FiiO - FT1 Closed-back Headphones

If you want satisfying bass for your music genre go with MDR-M1 or FT1 closed-back. For open-back MDR-MV1 has the best sub bass & bass if your budget allow. Otherwise AR5000 or used 105 AER.

I had exactly the same experience, and I also read a fair amount of reviews before purchasing them. They sound muddy, like VERY muddy on busy (metal) tracks, and the low end is a mess. I tried balanced, unbalanced, Zen Dac 2, straight from the pc, but there's hardly any difference except for volume level. There's a blanket over the music, and I also think the treble sounds very thin and artificial. You hear the sizzle, but absolutely no "body" on cymbals. On some tracks it's unbearable to listen to, even with EQ. The Meze 99 Neo sounds way crisper and clearer in comparison, and people are saying they're super muddy. It does help that the pads on mine are super worn though. I'll return the FT1. The people who are saying "give them time" are either deaf or coping, or there's a chance that our pairs are faulty. I actually don't think they are, but Meze 99 Classic, Neo or Noir seem like a much better all-rounder, but hey, they're not the new kid on the block, so people of course aren't raving about them. Lastly, the build quality is decent at best, and I don't believe they'll hold up well.

Sure, I don't think they're bad, but they feel somewhat fragile, and I'm also not sure how well the wood will hold up. Bump them a few times and it might crack. I don't mind a dark tuning, but I think the FT1 lacks a lot of mids. I don't see how anyone can call these headphones "balanced", or "slightly warm". To my ears they're just extremely muffled. I tried any genre I could think of, but I didn't have a single "wow" moment and the Meze beat them in clarity in every single track, so for me these aren't worth the money. I'll look for something else, but I think I'm done with Fiio.

There were no issues with the setup as I was A/B testing, I even used the Meze cables to check if the cables were the problem. But yes, what I heard and what the graphs show doesn't add up. They don't seem "broken" (rattling drivers, harsh treble etc.), so I was in disbelief honestly. I need to check out another pair to see what's up.

If you have weird ears then headphones are probably going to be a consistently more enjoyable experience. There are a lot of good options in the $250 range, the Fiio FT1 (closed back) is a really nice choice, as is the Sennheiser+Drop HD6XX (open back) which is essentially a half-price HD650 for the NA market. If your listening environment is quiet I'd say the HD6XX is probably the nicer sound but if you need a budget closed back that rocks the FT1 is pretty great.

I see people recommend the FT1 closed back, I have it as my first headphones but let me warn you, have a size 4 and 5 Torx screw driver ready just in case the screws get loose. I've had mine for more than a month now and both pads fell off on me already. If you visit r/Fiio you will see people complain about the screws too. It sounds real good but the build is not that great. It feels and looks premium at first until the screws give up. I literally just fixed mine earlier today.

Yeah, the FT1 is probably still my favorite closed back until you break $1000. It also plays super nicely with the Fiio BTR11, a great little $20 Bluetooth adapter that lets you decouple from your phone (just wish it would also function as a USB-C DAC). My review here: [https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/](https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/)

I'd second this. The FT1 feels like a $150 product, but does not sound like it. The FT1 Pro (their open back offering) is super competitive with the 6xx/Edition XS/etc., though post-tariffs it's a harder sell.

When I started this journey ten years ago, Chifi was mostly bad knockoffs of western designs OR straight up IP theft, but over the last few years especially it's feeling like the bleeding edge and the primary driver of innovation. Moodrop, Fiio, Hifiman, Truthear, Tangzu ... these companies all make great products at great prices, with the caveat that everything is changing so quickly that it's not always super easy to know what version of something you're looking at or reading a review about. For overears, Fiio is the king right now. The FT1 is a phenomenal bargain, even at the post-tariff prices. I think I've heard three closed backs in my life that I really liked, and the FT1 is far and away the cheapest. My review here: [https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/](https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/)

... yes. Of course? Particularly in terms of low- to mid-tier availability. There are a whole host of things in the \~$200 category that didn't exist before the 6XX in 2016-17. The last couple of years the growth in the bluetooth/wireless space has been particularly pronounced, but things like the Fiio FT1/FT1 Pro weren't available even five years ago, and the closed back space in particular has gotten a lot better in the last few years too.

