REVIEW: Fischer Audio Mystify - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by njones0100 

No analog input? It would appear to be a DAC only, not an AMP+DAC. The $10 price difference between the portamp and portdac models at gd-audiobase would seem to support that.

That would be a little disappointing, but if the upgrade from my laptop + Total Bithead would be as significant as I believe it would be then I wouldn't mind listening primarily from my Clip+.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanish 

About DAC + PortAmp order

 

It is a DAC and Amp, the difference between PortAmp and PortDac is that the PortAmp has an internal battery so that it can be used with your portable player, where the PortDac has a DAC instead of the battery and requires USB to be powered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonasklam 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by njones0100 

No analog input? It would appear to be a DAC only, not an AMP+DAC. The $10 price difference between the portamp and portdac models at gd-audiobase would seem to support that.

That would be a little disappointing, but if the upgrade from my laptop + Total Bithead would be as significant as I believe it would be then I wouldn't mind listening primarily from my Clip+.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanish 

About DAC + PortAmp order

 

It is a DAC and Amp, the difference between PortAmp and PortDac is that the PortAmp has an internal battery so that it can be used with your portable player, where the PortDac has a DAC instead of the battery and requires USB to be powered.

 

Thanks for the info! Now I can just relax and just buy the PortAmp. XD

My FA Mystify arrived Saturday, and after a charging period, I tried plugging it into the LOD I have for my iPod Touch, but neither plug from the Fischer Audio mini to mini would fit the LOD input. The plugs look standard size, but no go. So I switched to another mini-to-mini cable I had sitting around, and no problem. Ready to try it out in combination with my iPod Touch (using 192-320 rips), LOD and JH5s. When the first few notes of the Patricia Barber song I chose came on, I was aghast - it sounded veiled, muffled, the treble and clarity of the JH5s was gone. I tried other tracks, mainly acoustic and vocal pieces that I knew to be clean and clear, well-mastered and produced. Same result.

I was bummed, big time. At first, I figured it was just a burn-in issue, so I decided to hook it up to my PC and let it go for two weeks. Then, it hit me. It could be the JH5s. So I tried the Mystify with the same setup, but this time I hooked up my Grados, and the results were amazing. I don't have any other phones to try (got rid of all my mid to expensive IEMs), except for some inexpensive pairs (Sony EX300, for example), and they also were lifted by the Mystify. So this is what a high-end amp sounds like.

Unfortunately, I bought the Mystify to match with my JH5s, and now that probably will not work. I do have a new silver twisted strand cable coming for the customs, so that could help/change the situation. But if not, oh well. I am not too upset. The JH5s sound so good unamped, it's not a big deal. I also have a CMOYbb, which is a high-quality CMOY, and it does add a little air and clarity to the JH5s, but I guess I will go without an amp using the JH5s on the go.

The Mystify has now convinced me to use my Grados when sitting around at home, just listening for pleasure. In fact, it's got me thinking I might move higher up the Grado food chain. The bass is especially amazing on the Grados via the Mystify, and I know the Grados are not known for bass. Mine are recabled and I have the bowl pads modded with electricians tape (to boost bass). But the Grados never sounded like this before, never. The power and soundstage, unreal. The Mystify has transformed those phones.

I discussed the JH5 problems and the Mystify with LFF via PM, the original reviewer here, and he said the same thing happened with his UE10 customs. Neither of us could figure it out. I am somewhat disappointed, since the Mystify was $300, but that's gear synergy for you.

So that's about it for me in terms of any review. I do know that when I compare the CMOY to the Mystify using the Touch/LOD/Grados, the FA amp crushes the CMOY. The Mystify/Grado combo is amazing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

Yeah...the Mystify doesn't have a huge effect on my UE-10's. It amps them beautifully but it doesn't have that "WOW" factor that it did with the FA-003, DBA-02 or other headphones and IEM's. I guess it just has to do with synergy.

I think it's not about sinergy.

It's because what multy-driver IEM is a nonsense. And becuse UE10 is very curved and non-quality product.. On of the colored and quality - killed product. This model can be loved by people but from quality poin oа view it's very bad model. So - no one amp can make sound of UE10 make good. Only - "more good looking sound"
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanish 

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

Yeah...the Mystify doesn't have a huge effect on my UE-10's. It amps them beautifully but it doesn't have that "WOW" factor that it did with the FA-003, DBA-02 or other headphones and IEM's. I guess it just has to do with synergy.

I think it's not about sinergy.

It's because what multy-driver IEM is a nonsense. And becuse UE10 is very curved and non-quality product.. On of the colored and quality - killed product. This model can be loved by people but from quality poin oа view it's very bad model. So - no one amp can make sound of UE10 make good. Only - "more good looking sound"
 

Just because an iem is colored and not ruler flat in it's frequency response means that it is a poor quality product. Some of the best speakers or headphones in the world are colored and not flat neutral . At the end it's about the type of music one listens to and the presentation that optimizes the listening experience . Not everyone has to be a recording engineer to enjoy their music.
 

