FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Magnetic Wired Hi-Fi Headphones for Home, Studio, Recording, High Sensitivity (Black)

These Headphones Are Worth Every Penny!
I really did not expect to like these headphones at all. In fact I have been a Sennheiser “purist” for years. The initial impression putting these on my head, even before putting anything through them, was “amazed” – light weight & airy open unlike any other open-back I have ever put on my head. Then I got to do a side-by-side comparison of these phones & the Hifiman Sundara phones which it seems everyone says are better. At the end of my comparison I can honestly say that they are not. These FiiOs are lighter & more comfortable, more wide open, are more efficient by far, & have a much broader & more open sound stage. The bass on these phones is not pushed, it is smooth & strong without being overpowering. The highs are nothing short of incredible – “crystalline” was the word that first came to my mind. Vocals are nicely present & very well defined & placed. You really notice the difference between bad & well-engineered recordings. Compared to the Sundaras these are very efficient – between the two I had to add much more volume when plugging in the Sundaras. The Sundaras were also darker & more muffled by comparison. The bottom line is I just did not like them & returned them. The FT-1 Pros are now my listening headphones & I never in a million years thought I would like something more than my Sennheiser HD650’s, but honestly there’s no real comparison, & they only get better the more I listen to them. Right now I consider them the best bargain available in the world of open-backed planar magnetic headphones bar none. Be prepared to spend some time breaking them in & plan on ordering a new cable – I’m not sure why headphone manufacturers think you will be sitting on top of your amplifier to listen & send them out with 4′ cables, but it seems they all do that these days.

Excellent headphone that represents a new benchmark (but beware of QC)
This headphone has the potential to be the de-facto headphone recommendation at the price point, combining great tuning and technical performance.As with most planar driver headphones, you get a very clean and detailed sound signature but arguably, this headphone is the best tuned of any planar headphone available below $1000.Bass extends deep and while it is not the most impactful (without EQ), it is fast and very clean with good definition.Mids are very neutral (which in audio terms is a good thing). Voices and instruments present in a very life-like manner with good separation.Treble, for a planar magnetic headphone, is relaxed but well extended (which is a breath of fresh air, considering most of the planar competition can sometimes be overly bright).This headphone competes very nicely with the mainstays at this price point and takes aim at the Sennheiser 6X0 series, as well as the Hifiman Sundara and XS and while it does not supplant them, it serves as a good alternative to consider for anyone who found the Sennheisers to not have enough extension in the bass and find the Hifiman duo to be too bright.Build quality on these is fairly decent and the headphones aren’t overly heavy so most people shouldn’t have problems wearing these for a long time. The headband, perhaps, could be improved – there is a slight hot spot at the top of the headband that may potentially cause discomfort during hours long listening sessions but a Capra strap would fix this completely.One con on these headphones: there is a bit of QC roulette – some units may have clipping in the bass at higher SPL. If you EQ in bass, or listen to bassy music at high volumes, the bass may distort and clip. Unfortunately, the unit I received is affected by this issue.

Got these to go with my closed back meze 99s – ft1 open backs for working at home, 99 closed for working in the office, it’s a fabulous combination! Price is great for planars and sound quality is fantastic, you need to go up several price levels to beat these (I tried Arya stealths and they were fantastic but in honesty maybe only 10% better for 3x the price). Bass is slightly lacking probably as open backs but a minor tweak to EQ sorted that (I’m not a ‘bass head’ but I do like to feel it, especially on Zeppelin, the cult etc). Quality looks good and packaged content is nice including a great case (which I’ll never use but still). Not as comfy as the mezes (what is?) but still comfortable for long periods. Included cables are WAY better than the mezes (which are frankly embarrassing for meze, they do need to sort that), all around a great purchase, highly recommended.

J’avais tenté le FT1 dont on en dit beaucoup de bien, mais à mes oreilles, trop de graves et partie médium trop lointaine (manque de présence, notamment des voix). Étant curieux et voulant tenter les HP type Planar, je me suis dit pourquoi pas tenter la chose ? Et là, bingo ! Ça le fait plus qu’honorablement, selon écoutes et matériels utilisés, j’ai maintenant 2 références casques sur lesquels je puis m’appuyer sans crainte, ledit Fioo FT1 Pro, et mes Philips Fidelio X2 HR. Sur ce dernier, un chouïa plus de basses, extrêmes aiguës plus présents… Mais les différences sont subtiles, ces 2 casques étant excellents à bien des domaines. Je recommande sans aucune réserve.