FiiO moves into gaming headsets – FG3 uses two drivers per ear cup

Each earcup houses a 50mm and a 16mm dynamic driver. The drivers are positioned on the same acoustic axis, allowing sound to radiate from as uniform a point as possible. This solution aims to maintain consistent phase response and directivity.

The reproduction range is divided between the drivers by an electronic two-way crossover. The larger 50-millimeter driver reproduces the bass and midrange, while the smaller 16-millimeter driver with a titanium-coated diaphragm is used to direct the high frequencies.

The design aims for a wider soundstage and more precise separation of details. In gaming, special attention has been paid to the reproduction of footsteps, environmental sounds, and other details that affect direction estimation.

The headphones have a frequency range of 10 hertz to 40 kilohertz. The impedance is 32 ohms and the sensitivity is 100 decibels per milliwatt.

The FG3 uses a dual-core DSP chip for audio processing. It is equipped with a DA converter that can process audio signals up to 24-bit and 192 kHz, as well as a headphone amplifier with an output power of 80 milliwatts.

Virtual 7.1 surround sound is created using the headphones' own signal processing. The function is implemented in Cinema and Action sound modes, which aim to build a more immersive and three-dimensional sound field from standard two-channel sound.

Other presets have been created for FPS, MOBA, rhythm games, and music listening. Not all sound profiles use virtual surround sound, but the settings have been modified for traditional stereo playback depending on the intended use.

There is no need to install a separate management application for the headphones. Adjustments are made in the FiiO Control WEB service via a web browser.

A ten-band equalizer is available to customize the sound to match the game, music, or user preferences. The created settings can be saved to the headphones, allowing them to be used even when changing devices.

The controls on the cable allow you to change the volume, mute the microphone, and switch sound modes while gaming.

A detachable boom microphone is included for voice communication. The microphone uses ENC background noise cancellation, which aims to reduce sounds transmitted from, for example, the keyboard, mouse, and the room environment.

The ENC solution should not be confused with the active noise cancellation function of headphones. The FG3 processing is focused on the sound picked up by the microphone, not on the ambient noise heard by the user.

There is also a hardware-implemented sidetone feature, which allows you to hear your own voice through the headphones with almost no delay. The feature can be turned on or off, and its volume can be adjusted in the browser interface.