FiiO FT13 Review – Gorgeous both in Look & Sound
The FiiO FT13 is the premium evolution of FiiO’s recent wood-series headphones, building on the framework of the FT1 while leaning into more exotic materials and a more polarized tuning. If the FT1 was a safe, crowd-pleasing hit, the FT13 is its bolder, more technically ambitious older sibling.
The FiiO FT3’s shells are crafted from Purpleheart wood, a species native to South America. Under the effect of natural oxidation, its color will gradually darken and eventually stabilize at a deep purple. To achieve their rich color, each piece of wood is allowed to age for 90 days naturally, and then undergoes precision-cutting with CNC machining, repeatedly sanding, polishing, and filling the wood’s natural pores and imperfections until the surface is perfectly smooth.
With a density and hardness well beyond that of ordinary woods, Purpleheart wood is not only naturally resistant to corrosion. Still, it is also a huge contributor to minimizing resonance within the headphone earcups. This result is a faster and cleaner sound.
The FT13, like the FT1, features a massive 60mm dynamic driver, a size almost unheard of in its category. This larger driver generates more power and is more efficient at converting electrical signals into sound. The result is sound with less distortion, quicker transients, and deeper, more powerful bass.
The new diaphragm, as found in Dali speakers, is made of birch wood from Europe’s cold climates. The wood is known for being incredibly hard with strong fibers, allowing us to precisely tune the diaphragm’s resistance and stiffness during manufacturing to achieve our desired sound goals.
Crafted through a century-old traditional papermaking process, the diaphragm is formed from wood pulp refined over multiple steps. Carbon fiber threads are infused to enhance rigidity, while wool fibers are blended to fine-tune the tonality. This gives the final diaphragm a uniquely natural and warm sound signature that is highly engaging as well as deeply rich and emotional.
The headphone features a W-shaped diaphragm design inspired by speaker cones. Compared to the typical driver diaphragms, this design increases the effective vibration area of the diaphragm by 25.8%. The diaphragm is made from a hard dome and a flexible surround, which covers a larger surface area than traditional diaphragms, with less energy lost during vibration transfer. Moreover, the hard dome features reduced internal loss, resulting in higher efficiency and reduced distortion caused by driver breakup.
Beyond the natural isolation of its closed wooden earcups, the FT13 features an integrated system of passive noise-reduction components. This includes a standing wave dissipation chamber, specially designed rear cavity sound-absorbing cotton, and a noise-reducing U-shaped tube. Together, these components can reduce everyday ambient noise by up to 26dB. The closed-back structure also prevents sound leakage, making the FT13 a great choice for tranquil environments like the workplace, dorm, and study room, keeping you focused without disturbing others.
Inside the FT13, a U-shaped damping tube cleverly uses the air inside the headphones to tune the sound. This tube’s design has been carefully optimized to lower the cavity’s resonant frequency, resulting in deeper and higher-quality bass.
The featured Japanese-imported CCAW voice coil with an ultra-thin 0.035mm wire and a lightweight KSV former helps to dramatically reduce the moving mass of the diaphragm and result in faster sound response. The voice coil has a diameter of 25mm, effectively enhancing driving force and efficiency, as well as leading to a richer midrange and quicker transients.
The FT13’s impedance is only 32Ω, sensitivity up to 113dB/Vrms@1kHz, with 7Hz-40kHz frequency response, making it a perfect match for mainstream, non-audiophile devices like smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Experience high-fidelity, audiophile-grade sound without having to invest in expensive or complex gear.
The outer U-shaped headband frame is now crafted from a strong and lightweight magnesium alloy that blends seamlessly with the headphones’ design. The ball-bearing slider offers a silky-smooth adjustment with clear feedback. The headband material has been upgraded to a soft, durable lambskin that is both more durable and breathable, making it more comfortable for extended listening sessions. The three-axis swivel ensures the headphones comfortably adapt to various head sizes and shapes and provides a perfect fit without sound leakage.
With the FT13, the acoustic drivers are angled to be parallel with your ear canals, allowing sound to travel directly to your eardrums. This not only reduces the high-frequency roll-off you’d get with a traditional design, but it also minimizes standing waves inside the earcups. The result is a much clearer, purer sound with less distortion.
