I’m swiftly becoming a fan of Fischer Audio’s innovative designs and attention to detail, and these professional DJ headphones are certainly no disappointment. They come packaged with a choice of coiled and straight cables, as well as replacement ear pads, all presented in a lovely padded foam carry case (which itself is sturdier and more protective than many expensive record bags I’ve owned over the years)…

The pair I was handed for review sport a rather eye-catching white and red colour scheme; not to everyone’s taste, however they are also available in more muted shades. I must confess that my first impression on opening the box was that they looked a little plasticky and lightweight, but on closer inspection they are really solid and very well made. They are lighter than most comparable models (which can only be an advantage for a working DJ) and are very comfortable to wear.

On plugging the headphones in, the first thing I noticed was the bass. The combination of a tight ‘ear-hugging’ design, and a large 50mm driver makes them quite heavy on the low end, though the sound is smooth and well controlled. Initially I felt they lacked a little sparkle on high frequencies, however after a short while I got used to the warm sound of these headphones; the sound is detailed, full of character and very pleasant indeed.

Sound Impressions

A club scenario is where these cans really come into their own. Suddenly the bias towards low end frequencies makes perfect sense. The high frequencies are not blasting you, even with a lot of ambient noise, so you are able to make out the full detail of the track you’re cueing up. The tight fit of the ear-pads enables you to monitor at lower volumes than with many other headphones, which can only help to prevent tinitus.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a truly excellent pair of DJ headphones, offering genuinely great value for money. After a long listening session with these, I found my usual (and much more expensive) monitoring headphones to sound almost tinny in comparison.

If you’re looking something a bit different, like chunky headphones, and enjoy your bass ‘in your face’, these are the cans for you!

Read more reviews:

Kindly provided by our listeners from Germany ilove Albumcheck


Packaging & Accessories: 10/10
Build Quality: 10/10
Design & Look: 9/10
Isolation: 9/10
Comfort: 5/10
Audio Quality: 8/10
Value: 8/10
My final Rating: 8/10

Purchase Date: July 2012
Purchase Price: £245

First of all I would like to thank the lovely Tanya, from Fischer Audio for sending me out the FA-002W Master Series High Edition Headphones!
Before getting into the review I would like to say that Fischer Audio was to me, an unknown, but yet a very established brand in Asia. Thus it came to my delight when I found these earphones being listed around the EU a little more; For example, the FA-002W’s can be bought from Top Dog Headphones, who are also an authorised dealer!

Packaging, accessories, box content, overall first impressions (look wise)

For my initial impressions and unboxing video – Click here

Packaging:
The packaging of the FA-002W’s was very nice and it doubled up as a carrying case. The case itself is very good indeed, as it has an inner foam material protecting the headphones. The case also is quite handy to have as it also can be carried around, due to the inclusion of a little strap that allows you to carry the case with you.

Accessories:
The accessories that come with the headphones are just right. As the headphones are made to be used indoors, due to the long cable, and the quite bulky size of them, it wouldn’t make sense to have a carrying pouch. Thus the case is great for storing the headphones at home, and protecting them. There is also included a 1/4 to 3.5mm adapter, and a pair of extra pads (more on the pads later). Finally there is the warranty and manual included too.

Overall first impressions:
Overall, my first impressions of the headphones were very good, especially with the look and finish of the headphones themselves. I quite liked the carrying case too, as it proved to come in very handy when storing the headphones at home, and more so carrying it outside the house.

Build Quality

The build quality of the FA-002W’s is incredible. These headphones are really built to last, as the whole construction of the headband assembly feels sturdy and more so not flimsy like the Denon AH-D2000’s that I own.

The removable cable is also a very nice feature of the headphones, as this allows the users to play around with cable size. The left and right indicator of both the wire and the headphones is clearly marked with blue and red colours respectively.


The wire itself is very long, but well built and well terminated with a 3.5mm, gold plated jack, and as said above, finished with colour coded sides.

The headband itself, apart from being sturdy is actually also very much comfortable, with nice leather padding situated at the top of the headband, and the inner lining (where it sits on your head) made out of a soft and stretchable material.

The assembly of the headphones is made out of a plastic material, that seems to be protected with a rubber-esk material. Which means that it provides a nice surface and good finish to the product. There is also left and right indicators “painted” on the side of the headphones, which makes it very easy to distinguish left from right.

I also found the adjustment of the headphones very well done, with markings indicating how much they had been opened. This is ideal and great for adjusting the headphones to your head.

Another thing to look at is the ear pads. The ear pads are interchangeable, and are done so very easily by simply twisting the ear pad and removing the ear pad with its plastic ring from the headphone’s driver. To change ear pads, it is very much easy to do so by carefully removing the plastic ring and applying it to the new set of ear pads.

Last but not least, the build quality of the wooden cups themselves, is immaculate. Here we can see the beautiful workmanship of Fischer Audio coming into play. The wooden cups are well made and very nicely engraved with the Fisher Audio logo and information of the headphones.

Overall the build quality is one of the best headphones I have had, or even in comparison to some I have tried. The build quality has a lot going for it, and should really be admired for the overall attention to detail that FA has put in.

Now the overall look, comfort and isolation

Look:
The look of the headphones, on their own is very beautiful. They look as my mother said: “for a professional executive, who has a strong passion for audio”. The wooden finish gives these headphones a look of master-class. The overall finish as well makes these headphones look quite elegant and classy.

It should be noted however that these headphones are huge on one’s head. They really do stick out, and you can see why these are made for indoors use.

Isolation:
The isolation of the headphones is very good too. This is mainly because of the quite strong clamp, making the headphones stick to your head. Also due to the fact that these are close-back cans, it means that there is little to no music that is leaked or entered. I felt these are one of the best passive noise cancelling headphones I have tried.

Finally the comfort:
The comfort is something that really annoyed me. Due to the size of the headphones, and its ear pads, it means that the overall clamp on your head is quite substantial. I felt uncomfortable wearing these for over 1hr due to that very reason. More so, with glasses it becomes even more apparent of the strong clamp. After 2hrs of listening to these with glasses on, I had a terrible pain above my ear, due to the ear pads pushing against my head, where my glasses were situated.
I gather this does depend from head to head, as all head sizes are different, however for me, I found these vastly uncomfortable, especially seeing as these are made to be used for long period of time (as they aren’t made for portability, but for indoor use. Thus meaning you should be using them on your head whilst being indoors, and that often means using them for several hours).

The pads themselves however are comfortable. I would strongly suggest using the leather-esk pads, as they don’t irritate you for long periods of listening. However, I did find the velvet-esk pads to be more comfortable regarding the clamping force. So it really was a hit and miss of which pad to use.

Overall, the comfort for me was the biggest let down of the headphones. They weren’t comfortable to wear, and I was even “forced” to use the velvet-esk pads instead of the leather-esk ones, simply because they were a slight bit softer on my head.

Sound Quality

The sound quality of the FA-002W’s is quite intriguing. I found them to be very much source and amp dependant, in other words, pairing this up with something not strong enough to drive them, would lead you to wanting more for the headphones, and putting this to an amp that’s not “made” for it, would lead to a very unnatural sound reproduction.
Thus these headphones were very picky, but when sourced and amped correctly, these shined. That said, the sound signature was very open, mainly due to the soundstage feeling very deep (due to the wooden cups). The FA’s were also quite sibilant with an emphasis on the mids and highs. Meaning at times the headphones were actually unbearable to listen to, and also very hard to tell if the reproduction of sound was accurate. I also felt that the lows were completely missing – it felt as if they had no bass, and literally no sub-bass, almost reminiscent to the DBA02-MKII’s

Lows:
The lows on the FA-002W’s I felt was the weakest factor of the sound quality. I felt there was no real punch or detail to the bass: The sub-bass is non-existent, and I felt that the extension of the lows wasn’t very well pronounced. The mid-bass is a little more present, however its extremely faint, and not really worth mentioning. I feel the emphasis of bass wasn’t on FA’s list, which I’m sure some people, like the mid-centric folk will prefer.

