FiiO FT3 Review

Technical Performance

The soundstage is not quite wide and deep with the FT3, so I wouldn’t say this is a spacious staging performance. The music is mostly in your head, so don’t expect it to race with higher-end models. In its own right, the width is not bad at all, but there needs to be more depth and length in the stage to call the FT3 a great sound-stage headphone. 

For the price, stereo imaging is very precise and clean. This imaging performance provides a nice focus, and you can track down every element of any given song. Since the mid-range and treble are also clean/transparent, the air and space are on a good level overall. Although, don’t forget that that’s the case with leather earpads, not suedes. 

The balance of the headphone is very ideal for audiophiles who are looking for an entry-level full-size. Sure, it has the musical touch and warmth in the mid-range, but it’s not like overly warm like some other headphones, it instead has a truthful and natural presentation. So coherency is a strong point of the FT3. The transition from the mid-range to the treble area is great. The mids sound very full and musical, whilst the treble area is splashy and crispy. The result is a nicely balanced presentation and musicality in the mid-range and treble.

One strong aspect of the headphone is the excellent detail retrieval. With a sufficient desktop setup, every nuance and every detail is audible. Since the overall resolution is good, the combined imaging performance is quite good. Sure, the FT3 is not very impressive when it comes to pure transparency, dynamics and PRaT, but that wouldn’t be a fair expectation either.

One thing I liked about the FT3 is the overall control. Even on high volumes, there’s no harshness, congestion, sibilance, distortion or anything related to those problems. The dynamic driver copes with everything you throw at it. A very impressive feat. 

Synergy

You wouldn’t face any problems matching the FT3 with different gear, as it gives a very consistent performance with many. Given that you deliver the proper power, the FT3 sounds good and consistent with almost anything. I tried the HIBY RS8 and R6 Pro II, FiiO R7, Earmen Tradutto + FLUX FA-22 system, and so on… ,

Of course, a full desktop system delivers the best performance, since the drivers are big and the impedance rating is high. However, I expected bigger changes in sound with different gear, but there were no problems overall.

Comparisons

A planer model, the Apollo is an impressive headphone, particularly for its bass response. The bass in the Apollo is fantastic for the price range, with great texture, decay and impact. It’s fuller and better textured. The FT3 gives the bass in a more conventional way with softer delivery. Both are impressive here, but Apollo provides a better bass texture.

The mid-range is more resolving and musical with the FT3, whilst Apollo lacks pure transparency and it also doesn’t have the musicality or organic, natural timbre of the FT3. The treble is a similar story. The FT3 has better delivery, better articulation and extension.

Other than sound, the materials of the Apollo are just as impressive, and the design is more authentic. It’s also more comfortable in my opinion. 

The Sundara Closed-Back, with its gorgeous wooden earcups, looks more impressive than the FT3. On the comfort side, it also fits better to the head, at least in my experience. FiiO’s packaging is much more impressive though. 

For sound, I’d say the FT3 wins in the bass department, especially if you’re looking for a lush, full and musical response. But for a more realistic bass, the Sundara Closed back also performs well, but there’s more air with the FiiO offering thanks to the open-back design.

Mid-range is good on both. The FT3 gives a more open performance, whilst the Sundara C sounds a bit congested there. In the treble, the Hifiman performs well with better articulation, but the FT3 has better control, especially in the lower treble region (with leather pads).

DEVA is first and foremost a wireless model (originally) but you can get the wired version without the BT module, or just remove the module and use it with wires. Either way, the Deva is a great headphone for the money. The packaging is of course not impressive at all when compared with the FiiO, as you basically get nothing besides the headphone itself with the Hifiman. The FT3 also has a better build. Comfort-wise Deva fits my head better though.

Sound-wise the Deva is more linear and thinner, with a good focus on mids. The rest of the spectrum is neutral, without colouration. In contrast, the FT3 is much warmer and more dynamic with a more full-bodied sound. So the FT3 is surely more musical, whilst the Hifiman stays honest and faithful to the original sound. Both have good technicalities for the price and have similar sound-stage which is not very impressive at all, but fairly good for the price range. 

I would have both for different tastes and music genres. Both are good headphones.

Conclusion

The new FiiO FT3 performs better than I expected. The huge dynamic driver provides great bass quantity, dynamism, mid-range fullness, and natural treble with good definition. Its mid-forward style together with its excellent body makes it an easy-to-like headphone, with great musicality. So I think FiiO made the right choice about the tuning, which appeals to a bigger, a bit more ”general consumer” crowd.

The build quality is also fantastic for the price, as much as the packaging with great accessories. However, I think the FT3 has more potential with that driver, especially if FiiO can improve the lower-treble, bass texture, and overall soundstage performance. Also, the design choices are questionable, together with comfort, as I think it needs bigger and deeper ear cups for a more comfortable experience and less resistance with the headband.

It’s a great entry to the full-size headphone market regardless, and I’m sure a lot of people who like the utmost musicality and warmth will fall in love with it.

Page 1: Info, Package, Design, Build, Comfort

Page 2: Sound Quality