Disclaimer
Hello everyone! Before we start, I want you to know that FiiO sent me the FT7 to test it, give it a proper listen, and share my thoughts. I’m not being paid for this, and FiiO hasn’t tried to tell me what to say, peek at my draft, or set any publishing schedule.
What’s written here is 100 % my own experience with the FT7. And as always, I do my best to stay as fair and objective as possible, but, at the end of the day, this is still one person’s opinion, and we all have to understand that our ears and preferences might be different, but we all pursue a sound that is true to our nature and which sounds lifelike, and that’s the beauty of the hobby.
Huge thanks to FiiO for trusting me with their new flagship, and big thanks to you for taking the time to read my review. Your support truly means a lot!
Introduction
Lately, FiiO has been absolutely killing it with their headphones, and ever since I reviewed their FT1 and FT1 Pro, which were both absolute bangers for their price, and I’ve been curious to see what FiiO could achieve if they went all-out with a true flagship model. And today I’ve got with me exactly that—the FT7, FiiO’s flagship, open-back planar headphone.
Right away, I could immediately tell the FT7 was something special. It’s beautifully crafted from very premium materials like carbon fiber, metal, sheep lambskin earpads, and zebra wood faceplates, giving it a truly luxurious feel. But headphones aren’t just about looks and build—they have got to sound great too. And spoiler alert: the FT7 absolutely nails that as well.
So, does this new flagship live up to the hype? Is it worth the $700 asking price? Let’s dive into the details and find out.
Unboxing
The FiiO FT7 comes in what I’d call a typical FiiO box, which from the outside is a clean, nicely designed, and definitely on the bigger side box. Inside, there’s a very sturdy cardboard case, and opening it up reveals a seriously impressive-looking hard carrying case. At first look, it reminded me of the ones I got with the FT1 and FT1 Pro, but this one’s definitely bigger, the stitching looks slightly different, the zipper feels upgraded, and it even has a leather-like carrying handle, which looks very similar in design to what Focal headphones are coming with. A very nice touch, in my opinion.
Under the case itself, you’ll find an extra set of fabric earpads and the usual user manual. When I unzipped the carrying case, the FT7 headphones were sitting in their place, looking all premium and fancy. The cable has its own slot right in the middle, and there are three small connector slots inside as well, but only two adapters are included: one 6.35mm-to-4.4mm and one XLR-4-to-4.4mm. That’s because the cable itself ends with a balanced 4.4mm plug.
The cable
Talking about that cable, it feels really high-quality and is quite thick, wrapped in a nice fabric sleeve. The connectors are made of metal and have carbon fiber accents. But here’s the thing… It’s a whopping 3 meters long. Perfect for home setups where you can sit on the couch while being connected to your neighbor’s AMP, haha, but jokes aside, honestly, I’d have loved to see a shorter cable in the box as well, just for convenience.
The FT7 itself
Now, onto the star of the show: the FT7 headphones themselves. These things look stunning. The combination of carbon fiber, zebrawood faceplates, and lambskin pads and headband feels genuinely luxurious. My only tiny thing that made me raise my eyebrow is the bright orange slider used for adjusting the headband, and it looks a little out of place for me with the otherwise very sleek design, but I guess that’s mostly personal preference, and many will like it, and I still do, in some way.
Headband
Adjusting the headband itself takes a bit of force, and the clicks are firm and clear. There’s zero chance of accidentally moving it once set. But a small issue for me is because my head’s on the smaller side, and once adjusted for me, they won’t fit back into the carrying case unless I slide the headband back up again. Not a big deal, but a bit inconvenient.
Earpads
The earpads attach with clips, which hold super tight. Honestly, I get a bit nervous changing pads because those clips feel fragile, and I’m afraid of making a sharp and strong move, but the pads definitely sit nicely and aren’t moving once locked in.
Overall, the FT7’s unboxing and presentation feel truly premium, easily matching or even surpassing their $700 price tag. The attention to detail, quality of materials, and finishing are all top-notch, making the unboxing experience feel like opening up something special, which they definitely are.
Technical Specifications
Specs:
- Driver type: 106 mm planar magnetic (open-back)
- Diaphragm: 1 µm PET diaphragm with dual-layer gold (24k) and pure silver traces
- Magnetic structure: Symmetrical push-pull, 18× N52 magnets per driver, patented uniform magnetic-field design
- Impedance: 25 Ω
- Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW (approx. 110 dB/V)
- Frequency response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
- Weight: Approximately 427 g (without cable)
- Cable: 3 m length, 6N OCC copper, cryogenically treated, balanced 4.4 mm termination
- Included adapters: 4-pin XLR and 6.35 mm (1/4 inch)
- Earpads:
- Perforated genuine lambskin leather
- Fabric pads
- Materials: Carbon fiber, magnesium-aluminum alloy, zebra wood faceplates, genuine lambskin leather (headband and pads)
Driver:
It uses FiiO’s own 106 mm planar-magnetic driver, which is huge for a headphone.
