Search Results for: Eterna
Summary/Details:
Cost: RRP £89.99/’Street’ Price £60/Price at Purchase £37.94
Style: Over-the-ear
Cable Length: 1.25m L-Plug terminus
Driver: Dynamic
Impedance: 18 Ohm
Sensitivity: 110db
Freq. Range: 8-22KHz
First Impressions:
The Eterna comes in a package that is soft on the eye and yet visually attractive at the same time. It features a ‘window’ that allows you to view the IEMs without opening the box – a nice touch, but somewhat unnecessary in my opinion.
In terms of accessories provided, Fischer Audio ship the Eterna with a cloth pouch (branded with the Fischer Audio logo), some over-the-ear cable guides (not featured in the picture), and three sets of tips – two silicon single-flange tips and a set of silicon bi-flange tips – pretty basic and simplistic, especially compared to the offerings from other brands.
On removing them from the packaging I immediately noticed the build quality, the housing – whilst plastic – feels solid, the nozzles have metal filters, and there is more than enough cable relief. The cable itself is thick and feels durable, but does retain some memory properties – not enough to be irritating but certainly noticeable. The cable also features an in-line remote and microphone, housed in the same plastic.
In terms of comfort, the drivers are quite sizeable compared to other IEMs (such as the E10s/PL50s/CX-range/VSonics offerings) but are, assuming you do not possess smaller ears, very comfortable over long periods of time, with the angled nozzle aiding this.
Sound:
This is the area the Eterna’s excel in. They have a ‘fun’ sound signature, with plenty of bass presence. A quick look at the frequency response graph for the Eterna will confirm this – but it will also highlight the warm mids and slightly laidback treble. These headphones are by no means bass-monsters; the bass is there, and in good quantities, but overall the Eterna has a sound that is easy to listen to, so utterly non-fatiguing, and a real pleasure to listen to.
Its soundstage is forward, with good separation (a lot of IEMs can sound distinctly as if they are in your head, the Eternas are more like being 1-2 rows from the front of a gig). They possess good clarity and separation, and neither the bass nor the mid-bass get bogged down in fast flowing tracks, though in some heavily layered or very complex tracks there are moments when the clarity cant quite resolve the full picture.
Bass: Warm, forward and deeply extending. Very little bleed into the midrange.
Mids: Presence of a mild mid-bass hump warms the mids, they are engaging, smooth and sweet.
Treble: Slightly rolled towards the top frequency, which can be noticeable in some tracks and genres. The treble is smooth, however and entirely non-fatiguing.
Isolation is good, they are excellent transport or gym phones – although isolation can be improved by changing the ear tips out for Comply Foam Tips or Shure Olives – neither of these impact the sound to my ears.
These headphones are also easy to drive, I’ve had no issues powering them from a Moto G and they sound excellent through an mp3 player or DAP such as the Sansa Clip+. There isn’t much different at all under amping, you do see a slight increase in the power and clarity of the bass and sub-bass however.
Concluding Comments:
These headphones have become my go-to for portable use. They are light, compact, and comfortable for long periods of time. More importantly, they really do make music sound fun again. I have yet to hear a set of IEMs that can deliver such fun across the board. There really isn’t much more I can say about these without drooling over the keyboard, so I shall end it by quoting a few comments from ClieOS and ljokerl:
“What the Eterna does best is deliver the fun factor in a completely unadulterated form. The sound of the Eterna is big, smooth, and powerful…it doesn’t fatigue and never becomes boring.”
“Eterna is a pair of very musical sounding IEM – it is not about accuracy of the sonic reproduction, but the 110% dedication to fun and music enjoyment.”
When In Manila and you seek for an earphone to accompany you date to day with both sub-woofer like impactful and deep bass that does not sacrifice much of the highs and mids of your music, then the first earphone that I can recommend you is non other than theFischer Audio Eterna. Fischer Audio is an audio brand hailing from Russia and currently has a distributor in the Philippines under Bluefish gadgets. The Fischer Audio brand has been around some time and they began to be known because of the Fischer Audio Eterna‘s impactful and deep bass while keeping ample clarity and detail.
Build/Packaging:
The Fischer Audio Eterna comes in a simple carton box with 5 pairs of earphone tips and a set of ear hooks. The Fischer Audio Eterna are meant to be worn over the ear, so if the cable kind of annoys you, you can option to have the ear hooks on the cables to keep them in place. The Fischer Audio Eterna also comes with a pouch with “Eterna” designed on to them.
Pretty neat!
On the build of the Fischer Audio Eterna, it is made entirely of plastic and weighs average. They are quite big though, so people with small ears might have to adjust wearing them. They have big driver housings which makes me assume that they might have a larger than normal drivers to give that monstrous impactful and deep bass. With the Fischer Audio Eterna‘s cables, nothing special but they are built to last. The Y splitter at the middle of the cable is built like a high-end headphone’s because of how well restrained and built it is. Nearly impossible to break the cable from the middle split for sure. The 3.5mm jack is also well done since it the cable restrain is hard rubber and not just an easily bendable cable restrain, it is same with the cable restrains on the earphone housings as well, the cable restrains along the end of the earphone is of hard rubber.
