FiiO FT3 (suede earpads) EQ settings
Parametric EQ correction for the FiiO FT3 (suede earpads), derived from measurements by oratory1990. It moves the measured frequency response toward a neutral target.
How the FT3 (suede earpads) sounds before EQ
Measured against a neutral target, the FT3 (suede earpads) comes out warm. The low end sits ahead of the treble, which flatters bad recordings and rounds off detail.
The bass region, punch and bass lines, sits about 2.1 dB forward of neutral, so bass lines carry extra weight.
The deviations are moderate, topping out around 2.1 dB, which is clearly audible in a direct comparison. EQ makes a worthwhile difference.
These figures are read from the correction itself: whatever the EQ lifts, the headphone lacked, and whatever it cuts, the headphone had too much of. The target is the community's neutral reference, and how far above 10 kHz you can trust any measurement varies by rig. More warm models.
The correction curve
The solid line is the full measured correction (all 10 filters). The dashed line is what Atrium applies: the same shape at 65 percent strength, capped at 6 dB per band, so the headphone keeps its own character instead of being forced flat.
What the EQ fixes
The biggest moves in this correction, and what they do:
- The filter at 554 Hz lifts the middle of the mids by 4.3 dB with a broad band (Q 0.71).
- The filter at 183 Hz cuts the upper bass by 4.1 dB with a broad band (Q 0.42).
- The filter at 3.6 kHz lifts the clarity region by 2.7 dB with a narrow band (Q 3.96).
The preamp of -2.6 dB offsets the boosts so nothing clips at full volume.
Parametric EQ settings
Preamp: -2.6 dB (prevents clipping from the boosts below)
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low shelf | 105 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Peaking | 183 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.42 |
| 3 | Peaking | 554 Hz | +4.3 dB | 0.71 |
| 4 | Peaking | 1.25 kHz | -2.3 dB | 2.35 |
| 5 | Peaking | 6.81 kHz | +2.3 dB | 3.39 |
| 6 | High shelf | 1 kHz | -1.1 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Peaking | 3.6 kHz | +2.7 dB | 3.96 |
| 8 | Peaking | 5.01 kHz | -1.7 dB | 4.46 |
| 9 | Peaking | 8.97 kHz | +1.0 dB | 2.94 |
| 10 | Peaking | 2.73 kHz | -0.5 dB | 2.89 |
This is the full measured correction in AutoEq format. It pastes straight into Equalizer APO or Peace on Windows, and into most parametric EQ apps.
How to use these settings
Manually: enter the preamp and each filter into any parametric EQ. On Windows that is usually Equalizer APO with the Peace interface. On a Mac, eqMac or SoundSource. Set the type, frequency, gain and Q exactly as listed.
With Atrium: pick your FT3 (suede earpads) in the app and it applies a tuned version of this correction: 65 percent strength with a 6 dB per-band cap, which fixes the rough spots without erasing what the headphone does well. Atrium also measures how you hear with a short listening test and layers your personal hearing profile on top. Two people with the same headphones do not hear the same sound. Headphone corrections are part of Signature Edition; the app itself is free.
FT3 (suede earpads) vs other FiiO models
Bass and treble are each model's average distance from the neutral target in that range. Positive means more than neutral, negative means less.
| Model | Signature | Bass vs neutral | Treble vs neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| FT3 (suede earpads) (this page) | warm | +0.6 dB | -0.8 dB |
| EH3 | bass-heavy | +2.5 dB | -2.1 dB |
| F3 | bass-heavy | +2.4 dB | -3.0 dB |
| F5 | dark | +0.1 dB | -2.3 dB |
| F9 | near-neutral | -0.8 dB | -0.2 dB |
Headphones that sound similar
Closest matches across all 4,332 measured models, by distance between their deviation curves. Useful if you like how the FT3 (suede earpads) is tuned and want alternatives.