My personal journey into the realm of music reproduction in the IEM realm owes very much to the guidance of Takai-san, who was the inspiration and driving force behind Final Audio Design, through his offerings by way of his creations. The fuller narrative of how I came upon the house of Final Audio Design, with its distinctive and uncompromising house sound, is well documented in my other reviews of its other TOTL offerings. It never fails to raise eyebrows but I am proud owner of the FI-BA-SS, the Heaven S, the Heaven VI, the Pianoforte VIII, IX and X, the 1601SB (predecessor to the Pianoforte series), Lab 1 and AKR02 (special edition FI-BA-SS in collaboration with AK). I also have the Hope VI and the Sonorous X.
I recall that after the FI-BA-SS, the early Heaven series and the Piano Fortes, I ventured into the realm of custom IEMs with the likes of FitEar and ACS. I liked their sound signature and I also appreciated the splendid isolation when I fly or have to spend hours in noisy airport lounges in the Asia region. It also offered me a respite and oasis of calm and I could forget where I was and the people around me before I could form any dark thoughts towards them.
At the same time, Final Audio Design discontinued the early Heaven series and came up with the numbered Heaven series. I listened to them but they did not quite move me in the same way. I did pick up the Heaven VI but purely because, as had been introduced by Claire at Jaben Singapore, it was very much an IEM which seemed to be vocal-centric, which very much fitted my needs.
There was much excitement when Final Audio Design unveiled the Lab1 IEM. It was supposed to be limited to just 150 pairs around the world. The opinion was divided by the design and the interspacing of rough and smooth squares on the back of the housing. Again, I took but a peripheral interest in all of this. Then, out of the blue, Claire informed me that she had been notified by Final Audio Design of the qiet passing of Takai-san. It transpired that the great man had been ill for a while but wanted it to be kept private.
I will only say that when I received the sad news from Claire, I felt an immediate and irresistible welling up of a deep and inexorable sense of sadness. The waves of darkness washed over me as I felt my music soul sinking. This was the man who had opened up my eyes and changed the way I looked at and listened to music and what was possible in the presentation of music. I knew what I had to do: I picked up the phone and called Claire – keep a pair of Lab1 for me, I am coming down now. And so it was that I came to possess the last lesson that Takai-san had left to challenge and educate us all on the perception of space and music.
Technical details
The Lab1 is different from the preceding IEMs from Final Audio Design: it has two BA drivers. Hitherto, Final Audio Design had bucked the trend of the race to squeeze in any many drivers as possible into a housing with nary a thought on implementation. These two drivers are twinned with no crossover. The thinking is that with two twinned drivers, the music portrayed would carry that extra note weight and bass which would create a much desired 3D soundstage and sound signature. The other intriguing thing about the Lab1 is the housing – it was titanium which had done initially by 3D printing and then lovingly hand polished and finished. It was a stunning piece of art to behold as well as to listen to.
Build Quality
The build quality of the Lab1 is excellent! Classy classy classy! That was the thought that ran through my mind as I first held it in my hand. The lines were smooth and elegant. Even the checkers design of rough and polished squares appeared as understated and confident showcases of the loving care with which the initial rough surface of the housing after the 3D printing had been polished to mirror like perfection.
The non-detachable cable is flat and soft. The cable is terminated with a straight 3.5mm plug. Again, there is no strain relief where the cable inserts into the housing.
Comfort and Isolation
As with all Final Audio Design IEMs, the fit of the Lab1 is comfortable. You hardly notice it is there once you have inserted it into your ear canal. The stock ear tips were not thrown in randomly but there had been extensive testing to ensure that this material and its specifications were optimal for projecting the sound signature of the Lab1. Much care had been taken in selecting the type of stock ear tips.
With the stock ear tips, I will say that isolation is pretty good, while not distorting or impairing the sonic signature of the Lab1.
Music Genres
As stated elsewhere, I may many issues in life but not having enough music across different genres is not one of them. I will however confess that I find the Lab1 particularly magical with acoustic vocals, jazz, mandopop and generally vocal music.
Sound Quality
Once I had gotten accustomed to the house sound of the Final Audio Design single BA IEMs, I learned to appreciate and enjoy their pristine clarity and bright but never harsh sonic signatures.
