their stylised aluminium alloy framing forward of some honeycomb mesh. The yokes and hangar mechanism are of aluminium alloy too, and the earcups transfer via three axes to be able to guarantee a snug match for all however essentially the most modestly sized heads. The primary a part of the headscarf association adjusts for match, whereas the outer half is seemingly there merely to make the wearer look taller.

Protein leather-based covers the headscarf(s), and there’s extra of the fabric protecting the reminiscence foam of the earpads. One pair of the earpads, anyway – FiiO provides a suede-covered second pair, and suggests the FT3 sound somewhat totally different relying on which earpad materials you resolve to make use of. It doesn’t point out the ear-heat points that may come up, although, when you resolve you just like the sound and the texture of the suede-covered earpads…

Options

• 3.5mm, 4.4mm, 6.3mm and XLR-4 connections
• 60mm full-range dynamic drivers
• 3m cable

Not each supply of music has a headphone socket as of late, in fact – however it appears protected to say that in case your music participant has one, the FiiO FT3 will have the ability to hook up with it. The three metres of cable has a few 3.5mm connections at one finish (as a result of every earcup have to be wired) and might be fitted with both a 3.5mm jack or a 4.4mm balanced different on the different finish.

As well as, FiiO provides a 6.3mm adapter to be used with the three.5mm jack, and an XLR-4 adapter to be used with the balanced 4.4mm jack. Which suggests connectivity is roofed.

The cable is a narrative all by itself. It’s equipped by Furukama, a Japanese firm that hit on a profitable technique of annealing monocrystalline copper cable a couple of decade in the past – its properties proved very helpful for high-end audio functions.

Regardless of this, although, Furukama ceased manufacturing of the cable nearly as quickly because it had began – however not earlier than FiiO (an organization with no headphones by any means in its portfolio at this level) had bought practically $50K’s-worth. Which makes the choice to provide the FT3 with a tangle-tastic three metres of the stuff appear curious…

As soon as the cable is related at every finish, sound is served up by a pair of sizable (60mm) dynamic drivers. FiiO makes use of diamond-like carbon for the driving force diaphragm – it’s sturdy, gentle and presents admirable frequency response and break-up resistance. The driving force gasket, in the meantime, is coated in Beryllium – once more, for causes of power and stiffness. The voice coil behind every driver is of copper-clad aluminium, which ought to assist overcome the inertia that such an enormous driver would possibly conceivable undergo from.

FiiO has ended up with a 350Ω impedance score for the FT3, which is unarguably greater than is right – you’ll want an inexpensive quantity {of electrical} poke to get one of the best from these headphones. Which, let’s face it, is unlikely to be accessible through the headphone socket of your laptop computer…

Sound High quality

• Clear, impartial, and balanced sound
• Barely midrange-centric
• Totally different earpads produce (barely) totally different outcomes

Let’s assume you’ve obtained ample electrical impetus accessible to offer the FT3 the drive they want – a headphone amp, say, or a little bit of rugged full-sized audio gear. Let’s assume you’ve connected the suede-covered earpads. Let’s say you’re listening to an enormous (24-bit/192kHz) file of Sam Smith’s I’m Not Right here To Make Mates. It’s protected to say the FiiO FT3 are an interesting and pleasing pay attention – much more so while you remind your self of the asking value.

Tonally, they’re fairly impartial and uncoloured – the sound you get could be very a lot the sound of your supply gear, with the FT3 very happy to simply get out of the best way. Low frequencies are deep (not the claimed 7Hz deep, however lots deep sufficient nonetheless), sturdy, detailed and properly managed – the tune’s dancefloor credentials are given full expression.

There’s a pleasant mixture of weight and momentum to the bass the FiiO generate, and it makes for a front-foot presentation. There’s comparable consideration to element obvious on the reverse finish of the frequency vary. Treble sounds don’t assault with fairly as a lot dedication because the bass equivalents, however regardless of this there’s nonetheless loads of brilliance and substance to the highest finish.

The road from the underside of the frequency vary to the highest bulges just a bit across the midrange – the FT3 create a pleasant, open soundstage however they undeniably push the midrange in direction of the entrance of it. Those that need to pay correct consideration to a vocalist will most likely welcome it, whereas those that want as even a frequency response as doable ought to have the ability to overlook it – it’s not essentially the most pronounced audio trait you ever heard, in spite of everything.

The FiiO have a great facility with dynamic variations of each sort. The large shifts from ‘quiet’ to ‘loud’ are vital (offered you’re driving the headphones successfully within the first place, in fact), and the extra refined harmonic differentials are recognized and contextualised too. And the FT3 are simply as attentive to absence as they’re presence – when a recording has massive area of silence, they’re really silent. Which makes them a evocative and atmospheric pay attention in the suitable circumstances.

Change to the protein leather-covered earpads and, in all honesty, the bodily variations are extra pronounced than the sonic variations. The suede earpads promote ear-heat, no two methods about it – and except you’re from the Prince Andrew college of sweat-control you’re going to turn into uncomfortable ultimately. The pleather alternate options are far, far slower to warmth your head, and are finally extra comfy in the long term.

And whereas they diminish the low-frequency substance of the sound just a bit, they add a contact of high-end sparkle and chunk. So whereas these variations aren’t what you’d name ‘pronounced’, they’re simple – and also you get a level of say into the form of sound you find yourself having fun with.

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