Fischer Audio Omega Ace

I sampled this and the Twins at a shop and fell in love with the Ace due to how much bass and thump in generously gifted through my eardrums. I did not listen for the Twins for as long as when I listened to Secondhand Serenade's Stay Close Don't Go there wasn't enough thump and punch from the bass as compared to the Ace. My takeaway was that it all boiled down to preference for the Omega series, expensive doesn't mean better and I found that Fischer audio was smart in releasing 3 variants. Warranty registration (1yr) is also very simply done on their website.
 
The Ace impressed me with its accessories as I did not expect flange tips and foam tips from them because of its price. My last pair of earpieces around this price range (~50SGD) were the Purple Sound AD-002s and they sounded almost identical to the Omega Ace but lacked the vibrations and low low bass and did not come with a hard carrying case or flange and foam tips, just the standard SML ones. 
 
Testing devices: Laptop and OnePlus 2, majority of my songs are 192 kbps mp3s and some songs are tested on Spotify at extreme quality setting.
 
Categorised Review:
 
Build: The cable seems really durable and it was moulded to how it was tied when in the box. Another thing is that it had an L shape connector which I don't really like as I find the I shape ones better as I do most of my listening with my phone in my pocket
The earpieces themselves feel lightweight but solid in the hand and the translucent black on the earpieces and cables give it a very uniform look.
 
Fit: Really good seal if you roll enough, sound isolation is decent at most. The over the ear hooks were pretty tough to mould, requiring a longer than average period of time to put on. 
 
Sound: Bass is amazing and punchy, can reach low bass sounds and the vibration is like a party in my ears, but the vibrations are lesser than the Rock Zircons can provide. Mids are pretty good but sometimes are overpowered by the bass. Instruments like the piano and acoustic guitar are slightly compromised when bass hits. Treble is the weakest point (not very weak, I'm just being picky here) but I wish it would've been more obvious and powerful but hey, you can't have the best of both worlds, it's also good prevention from sibilance and fatigue.
 
Comparisons:
 
Rock Zircons: Higher clarity from the Omega Ace, Rock Zircons were warmer, more punchy bass than the Zircons. With the Zircons, I had to do a lot of tip rolling but the fit on the stock tips of the Omega Ace were excellent and provided a complete seal.
 
Apple EarPods: Isolation was a night and day difference along with comfort, both in favour of the Omega Ace, the EarPods was a really satisfactory IEM for me as it has a really balanced sound signature with controlled and non-overwhelming bass and were really neutral
 
Fischer Audio FA-555: Much more volume on the Omega Ace as well as detail and bass, the only reason why I got the FA-555 was its colour and apparent suitability for sports.Omega Ace completely kills the FA-555
 
ASUS earbuds with Zenfone 2: No comparison, the Omega Ace takes it away in every aspect except for weight, the ASUS earbuds felt like they weren't even there.
 
1More Classic Pistons: A remade version of the Xiaomi Pistons, more bass and more volume, however the Pistons produced highs better with less sibilance and an advantage was the mic controls which included volume buttons as well as a play/pause button. It also has a crystal clear microphone even in the noisiest of surroundings.
 
JVC Xtreme Xplosives HA-FX102: More bassy but bass is uncontrolled and muddy, lacking the punch the Ace provides and taking no regard of clarity.
 
Conclusion:
 
This pair of bassy earphones are what fit my requirements to a T, punchy bass with little compromise on clarity and a decent soundstage all at a good price. If you're looking for a cheaper not-so-audiophile but for an average consumer who enjoys bass kinda IEM this is probably it. The punch of the bass really thumps against my eardrum and mids and highs still remain clear, from what I can see they're pretty durable and therefore would last pretty long. However if you're listening to classic music or something that has a focus on vocals, mids and highs there are much better options out there which provide vibrant, colorful and crystal clear sounds, maybe even the Spark (which I didn't try because it wasn't what I was looking for) 
 
P.S. This is my first review here! Loved these IEMs so much that I had to speak up for them and give them a shout, please feel free to ask any questions or guide me on how to improve my reviews, thanks!