The diaphragm itself is super thin—just 1 µm, made from PET material, and covered with a dual-layer pattern of pure silver and 24k gold. FiiO claims, the gold layer adds warmth and musicality, and the silver helps keep everything detailed and responsive. To be honest, as a scientific guy, I’m pretty skeptical that different types of metals can sound different, as there is no evidence for this to actually do something. But hey, gold is very corrosion resistant and can definitely extend the lifespan of this driver because of it.
Inside, each driver has 18 high-quality N52 magnets placed in a symmetrical push-pull setup. FiiO’s patented “uniform magnetic-field” technology is claimed to make sure the magnetic force stays consistent across the diaphragm, helping reduce distortion.
Impedance and Sensitivity:
It’s rated at 25 Ω impedance and has a sensitivity of 94 dB/mW (around 110 dB/V). This means you don’t necessarily need a super-powerful amplifier to drive them properly, though they’ll definitely shine more with a good amp.
Build and Materials:
The FT7 weighs about 427 grams without the cable, which is pretty reasonable for such a large planar headphone. This lighter weight is thanks to the premium materials used: carbon fiber and magnesium-aluminum alloy.
In addition to that, the faceplates are made out of a beautiful zebrawood. The headband and the preinstalled perforated earpads are made of lambskin, and the another set of earpads is a fabric one.
Cable and Connectivity:
It comes with a high-quality 3-meter cable made of cryogenically treated (whatever this means, haha) 6N OCC copper and the outside is made out of nylon braid. It comes with a balanced 4.4 mm connector, and FiiO includes additional adapters for 6.35 mm and XLR-4 connections. Honestly, I would have loved to see it come with an additional shorter cable, because this stock one is very heavy, and if I’m sitting close to my desk, it just makes it uncomfortable.
Overall, FiiO claims a lot of things about the FT7, and I really got the impression that FiiO truly wanted to make sure the FT7 stood out in terms of sound and build quality, and they have really not compromised anything in this flagship model.
Sound Performance
The FT7 has an overall neutral to slightly bright sound signature, but let’s dive into it more specifically, starting from the bottom up.
Bass
The bass here is honestly exactly what I expect from a good planar headphone. It’s incredibly fast, responsive, and full of details, and at the same time it has a nice warmth and thickness. When I’m listening to tracks like “ENTROPYYY” by Lorn and “Consumed” by The Haxan Cloak, the FT7 easily shows me that deep, headshaking, and textured rumble that I’m looking for. The bass feels super precise, detailed, and warm, but never bloated or muddy. It’s pretty neutral overall, and thanks to the exceptional speed and texture it has, it makes it exactly how I personally want my bass to sound.
Mids
The midrange reminds me a bit of the FT1 Pro’s tuning, but better executed, with a slight rise around 1kHz and a little dip around 2kHz. Which pads you are using definitely changes things up here, and with the leather pads, these mids feel slightly more colored and more pronounced in this dip and peak there. Personally, I prefer the fabric pads because they sound more natural and balanced to me. Instruments and vocals sound beautiful, especially noticeable in orchestral tracks like Hans Zimmer’s “Crysis 2 Intro”, “Time”, “Retreat and Reveille”, and “Mountains”. Everything sounds rich and clear, nicely textured, and very precisely placed in the mix, with everything sitting in its place. I was really surprised by how the leather pads give mids this much coloration compared to the fabric pads, and I definitely find the fabric pads to sound smoother, more neutral, and more lifelike.
Highs
Now, this is where pad swapping makes the biggest difference. With leather pads, highs can get slightly sharp or peaky, which for me was very noticeable at the start of a track like “IOIO” by Nosaj Thing or in “Rise” by Zamilska, where elements started to sound brighter or sharper than what I prefer. It’s not overwhelming or harsh, just noticeable enough. Switching to the fabric pads, those sharper edges smooth out significantly, making the FT7 a much more comfortable and enjoyable listening experience for me. So again, fabric pads are the clear winner for me in the treble area as well.
Treble & Extension
Because of the brighter overall presentation, the FT7 has lots of details in the upper ranges. Female vocals and high-pitched male vocals, like Dimash Qudaibergen’s, sound incredibly detailed, highly extended, clean, and precise. When I was listening to tracks like “Hela” by David Garcia Diaz or “Gravity” by Steven Price, I noticed how vocals have an impressively natural and extended decay, beautifully showing the emotion and depth in the vocals.
