FiiO FT7

The FiiO FT7 Redefines Excellence in the $1000 category

The FiiO FT7 represents an interesting new entry in the headphone market. FiiO have been on a roll recently with their headphones with the FT1 and FT1 Pro both excellent at their price points. Now with their flagship model, the FT7, FiiO promises both flagship build quality and premium sound quality. But does it live up to this promise?

After more than a month with the FT7, I’ve come to appreciate them as probably the most pragmatic new headphone of this year don’t let the price fool you; this is a high-end headphone with at an extremely competitive price.

But I do think how premium it will be to you will depend on how you feel about Carbon Fiber. Carbon Fiber is an expensive premium material and offers some great qualities in strength and weight compared to metal. So, obviously a great material for a lightweight yet strong headphone and for example, Audeze already use Carbon Fiber in their flagship Electrostatic Headphone, the CRBN2. But I know the first time reaction of seeing Carbon Fiber might not seem as premium as a metal.

But for me, the lightweight nature of the headphone, the beautiful wood cups, a neutral tuning reminiscent of the Modhouse Tungsten, and 2 excellent earpad options made it my ‘Desert Island’ headphone this year (the one Audiophile headphone to bring with me on my holiday):

But as you will read in this review, there are a few little things that I had hoped FiiO would have done differently, but before we get into the details, lets see what you get out of the box:

Unboxing and First Impressions

The unboxing experience of the FT7 sets the tone for what to expect – a premium product with attention to detail. The packaging is thoughtfully designed, protecting the headphones while showcasing them effectively.

On the back you get some brief information:

Removing this external packaging, you get a nicer internal box: Opening this up reveals the case:

Opening this box reveals the FT7 nestled securely inside, along with a range of high-quality accessories:

The included accessories demonstrate FiiO’s commitment to providing a complete package:

• Premium carrying case
• Two sets of swappable ear pads
• High-quality balanced cable with interchangeable connectors
• Standard 3.5mm cable
• Documentation

The travel case deserves special mention – it’s sturdy, well-designed, and offers excellent protection for the headphones while remaining compact enough for travel, this was another reason it was my holiday headphone this year.

Inside the case, the headphones and cable are securely stored, ready for transport:

The case itself is well-padded and sculpted perfectly for the FT7:

Build Quality and Design

The FT7’s build quality immediately impresses, combining premium materials with thoughtful engineering. The wooden ear cups are gorgeous, one of the nicest looking ear cups on any headphone I have reviewed:

The carbon fiber isn’t just for show – they contribute to the headphone’s lightweight nature while adding structural integrity. But when I did ask my family how they felt about the Carbon Fiber ’look’ compared to a few other premium headphones (mostly the Meze POET), they felt the Carbon fiber didn’t look as premium as the metal used on the Meze headphones. Though in fairness, the Meze Poet is 3x the price of the FT7.

FiiO has done a great job with lovely attention to detail extends to every aspect of the design.

So while I appreciate it is a premium material, I feel some people might think that the Carbon Fiber might look ‘a little plastic’:

But compared to previous FiiO Headphones, you can see the upgrades in quality from FT1 Pro to the FT7:

I did feel the design of the ear cups looked a little like an Audeze look, but specifically the wood finish looks even more premium e.g. here is the FT7 with my MM-100:

Comfort

The quality of the ear pads is exceptional, with premium materials that feel comfortable against the skin while providing an effective acoustic seal:

There is a nice swivel where you roughly get 15% of flexibility in either direction to help you get the right fit:

The clamping force strikes a good balance – secure enough to keep the headphones in place without creating uncomfortable pressure. Combined with the lightweight design, this makes the FT7 one of the more comfortable premium headphones I’ve tested. It also works well for those who wear glasses as you only get a minor change in Bass when wearing glasses, as you will see later in the measurement section.