Mids/highs: 
The mids and highs are very much accurate, however at times I felt that the highs were a bit too sibilant and the mids were a little bit too accentuated in their reproduction. Thus at times, with different amps/sources, it felt as if the sound wasn’t natural, and sometimes even unbearable to listen to. It is a point to bear in mind, however not a point to critisize, as when paired perfectly with the right things, the FA-002W’s becomes very much enjoyable and extremely accurate to listen to.

Soundstage:
The soundstage I felt was very deep, and sounded vast. I quite enjoyed listening to these, however at times it felt the sound was too far from my ear. That said, the soundstage is overall very well presented and very much enjoyable. The onyl reason I dropped 0.5 in its rating was the fact that it felt a little too deep at times, unlike open-back headphones which sound very open.

Sound Quality Ratings
Lows: 5.5/10
Mids: 9/10
Highs: 9/10
Soundstage: 9.5/10

Conclusions and final thoughts

Overall, I couldn’t give these headphones more than a 8/10 overall rating, despite them being very accurate in the mids and highs. This is because they were so source and amp dependant that most would give up and end up returning the headphones. If you are one of those that has managed to properly pair it with an amp or source that works for you, then congratulations. I felt I could match these to my setup, such as with the EPH-O2D, however felt at times it wasn’t that perfect, and enjoyable in comparison to my Denon AH-D2000’s for example.

I did want to run this through different setups and make other people try it, and after letting other people listen to the FA-002W’s they had the same perception as me regarding the source and amp selection, and more so with the sound quality factors of these headphones. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to think that. I also had the chance to run this through some very expensive headphone amps, and found them to be much better detailed and overall sounding in comparison to your “average” amp and source.

The value for money is there on these headphones, especially with the whole package in mind. I would like to have seen FA concentrate on making these a little more generic and not super specialised in their reproduction.

Hope you enjoyed my review!
TotallydubbedHD


Introducción:

Me dispongo a presentaros los Fischer Jubilate Master Series, unos auriculares de una marca por todos conocida que hará las delicias de algunos de vosotros, ya sea por el acabado, por su sonoridad o por ambas. En primer lugar he de agradecer el trato con Fischer, en particular a Tanya, quien me atendió siempre con un trato exquisito durante toda nuestra correspondencia. Esta marca procedente de Rusia, me ha dado el placer de probar estos “pequeñines” que llamaron mi atención desde el primer momento en que los vi en Head fi… Os animáis a descubrirlos conmigo a fondo??? Vamos alla!!!

Desembalaje y Presentación:

La presentación típica de Fischer, en un gran estuche para tenerlos entre algodones y súper cuidados mientras no los usas. Como podéis ver en una pequeña etiqueta que traen se adjunta el color de madera que traen ya que hay varios al gusto del cliente, todo un detalle:

En este caso los mios son los Tiama como podeis comprobar; os dejo la gama entera para que se os pongan los dientes largos viendo los distintos tonos!!! Lo siguiente es retirar la cinta que trae y abrir el estuche y nos encontramos los Jubilate y un par de extras que son de agradecer como podemos ver en la foto y comentaremos a continuación:

Nos encontramos por fin con los auriculares que en este caso traen puestas unas almohadillas aterciopeladas comodísimas (y muy calentitas para el invierno que esta llegando), otras de recambio que diría que sino son de piel, son de una poli piel muy buena y por ultimo y debajo de estas ultimas un cable larguísimo que te servirá para moverte sin dificultad mientras las utilizas. Aquí os dejo todo lo que se incluye:

Calidad de Construcción:

La calidad de construcción es buenísima, se ven robustos, sobre todo con lo que le aporta el acabado de las copas en madera aunque esta claro, los dota de un poco más de peso de lo habitual pero para nada exagerado. La estructura de estos auriculares me recuerda exactamente a mis antiguos AKG K512 MKII, la cual era también fuerte pero estos la verdad tienen un toque de calidad que aquellos carecían totalmente, salvando la diferencia de precio.

Lo primero y que si me ha gustado y mucho es que el cable es extraíble con lo cual se evita perder los auriculares si se te estropea el cable. Hablando del cable como veis es larguísimo, y comienza en un jack de 3.5mm, bien rematado pero sin muchas florituras; el cable no es demasiado gordo y quizás es de lo menos reseñable del pack que nos manda Fischer, aun así esta bien acabado y suficiente para su cometido asíque tampoco es criticable. Este, acaba en otro jack de 3.5mm que se enchufa en los Jubilate y también comentar que trae la clavija de adaptación a jack de 6.3mm.

Las copas acabados en madera son simplemente geniales, y como podéis comprobar son grandes pero no enormes como los de los K550 aunque eso si mas abultados hacia fuera. Continuando hacia el arco, vemos que tienen una banda de material plástico de tacto agradable para adaptarse y sujetarse perfectamente a la cabeza de cada uno con el grabado “Master Series”. Por ultimo el arco si se toca con cuidado se puede notar como es una varilla plana de metal para darle consistencia y con la elasticidad precisa, recubierta de un tubo plástico negro.

Datos Técnicos:

Rango de frecuencia: 10- 22000 Hz
Sensibilidad: 103dB
Impedancia: 165 Ohmios
Largo de cable: 3m
Jack: 3.5mm o 6.3mm

Calidad de Sonido:

Bueno y llegamos a la parte interesante del tema: como suenan estos Jubilate. Las expectativas son altas, ya que pertenecen a las Master Series de Fischer por lo cual su calidad debería ser indudable; además y como habréis intuido son cerrados por tanto tendremos que saber si resultan agobiantes o amplios en la escena sonora, asíque vamos a ver que nos ofrecen.

Comentaros también, que han sido rodados más de 50 horas y la mejoría ha sido notable, y también como podéis ver en la foto y como en mis reviews anteriores, el equipo utilizado ha sido mi iPod Touch 4G acoplado al JDS Labs C421 por un cable Fiio E9. A partir de la próxima cambiare a mi nuevo equipo.

DETALLE:

El detalle es bueno tirando a alto, se le escapan pocas notas y matices a estos auriculares; la escena sonora es cercana pero sin estar pegada a ti y la amplitud es buena para ser cerrados, podría decirse que están a medio camino entre unos cerrados clásicos y unos cerrados de sonido abierto como los AKG K550. Lo que me sorprende de ellos sobre todo es lo equilibrados que están, ningún grave, medio o agudo sobresale por encima del resto mas de lo debido si la canción no lo requiere, y por tanto esto hace que sean bastante aptos tanto para aquellos que le gusta el medio, como el grave sin olvidarse de el agudo, por tanto son bastante completos en este sentido.

GRAVES:

Son contenidos, sin desmesurarse pero se dejan sentir en todo momento. Son secos y no muy calidos pero tampoco te perforan el oído sino que dan pequeños “golpecitos” que llaman a despertar a tu tímpano de una forma alegre. Como nota personal aunque a mi me gustan los graves marcados, fuertes y calidos, estos me han sorprendido y me han gustado ya que no se hacen pesados para largas escuchas y además no desaparecen en ninguna circunstancia. Muy bien la verdad.

