FIIO has made a name for itself as a competitively priced audio enthusiast company with products that fill niches like standalone portable audio players, headphone amps, and even portable cassette decks, and the FIIO FT1 represent an entrance into the closed-back headphones field. While most people are satisfied with using a smartphone and a streaming service, FIIO caters to the audio obsessive. The brand often features attractive designs, and these closed-backs are no exception, with wooden exteriors, thick ear pads, and a headband that looks the business. Housing large 60 mm drivers, there are also promises of hefty bass at stake.
Our Verdict
The FIIO FT1 are inadequate for sports and fitness use. They're big, bulky, and not very stable. Their cabled design is liable to snag on gym equipment, and they'll slide around or even fall off if you do anything beyond standing bicep curls. These are made for relaxed or seated listening sessions.
Smooth peaks and dips performance.
Build quality is variable depending on the version you own.
Fit isn't very stable.
Not very portable and bulky.
The FIIO FT1 are unremarkable for travel. They're bulky and don't fold down smaller. While their case makes it easier to carry them, they're not very convenient. They also don't block out much background noise, except taming high-pitched sounds like squealing bus brakes, but you'll hear passengers and ambient din. Nevertheless, they're comfortable headphones with ample cushioning, and they don't need an amp to drive them, making them friendly with most airplane entertainment consoles.
Comfortable fit.
Includes carrying case.
Smooth peaks and dips performance.
Build quality is variable depending on the version you own.
Poor noise isolation.
Not very portable and bulky.
The FIIO FT1 are poor for office work. They struggle to isolate you from distractions at work, due to their passive-only isolation. They also lack a mic, detracting from the versatility most expect of headphones for work duties like online meetings. Still, they're very comfortable headphones, so if your office is private and you don't take many calls, they could do the trick.
Comfortable fit.
Smooth peaks and dips performance.
Build quality is variable depending on the version you own.
Poor noise isolation.
Not very portable and bulky.
The FIIO FT1 are wired-only headphones.
The FIIO FT1 are alright for wired gaming. Their analog connection that doesn't need an amp ensures latency-free audio. They're comfortable to wear and give action-packed scenes extra low-end for greater immersion. Voices sound natural for the most part, too. However, they're prone to frequency response inconsistencies, so if you wear glasses, it weakens the bass a lot. They're also not very stable, so if you move around a lot, they'll slide around, which is distracting. Since they're straightforward passive headphones, you can't change their tuning, and you'll need an outboard microphone if you want to chat with others.
Comfortable fit.
Smooth peaks and dips performance.
Overall good audio reproduction accuracy.
Prone to frequency response inconsistencies.
Build quality is variable depending on the version you own.
Fit isn't very stable.
The FIIO FT1 have great audio reproduction accuracy. Their warm tuning with low-end emphasis is smooth without many peaks and dips. Their mids and treble are rather even, too, and comply very well with our target curve. Overall, the L/R drivers are well-matched. Although there are some phase differences between the drivers, the measurements skirt audibility on our pair, so the mismatch likely won't noticeably affect your listening experience with real-world material. The headphones reproduce content without audible coloration from harmonic distortion, and while they don't immerse you the way that an angled reference speaker does, they still interact with your pinna to enhance immersion.
The FIIO FT1 have bad noise isolation, as is typical for headphones that only passively isolate. These closed-backed headphones muffle sharp and bright noises somewhat, but scarcely affect mid-range sounds like chatter. Low-pitched noises, such as HVACs and rumbling bus engines, will still reach your ears.
The FIIO FT1 don't have a microphone.
The FIIO FT1 have disappointing frequency response consistency. They're prone to notable deviations in the bass range across people with different characteristics. While people with glasses experience a big drop in bass, people with larger-than-average heads or long hair hear even more low-end than their measured raw frequency response.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 12, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 12, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
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Updated Jan 28, 2026:
The Bass Profile: Target Compliance was updated to mention the Focal Azurys.