For more impressive features, such as the lambskin/suede earpads included, Furukawa monocrystalline copper + silver-plated oxygen-free copper braided cable, four detachable audio plugs, Yaoli linen storage bag, Hi-Res Audio certified, etc., please watch the unboxing video.
In The Box
Full specs
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- Model: FiiO FT13
- Type: closed-back headphone
- Style: dynamic driver
- Drivers: proprietary 60mm dynamic driver nanowood fiber composite diaphragm
- Socket: dual mono-jack
- Cable: Furukawa monocrystalline copper + silver-plated oxygen-free copper braided cable with swappable termination
- Material: natural purpleheart wood cups, steel+magnesium headband, suede fabric cover, breathable mesh earpads
- Frequency Response: 7Hz – 40kHz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 98dB/mW – 113dB/Vrms
- Sound Isolation (up to): -26dB
- Earpad pressure: 4.5N +/- 0.3N
- Cable length: 150cm
- Weight: 356g excluding cable
- Price: $299USD
Disclaimer: The FiiO ft13 was kindly provided by FiiO for review.
Sound
Lows: Authoritative and Deep
The FT13 uses a large 60mm “W-shaped” wool composite driver that specializes in moving a lot of air. The bass is the undisputed star here; it is deep, punchy, and carries a significant amount of “slam” that outpaces the smaller drivers we looked at previously. Because of the U-shaped damping tube and the closed-back wooden cavity, the sub-bass extension is excellent, reaching down into the physical rumble territory.
However, much like the JH13 we analyzed, there is a noticeable warmth that blooms into the lower mids. If you use the included suede pads, this bass becomes even more “fun” and dominant, whereas the lambskin pads tighten it up for a slightly faster, more controlled response.
Mids: Clear but Recessed
Consistent with the “V-shaped” preference we’ve seen in your previous graphs, the midrange here sits a step back. The lower mids are thick and rich due to the bass influence, which gives male vocals a very natural, “wood-timbred” weight. To prevent the sound from becoming muddy, FiiO has tuned a presence boost in the upper-midrange.
This ensures that female vocals and the “crunch” of electric guitars remain audible and clear. It isn’t a “mid-forward” headphone by any means, but it avoids the “hollow” sound that some closed-backs suffer from by maintaining a decent amount of organic texture from that wool-fiber diaphragm.
Treble: Vibrant and Shimmery
The treble is significantly more energetic than the FT1. It is designed to be crisp and open to counteract the heavy bass. There is a specific focus on the upper-treble regions to provide “air” and sparkle. While this makes micro-details and cymbal hits very easy to pick out, it can lean toward the “bright” side.
On tracks that are already sharply mastered, the lambskin pads can occasionally push this into sibilant territory. It’s a “hi-fi” style treble that aims for a sense of perceived resolution and excitement rather than a smooth, rolled-off experience.
Technicalities: Scale and Isolation
For a closed-back headphone, the FT13 offers a surprisingly wide soundstage, aided by the angled driver design that mimics the natural positioning of speakers. The isolation is a standout feature; between the dense Purpleheart wood and the internal damping chambers, it cuts out a significant amount of ambient noise (up to 26dB).
Technically, it is very easy to drive at 32 ohms, meaning you don’t need a massive desktop amp to get that 60mm driver moving. The inclusion of a high-quality Furukawa monocrystalline copper cable and modular plugs (3.5mm, 4.4mm, XLR) ensures that the signal chain remains clean, reflecting the “professional” build quality you appreciate.
Sum-Up
The FiiO FT1 is the “safer” recommendation for most people; it features a more neutral, organic tonality with a smoother treble that is easier to listen to for hours on end. It is lighter and focuses on a balanced, “all-rounder” sound signature.
The FiiO FT13, by contrast, is a technical specialist. It offers a wider soundstage, deeper sub-bass rumble, and significantly more treble detail. It feels much more premium in the hand due to the lacquered Purpleheart wood and magnesium build, but its “dark-bright” tuning is more polarizing. If the FT1 is your cozy daily driver, the FT13 is your high-octane, high-detail powerhouse for when you want to be fully immersed in the scale of the music.
FiiO FT13 delivers quality sound for an immersive music listening experience. With a solid magnesium alloy frame, lambskin headband, and premium quality Purpleheart wooden ear cups, the FiiO FT13 not only sounds great, but also looks great.