The FiiO FT7 is FiiO’s planar magnetic flagship featuring a large 106mm driver, carbon fiber housing, and a wooden grille. It was launched in the spring of 2025 and has a typical price of 699 USD.
The Egret is Sendy Audio’s flagship headphone. Sendy Audio is a sub-brand of Sivga, reserved for their higher end offerings. The Egret features a 98 x 84mm driver and walnut cups. It was launched in December 2025 and is typically priced around $799.
SENDY EGRET SPECIFICATIONS
- Open-back full-size headphones.
- Driver: Planar Magnetic
- Driver dimensions: 98 x 84 mm.
- Frequency response: 20Hz to 40kHz.
- Sensitivity: 95dB/mW
- Impedance: 24 Ohms
- Cable length: 1.8m
- Cable type: Detachable silver-plated copper
- Cable connectors: dual 3.5mm
- Cable termination: 4.4mm – Adapters to 3.5 and 6.35 mm jacks included
- High density black American walnut housing
- Leatherette storage box
- Weight: 443 g
Current price and availability:
- AliExpress: Sendy Egret
FiiO FT7 SPECIFICATIONS
- Open back full size headphones
- Driver: planar magnetic 106 mm
- Frequency response 5Hz-40kHz
- Impedance 25 Ohms ±15%
- Sensitivity: 94dB/mW
- Cable length: 3m
- Cable material: monocrystalline copper cable
- Headphone cable connector: Dual 3.5mm TS
- Cable termination plug: 4.4mm balanced with adapter to 6.35mm.
- Lambskin ear pads + fabric pads
- Linen storage bag
- Weight: 427g
Amazon: FiiO FT7
AliExpress: FiiO FT7
BUILD AND COMFORT
The Egret and the FT7 are similarly priced and both feature impressive build quality.
The FT7 has a carbon fiber headband arc with a soft padded headband strap. The cup rings are also carbon fiber, but the grilles are wood.
The Egret goes for more classic materials with a metal headband arc and leather headband strap. The cup rings are American black walnut, and the grilles are metal mesh.
Both headphones offer good swivel action. The FT7 comes with two different types of pads: sheepskin and fabric. The Egret only has one pair, which is a hybrid pad with textile towards your skin.
The FT7 has circular pads and uses a proprietary snap-on attachment design. If you want to use third-party pads, you must use gel tape or possibly get an adapter ring from FiiO.
The Egret uses oval, ergonomically shaped pads, which you might or might not like. It works well for me but fit is individual. The pads attach using the universal lip-and-groove system that most headphones use, making pad swapping easier.
Even though the FT7 uses a lot of carbon fiber, it is only 16 grams lighter than the Egret. The FT7 is larger and they feel different on the head, mostly because of the pads, but I find them both comfortable to wear.
Both headphones use 3.5mm connectors on the headphones and are compatible with most standard cables if you want to swap out the stock ones. However, both headphones come with excellent stock cables that are terminated with a 4.4mm plug. The FT7 cable length is around 3 meters, while the Egret’s cable is shorter at 1.8 meters. The FT7 cable is a bit stiff, while the Egret cable is very flexible.
FT7 PADS
The FT7 comes with two sets of pads: the pre-mounted pads are fenestrated sheepskin on the inside and outside but with full sheepskin on the face towards your skin. The extra pads have fabric on the outside and on the face towards your skin but with fenestrated leather on the inside.
Different pads always change the sound to a larger or smaller extent, and reviewing headphones that come with several pairs of pads is much like reviewing two distinct variations – or sometimes two very different sounding headphones.
I have chosen to use only the sheepskin pads for this review because I really like how the FT7 sounds with them. The presentation is more technical and open and spacious, but in a very nice way, still retaining smoothness and warmth.
The fabric pads generally offer a slightly warmer sound with more intimate mids, a bit fuller sounding bass, more relaxed treble, and a smaller soundstage with less spaciousness. In my upcoming separate review of the FT7, I will comment more on the differences, but so far I stick with the sheepskin as mentioned.
LISTENING COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Dancing in the Dark by Jørgen Dahl Moe
I adore this version of Bruce Springsteen’s classic. It’s so gentle and toned down. It sounds beautiful on the Egret: intimate and warm but full of detail.
The FT7 has less warmth but still enough, and a larger soundstage and better imaging. Both are great. The FT7 is more technical and neutral, while the Egret is maybe more “musical.”
Rolling Son by Medeski, Martin and Wood
The Egret has a thick, warm bass, the percussion is snappy. Even though the soundstage feels open, the presentation is intimate.
The FT7 has a more neutral feel and is more refined sounding but less upfront and immediate – there’s more distance to the music. The soundstage is larger and there is more space between instruments.
