The JT7 is a foldable full size planar magnetic open-back headphone from FiiO’s sub-brand Jade, which is reserved for more affordable products.
MAIN TAKEAWAY
- Lightweight
- Foldable
- Neutral-to-bright tuning
- Tight, detailed bass
- Impressive value
The JT7 is built around a proprietary 95 x 86 mm planar magnetic driver with an ultra-thin 3 µm diaphragm. Three microns equals 0.003 mm, making it approximately 15 to 30 times thinner than a human hair.
The JT7 features a double-sided magnet planar magnetic driver, which means that there are magnets on each side of the diaphragm. This is the way planar magnetic headphones used to be made, but for weight reasons manufacturers started making single-sided drivers. Today, however, magnets can be made so strong and light that double-sided drivers can be lightweight. The JT7 is the lightest double-sided magnet headphone I have held in my hands.
Another interesting thing with the JT7 is that the diaphragm uses FiiO’s Elastic System tech (FES), which is a sort of array of mini folds that can be stretched while the diaphragm moves.
FiiO JADE JT7 SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Open-back headphones
- Driver type: planar magnetic
- Driver size: 95x86mm planar magnetic
- Impedance: 18 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 92 dB/mW@1kHz = 109 dB/Vrms@1kHz
- Frequency response: 7Hz-40kHz
- Cables: 2 x 1.5m
- Headphone connector: Dual 3.5mm TRS
- Cable Termination jack: 1 x 3.5mm and 1 x 4.4mm
- Adapter plug: 3.5mm to 6.35mm
- Cable material: High-purity oxygen-free copper
- Colour: Black
- Weight: 318g (excluding cable)
Current price and availability:
Disclaimer: We were sent the review item in exchange for an honest review
BUILD AND COMFORT
I am very impressed by the design and build of the JT7. It is very lightweight for a full-fledged planar magnetic headphone. It is also impressively foldable, and I was very surprised when I received them. The box is very small. You can really fold these headphones up to take very little space.
I find the headband very comfortable, with a dual pad system that puts the pressure on each side of the top of your head, not creating a single hotspot like many headphones do. The headband pads are a very soft with memory foam
The earpads are also very comfortable. They are “hybrid pads”—memory foam with breathable fabric on the face and fenestrated pleather on the inside and outside. This is good for breathability, but as I will come back to, it might not be optimal for getting the absolute best sound experience.
Luckily, both the earpads and the headband pads are replaceable, and pad swapping is easy because FiiO has thankfully chosen to go for the standard lip-and-groove attachment system for the JT7 pads, making the headphones compatible with a wide range of third-party pads, as well as FiiO’s own pads designed for the FT1 and FT1 Pro – which I have not tried but should fit perfectly.
Pad rolling can have very positive effects on the sound and is a great way to fine-tune the sound characteristics and comfort to your liking. Further, you are not dependent on FiiO to get replacements in the future in case they stop making them.
There are two 1.5m cables included, one with a 3.5mm jack, the other with a “balanced” 4.4mm jack. There’s a simple 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter included. If you want to use 4-pin XLR amplifiers you need an extra adapter (like FiiO LX-4.4M) – or you can swap the cables with standard cables that have 3.5 mm on the headphone end. The “universal” 3.5mm connectors are also practical if you want a longer cable.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
- DAC/AMP Ferrum Erco mk2
Rambling Man by Laura Marling
The tuning is well balanced and neutral, with clear vocals and good instrument separation. When the music becomes busy, the JT7 is not as crystal clear as it is in less crowded passages, but this is not unexpected at this price point.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
Here as well, the tuning is very neutral, with very clear vocals and good instrument separation. The bass is good in quality but rather polite in its presence.
Almost Like the Blues by Leonard Cohen
The bass is nicely bold and smooth at the same time, though a bit polite. Vocals are beautiful and very clear, with a pleasing sense of warmth and roundedness.
Jambi by Tool
The guitars have a lot of texture, they are more crisp than warm but still rather smooth. Vocals are clear without sibilance, which many earphones exhibit here. The bass drums and bass guitar have a rather polite presence, though, these are no basshead headphones.
Bored by Deftones
Also here, there is a textured, smooth crispness. The JT7 are neutral but not dry sounding.
As Before by Olga Konkova
The cajón drum has a good sense of punch, while the piano is clear yet smooth, not overly crisp as many headphones can render it. Vocals are velvety and delicate.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The bass is smooth and controlled, with sufficient presence without being overwhelming. Vocals take center stage, clear and forward yet slightly smooth. There is some sibilance, but nothing unusual.
Escape Route by Boris Blank
Very nice, there’s great articulation of instruments combined with a nice smoothness. It’s tight and dynamic, but in a rounded slightly warm way rather than crisp and dry.
Spontaneous Compositorius by Thomas Agergard
The saxophone sounds rich and smooth. The bright percussion is not laid-back; it can be sharp at times but is not piercing or harsh, with very good resolution. The bass is neutral, leaning slightly toward the warmer side.