A minor issue as far as comfort is concerned is with the headband, it does get a little hot after a few hours (especially in the nearly 40c heat I am currently ’enjoying’ on my holiday). I feel FiiO could have added a few ‘holes’ to let some air to stop the top of your head from getting too hot:

But I didn’t really notice this back in my house, so it will probably be a non-issue for most people, and the headband material itself is soft so very comfortable in general.

Headphone extension

Another minor quibble I have is with the headphone extension mechanism:

While it is built with quality material:

I did find myself having to adjust it every time I put it on my head as it would ‘slip’ easily into a different position:

Specifically, the Orange button to slide it up and down was moved too easily or alternatively would get stuck so a little frustrating.

Earpads

The 2 sets of earpads offer a nice variation is comfort, but as you will see in the measurement both a very similar in sound:

There is a slight angle on both sets as you can hopefully see in this image:

And compared to the earpads on the FT3 these are more premium and larger:

They are also fairly deep supporting even the largest ears:

The swapping mechanism is super easy with a few ‘snap in clips’ on the back of each earpad:

And the matching placeholders around the driver:

While it is difficult to see in the photo above, there is a protective mesh over the driver as it can be ‘risky’ when swapping pads with a planar in case the magnets pull some metal into the membrane.

Cable

While the cable quality is exceptional with a lovely touch of carbon fiber to match the FT7, it did stay at home for my trip.

It is better suited to being paired with desktop amplifiers like FiiO K17 due to its length of 3M, and with a 4.4mm it is less portable than the excellent but simpler cables that FiiO provided with FT1.

The balanced cable comes with a high-quality XLR connector, allowing users to take advantage of balanced outputs on higher-end amplifiers:

XLR Adapter	4.4mm to 6.5mm

But strangely, there is an adapter for 3.5mm adapter, but since the FT7 uses dual 3.5m connections, it was easy to find alternative cables:

The quality of the 3.5mm connector on the earpad is also exceptional:

Driver Design

At the heart of this headphone is an impressive 106mm planar magnetic driver — one of the largest in its class — designed for optimal acoustic fulfillment.

The sheer surface area of the diaphragm allows for low distortion as you will see in the measurements as well as exceptional dynamic range. FiiO use of a 1μm ultra-thin diaphragm ensures that despite the large driver size, it remains incredibly responsive and agile, capturing microdetail with ease while maintaining structural integrity. The gold and silver multi-layer voice coils not only enhance conductivity but also fine-tune the acoustic signature, contributing to both speed and tonal richness.

I am a sucker for nice diagrams, and this is one shows the internal architecture of the driver:

Supporting this diaphragm is a dual-sided push-pull magnetic circuit featuring 18 high-grade N52 neodymium magnets (9 per side). This symmetric magnetic array delivers uniform force across the diaphragm’s entire surface, minimizing distortion and ensuring linear motion. The result is a highly coherent sound with a natural tonal balance and extended frequency response — especially notable given its open-back design, which adds spatial realism and air to the presentation.

Sound Impressions

The FT7’s sound signature is characterized by its excellent neutrality and balance across the frequency spectrum. It presents music with remarkable clarity and precision without emphasizing any particular frequency range at the expense of others.

Bass

The bass response is well-controlled and accurate, with excellent extension that provides a solid foundation without overwhelming the midrange. There’s sufficient impact to convey the weight of bass drums and the texture of bass guitars, but it never becomes bloated or excessive.

The quality of bass reproduction is particularly impressive – notes are articulate with clear attack and decay, allowing you to follow complex bass lines with ease. While bass-heads might prefer more quantity, the FT7’s bass presentation prioritizes accuracy and detail over artificial enhancement.

Midrange

The midrange is where the FT7 truly shines. Vocals are presented with natural timbre and excellent clarity, positioned perfectly within the mix – neither too forward nor recessed. Both male and female vocals sound authentic, with all the subtle nuances and emotional qualities preserved.

Instrumental reproduction is equally impressive, with acoustic instruments like guitars and pianos rendered with convincing realism. The neutral tuning ensures that midrange-focused music is presented with all its intended detail and emotion intact.

