ARTICLE – Audiophile gear used to mean spending more than most people pay for rent, but FiiO’s latest lineup flips that script in a way that feels genuinely useful. The new drop spans planar magnetic headphones, R2R DACs, and portable CD players, all priced where weekend curiosity won’t wreck a budget. It’s the kind of release that suggests hi-fi isn’t locked behind gatekeeping anymore, and if you’ve been circling the edges of serious listening gear without committing, this might be the nudge that finally makes sense.
Price: $70 to $269.99
Where to Buy: Amazon, FiiO
The bigger shift here isn’t just about lower prices. It’s about tech that used to require compromise at this level now showing up without the usual catches, and that changes how approachable the whole category feels.
What makes this interesting is the span: you can grab planar drivers, balanced outputs, or even physical media playback without needing to justify the expense like it’s a down payment. The lineup reads less like a brand flexing and more like FiiO clearing a path for people who care about sound but don’t want the hobby tax.
Jade Audio JT7: Planar Sound Without the Usual Trade Offs
The JT7 lands as the headline product, and it’s easy to see why planar magnetic headphones at this price point feel like a quiet disruption. Open back planars tend to hover in the mid hundreds or climb past a thousand, so seeing one at $120 without obvious compromises is the sort of move that makes you double check the spec sheet. You get a massive in house 95x86mm driver with an ultra thin diaphragm, which translates into faster transient response when cymbals crash or hi hats shimmer, plus a more textured top end that doesn’t smear detail into mush.
FiiO built in its F.E.S. bass tuning system, and that’s a smart call since open back planars can feel lean in the low end if the tuning isn’t careful. The system uses dynamic venting to shape bass response, so you’re not just getting tight bass, you’re getting bass that feels controlled instead of artificially boosted or left to drift. If you’re the kind of listener who wants punch without the bloat, that engineering choice matters more than a flashy marketing line.
The driver size alone is notable because larger planars usually mean better extension and less distortion at volume, but they also mean higher cost and weight. FiiO managed to keep the JT7 light enough for long sessions, with soft earpads and a suspension headband that distributes pressure instead of concentrating it on one spot. If you’ve ever had a headphone leave a hot spot after an hour, you know why that ergonomic detail isn’t trivial.
At $120, the JT7 sits in a range where you’re not just paying for curiosity, you’re getting legitimate planar performance that used to require double or triple the spend. That pricing removes the friction between wanting to try something better and actually pulling the trigger, and it’s hard not to appreciate how much that lowers the barrier to entry for people who’ve been curious but cautious.
Price: $119.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Jade Audio JT3: A Calmer Pick for Comfort-Focused Listening
If planars feel like overkill for everyday listening, the JT3 is the more grounded option, and there’s something refreshing about a headphone that doesn’t try to be everything at once. It runs a 50mm dynamic driver with strong N52 magnets, which typically means solid punch in the mids and decent control when guitars layer up or vocals push forward. The driver sits at an angle that follows the natural shape of your ear canal, and that small ergonomic tweak tends to improve both soundstage and comfort in ways that aren’t obvious until you wear them for a few hours straight.
The build feels practical without being precious: aluminum magnesium grille for the open back design, washable velvet earpads that won’t get gross after a summer of heavy use, and a headband that doesn’t scream “handle with care.” At $70, it’s priced where trying it out doesn’t feel like a commitment, and that tends to lead to more actual listening instead of gear sitting in a box because it felt too expensive to risk daily use.
Price: $70
Where to Buy: FiiO
FiiO BR15: Desktop Receiver with R2R Processing
The BR15 desktop receiver is where FiiO leans into the kind of spec density that makes sense if you’re building a system around a desk or shelf setup. It runs a Qualcomm QCC5181 chip with Bluetooth 6.0, which alone would be solid, but the codec support is where it gets interesting: aptX Lossless, LDAC, and aptX Adaptive all show up, meaning you’re covered whether you’re streaming from an iPhone, Android, or a dedicated DAP. That flexibility matters because codec compatibility tends to be the hidden bottleneck that makes wireless sound worse than it should, and having all three major standards onboard removes that friction entirely.
