Closer Examination

FiiO is known for offering more value to its products, and this typically comes in the form of more lavish accessories relative to the competition. With the FT3, we got a high quality Furukawa copper conductor cable with a modular termination—the first time I've seen it on headphone cables. The more expensive FT5 went with a similar modular cable, this time using high purity silver-plated monocrystalline copper conductor. The FT1 is more budget-friendly, yet we still end up with two stock cables that are identical in all respects except for the source termination. One ends in 3.5 mm TRS for amplifiers with a single-ended headphone output—the provided 1/4" adapter can be handy here—and the other goes for a 4.4 mm TRRRS balanced connection. Both cables are 1.5 m long, making them reasonable for use on the go and when stationary at your desk. This time, the cables use 24 AWG thickness 392 wires of silver-plated oxygen-free copper conductor. The cables are quite supple despite being on the thicker side, I would not have minded a shirt clip though, since the cables do seem microphonic and can send rustling noises if they move along your desk or body. The cables use metal hardware in black for an extremely clean finish, with branding only seen on the splitter that has the logo—again in black. The two split sections then end in L/R marked connector housings to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. The FiiO FT1 goes for dual 3.5 mm TRS connectors on the headphone side for increased aftermarket cable compatibility, and all the metal plugs are gold-plated for oxidation resistance.


The FiiO FT1 is one of the better looking headphones in the market today, if I say so myself. I make no qualms about being a wooden ear cup lover, and this does wood really well to where I had some non-audiophiles guess the cost having looked at and held the FT1 in person, with the average guess being north of $500. I suspect the lighter beech wood might be more divisive though, as it goes for a bolder look which is harder to match compared to the darker aesthetic with the black walnut version. In particular, the headband and ear pads are also black here compared to the tan and yellow colors there—not 100% sure, I haven't seen the beech version in person yet. Looks and wood material aside, both versions are otherwise the exact same. This includes the relatively low profile headband, which I believe uses protein leather on the outside and then goes for suede on the contact surface for a softer feel. There are also foam nuggets on the underside for added comfort while also helping minimize hotspots from forming on the top of your head. The headband is wide enough for my average head too, although I suspect some might prefer a wider band or even a suspension-style headband mechanism. A spring steel helps with the pre-formed curve, and the headband fits into the metal chassis on either end with a metal FiiO logo badge for branding. The inner side has L/R markings to help identify the left and right channels and we also see this assembly is simply screwed together, thus boding well for easier repairability and even potential modding, in case the DIY community decides to make aftermarket headband mods—there's already one available!


Vertical sizing comes via the headband sliding up and down the chassis as seen above, and this is the first part where the components chosen, the design language involved, and the tighter tolerance manufacturing done showcases itself. The steel band is held in place via two ball bearings on each side, so it slides out smoothly yet deliberately. This still happens in discrete steps with a light clicky feedback, and I feel assured the headband won't loosen over time either. The various steps being marked also makes it easy to line up both sides at the same level. There are plenty of steps on offer—38 mm travel in total—to fit heads large or small alike, with my average-sized head going to four steps from the smallest setting on either side. It honestly feels better and more reliable than what HIFIMAN uses in the Arya-style headband, and certainly won't scratch the paint either.


The headband assembly is fit into the chassis, which in turn has metal gimbals securing the ear cups. This allows the ear cups to swivel in either direction, although FiiO has deliberately added in stop points here, allowing for 35° horizontal rotation in either direction. Likewise, the ear cups rotate around the vertical axis up to 45°, although they are spring-loaded to where there is an opposing force preferring the ear cups to go back to steady state as they come out of the box. This can help achieve a good seal with decent clamp force, although those blessed with larger heads may well feel extra pressure over time on the sides of their head (temples) as a result. On the flip side, this prevents the FT1 ear cups from being too loose and floppy, and in turn gives you a feel of being more solid and secure in the hands while still providing enough movement in all directions to accommodate the vast majority of people reading this review.


The FiiO FT1 is a closed-back set of headphones, with the wooden ear cups used being a prominent selling point too. There are undoubtedly many who dislike wood in their headphones, so this can be a potential dealbreaker accordingly. On my end, I really like wooden ear cups, be it on the more affordable end as here or the higher end from the likes of ZMF. The FT1 offers you a choice of American black walnut wood, stained to keep its excellent mix of colors and grain patterns, or Chinese beech wood in a more polished finish based on the photos I've seen—still not as glossy as the lighter wood Sivga headphones, to give you an idea. The beech wood is harder and denser than the black walnut, in case you wanted to see how that can potentially affect the sound of the FT1. These solid wood ear cups are machined and left with no branding at all, which I appreciate FiiO doing. There's also a relatively large bass port on the top side, and it comes covered by a mesh to prevent contaminants from entering the acoustic chamber. The stock ear pads also have L/R markings on the inner dust cover, and are easy enough to remove and replace thanks to the more generic installation method using grooves in the ear cups that the sleeves in the ear pads stretch into. The stitch mark points outward by the gimbal securement point to help you keep track.

That said, I have yet to see FiiO offer ear pad replacements for any of their headphones to date, so I will urge them to do this sooner than later lest this hold up long-term use of the FT1. Now we can get a better look at the dynamic drivers used here, which are angled such that the sound waves fire parallel to your ear canals. The ear pads themselves are contoured to be thicker on the back to allow for a more uniform seal, and the ear opening is oval (60 x 40 mm), with depth going from 20 mm on the front to 24 mm on the back. Those with larger ears may find them touching the screen, although there should still be enough room to avoid hitting the drivers themselves—especially since the ear cups are recessed below the ear pads. The stock pads use a hybrid composition with a fabric contact surface + protein leather on the outside, and use medium density foam filling. These are one of the softest ear pads on the market too, adding to the comfort factor, albeit the lack of any fenestration means your ears can run warm over time.


On the bottom of the ear cups is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors, and these are pointing more straight down than angled outward as I prefer them. There's a small chance then to have the cable hitting your shoulders, which feels like a misstep in the otherwise impressive design throughout. The stock cables are 1.5 m long as mentioned above, and you can use any cable with dual 3.5 mm TS/TRS connectors here if you prefer a different length or a different source termination. I did use the stock 4.4 mm cable for most of my testing, but did eventually switch over to a braided aftermarket cable to avoid microphonics. I'd also recommend going with a taller headphone stand—if you are the type to use one—to place the FT1 on and still have enough room to clear the cable connector housings + strain relief section that is stiffer than the rest of the cable.