This ‘Sensible Sibling’ is possibly FiiO best open back headphone

In my recent review of the FiiO FT3 32 Ohm version, I called it the “Fun” sibling to the more serious “twin”, but I recently got the opportunity to spend many hours with both these headphones, effectively A/B testing, so I thought I should share my specifics thoughts about the 350 Ohm version.

So, I thought it would be interesting for me to drill into the specific differences and ultimately give my opinion as to which one of these “twin” headphones is the best, the short answer is “it depends on what you want” but for pure Audio quality I do have a personal favourite.

Build Quality and Accessories

Both FT3 comes with exactly the same unboxing experience and mostly the same accessories, so for a detailed look at the build quality and accessories, I recommend checking out my FT3 32 Ohm review.

But, here are both of the headphones:

In summary, for those you haven’t checked out other reviews of the FT3, FiiO have provided a stunning overall package for relatively little money, with both headphones costing roughly $299. Anyone opening up either of these headphones will be incredibly impressed with everything provided.

But I did spot a few differences, one is the cable length, with the 350 Ohm version getting the longer 3M cable while the 32 Ohm version has the more “portable” 1.5M cable. This makes perfect sense as you will see in the technical specifications section as the 350 Ohm version is harder to drive and therefore really needs a desktop amplifiers, while the shorter cable is ideal if you can drive your headphone from a mobile device / usb dongle as is the case with the 32Ohm version.

The second difference I spotted was with the pleather earpads, in the 2 models I have they are slightly different though the velvet ones were the same in both boxes.

Here is a comparison photo of both earpads:

All the FT3 earpads use the same “clip” mechanism on the back so can be easily swapped:

But the key difference is internally, they have a different driver audio architecture while the driver itself is the same size on both models, the diaphragm in the 32 Ohm version is made from aluminum, as opposed to the beryllium used in the 350 Ohm model. This difference is crucial to rigidity of the driver and this different material gives the 350 Ohm model more consistent frequency response especially in the higher frequencies but does make it considerable harder to drive, hence why its 350 Ohms.

But from the outside you would not notice a difference between each driver with both headphones having the same angled drivers:

But since this change in architecture does make a considerable change to the sound signatures of both variations, lets get into the differences:

Sound Impressions

In general, the FT3 350 Ohm version offers a much more neutral and reference-oriented sound signature compared to the more V-shaped 32 Ohm sibling. I found the bass had better textures on the 350 Ohm version especially with the pleather pads but the treble was also significantly better / smoother giving instruments a more accurate tonality.

With that said if you are a bass head you should still go for the 32 Ohm version.

But let’s get into some details:

Bass

The bass on the 350 Ohm version is much more restrained and controlled compared to the 32 Ohm model. The V-shaped tuning of 32 Ohm sibling gives a boosted low-end, making it fun and punchy but also removes some of the midrange clarity that is restored with the 350 Ohm version. Listening to “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, the bass was present but never overwhelming with the 350 Ohm, blending well into the mix, but I can imagine lots of people will appreciate the extra bass provided with the 32 Ohm version.

In contrast, the 350 Ohm offers a more neutral bass is perfect for those looking for precision and texture in the lower frequencies. Listening to a recent release “Simplify” by Leon Bridges has a lovely bass line that comes in after about a minute which is perfect with the 350 Ohm but the bass was a little too much I thought on the 32 Ohm version.

This is the one of the 2 key questions, if you are buying this headphone for yourself or for a present, if deeper bass is a priority go for the 32 Ohm version, if you want more of a reference sound go for the 350 Ohm version.

Midrange

The midrange is where the 350 Ohm version shines, providing a clean and detailed presentation. Vocals and instruments are more forward and clear compared to the 32 Ohm version. Tracks like “Someone Like You” by Adele and “Hotel California” by Eagles showcase the balanced mids with no hint of muddiness that was slightly present in the 32 Ohm version. Again selecting a recent release the vocal on “Deeper Well” by “Kacey Musgraves” had beautifully forward vocals just over the guitars with the correct tonality. But the midrange in the 32 Ohm version was not bad, only in songs where there is a little too much bass did I feel the 32 Ohm was inferior, so less bass heavy genres like Jazz will still sound excellent on the 32 Ohm version.