What makes the BR15 feel slightly wild is the R2R DAC inside a $200 box. Resistor ladder DACs are usually found in gear that costs significantly more, and they’re prized for a more analog, less clinical sound signature compared to delta sigma chips. FiiO went with a fully differential 24 bit resistor array design, which means the signal path stays balanced from input to output, reducing noise and distortion at every stage. You also get both RCA and balanced XLR outputs, plus USB, optical, and coaxial inputs, so whether you’re feeding it from a computer, turntable, or CD transport, you’re covered. It’s the kind of hub that sits quietly on a shelf and just works, which is exactly what desk audio should feel like.
Price: $199.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
FiiO DM15 R2R: Portable CD Player with Serious Power
The DM15 R2R portable CD player is hard not to smile at for how unapologetically chunky and physical it is in a world that’s gone all in on streaming. You get balanced output and a claimed 1150mW per channel into 32 ohms, which is absurd power for a portable device and means it’ll drive most headphones without breaking a sweat. The disc mechanism feels solid when you click the lid open, and there’s something genuinely satisfying about the faint spin up sound and the tactile ritual of handling a CD that streaming just can’t replicate, even if the audio quality ends up being identical.
Battery life is rated at around seven hours from a 4,700mAh pack, which should cover a long work session or a full day of commuting without needing a top up. If you’ve been holding onto a CD collection or you’ve missed the simplicity of physical media, the DM15 leans into that nostalgia without pretending the past 20 years of tech didn’t happen: it works as a USB DAC when plugged into a computer, and it can transmit over Bluetooth if you want to go wireless. The 24 sound presets are classic FiiO, offering EQ tweaks for different genres and listening scenarios, and whether you find them useful or annoying probably depends on how much you like menu diving.
Price: $269.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Where this Leaves Budget Hi-Fi and What to Grab First
The thread tying all of this together is pricing that doesn’t punish curiosity, and that’s the shift worth paying attention to. Planar drivers, R2R DACs, balanced outputs, and even disc playback are showing up in gear you can fit on a shelf without needing to justify the expense like it’s a major purchase, and that changes who gets to participate in serious listening without compromise. FiiO’s approach here feels less about chasing the high end and more about making the middle tier genuinely good, which is where most people actually live and listen.
If you’re building a first serious setup and you want clean, detailed sound without the usual budget compromises, the JT7 and BR15 combo reads like the most straightforward path forward. That pairing gives you planar headphones and a flexible desktop hub with R2R processing for around $320 total, which is absurdly good value for what you’re getting. If you’re chasing the ritual and the tactile side of music more than the spec sheet, the DM15 scratches that itch in ways that streaming can’t replicate, and might end up being the more emotionally satisfying choice even if the audio quality is technically similar.
The JT3 sits in the sweet spot if you want open back sound without the planar complexity or price, and at $70 it’s the kind of purchase that feels safe to experiment with. You’re not locked into a single path here, and that flexibility is probably the best part of this whole release: you can grab what fits your listening style without needing to commit to the entire ecosystem, and that’s how entry level gear should work.
Price: $70 to $269.99
Where to Buy: Amazon, FiiO
What’s quietly important is that none of this feels like compromise anymore. A few years ago, gear at these prices meant picking between good sound and good build, or good specs and good comfort. FiiO’s lineup suggests that trade off is fading, and if you’ve been waiting for budget hi-fi to feel less like settling, this is probably the moment to stop waiting and just pick something up.
JBL Tune 720BT - Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with JBL Pure Bass Sound, Bluetooth 5.3, Up to 76H Battery Life and Speed Charge, Lightweight, Comfortable and Foldable Design (Black)
$89.95 (as of January 27, 2026 18:30 GMT -06:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
