I just tested audiophile brand FiiO’s first-ever gaming headset — and for just $69, it ticks almost all the boxes

It was only a matter of time before FiiO, known for making some of the best headphones for audiophiles on a budget, entered the gaming headset market — and the FiiO FG3 is almost a triumph. Priced at just $69, the FG3 is mighty cheap. It’s also comfortable, and its wired-only plug-and-play design makes it compatible with a range of consoles and devices. You also get extensive customization and finetuned EQ presets, too.

But there’s some room for improvement. Though it boasts good mic performance and it’s great for listening to music, the FG3’s default sound profile sounds muddy and needs tweaking. Build quality isn’t the best either, and the wired-only design might not be for everyone.

Is it still the best cheap gaming headset for you? Read my full FiiO FG3 review to find out.

FiiO FG3 review: Specs

FiiO FG3 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? FiiO’s first-ever gaming headset with a wired-only design
• Who is it for? Gamers on a tight budget
• How much does it cost? The FiiO FG3 is available for $69 / £69
• What do we like? The comfortable fit, EQ presets that work well, useful DAC with in-line controls, mic performance, and more
• What don’t we like? The default sound profile (it’s muddy) and the subpar build quality

FiiO FG3 review: The ups

From its comfortable design and useful DAC with onboard controls, to the immersive in-game audio and Hi-Res Audio certification, the FiiO FG3 gives you almost everything you need.

Very comfortable

FiiO has nailed it in the comfort department, as the FG3 is extremely comfortable for all-day wear. At just 11.1oz, the FG3 is lighter than the likes of the Cherry XTRFY H3 ($99, 11.46oz). While it’s slightly heavier than the PowerA LucidSound LS500 ($69, 9.34oz) and the Logitech G325 Lightspeed ($79, 7.47oz), the FG3 doesn’t feel unwieldy. It hits the sweet spot.

Aiding the FG3’s comfort factor are its woven mesh fabric ear cushions which are highly breathable and sweat-resistant. Having worn the headset for seven consecutive hours, I can confirm that I haven’t felt any discomfort or pooling of sweat, and my ears haven’t overheated either. The earpads are swappable, too, in case they get damaged. I also love how spacious the earcups are, and the headset features spot-on clamp force without making it feel like there’s pressure on your temples or head.

Similar to the FiiO JT7 ($119), the FG3’s stainless steel headband features velvet-like padded cloth that helps relieve pressure you might otherwise feel on the top of your head.

Useful DAC with onboard controls

Alongside manufacturing some fantastic audiophile headphones, FiiO has a growing range of wallet-friendly DACs too, and it’s no surprise that the FG3 features a USB DAC. Featuring a USB-C connector and accompanied by a USB-A adapter for plugging into consoles or PCs, the FG3’s DAC connects to the headset’s 3.5mm plug. It supports up to 192KHz/24-bit sampling rates, powers the dual drivers (more on that shortly) cleanly, and drives the dual-core digital signal processing (DSP) chip for virtual 7.1 surround sound.

In addition to that, the USB DAC also stores custom equalizer settings and profiles, so it’s pretty much a necessity. It functions as the headset’s inline controls, too, so you can swap between profiles using the ‘M’ button, mute the mic, and adjust the FG3’s volume. An LED indicator on the DAC lights up in different colors to indicate the active EQ profile. Easy to understand, and just as straightforward to use.

User-friendly web-based app

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The FiiO FG3 offers extensive customization via FiiO Control Web, a web-based companion app with a clean, user-friendly interface. You get extensive control over the 10-band parametric equalizer, which you can adjust to your liking and then save as a custom profile onto the DAC. There are four EQ presets to choose from, too, such as Action, MOBA, FPS and MUG — the fourth is for rhythm games.

Virtual 7.1 surround sound is baked into the Action preset so you’ll need to switch to it if you want 360° sound. It’s also built into the Cinema mode, designed for watching movies. In addition to this, you can adjust the boom mic’s volume and sidetone, too.

Great for most game genres

The FiiO FG3 utilizes a coaxial dual-driver setup comprising a 50mm dynamic driver for lows and mids, and a 16mm driver for highs. The FG3 covers a frequency response range of 10Hz to 40KHz, so on paper, it reproduces the softest of footsteps and the loudest of explosions.

In practice? The sound quality is hit or miss, but let’s talk about the good things first. To test the FG3, I played Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on my PS5 Slim, and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Alienware 16X Aurora. The FG3 does well to reproduce ambient and environmental sound effects, especially with the AAA-inspired Action EQ preset enabled.

In Black Flag Resynced, I felt fully immersed when sailing the seas as I could hear waves crashing against my ship’s sides, as well as my vessel’s creaking. Directional audio worked well here. I could hear my shipwright speaking to my left and my quartermaster answering to my right.

Similarly, in Expedition 33, my footsteps sounded textured, and the difference between walking on petals and in shallow water was apparent. Dialogues sounded loud and clear through the FG3 and the words didn’t bleed into one another. I also love that the headset remains distortion-free regardless of the volume you’re playing at. The operatic soundtrack in Expedition 33 didn’t sound scratchy at all when listening to it at the highest volume — though you shouldn’t as doing so can damage your hearing.

I also tested the FPS EQ preset which emphasizes footsteps by playing a couple hours of Cyberpunk 2077. I was impressed with the high-frequency tuning for positional cues, and I was able to accurately pinpoint the enemies’ locations when infiltrating their camps. The FG3, then, works best when using specific EQs for specific titles.

