Fiio has been steadily cranking out products over the last 18 months, and one area where it's doing rather well is over-ear headsets. I tested all the models in this range, starting with the FT1, FT1 Pro, FT3, FT5, and now the FT7. As the naming indicates, the FT7 sits at the pinnacle of the range, and the design and planar drivers indicate as much.
The FT7 is now available globally, and it costs $699 on Amazon U.S. as of writing. Obviously, that's costlier than the $499 retail price of the FT5 and double that of the budget-focused FT3 and FT1 models, but as is always the case with Fiio, you get an incredible value.
Starting with the design, the FT7 retains a similar aesthetic as its siblings, but the design is different. The headset uses a carbon reinforced chassis, and going this route clearly made a difference to the weight, with the FT7 coming in at 427g, 29g lighter than the 456g of the FT5. Even if the numbers indicate the lightness of the headset, it feels lighter than its sizing suggests; in a sense, this is the opposite problem of what you get with Audeze's products.
Build quality itself is phenomenal, and the FT7 looks every bit like a high-end headset. It is considerably bigger than the FT5, and that has to do with the size of the planar drivers. As a result, this isn't a headset you can take outside — it's designed to be used for indoor listening.
The design itself feels elegant, and the outside of the earcups is decked out in wood, and looks pretty good. The large grilles do a good job showcasing the planar drivers housed inside, and like the chassis, the headband uses a carbon construction. The headband has a good range of adjustability — if it is a bit stiff at times — and the leather padding is similarly stiff out of the box.
Although I was initially worried about the fit considering the size of the headset, I needn't have worried. The lightweight design ensures there's no fatigue even with extended use, and there isn't much in the way of clamping force. If anything, the FT7 sits snugly against your head, and you don't feel like you're wearing a headset that's quite as big as the design indicates. To give you some context, I tested the FT7 alongside Audeze's new LCD-S20, and Fiio did a better job with the comfort of the headset.
You get leather ear pads installed by default, and Fiio also bundles fabric pads in the box. Both sets of pads have an angled design that adds to the overall comfort, and while the fabric pads have better breathability, I used the leather ones during my testing.
On that note, the bundled cable is three meters in length — double that of the FT5. I don't have any issues with the length of the cable, but I would have liked Fiio to include a smaller cable in the box. As it stands, you get just the single cable, and instead of interchangeable plugs, you get a standard 4.4mm connector with extenders that let you slot in XLR or 6.35mm plugs as needed.
The cable itself is of a high quality, and in four months of constant use, I didn't see any issues whatsoever. The outer sheath gives it additional durability, and I have no doubt that the cable is built to last. In a similar vein, the hard shell case is among the best around, and it does a great job safeguarding the FT7 when you're not using the headset.
The FT7 has a 106mm planar driver, and the sheer size of the driver is what led to the increase in dimensions from the FT5. Interestingly, Fiio notes it used a multi-layer coating system with PET used as the diaphragm substrate, with the brand adding 24k gold and silver to it.
What I find notable is that the diaphragm is ultra-thin at just 1µm, and that it's made on a 28nm node. Now, that may sound like ancient when phones like the Find X9 Pro use the Dimensity 9500 that's fabbed on a 3nm node, but in the context of the audio industry, it is revolutionary.
With 25Ω and sensitivity of 94dB/mW, you'll need a decent source to get the best out of this headset. I used the FT7 with my Fiio K19 and K17 DAC, and the K19 is the ideal pairing with this headset. Coming to the sound, the FT7 has a characteristic Fiio tonality with a neutral signature and a hint of brightness.
Bass is incredibly detailed — as you'd imagine in a planar headset — with fast transients and excellent definition. There's good rumble and energy, and the headset does better than the FT5 in this regard. The mids are clean and have good texture, with instrument ensembles and vocals shining through. There's good treble extension as well, particularly with the leather pads. I didn't notice any harshness, and if you want a more balanced sound, I'd suggest switching to the fabric pads.
The soundstage is incredibly expansive, and you get a level of immersion that's not often found in this category. Overall, Fiio did an outstanding job with the design and tuning of the FT7, and the pricing is thoroughly justified. If anything, I think the FT7 is the best-sounding planar headset under $1,000 right now.
