The impact of the Trump Administration’s tariffs on China was always destined to hit consumers where it hurts—the wallet. After months of speculation, the inevitable has arrived. FiiO, one of our favorite audio brands, is raising prices by a staggering 40% on U.S. customers starting next week. It’s a direct result of the tariffs, and while we saw this coming, it doesn’t make the blow any easier to swallow. Prepare for a sharp increase on some of the best affordable audio gear on the market.
While the 40% price increase on FiiO’s gear might not empty your wallet by audiophile standards, it’s still a significant bump that will affect their competitiveness in key segments like headphones, DAPs, dongle DACs, and desktop headphone amplifiers.
These price hikes will make FiiO’s products less appealing, especially in the fiercely competitive mid-range market where consumers are looking for quality without the premium price tag.
How their competitors—iFi (UK), Topping (China), Questyle (China), and HiFiMAN (China)—respond to these changes will play a huge role in shaping FiiO’s future sales. If they can hold the line on pricing, it could tilt the balance in their favor, leaving FiiO scrambling to maintain its market share.
FiiO waited until Friday morning in Asia to post the following announcement on its website.
FiiO has had a very busy start to 2025, launching seven new products, including the FX17 flagship IEMs, FT7 planar magnetic headphones, K17 headphone amplifier, and S15 music streamer. Timing is everything, and while this Chinese manufacturer has been firing on all cylinders for over two years, delivering a wide range of excellent products, the new price hikes couldn’t come at a worse moment.
The Bottom Line
FiiO’s decision to raise prices by 40% comes in sharp contrast to rival Focal, which made a series of relatively small price increases just a few months ago, and distributor Bluebird Music, which has bravely decided to hold the line on pricing. Granted, Focal and Bluebird’s products come from Europe, so they don’t face the same tariffs as Chinese manufacturers, but it’s almost as if they found a way to absorb the cost instead of passing it on to their customers.
Meanwhile, FiiO, ever the realist, is throwing up its hands and saying, “Well, tariffs are tariffs,” and cranking up those prices. It’s a bold move, but whether it pays off or drives audiophiles into the arms of other brands remains to be seen.
We’re already hearing rumors that other brands, like Audio Pro and Anker, will be raising their prices in May as well, which means FiiO’s 40% hike might just be the tip of the iceberg. If you’ve been eyeing some new gear, now might be the time to pull the trigger before things get really expensive.
With the global supply chain starting to feel the impact and financial pressures mounting, it’s likely that more companies will follow suit. So, if you don’t want to see your dream headphone or portable DAC suddenly priced like a luxury item, you might want to grab that purchase sooner rather than later. The price you pay today could be a bargain tomorrow.
We will update prices on our past FiiO coverage when the new pricing is made available next week.
Related Reading:
- Top Affordable Hi-Fi Brands Leading the New Golden Age of Audio in 2025
- Bluebird Music is Holding the Line on Prices: Begun the Tariff Wars We Have
