FiiO FT15

The FT15 is an open-back planar-magnetic headphone that builds on FiiO's FT5. Its 101 mm driver has an ultra-thin 800 nm diaphragm with a full diamond coating, and a magnet system that FiiO shaped to push evenly on the whole diaphragm surface to keep distortion low; FiiO describes the result as deep bass with a warm, natural sound. Open-back means the cups let sound through in both directions, so it sounds airy but you hear the room and people nearby hear your music: it is made for listening at home, not for the train or the office. At 24 Ω and 95 dB/mW FiiO designed it to be easy to drive, also from portable players and compact DAC/amps. The cups are North American black walnut on a carbon headband, the whole headphone weighs 425 g, and it comes with suede pads fitted plus a set of protein-leather pads, which FiiO says change both comfort and sound. The detachable 6N monocrystalline copper cable ends in a balanced 4.4 mm plug, with adapters to 6.35 mm and 4-pin XLR in the box.

• 101 mm planar driver, diamond-coated 800 nm diaphragm
• Open-back, 24 Ω, 95 dB/mW
• 4.4 mm cable with 6.35 mm and XLR-4 adapters