Headphones

[MrA]

I have been semi-seriously considering some headphones that cost 10× the fiio ft1; maybe I should give these a whirl instead!

These do not replace the soundstaging or the very open & airy feel of my Beyer and Arya Organic headphones but have almost exactly the sort of frequency response I favour. I appreciate that many others may prefer to use headphones 'out of the box' but for me, using Parametric eq means that (within reason) all my headphones can achieve a similar overall sound profile.

Without eq they sound great but I like to slightly tweak to remove any trace of sibilance or treble harshness, at the same time retaining 'sparkle' and clarity. The closed back FT1s also happen to have very impressive bass & natural warmth beyond the levels I have from the open-backs I own - those do require some bass and midrange adjustment, these do not!

I travel a lot including a fair amount of long-haul flights and these via the Qudelix 5K will be used very frequently, that will be the main use case.

 

[Pragmatist]

 

[vdp]

These do not replace the soundstaging or the very open & airy feel of my Beyer and Arya Organic headphones but have almost exactly the sort of frequency response I favour. I appreciate that many others may prefer to use headphones 'out of the box' but for me, using Parametric eq means that (within reason) all my headphones can achieve a similar overall sound profile.

Without eq they sound great but I like to slightly tweak to remove any trace of sibilance or treble harshness, at the same time retaining 'sparkle' and clarity. The closed back FT1s also happen to have very impressive bass & natural warmth beyond the levels I have from the open-backs I own - those do require some bass and midrange adjustment, these do not!

I travel a lot including a fair amount of long-haul flights and these via the Qudelix 5K will be used very frequently, that will be the main use case.

The flight part is triggering me. You would pick these for a flight over a typical ANC headphone?

 

[MrA]

The flight part is triggering me. You would pick these for a flight over a typical ANC headphone?

Yes, I spend quite a lot of time sitting around at airports and also on a long haul flight would prefer these to the cheaper stuff the airline provides if I watch something on the screen (I already have a double pin 3.5mm adaptor). The types of music I listen to are usually at fairly high volume - hard rock, some metal, prog, electronica, house, dub, trance. I also have a pair of apple Airpod Pro2s if I need ANC but have rarely used that feature anyway.

As I'm retired, all of these trips are for pleasure so there is a good case for using decent quality closed-back headphones whilst overseas.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

FiiO FT1s arrived this morning, 7 days from ordering via AliExpress to delivery with very impressive tracking updates throughout.

Hooked up to my Macbook/Qudelix-5K DAC & balanced mode they sound just as good as @Zap Rekowski had suggested they would. Strictly speaking, I should be annoyed with him () because with with slight PEQ they are really impressive and sound similar to my favourite & MUCH more costly Beyer/Hifiman headphones and with far less eq than these others require. What a bargain.... and I really like the colour scheme too.

Now I've set up the sound exactly as I want via the laptop I will continue using the tiny DAC & FT1s with my iPhone

View attachment 19596

(PEQ only 300hz and up, leaving bass without eq adjustment)

Great, congratulations! I'm glad you like the FT1 too

I spent two days after work filling my new 1TB microSD with music so that the newly arrived Fiio JM21 DAP can be used accordingly. Also a little box of wonders. Fiio does a lot of things right (just like WiiM). The JM21 is at least as good a mobile music player as my LGs V30/V40, but handier

 

[MrA]

Fiio does a lot of things right (just like WiiM).

Yes definitely agree, while typing this I'm streaming the Ultra via the FiiO K11 R2R DAC into my headphone amp. No oversampling mode in the FiiO is silky smooth yet sparkly & detailed - the r2r analogue sounding DAC suits the Arya Organics perfectly.

I'm also so happy with the way the FT1s sound via the (remarkable) little Quedelix 5K DAC that I rather reluctantly switched to the more expensive setup (above) mostly out of guilt that I'm neglecting it!

I genuinely cannot say either arrangement is preferable which means my travels may no longer have that yearning to be home with either the hifi or headphones.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Yes definitely agree, while typing this I'm streaming the Ultra via the FiiO K11 R2R DAC into my headphone amp. No oversampling mode in the FiiO is silky smooth yet sparkly & detailed - the r2r analogue sounding DAC suits the Arya Organics perfectly.

I'm also so happy with the way the FT1s sound via the (remarkable) little Quedelix 5K DAC that I rather reluctantly switched to the more expensive setup (above) mostly out of guilt that I'm neglecting it!

I genuinely cannot say either arrangement is preferable which means my travels may no longer have that yearning to be home with either the hifi or headphones.

Even though wired is of course better from a sound perspective, I am still very enthusiastic about the possibility of streaming with the LDAC codec via Bluetooth. The wireless freedom is particularly appreciated when you're still "doing something" in and around the house. Once you're ready with this and have switched to cable again, it's just as nice to continue listening with the same good DAP/DAC at the location of your choice.
Sitting at the music system with a 5m long cable hasn't been done for years...

Fascinating technology in good quality at affordable prices nowadays!

