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utzy said:

LFF, will you be at CanJam?
If so, can you make sure that they get measured on Tyll's equipment? I've seen some measurements on a Russian site, but I would like to see more (some square waves)

 

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Unfortunately, I will not be attending.
 
I might see about sending my headphones with someone from So. Cal. if they are willing to watch them and take care of them. 

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I think the graphs would have to be done by headroom if the point was to compare them to other headroom graphs.  Graphs reflect so much about the equipmnt used to test, that it seems like the only way they're useful is for comparison.  And even then, it's questionable

Ok I just ordered a pair of these from Russia. Hope I will like them.

Definitely looking forward to an in depth comparison between the 002s and 003s.  A friend of mine recently bought a set of the latter, and I have to say I was extremely impressed, especially by their comfort level.  I've been looking for a good set of closed shells that I can use for monitoring in 8 hour studio sessions, and these seem like the ones.  Just ordered a set, hoping to do a comparison thread between them and my SRH840s.
 
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lff said:

I haven't entirely settled on my opinion about the FA-002's. They do sound different but similar at the same time. The FA-002's do sound less natural than the FA-003's. I also find that the upper mids are lacking in quality somewhat in the FA-002 because they sound more pronounced and this in turn makes them a bit more fatiguing. I'll be doing a comprehensive write-up between the two but IMHO, the FA-003 sounds much better. The FA-003's are very natural and present a very neutral sound. I wouldn't say that about the FA-002's.

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dev avidon said:

...hoping to do a comparison thread between them and my SRH840s.
 

 

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Would be appreciated by many, I'm sure! 

These look interesting. On my list now for "budget" closed cans.

Ok, I finally received these today. It took exactly two weeks for the package to arrive to my door from Russia. I was very excited. Having read this wonderful review as well as raving reviews and impressions from some Russian forums, I was hoping that these would be giant killers, considering that according to many they compete with or even outperform Sennheiser HD6** series and Beyerdynamic DT880. Ok so here are my first impressions:
 
I plugged them into my Samsung T9 portable player, put on some trance music (good quality recording in 320 kbps or 256, can't remember, but good enough)  and hit the play button. The first thing that struck me was the deep, tight and powerful bass. Very nice. The next thing I noticed was that the soundstage had good depth, but a bit lacking in width. The 'phones clearly sounded closed in, although imaging and depth was very good. Next, I found the upper mids to be a bit overemphasized - not harsh or grainy, just a little too pronounced. I listened for a little bit more and noted that the sound is quite laid back - not dark, but soft. Detail is good, especially micro detail, but a little smeared/muddy. Clarity is quite good as well. So far, these can't match my EarSonics SM3 and are not quite as defined sounding as my Shure SRH750 DJ, but I can certainly sense the potential. A better source and more burn in will hopefully help.
 
Here is a frequency response graph I made of the FA-003, as I hear them with my ears. I used used my Audigy 2 ZS with kxProject drivers as source. Remember that these are not burned in yet - they have 1 hour on them at most:
 

 
For comparison, here is a relatively well burned in Shure SRH750 DJ (60 hours). Same source:
 

 
And here's my reference - the $400 EarSonics SM3 universal fit IEM. Again, the same source:
 

How are people finding the pads on these?  Are they a similar size to any other manufacturer's pads?  They just look so cushy and deep.

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joelpearce said:

How are people finding the pads on these?  Are they a similar size to any other manufacturer's pads?  They just look so cushy and deep.

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I love the pads. They are indeed very comfortable.
 

Thanks for the review Pianist (and of course the thread starter). I need some closed back cans for "quiet time" and I'm interested in these for something different from my 702 and 225i.
 
I don't like the laid back description, but I do like the forward mids description. One thing I hate is recessed mids!

 
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pariah1 said:

Thanks for the review Pianist (and of course the thread starter). I need some closed back cans for "quiet time" and I'm interested in these for something different from my 702 and 225i.
 
I don't like the laid back description, but I do like the forward mids description. One thing I hate is recessed mids!

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The FA-003 is indeed a laid back headphone. At least they sounds this way at the moment with around 10 hours of burn in on them. I am actually starting to like these a lot now. I was listening until about 3 am last night - the sound is just so incredibly balanced for a closed headphone at this price point. I am not sure whether or not burn in is helping yet, but they already sound great as is. The timbre of instruments and vocals is very realistic with FA-003. Saxophone on Keiko Matsui's "Into the Night" sounds absolutely beautiful - more natural than on any other headphone I've heard so far. Her piano also sounds really, really nice. I seem to be able to actually hear Keiko's fingers touching the piano keys. The sound is very articulate on the FA-003.
 
Oh BTW, my pair did not come with a carrying case! Just a set of extra earpads. I wonder why.

Well if "laid back" means more natural and "warm" than my sometimes clinical 702's (not that I don't love those!), I wouldn't mind that, especially for "late night music" (jazz, classical) that I would tend to listen to during "quiet time".
 
I'm confused btw, are these supposed to sound much like the 600's or not?

I've listened to these a bit more today and I've noticed that the treble sounds a bit odd. Extension and presence is very good, but the quality seems to be a bit lacking to my ears out of every source I have at the moment (the best one being Audigy 2 ZS + kx Project drivers). The highs have a certain metallic tone to them, sound a bit thin and also a little piercing on vocals with "ssss" sounds. They also sound a little closed in up top. I heard similar issues with Audio Technica ATH-M50, although it is not as noticeable with the FA-003. Right now, my Mb Quart QP 805 HS and Shure SRH750 DJ are sounding more natural than the FA-003 in the treble region, while the EarSonics SM3 and Sennheiser HD555 are in a different league altogether. I am hoping more burn in will help.
 
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pariah1 said:

Well if "laid back" means more natural and "warm" than my sometimes clinical 702's (not that I don't love those!), I wouldn't mind that, especially for "late night music" (jazz, classical) that I would tend to listen to during "quiet time".
 
I'm confused btw, are these supposed to sound much like the 600's or not?

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I think Shure SRH840 may suit you better - they work really well for bed time listening IMO.

 DO WANT! But where to get un the US???