FiiO FT3 - 32 Ohm Edition
FT3 32 Ohm Edition Review
You may have heard of the FiiO FT3 headphone - it rightly has received some great reviews as a high quality, excellent sounding dynamic driver headphone that comes with an amazing set of accessories in premium packaging. But you may not realise that there are actually 2 different FT3 headphones.
The one that has mainly been reviewed is the 350 Ohm edition, but there is also a 32 Ohm edition. Even FiiO themselves on the English language version of their product page only talk about the 350 Ohm version, though I see that the chinese version of the page does have some details of both models.
So I thought it might be good to give some “love” to this seemingly unloved twin brother and to have a separate review of the FT3 32 Ohm edition.
So I reached out to FiiO, and they kindly provided this headphone for the purposes of this review.
Since, the 32Ω version retains the same luxurious packaging and accessories as its ’twin brother’ so I will only briefly cover the packaging as its will be extensively covered in other reviews.
But as well as comparing the 32 Ohm with its ’twin brother’ I thought I would also compare it with its ‘bigger brother’ the FiiO FT5 planar magnetic headphone, which I previously reviewed: Review FT5
But first - lets do a little bit of background on the key difference between the 2 FT3 models.
The Low impedance versus High impedance trade-off with headphones
The normal trade-off you make between 350 Ohm and 32 Ohm headphones are that 32 Ohm headphones are easy to drive with any source and possible 300+ Ohm headphones will possibly have some “better” sonic characteristics (like less harmonic distortion) or maybe smoother more controlled treble response. But that is not always the case. But you will typically see a difference in frequency response / tonality between sibling headphones with different impedance.
Note: it is always worth bearing in mind that there is the convenience and “peace of mind” of being able to drive your headphones from a smartphone dongle or similar portable amplifier without needing to pair the headphone with a specific amplifiers.
So how different are the FT3 32 Ohm and 350 Ohm versions?
Let us find out but first some unboxing pictures.
What is in the box
The unboxing experience of the FiiO FT3 32Ω edition is a delight, showcasing FiiO’s attention to detail and commitment to giving a premium unboxing experience.
Opening the box reveals a nice quality bag - My wife thought it was similar to the bags that some high-end handbags come in :
Lifting it out of the box reveals the spare ear pads and a manual:
Then taking it out of its bag reveals the gorgeous leather case:
And opening the case finally reveals the headphones and tha cables (and some adapters):
I think the internal case design itself is fantastic and very similar to the FT5.
So, the packaging includes:
• FiiO FT3 32Ω headphones
• A high-quality hard zipper case
• Two sets of earpads (suede and leather)
• Multiple adapters (3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced, standard ¼, and balanced XLR)
• User manual and warranty card
The presentation is both professional and luxurious, with each component neatly arranged to ensure protection during transit.
The whole quality packaging of the FT3 is one reason I think it would be a tremendous headphone to give as a present (or get) as a first headphone.
Comparisons with the FT5 experience
So one thing that immediately struck me was the FT3 was that FiiO are providing effectively the same ultra premium experience as with the more expensive FT5.
Here are some photos comparing what you get between the FT3 and the FT5:
But there are significant difference is with the ear pads with the FT5 ear pads providing that bit more depth luxury that you should expect from a more premium headphone:
The Cable and its connectors:
The FT3 features a stock cable made from high-purity silver-plated mono crystalline copper, measuring about 1.5 meters.
Note: this is one of the difference between the 32 Ohm and the 350 Ohm FT3, the 350 Ohm version comes with a 3-meter cable. This makes total sense since the 32 Ohm is designed to be a headphone you can easily bring with you and power from portable DACs.
But this cable does include the same variety of connectors as the other FT3 model and the FT5, including 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced jacks, and adapters for 6.35mm and XLR connections.
Two Sets of Earpads:
The FT3 is supplied with two types of ear pads: one set made of suede and another set of protein leather, allowing users to customize the comfort and providing slight variations in sound signature, though surprising less than I have heard (and measured) with other headphones.
The Headphone:
So as well as the cable length the other significant difference between FT3 32 Ohm and 350 Ohm are the internal drivers and the material used to for these dynamic drivers. The 350 Ohm version uses a DLC (Diamond like Carbon) with a Beryllium-plated gasket, while the 32 Ohm version utilises a 60mm driver with LCP (liquid crystal polymer) Aluminum Metal Composite Diaphragm.
These changes to the driver only make a difference to the sound, but before we get to the sound let me give you some impressions on the comfort, though both models of FT3 will have the same comfort, so you can also read some of the other reviews for the FT3 to get multiple opinions as to its comfort.
Fit, Comfort and Feel
Both FT3 have the same comfort, clamping force and since they use the same earpads (unlike the FT5 Earpads) everything that was said about the comfort about the 350 Ohm FT3 will also apply to this 32 Ohm version.
The headphones feature a 3-axis swiveling design, which aids in adjusting the fit and improving comfort over long listening periods.
The FT3 weighs approximately 391 grams, which is relatively lightweight for headphones equipped with such robust materials and construction. I think this is often a trade-off, between something that feels premium and is lightweight enough for long usage everday.
I personally found the FT3 to be a very comfortable headphone with a good clamping force that allows for extended listening sessions without discomfort.
My only minor complaint would be the size of the earpads is a little smaller than I would like, especially compared to higher end planars, so if you have large ears they might not be as comfotable as say ’egg shaped’ Hifiman or even FiiO FT5.
Listening and Sound impressions
So this is where the 32 Ohm and 350 Ohm will be different (due to the different drivers) and the real reason I thought it would be better to have a different review for the 32 Ohm version.
