Fiio Gets Up In Grado’s Grille With Open-back Headphones – But These Have 90mm Drivers

Fiio’s had a perfect , simply see the language audio company’s superb new FT3 over-ears, BTR7 DAC and M15S hi-res audio participant for starters. And now, it is taking the struggle to Audeze and Grado through launching its first pair of over-ear open-back planar magnetic headphones. 

Now not content material with its fresh rollout of USB-C DACs to point up your glossy new iPhone 15, Fiio is dipping its decrease limbs even additional into audiophile territory with Fiio FT5, an inaugural pair of stressed, open-back headphones toting 90mm planar magnetic drivers.

The willing eyed will word that Audeze did exactly this in April, with the release of its MM-100 90mm PM headphones, costing $399. Fiio’s possibility? That’ll be $499 / £429 (which is round AU$820) however for that you’re getting a plethora of audio plugs (3.5mm singled-ended, 4.4mm and XLR balanced), interchangeable suede and leather-based earpads plus a top class silver-plated monocrystalline copper cable.

Need the short recap on planar magnetic tech? First off, assume flat as opposed to cone. PM drivers use a flat diaphragm, relatively than the standard cone-shaped or dome-shaped membrane liked through their dynamic opposite numbers. That is then sandwiched between an array of magnets to create an evenly-suspended diaphragm in between everlasting magnetic fields. Why is that higher? Planar magnetic drivers make the headphones that use them extraordinarily proof against quite a lot of forms of audio and digital distortion. When performed neatly, the upshot is extra detailed, clearer, higher track. 

You must admit, it is getting higher… 

So let’s get granular on how Fiio says it does it higher, beginning off with the ‘nanoscale diaphragm coating procedure’. Right here, the coils of the driving force are published onto the diaphragm the use of high-end era from the semiconductor trade.
This promotes a extra constant thickness and weight distribution. Why do we wish that? To generate (as you will have guessed) a extra constant and correct sound.

Following in depth trying out, FiiO’s engineering crew has designed the FT5 with 20 N52 neodymium magnets consistent with driving force too (sure, 20). 11 magnets are positioned at the inside the FT5’s planar magnetic driving force and 9 magnets are positioned at the outdoor – main to twenty magnets consistent with channel and 40 in overall for all of the headphone. The balanced placement of magnets it sounds as if guarantees the aluminum alloy coils are calmly allotted within the magnetic box, and it additionally lets in the driving force diaphragm to be balanced between the forces of the interior and outer magnets – ergo, constant motion of the driving force and diminished distortion, for the next constancy sound.

Fiio says probably the most issues it sought after to succeed in with its first pair of PM headphones is excessive sensitivity whilst staying simple to energy. To back off, planar magnetic headphones historically characteristic low-sensitivity, which means they are onerous to pressure – so a desktop headphone amplifier or a minimum of probably the most perfect transportable DACs is needed to pressure those multi-magnet cans to their complete attainable.

Ah, however the FT5 isn’t like a conventional planar magnetic headphone. Due to the excessive magnetic density of the ones 20 neodynium magnets (as much as 1.5T), the 6μm skinny diaphragm and that nano-level aluminum alloy coating era, the FT5’s driving force guarantees each lightness and energy, bearing in mind a excessive sensitivity of 110dB/1Vrms@1kHz i.e. 96dB/mW@1kHz. And if the ones are simply numbers it is OK; what Fiio’s pronouncing is that the FT5 can also be simply pushed through the perfect transportable hi-res audio gamers. 

The FT5 could also be open-backed and right here, Fiio says the rear of the driving force housing is punctiliously designed to behave as a baffle (just like the entrance of a speaker) to isolate sound waves within the entrance and rear of the driving force housing. Moreover, the grille of the FT5 is scientifically designed to keep an eye on and exactly boost up the air float when the driving force is transferring. The declare is treble answer unrivaled through dynamic driving force headphones, plus a large and huge soundstage to raised immerse you within the symphony.

Intriguing stuff, no? Or even at a slight price-hike over the aforementioned MM-100, Californian specialist (and new PlayStation emblem, however do not let that concern you) Audeze would possibly need to check out the new headphone hotness – as will UK open-back headphones specialist, Grado. Our perfect stressed headphones information is all the time searching for new entries… 

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