Pretty neat!
Sound quality:
I had the chance to use the Fischer Audio Eterna with not just my iPhone, iPod and amps since I recently received the hisoundaudio RoCoo P which is an amazing portable player made specifically for hifi listening due to it’s clean and powerful A class internals. Plugging the Fischer Audio Eterna to the iPhone of course normally showed the very impactful and deep bass that it has. It is very punchy and goes down very deep! It does bleed into the midrange, but heck, this is just plain bass fun! Although running theFischer Audio Eterna on the iPhone and iPod somehow gave the mids a veil that sounded like there was a cloth covering the mids, there was still ample clarity. Having the Fischer Audio Eterna paired with the RoCoo P gave it much much more quality and bass resolve. It’s as if, veil and cloth covering the mids had lessened and the highs were more refined. The bass had more power and were extending more in a 3D way than just hitting from the back. The overall bass of the Fischer Audio Eterna is sheer raw power. It is very punchy and the sub-bass goes down really deep and does rumble, and yet retains quality and does not go too muddy or distorted sounding. So if you’re looking for an earphone that has powerful bass and yet has good clarity and presentation, the Fischer Audio Eterna certainly packs the needed punch.
Read original version at When in Manila
Fischer Audio Eterna is a dynamic driver in-ear-monitor marketed by Fischer Audio, a Russian headphones and earphones manufacturer, which has been pretty much under the radar outside Russia until just recently. I have been hearing good impressions and reviews about the Eterna, so I jumped on the opportunity when I was able to get one. The Eterna used to be Fischer Audio’s top of the line IEM, but they have since come up with newer IEM designs with more advanced drivers, which we hope to get our hands on soon. You can buy the Eterna itself for $60-$70 from the authorized dealers listed on Fischer Audio’s website.
The Eterna comes with pretty basic accessories: a pair of ear hook, basic pouch, and a set of eartips. The ear hook is very useful to reduce microphonics but a little cumbersome to use. It will be nice if a simple shirt clip is also included for times when I don’t want to use the ear hooks. The included cloth pouch is also very basic, and doesn’t seem to provide much protection for the Eterna. This is a pity, since the Eterna doesn’t seem like a product that can take abuse.
During my 2 months ownership of the Eterna, I found that while the materials are very nice in general, there have been few issues with build quality. The metal grills covering the drivers are shoddily glued, and the left rubber enclosure where the cable connects to the earpieces had come off. I guess for $70, I can’t complain too much.
The eartips included with the Eterna are 2 pairs of silicon single-flange eartips and a pair of double-flange eartips. I tend to get the best seal and best sound with the double-flange tips, but they aren’t very comfortable, since to get a good seal with them, the big nozzle of the Eterna needs to be inserted quite deeply. For a much better comfort, I am using the modded Shure Black Foam Sleeves, also known as Shure Olives, which results in a slightly warmer sound. A friend has also tried the Eterna with the comply tips that comes with the Triple.fi, and they fit well. Note that the Eterna has to be worn over-the-ear like Westone IEMs or Shure SE530. A bit cumbersome, but I prefer the Eterna’s comfort over IEMs like Triple.fi and Etymotic ER4.
Hey, so I have been listening to these beauties for almost 2 months, so I think it would be a good time to post my impressions on them.
I’ll start with a little text teaser alongside some pics in post 2
Introduction
Fischer Audio is known for their great Audio Eterna IEM, which managed to deliver a “full” sound without compromising much the rest of the spectrum. This time, I’m going to review their open headphones, the FA-011. The Fa-011 have got quite a lot different versions, the ones I have are the light wood version. As I have reviewed the also very good and widely known FA-003, my expectation with these was quite high. Also I would like to find out if Fischer managed to make an open headphone with a broad soundstage, since the closed FA-003 had quite a good soundstage for a closed model. As I said in my former reviews, my primary musical choices are electronic music, dance, drum and bass and some dubstep. So, lets find out what these wooden babies are capable of!
Technical Data Fischer Audio FA-011
| IMPEDANCE | 160 Ohm |
| CABLE LENGTH | 0.9 m |
| SENSITIVITY | 98 dB |
| ACCCESSORIES | 3.5mm to 6.3 converter, Storage Case, 3.5mm extension (3.0 M) |
| FREQUENCY RANGE | 18 – 22000 Hz |
| DRIVER | Open dynamic drivers |
Packaging
The headphones were delivered inside the Fischer Audio transport case which had a paper “closing” it, that said the type of wood which theheadphones were made (European beech) and it’s color (natural). The paper also has the headphones specifications written in its back, alongside some mentions of them being hand made.
After you “get rid” of the paper, you can find the standard Fischer Audio headphone carrying case, and I think this is a very nice measure that other companies should start using, because by using the transport case as the packaging of the product, you can either save in the cost of packaging and add in an essential extra for any headphone. After you open the zip, you can find the headphones very well cushioned on foam.