While the 350 Ohm FT3 was described as warm and U-shaped, the 32 Ohm version is slightly “warmer” with a punchy mid-bass that will definitely appeal to lots of people and with a little less treble sparkle.
So, if you like a ‘reference’ sound the FT3 32 Ohm might not be for you but if you like a ‘bassier’ presentation to your music this is a great headphone,
Again, For someone starting into headphones this bass response will be very appealing, after a while as get more into the hobby they may start to prefer a more reference ’neutral’ sound from say a HD600. But I do feel its good to ultimately have multiple headphones in your collection with different sound profiles.
Bass Response
So sub-bass is well-controlled, but there is a good warmth to the mid-bass that some bass-heavy listeners prefer. I really enjoyed some of the classic reference “bass” tracks with this headphone, like Bjork’s Hunter and Massive Attack’s Angel, but for my preference some other tracks like Portishead’s ‘Roads’ where probably a little too muddy.
Midrange
The midrange is clear and detailed, offering good transparency, especially in vocal performances, without adding any unwanted coloration. I did a whole 70’s retrospective while listening to this headphone over the past few weeks, and it sounded amazing with some classic Bowie like the “Ziggy Stardusk and Spiders from Mars” and some early Roxy Music especially with Brian Eno’s excellent production sitting nicely behind with Bryan Ferry’s vocals.
Treble
The treble is good but not extended. You won’t get any issues with sibilance from this headphone but then again you might miss a bit of sparkle. It might be best desribed as safe treble. I switched to some slightly overproduced, 1980’s classics like Michael Jackson ‘Billie Jean’ which actually benefited from the more relaxed treble on the FT3.
Soundstage and Imaging
The FT3 provides a reasonably wide soundstage and good imaging capabilities, making it suitable for detailed and layered music tracks. It was reasonable good in this price range but not as good as some more expensive headphones like the HD800s or the Hifiman Edition XS (or even the new Sennheiser HD490 Pro).
Adaptability to EQ
As you will see in the measurements, there is very little distorion so the FT3 responds well very well to EQ adjustments, allowing users to tailor the sound to their preferences without significant distortion or loss of detail.
FT3 Measurements
I have measured the FT3 on my KB501X soft ear pinna with a 711 clone coupler and these measurements are all available on my measurement DB here
Frequency Response
Let’s start with the Frequency response:
So as you can see there is a mid-bass boost which gives that warmth to the bass but may not appeal to those who want a completely Neutral or Harman sound.
There is good channel matching, as I mentioned it will take to some simple EQ adjustments.
Comparing the different earpads I did not measure that much difference so the real benefits of these ear pads will be the comfort and long term usage (the Velvet / Suede ones can get a little too warm on my head):
FR Comparisons
I thought it was useful to do some comparisons between the 32 Ohm and 350 Ohm as far as tonality is concerned but since I haven’t measured the 350 Ohm version I will rely on some measurements made with similar gear to mine for this comparison.
So here are my measurements compared to VSG
This was close enough to give me confidence that he is using a similar measurement rig to mine (you will always get some unit variation). You will see his measurement also shows a dip at 3800Hz area so that is probably a feature of this FT3, it wasn’t a massive audible dip when I did a manual sweep to see could I hear it, but your mileage may vary.
So since VSG did measure both a 350 Ohm and a 32 Ohm version here are how his 2 measurements compare with mine uploaded to his DB:
You can see there are some differences in the bass and significantly a 350 Ohm version is more mid-range focused and has more upper treble.
Distortion
The FT3 maintains low distortion levels, contributing to its clear and precise audio output and crucially for someone getting into EQ tweaking this level of distortion means EQ is easy to adjust even in the bass frequencies.
Though if you really push the volume you will see more bass distortion:
Though this is at nearly 100dB level which nobody should listen to headphones at - but it shows that mostly if you are EQing you should probably keep the bass at its level or lower it, otherwise you might get more distortion.
EQ Recommendation
EQ adjustments can be made to enhance the bass response or to slightly tone down the treble for those who prefer a warmer sound signature. I am a big fan of minimal EQ and 2 simple filters can be applied to bring the FT3 in line with Harman 2018:
Obviously you could add more EQ for more adjustments, but I listened to this EQ (with the JA11) for a few days, and it was great.
Preamp: -2.3 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 160 Hz Gain -5.5 dB Q 0.500
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 660 Hz Gain 3.4 dB Q 1.300
Source Pairing
The clear advantage of the FT3 32 Ohm version over 350 Ohm twin is that it can pair with mostly anything.
You will need a low gain setting on more powerful headphone amplifier, but I have also been enjoying the
FT3 on my Apple Dongle and getting extremely loud even at about 70% volume.
I also used some EQ with FiiO / Jade Audio JA11 usb-c dongle to lower that mid-bass to my tastes, and it worked very well. Once FiiO fix some issues with the JA11 usb-c dongle I will do a review of that device on its own but the key thing is you have enough headroom with the FT3 32Ohm to give yourself 10dB of gain for EQ adjustments with causing any distortion.
So I do like that you have that flexibility, I see it as a clear advantage with this headphone.
Rating
I have given the FT3 32 Ohm edition a pragmatic rating of 4, it is not perfect, but it is very close to perfect for the price, with excellent sound quality ( different but in no way worse than it’s 350 Ohm twin brother ), amazing premium packaging and accessories and will be extremely comfortable for most users.
Summary
Overall, I think the FiiO FT3 32Ohm version would make the perfect premium headphone present for someone thinking of getting into headphones. The premium unboxing alone would make it an ideal present, but then you get 2 different earpads, some very premium materials in the build and especially the fact you can pair with almost anything and still easily do some EQ adjustments.
Overall a very strong recommendation as a first headphone but it’s also a great headphone for anyone especially if you like a slightly warm bassier sound signature.