After MOONDROP and ThieAudio came out with less-than-spectacular entries to the over-ear headphones market, I suppose most people were not sure whether the Asian audio brands would have the same impact with headphones that they have had with IEMs. FiiO and I have disagreed multiple times on IEM tunings too, although admittedly the brand's latest IEMs have been compelling at least. Imagine my pleasant surprise then that the FiiO bucked the trend and got it right on its first real foray into headphones! The new FT3 isn't a perfect product by any means but one that automatically does enough different from the competition and does it well enough to merit a strong recommendation.

From the minute you get the product box and open it, the FiiO FT3 tries its best to convince you it is a premium product that could potentially sell for much more. The unboxing experience is a premium one with accessories provided that you barely get with headphones that cost much more. The soft pouch is nice and the hard carry case is even better. Then we get to the two sets of ear pads that provide different sound signatures in addition to that limited edition cable—quite literally, it will be replaced with another cable once the current stock sells out—using a high quality conductor and having modular connectors. The headphones are nothing to scoff at either, although admittedly the design on the ear cups might well detract from the overall build quality and clean aesthetics. FiiO made me think of Focal and Yamaha here with the design and has some engineering tweaks which makes the FT3 a highly comfortable and secure fit on my average-sized head. This might not be the case for everyone though so read page three to know why in more detail.

Then there's the part where the FT3 uses novel dynamic drivers that are relatively larger, use a DLC/Be-plating composition, and have a high impedance voice coil to where the FT3 feels truly something first-party and a product of lots of hard work and testing. The end result is an open-back set that has a proper bass shelf out of the box and makes for a warm-neutral tonality which will appeal to many people. The overall presentation is a fine balance of dampening and impact to where I can see some wanting more slam in the sub-bass, others wanting more detail in the mids, and yet others being very happy with the relaxed sound and natural timbre. The smooth treble reproduction also feels like it belongs to a much more expensive set of headphones too, so as long as you go in knowing about the FT3's strengths and weaknesses, you will be plenty satisfied with the product. Welcome to the headphones club, FiiO, and I hope you stay here for a long time!