FT1 at $160, beating pretty much every closed back under $500. And that’s just one company. 😂

That the FT1 is better than the vast majority of closed backs under $500? That's a pretty common sentiment. I mean folks are entitled to their own opinions, even if it's that they think Beyerdynamic makes worthwhile headphones.

If you're set on a closed back, the Fiio FT1 is the easy winner. A great headset, especially at the price they're asking. No amp/DAC required (it's an easy headphone to drive), but I would strongly recommend getting a $9 Apple dongle just to get away from crappy motherboard sound (assuming you're playing on a PC). Review here: [https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/](https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/)

Skip the Beyerdynamics unless you can listen to them first. They’re … very trebly. If you go that route, buy from somewhere with a good return policy AND get the lowest Ohm version you can find. If you can buy them from someone with a better return policy than Hifiman directly, the Arya Stealth is a great gaming headphone around $500 USD. I prefer the Meze 105 AER and 109 Pro personally for music (warmer tune), but any of those will be great. If you really want closed backs (and it doesn’t sound like you do), the best value on the market is the Fiio FT1, an excellent headphone at any price but currently $160 USD. (Their open back sister the FT1 Pro are also excellent). The closed back upgrade pick is the DCA Aeon Closed. Reviews: - Arya https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/hifiman-arya-stealth-my-new-favorite-objective-open-back/ - 109 pro https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/meze-109-pro-review/ - 105 AER https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/meze-105-aer-review-another-great-meze-product/ - FT1 https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/04/17/the-fiio-ft1-a-truly-excellent-budget-closed-back/

I personally like the DCA Aeon X Closed at $499 better than the Fiio FT1, but not three times more. That said, I basically don't use the FT1 anymore because I have a few things I like better. If you can find one, I personally think the Focal Elegia is the best closed back I've ever heard. They're not as prominently bassy as a lot of closed backs, but they have just the right amount for me. They've been out of production for a few years, but they're frequently available used for right around $300. For me: Focal Elegia > Aeon X Closed > FT1. There's not much on the market that I would consider worth listening to, and I've definitely tried! Folks really like the Focal Azurys, but it's just not for me, as much as I like their wireless brother, the Bathys.

FT1 is the best closed back I’ve heard until you get up to around $500 USD.

Not as much as you might think, but mnostly because there really aren't "audiophile" wireless headsets in the $100 range (at least not over-ears). Most headphones in that range are going to be consumer tunes, rather than audio-focused tunes. The same is true of MOST but not all headphones aimed at the gaming market. The exceptions are things like the Epos/Sennheiser PC37x/PC38x or Audeze Maxwell. If you're willing to spend $150, the Fiio FT1 is your best bet. Get a cheap mic to pair with them.

The Fiio FT1 is the one good option in this range for a closed back.

The pads are great but unfortunately I found the headband pretty uncomfortable and it was really making its presence felt. I ended up returning mine but I found out afterwards that there's a third-party attachable capra strap which supposedly fixes all the comfort issues of the headband. I really enjoyed the sound of the FT1 so had I known, I might have gone for that. Also worth mentioning that I have a very big, tall head and I've been susceptible to hot spots in the past with more than one model of headphone so I'm likely more sensitive than most people to this.

Yeah. My stupid big head probably exacerbates the issue, lol.

Probably a weight distribution issue, yeah. The headband was putting all of its weight right at the top of my head. It wasn't so bad to begin with but after an hour or two it was starting to hot-spot which is a big no-no for me as I use headphones for long stretches at a time and I put comfort at a premium. It probably didn't help that I was coming directly from the Cloud II which for all its flaws is a stupidly comfy headphone.