Treble

The treble response strikes an excellent balance between detail and smoothness. There’s plenty of air and extension to convey the shimmer of cymbals and the brilliance of high-pitched instruments, but without the harshness or fatigue that can plague some analytical headphones.

The presentation of high frequencies contributes significantly to the FT7’s overall sense of clarity and resolution, allowing you to hear fine details in complex recordings without becoming fatiguing during extended listening sessions.

Soundstage and Imaging

The FT7 presents a spacious, well-defined soundstage that extends beyond the physical confines of the headphones. The open-back design contributes to this sense of space, creating an immersive listening experience.

Imaging is precise, allowing you to locate instruments and voices accurately within the soundstage. This spatial precision enhances the listening experience, particularly with well-recorded classical and jazz pieces where the positioning of instruments contributes to the overall presentation.

Specifications and Measurements

Key things here beyond the amazing 106mm driver size and the use of both gold and silver coils, is the 25Ohm Impedance with 94dB/mW into 1Khz. So this is a relatively easy-to-drive headphone. E.g. I have been using my Macbook Pro to happily drive the headphone while on my holiday.

Measurements

Note: These measurements were taken with my KB501X soft ear pinnae with a 711 clone coupler. And are available on Pragmatic Audio here

Let’s start with the frequency response:

Frequency Response and Channel Balance:

The frequency response graph shows the FT7’s neutral tuning with excellent extension.

First, let’s look at the leather pads: I highlighted 3 areas which are the most significant aspects of the sound of the FT7

1. Great bass extension
2. Slight midrange hump (only in the leather pads)
3. Slight peak at about 7K - 8K which might need some EQ to tame. This will be slightly different for everyone and might not be apparent at all for some people.

And then comparing the leather with the cloth pads except for that slight hump in the midrange:

Both of these are within the typical preference boundaries as in evident from the BK-5128 measurements from the Headphones.com review:

So while there is a little difference in the midrange, you notice the difference in material more than the difference in sound signatures.

As I mentioned earlier, with Glasses there is a minimal change in sub-bass so this is a great headphone for those who wear glasses:

The measurements confirm what I heard in listening tests – a well-balanced frequency response with no significant peaks or dips that would color the sound. The slight emphasis in the upper midrange contributes to the headphone’s sense of clarity without becoming harsh.

Some optional EQ

So I ended up after my listening tests using a little ‘personalised’ EQ mainly to tame that 7K treble peak a little (using a small frequency sweep to find the specific frequency of the peak for my ears) and tidied up a small 4K peak. I don’t recommend this EQ for anyone, but you might want something similar if you are affected by sibilance in 6K-10K regions.

Overall, this treble tweak is minor and might not be relevant at all but I thought I would add it for completeness.

Distortion

Distortion is minimal even when playing music over 90 dbSPL:

And it is still minimal when shown as a percentage:

Basically, this level of distortion means you can play with large changes in both EQ and music with high dynamic range without worrying about this headphone performance, it is a proper high-end planar headphone.

Comparisons

Some brief comparisons:

FT7 vs. Sennheiser HD490 Pro

Only comparing with the HD490 Pro - as that was last years “Desert Island” headphone and the FT7 does an admirable job of claiming these years place in my holiday plans. While both serve admirably as “Desert Island” headphones, the FT7 edges out the HD490 Pro with its more premium build materials and slightly more neutral sound. The HD490 Pro offers exceptional comfort but is a professional headphone so it does use materials like plastic for weight reasons and repairability, but the FT7’s wood and carbon fiber construction feels more significant and luxurious.

Sonically, both headphones offer neutral presentations, the 2 earpads on the HD490 Pro offer slightly more variation in sound over the 2 earpads with the FT7 but the FT7 provides better extension in both bass and treble regions, with a slightly more spacious soundstage. The HD490 Pro remains an excellent option at its price point, but the FT7 justifies its premium positioning.