MEDIOS:

Los medios de estos Jubilate son muy entrañables y me explico: te llaman timidamente a que los disfrutes quizás porque están un poco mas en primer plano que el resto de frecuencias, y lo hacen de una manera suave pero protagonista, sabiendo del equilibrio de los Fischer pero queriendo llamar tu atención. Son alegres y dulces y si te gustan los medios no te defraudaran.

AGUDOS:

Frescos y divertidos, no se dejan tapar ni por medios ni graves,  a pesar  de ser unos auriculares cerrados, y le dan aun más alegría a la canción. Eso si, llegan a tonos altos por tanto igual a alguna persona pueden hacérsele algo “agudos” de mas, pero como dije anteriormente y me reitero, para mi gusto el equilibrio y detalle es muy bueno.

CONCLUSIÓN:

En conjunto sonoramente hablando pocas pegas les puedo poner a estos Fischer: son equilibrados, limpios, detallados y si tienes un amplificador te lo agradecerán mucho, tanto ellos como tus oídos. Igual no son unos auriculares que destaquen en un apartado sonoro pero si que lo hacen gratamente en el conjunto, y son cerrados si, pero el sonido no se agolpa dentro de las paredes de los drivers a pesar de aislar muy bien las almohadillas, por tanto creo que la impresión es positiva luego de este apartado.

Opinión Personal:

Después de horas escuchándolos y probándolos puedo decir que el resultado es muy satisfactorio y estoy encantado con ellos ya que llamaron mi curiosidad por la estética y al final se han ganado mi respeto en el aspecto sonoro. Son bastante exclusivos no solo por el acabado en madera sino porque en España aun no los hay ni en el resto de la Union Europea (que yo los haya encontrado), si los quieres tendrás que irte al mercado ingles o estadounidense y rondan los 150 euros al cambio siempre y cuando estén dispuestos a mandarlos. Os dejo el enlace oficial de Fischer por si queréis echarles un vistazo.

Por ultimo comentaros que si tenéis la oportunidad de probarlos, hacedlo y si podéis también me gustaría que como siempre compartierais vuestras impresiones en el hilo para enriquecer esta review y sobre todo aprender yo también de vosotros, compañeros.

Nada más por mi parte, espero que haya sido de vuestro agrado y que os hayan gustado tanto estos Jubilate Master Series como a mí,
Un saludo a todos y a vuestro servicio,

WairX  :silbar:


****NOTE***

These are my opinions. Please take them as such.

These are strictly subjective impressions based

upon careful and critical listening over an

extended period of time. YMMV.

***NOTE***

 

be8c8901_P1010633.jpeg

 

 

 SPEC’S:

  • › Frequency range: 11-27000 Hz
  • › Sensitivity: 105 dB
  • › Impedance: 200 Om
  • › Length of a cable: 3.0 M
  • › Color: Cherry Wood/black
  • › Etc: additional velour cushions, 6.3mm screw-on jack adapter, 003 cups, carrying case

 EQUIPMENT USED ON THIS REVIEW:

  • Please see my profile for a list of some of the equipment I own.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Where to start!? The Good? The Bad? The Beautiful? Let’s go in reverse…

 THE BEAUTIFUL

These headphones are gorgeous. The craftsmanship in the cups is flawless and no matter how many pictures I take…it doesn’t do it justice.

The laser engraving is also skillfully done. The cursive type of “High Edition” looks beautiful, elegant and flawless. Even the guys from Audeze were impressed by the wood and engraving.

These headphones are an absolutely beauty…remaining light and comfortable at the same time.

THE BAD

BAD…from Fischer Audio?!…YES!

The FA-002W High Edition is a picky bastard! They are very picky in regards to amp matching. These are not like the regular 003’s or 002w’s in that they will sound good out of most any amp or even some portable players. No. These can sound just awful out of certain amps and downright painful on others. These did not sound good straight out of my portable players. These did not sound good with my EMU-0404 and they did not sound good with most of the neutral amps I have. They sounded bass light, mids slightly peaky and bright but not shrill. Never has a Fischer Audio headphone sounded this bad out of my amps. Why, they sound almost as bad with my amps as the HD-800 did with them…hmmm.

THE GOOD

The only decent sound I got from these was with my Heed CanAmp which is tube like in its sound quality. Even then…it was decent. Hmmm….time to find some tube amps….(a few days go by…the magic of reviews…ahh some good tube amps…wait…So. Cal. Meet!!…..Eddie Current…DNA…)…

With a good tube amp these sounded amazing…better than the HD-800 in some regards, “worse” in one. With the proper amp, these headphones shine like few other dynamics do. The bass is articulate, deep, extended and punchy. The mids become those luscious mids that Fischer Audio has become synonymous with and highs are detailed, fast and coherent. These are amazing to listen to on a good tube amp. This is the type of sound I have come to expect from Fischer Audio.

On a nice tube amp, the bass is low, extended and tight. You don’t get the “one-note” bass problem with these headphones like you do with the HD-800. The midrange and highs are very good. The purity of tones as well as the resolution is just wicked good with the right amp. These are the qualities with lead me believe that the FA-002W High Edition can play with the big boys. The part where the FA-002W High Edition falls short in comparison with the HD-800 is in soundstage. The soundstage is not as expansive as it is with the HD-800 but it is still accurate. If you ask me – it’s not a bad compromise at all, especially since the soundstage remains accurate.

CONCLUSION

Once again, I wish I could shake someone’s hand over at Fischer Audio and congratulate them for having such great sounding products at affordable prices. This is the first product they have which I feel is finicky but, when paired with the right amp, you will have truly high end sound at a fraction of what you would normally pay…less than 1/3 to be honest. If you have lusted after an HD-800 but could never justify its price or the looks or [insert your excuse here], then pick up the Fischer Audio FA-002W High Edition. You will not get the expansive soundstage of the HD-800 but you will get better sound, accurate soundstage and an amazing bargain. Current owners of the FA-002W or FA-003 will be happy to note that Fischer Audio will be selling an external adapter to convert those headphones to High Editions for under $100.00 USD!

Those of you who usually read my reviews will also notice I didn’t list any music this time around. This is because I wanted to keep this review short and specific. I found a lot of variation between set-ups using the same song. If I had listed the music, I would have had to write different descriptions for each set-up. As I said before…the Fischer Audio FA-002W is finicky – probably more so than the HD-800.

While these can be viewed as the “Poor Mans HD-800”, do keep in mind that they need the right amp to sound good. Also keep in mind that I am comparing these to stock HD-800’s and not the modded ones owned by Purrin and Anaxilus. The modded HD-800’s are clearly superior to both the stock HD-800 and the Fischer Audio FA-002W High Edition. I would highly recommend that any of you considering this headphone listen to it before buying it and preferably give it a good listen on your equipment to make sure it mates well. At the recent Southern California meet many people heard the FA-002W High Edition and some did like it very much. Interestingly enough, those that did like it a lot were using tube amps. I can already see that the Fischer Audio FA-002W High Edition will be a can that will create polar opposite camps – those that will love them and those that will hate them. Which camp you will fall into will depend greatly on your sound signature preferences and your equipment. If you are a fan of the HD-800 on tubed equipment, then you might just be a fan of the FA-002W High Edition.

With the right amp…HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

If you don’t have the right amp….get the regular Fischer Audio FA-002W or FA-003.

Tube Amps I tried:

Eddie Current Balancing Act and Super 7

Donald North Audio 2A3 -> sounded best with this amp!