 

Introduction:

The Fischer Audio Omega Ace is designed to be fun and adaptable to all your everyday activities. They have a recommended retail price of USD$49. Below is the description from the folks at Fischer Audio:
 
“About Omega Ace
A blend of fun and expression, the Omega Ace earphones guarantees powerful and thumping bass with an optimal fit. This sturdy pair of earphones is made with a new robust, braided cable design and a minimalistic one-button microphone with superb voice clarity. With the interesting semi-transparent black housing, Omega Ace will blend seamlessly into your active lifestyle while satisfying your bass demands.”
 
Disclaimer
I received this sample unit from Fischer Audio Singapore in exchange for my honest review. I have no affiliation with the company and this review is based on my own opinions. I’d like to say thanks to Royston, Sofia and Fischer Audio Asia for the opportunity to test the Omega Ace.
 
Fischer Audio Asia website: http://fischeraudio.com.sg/FischerAudioAsia/
 

 
Packaging and accessories:
The Ace comes in a nice looking box made of smooth cardboard. On the front there is a clear image of the earphones giving you an idea of the shape and style. On the back is a handy frequency response graph along with a genre performance chart.
 

Music Recommendations – Omega Ace:
Hip Hop / RnB Excellent
Pop / Electronic Excellent
Rock / Metal Very Good
Classical Average
Jazz / Blues Average
 
There are also some specifications in four languages including English, Dutch, French and Russian. Speaking of specs here they are:
 
 
On the front of the box is a magnetic flap which opens up to reveal the inside cover and the earphones in a clear window. There’s a host of information here detailing the accessories, wearing instructions, a detailed breakdown of parts and phone controls.
 
Included in the box are 3 pairs of silicone tips, 1 dual flange tips, 1 foam tips and a shirt clip. There is also the Fischer Audio black carry case.
 
Anyone familiar with my reviews might remember that the included tips with most IEMs are too small for me. Again that is the case here, so for testing I had to dig something out of my personal extra-large tip collection.
 
I would have liked to see some kind of Velcro cable tie included to make storage a bit easier.
 

 
Build: 
The Ace has a very small housing, similar to the other Omega Series IEMs. They’re made of a translucent, smoky gray plastic that looks good and feels sturdy. On the outside is the Fischer Audio Logo and on the inside you’ll find Left and Right indicators.
 
The nozzle is a fairly standard size so tip rolling is easy to do.
 
The cable on the Ace is quite good. From the rather stiff strain relief on the IEM housing there’s a memory wire that holds things in place, although it’s a little stiff for my preference. The cable is a smooth plastic that is resistant to tangles and feels durable. At first it was kinked a fair bit from the original packaging but after a few days of use it became more supple and manageable.
On the left side is the microphone and in-line remote. The remote enables you to play and pause music, skip or rewind tracks as well as answer and end phone calls.
 
There’s a cable cinch above the Y-splitter to help with secure fit while moving about. The cinch and splitter are both made of a hard rubber material.
 
The cable ends in a 90-degree plug that has a decent strain relief on it.
 

 

Fit and isolation:

The Omega Ace fits easily into the ear due to its small size. I can wear them for hours on end without any discomfort and most of the time can forget that they’re there at all – if not for the music coming out of them.
 
Isolation is a little below average for an over-ear style IEM due to the small size but with music playing these would be fine for use in transit or a noisy area.
 

Sound:

Testing was done primarily with my Benjie K9 and XDuoo X2 DAPs, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and desktop PC paired with FX-Audio DAC-X6.
 