All in all, great job in packaging as I had already gave my positive opinion on the review of the FA-003, about the carrying case serving as packaging.
Accessories
Opening the carrying case, which is itself an accessory, (in my opinion an essential one), we find out the headphones and some plastic bags. Inside the bags we can find a 3.5 to 6.3 mm adapter, which seems very sturdy, and a 3 meter extension cable 3.5mm to 3.5. Overall, quite a nice accessory pack for an headphone, having the essential and they succeed in their function, because they’re all very useful, especially the extension cable since 0.9 m is a really short cable. I don’t blame Fischer for not including additional earpads, since in the FA-003 the standard ones (Pleather) were much better than the backup pair (velour).
Build Quality
Being handmade, I had quite an high expectation for the build quality of these. Like with the FA-003 (which had a ridiculously low weight, allied to a great build quality), they are very well made. Being heavier, mainly due to the wood and metal mesh on the cups, they are still very comfortable due to the fitting system of them. As said before, the weight is concentrated on the cups, while the headband makes an excellent job in distributing the weight. One thing I’d like to stand out is the solidity of the cups, they simply seem that will last for ages (if they get taken care of, because we all know how’s wood). On the side of the mesh of the cups, you can see a metal which has engraved “Master Series” referring to the series theseheadphones belong to, and “FA-011”. You got to be careful though, because the metal will easily get scratches on it. Moving on to the headband, it is comfortable, but doesn’t have much padding, although it has a self-adjusting elastic, one feature that I find really good because I usually have to store the headphones and on the headphones that use the conventional step design, I usually forget the setting and even on those that have markers I usually never find the fit equal, it may be laziness though. The arches that are made above the elastic are made from what seems plastic, while the bridge that connect the cups to the headband is made from metal. Moving on to the cable, I’m sorry to see that Fischer didn’t got within the route of the FA-003, using detachable cables. I know that the FA-011 usually retail for a lower price, but it would be a great touch to have the ability to use your own custom cables, and it would give the set a really cool look, because an headphone with such a build quality, should have cables to match. Also, the included cable, while really good relatively to usual standards, being thick and supporting some stress, it still a bit not as solid as the one in the FA-003. The plug also suffers from the same issue. While having a really nice stress relief, from what I have seen from the FA-003, it would deserve a better 3.5 mm plug. The one included will definitively sustain some heaving pulling, but I think Fischer should have seen the Headphone as a whole, when thinking about build quality. It is not that is bad, maybe it’s just that the awesome set of cups got my stakes really high.
On an overall view of the set, I’d say that what amazes me the most is definitively the wooden cups, because they provide a really nice solid feel to the cans.
Comfort/Isolation
The FA-011 are provided with a what it seems, velour like, cloth
earpads, and these are definitively the best to use over extended periods of time, because they will heat up easily. While being useful in the winter, it may be a problem when summer comes. That being said, as I write this review, after 1 hour they start to itch my ears a bit, so I’d say about 2 hours would be the maximum. But now it’s beginning to get hot again, blame it on it. On what concerns to fit, they don’t have a very deep insertion of your ear inside the earpad, but they are circumaural, and I guess even those with big ears won’t have any problems with the fit. The clamping force, due to the elastic headband, doesn’t go on unnoticed, but I think it really helps the headphones to stay in your head well, so it’s a plus. Not the best comfort compared to the lightweight FA-003, but it doesn’t make you want rip of these off your ears. While these were designed for home use, you may need to take a few breaks every once in a while, and then, there should be no problem.
The isolation, these being open headphones, is actually good for the type of headphones and they also don’t leak a lot of noise for open headphones, but still not suitable for libraries at a normal listening volume, at least mine. As said above, these will be used mainly on your home, so having little to none isolation may be an advantage, except in cases like someone is vacuuming the house, for example. The isolation may be also helped by the somewhat higher clamping force.
Summing it up, comfort good, but it may make you take a break every once in a while and a good isolation for an open headphone, but its sound leakage still makes it not suitable for quiet study places.
Sound
Source – Rockboxed Sansa Fuze , laptop (LG R400), TMN A1 (Huawei Pulse)
Files Used – 256 to 320 kbps and FLAC
Burn-in may have given a better depth to the sound, but nothing worth mentioning (I should have around 100 hours on them), maybe the sound will improve later, but I’ll write with what I have not.
There’s one fact for why I haven’t written this review earlier, and that fact is I don’t have an amplifier. I was trying to postpone it as much as I could to see if I could get my hands on one, but unfortunately I couldn’t. And reviewing these impedance monsters without one will surely prejudice them. So, when I get one, mark my words, that I’ll update this review with the differences of them amped vs unamped.
So I guess, let’s get this started.
As said above, these are impedance monsters, so, to drive them to my normal listening levels, I have to max out the player on rockbox. On the computer, this isn’t an issue, driving them to normal listening levels, but the audio card isn’t the best.