 

[MrA]

Sitting outside this afternoon & using the FT1s, the sun really brings out the beautiful colours & different patterns of the wood grain - both have a lovely rich contrast against the foam pads and headband. The RH side also has a very subtle red tint in places.

I really like the aesthetics as well as the sound of these & a visiting friend just placed another order for the same things (@Zap Rekowski should be getting commission payments from FiiO!)

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Sitting outside this afternoon & using the FT1s, the sun really brings out the beautiful colours & different patterns of the wood grain - both have a lovely rich contrast against the foam pads and headband. The RH side also has a very subtle red tint in places.

I really like the aesthetics as well as the sound of these & a visiting friend just placed another order for the same things (@Zap Rekowski should be getting commission payments from FiiO!)

View attachment 19699View attachment 19700

Looks really very good!

Fiio is rewarding itself and reaping the rewards of their work. I also don't know how they manage to sell these headphones at this price.

 

[Sake]

Have the Fiio FT1 for a short while and now ready to share my biased, heavely colored opinion. Can only compare the FT1 with the good old trusted Philips X2HR.

Technically Fioo clearly wins. But it has, at any listening volumes level more impact on concentration. Not an airy, fluffy sound. For more intense, concentrated listening sessions: this is when i pick the Fiio!

On the other hand, sonically the Philips is more spacious, softly enjoyable. So most of the time i use the Philips. It has the open back system, keeps me more involved with the environment.

That said, the Fiio FT1 meets my expectations.
Nice to have both. Think there is no need to look for 'another' or better headphones, these 2 will do the job perfectly. ( for the time being )

 

[MrA]

One thing to look out for on the FT1 may be the fit of the single screws attaching the cup to the headband. I had noticed last night that one side was drooping slightly when handled and put back on a headphone stand.

The RH on mine was looser than the LH so I had to use a tiny Torx screwdriver to unscrew the two screws to the sides of the cup & remove it which then allowed me to check the other single screw. It was tight but the two washers (nylon circular & metal slotted) were not properly fitted in the correct positions, leaving gaps. A fiddly job but luckily I already had the appropriate Torx tool - the necessary head size is almost microscopic!

It's a relatively cheap headphone but QA apparently hadn't done a thorough enough job. I hope nobody else experiences this issue.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

One thing to look out for on the FT1 may be the fit of the single screws attaching the cup to the headband. I had noticed last night that one side was drooping slightly when handled and put back on a headphone stand.

The RH on mine was looser than the LH so I had to use a tiny Torx screwdriver to unscrew the two screws to the sides of the cup & remove it which then allowed me to check the other single screw. It was tight but the two washers (nylon circular & metal slotted) were not properly fitted in the correct positions, leaving gaps. A fiddly job but luckily I already had the appropriate Torx tool - the necessary head size is almost microscopic!

It's a relatively cheap headphone but QA apparently hadn't done a thorough enough job. I hope nobody else experiences this issue.

View attachment 19759

...the very first series or even the first generation had faulty suspensions, the second no longer. Fortunately, mine is one of the 2nd generation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1hwc2nu/i_just_got_a_confirmation_from_the_fiio_support

Explanation and Solutions for Issues Related to the FIIO FT1 Series Headphones-FIIO---BORN FOR MUSIC

www.fiio.com

FT1 screws problem

Sorry about that. We are aware of this issue. 1. Did you buy the FT1 from the local seller? If yes, please contact the local seller for helping locally. 2. If not, can your solve the problem by yourself if we send the screw for you? He...

fiiosupport.freshdesk.com

 

[MrA]

Thanks, then mine must be 1st Generation as it has the screws not circlips (I guess the Beech version is less popular as it's either not available or out of stock in most places in my country).

It is now a good fit both sides so hopefully that is all.

 

[vdp]

Just ordered the FT1 as well.

While I was actually planning to get a new wireless/anc/office/travel headset and one open planar technically strong headphone, I believe this use case of a closed back "fun" headphone - especially at this price point - will be a nice addition as well.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Thanks, then mine must be 1st Generation as it has the screws not circlips (I guess the Beech version is less popular as it's either not available or out of stock in most places in my country).

It is now a good fit both sides so hopefully that is all.

I think it's good that Fiio is providing a free screw set here. I would make use of it (even if I just put the set in my drawer for the time being )...

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Just ordered the FT1 as well.

While I was actually planning to get a new wireless/anc/office/travel headset and one open planar technically strong headphone, I believe this use case of a closed back "fun" headphone - especially at this price point - will be a nice addition as well.

Good decision

After extensive testing with all the headphones available to me, I would actually only need three to cover my needs:

Sennheiser HD599
Fiio FT1
Philips Fidelio L4

It's nice to own the others (and they do get used) but these three are really exceptionally good and also offer very good value for money, even more so if you can get them on discount during an offer promotion.

 

[MrA]

I think it's good that Fiio is providing a free screw set here. I would make use of it (even if I just put the set in my drawer for the time being )...

I emailed them yesterday & wait to see what their reply is.