Schiit Lyr


Will Sumsuch DJ – Producer Fischer Audio JUBILATE Headphones Review

By Will Sumsuch DJ


rev-jubilate3rev-jubilate5

I was honored to be allowed to test out the Fischer Audio Jubilate Master SeriesHeadphones this week. Straight out of the lovely box I was struck by their beautiful design and craftsmanship. The headphones are surprisingly light and feel incredibly well balanced and comfortable, essential for long sessions. What began as a quick late night listening test swiftly turned into a music production session, and before I knew it, it was 4am and I’d composed and roughly mixed a new track using the headphones. The detail on high frequency sound is incredible, the mid is smooth and low frequencies are warm, subtle and understated. The closed design means it’s easy to get completely lost in music, but unlike a lot of similar models I felt no sense of claustrophobia, and quickly forgot I was even wearing them.

Having composed and roughly mixed a track using these headphones, the ultimate test came the next day when I checked the mix on my studio monitors. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The detail and quality of the Jubilate Master Series speaks volumes, all the frequencies in my track were well balanced and nothing stood out in the mix.

Overall I have to say the results were better than the headphones I normally work with.

I cannot recommend these beautiful headphones enough to anyone who cares about detail, sparkle and subtlety in their listening experience. If you’re looking for something loud, brash and punchy with a huge amounts of bass then these are not for you, but then I would imagine the classy design (and lack of endorsement from a celebrity) would have put you off anyway.

The natural wood is a huge plus point for me; I feel that using warm, natural materials is more important than ever in this cold, digital age. From the body of a guitar to the paper driver in a Funktion One speaker, wood will always give more life to music than plastic and metal.

I have fallen in love with these headphones, and will be buying a pair, and I don’t think I can give a better endorsement than that!

Read original version at Top Dog Headphones Blog


DJ Jeff Daniels Reviews the Fischer Audio JUBILATE Headphones

By DJ JEFF DANIELS


I was sent a pair of the Jubilate Master Series headphones to review for Top Dog Headphones. After opening the boxed package I findmyself in the company of a well padded nylon zip bag, vastly impressed with this I slowly unzip the bag to unveil a stunning looking pair of finely crafted wooden headphones.

WOW!

I plug in the single cable and the studio listening session begins. Immediately after placing the headphones on ones head I feel a sense of comfort as the cups sit nice and snug on ones ears.

As soon as I hit play and the music starts all background sound disappears and the cross pollination begins. With eyes closed I sit back in the chair. As the track slowly builds you can feel and hear the deep rich sound quality and clarity from the Master series, very impressive, and their qualities especially evident, painting a beautiful, comforting picture. The bass or low end is quite smooth without being unobtrusive, the trebles / highs come through clearly, speaking the same language, as do the mids (These are truly jaw-dropping headphones, providing a heavyweight performance to the listener)

Depending on what music/audio you decide to listen to, or working in the studio on your own productions, you will be able to pick out so many different sounds and qualities, IE: Vocals, acoustics, highly rhythmic drumming, ambient/balearic, jazz & dance all different kinds of music and moods.

If you’re looking for heavy pounding bass heavy cans, then these are not for you. Less is more as the saying goes, and they retail at a reasonable price.

This has been a highly enjoyable listening journey for me, enhanced by the craftsmanship of the wooden headphones.

Read original version at Top Dog Headphones Blog


Fisher Audio est une marque russe qui commence seulement à se faire connaître.  Elle possède une large gamme allant du nomade au sédentaire. Grâce à sa qualité audio et au prix intéressant des rebadging de la marque, elle attire l’attention de nombreux mélomanes à la recherche d’un bon rappport Qualité/Prix. J’ai découvert cette marque grâce au test de Ediauphile du fa-011 que je vous invite à lire ici http://forum.tellementnomade.com/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=2602. Le casque appartenait à jxh qui l’a mis en jeu sur le forum et la lauréate a été ma petite amie. Nous le remercions encore ! Donc comme convenu cette review s’effectuera à deux et sera écrite en coopération (espérons sans accro). J’ajouterai ses observations dans le futur car je souhaitais rendre cette review le plus rapidement possible.

Le fa-002 est le casque ouvert haut de gamme de la marque. Il occupe ce segment avec son jumeau fermé le fa-003 et une version plus onéreuse appelée fa-002w qui est une version fermée du fa-002 avec des coques en bois, le W voulant signifiant comme dans la plupart des cas “Wood” (diverses essences sont disponibles). Je possède actuellement pour mon écoute sédentaire un Akg k701 que j’utilise depuis plus d’un an. Mon système d’écoute comprend : mon ordinateur avec le player Foobar 2000, un DAC Poppusle 707 et un ampli Little Dot MkIV. Le casque appartenant à ma petite amie, je lui ai offert un ampli/dac Aune X1 réputé neutre et d’un bon rapport Qualité/Prix. Le test du fa-002 s’effectuera sur le Aune X1 avec des fichiers lossless encodés en FLAC.

On vous donnera ici nos impressions globales sur le casque en le comparant à chaque fois à mon k701. On basera notre comparaison sur différents styles : rock, métal, électro, classique, jazz, pop, et rap. Les écoutes s’effectueront sur nos paires d’oreilles respectives. Pour le prix, on se situe dans une gamme où il y a du choix et de la concurrence : environ 170$ chez le revendeur GD-audio. Le k701 que j’avais acheté 180€ à l’époque sur Thomann se situe dans la même zone tarifaire.

Packaging

Dans cette gamme de prix de casque sédentaire, on trouve généralement un packaging limité mais celui du fa-002 est bien fourni. En effet le casque est vendu dans une housse de transport souple où l’on trouve une mousse dense à la forme du casque. Deux paires de pads sont fournies l’une en velours et l’autre en simili cuir. Adaptateur jack 3.5mm vers 6.35mm et câble détachable de 3.5m sont de la partie. C’est plus complet que l’unique socle du k701 et son adaptateur jack 6.35mm ver 3.5mm.

Bref, rien ne manque à part peut-être un socle mais je chipote!

Fabrication/design

Pour le design on est dans l’esprit de la gamme des HD6xx de Sennheiser avec sa grille apparente et sa couleur sombre. Il est beaucoup plus sobre que le k701 qui se reconnaît tout de suite au premier coup d’œil. Je trouve le design du k701 beaucoup plus abouti que celui du fa-002. Le casque, comme le k701 est entièrement en plastique mise à part pour le système de réglage de l’ouverture de l’arceau. D’ailleurs le casque s’adapte très facilement à toute taille de tête et le système de l’arceau est bien pensé pour limiter les efforts sur le plastique. La structure qui maintient les oreillettes fait un peu cheap, à voir si elle résiste au temps. Le câble du casque fait 3.5m ce qui permet de se déplacer librement, de plus il est détachable ce qui est un grand plus par rapport au k701. La connectique par défaut est un jack 3.5mm et un adaptateur 6.35mm est fourni. Un bon point pour l’ingénieux système rotatif de changement des pads des oreillettes qui permet d’alterner facilement entre les deux types de pads et d’accéder aux transducteurs du casque.

Confort

Les différents pads (velours/simili cuir) sont très confortables et fermes. L’oreille ne touche pas le fond de l’oreillette donc aucune gêne sur ce point là. Mais l’arceau est inconfortable, des douleurs sur le dessus du crâne se font ressentir au bout de 45 min d’écoute par rapport au k701 qui peut rester des heures sur ma tête sans problème ! Après une centaine d’heures d’écoute le fa-002 est beaucoup plus confortable, sur des écoutes de 3h, je n’ais plus ressenti de gêne au niveau de l’arceau. Les deux casques font approximativement le même poids mais le fa-002 paraît plus lourd sur le crâne que le k701. Le k701 reste beaucoup plus confortable globalement, on l’oublie plus facilement dans l’écoute. Petite remarque, pour les cheveux longs (testé par ma moitié). Ils se coincent facilement dans l’armature du fa-002 alors que la construction du k701 préserve de cette douleur à chaque fois que le casque est retiré.

