FiiO FT13 Review

Disclaimer

Hello everyone! Before we start, I want to let you know that FiiO sent me the FT13 so I could test it, spend some time listening, and share my honest thoughts. I’m not being paid for this review, and FiiO hasn’t told me what to say, asked to see my draft, or set any publishing timeline.

Everything you’ll read here is based entirely on my own experience with the FT13. I always try to be as fair and objective as possible, but in the end this is just my take, and we all have different preferences and ways of judging things. That’s exactly what makes this hobby so much fun.

Big thanks to FiiO for trusting me with the FT13, and of course, a huge thank you to you for taking the time to read my review. Your support truly means a lot to me!

Introduction

I’m super excited about the FT13. The FT1 won me over at around 149.99 USD and got a lot of love for good reason, so this new one comes in with big expectations. The FT13 is 299.99 USD, so it’s a real step up in price, and actually, its double the price of the FT1…

Closed backs are known to be less loved by the vast majority. They often sound objectively worse, but when a company nails the tuning, they can be great for everyone who wants more isolation. That’s what I’m hoping for here.

So today I’m going to talk about how it’s built, how it sits on my head, and how it sounds with the tracks I know well. Then I will, of course, answer the only question that matters to me as someone who liked the FT1. Is the FT13 a true upgrade over the FT1, or just a nicer shell with a higher tag?

Unboxing

The FT13 unboxing is very similar to the FT7s, just a premium box with very premium accessories and even better than the FT7s. Same style of box and a proper hard case inside, but here some of the things feel better and more thoughtful, as you get an additional soft bag for the headphones, a cleaning cloth, and an amazing premium and modular cable. The brown hard case looks great, and everything has its own slot and sits in its place.

What surprised me is that FiiO actually stepped it up a level here even though the FT7 costs more than double. The additional accessories and the nice and modular cable just feel more refined. It really shows that FiiO keeps pushing forward and improving.

Inside the box there are two pad options, lambskin and suede, both well finished and easy to swap, although I always have the fear of breaking the small plastic clips. The cable looks and feels like an aftermarket upgrade. Thick braid, soft jacket, and it just lays down with no springy effect. The modular plugs are high quality with a very good screw in system, so they won’t unplug randomly. And there is also a 6.35 to 3.5 adapter and a 4.4 female to XLR 4 male adapter.

The Purpleheart cups look clean, glossy, and just premium. The yokes feel quite solid, and the dual 3.5 mm jacks click in nicely.

For 299.99 USD, this is definitely the most premium presentation I have ever seen. It’s even nicer than the FT7s, as I like the additional accessories, and the cable is definitely better feeling. It makes a great first impression and backs up the price before even trying the sound.

Technical specifications

Specs

• Materials and colors: Purpleheart, Natural wood (celluloid paint), Black (clear black paint).
• Driver: 60 mm dynamic with PU plus wool composite nano fiber wood diaphragm.
• Response and load: 10 Hz to 40 kHz, 98 dB/mW at 1 kHz, 113 dB/Vrms at 1 kHz, 32 Ω at 1 kHz.
• Connectors and cable: dual 3.5 mm TRS on cups, 1000 wire braided cable, Furukawa monocrystalline copper plus silver plated OFC.
• Plugs and adapters: 3.5 mm single ended, 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 to 6.35 mm adapter, 4.4 mm female to XLR 4 male adapter.
• In the box: headphones, storage case, storage bag, cleaning cloth, cable, lambskin pads, suede pads, plugs and adapters, quick start guide.
• Weight: about 356 g without cable.

Cable

The cable is legit one of the best stock cables I’ve seen at this price. It’s an 8 core braid with a mix of Furukawa monocrystalline copper and silver plated OFC, and it feels very soft without being stiff like most FiiO cables. The modular plugs are also great. It comes with 3.5 and 4.4 plugs and an XLR to 4.4 adapter. For a stock cable, this is premium stuff.

Build quality

The Purpleheart cups look and feel great. The finish is clean, the grain shows through, and the whole frame gives a premium vibe. The dual 3.5 mm cup connectors click in with a good hold, and they are coming from the back and a bit forward, so they are not touching my neck or shoulders when I move. The headband is also better than the FT1, it’s smoother with a bigger surface, so it makes fewer hotspots. At about 356 g without the cable, it has some weight, but it feels dense in a good way, not cheap or hollow.