So, you can imagine my utter shock when I first slipped on the Lab1. What was this?! A dark twin of the great FI-BA-SS? There was this weight to the notes and depth to the soundstage which was hitherto alien to the Final Audio Design BA IEM house sound. There was so much layering, texture and nuances. It was unapologetically lush. There was also a healthy dose of not just quality but also quantity of bass. The bass was resonant with a nice slow and organic decay. But you knew this was at the end of the day a creation of Takai-san because despite all this new found pith and substance to the sonic signature, it was nonetheless clear and detailed. And there was a great sense of space and instrument separation. The Lab1 has a very natural and organic sound signature.
It is interesting that during the same period of time, FitEar came out with the MH335DW, Tralucent introduced us to the Ref1 and FAD released the Lab1. All three IEMs were what I would simply call full range IEMs – there were not just crystal clear and extended trebles, nuanced and textured mids but also a healthy dose of bass. The result of this was three visionary individuals introduced us all to how an IEM could be clear, transparent and yet provide a true 3D musical experience. I am truly blessed to have all iterations of this common vision.
In the ultimate analysis, the Lab1 is dark toned. It is lush. It is organic. It is layered. And yet it is excellent in its soundstage and its treble extension. It is thoroughly enjoyable and utterly addictive.
Pairing
As is the norm with Final Audio Design IEMs, the cables are non-detachable and so there can be no cable rolling.
I must say that I have no issue pairing the Lab1 with music sources. It seems to work fine with all my DAPs. It even sounds good with Spotify Premium running on my iPhone 6 Plus.
I almost forgot to say: it is absolutely glorious with the Calyx M! I was surprised thinking that the lushness of the Calyx M would cancel out the darker signature of the Lab1 and result in a mud-fest. Amazingly, there is great synergy in this combination. I was practically glued to this pairing when I first received it. Even during my 20th wedding anniversary in Bali.
Conclusion
As I had once said in the Final Audio Design thread, the Lab1 is the last lesson that Takai-san has imparted to us – challenging any conception that a darker sonic signature is incompatible with clarity and transparency. He left the best for last… Such will be the enduring legacy of the genius of Takai-san.
In the BA IEM stable of Final Audio Design, the Lab1 stands proudly next to FI-BA-SS as the dark twin of the two flagship Final Audio Design BA IEMs.
I recall that after the FI-BA-SS, the early Heaven series and the Piano Fortes, I ventured into the realm of custom IEMs with the likes of FitEar and ACS. I liked their sound signature and I also appreciated the splendid isolation when I fly or have to spend hours in noisy airport lounges in the Asia region. It also offered me a respite and oasis of calm and I could forget where I was and the people around me before I could form any dark thoughts towards them.
At the same time, Final Audio Design discontinued the early Heaven series and came up with the numbered Heaven series. I listened to them but they did not quite move me in the same way. I did pick up the Heaven VI but purely because, as had been introduced by Claire at Jaben Singapore, it was very much an IEM which seemed to be vocal-centric, which very much fitted my needs.
There was much excitement when Final Audio Design unveiled the Lab1 IEM. It was supposed to be limited to just 150 pairs around the world. The opinion was divided by the design and the interspacing of rough and smooth squares on the back of the housing. Again, I took but a peripheral interest in all of this. Then, out of the blue, Claire informed me that she had been notified by Final Audio Design of the qiet passing of Takai-san. It transpired that the great man had been ill for a while but wanted it to be kept private.
I will only say that when I received the sad news from Claire, I felt an immediate and irresistible welling up of a deep and inexorable sense of sadness. The waves of darkness washed over me as I felt my music soul sinking. This was the man who had opened up my eyes and changed the way I looked at and listened to music and what was possible in the presentation of music. I knew what I had to do: I picked up the phone and called Claire – keep a pair of Lab1 for me, I am coming down now. And so it was that I came to possess the last lesson that Takai-san had left to challenge and educate us all on the perception of space and music.
