FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones - For unique sound
After many years of focussing solely on in-ear headphones, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. is now also gradually expanding its range of over-ear headphones from the Chinese specialist for personal audio devices. The latest model is the FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones.
- Based on the second generation of FiiO Planar Magnetic Driver Technology, the new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones from FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. will be presented.
Just recently, personal audio device specialist FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. presented a new pair of in-ear headphones with the so-called Planar Magnetic Driver, the FiiO FP3 Planar In-ear Monitors. This is now followed by another pair of headphones from the company, which also utilises the latest generation of FiiO Planar Magnetic Driver Technology, although these are now over-ear headphones, namely the new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones.
The new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones, another solution in the FiiO FT Series, can be seen as a kind of big brother to the FiiO FT1 Closed Back Headphones, which FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. launched on the market this summer.
Two dissimilar brothers – FiiO FT1 and FiiO FT1 Pro
According to FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd., it is fair to say that the new FT1 Pro has evolved from the FiiO FT1, as the concept of developing particularly lightweight and therefore very comfortable headphones is the same. The company refers to these as lightweight headphones.
However, two completely different approaches are used here, as the FiiO FT1 Pro is a solution designed as open over-ear headphones with a planar magnetic driver, while the FiiO FT1 is a closed over-ear headphone with a classic dynamic driver.
According to the manufacturer, one could say that the FiiO FT1 is the standard model and the FiiO FT1 Pro is its further development, so that the abbreviation Pro in the name is to be understood as progression in the sense of improvement.
Same technology as the FiiO FP3 Planar In-ear Monitors
Getting to the point, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. recently presented a new headphone with a planar magnetic driver, the FiiO FP3 Planar In-ear Monitors. Interestingly, the manufacturer states that these two solutions are very similar, even though one is an in-ear and the other an over-ear headphone.
The two are connected by the latest generation of FiiO Planar Magnetic Technology, as the manufacturer emphasises, proudly pointing out that it was developed in-house from the ground up.
Powerful driver for detailed imaging
Although the FiiO FT1 Pro weighs only 374 g, it has a powerful 95 x 86 mm Planar Magnetic Diver, for which the manufacturer promises a large, almost limitless sound stage that is rarely found in headphones. With outstanding dynamics, a frequency range of up to 40 kHz can be reproduced here, whereby the impedance of the headphones is stated as 20 ohms and the sensitivity as 112 dB.
According to the manufacturer, this is primarily made possible by the particularly thin diaphragm, which measures no more than 1 μm in thickness and is made from PET. Using a patented dual coating system, two coatings are applied at the same time: aluminium on the one hand and a sapphire coating on the other.
The aluminium coating improves the conductivity of the conductor paths and helps to reduce the impedance and power requirements of the driver as well as improving its dynamics. The Saphier coating, in turn, contributes to the stiffness of the diaphragm with its high hardness, thus improving the treble resolution and overall transparency and helping the driver to achieve a unique sound.
The magnet system is also a speciality, as it is based on a Uniform Magetic Field Design manufactured using 28 nm process technology.
Once again, FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. promises to have focussed solely on high-quality materials and robust and therefore durable workmanship for the new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones. This even applies to the detachable cable, which is designed to ensure flawless signal transmission.
The comparatively low weight of 374 g and the soft padding of the ear cups and headband, which can be optimally adjusted to the individual head shape in no less than twelve stages, ensure a high level of wearing comfort.
Prices and availability
We do not yet have a recommended retail price for the local market, but you can expect a price of around € 200,-.
Getting to the point
The new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones are headphones that are characterised by a particularly accurate performance, as FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. promises. The basis for this is a planar magnetic driver developed in-house from scratch, which is used in these open-back over-ear headphones. In addition, the new FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones are said to be very comfortable to wear, as they are comparatively light compared to similarly designed headphones.
| PRODUCT | FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Planar Headphones |
|---|---|
| Price | around € 200,- |
| Brand | FiiO |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | FiiO Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. |
| Distribution | NT Global Distribution GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