Comfort and fit

The headband distributes the load well, so I can wear it for a few hours without hot spots. The clamp is moderate, but for me the isolation was pretty good. It stays put when I move around, but not quite as I would like from a pair of closed backs, but maybe it’s because my head is on the smaller side. Actually, I’ve been using it on the smaller size, so those who have smaller heads might find it unusable, as these headphones are quite big. The two pad options help a lot. The lambskin pads seal tighter and feel a bit cooler, while the suede pads are softer and breathe more. Both are easy to swap, but as I have mentioned in the FT7 review, the clips seem fragile, and I am always afraid to break them when I swap pads. Another downside of this pad swap system is that the pads are not universal, so you must have the same clip mechanism in order to swap pads, so you pretty much can only use FiiO pads.

Driver tech

Inside there’s a big 60 mm dynamic driver that uses a PU and wool nano wood fiber diaphragm in a W shaped profile. On paper that points to controlled pistonic movement and good stiffness with some natural damping from the fiber mix. The 32 Ω load and the sensitivity numbers mean I can drive it from a clean dongle or a DAP, but I actually prefer to step up to a desktop system for more headroom.

Accessories and everyday use

FiiO includes one of the nicest accessories. Two pad sets, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a very nice feeling and velvety bag, the modular 3.5 and 4.4 plugs, a 3.5 to 6.35 adapter, a 4.4 to XLR adapter, and of course the amazing cable. All of these come in a very nice and premium storage case like the FT7. The dual 3.5 mm cup jacks make cable rolling simple if I want to try something else later, but I’m sure you won’t, as this is already the upgraded cable, haha. Isolation is quite nice for a closed back, especially with the leather pads, and with the suede pads it’s less isolating, which is understandable.

Sound performance

I hear the FT13 as a clear V shape. Bass is strong, treble is forward, and because of that, the mids sit a step back. With the lambskin pads, the bass is less strong, and the whole tonality gets brighter, which pushes the treble even more than it’s already pushed. With the suede pads, the bass comes back in a nicer way, and it feels more balanced and more natural to me, though it is still V shaped, it is easier to listen to, but the treble is still too bright (but I have a solution for this!).

Bass

Sub bass has a nice reach and good slam. On The Stage by Avenged Sevenfold, the opening double bass lines are quick and clean. Not planar quick, but fast for a dynamic driver and very controlled. Notes hit with weight and do not smear into the mids. Kick drums sound tight and very well defined.

Mids

The mids are recessed compared to bass and treble, but the details are there, and it can be heard that the drivers there are good ones. Male vocals sound pretty distinct and go through with good texture and detail. Guitars have bite and body until the upper range, where the treble push can make them a bit sharp and piercing. I like that the core mid detail survives the V shape. It feels like the driver is doing a good job there but fails a bit because of the treble…

Treble

Energetic and extended. Cymbals and strings come through with lots of air and sparkle, but most of the time it’s too much and becomes sharp if the track is already bright. With lambskin pads, this gets to the point where it hurts to listen too… Suede pads tame it a bit with the lifted bass. I have found a quite good solution for the sharp treble, which I will talk about in a bit.

Technicalities

What really stood out to me is how good the technical performance of the FT13 is. Tiny details like finger flicks on the strings or gentle drumstick taps are very easy to pick up, and notes start and stop in a natural way. The stage is big for a closed back, so tracks feel quite roomy. Imaging is good, and I can point to where the guitar sits, where the snare hits, and where the backing vocals are positioned in many of Hans Zimmer’s amazing tracks, like one of my favorites, Retreat and Reveille. I can hear every single finger flick on the drums. Separation is also very good, so busy songs stay clear, and I can follow the instruments without things blurring. With the suede pads, and even more with my mod of putting a piece of toilet paper on the driver, inside the pads, the top end relaxes a touch, which lets the micro details go through without the hurting piercing peaks.