IMHO Letshouer S12 and either the Apple dongle or the Moondrop dsp cable are an insane duo. I've purchased sold and still own many in-ears and think the original S12 and its amazing soundstage is being wrongfully forgotten for how good they perform. In alternative you can get the Fiio FT1 for a very good closed back. Loss KPH40s are also great with the basic Apple dongle but you'll be slightly bleeding music around you.

FiiO FT1s (with FiiO K11) and Audeze Maxwell. I have them both, and depending on what I do, they both are goated in their price range.

That's a big broad question, that has a lot of determining factors contributing to my opinion, but I will give som pointers from my experience. Audeze Maxwell, with defean cooling pads. Pros: -Extremely convenient, with a huge range (wireless) Sound is well balanced for everything; gaming, content consumption, movie, music -I have them EQ'd via Audeze software, to bring a bit more punch to the sub-bass and high mid/treble Feature rich, but the only thing I find myself using is switching the sidetone on/off (convenient, when talking to family and returning to my shit). -With sidetone on, "almost" feels like open-back -Battery is amazing, 1 charge a week is doable with avg. 4-5h use every night -Personally, I find them very conformable on my head (no pressure points and a good seal with either earpads stock or defeat). Defean is 100% better for comfort, and does not change the sound in a significant way. FPS Specific: Used for over 3 years in mp and singleplayer games, and there is a reason many call them goated. They are performing so well for everything. Used them in the latest BF6 Beta, and the immersion, pinpointing of sound was excellent. PS: Weight is not an issue for me, I can wear them for hours without noticing. Cons: -The feeling of living on "the edge" - considering the planar magnetics have had some QA issues historically. I am on my second set, but they have lasted me for 2y and still going strong. -Headstrap could be easier to adjust. FiiO FT1 paired with FiiO K11, with Dekoni sheepskin pads. Pros: -Quality - they feel (on newer batches, aka should not be an issue anymore) extremely well put together. Cables feels very good. -Bundles with 2 sets of cable, even 4.4mm balanced, and a very nice case (I can even use this for my Audezes) - which is insane -Sound is extremely good, not better than Maxwell, but different. Personally, I did not need to tune these at all for my taste. Sub/mid-bass is some of the best I have heard. The sound has a lot more "in your face/ear" kinda attitude and "more" closed so to say than the Audeze, but in a good way. I can use these for everything as well. -You will have a hard time finding a better Price/performance value than these. -Honestly, third-party pads is not needed on the FT1, but I found the stock pads to be a little on the short end for "depth", and my right ear touched the lower part of the inside cushion of the pad, which is the only reason I bought a second set. -With the sheepskin pads, the sound gets even better, more punchy in the bass, treble gets more clear as well. FPS Specific: I have tested these in both mp and singleplayer games, and they are amazing and different in a way from the Audezes. I find them a little better on pinpointing sounds. For some games, they might feel lacking in the top-end, but personally I prefer this sound characteristics compared to let's say Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic tuning. Cons: -They get a tad bit warm, with sheepskin -Cables feels like a downgrade after going from Maxwells amazing wireless tech, but the sound is worth it -Can be hard to find third-party earpads that fits I have over the years had a lot of different headphones; but for my use this pairing will be my end-game for years to come, considering my usage. Going forward, considering both sets are amazing both for sound and comfort, I will most likely use the Maxwell for pure gaming, for the convient part when I need to run to bathroom in between rounds. The FT1 when I watch movie, youtube and music.

Fiio FT1 - best value for money closed back headphones. I love mines. Comfy, easy to drive, great sound!

First of all I would recommend that you look at the used market - you can easily save 50%. Also I would highly recommend wired headphones as they are simply just better. Here are a few decent closed back headphones I would recommend: * Sennheiser hd620s - probably the best option, but also most expensive. * FiiO FT1 closed - for the price this is likely your best option actually. * AKG K371 - nice and warm with decent imaging. * Beyerdynamic DT770 80 Ohm version (especially with EQ or different pads you can make them good).