Technical Performance
Technically, the FT7s are truly amazing. The soundstage feels very wide to me, wider than what I’ve experienced with something like the FT1 Pro, probably helped by the deeper pads, which are pushing the drivers slightly further from my ears. Imaging is also excellent, and I can pinpoint exactly where every instrument or vocal is placed in the space. Layering is another strength of the FT7, thanks to the planar driver’s ability to clearly separate every sound. Everything feels distinct, never crowded or congested, even in complex tracks like “Masters of the Universe” by Juno Reactor. Lastly, the detail retrieval is fantastic. I easily can hear the tiniest elements in the background, small details that other headphones struggle to push forward.
Overall, I would recommend using the fabric earpads, which, for my ears, definitely make everything better, with less coloration, less treble peaks, and the overall presentation more neutral and natural sounding.
Comparison – FT7 vs FT1 Pro
I know it might feel a bit unfair to compare these two, considering the price difference, but since the FT7 is basically the bigger brother of the FT1 Pro, I thought it would be helpful to show exactly what you’re getting for the extra cash.
Build Quality
The very first and most obvious difference is in build quality and size. The FT7 is just miles ahead here. While the FT1 Pro is mostly built from plastic with a metal headband and pleather pads, the FT7 uses much more premium materials: carbon fiber, magnesium-aluminum alloy, zebrawood faceplates, and genuine lambskin leather on both the earpads and headband. It’s simply on a different level.
Accessories
One small plus I found with the FT1 Pro is that it includes two separate cables—one with a 3.5mm connector and one with a 4.4mm balanced plug. The FT7, however, comes only with a single (though very nice) 3-meter cable with a 4.4mm balanced connector. Personally, I would’ve really loved to get an additional, shorter cable with the FT7, but still, the FT7’s cable quality is definitely nicer, with better materials and more premium connectors. And to be fair, the overall unboxing and presentation of the FT7 definitely feels way more premium, but again, that’s something you can expect when you’re paying an extra $500.
Sound Quality
When it comes to sound, the FT1 Pro definitely sounds great and is one of the best headphones I have heard at this price. So it’s just an excellent planar headphone for $200. But the FT7 clearly takes it further. With the fabric earpads in particular, it feels like a better balanced and better executed headphone, with smoother mids and better treble extension. The biggest jump, though, is in technical performance, where the FT7 feels wider and more open, probably thanks to its larger earcups and bigger driver size. The detail retrieval, layering, and separation are significantly improved over the FT1 Pro. Everything sounds clearer, more precise, and better positioned within the stage.
Don’t get me wrong! The FT1 Pro is still a fantastic headphone for the money. But the FT7 is undeniably a huge step up. If you’re curious whether the extra cost is justified, from my experience, it absolutely is. You’re paying more, sure, but you’re also getting more, much more.
Conclusion
After a solid couple of weeks with the FT7, and after listening to a whole lot of tracks, I’m honestly impressed. FiiO basically took everything I liked about the FT1 Pro and cranked it up. The bass is tight, fast, and detailed, not muddy and “just right” sounding. The mids, with the fabric earpads, feel more natural, and the highs stretch out a bit further without sounding too bright or peaky for my ears (as long as I stick to the fabric pads). The stage is wider, layering is cleaner, and all those tiny background sounds that usually hide just step forward.
Build-wise, the FT7 feels every bit its price. Carbon, metal, zebrawood, real lambskin, there is absolutely nothing here that shows cost-cutting. I love the new hard case too, even if I have to slide the headband up each time I get the cans back in. My only real problem (which is still not a huge one) is the single three-meter-long cable, which is great for a couch rig but way too long for a desktop one. Another shorter cable in the pack would have been perfect.
Is it worth the $700? For me, yes. If you already have and enjoy something like the FT1 Pro and just want more of everything, with more space, more detail, and more polish, then the FT7 gives exactly that. Or if you just want a nice and premium present for yourself without spending thousands, it’s just perfect for that. So all in all, the FT7 earned a top spot on my list, and I’m very curious to see what FiiO will come up with next.
Pros
- The build is super luxury: carbon, zebrawood, and lambskin all feel TOTL.
- Bass hits fast and deep without ever getting sloppy.
- Fabric pads give me a neutral, super-balanced tuning I can listen to for hours.
- Soundstage feels wide and airy.
- The overall technicalities are amazing.
- Detail retrieval is crazy good.
- Hard case, premium cable, and overall accessories make the whole package feel flagship-worthy.
Cons
- The stock cable is a 3-meter heavy one; I really wanted to see another shorter one in the box.
- Pad clips feel fragile when I swap pads, and it always makes me a bit nervous.
- At around 427 g, they are light for a big planar but still a bit heavy on longer sessions.
- The treble is a bit too peaky with the leather pads.