The FT7 puts you a few rows back. With the Egret it feels like you’re standing on the stage, for better or worse. It’s a matter of taste.
Terminal 7 by Tomasz Stanko
The FT7 has a nice slight warmth and is spacious and refined sounding. The Egret is thicker, richer, and more intimate. It brings you close to the musicians. Some will find it to be too close, while others will just lean back and enjoy.
Alt e bra by Building Instrument
For some reason, the difference in soundstage size is very small here, even though the Egret is still a bit more intimate. The bright percussion is a bit brighter with the FT7. I prefer the way it sounds on the Egret.
Golden Horn by Joe Lovano
The Egret is quite spacious sounding here, and the percussion in the intro has great imaging. When the saxophone, piano, and bass enter, things get more intimate. It has a warm musicality that is very enjoyable.
The FT7 is also both warm and musical sounding, but there’s much more space between the instruments, which gives a more distant experience in direct comparison. I feel the FT7 has a bit more refinement and is more laid back and more neutral than the very upfront Egret.
Slekter by Erlend Apneseth Trio
The FT7 is warm and crisp with excellent separation of instruments and a large soundstage. The Egret is more intimate but at the same time more open sounding. With the FT7, the listening room is limited, but there is very well defined space between the instruments. With the Egret, things are very open sounding, but the stage is smaller. The Egret feels like a small stage outside, while the FT7 is like a large stage but inside.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The Egret offers slightly thick but modest bass, delicate vocals, and intimate imaging.
The FT7 offers similar bass, the vocals are thinner and more distant, and there is, as always, more space between the instruments. The FT7 feels more refined and brings your attention to details and technicalities, while the Egret is more “musical.”
As Before by Olga Konkova
The Egret has a very intense and crisp piano sound here, while the FT7 is more delicate and smooth. Vocals are also crisper with the Egret.
Young Vivaldi by Modo Antiquo
The Egret is upfront, crisp, and energetic sounding. It’s a bit aggressive and sharp, but not really in a bad way. The FT7 sounds a bit more relaxed but also more refined, smoother, and more nuanced. It’s still upfront and energetic, but less so than the Egret.
Summer 3 Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
The FT7 is very refined, yet with bite and attack. Imaging and layering are impressive. The Egret has less detail, sounds less refined, and has less impressive imaging and layering. It’s still very enjoyable, but the FT7 is better here.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
In many ways, the sound signature is not that different between these two. Neither has huge bass or overly sharp treble. However, the Egret has somewhat more meaty bass, and the midrange, especially vocals and certain instruments, are often, but not always, very upfront compared to the more balanced and neutral sounding FT7.
Treble
Both have a present and expressive treble. The FT7 has more refined, thinner sounding highs, while the Egret sounds fuller and a bit richer, but not brighter.
Midrange
The midrange is quite different. Neither are recessed, but the FT7 has a more neutral and refined delivery. The Egret is very upfront, immediate, and sometimes intense. This can be very nice and give a very immediate feeling, but can also be a bit too much, especially with some piano tones or at higher volumes.
Bass
They both have excellent bass quality and a relatively similar quantity. The midbass is a bit more present with the Egret, adding a bit of warmth, but the FT7 also has nice bass warmth, albeit a bit more neutral.
Soundstage and Imaging
The biggest difference might be the soundstage, which I have also commented on a lot. With the Egret, things are very open sounding, but the stage is smaller. The Egret feels like a small stage outside, while the FT7 is like a large stage but inside. In other words, the Egret sounds open but intimate, while the FT7 is less open but larger.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
Even though the Egret has good detail, I generally find the FT7 to offer even more fine nuances. The Egret is very articulate, while the FT7 has more refinement and is more subtle.
I think both are good at dynamics, but the Egret often offers more slam and a better sense of punch.
When it comes to the general timbre, they are a bit different and it varies from track to track. The treble and bass are not too different. The Egret feels a bit richer in both areas, but they are relatively similar.
However, the all important midrange is more different. The Egret is bold, crisp, and energetic, warm but in a very upfront way. It can sound both smoother and more aggressive than the FT7, the Egret’s midrange is a bit “inconsistent” and can be hard to describe in general terms. The FT7 is mostly more neutral and refined, more relaxed and subtle.
CONCLUSION
The FiiO FT7 and Sendy Egret are both very capable headphones in the same price range with different playing styles.
While the FT7 is more normally tuned, the Egret offers something a bit more different. It is not because of huge bass or extremely sparkly treble: it is because of a bold and upfront midrange and intimate, musical delivery that I find very entertaining.
That said, even though I certainly appreciate the Egret’s more colored delivery, I personally tend to prefer the FT7 for its slightly warm, neutral, and refined presentation.
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- AliExpress: FiiO FT7
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