Having come from the fairly neutral (perhaps with a slight lower end emphasis) FA-003, I was expecting the FA-011 to have at least a similar sound signature of it’s pricier, closed brother. But I was wrong, these aren’t nowhere as close to neutral as it’s brother. Let me start it this way, the lower end packs quite a nice rumble, much more than the FA-003. It it’s not a bloated lower end, it just hits you hard, but in songs where it is not requested, it doesn’t show up and ruins the song. It’s just perfect in bass heavy songs, like some liquid dubstep or some hard hitting electro. Also some kinds of rock, those with heavy bass-lines, work like a beauty with these. The lower end also reaches deeper than the FA-003, although the specifications may not say that, and with definition. It allows them to have a fun signature, but those who were looking for something neutral may have to look somewhere else. All in all the lower end of these makes them a head bobbin’ headphone but with quality, because it doesn’t cause a veil over the rest of the spectrum. On what concerns to definition, I think the FA-003 may be tighter, but that may be a consequence of the lack of amplification.
The vocals on these are superb, because in albums where the main focus is in the voices, there’s not much lower end rumbling, allowing the vocals to shine. They are not as present as in the FA-003, due to the more V shaped Sound signature, but when they are requested, they shine. Even on tracks with some bass action, like vocal trance, the voice is delivered faultless. They are pretty much suited for every genre, despite their emphasized bass, because they manage so separate really well the instruments and frequency range.
Now the high end… You can easily hear what Fischer has made in order to balance the headphone’s bass emphasis, especially on rap songs. The cymbals hit hard, perhaps harsh for some, in order to contrast with the lower end, but for me they never get harsh. The treble is definitively more prominent than the FA-003, and I think it extends more, but as said before it could be bothersome for those who don’t like such treble.
Overall, the sound of the set, is a very fun sound V shaped sound signature, with an immense feel of air to it, due to it being open back. Also they have a superb soundstage, that, alongside the rumbling lower end, make soundtracks and movie watching a beauty with these. Alongside the soundstage, you have a pretty nice instrument separation (as good as FA-003) and positional accuracy.
These are the kind of higher end headphones that a basshead should have a listen to witness that it’s really worth to spend a little bit more in order to get that extra quality. They won’t please neutral and analytical music listeners, but these were made for the listener to have fun. Thumping bass kind of fun that is, but even with these characteristics, they can adjust extremely well to every kind of music, despite their sonic characteristics. If you want me to try any specific song on them, feel free to post it below, and I’ll have all the pleasure to write my impressions on it. They are the perfect complementary set of a neutral headphone.
Music worth listening:
– Anything produced by Dre – Hip hop really has a sweet touch with these, the bass alongside the “exaggerated” treble, really make hip hop a pleasure to listen
– Money by Pink Floyd – Binaural recordings are great with these, and Pink Floyd is what we all know already. The quick transitions between sides are simply flawless and the vocals are great as well.
– Doomsday by Nero – Dubstep on its epicness, one great track filled with bass and what it could be a soundtrack to some movie, the bass shakes your head, simply real good with these
These will handle without any kind of problems anything you throw at them.
Conclusion
I went into this review with the FA-003 as a point of comparison. And, from what I have learned from it, I can’t decide which one is superior, since both have pros and cons, and support different sound signatures. The FA-011 is a hit for those who are searching for an headphone with a very broad soundstage, alongside a fun sound (V shaped) that doesn’t compromise and does very well in every genre. Also they have a really solid build quality on the cups, so for the price asked, build quality is a plus.
They are extremely well suited for the genres I hear the most, giving me a more pleasing sound signature than the FA-003, but I think if there’s one thing you can take from this review is this: neither is better than the other, they just complement each other very well, since one is fairly neutral and the other just gives you the sound to relax. So if you want to get the best of both worlds, get the FA-003 and the FA-011.
Fischer managed to establish themselves in the 100-150 $ market with both these headphones, and I take my hat off to them by doing so, because they present us with quite good sets! They just might be betrayed by the limited availability of their products.
References
Fischer Audio FA-011
Price: Around 150 $
As known, YMMV, as these only reflect my opinion on these.
Also, any tips on how to improve my reviews are welcomed and don’t be afraid and post any doubts you may have on what concerns to the model, I will do my best to try and help you.
Introduction
To start this, I would like to greet David from Frogbeats for making this review possible. They are the most known retailer for this Fischer Audio product, so be sure to check out their site.
Fischer Audio is known for their great Audio Eterna IEM, which managed to deliver a “full” sound without compromising much the rest of the spectrum. This time, I’m going to review a closed circumaural headphone, the FA-003. These are the newer version, which received a facelift from the previous versions. The previous version had quite a high hype on head-fi, so I was really looking forward to hear those, and see if that hype was justified.
As I said in my former reviews, my primary musical choices are electronic music, dance, drum and bass and some dubstep. It is said that the FA-003 are excellent all-rounders due to their relatively flat response, so I’ll try to hear as many types of music as I can.