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Updated Oct 02, 2025:
We've added a comparison with the FIIO FT1 Pro in the Style box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The FIIO FT1 come in two color variants, 'Black Walnut' and 'Beech.' Besides the small details of what it's like to handle the walnut compared to beech housings, we expect that our 'Black Walnut' unit (which doesn't have a label on it) will perform the same as the 'Beech.' It's also worth noting that, according to the manufacturer, headphones distributed after November 2024 have an updated hinge design that's meant to be more durable. Since our pair has the revised hinge design, we can't comment directly on the previous design's performance, but it appears that other components aren't changed, so we expect a similar performance for most metrics, like sound and isolation.
If you find other variants, please let us know in the comments.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
Many of the closed-back audiophile headphones we've tested are either purpose-built studio headphones with less bass emphasis or considerably more expensive than the FIIO FT1, like the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO or the Focal Elegia. We've only tested open-backed HiFiMan headphones, so while the closed-back Sundara model might be a competitively priced alternative, we haven't tested them. However, the FIIO FT 1 are a good closed-back, bassy alternative to offerings like the value-driven HiFiMan Sundara 2020 open-backs. That said, the HiFiMan cans use planar magnetic tech compared to the FIIO, which utilize large 60 mm dynamic drivers.
While the FIIO look more upscale than the similarly priced closed-backed AKG K361, both offer a bit more bass but with completely different pros and cons. The AKG are much lighter with a gentler clamping force and a folding frame, but their frequency response consistency is even more susceptible to variations than the FIIO. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x are another evergreen pair of closed-backs with a more utilitarian vibe and feel, and their sound signature is more balanced, with a bit of extra boom, but their deep bass is otherwise more relaxed compared to the FIIO. The Audio-Technica cans aren't as punishing for people with glasses in terms of consistency, though our pair's left and right drivers aren't as well-matched as the FIIO's.
Check out the best closed-back headphones and the best over-ear headphones. If you're a fan of bassier tunings, consider the best DJ headphones.
Despite sharing a similar name, the FIIO FT1 Pro and FIIO FT1 are very different headphones. The Pro feature an open-back design and planar magnetic drivers, resulting in a much worse noise isolation performance and more leakage. However, they have a flatter sound profile compared to the warm-sounding FT1 that's better suited to professional audio applications. The Pro also deliver audio more consistently, regardless of your head shape or facial features. Aesthetics can come into play, as the FT1 feature an eye-catching wood finish to their ear cups, while the Pro have more subtle perforated black housings to their ear cups.
Between the AKG K371 and FIIO FT1, the choice mostly depends on whether you prefer a brighter or slightly more balanced treble. Apart from that, the AKG are a bit more portable due to the lighter weight and foldable design. They're also fairly low-profile for closed-back over-ears. You get a generous three cables with the AKG, but only the FIIO include a balanced cable. Meanwhile, the FIIO are chunkier, heavier, and not portable, though the zip case is nice. The FIIO have considerably tighter stereo matching for a better-balanced stereo image. Because both have similar cons, like disappointing frequency response consistency and noise isolation, your choice will still probably come down to the kind of tuning and visual styling you prefer.
Choosing between the FIIO FT1 and Focal Azurys comes down to whether you prefer a bit more bass or a bit less treble. The FIIO are the bassier of the two, and they include an extra balanced cable with a comfortable fit. However, the Focal have a more analytical bass, but a warmer treble, with fabric-covered padding, making these comfortable, too. You get only one cable, but it has a built-in mic. Arguably, the FIIO initially suffered from dubious hinges, so the Focal might be a safer bet, but current production FIIO units seem to have fixed the issue.
The HiFiMan Sundara 2020 are open-back audiophile headphones, while the FIIO FT1 are closed-backs, so they have different strengths. If you want headphones that interact with your environment for a more immersive sound, the HiFiMan are the better pick. However, you can't wear them in as many different sorts of places because they don't isolate and leak a lot of audio. They're also flatter and less bassy-sounding than the FIIO, which are warm-sounding with a deeper bass. While tuning comes down to taste, the notably more consistent frequency response on the HiFiMan ensures predictable sound between wears and people. Still, for a warmer, bassier sound and a comfortable fit that you can wear in more situations, the FIIO might be better, depending on your needs.
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Test Results
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