FiiO FT1 Pro

HiFi, OpenBack
FiiO FT1 Pro — Planar Bass Without the Premium

FiiO built its name on dongles and desktop DACs, so a full-size open-back planar felt like a stretch — until you see the price. £180-ish gets you a planar driver in a market where that used to mean queuing up next to a Hifiman Sundara or an ageing pair of HE400s. The FT1 Pro doesn’t reinvent anything, but it proves FiiO can build a proper pair of cans, not just amp them.

Build & Design

An all-black shell with a subtly patterned grille, aluminium yokes and a self-adjusting headband — it looks considerably more expensive than it is. At 374g it’s not featherweight, and the clamping force is on the firmer side out of the box; reviewers consistently flag it loosening in but being a little tight for the first few sessions. FiiO ships both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced cables, which is generous at this price, and the earcups are deep enough for most ears. At 20Ω and roughly 95dB sensitivity it’s genuinely easy to drive — a phone dongle will get it loud — though, as ever with planars, a proper amp sharpens the picture.

Sound

Bass

Fast, tight and well-controlled in that unmistakable planar way, but it’s a punchy mid-bass rather than a sub-bass rumble. If you want the chest-thump of a closed-back dynamic, look elsewhere — this is bass for texture and speed, not weight.

Mids

The one area where reviewers consistently note a dip. Vocals sit slightly recessed rather than forward, which keeps things from ever sounding shouty but can leave voice-led tracks feeling a touch distant next to something like the HD600.

Treble

This is the FT1 Pro’s party trick — clear, extended and detailed well beyond what £180 usually buys, without tipping into the sibilance that sinks a lot of budget planars.

Soundstage & Imaging

Genuinely spacious for the money, with the kind of open, airy presentation that closed-back headphones at this price simply can’t fake. Imaging is precise enough that instrument placement never feels vague.

Comparisons

Against the Hifiman Sundara, still the default budget-planar recommendation, the FT1 Pro trades Sundara’s warmer, more even mids for a brighter, more treble-forward take — pick your poison. Against its stablemate in this round-up, the Hifiman Edition XS, the FT1 Pro is the more neutral, less fatiguing listen but with a smaller, less holographic stage. Neither gets near my HD600 for midrange honesty, but at this price nothing should.

Verdict

Pros

  • Genuinely resolving treble for £180
  • Fast, controlled planar bass
  • Spacious, open presentation
  • Easy to drive from a dongle, scales further with an amp

Cons

  • Firm clamp needs breaking in
  • Mids sit slightly recessed
  • Sparse accessories beyond the two cables
  • Bass depth, not weight — some will want more slam

Ratings:

  • Build & Design: 8 / 10
  • Sound: 8 / 10
  • Comfort: 7 / 10
  • Value: 9 / 10

The FT1 Pro is proof FiiO can build a headphone as capably as it builds an amp — and at this price it’s an easy first planar.