Good for listening to music, too

Even though it’s a gaming headset, FiiO has added its HiFi expertise to the FG3 which is Hi-Res Audio certified. It can transmit and reproduce high-resolution digital audio formats with its 192KHz/24-bit sampling rate. With its HiFi and gaming chops, the FG3 is similar to the Edifier G5 Max ($149) but costs a fraction of the price.

I tested the FG3’s streaming capabilities by listening to my favorite tunes on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles. The intricate guitar work in Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’ sounded impressively clear, with every note having enough room to shine. Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey’s vocals in ‘Born to Die’ felt beautifully textured, and the treble sounded vibrant but never fatiguing. As for the lows, the bassline in ‘The Intro’ by The xx had plenty of warmth to it, and it felt tight and controlled throughout.

However, it’s worth noting that the default EQ for music — called ‘HiFi’ — makes music sound slightly muffled and distant. I switched to the flat profile through the web-based companion app (more on that shortly) and it made a world of difference.

Listen along to my review with the FiiO FG3 testing playlist:

Clear boom mic

The FiiO FG3 comes with a detachable boom mic which works well in real-world use. It features environmental noise cancelation (ENC), designed to eliminate ambient sounds and external disturbances — and it works as intended.

I recorded myself speaking with nothing else playing in the background, and you can hear the clip above. Sibilant — “t” and “s” sounds — are clear and don’t sound hissy, while plosives — “p” and “t” sounds — are clean and don’t pop.

To test the mic’s ENC, I played a YouTube video at about 70% volume in the background, and you can’t really hear it in the clip above. My voice is front and center which is what you’d expect from a decent gaming headset. The FG3’s mic performance feels on par with the Asus ROG Pelta’s ($129).

Competitively priced

Given everything I’ve mentioned so far, the FiiO FG3 feels like great value for money, as it’s priced competitively. The FG3 has a retail price of $69 at Amazon U.S. / £69 at FiiO U.K. — so it costs the same as the PowerA LucidSound LS500 ($69) and is slightly cheaper than the Logitech G325 Lightspeed ($79) and the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 ($99).

While the FG3 is pricier than the Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II ($49), it’s worth spending the extra $20 for Hi-Res Audio and low-key design.

FiiO FG3 review: The downs

Though it’s good, the FiiO FG3’s default sound profile sounds muddy, the headset has a plasticky build, and its wired-only design might not be for everyone.

Default sound profile needs tweaking

The hallmark of a great headset is that it sounds fantastic straight out of the box. Unfortunately, that’s not true in the case of the FiiO FG3. Its default sound profile for video games sounds muddy at best. You need to play around with the equalizer to get the best possible sound as, without doing so, the bass lacks oomph and low-end impact, while treble sounds like it’s been toned down by a lot.

For instance, while I enjoyed exploring and sailing the seas in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, combat effects left a lot to be desired. What are usually high-pitched sounds of swords clashing sounded muted through the FG3. The iconic shing of the protagonist’s hidden blade was also missing, which broke my immersion. Similarly, in Cyberpunk 2077, bullets didn’t sound as sharp and loud as they usually do through, say, the Cherry XTRFY H3.

As for bass, with the default sound profile active, my magical attacks sounded hollow on impact in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I eventually fixed these issues by adjusting the equalizer, but it’s disappointing that you can’t just plug in the FG3 and start enjoying all it has to offer.

Subpar build quality

The FiiO FG3’s design and build are nothing to write home about. The build quality is subpar as the headset feels a little too plasticky and flimsy for my liking. There’s also a slight creaking sound when you swivel the earcups — but thankfully, it isn’t apparent when you simply move your head (unlike on the Logitech G325 Lightspeed).

Underwhelming build quality isn’t rare in this price range, and if you want a more premium-feeling headset, you’ll have to spend a little more on the likes of the Cherry XTRFY H3 or the Asus ROG Pelta.

Wired-only design

This is more of a pre-purchase consideration rather than an outright drawback: the FiiO FG3 is a wired-only gaming headset. It can be plugged into your console or PC via either the 3.5mm jack (0.7m long) or using the USB-C DAC (which increases the length to approximately 2.2m). The wired-only plug-and-play design offers multi-platform compatibility with the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, macOS and smartphones.

As I mentioned earlier, I tested the FG3 with the headset plugged directly into my PS5 Slim using the included DAC. The distance between my couch and TV is over 2.5 metres, so I had to sit on a chair closer to the TV to use the FG3. While you can plug the headset into the DualSense’s controller’s 3.5mm port, you’ll lose out on EQ presets and your custom profile (which is saved onboard the DAC). You’ll also miss out on high-resolution decoding, therefore resulting in a narrower soundstage and weaker dynamics.

If you want a wireless headset that’s more versatile, I’d recommend the PowerA LucidSound LS500 ($69) or the Logitech G325 Lightspeed ($79). Neither are Hi-Res Audio certified, though, and usually you need to spend around $150 for it, like on the Edifier G5 Max ($149).

FiiO FG3 review: Verdict

If you need a gaming headset that’s affordable, comfortable and features extensive EQ customization, the FiiO FG3 could be right up your alley. Its EQ presets are finetuned and make games sound great, while its mic performance is solid. The headset is extremely comfortable for all-day wear, and I love the included DAC with its in-line controls, too.

But the FG3’s default sound profile — for both video games and music streaming — sounds muddy and needs tweaking, which means you can’t use it straight out of the box. Build quality is nothing to write home about either, and the wired-only design may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

For its first gaming headset, FiiO has done a respectable job, and it has priced the headset just right, too. The FG3 ticks almost all the boxes, and with some tweaks, I think the brand could make the next one even better.