Technical Data Fischer Audio FA-003
Impedance: 64 Ohm
Cable Length: 2m
Sensitivity: 105dB
Accessories: 3.5mm to 6.3 converter, Replacement ear pads, Storage Case
Frequency Range: 10 – 26500 Hz
Drivers Closed: dynamic drivers
Packaging
Instead of using a separate packaging to ship the headphones, Fischer Audio chose to use the storage case as the packaging. It was a good idea though, because the headphones are tightly packaged and safe, and it also saves some money that would have gone into the packaging. In the case we can see the Fischer Audio logo in white, contrasting with the black color of the case. The case opens easily with a zip. Inside we can see the headphones neatly packaged with some sponge in order to protect them from some sort of damage throughout the shipping process.
Accessories
Upon opening the carrying case (aka packaging), which is an accessory itself, inside we can find the headphones, a pair of replacement earpads made from what seems velour and a 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter that screws on the tip of the 3.5 connector. The mechanism to change the earpads consists of rotating clockwise the earpad and removing it from the driver. After that the earpad has some sort of locking mechanism that you have to remove from the original pad and transfer to the one you want to have. (Will post pics if requested). All in all, it’s quite a good accessory pack for an headphone, having replacement earpads, along with the usual adapter. The big plus here, goes to the carrying case, which is excellent, mainly due to the padding inside. Of course, it isn’t the most portable of the cases, but it’s not to the portable use these headphones are aimed for, so it is completely comprehensible the approach they took on the case. I prefer it that way, so that when travelling, my headphonesfeel comfy.
Build Quality
The first thing you can notice, whilst grabbing them is: “where did all the weight go?”. Judging by the size of the cups and of the materials that presents, I though these would be quite heavy. But no, surprisingly, Fischer Audio managed (or the OEM?) to maintain a quite high build quality, while keeping an acceptable (very acceptable indeed) weight. The cups are made from what it seems some sort of aluminum or metal, which has engraved the name of the series of the headphone, alongside the name, with a silver finish on it, surrounded by quality plastic that is soft to the touch.
The earpads, one pair made from what seems pleather and another from velour, are also well finished and comfortable, alongside the system that permits the use of the different types of earpads. The headband insides are made from metal, whilst the padding is there right on quantity.
Also one great touch is the detachable cables that make possible the use of your own cables, with the length you desire, being the jacks that go into the cups, mono’s. The included detachable cable is one of good quality, being a bit big and heavy, but very sturdy, built to last. The cable is suitable for home use, not portable one since it’s a little bit big. It would be good to see what improvement could be made from custom cables, since it’s not very difficult to change them. The jack on the included cable is 3.5mm, with the possibility of screwing in the 6.3mm jack. The plug is quite big and well finished, and the jack is gold plated.
Overall, I think Fischer Audio made quite a good product when it comes to build quality as the product managed to be well-built, while not having excessive weight, which makes them pleasant to use.
Comfort/Isolation
First thing to be said in this chapter is, they need to be wear down, because, when they’re out of the box, they have a somewhat excessive clamping force, that may be tiresome to the user. Luckily, with use, the clamping force fades away, but is always there, so if you don’t like phones with a somehow bit higher than average, clamping force, you might have to look somewhere else (or use velour padswhich help in the comfort).
Now, I found the comfort of these phones something remarkable, this due to their weight and their clamping force (yeah I don’t mind being forced, if it brings something beneficial to it). I can wear these for hours without feeling tired. As they’re light, the clamping force isn’t something that tires you down. Between the pleather and velour earpads, the comfort is better on the velour.
The isolation, this is where the clamping force comes in. Being closed headphones and circumaural, it would be expected that they blocked some sound, that would be normal, but due to their higher clamping force, they block a lot of sound just by simply putting them on your ears. With music, you may have to remove them in order to hear someone calling. That being said, it’s important to remember that these shouldn’t be used in situations where awareness is needed (or if used, with low volumes). I found the isolation to be superior on the pleather pads, than on the velour due to the deeper cup they form around your ear. Also I found the sound better from the pleather when comparing to velour.
Overall, comfort is great, if clamping force is not a worry and isolation is a dream. Moving on to what it matters, the sound of these!
Sound
Source – Rockboxed Sansa Clip +, laptop (LG R400), TMN A1 (Huawei Pulse)
Files Used – 256 to 320 kbps and FLAC
When these arrived, I didn’t managed to put them right away on burning-in and gave them a listen. They come from factory with an already great sound, being the burn-in just a way to get the driver ready for some music listening, as I haven’t found any major sonic differences, before and after burn-in.
Burn-in
My burn-in consists in pink noise along with a playlist that is composed of the songs I usually hear on my daily basis.
I would like to start my analysis on the sound of these, by saying, probably, with an amp, they’ll become even better (my sansa clip is almost on max with them), perhaps Santa will be nice to me and bring an amp, so I could update the review. But now, no amp, direct from source, here we go.