Technical details
The Lab1 is different from the preceding IEMs from Final Audio Design: it has two BA drivers. Hitherto, Final Audio Design had bucked the trend of the race to squeeze in any many drivers as possible into a housing with nary a thought on implementation. These two drivers are twinned with no crossover. The thinking is that with two twinned drivers, the music portrayed would carry that extra note weight and bass which would create a much desired 3D soundstage and sound signature. The other intriguing thing about the Lab1 is the housing – it was titanium which had done initially by 3D printing and then lovingly hand polished and finished. It was a stunning piece of art to behold as well as to listen to.
Build Quality
The build quality of the Lab1 is excellent! Classy classy classy! That was the thought that ran through my mind as I first held it in my hand. The lines were smooth and elegant. Even the checkers design of rough and polished squares appeared as understated and confident showcases of the loving care with which the initial rough surface of the housing after the 3D printing had been polished to mirror like perfection.
The non-detachable cable is flat and soft. The cable is terminated with a straight 3.5mm plug. Again, there is no strain relief where the cable inserts into the housing.
Comfort and Isolation
As with all Final Audio Design IEMs, the fit of the Lab1 is comfortable. You hardly notice it is there once you have inserted it into your ear canal. The stock ear tips were not thrown in randomly but there had been extensive testing to ensure that this material and its specifications were optimal for projecting the sound signature of the Lab1. Much care had been taken in selecting the type of stock ear tips.
With the stock ear tips, I will say that isolation is pretty good, while not distorting or impairing the sonic signature of the Lab1.
Music Genres
As stated elsewhere, I may many issues in life but not having enough music across different genres is not one of them. I will however confess that I find the Lab1 particularly magical with acoustic vocals, jazz, mandopop and generally vocal music.
Sound Quality
Once I had gotten accustomed to the house sound of the Final Audio Design single BA IEMs, I learned to appreciate and enjoy their pristine clarity and bright but never harsh sonic signatures.
So, you can imagine my utter shock when I first slipped on the Lab1. What was this?! A dark twin of the great FI-BA-SS? There was this weight to the notes and depth to the soundstage which was hitherto alien to the Final Audio Design BA IEM house sound. There was so much layering, texture and nuances. It was unapologetically lush. There was also a healthy dose of not just quality but also quantity of bass. The bass was resonant with a nice slow and organic decay. But you knew this was at the end of the day a creation of Takai-san because despite all this new found pith and substance to the sonic signature, it was nonetheless clear and detailed. And there was a great sense of space and instrument separation. The Lab1 has a very natural and organic sound signature.
It is interesting that during the same period of time, FitEar came out with the MH335DW, Tralucent introduced us to the Ref1 and FAD released the Lab1. All three IEMs were what I would simply call full range IEMs – there were not just crystal clear and extended trebles, nuanced and textured mids but also a healthy dose of bass. The result of this was three visionary individuals introduced us all to how an IEM could be clear, transparent and yet provide a true 3D musical experience. I am truly blessed to have all iterations of this common vision.
In the ultimate analysis, the Lab1 is dark toned. It is lush. It is organic. It is layered. And yet it is excellent in its soundstage and its treble extension. It is thoroughly enjoyable and utterly addictive.
Pairing
As is the norm with Final Audio Design IEMs, the cables are non-detachable and so there can be no cable rolling.
I must say that I have no issue pairing the Lab1 with music sources. It seems to work fine with all my DAPs. It even sounds good with Spotify Premium running on my iPhone 6 Plus.
I almost forgot to say: it is absolutely glorious with the Calyx M! I was surprised thinking that the lushness of the Calyx M would cancel out the darker signature of the Lab1 and result in a mud-fest. Amazingly, there is great synergy in this combination. I was practically glued to this pairing when I first received it. Even during my 20th wedding anniversary in Bali.
Conclusion
As I had once said in the Final Audio Design thread, the Lab1 is the last lesson that Takai-san has imparted to us – challenging any conception that a darker sonic signature is incompatible with clarity and transparency. He left the best for last… Such will be the enduring legacy of the genius of Takai-san.
In the BA IEM stable of Final Audio Design, the Lab1 stands proudly next to FI-BA-SS as the dark twin of the two flagship Final Audio Design BA IEMs.
