FiiO FT13 (black)

The FT13 is a closed-back headphone from FiiO's wooden series, with cups of purpleheart, a hard South American wood that FiiO kiln-stabilises, ages for 90 days and lacquers; because the wood is so dense, FiiO says it also reduces resonance inside the cups. Closed-back means the cups are sealed: you hear little of your surroundings (FiiO quotes up to 26 dB less everyday noise, helped by a U-shaped damping tube and sound-absorbing cotton) and little of your music leaks out, so it also works in an office, a library or on the go. Inside is a large 60 mm dynamic driver with a W-shaped diaphragm made like a speaker's paper cone, from European birch pulp with carbon fibre and wool, which FiiO describes as natural and warm. At 32 Ω and 98 dB/mW FiiO made it for phones, tablets and laptops without an extra amplifier, and the cable has swappable 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm plugs plus adapters to 6.35 mm and XLR-4 for home gear. The braided 1.5 m cable combines Furukawa monocrystalline copper with silver-plated copper, and you get lambskin pads (fitted) and suede pads, which FiiO says sound clearer and fuller respectively. This is the black version; FiiO makes the FT13 with natural-wood or black purpleheart cups.

• 60 mm dynamic driver, wood-fibre diaphragm
• Closed-back purpleheart cups, 32 Ω
• 3.5/4.4 mm plugs, 6.35 mm and XLR-4 adapters