Music tested with the Ace:
Leudovico Einaudi – Islands, Essential Einaudi (full album flac)
The Pineapple Thief – Your Wilderness (full album 320kbps mp3)
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar (full album flac)
Earthside – A Dream in Static (full album flac)
Solar Fields – Random Friday (full album flac)
Jeremy Soule – The Elder Scrolls V, Skyrim soundtrack (full album flac)
 
The Ace has a V-shaped sound as one would expect from something aimed at the masses. The sound melds well together and maintains a good balance. The soundstage is rather good with plenty of width and the ability to project sounds just out of the head. Imaging is fairly accurate and separation decent except for the busiest of segments where things can become slightly muddled.
 
Bass:
The bass on the Ace (see what I did there?) is exaggerated but decay is fairly fast and texture is good with only slight bleeding into the mids. Sub-bass was perceptible starting at around 15Hz and has the ability to shake you up a bit but is by no means bass head level.
 
Midrange:
Mids are warm though a little recessed. Vocals sound natural and engaging and there’s a good amount of detail discernable throughout. There is sometimes a slight bleed from the bass but for the most part separation is decent.
 
Treble:
Although the treble is somewhat 'relaxed' it makes itself heard and extends well. It never became piercing but still manages to give the sound a lift and balance things out with the low end.
 
Comparisons:
 
Omega Ace vs Omega Twin
The Ace has a lot in common with its bigger sibling. They are both V-shaped and have a boosted lower end and smooth treble. The Twin comes out on top due to having a cleaner bass and as a result slightly better resolution although having said that, I do prefer the treble on the Ace which has more presence and less roll-off than the Twin.
 
Omega Ace vs Omega Spark
The Ace is warmer in the mids and has more bass presence. It’s actually not far behind the Spark in terms of detail and doesn’t have the hot peaks that are present in the Spark. The Ace has a slightly more engaging sound and is probably the more versatile in terms of covering different music genres.
 

 

Conclusion:

The Fischer Audio Omega Ace surprised me at first because I was expecting them to be much bassier after reading the official description but the bass is actually well controlled though it is elevated. Even though the treble is somewhat ‘relaxed’ it still has enough presence to add some brightness without getting edgy. They’re very comfortable and lightweight and stay securely in place with the help of the memory wire. If you’re looking for an all-rounder for all your daily activities whether it be commuting, walking or working out these are worth considering.

Just gonna do a brief review. Got these for RM250, which translates to roughly 62USD. For that price, you would not even be able to find another pair of over-the-ear IEMs. Overall, the build feels pretty solid despite the plastic housing and it comes with a twisted cable. The drivers aren't big, and thus fits into the ears well without any protruding parts. Comfort wise, these pair of IEMs are great and I could wear them for as long as I like. Once it fits in, it doesn't come off easily, which is pretty important for me because I use these onstage as well.
 
Sound wise, these are really great keeping in mind how much they're selling for. Sure I've heard better, but at this price point (plus them being over-the-ears) you'd be hard pressed to find any that could best these. Nice amount of bass that does pack a decent punch although they could be more precise and tighter but I'm not gonna complain because of the price. Mids and highs are pleasant and aren't weak despite these being made to be 'bass earphones'. Where these pair of IEMs really shine is when you turn up the volume. The mids and highs shine through the bass without coming across as harsh, in fact I would describe them as I did earlier, pleasant. The bass of course benefit from the higher volume, providing more thump yet without muddying things too much.
 
I compared them with the other 2 versions in the omega series and found this to be the most 'bang-for-buck' one. The Omega Spark which is tailored for clarity sounded weak and thin. The Twins however were slightly better, only slightly, being a little more refined than the Ace, but they cost RM150 more than the Ace. I could not justify spending that much more for just a slight improvement. At that price, you would do better to just add a little more cash and get the Shure SE215 which could be had for just over RM500.
 
On the whole, I would say if you have the cash to burn, invest in a higher-end quality pair of IEMs. However, if you're on a tight budget, these are actually a pretty decent pair of IEMs that is worth every single penny. Sure they have a couple of cons, but for this price point, you really can't complain. To sum it up: A decent sounding value-for-money pair of IEMs