Isolation

Le casque est vendu en tant que casque ouvert mais il l’est beaucoup moins que le k701. Le fa-002 leak moins que le k701 et on entend difficilement les personnes dans l’environnement d’écoute. Pour moi ce fa-002 se rapproche plus d’un casque semi-ouvert que d’un casque ouvert, mes écoutes confirmeront peut être cette impression.

Le son

Le fa-002 me fait bouger la tête dès le début, ça sonne, ça groove ! On est bien au fond du temps, les graves sont légèrement ronds avec un bon impact qui s’oppose à une caisse claire bien sèche et des cymbales riches et qui sonnent ! La guitare a du corps et de la définition, elle se retrouve au même plan que le chant qui lui est beaucoup plus lisse. La scène sonore est proche et les instruments manquent de spatialisation, on n’a pas cette sensation du son qui nous englobe car le son reste bien présent sur la droite et la gauche. Malgré ce petit moins, pour moi ça sonne naturel, comme j’aimerais entendre ce groupe sonner ! Passer sur le k701 fait tout bizarre, il donne une impression de vide dans les mediums. La voix est plus en avant que la guitare, mais celle-ci garde un son très proche de celui obtenu avec le fa-002. La batterie quand à elle est moins chaude. La grosse caisse sonne de façon plus naturelle, on perd la rondeur du fa-002 mais l’impact est plus discret. Même constat sur la caisse claire, moins dynamique, les cymbales quand à elles sont tout aussi riches. A propos de la spatialisation et de la scène sonore, on a beaucoup plus de relief entre les instruments et l’écoute nous englobe plus. On arrive à bien tout situer dans l’espace. Bon le fa-002 m’a vraiment surpris et plu face à un k701 qui sonne de manière plus fade, je suis sur que c’est à cause de la couleur du casque !

Protest The Hero – C’est La Vie

J’ai l’impression que ce fa-002 se fait plaisir sur les musiques énervées et énergiques ! La batterie y est précise même si les cymbales sont plus brouillonnent dans le mixage général. La basse trouve sa place mais elle ressort moins que la batterie et les guitares. Les guitares s’expriment librement, elles sont définies et rapides ! Le chant quant à lui est au même plan que les guitares et s’exprime de la même manière. Même constatation que pour The Black Keys au niveau de la spatialisation et de la scène sonore. La section basse du spectre est quand même moins définis que les guitares et le chant. Bref le fa-002 se fait plaisir sur ce style de musique et moi aussi! Le k701 de retour sur mes oreilles, ben c’est toujours vide… Le fa-002 à vraiment plus de corps. Les instruments sont très définis. La dynamique d’ensemble est bonne mais il manque un je ne sais quoi. Bref j’écoute mais je ne remue pas la tête, son analytique quand tu nous tiens! La scène sonore et le relief des instruments sont quand à eux excellents, au dessus du fa-002. La voix aussi est plus libre et l’extension dans les aigus est plus importante. Le k701 n’est définitivement pas dans son style musical. Bref si tu aimes les guitares, les barbes et la distorsion le fa-002 sera ton compagnon pour une bonne bière et du gros son !

Pendulum – The Island – Pt. II Dusk

Le fa-002 a toujours autant d’énergie à transmettre ! Au fil des écoutes il me séduit vraiment le bougre ! Des basses présentes avec une attaque sèche, toute la section rythmique est restituée avec un son plein et de l’impact. Le son de la mélodie principale voyage facilement du medium à l’aigue, on n’a pas de sensation de lenteur ni d’agressivité. La scène sonore reste toujours proche avec un léger relief. Ce casque donne vraiment l’impression d’être neutre mais sans ce côté discret du k701. Changement de crémerie, le k701 se fait tout de suite plus discret. La section rythmique est moins présente, légèrement moins de corps mais autant d’impact qu’avec le fa-002. La mélodie principale est au centre de la restitution, je la trouve légèrement mieux définie que sur le fa-002. Pour moi le k701 manque d’expression et d’intensité pour ce type de musique. L’écoute du k701 me montre que le fa-002 est plus généreux dans les mediums ce qui lui apporte cette présence indéniable qui est plus qu’agréable sur de l’électro. Je trouve que le k701 manque « d’épaule » pour s’imposer.

Michael Bublé – Feeling Good

La voix de Bublé est bien mise en valeur par le casque.  Les cuivres sont bien devant (surtout la section grave et medium), la contre basse est bien chaleureuse et ronde. Mais sur ce morceau, les instruments manquent de relief et les aigus se font timides. La scène sonore manque vraiment de profondeur, difficile de situer tout les interprètes et de bien les discerner. Le k701 est clairement dans son élément. L’écoute est très subtile, détaillée et nuancée. Tout sonne juste et je suis charmé par ce que j’entends. On se laisse plus facilement emporter par le rendu du k701 alors que le fa-002 est plus « rentre dedans ». La spatialisation est au poil, on retrouve chacun des instruments très distinctement, chacun a sa place sur la scène. Le  k701 est sur son terrain, il sonne de façon beaucoup plus raffinée et subtile, un vrai plaisir sur du jazz ou du classique.

Wax Taylor – B-Boy On Wax

Le fa-002 sonne de façon beaucoup plus légère que sur mes précédentes écoutes. La batterie est sèche et sans surplus donc elle amène un dynamisme qui est recherché sur ce titre. Les voix sont placées bien en avant avec une tessiture très naturelle. La flute et les violons sont légèrement en retrait par rapport à la voix ce qui donne vraiment un bon relief à la musique. Ce que j’aurais pu reprocher avant à ce casque s’efface sur cette musique. Très surprenante et agréable interprétation! Le k701 me restitue une musique très proche de celle écoutée avec le fa-002 quoi qu’elle sonne légèrement moins dans les mediums et un peu plus dans les aigus. Je ressens quand même un peu plus de profondeur entre les instruments mais pour le reste, c’est vraiment très proche. Concrètement, je n’arrive pas à choisir entre les deux tant leurs prestations sont proches. D’un côté je penche pour la légère note chaleureuse du fa-002, mais de l’autre la profondeur du k701 apporte du relief.


Le fa-002 semble équilibré à l’écoute mais il est clairement plus généreux dans les basses et les mediums que le k701. Pour moi le fa-002 sonne de façon naturelle face à un k701 qui sonne de façon neutre et analytique. On trouve plus facilement du plaisir dans l’écoute avec le fa-002 qu’avec le k701. Le k701 est plus tourné vers les aigus et le fa-002 vers les basses et mediums. Je pense que le fa-002 peut aussi bien officier comme casque d’écoute Hi Fi ou comme casque de monitoring. Après une recherche un peu laborieuse, j’ai réussi à dénicher les courbes de réponse des deux casques mesurées sur le même site russe http://doctorhead.ru/ :Je ne certifie pas les mesures effectuées.


Details

Le k701 est réputé pour son interprétation détaillée et analytique qui est supérieur à celui du fa-002 mais on n’est quand même pas en reste avec le fa-002. Il reste quand même difficile de différencier les instruments sur de grand ensemble de classique ou de jazz avec le fa-002. Dès qu’on écoute de la musique avec un nombre d’instrument moins important le fa-002 s’en sort bien.

