I test headphones for a living and these are my favorite audiophile open-backs under $120

I don’t know how it’s possible, but FiiO just keeps making some of the best headphones I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting on my ears. How? How does this unassuming (not to mention budget) brand keep hitting it out of the park?

At just $199/£104, the JT7 are some of the cheapest open-back planar magnetic headphones I’ve ever seen — but there’s no way you’d be able to tell. The headphones handle every note with skill, whether that’s the energetic, clean bass, melodic, mellifluous treble, or the vivacious midrange. Everything sounds fun.

If you want to bring joy into your home listening sessions without breaking the bank, I recommend the Fiio JT7 wholeheartedly. For the full story, keep reading this FiiO JT7 review.

FiiO JT7 review: Specs

FiiO JT7 review: Price & availability

The FiiO JT7 are $119 on Amazon U.S. and $129 on HiFi Go. In the U.K., you’re looking at £104 on Amazon U.K., and £96 on HiFi Go.

This makes them the cheapest open-back planar headphones I’ve ever tested. I won’t go as far to say they’re the cheapest open-back planar headphones on the market, because I can’t say for certain, but they are the cheapest I’ve personally seen — so take from that what you will.

I’ve also tested the FiiO JT3 ($69) and FT13 ($329), which are two other “stepping-stone” options for new audiophiles. The JT3 are mind-blowingly affordable — and good — while the FT13 are more suited for those with a little more dough to spare. However, neither of these options are open-back.

You could also check out the highly recommended Philips SHP9500 ($99), which don’t have planar magnetic drivers but do have an open-back design, or the Sennheiser HD599 ($151), which are widely regarded as some of the best cheap open-back headphones available.

FiiO JT7 review: Design

Considering the JT7 are just $119, I was surprised by the high-quality build. Of course, you’re looking at a predominantly plastic construction, but you can’t expect all-metal for this price.

The ear cups are soft, with a pliable yet dense, almost memory-foam-like feeling, and there’s a pleasant-enough velvet padding on the metal headband.

I will say that the drivers are covered by a thin mesh, stockings-like material, which was a little disappointing. But, alas, these headphones are just $119! The lady doth complain too much.

Comfort

At 11.2 ounces, they’re a little heavy and uncomfortable to wear for longer periods. If you have a sensitive head, I’d recommend the 8.4-ounce Sennheiser HD650S.

The aforementioned FiiO JT3 have a goofy-looking but functional weight-bearing metal headband, which, again, I’d recommend if you have a sensitive head — it’ makes them more comfortable than the JT7 over longer periods. Sure, the JT3 are closed-backs, but they still sound awesome for just $70.

The JT7 ear cups are extremely pleasant to wear. I didn’t feel my ears getting hot, they didn’t rub my skin, and the overall softness made me feel like my ears were being embraced. One last note: I have quite a small head, and even on the smallest fit setting, the cups slid a little too far down my face. This likely won’t be an issue for people with normal head sizes.

Controls

As the JT7 are analog headphones, don’t expect the type of touch controls you’d find on the Sony WH-1000XM6 ($549) or Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($449). Controls are basic… in that there are none. You’ll need to control playback via your DAC or playback device.

Connectivity

I’m sensing a theme here, but, as the JT7 are analog headphones, the only connectivity type is wired. The headphones come with a 3.5mm cable, a 4.4mm cable, and a 6.35mm (¼ inch) jack.

Obviously, all you have to do to get set up is connect the headphones to your output device, whether that be a DAC or your phone/computer. I used the JT7 with my MacBook Air M2 and the FiiO K11 DAC.

FiiO JT7 review: Sound quality

Now, let’s get into the good stuff. To test the JT7, I listened to music via Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles.

As the JT7 are open-back headphones, if you go into them expecting Bluetooth/lifestyle audio quality, you will be both confused and disappointed. The drivers are exposed to the air, and therefore offer a widened soundscape, letting external noise leak in for a naturalistic “live” sound. This is a feature, not a bug.

As soon as I put the JT7 on my head, all I thought was, “Darn, these are fun.” The bass response is energetic and fierce, without overpowering the melodic treble and nimble mids. Instrument separation and expansiveness is one of the JT7’s standouts: every instrument is layered deftly, even subtle effects like plucking guitars or breaths are clear and vibrant. Everything sounded fantastic.

I played ‘I’ll Stick Around’ by Foo Fighters, from Mr. Grohl’s first LP in 1995. As this record is more of a home-recording-type album than a studio album, it has a natural grit and fuzz to it that came through really well in the JT7s. Grohl’s vocals leapt from growls to croons, and the grungey guitar ripped through the hazy soundstage, tying in the energetic percussion and the roaring voice. It sounded utterly phenomenal.

Next I played ‘Girl Feels Good’ by FKA Twigs, an electronic pop track with a Millennium-inspired grooving bassline and spiraling plucky synths. FKA Twigs’s vocals were clear and atmospheric, with gentle echo effects drifting across the soundscape. I heard some vibrating synth sound effects I’d never noticed before — and I’ve listened to this track hundreds of times.

‘Marrow’ by St Vincent is an avant-garde, sparse track built over Annie Clark’s soft vocals and discordant, grubby guitars. The song starts with pulsing, heartbeat-like synths — and I could literally feel the beats in my ears. As soon as the mucky guitar came in, these gentle synths were overpowered, but the song still sounded good, just a little less clear. Of course, you can’t expect perfection from $119 headphones, but this was the first (and only) moment I found myself disappointed by the sonic performance.

FiiO JT7 review: Verdict

Despite being a little too large for my head, I did not want to take the JT7 off. Every track sounded immersive, expansive, vivacious, alive. If you want to grin from ear to ear while listening to music, you have to try out the JT7.

Of course, there’s not quite as much clarity or width as you might get on, say, the Sennheiser HD560S, but these FiiO cans are literally $119. At half the price of the Sennheisers, however, the JT7 offers over double the performance.

For audiophiles on a budget, or wannabe audiophiles looking for their first pair of open-ears, you won’t be disappointed by the JT7. I know I wasn’t.