FiiO FT1 32Ω Large Dynamic Driver Headphones with Solid Wood Cups

If you are searching for a quality over the ear headphone at a budget price, look no further. I have multiple pairs of headphones ranging from over the ear wired (Sennheiser, Audio-Technica) to blue tooth noise cancelling (Bose, Sony) and have enjoyed them all for the variety in sound and pleasure they can provide. I picked up the FT-1 due to the many glowing reviews I watched and read and I must say these do not disappoint. I had a few hour listening session (Sturgill Simpson, Steely Dan, Rolling Stones, Beatles) to go through a variety of my favorite artists and loved the sounds I heard.These are closed back, so the soundstage is a little condensed, but there is good separation in the instruments and vocals. I guess to use some subjective terms, I felt like the sound was warm (not really overly bass heavy as I had heard described), clear, and intimate.I found the build to be solid and fairly sturdy. The cups are comfortable and even after a couple hours I was still comfortable with them on.I am not crazy about the term "good for the money" but this is a quality product at a great price. If you are looking to upgrade your headphone "game" or a budding "audiophile" you should consider these headphones.

I am driving these headphones with an RME ADI-2 DAC FS (which is an extremely high-grade converter and amplifier), and let me begin to tell you, these are unbelievable headphones. I am legit blown away.For the "audiophile" (can't stand that word) that demands quality bass, texture and super-deep bass extension in headphones, these $200 cans will impress you. In fact, they'll probably compete or beat the most expensive headphones you own (speaking from experience). You want quality sub-bass? This is it right here. These cans dig deep.There is a professional video of an expert taking the headphones apart and he is taken by surprise by the quality and the amount of sound dampening material inside the ear cups. He's also impressed by the quality of the 60mm dynamic nano-fiber drivers. The gentleman complains about the durability of the headphones (one particular screw that can cause an issue with it breaking if you sit on it or if you're rough with it), but the sound quality and everything else in the audio chain it top-tier.These headphones will make you question the philosophy of a lot of other headphone manufacturers/designers. Yes, this headphone is not as durable as an all metal Neumann NDH-20 or NDH-30, but the FT1 will make you think..."Why don't audiophile-grade headphones have strong, quality bass extension like the sound systems found in most audiophiles' homes?"Why do I have to switch headphones because one is better for this genre or that genre. What's THAT all about?I always feel like the sound coming out of high-impedance "audiophile" headphones is thin and doesn't have that meaty sound you'd expect from expensive headphones. The treble is always boosted, and usually at a weird frequency for some odd reason. It makes it harsh on the ear. Those headphones make listening to music annoying and always leave something to be desired, even when burning them in for weeks and driving them with powerful headphone amps (which I own many of, and none of them help the situation).I listen to mainly soft Ambient Space Music, IDM, Progressive Breakbeat and Techno-ish music....at low volumes, might I add. 95% of headphones have zero bass at low volume levels. How inefficient are the drivers that I need to crank them up 11 to get some warmth?When I listen to music, I want to hear everything the producer intended for me to hear. I'm doing a disservice to myself, and the producer when I don't hear the music as the producer intended. I don't want to have to switch headphones because one is better at one genre than the other. Imagine switching your speakers or studio monitors in your studio because one is better for a particular genre than the other. Sounds ridiculous. Good headphones should be able to play EVERYTHING well, just like our speakers.How can Fiio produce a $200 headphone that sounds as good, if not better than the all the other headphones own? Fiio also includes their own high quality single-ended and balanced cable.I own the NDH-20 by Neumann, the famous HD650, HD660S2, and Fostex's 900mk1. These are all known to be fantastic headphones for different reasons. With that being said, none of them, and I mean NONE of them, come close to the FT1 as far as an ENJOYABLE listening experience. All those other headphones are still kind of missing something or uncomfortable after some time. The NDH-20 by Neumann is probably the best out of the bunch, because it has insane sound quality and depth, but it's hard on the head after 20 minutes or so. It's really sad, as this is a known thing with the Neumanns. I'm guessing it's because they're studio headphones and they need to be super-tight with dense ear pads.I've had the FT1 around my ears for the past hour and the very first track I played (Matt Lange - L'ennui) literally gave me goosebumps. I was greeted with deep, tight bass, a mesmerizing mid-range, and super-smooth treble. I immediately thought to myself, “Yessssss!!!! I’ve finally found the headphones of my dreams!”The sound is so addicting from these cans that I’m literally starting to question everything. Why have I wasted so much time and money?For those who think EQ can fix everything...it can't. EQ is a band-aid for the problem.I've EQ'ed the living daylights out of headphones using the worlds best PEQs by RME and other OEMs, and headphones that are out of wack will still never sound right in the end. Sound engineers will tell you this.......If you lower/cut a certain frequency, you’re creating a hole (a dip) at that frequency, and as you raise the volume of the music, that hole only gets larger because the rest of the frequency range is getting more energy than that dip you’ve created. So, now you’re creating a bigger hole, a bigger negative if you will. Nobody ever talks about this on YouTube, but sound professional do, all the time.I ask, why aren't the headphones flat to begin with? Why is the treble so piercing in most “Audiophile” headphones and where is the bass? Am I missing something? I'm using sick converters and different kinds of high-end amplifiers. What, do I need to tube everything?Durability seems to be good on these headphones. It's not a headphone you want to toss around, but it's definitely not a low-quality headphone. You shouldn’t be rough with headphones to begin with.The weight is perfect. It has some heft to it when you look at it, but feels VERY light on the head. That's a huge accomplishment on Fiio's part.Fit is also amazing. 10 out of 10 on the fitment.Overall, if you enjoy listening to Electronic Music, Ambient, IDM, Cinematic Scores, or music that has a lot of sub-bass, the FT1 is a must-have headphone.Pair it up with a top-notch DAC/AMP, preferably with a high quality EQ for some low-end boost, or what I use, a DAC with a Loudness feature to emphasis the bass at low volume, and you’ll never want another headphone again.RME ADI-2 DAC FS with the FT1 is Audiophilia heaven! <---- Thank me later.

This is an excellent headphone. I mostly listen to pop music on my ipod. The music comes from various sources such as scratchy LPs, cds, cassette tapes, etc.. So the sound quality varies. I can honestly say I have never heard my music more clearly and fully than with the Fiios. I'm just amazed at the full soundstage and the clarity of voices and instruments. Everything is very "musical". I own a lot of different headphones but I refused to spend over $150 on any of them. Ok, so I got what I paid for in sound quality: most good, some very good. However, I splurged and spend $160 (before shipping) on these Fiios. I must admit the added cost was worth every penny. If you are thinking of buying a "budget" set of headphones, I whole heartily recommend the Fiio FT1. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. They are easy to power, are very comfortable, and include two cables and a very nice storage box. I am very happy with these and highly recommend them for pop music of all types: rock, folk and reggae. Buy and enjoy.