Track notes

Patty Gurdy, Over the Hills and Far Away: Her voice sounds vivid and upfront. When she climbs into higher notes or when bright instruments are playing, the top edge can turn a bit piercing. Bass notes stay fast and clean with nice definition.
Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco, Lynchwood: Strong bass drive with good texture. The stage feels open for a closed back, and the elements are placed clearly. When some of the instruments are going higher in notes, it can hurt, and the sound can become quite uncomfortable.
Avenged Sevenfold, The Stage: The intro double bass work is tight and satisfying. The male vocals are clear even with the V shape signature. Around 4:40, when the guitar lifts, treble energy gets too hot and becomes really uncomfortable at my normal volume (without my tune).
Takeshi Furukawa, Prologue and Main Title: Very pleasant overall. Good sense of space, clean imaging, and sweet overall presentation. I would still prefer a touch less upper energy, but the extension and detail are impressive.

What I think FiiO aimed for

It feels like FiiO went for a technical step up over the FT1 using a better driver and a more open stage for a closed back, then pushed the treble to add more detail. The result is, in fact, a more detailed headphone, but it has also become too bright for me…

Tuning mod: taming the treble

So yes, as I have mentioned above, I tried a simple toilet paper tweak. I placed one thin layer of toilet paper laid flat over the driver mesh, inside the pad. It immediately softened the piercing highs, and the whole tonality felt smoother. With the suede pads, it suddenly sounded very good to me. Still V shaped, but no sting.

Pretty much everything I have mentioned above about the treble being piercing got solved with this trick!

If you want a cleaner long term fix, it will be better to use a thin acoustic pad or a light damping foam instead of tissue. Cut a circle that matches the driver opening, place it on the driver, inside the pad, and done!

FT13 vs FT1

Between the FT13 and FT1, there is a clear step up in build and feel on the FT13. The headband, yokes, cups, and cable all feel a class higher, and the round cups are larger than the FT1’s oval shells. On my head the FT13 is more comfortable, but it might be too big for smaller heads. I use the FT13 on the smallest size and the FT1 around one third, so keep this in mind.

Tuning wise, the FT1 is smoother and overall easier to live with, while the FT13 clearly wins in terms of technical performance. The technical ability of the FT13 wins by a wide margin with a bigger stage, cleaner separation, stronger imaging, and higher overall resolution. My bottom line is simple. The FT1 has the safer tuning and will probably suit more people. The FT13 is the stronger performer. If you want smooth treble, stick with the FT1.

If you want a more premium build and more technical performance and can handle a brighter top, or if you want to make the mod to tame the treble a bit, the FT13 can deliver it, but for me, the toilet paper or the foam pads are a must.

Conclusion

After testing the FT13 for a couple of weeks, there is a clear step up over the FT1 in build and technical ability, but not a clean upgrade in tuning. The package is great, the cable is the best stock cable I have seen, and the Purpleheart cups make it feel special.

Out of the box the sound is a clear V. Big bass, bright treble, and mids a step back. With the suede pads it balances out a bit, but the top end is still too bright and sharp for me. A thin acoustic pad or even a single layer of toilet paper inside the pads fixes it on my head without killing detail. With that tweak, the FT13 goes from okay to very good for me.

Stage, imaging, and separation are great for a closed back, and the bass is quick and controlled. If you want a smoother, easier listen, the FT1 still makes sense. If you want more resolution, more space, and a more premium build, the FT13 can give you that once you tame the treble with some modding.

In term of size, the shells and headband are big. I am on the smallest size, so people with smaller heads have to keep this in mind. Isolation is better with lambskin, but the suede sounds better to me.

Bottom line. At 299.99 USD, the FT13 earns its price on build, accessories, and technical performance. If you are treble sensitive, then you can use the suede pads and a bit of damping mod inside.

Pros

• Premium build quality.
• Best stock cable I have used, with modular 3.5 and 4.4 and an XLR adapter.
• Great and very generous accessories.
• Great technical performance for a dynamic driver.
• Fast, tight bass with good slam and control.
• Two pad options.
• Isolation is quite nice for me.

Cons

• Treble is a bit too bright for me and can get piercing on some tracks.
• A clear V shape means recessed mids compared to bass and treble.
• Lambskin pads make it even brighter.
• Pad clips feel fragile, and the pad system is not universal.
• Large shells and a headband that can be too big for smaller heads.
• Needs a bit of damping mod to sound better.

Where to buy:(Non-affiliated! None of my reviews use affiliated links!)

FiiO Official AliExpress store