I was expecting a closed headphone, darkish nature, recessed treble, not so much detail, small soundstage, the usual closed headphone sound. The moment I put these on, I was surprised by a huge soundstage (boy I have heard open headphones with less soundstage), a natural sound, bass with texture, great sounding vocals. They don’t deserve the name of closed headphones, because, when it comes to sound, they aren’t.
The lower end of the sound, packs texture and punch, being there when the producer meant, and not when “Oh hi, I’m bass, nice to meet you!” or so to say, there just because people like it. The bass line on the “Queen – Another one bites the dust”, sounds marvelous, progressing alongside the rest of the sound, because it fills the sound without removing something, it gives, but it doesn’t take away. On dubstep, the “wub,wub” parts, also feel great, with the headphones giving quite the rumble (not an excessive one), while not bleeding into the rest of the spectrum. Overall, very controlled bass, which packs texture and amount, while not bleeding into any other area of the sound spectrum.
The mids, also feel like they’re not coming from the normal closed headphone, usually recessed, but instead from an open one. You can hear the voices right where they should, nowhere recessed, and on one quick note, female voices feel absolutely right. For example, “Aurea – Okay, alright”, is one hell of a tune to hear in these. Her voice, along with the instrumental, it’s just so soothing and relaxing. Rock or metal are also very listenable in these, as the vocals from the lead singer, don’t get lost in the middle of the guitar riffs. Another band I found to be very listenable in these, is Linkin Park (I personally love “Faint”). Overall, it deals very well it both kind of vocals, male or female, while having the right amount of distance (if it was meant to be distant, it is).
The higher end sounds right on spot, with the cymbals being crispy, and having that tonality that gives you shrills. They are there, not recessed, not afraid to be heard. With some of that so called “dubstep” (those who know doctor P, know how many piercing highs, his music has), you can feel the highs going along the bass line, for example on doctor p’s – “Big boss” (although this should be called not dubstep, but irritating thing). Overall, the highs are there, and have a good resolution.
The overall sound signature of these, could be characterized as flat. This shouldn’t be a downer to much users though, because, while the sound response is flat, it doesn’t mean that the sound isn’t musical. It is, and even bassheads, should give these a listen, because this could be a portal to a world where, although the bass is there, is doesn’t overwhelms the rest of the frequencies, and a good starter point for higher end Hi-Fi. The sonic differences between pleather pads and velour ones, is mainly the advantage of a fuller sound, at least on my point of view, on the pleather ones. Rather than that, it is mainly the difference of comfort and isolation.
On sonic qualities, I think these don’t have any disadvantages, and the only way they could be improved, would be an improved micro-detail throughout the spectrum (can only be obtained by far pricierheadphones I think). On their soundstage, it is relevant to say that it is quite large, and their positional accuracy is one of the best I’ve heard. Also the instrument separation is great, I could tell where and how far the instruments are, so this is also good for electro music, as it doesn’t feel like everything was clogged into one track.
Due to this and also for the fact that they isolate, I think these would be quite good for competitive purposes on gaming, due to their soundstage and positional accuracy. At least, on the gaming I’ve made, they were quite good on distinguishing where the footsteps came from. Add a clip-on mic and you have a pro headset.
Music worth listening:
– Vangelis – Chariots of Fire
The beginning is so soothing that it makes me feel lightweight and relaxed, truly a delight to listen to, on these
– Deadmau5 – Sofi Needs a Ladder
The perfect song to hear the synergy between female vocals, and hitting electro
– Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
The song itself, it’s beautiful, but with the soundstage of these, along with the vocals these put out, you’ve got a sound that is capable of reproducing the true value of the song
These are just to mention a few songs, from different styles, to show how good all-rounders these could be. Of course, I could be all day referring songs, but I think they are enough to pass the message.
Conclusion
These have got all it takes to become a staple on entry Hi-Fi. Relatively flat sounding, adequate to multiple sound preferences, an affordable price, sound of an open headphone within all the advantages of a closed one (or disadvantages on what regards to isolation), detachable cables, carrying case, pair of replacement earpads, for a small price (in comparison to similar sounds).
These are perfect to get you started into higher-end or perhaps to make you truly enjoy your sound. They are perfect for you to step up from that old Sony, or Philips headphones you got at your local chain shop. These are what may turn you into an Hi-Fi addict, or simply someone who likes to hear his daily music with quality. For the price they sell, they’re a steal, and perhaps their success will only be stalled by limited distribution. But once you got the opportunity to get your hands (and ears) on one of those, you’ll probably never want to get back to consumer grade headphones, or something that is below the sonic standard of these.
Just remember one thing, these are not spectrum focused headphones, don’t search here for something with emphasis in some part of the spectrum. What you’ll find in this package is natural, musical sound with fine detail. You pay less than what you get and congratulations to Fischer Audio to be capable of presenting such a fine product.
Introduction
To start this, I would like to greet David from Frogbeats for making this review possible. A great customer service, so be sure to check out their site.