Scène sonore/aération

Le fa-002 nous offre une scène sonore légèrement éloigné sans perdre en présence mais on cherche une profondeur de scène qui se fait timide. Avec le k701, on ressent toute la profondeur d’une salle de concert avec l’amplitude des différents instruments. De l’autre côté, le fa-002 nous englobe moins, le son reste plus cantonné aux oreillettes droite et gauche et il est plus difficile de situer les instruments dans l’espace sonore par rapport au k701.

Driver

Le fa-002 peut être drivé par un grand nombre de baladeurs et de sources, en comparaison d’un k701 qui demande énormément de puissance pour pleinement s’exprimer. Mais le fa-002 gagne énormément à être bien amplifier, j’ai pu voir une grosse différence entre mon Sansa Clip +, le hisound Studio V, le Aune X1 et le Little Dot MkII (personnellement je préfère ce dernier). Même si le Clip + et le Studio V peuvent le driver, ils ne lui rendent pas forcément hommage. D’ailleurs le Aune X1 à driver très facilement le k701, à ma grand surprise, il en a sous le coude ce petit boîtier noir ! Une petite remarque aussi sur la dénomination de casque ouvert pour le fa-002. Pour moi ce n’est pas un casque ouvert comme le k701. L’impression que me procurent mes écoutes se situe entre un casque ouvert et fermé, juste entre les deux en héritant des qualités et des défauts de chaque type de construction.

Conclusion

J’aime:

– le packaging et le câble détachable
– La polyvalence générale
– Le son naturel et équilibré
– Excellent sur du rock, métal, musique électronique et le trip hop
– Peut être facilement drivé- Le bénéfice d’une bonne amplification- Le prix

Les limites:

– La résistance des parties plastiques dans le temps
– Manque de relief entre les instruments
– Une neutralité subjective
– Scène étroite et légèrement profonde
– Moins bon sur du classique et du jazz (grand ensemble)
– Vendu comme casque ouvert, mais à un comportement de casque semi-ouvert

J’ai découvert un bien beau casque à mon goût qui remplace aujourd’hui mon k701 sur certain type de musique pour mon plus grand plaisir, grâce à lui j’ai retrouvé ce petit côté fun que j’avais perdu avec le k701. Mais ne boudons pas pour autant les grandes qualités du k701 sur le classique et le jazz. En résumé, ces deux casques sont différents et se complètent parfaitement pour l’écoute de ma discothèque assez polyvalente. Chacun a ses avantages et ses limites pour mon plus grand plaisir. Ce casque représente un bon rapport Q/P, surtout qu’il ne nécessite pas forcement un système d’amplification au début de son utilisation pour toutes les personnes qui veulent découvrir le monde de l’écoute sédentaire. Et je suis sur que l’un de nos forumeurs va découvrir un rebadging à un tarif très intéressant pour ce casque d’ici peu! De plus, je viens de découvrir qu’il était possible de changer les coques plastiques/grillagées des oreillettes par les coques en bois du fa-002W. J’attends juste un retour de Fischer Audio pour savoir si les transducteurs du fa-002 sont les mêmes que ceux du fa-002W et ainsi tenter l’expérience d’un casque fermé avec des coques en bois. Bref, l’essai de ce casque m’a démontré que je ne suis encore qu’au début de la découverte de l’écoute sédentaire et que je n’ai pas encore trouvé « le son ». Mais chaque jour, grâce à ce genre de rencontre, on se rapproche de plus en plus de ce que l’on cherche. Pour commenter et discuter de ce test c’ est ici.

Read original version at Tellementnomade


Packaged in the now familiar and highly durable stiffened nylon zip bag/box and in a ton of padding the Jubilate cuts a strident post with its wooden shine and 3D wing system headband which brandishes the already familiar Master Series headphones branding and logo. The cable is single entry this time instead of dual entry on the FA-002W and sports a 3.5mm type termination for locking into the left cup and a more regular quarter jack termination for slotting into the amp or source of your choice. On initial sight it reminded me a touch of the e-smooth headphones with a classy shell or ATH type wooden headphone such was the familiarity when you look at the cans out of the box.True to Fischer Audio’s mantra you can of course get varying types of wooden cups such as Jatoba, Paduak, Khaya and Tiama in more circular design than the more elongated FA-002W cups. At the time of writing the price for the Jubilate doesn’t seem to vary with the style of wood used unlike the FA-002W which can vary by up to $150-$200 depending on your taste. The rest of the headphone is more standard fare brown flexible plastic hosing 3-d wing system made popular by the likes of AKG and ATH and a softer leather band across for resting on the head. In truth it is quite a comfy little setup though I wouldn’t mind the leather being a tad thicker on the band for more robustness but since this is primarily an indoors headphone I cannot see that as being a major issue.

The cans also come with well crafted pleather and velour pads which are relatively easy to swap around without too much huff and puff. The color of the pleather is a nicer match than the blander velour pads so I ended up sticking with them for the review though I have some comments on the velour pads and their tonality. The pads could have maybe done with a tad more depth overall as my ear ended up touching the internal grills slightly. The main weight of the headphones are in the wooden cups themselves rather than the band so the main downward pressure is felt on the cups and ears which I would have preferred to have been more to the top of the headband itself but most 3-d wing systems I have used are generally like that – even the W3000ANV from ATH had this weight placement. It does hold fairly well in place though on your head and the sweet spot for placement is pretty easy to achieve. Isolation wise as a closed headphone is pretty decent though not earth shattering – once the music starts playing most background sounds fade away.

Technical Specifications

Frequency range: 10-22000 Hz
Sensitivity: 103 dB
Impedance: 165 Ohm
Input power: 300 mW
Set: 6.3 mm adapter, 3.0 m cable, replacement earpads, storage case

Sound impressions

Out of the box with velour the cans are thin, bright with grain and little or no bottom end. For some reason I had this in my mind to be another bass heavy headphone like the FA-002W. My bad, wrong expectation so after a while calming down and allowing a burn-in of a few hours I started to re-educate myself on what Fischer are trying to achieve here. This is a top down sonic presentation engineered for articulation, clarity and minute detail at a competitive price. On the velour this does not work as well as on the pleather as the pleather gives it a slightly, if much needed, darker tonality and a bit more meat on the bones in the lower end of the spectrum but not by a whole lot. The velour pads do away with the snap and give a slightly smoother response but also slim out the bass impact and emphasize the trebles a bit more than the pleathers giving it quite a bright signature. There is not a night and day difference between the two pad choices overall but my choice would be the pleathers for the added lower end depth.

The Jubilate’s main strengths are the mids and uppers and if you are a detail freak you might feel these headphones are more suitable for you. Certainly on slower delicate tracks with acoustics and lead vocals they do portray good competence and are quite listenable. Buika’s ‘Soledad’ off her 2009 El Ultimo Drago album which really doesn’t demand anything from the lower end are a great match for them though in saying that there a tendency for a touch of sibilance to slip in now and then. So take your pick – smoothness or detail. I can handle both but only when the mood takes me. There is a certain sharpness on the tonality also that can either work well or make your hair stand on end depending on the genre. For acoustics this came out reasonably well with solid, fast almost strident articulation and a decent amount of detail. However once you threw in a lot of guitar and cymbal work such as Def Leppard’s “Animal” off Hysteria (1987) it came across as thin and sharp. I did find the sound stage to be more pleasing than the FA-002W though with its wider more forward mids section allowing a bit more space for instrumentation and vocals to breath than the more recessed bassy FA-002W.