Treble

The treble on the 350 Ohm version is smooth and detailed, without being too harsh or bright. The treble was more consistent in the 32 Ohm version, this manifests itself in a more accurate sound with the harmonics of some instruments. On “Your Blood” by “Aurora” the high-pitched vocals where perfectly matched by the high hats without every getting sibilant.

So while the Bass differences can be easily EQ to normalise the differences between these headphones, this treble cannot ( at least not accurately ) due to differences in peoples HRTF. For this reason alone, I think the 350 Ohm version is the better version.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage on the 350 Ohm version remains airy, much like the 32 Ohm model. Imaging is precise, with excellent separation of instruments, making this headphone great for complex tracks. In “Time” by Pink Floyd, the layering of instruments was clear, with a real sense of depth and positioning.

In summary, If you’re looking for a balanced, detailed sound with less emphasis on the bass, the version is a better choice, especially considering both versions are available at the same price.

Specification and Measurements

Here are the technical specifications of the FT3 350 Ohm version:

Frequency Response

So lets look the frequency response - firstly the channel matching - in REW: Nothing too dramatic given the FR will be slightly different after each reseating.

Next the 2 ear pads compared to Harman OE-2018:

I have highlighted 3 things on this:

1. The pleather has slightly less bass and is more ‘reference’ than the velvet pads
2. The pleather also seems to be more balanced in the lower midrange
3. This wasn’t in every measurement of the Velvet but depending on the seating it can have a treble boost

Finally compared to the 32 Ohm version:

So with this graph I am highlighting 2 major differences (which came up in my subjective listening earlier):

1. The 32 Ohm version is more Bass Boost so will appeal much more to bass heads
2. The 32 Ohm version has some Treble inconsistencies compared to the smoother 350 Ohm version

Distortion

Comparing the distortion graphs is also interesting, classically a 350 Ohm headphone should have less distortion, and it does have fractionally less distortion, but it’s really not that much different between the headphones:

350 Ohm Distortion	32 Ohm Distortion

Headphone Comparisons

FiiO have been on a roll with their headphones - I have now been lucky enough to try all their recent headphones:

The FT1 on the right is exception value for money and probably my favourite closed back headphone from this year and certainly the best bargain in closed back headphones every.

With the FT3 I would take the 350 Ohm version over the 32 Ohm version for sound quality, but I can imagine the benefit of being easier to drive and that boosted bass will be very attractive to some users.

With the FT5, I would also pick the FT3 with the pleather pads as an ideal sound signature but If I were to use EQ I might pick the FT5 for the more premium quality - though obviously at a more premium price.

Comparing with some other similar priced and also excellent open back headphones that I have recently reviewed:

I have highlight 4 areas on this comparison chart:

1. The bass on the FT3 shows an excellent smooth extension - better than the HD600, MM-100 and arguable better than the Edition XS with only the HD-490 Pro having similar bass performance
2. The midrange on the FT3 is similar to these - hard to say which is better
3. The FT3 goes for a more tonally accurate upper midrange rather than the Edition XS and the HD-490 Pro which go for that Soundstage dip that is typical of Hifiman headphones
4. The treble on the FT3 is arguable better than these - though again the Edition XS and 490-Pro have that typical slightly boosted treble region which is part of that “soundstage” effect (at the cost of accurate tonality)

Which of these is better? I actually love all these headphones for slightly different reasons, so I would not be able to pick a clear winner, but the FT3 350 Ohm is easily holding its own against these headphones.

Rating

I would rate the FT3 350 Ohm as a 5-star headphone in my pragmatic rating system. It’s a great neutral-sounding headphone, ideal for those who want a more accurate sound signature without excessive bass. However, it’s not the easiest to drive and may require a decent amp, especially if you plan to EQ the headphone to your taste, e.g. a bass boost would “cost” more gain.

In comparison to the 32 Ohm version, I think the key difference is not so much the bass (which can be EQed) but the smoother treble response of the 350 Ohm would be harder to “fix” with EQ. However, the 32 Ohm version remains a more portable and fun headphone, especially for casual listening or on-the-go use.

Conclusion

The FT3 350 Ohm version is an outstanding highly competitive open-back headphone, offering excellent build quality, amazing accessories, and a high quality neutral sound signature at a reasonable price. If you’re in the market for a comfortable, well-built headphone with reference-grade sound and don’t mind using a dedicated amp, the FT3 350 Ohm is easily one of the best headphones in the $300 price range.