Fischer Audio is known for their great Audio Eterna IEM, which managed to deliver a “full” sound without compromising much the rest of the spectrum. Today I will review two models from Fischer Audio: the Fischer Audio golden wasps and the Fischer Audio Genesis. Will any of these following alternatives be up to their predecessor?
As I said in my former reviews, my primary musical choices are electronic music, dance, drum and bass and some dubstep. I wanted very much to give a listen to the eternity as they are said to have a lot of bass without compromising much the rest. I love bass and I have it as a guilty pleasure, so bass-heavy headphones are never a problem for whenever I want to hear something more relaxed.
Description
“Fischer Audio Genesis
A fun sounding IEM with a massive bass response. Ergonomic fit and a strong textile cable make these some great and enjoyable earphones.”
“Fischer Audio Golden Wasp
No details have been missed to make this look like the name! A budget IEM from Fischer Audio that is punchy and fun sounding. It also looks absolutely brilliant! Bzzzz.”
Technical Data Genesis
Impedance 18 Ohm
Cable Lenght 1.2m
Sensitivity 104dB
Accessories 7 Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L), Storage Case, Warranty Card
Frequency response 5 – 20,000 Hz
Driver 9mm dynamic driver
Golden Wasp
Impedance 16 Ohm
Cable Length 1.2m
Sensitivity 98dB
Accessories 3 Silicone Ear Tips (S/M/L), Storage Case, Warranty Card
Frequency Range 20 – 20,000 Hz
Driver 9mm dynamic driver
Packaging
Both packages display the same kind of approach when it comes to the design of the box. Both have a little window that allows to see the phones themselves and the carrying case. The window is stuck with some Velcro. Both packages have the same kind of design: one big vertical name display, along with the series name, the company logo and a picture of the IEM. On the side we also see the same kind of display when it comes to lettering: the name of the series, the name of the IEM and the company logo. On the back of the package we can find the specifications of both IEM. When the window is open, besides seeing the IEM, each side has a different print on each package. On the Genesis, we can see an image displaying the qualities of the IEM. On the Golden Wasp, we can see a definitively not naïve approach on the packaging, displaying a wasp and many “ZzZZZZzzZZZZZ”. Overall, both packages are very nicely concealed, displaying quality in their design.
Accessories
I’ll start by the accessories of the Audio Wasp, as they have less to say. As we open the box, we reveal a plastic tray, which contains the phones, the “carrying pouch” (which I’ve put in inverted commas because it really isn’t one, but more on that later) and 2 sets of tips along the ones already pre-installed. The carrying pouch isn’t really nothing, because I can’t really use it to storage the IEM, because it’s flat and the phones don’t fit in.
On the genesis packaging we can find 7 pairs of tips (5 pairs of which single flange, 1 pair of bi-flanges and 1 pair of tri-flanges), one carrying case and the phones themselves. The carrying case allows to storage the IEM along with 2 pairs of tips, cause you never know when you might want to change them. The case allows to wrap the cable around it, and the jack sits on the mid of the case between both casings.
Build Quality
On the Golden Wasp, the first thing I noticed is the plastic from which the housing is made of. It just doesn’t seem durable, being much like the plastic from really low end products, but of course we can’t expect any kind of perfect build quality for thecheap price of them. Going down, we can find very solid built stress reliefs on the housings, and a little lower we can find a sort of a braided cable, with a plastic feel to it. Nevertheless, it feels solid and a good cable that will take some abuse. On the Y-split, we can find a metal splitter with “wasp” printed on it. On the 90º angled jack we can find a very nicely conceived stress relief, alongside a gold plated plug.
On the Genesis, we can find chrome housings, along with some black plastic and the name Genesis printed on the housing. The cable is protected by cloth, which means it could handle some accidental pulls, while maintaining intact. Also this cable helps reducing the microphonics. On the back of the housing, we can find a “bass enhancing port”. On the y-splitter there’s a plastic slider, that allows to adjust the cable length. The splitter is made of plastic and has a nice stress relief. On the jack we can find an hockey stick shaped jack, also with a good stress relief, and a gold plated plug.
Overall I think that while the Genesis is well designed in what concerns to build quality, the Audio Wasp could have had a little bit more effort in the housings (at least they put a lot of effort in its stress reliefs). But of course, they’re different price range products, so it’s normal a little bit of differences.
Comfort/Isolation
On the comfort chapter, there isn’t much to be said about both. They are not the best performers in comfort due to their bulky size (specially the genesis), but they are not a problem either. Just make sure you got the right tips (for me on the genesis the included dual flange, and on the audio wasp, the large from SoundMAGIC), and you’re ready to go on a voyage with them. Unfortunately, neither of them is very comfortable while wearing over the ear (basically on the genesis you can’t), so you’ll probably end wearing them straight down. At least the genesis has an ergonomic fit for straight down use.
