OLDSKOOL’70’s – Retro awesomeness

SPEC’S:

• › Frequency range: 20-20000 Hz
• › Sensitivity: 112 dB
• › Impedance: 35 Om
• › Input power: 100 mW
• › Color: black.

EQUIPMENT USED ON THIS REVIEW:

• Portable set-up: Sansa Clip+ (Rockboxed) ->UE Mini2Mini ->RSA Shadow
• Portable set-up: Ipod 5.5G -> ALO Cotton Dock -> RSA Shadow
• Home Rig 1: Sony D-25S -> UE Mini2Mini from Line out-> Heed CanAmp
• Home Rig 2: Denon DCD 1560 CD Player – RCA -> Heed CanAmp
• My mastering rig

BACKGROUND & FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

On first glance the OldSkool’70’s really impress. The packaging is sleek and sexy. If headphones were ever packaged to be given as gifts – these would be the ones to get.

Once you open the packaging you will find the headphones neatly packaged along with a nice pouch to store them away so they don’t get full of dust. The inner packaging is top notch as well. Very fancy.

The look of the OldSkool’70’s is pure awesome retro – did I mention they look awesome and retro? It looks like those oldheadphones they used to bundle with your walkman portable cassette player. In my opinion, the look is awesome and the build quality is super awesome. These aren’t your cheap sony walkman freebies you used to wear back in the 1970/80/90’s.

THE MUSIC & THOUGHTS ON SOUND:

1. Paul Simon – You Can Call Me Al from the album “Graceland”

The sound is pleasing.  The soundstage is quite large and the bass is pronounced. Good detail. Mids are very lush sounding.

2. Paul Simon – Homeless from the album “Graceland”

The voices sound natural. The baritones come out a bit more.

3. Nat King Cole – Stardust from the DCC release of “Love Is The Thing”
Nat’s voice  sounds natural, the strings are as airy as they should be but they aren’t bright or suppressed. The sound is very lush.

4. Danny Elfman – This is Halloween from the soundtrack “Nightmare Before Christmas”

The voices are all distinct. Bass is very nice. The soundstage and imaging on this track is better than most. 5. Absolute Silence – custom demo track made by myself.

Except for a slight pop the Clip+ added when the track finished, it was completely dead silent for the entire duration of the track.

6. Bach – Solo Cello Suites from the Mercury Living Presence release feat. Janos Starker
The cello sounds ever so slightly boomy. The ambiance and detail is present but lacking, probably due to lack of isolation.
7. Ella Fitzgerald – Sweet & Lovely from the album “Sings Sweet Songs For Swingers”
Nice. Ella comes across natural. The bass is really showcased here and the soundstage is once again very nice. Imaging is quite good.

8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication & Scar Tissue from the album “Californication”
The bass really rocks on this track. The distortion and clicks cannot be heard.
9. Lady Gaga – Poker Face from the album “The Fame”
The bass is awesome without being over-powering or bloated. Vocals are also very nice. The detail is a bit lacking due to lack of isolation.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

The one thing I noticed while listening to the OldSkool’70’s is that it does well with all types of music. It has that typical Fischer sound. The OldSkool’70’s are surprisingly more accurate and articulate than your average headphones this size and of this design. They sound rather similar to the PX100’s but I would give the OldSkool’70’s the edge for a more pleasing sound. The OldSkool’70’s really shines with all tracks but especially with rock, pop and hip-hop. Like most of Fischer Audio’s line, it has a very pleasing and fun sound signature. They are also very easy to drive to a high volume level without degrading the sound.

The sound signature of the OldSkool’70’s is fun but leaning toward the natural and organic side. One thing that surprised me was the soundstage. It has that 3D soundstage that you would only expect from much more expensive headphones. There were a few times that I looked back to see if someone was knocking and to my surprise it was the recording I was listening to!!! In particular I was listening to a Blue Note recording where in the middle of a solo someone yells “Yeah!” and I swear that “Yeah!” came over my left shoulder. Cool beans!

Not surprisingly, I found that these headphones upscale quite nicely as you move up the equipment chain. They sound great straight out of my ipod. They sound better on the Denon DCD 1560 CD Player going through the CanAmp and really impressed me coming out of my mastering rig. Considering the design and the price, that’s really impressive.

Once some of you see the OldSkool’70’s, you might think it’s a cheap quality headphone and be reminded of the freebies of days gone by. Nothing could be further from the truth. These headphones are solid and they feel as solid as they can be. Not only are they solidly built but they are also surprisingly comfortable. This will vary from person to person, but I did find them to be very comfy headphones.

One slight thing consumers are going to have to watch out for with the OldSkool’70’s is volume. I feel that these headphonescan be used for critical listening but you must be in a very quiet environment with very little or no ambient noise. Otherwise, these headphones will merely be there for mood listening. These headphones sound so good but isolate so little that people will really be tempted to crank up the volume to unhealthy levels, especially if they are in a less than perfect listening environment. If you have a less than perfect listening environment and want the same great quality, my suggestion would be to look into Fischer Audio’s similarly priced FA-004 headphones.

Once again what gets my attention with Fischer Audio’s products is the price/performance ratio. All the prices I was able to find for these were under $90.00 US! If I had paid $120 for these, I wouldn’t be upset at all. I would think these would be a good deal at $120.00. At $90 or under, these are an amazing deal – especially considering that these are limited edition headphones.

If you’re looking for some great sounding headphones that will not isolate you from your environment, then these are perfect. The build quality, sound quality, price and awesome looks are sure to please many, many folks.

Recommended!

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