Fiio has been steadily cranking out merchandise over the past 18 months, and one space the place it is doing quite effectively is over-ear headsets. I examined all of the fashions on this vary, beginning with the FT1, FT1 Professional, FT3, FT5, and now the FT7. Because the naming signifies, the FT7 sits on the pinnacle of the vary, and the design and planar drivers point out as a lot.
The FT7 is now out there globally, and it prices $699 on Amazon U.S. as of writing. Clearly, that is costlier than the $499 retail value of the FT5 and double that of the budget-focused FT3 and FT1 fashions, however as is all the time the case with Fiio, you get an unbelievable worth.
Beginning with the design, the FT7 retains an analogous aesthetic as its siblings, however the design is completely different. The headset makes use of a carbon strengthened chassis, and going this route clearly made a distinction to the load, with the FT7 coming in at 427g, 29g lighter than the 456g of the FT5. Even when the numbers point out the lightness of the headset, it feels lighter than its sizing suggests; in a way, that is the other drawback of what you get with Audeze’s merchandise.
Construct high quality itself is phenomenal, and the FT7 seems each bit like a high-end headset. It’s significantly greater than the FT5, and that has to do with the scale of the planar drivers. Because of this, this is not a headset you’ll be able to take exterior — it is designed for use for indoor listening.
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The design itself feels elegant, and the skin of the earcups is decked out in wooden, and appears fairly good. The big grilles do job showcasing the planar drivers housed inside, and just like the chassis, the scarf makes use of a carbon development. The headscarf has vary of adjustability — if it’s a bit stiff at instances — and the leather-based padding is equally stiff out of the field.
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Though I used to be initially frightened in regards to the match contemplating the scale of the headset, I needn’t have frightened. The light-weight design ensures there isn’t any fatigue even with prolonged use, and there is not a lot in the way in which of clamping drive. If something, the FT7 sits snugly towards your head, and you do not really feel such as you’re sporting a headset that is fairly as large because the design signifies. To present you some context, I examined the FT7 alongside Audeze’s new LCD-S20, and Fiio did a greater job with the consolation of the headset.
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You get leather-based ear pads put in by default, and Fiio additionally bundles cloth pads within the field. Each units of pads have an angled design that provides to the general consolation, and whereas the material pads have higher breathability, I used the leather-based ones throughout my testing.
On that be aware, the bundled cable is three meters in size — double that of the FT5. I haven’t got any points with the size of the cable, however I might have appreciated Fiio to incorporate a smaller cable within the field. Because it stands, you get simply the one cable, and as a substitute of interchangeable plugs, you get a typical 4.4mm connector with extenders that allow you to slot in XLR or 6.35mm plugs as wanted.
The cable itself is of a top quality, and in 4 months of fixed use, I did not see any points in any respect. The outer sheath provides it further sturdiness, and I’ve little question that the cable is constructed to final. In an analogous vein, the arduous shell case is among the many finest round, and it does an incredible job safeguarding the FT7 once you’re not utilizing the headset.
The FT7 has a 106mm planar driver, and the sheer measurement of the motive force is what led to the rise in dimensions from the FT5. Curiously, Fiio notes it used a multi-layer coating system with PET used because the diaphragm substrate, with the model including 24k gold and silver to it.
What I discover notable is that the diaphragm is ultra-thin at simply 1µm, and that it is made on a 28nm node. Now, which will sound like historical when telephones just like the Discover X9 Professional use the Dimensity 9500 that is fabbed on a 3nm node, however within the context of the audio trade, it’s revolutionary.
With 25Ω and sensitivity of 94dB/mW, you may want a good supply to get the very best out of this headset. I used the FT7 with my Fiio K19 and K17 DAC, and the K19 is the best pairing with this headset. Coming to the sound, the FT7 has a attribute Fiio tonality with a impartial signature and a touch of brightness.
Bass is extremely detailed — as you’d think about in a planar headset — with quick transients and glorious definition. There’s good rumble and power, and the headset does higher than the FT5 on this regard. The mids are clear and have good texture, with instrument ensembles and vocals shining via. There’s good treble extension as effectively, notably with the leather-based pads. I did not discover any harshness, and if you’d like a extra balanced sound, I would counsel switching to the material pads.
The soundstage is extremely expansive, and also you get a stage of immersion that is not usually discovered on this class. General, Fiio did an impressive job with the design and tuning of the FT7, and the pricing is totally justified. If something, I believe the FT7 is the best-sounding planar headset below $1,000 proper now.
The FT7 sounds higher than some other Fiio headset, and the soundstage is as broad as Sennheiser’s HD800 fashions. Mix that with a snug match and chic construct, and also you get what’s arguably probably the greatest headsets on this class.