Make Noise by Greene Serene
I love this dynamic jazz quartet. The JT7 delivers a punchy and snappy sound, with a pleasant smoothness without feeling laid-back.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The string timbre is slightly bright. The mids are smooth, while the treble can be sharp at times, giving the overall sound a combination of smoothness and brightness. It gives a sense of texture and bite rather than a laid back feel.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
It is smooth with a slightly bright character, offering good instrument separation and a very high level of detail for its price. Impressive.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
The Jade Audio JT7 has a neutral-to-bright sound signature but with a relatively smooth character.
Treble
The treble is somewhat bright but detailed and controlled.
Midrange
The midrange is neutral in a slightly smooth way, with good presence and nuance.
Bass
The bass quantity is on the lighter side, which is rather typical for planar magnetics: Neutral presence but high quality with excellent extension (no roll-off). There are rich textures but also a nice smoothness. In other words, the quality is great but don’t expect thunderous bass without using EQ.
Soundstage and Imaging
The sound stage is open and airy, the imaging is very impressive – especially at this price point.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
Mostly, the detail level is very impressive for such modestly priced headphones, but things can get a bit congested when the music is very busy and complex. However, as I will come back to, I experienced that certain different pads could fix this, making it an acoustic issue and not a driver issue.
Dynamics are good but not spectacular, which is typical for planar magnetics.
The timbre has a bright tint, but still feels quite smooth.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
FiiO FT1 PRO vs JADE JT7
The FT1 Pro is the JT7’s closest sibling; both are made by FiiO. They boast about the JT7 benefiting from trickle-down technology, and the FT1 Pro is likely the main source of the “trickling.” The FT1 Pro currently costs around 199 USD.
When I compare the two, I mainly find them to be different not so much in technical performance but more in tonality and tonal character. The FT1 Pro has a thicker and weightier delivery of the music reproduction, which I like.
I have written a full comparison review, which can be found here:
JADE JT3 vs JT7
The JT3 is another of the JT7’s siblings. It’s a dynamic driver headphone costing around $70 USD, and it sounds very different from the JT7. It’s generally darker, punchier, and less revealing.
Again, I’ve written a full comparison review to be found here:
SENNHEISER HD560S vs JADE JT7
The HD560S is a 199 USD dynamic driver headphone which is a reference among sub-200 USD headphones. It’s got several great qualities, especially a warmer and often more natural sounding mid-range compared to the brighter and crisper JT7. However, the JT7 consistently provides better bass, a larger soundstage, and more precise imaging.
Again, you can read my full comparison review here:
- Amazon: HD560S
HIFIMAN HE400SE vs JADE JT7
The Hifiman HE400SE is a widely celebrated, affordable planar magnetic headphone priced just below the JT7. When I compared the two, I found the HE400SE to sound darker and fuller, the stock JT7 crisper and brighter. Technicalities were close.
You can read my full comparison here – where I also explore alternative pads for the JT7:
- Amazon: Hifiman HE400SE
- AliExpress: Hifiman HE400SE
BETTER SOUNDING PADS FOR THE JADE JT7?
When I am not totally on board with the sound signature of a headphone, I always want to try out different pads. Ear pads are a very big part of your “listening room” when you listen to headphones, and they can have a huge effect either positively or negatively.
The stock pads on the Jade JT7 are fenestrated on the inside and the outside, with a mesh fabric on the face. This is good for breathability but might not be ideal for the sound. Those fenestration holes often have a relatively bm large effect, especially if the foam is fluffy. The fenestration holes leak bass. Various surface materials and foam materials also reflect sound differently.
I always have a box full of pads available to try out on headphones in cases like this, and I chose to try two different types of pads. With some experience, you tend to get a feel for what pad type might be beneficial to which headphone.
First, I tried some circular sheepskin pads compatible with Fostex TH-900 (brand: Accessory House Global). They sounded very good, and to me they were a substantial improvement over the stock pads. The sound is smoother than the stock pads without losing detail, rather the detail level is increased. The soundstage gets a bit smaller, but that comes with losing brightness.
Encouraged by the success with the leather pads, I then moved on to try some Brainwavz oval micro suede pads. The fit is a bit tight, but when you get them on it works fine. If you have a larger head, you might consider the circular XL pads. They protrude a bit from the cups, but the lip creates a good seal and it looks good.
Anyway, the sound with the micro suede pads is great, much like the sheepskin pads but a tad warmer. As above, that change in character happens without losing detail, rather the opposite.
Here are links to the pads mentioned:
- Amazon: Sheepskin pads by Accessory House Global (AHG)
- Amazon: oval micro suede pads or XL micro suede pads (circular) by Brainwavz
As mentioned, when I conducted my comparison of the JT7 to the HiFiMAN HE400SE, I used the opportunity to also thoroughly and systematically compare the pad options, using the HE400SE as a listening reference.
You can read more about my pad rolling impressions in the article below.
FiiO JADE JT7 Pad Rolling + HIFIMAN HE400SE Comparison
CONCLUSION
The JT7 is an impressive headphone. The design and build quality are superb, and the foldable construction is excellent.
The bass is tight and impressively detailed, the midrange is clear, slightly forward, and somewhat bright. The treble is also a bit bright but remains clean without becoming sharp. The soundstage is large, with excellent imaging.
For the price, it is already very good in stock form, but not perfect. After some pad rolling, I was able to make it slightly warmer, smoother, and cleaner, turning it into an unbeatable option at this price point.
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