FiiOFT1 Closed-Back Over-Ear Nanowood Fiber Composite Diaphragm Wired Hi-Fi Headphones, Detachable Cable, American Black Walnut Wood Ear Cups for Home, Studio, Recording (Black)

This headphone poses an funny question of "Why don't you just get a FiiO FT1?" to every other headphone under $500.I'm not saying it replaces every headphone under $500, it just gate keeps it. The other headphones have to do something special for you to even consider them because the FT1 is just such a well rounded package.It's built well, it looks nice, it's comfortable, it has all the accessories you need, it's closed back so you can use it in office, it's easy to drive, it has bass, it has clean mid, and it has a smooth treble, and most importantly, it's priced well. Are there headphones that does better in 1 or more categories than this? Sure, but often at a premium with some other tradeoffs.If you want to get something different for that 1 thing you really really care about, and you think it's worth it, then go for it.Get the Sennheiser HD600 series if you want flatter mids, but it has poor soundstage and not as comfortable. (Also double the price)Get the Hifiman's Edition XS for a flatter Frequency response and better stage, but it's heavier and has poorer QC. (Almost double the price)Get the Meze 99 classic for more bass, slightly cleaner treble, but it's darker and double the price.Get the K361/371 if you want to be portable, but poor build and comfort.Get the Byerdynamics DT880/700 for monitoring because the treble quality/quantity is higher and there's less dips in FR, but it's hard to drive and the mid is not as flat.But for you regular "fun" consumers, this is a really good entry point. It's a more well rounded headphone than any of them, at a lower price.In terms of sound, it's a warm bassy headphone. The bass extends deep and it's decently fast, with a slight boominess to the mid-bass. (Can be reduced by improper seal, and it may even be preferred). The mid is relatively flat, and not affected by the bass. The female vocals are clean, if not intentionally (slightly) simplified due to recessed treble. The treble is relatively fast, but slightly recessed. This results is a present, sometimes zingy, but mostly smooth treble that presents well in most songs. The recessed treble does pose a problem for digital piano, where it doesn't quite sound right. I would imagine this to be a problem for monitoring/mastering too.The sound stage and imaging is good among close backs, and decent among open backs. The stage is relatively wide but not deep. Instrument separation is good but not natural. Human vocal is often "in your face".For $150, well done.

If you are searching for a quality over the ear headphone at a budget price, look no further. I have multiple pairs of headphones ranging from over the ear wired (Sennheiser, Audio-Technica) to blue tooth noise cancelling (Bose, Sony) and have enjoyed them all for the variety in sound and pleasure they can provide. I picked up the FT-1 due to the many glowing reviews I watched and read and I must say these do not disappoint. I had a few hour listening session (Sturgill Simpson, Steely Dan, Rolling Stones, Beatles) to go through a variety of my favorite artists and loved the sounds I heard.These are closed back, so the soundstage is a little condensed, but there is good separation in the instruments and vocals. I guess to use some subjective terms, I felt like the sound was warm (not really overly bass heavy as I had heard described), clear, and intimate.I found the build to be solid and fairly sturdy. The cups are comfortable and even after a couple hours I was still comfortable with them on.I am not crazy about the term "good for the money" but this is a quality product at a great price. If you are looking to upgrade your headphone "game" or a budding "audiophile" you should consider these headphones.

This is an excellent headphone. I mostly listen to pop music on my ipod. The music comes from various sources such as scratchy LPs, cds, cassette tapes, etc.. So the sound quality varies. I can honestly say I have never heard my music more clearly and fully than with the Fiios. I'm just amazed at the full soundstage and the clarity of voices and instruments. Everything is very "musical". I own a lot of different headphones but I refused to spend over $150 on any of them. Ok, so I got what I paid for in sound quality: most good, some very good. However, I splurged and spend $160 (before shipping) on these Fiios. I must admit the added cost was worth every penny. If you are thinking of buying a "budget" set of headphones, I whole heartily recommend the Fiio FT1. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. They are easy to power, are very comfortable, and include two cables and a very nice storage box. I am very happy with these and highly recommend them for pop music of all types: rock, folk and reggae. Buy and enjoy.