FiiO FT13 Closed-Back Headphones - BLACK (Box opened)

The FiiO FT13 is a closed-back headphone with earcups carved from purpleheart, a hard South American wood whose light brown colour slowly matures into a deep purplish red. After the success of its FT1 wooden headphones, FiiO went looking for new woods and found this “purple treasure” of the rainforest. Inside is a large 60mm driver with a wool-composite birch-fibre diaphragm, closed-back isolation of up to 26dB, a Furukawa copper and silver-plated copper cable with swappable plugs, and two sets of earpads. At 32Ω and 113dB/Vrms it is easy to drive from a phone, tablet or laptop.

Naturally magical purpleheart

Purpleheart has been used for instruments and furniture since the 1920s. After its long journey from South America, the wood arrives in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, where it is stabilised in a hot kiln and precisely cut, then aged for 90 days in a dark room to “brew” its wine-like colour. Each piece is then selected, CNC-carved, and repeatedly sanded, polished and filled before a final high-gloss lacquer lets the grain shine through, so every pair is one of a kind. The colour comes from natural oxidation, not dye, and keeps deepening with light and air over time. Far denser and harder than ordinary woods, purpleheart resists corrosion and keeps resonance out of the cups for a faster, cleaner sound.

A large 60mm driver

Like the FT1, the FT13 has a 60mm dynamic driver, a size almost unheard of in its class. The large driver produces more power and converts electrical signals into sound more efficiently, for less distortion, quicker transients and deeper, more powerful bass.

A wool-composite birch-fibre diaphragm

The diaphragm is made from birch grown in Europe’s cold climates, whose hard, strong fibres let FiiO tune its stiffness precisely; it is several times harder than the spruce in the FT1. Using the same paper-making process as the FT1, over 100 years old and still used across hi-fi, the wood is soaked, steamed and beaten into pulp; carbon fibre is added for rigidity and less break-up, improving treble detail, and wool fibres add natural flexibility for a warm, engaging and emotionally rich sound. It is baked and moulded to just 0.1mm.

W-shaped diaphragm and a large CCAW voice coil

Inspired by speaker cones, the W-shaped diaphragm has 25.8% more effective vibrating area than typical headphone diaphragms. Its large, hard dome is driven directly by the voice coil, losing less energy in transfer and reducing break-up distortion, for higher efficiency. The 25mm Japanese CCAW voice coil, wound from 0.035mm wire on a lightweight KSV former, keeps the moving mass low for fast response and less reverberation, while the long coil wire adds driving force, a richer midrange and quicker transients. An angled driver and conical deflector reduce standing waves for a clearer, more focused soundstage.

Closed back: twice the isolation

On top of the closed wooden cups, a standing-wave dissipation chamber, sound-absorbing cotton in the rear cavity and a U-shaped tube cut everyday noise by up to 26dB, in FiiO’s tests twice the 13dB of comparable closed-back hi-fi headphones, and little sound leaks out, so the FT13 suits commuting, offices, libraries and dorms. The U-shaped damping tube also uses the air inside the cup to lower its resonant frequency, for deeper, higher-quality bass.

Easy to drive

With a 32Ω impedance, 113dB/Vrms (98dB/mW) sensitivity and a 7Hz–40kHz response, the FT13 sounds great from everyday phones, tablets and PCs, without expensive or complex gear, and it handles up to 2,000mW. It is Hi-Res Audio certified.

An upgraded Furukawa cable with swappable plugs

The 1.5m cable is braided from 8 strands holding 1,000 conductors: 500 secondary-refined Furukawa monocrystalline copper and 500 silver-plated oxygen-free copper, 17AWG per polarity. It connects with dual 3.5mm plugs, and four interchangeable ends suit every source: a 3.5mm plug for everyday devices, a 4.4mm balanced plug for more drive, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter for instruments and amps, and a 4.4mm to XLR-4 adapter for professional desktop gear.

Two sets of earpads

Both pairs have skin-friendly, breathable, durable covers over low-density, slow-rebound memory foam, more comfortable and durable than the artificial leather of typical headphones. Natural lambskin (fitted) is velvety, breathable, sweat-resistant and easy to clean, with detailed treble, a clean midrange and quick bass. Suede is cool and breathable and brings more bass, richer vocals and more atmosphere.

Magnesium alloy headband and three-axis fit

The U-shaped outer frame is light, strong magnesium alloy, with a premium ball-bearing slider for a smooth, precise adjustment (38mm of travel), stronger pivots and a soft lambskin headband pad. The three-axis swivel (45° vertically, 35° horizontally) adapts to different head shapes for comfort and a seal without leakage. Earcup pressure is 4.2N.

FT13 or FT1?

Compared with the FT1, the FT13 brings three major upgrades: a harder birch diaphragm with carbon fibre for more resolving treble, a Furukawa and silver-plated copper cable with more and better conductors, and better comfort from a lighter magnesium headband and more breathable, durable pads.

Good to know

• Purpleheart darkens naturally with light and air, so your pair’s colour will deepen over time.
• Prefer the original? See the FiiO FT1 with walnut or beech cups. Spare velvet earpads for the FT13 are available.
• In the box: cable with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs (4.4mm fitted), 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, 4.4mm to XLR-4 adapter, lambskin pads (fitted), suede pads, Yaoli linen storage bag, pouch and cleaning cloth.