Final thoughts

This is a very genre specific headphone and not overly musical. That is not to be harsh but consider this headphone as more analytical tool in its nature than a rocking hipster. It will dissect rather than pound the music and as such any music designed to carry a lot of lower weight and plenty of layered action in the mids and uppers might come up short. If you are going to match this headphone to an amp get a dark amp, its easy enough to drive at 106db so most warm or dark amps will work well such as the FiiO E11 or the C&C X02. This headphone is a companion for slower moments of delicacy and detail, a headphone for more refined listening. If this is your scene, you like a touch of classy wood and your not going for top tier then you might like the Jubilate a lot actually.


We have come across Russian indie brand Fischer Audio before with their excellent value DBA-02 MK2 earphones so when the FA-002W was offered for review I jumped at the chance to see what these guys could come up with in the mid-tier level headphone category. I mean the wood cups are just really enticing if you are a woody fan and not just one wood selection but a whole bunch of tasty grains are on offer in a well put together if substantial padded nylon case. The design is not unique to Fischer Audio with similarities being shared with the Brainwavz HM5 headphone and of course the FA-003 with its more standard metal cups (note you can actually change the wood out for the metal cups) is really the FA-002 in design with the added wood. They do look unique and striking and to be honest you are not going to forget these in a hurry looks wise.

Sadly at the time of writing their website was down for redevelopment but what I can tell you from discussions with the team is that the FA-002w is part of their Master Series brand of headphones and they have a number of woody versions from Walnut, Ash, Mahogany, Wenge and plenty more though feedback suggest the sound signature stays much the same from version to version. The insides of the cups are stepped (5 in total) and its in these steps you get much of the core tonality. They retail in and around $300 to $400 depending on the wood in the cup being used and at that price your in with some stiff competition such as the Senns HD600 and HD650 and you are above the Amazon pricing for the AKG K701/2 series also.

Technical Specs

Design: closed
Frequency range: 10-26500 Hz
Sensitivity: 105 dB
Impedance: 64 Om
Input power: 120 mW
Plug: 3.5mm
Length of a cable: 3 M
Color: athracite/black
Box: soft case
Set: additional cushions, 6.3mm jack adapter

The FA-002W comes well packaged also with a nice cushioned soft nylon square zip bag much like the Beyer DT full size series bags and stuffed inside you get a spare set of velour pads, the detachable cables, the metal cups (in case you want to go FA-003) and some Russian/English pamphlets. There is a hint to late 40’s/50’s styling in the branding of the headphones but not as direct as their newer Jubilate line of headphones which we have a review of coming out shortly also. In all its a well thought out package that more than caters for what is undeniably beautiful looking headphone.

Comfort wise they are not the lightest given the large cup radius and the weight of the wood itself but they do sit pretty comfy on the head actually and being an over-ear there is not going to be any long term ear discomfort. You might want to wear in the pads just a touch so they soften up a bit for the extra bit of comfort. Out of the box they are still relatively stiff which press in against your head but nothing major. Being a closed headphone the seal is pretty good and isolation is above par once the music starts rocking. I didn’t go for the metal cups for this review instead staying with the wood for the burn in and beyond. The connectors are 3.5mm marked with red and blue and slot in pretty easy as a dual entry system housed at the bottom of the cups.

I mentioned burn in and whilst there are some who believe and some who do not I have to tell you these need it out of the box and second to that think hard about the matching amp because they can be a tad picky also. Out of the box this is one big u-shaped tonal monster with a ton of bass (oh joy say some) and shrill hot treble (oh boo say others) with rather thin and recessed mids. Testing this initially out of the FiiO E09k I moved it to the Burson HA-160, a Little Dot 1+ and the Hifiman EF5 and my initial judgement remains from these tests – they perform better out of a tube amp period or a very warm signature solid state. They are pretty darn good out of the Burson also but the Burson has a warm signature with great bass impact so that didn’t seem surprising. I settled on the Hifiman EF5 even though its a tad too powerful at times as having the smoothest delivery but the Little Dot 1+ was not too bad either but just looses out slightly to the big boys. The EF5 had the edge on maximizing the sound stage and generally gave the FA-002W a thicker more lush mid-range. I even decided to go full CD with the Meridian 506 through a Beresford DAC just for the sheer hell of it rather than a pure digital approach – 20-bit analog sounds about right. No excuses for the FA-002W now eh?

So back to pre-burn in tonality. If you like your bass thick with a big mid-bass hump and sparkling but hot treble then out of the box this is your headphone. After reading a few stories of more determined individuals give it a few more hours burn in time with some success I decided to go down the same route with some success but I must warn you this did not turn into some sort of HD600, the core tonality remains. This is a u-shaped headphone which works pretty darn well with dance, R&B, hip-hop and some more guttural rock and metal but mid’s guys this is the K550 anti-Christ so be warned. Moving them to the Hifiman EF5 amp gave some much need thickness back to the mid’s and this brings me back to amp matching – get a tube amp and they can sing, get the right genre and these can sing, get it wrong and they howl.

I have to mention the atmospherics on the FA-002w are excellent with above average sound stage reproduction and great image accuracy. Throwing in the tubes helps substantially with vocal reproduction without loosing any impact from the dominant bass signature. I should note the sound stage though above average is not open can wide but rather conveys a more cavernous sound stage that is deep but a tad narrow.

At the top end the initial hot edge and shrill reproduction dies down significantly with the Hifiman EF5 amp. Female vocals lose any harshness and sibilance and flow a lot more smoothly also and the mids come into the fore much better than on the FiiO and Little Dot. “Love is the Drug” by Carla Gugino and Oscar Issac (2011) is a great example of a nice accurate initial intro with the background bar room ambiance moving into an orchestral style Latino beat that is warm yet slightly thin and energetic. It excites and irritates in equal spades and octaves. When its on groove its a great little musical headphone with plenty going for it but throw in some fast cymbal crashing and fast paced guitar flowing and sometimes it can get a tad overexcited and go back to screeching.

Another good example of this is Testament’s seminal 1992 offering ‘Electric Clown” which is just about one of my favorite Bay Area Thrash anthems ever. Low down this headphone is rocking, I mean really musical and captures that driving beat immaculately. Speed wise it can cope and detail is very accurate with a deep but narrow sound stage that copes admirably well. Moving through the mids and highs the detail is still there and the articulation is spot on but the heat starts to build up and the cymbal crashes can be very hot indeed. It’s not a harsh headphone by any stretch of the imagination, just that u-shape house wont be for all. Throw in Deadmau’s 2009 “Bot” and the u-shape matches just a treat with snappy but deep bass and fast responsive trebles. I think I found where this headphone is going to appeal.

So who will love these and who will not? If you have a $300 in your back pocket and your a dance and bass heavy rock fan you are going to enjoy the FA-002W headphone – it’s musical, fun and beat centric in that respect with strong highs that paired with the right amp will give you a pretty darn good listening experience. If your into complex mid-centric music, indie rock, cymbal work and massive shredding this might not suit you so well. Cheap solid state amps might not do it justice also – go with tubes. If your going to buy a $300 headphone you may as well plug it into a decent amp also and the Hifiman EF5 does hit the spot pretty well. The Burson HA-160 a level up does an excellent job also with some added slam. I have heard mention of cable swapping but sadly at this time I can’t comment on that other than to suggest a bit of Denko on these might work wonders.