On isolation, neither of them provides a deep insertion, so the isolation you get from them is really average. But due to dual-flanges (in my case) and the ergonomic fit, the genesis wins in this chapter by a fair margin. The kind of sound signature of the genesis also helps in camouflaging the outside noise, but more on that later. With this being said we can resume that the Golden Wasps perform mediocrely on this chapter, and you should be looking somewhere else if looking for isolation. The Genesis perform very well in isolation and comfort, but you shouldn’t buy any of these if pure isolation and comfort is what you need. Also neither of them suffer much from microphonics, which is a relief as these are not the best to be worn over the ear (one of the ways to reduce microphonics).
Sound
Source – Rockboxed Sansa Clip +, laptop (LG R400), TMN A1 (Huawei Pulse)
Files Used – 256 to 320 kbps and FLAC
Both of these are IEM which I think gain a lot from burning them in. The Audio Wasp sounded “meh” and with not much detail, I thought Fischer had made a mistake. The Genesis sounded bloated, with bass jumping all over the place, and not so detailed highs.
Burn-in
My burn-in consists in pink noise along with a playlist that is composed of the songs I usually hear on my daily basis.
At first when you hear the Audio Wasp, you feel like “WTF? What is this? No musicality, no dinamics, no nothing”. The best word to describe them is “meh”. After burn-in they change dramatically. The bass gains punch, the mids become a little bit more forward, and the highs timidly appear.
On the lower end you can feel that these pack a punch, but nothing overwhelming. They manage to reproduce bass-lines quite well, just with the little bit lack of detail with more complex bass-lines (or some dubstep parts). The bass doesn’t bleed in to the midrange, and it does a competent job.
The mids are reproduced nicely, and are in the right place, where they should be. I think they are best suited to male voices rather than female, I feel that in certain songs, like the ones from Dido, where I think that the voice isn’t just the best, comparing to other IEM.
The highs are where these phones lack. The cymbals feel dry, not crispy, and with a lack of detail. Also they have a recessed present in comparison to the forwardness of the mids and bass.
Their soundstage is medium, the normal for an IEM, and the positional accuracy is fairly good as well. On an overall note, they feel right for the price, but they only compete within their price range, not like other budget IEM that managed to jump out of their price bracket.
Now to the pricier, but far more exciting (for me at least) genesis. When I first put these on, I tried the song from Flux Pavilion – “Bass Cannon”. My reaction was like “BASS,BASS,BASS, am I wearing full sized cans?”. The bass was completely overwhelming in comparison to other frequencies. So I let them burn…
After settling down, I have put them on again. Now I felt that they were tamed. The bass is now controlled and doesn’t bleed in all directions. The mids now come forward and the highs are crisp. But it is still a sound signature dominated by the lower end. Luckily to me, I like it that way.
The lower end, it’s not like it’s involved by a “blob” of bass. Instead the bass allows the overall sound to gain dynamic, to be felt. And also it’s not a boomy bass, where the bass has no definition. Here the bass has texture, and definition to it. It allows to involve the listener to an experience I though could be only achieved by headphones. I don’t know, as I don’t have listened to the Hippo VB, but from the reviews, I say it could be something like that.
As said before, the bass doesn’t bleed into mids, thus not altering it. The mids are nice and smooth sounding, with the voices blending into the “darkish” nature of the sound. Nothing really of much relevance, the voices sound like they should be, and with attention to detail. Of course these aren’t IEM focused on the mids, so you can’t appreciate them in all their greatness. But when they’re prompted to, they’re there, and this is always a plus, because this is where many bass-focused IEM fail.
On the higher end of the spectrum, the highs don’t let anyone down. The cymbals feel crisp, and are present when needed. They aren’t of course that much forward, but they’re not as recessed as the ones from the Audio Wasp. They feel right, and without that plasticky feel that many bass-focused IEM have.
Their soundstage is pretty good for a closed IEM and the positional accuracy is also fairly good aswell. Overall, they are my phones for when I feel that need to feel the bass. I should call them “my guilty pleasure IEM”. Of course, these aren’t for everyday listening (or are they?) if you feel fatigued from the bass, but if you need something that produces really good results from the bass department, here you have.
Conclusion
On what concerns to the Audio Wasp, I can’t really recommend them. I say, they’re still “meh” sounding, I mean they sound ok, natural with slight emphasis on bass, but I feel that is something that is lacking. And there is got to be something special with an IEM in this price range for it to be recommended, due to the abundance of exceptional price-to-performance products out there, like the ones from DUNU. So I’ll say, not really worth getting.
On the other hand the genesis… These headphones, as much as I like them, should be only acquired in 2 cases: for a first IEM to the bass-head or on the second case as a fun IEM to have along with others. I love them, but I think you can’t have only them, because you will almost certainly get fatigued of them. I mean, they have quality bass, good mids and highs, but still, they’re not for everyday use. They’re like that old cigar, that you keep stored for the perfect time. It pretty much resumes them. I love them and I keep them near me for whenever that bass feeling comes along, but I couldn’t keep it as a main. That being said, it’s a wonderful IEM for bass delivering what it promises: hard thrilling bass, it feels your ears with filth, and makes you like it. It’s on the top of my list for listening music with hard hitting bass. Of course you wouldn’t be hearing something delicate with these will you?