FT7 vs. Other FiiO Open-Backs

Compared to FiiO’s other open-back offerings like the FT1 and FT5, the FT7 represents a significant step up in both build and sound quality:

The FT7 offers more refined tuning, better technical performance, and superior materials compared to its siblings. While the FT5 is an excellent headphone in its own right, the FT7 delivers noticeable improvements across the board that justify its position as FiiO’s premium open-back offering.

Here is the comparison in FR:

Again, I highlighted 3 areas - the Bass is very good (1) on both the FT1 Pro and FT7 ( but the FT7 doesn’t have any those resonances in the sub-bass that can happen with the FT1 Pro), the closed back FT1 is of course very different. But mostly the progress is very visible on this graph (2) and (3) from the FT3, FT5, FT1, FT1 Pro and finally the best shaped FR is the FT7 ( as it should be given its the flagship) where the midrange and the treble are much improved.

FT7 vs. Audeze MM-100

The FT7 also compares very favorably with other headphones like the Audeze MM-100:

While the Audeze offers the characteristic planar magnetic bass performance, the FT7 provides a better sub-bass extension and more balanced treble with better comfort for extended listening sessions. The FT7’s lighter weight makes it more practical for everyday use, though the Audeze may still appeal to those specifically seeking a studio reference sound with a slightly darker treble:

Some Amplifier Pairing and more comparisons

As well as using it with my K17 (where the cable is now my defacto 4.4mm cable for that amplifier), I tested the FT7 with many of my amplifiers, including the JDS Lab Element IV, the SMSL C200-Pro and my long time headphone favourite amplifier the Schiit Audio Midgard (though recently displaced by the K17):

Given its neutral tuning and relatively easy to drive nature for a Planar it worked well with these amplifiers.

As for a size comparison, here are some of my larger headphones with the FT7:

The Fosi Audio i5 takes the ‘prize’ for the largest headphone in my collection. But the FT7 has a nice balance of size, weight, and sound quality, and while the Edition XS is still an amazing bargain, the FT7 has the slightly better frequency response of these headphones:

Finally, it is worth seeing how close the FT7 is to the Modhouse Tungsten (as well as the Meze 109 Pro):

You can hopefully see how close the FT7 is to the Modhouse Tungsten, which while an amazing sounding heaphone is 2x the price of the FT7 while having a less premium build quality than the FT7.

Rating Explanation

Pragmatic Rating (5/5): The FT7 earns a perfect pragmatic rating for its exceptional combination of premium build quality, outstanding comfort, and excellent neutral sound. It represents a headphone that excels in real-world use without compromises.

Price Rating (4/5): While not inexpensive, the FT7 delivers exceptional value through its premium materials, included accessories, and performance that challenges headphones costing significantly more.

Features Rating (5/5): The swappable pads, premium cables, excellent carrying case, and efficient design that works with a variety of sources all contribute to a feature set that enhances the user experience.

Measurement Rating (5/5): The technical performance is exemplary, with a well-balanced frequency response, excellent extension, and low distortion.

Conclusion

The FiiO FT7 represents a significant high point in FiiO’s headphone lineup, delivering a compelling combination of premium build quality, exceptional comfort, and outstanding sound performance. The thoughtful blend of wood and carbon fiber creates a headphone that’s both beautiful and practical, while the neutral tuning provides a versatile sound signature that works across musical genres.

Like last years “Desert Island” companion the Sennheiser HD490 Pro, the FT7 has proven itself in both incredibly enjoyable headphones, both for some critical listening but mainly for just relaxing on holidays. The only quibble around the headband adjustment mechanism is really just a nitpick.

For listeners seeking a premium open-back headphone that balances technical performance with everyday usability, the FiiO FT7 represents an excellent choice. Its combination of quality materials, thoughtful design, and refined sound make it a standout option in its price category and a worthy addition to any audiophile’s collection.