Final Words

I have to admit I am growing a bit partial to them after a week of solid listening to them on certain genres and they do look pretty darn good in wood over the more industrial FA-003 version. Try before you buy and see what you think yourself though – not everyone is going to have the right amp and this is going to be the big challenge. At $300 plus though this is not a casual purchase so I would expect those thinking of this have a decent headphone amp. Think carefully how you will match it and you will get a good return out of this, even more so if you give it about 50 hours plus burn in and throw into a nice tube setup. It’s in with the big guys at this price range but it’s a unique headphone, more striking then most and pretty well built. Interesting times for Fischer Audio I think.

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Intro

Fischer Audio is a company that was my first true love in this community with the DBA-02. I loved the signature and although I have now heard many like it, I still think that it is the best of a category. I have now heard a few more of their products and some have been good while other have let down so with this I was hoping that the magic will be there. These are a relatively budget, closed, over the ear headphone that retails for roughly £40. I went in with no expectation because of the low price point so I was quite excited about what I was about to hear.

Set-up

The set-up I have used is no different to normal, as I have started using a new portable rig, which is the Hippo CriCri amplifier connected through a LOD to an iPod Nano 3G with Apple Lossless and MP3 on it. I also used my old set-ups of my iPhone 4, Cowon J3 (with FLAC) and my iMac with my Objective 2 amplifier. I preferred the velour pads for comfort!

Build Quality/Design

Now the design of these is extremely classy and slightly retro in my eyes. Perhaps you could say it is a bit 80’s but I was not alive then so I cannot comment on that. What I do love though is the colour scheme and the dark brown of the headband is so nicely complimented by the white cups. In a day were everything seems to have to be plastic and tacky with a huge logo to be cool, I think this just shows all of that how it should be done.

The build is good but I was unsure on the coiled cable. The jack is a straight ‘I’ gold plated plug with average size plastic housing and fairly flexible strain relief. The cable itself is not the strongest when straight but it compensates by going into a big coil but that is not great for portable use.

The cable only enters in to the left channel of the headphones and has a chunk of firm plastic around the part that enters the cups. It feels pretty well done. The cups are light and seem fairly thin which does not seem the best, especially as they are made completely out of plastic. The other sides of the cups when you take the pads on are also all plastic and when I changed pads I did get a bit worried of damaging the drivers which lay under a little piece of linen cloth.

The frame that the cups slide on is a thin metal that are actually really sturdy! The yokes are also plastic but a lot thicker and stronger than the cups. Finally we have the synthetic leather headband, which has a little padding, but I would not want to flex it too much like you can with the v-moda m-80 in case of breaking it.

All that being said all the its far from the strongest it has no outstanding parts that you will end up worrying about.

Accessories

I think the accessories included are specific to the white version so only expect all of this if getting this version. Overall what you get is a terrific package and oh so surprising that all of this is included in such a cheap headphone. It all comes packaged in a huge case which just great for storage as the outline of the headphone is cut into the foam layers in side so it is just a terrific storage method but obviously not portable. As these do not fold down you get a large plasticy pouch for them that fits the easily but again is still not the most portable and also does not do much to protect. It does look good though. As a little touch you get a ¼ inch adapter jack.

The second thing you get is a pack of two extra pairs of pads. Now the pads change the sound a tad and also effect comfort quite drastically. So the three types you get are the ones pre-installed which are a plastic leather pad which has lot of little holes which add to its amount of cushioning and is personally the second most comfortable and the brightest sounding. The second and my favorite pad is a velour pair and these are super soft and comfy and they also tame the brightness a bit and sound the most neutral. They do however not look as set to last as the other two pairs but we will see. The last pair is just a plastic par of normal pads.

Comfort

As I have mentioned above the pads to make a difference and for this section I am using the velour pads, which are the most comfy of all the pads. These headphones are of the circum aural variety that means they are made to go completely over you ear. However they do not easily go around you ears like my Sennheiser HD580 or Denon AH-D2000 do so if you have big ear lobes these may rest on your ears a little bit and have a claustrophobic fit compared to my other headphones. These also do have a bit of clamping force to them, it is not like the Beats by Dre Pro which give you a head ache in minutes but it does get annoying after a while in all honesty but a quick re-fit will do the job most of the time. Lastly the headband is actually rather soft and comfortable with its little it of padding.

Isolation

Even though these are closed headphones and do create a rather good seal I do not think the plastic is that good at blocking sound out as a fair bit of ambient noise did leak in. To test isolation on these I took the tube too Liverpool from Colchester (roughly 4 hours with all the transfers and a small trip on the underground) for the National School Swimming Championships and tested them in a number of locations including on board the train, in the station and by the pool. In the station and just walking around it was okay and they got rid of enough but when you was on the platform things could get a bit overwhelming and the same goes for on poolside. As for on the train it was mostly okay so depending on what you are going to be using these for is a factor on whether these are too suited for your needs, but then as portable headphones go they do not compete with IEMs for isolation.

Microphonics (Cable Noise)

The coil obviously is playing effect on the microphonics because there was absolutely zero, which was just great, and you will have no worries if cable noise is something that bothers you.

Burn-In

By what I am about to write I do not want to cause any upsets or arguments as this topic can be seen as a sour subject. These have had roughly 100 hours now of use and burn in combined. As burn in is not scientifically proven this all could be mental and happening in my head but in the case that it does happen I recommend burning them in as in my personal experience I have noted improvements which have a massive impact on my enjoyment factor, so dint make any irrational decisions after listening to them out the box.

Soundstage and instrument separation

Now the soundstage is not huge in width and height sense (even though it is out of your head easily), but a just huge depth with some beautiful work in presentation, which uses both channels, and also the depth to make immersive and true 3-D sound. The whole soundstage is also very airy and spread out. Because it is so airy all the instruments are extremely apart and the driver is actually surprisingly fast and handles most heavy textured stuff well.

Bass

For mid-bass of the FA 004, the quantity is very low, and when I say low I mean really low, this is something you expect from like a single BA driver a IEM or something along those lines. The quality is okay, because although its a pretty tight mid-bass, there is a lack of air moved and consequently impact. That is was the bass of this differs from well-regarded BA IEM such as Fischer Audios very own DBA-02 because while that still has the tight quality of the bass it also has a real nice punch to it.

Also I would like to add that when it says a low quantity of bass, I mean it has a real low quantity as it uses a dynamic driver do not expect any sort of even average amounts of bas because the quantity is definitely subpar and if you like base a lot in your music and listen to a lot of EDM or Hip hop then these may not be for you. The sub-bass extension is, sadly, disappointing and these roll of quickly with little to no rumble. As I have just said, these are no bass lovers headphones.

Midrange

The midrange is well balanced in the middle of everything and is very air and tonally fairly bright from the peaks in the treble. This consequently make women vocalists sound wonderful but can have a negative un-natural effect on some more ‘manly’ male vocalists. The texture of it is not the most built up and it is very thin but this also leads to it be transparent and a lot of details shine through fairly nicely, quite outstanding for the price. The mids are also very airy.

Treble

The treble is what these are all about and it is very bright with lots of sparkle and detail. The treble is extended and quite thin in texture. The sparkle can be a bit over whelming but if you like cymbal crashes loud then these will please you a lot.

Overall

For roughly £40 I cannot believe the package you get and with all the stuff you get I expected that they could not sound good as well. But the surprise and sound truly amazing, above their price for sure. What they also do is provide a budget analytical, top-heavy sound, which you do not really see often from experience. A quick way to describe them if you have heard Fischers DBA-02, imagine that sort of signature with less speed and details but still truly awesome for the price, that’s what we have here. These will be my recommendation for a headphone in this price range unless you like a bass heavy headphone.

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