FiiO has officially launched the FT15, its new $499 open-back planar magnetic headphone and successor to the FT5. The headline changes include a substantially thinner diaphragm, larger driver, lower weight and enough manufacturing terminology to make a semiconductor engineer feel strangely at home in a headphone article.
The interesting part for us is that we have already heard them.
eCoustics contributor James Fiorucci spent time with the FT15 at CanJam London 2026, when FiiO was still calling it a forthcoming model and final specifications had not been released. Now we know exactly what FiiO was hiding underneath those walnut ear cups.
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What Changed From the FiiO FT5?
The FT15 uses a 101mm planar magnetic driver, up from 90mm in the FT5, with an effective radiating area of 6,443.5mm². FiiO says that represents a 35% increase in active diaphragm area and is intended to improve bass authority and soundstage scale.
The bigger engineering story is the diaphragm itself. FiiO has reduced its thickness from 6 microns in the FT5 to just 800 nanometers, an 86.7% reduction, before applying a full-surface diamond coating designed to increase rigidity and suppress high-frequency breakup. FiiO claims extension to 40kHz, which should keep both the Hi-Res Audio certification people and neighborhood bats satisfied.
A patented dual-sided magnet array works with a 28nm electroplated voice coil, while 95dB/mW sensitivity and 24-ohm impedance are intended to make the FT15 manageable with portable players and competent dongle DACs rather than requiring a power amplifier normally reserved for starting farm equipment.
FiiO has also trimmed the finished weight to 425 grams and uses a carbon-fiber headband with North American FAS-grade black walnut around the ear cups.
We Heard the FT15 at CanJam London
Specifications are useful, but we had the advantage of hearing the FT15 before FiiO finished filling in the spreadsheet.
James found the prototype largely balanced, open and easy to listen to, with treble that remained airy without becoming immediately aggressive. His reservation concerned macrodynamics: the FT15 did not deliver the same physical punch or dramatic contrast as some of the stronger planar designs he heard at the show.
That was a show-floor audition rather than a controlled review, so consider it an early impression rather than the final word. It does, however, make FiiO’s claims of a warmer, more relaxed presentation somewhat more interesting than the usual launch-day adjectives written by people who have not actually put the headphones on their heads.
FiiO FT15 Specifications
- Type: Open-back planar magnetic
- Driver: 101mm planar
- Diaphragm: 800nm with full-surface diamond coating
- Effective radiating area: 6,443.5mm²
- Impedance: 24 ohms
- Sensitivity: 95dB/mW
- Claimed high-frequency extension: 40kHz
- Weight: 425g
- Headband: Carbon fiber
- Ear cups: North American FAS-grade black walnut
- Cable: 6N monocrystalline copper, cryogenically treated
- Connection: 4.4mm balanced
- Adapters: 6.35mm and 4-pin XLR
- Earpads: Suede and protein leather
- Case: Yaoli linen storage case
- Price: $499
- Availability: Shipping internationally in stages through FiiO and authorized dealers
The Competition
The Audeze MM-100 ($399) features 90mm planar drivers with a more reference-oriented presentation aimed partly at studio users. It is also built like something designed to survive an argument with a road case.
Then there is the HiFiMAN Edition XV ($399), one of our Editors’ Choice models, which offers a warmer and smoother take on the traditional HiFiMAN sound with a 452g chassis and unusually easy-going treble for the brand.
That leaves the FT15 entering an extremely competitive part of the planar market at $499. FiiO is betting that larger drivers, lower weight, easier drivability and a less aggressive tonal balance will justify the premium.
The Bottom Line
The FiiO FT15 looks like considerably more than an FT5 with nicer wood attached. FiiO has reworked the diaphragm, enlarged the driver and reduced the weight while keeping the headphone friendly to portable amplification.
Our brief listen in London suggested FiiO has also resisted the temptation to turn all of that engineering into an overly bright detail microscope. Whether the final production version improves on the restrained macrodynamic punch we noticed at the show will require a proper review.
At $499, it certainly has competition. It also no longer has the luxury of being judged as FiiO’s first serious planar experiment.
Where to Buy
Related Reading:
- FiiO FT7 Review: Can $699 Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphones Really Compete With The Heavyweights?
- FiiO Launches Super Affordable JT3 And JT7 Open-Back Headphones And BR15 Bluetooth Receiver
- FiiO FT1 Pro Open-Back Headphones Review: Shaking Up The Entry-Level Category For $200
- The Best Headphones From CanJam London 2026