May be :) But i hear UE11 - and may say - even with flat responce they have many same problem with phase and etc. Any good one-driver model (like Sleek SA6) make same quality easy and has more quality :)

Why they best???? Onle because somebody say what "it's good sound"? :) But why? Because "musik is not quality - musiс is opinion and emotion"? ":) But there is 6 billion people on earth. Which opinion and amotion we will use as "start point"? Why not my:)?  Quality - it's not subjective parameters. You may like or unlike quality sound but thinking what curved sound with awfull tech parameters - it's a good sound (sound - it's OBJECTIVE THING!!!!!) - nonsese! :) So - i say what multidriver sounding - only more "good looking" but not so good quality. It's make good WOW effect but after WOWing you may has a big headache.

And - if "flat" not important for quality - why every good manufacturers try to make his product more flatly :)

P.S. People - main thing in the world - Don't lie to itself! :) If you like curved and colored sound - like it. But do not separate two different things - your test and quality. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

Yeah...the Mystify doesn't have a huge effect on my UE-10's. It amps them beautifully but it doesn't have that "WOW" factor that it did with the FA-003, DBA-02 or other headphones and IEM's. I guess it just has to do with synergy.

Hmm, that's worrying. Is it just the JH5 and UE10 that have this effect or is it a custom-thing? I am thinking of getting a custom soon as well (UM Mage), so, this might kill me off the Mystify.

Spanish, you would never get tubes either. Your definition of quality is internally consistent but isn't the final word IMHO.

In my case, the Mystify ruins the JH5 sound, basically not usable. But with the Grado, wow is the word. So there is some risk in my view. Got nothing to do with multiple drivers, but it's possible, since the Grados are dynamics. I do have some other dynamic IEMs (cheap ones) sitting around, will have to try them too.

Update: I tried the Mistify with both the PR1 Pro and Sony EX300, both $40-$50 dynamics,and the amp does work well with them. Not much else to add. Just glad it works with my Grados at this point, but I wasn't planning to use it on the go anyway. I will keep burning it in, and when the new cable comes for the JH5s, I will try again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxwellDemon 

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

Yeah...the Mystify doesn't have a huge effect on my UE-10's. It amps them beautifully but it doesn't have that "WOW" factor that it did with the FA-003, DBA-02 or other headphones and IEM's. I guess it just has to do with synergy.

Hmm, that's worrying. Is it just the JH5 and UE10 that have this effect or is it a custom-thing? I am thinking of getting a custom soon as well (UM Mage), so, this might kill me off the Mystify.

I don't say that is finaly closed any question :) But my opinion has a start point and scale for compare and description. :) But w/o my opinion we have what?...

And - don't like tubes... i think i can make "pleasant distortion" with more simple and cheaping ways. Foobar plugins for example :) I no need for this expensve, big bot with few cent costing in real :)

Use Sleek SA6, Fischer Audio DBA-02, Phonak, Grado GR8, Klipsch x5. HiFiman Re0.

Sony and cyclone - it's tipical OEM china product with very curved sound - there is no quality for increasing it with good amp.

JH5 - it's tipical multydriver like UE triple - with very big sensitive and very smal inpendance. They are screaming, not good impendance parameters, curved phase and etc. They are good for week amp of tipical mp3 but with good powered and detailed amp only make they problem more noticeable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spanish 

 

Quote:

Are you confusing the UE10 with the TF10? The UE10 is a rather flat sounding and uncolored custom IEM.

May be :) But i hear UE11 - and may say - even with flat responce they have many same problem with phase and etc. Any good one-driver model (like Sleek SA6) make same quality easy and has more quality :)

 

Quote:

Some of the best speakers or headphones in the world are colored and not flat neutral .

Why they best???? Onle because somebody say what "it's good sound"? :) But why? Because "musik is not quality - musiс is opinion and emotion"? ":) But there is 6 billion people on earth. Which opinion and amotion we will use as "start point"? Why not my:)?  Quality - it's not subjective parameters. You may like or unlike quality sound but thinking what curved sound with awfull tech parameters - it's a good sound (sound - it's OBJECTIVE THING!!!!!) - nonsese! :) So - i say what multidriver sounding - only more "good looking" but not so good quality. It's make good WOW effect but after WOWing you may has a big headache.

And - if "flat" not important for quality - why every good manufacturers try to make his product more flatly :)

 

P.S. People - main thing in the world - Don't lie to itself! :) If you like curved and colored sound - like it. But do not separate two different things - your test and quality. :)

Wow Spanish, I guess I should thank you for my edification in the art of music reproduction ( flat = quality ). Are you SERIOUS ?!  Where did you get the fact that every good manufacturers try to make their products sound more flat. I presume respectable people such as Ray Samuels and John Grado did not receive your memo or they don't want to build quality products according to your doctrine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The view you proposed was FLAWED from the beginning. An attempt to gauge the quality of music reproduced from equipments based exclusively on preconceived quantitative notion is just as flawed as gauging the quality of a musical performance based exclusively on musical technique. Quantitative quality is important in music reproduction but it is only one of the components. Musicality can't be dissected from the equation, because music reproduction is the purpose of audio equipment. That's IMO of course.                                                                                       I respect that you like equipments to sound flat neutral and so do I, because I listen to a lot of classical music, jazz, and progressive trance. But on the other hand I wouldn't recommend equipments that produce my preferred sound signature to someone who likes to listen to dub step, reggae or hip hop.                                                                                                             There is a difference between opinion and fact. Opinions are welcome here but just don't treat it like it's some gospel truth.                                                                                                           P.S. Just because you like using ( !!!!! ) at the end of your sentences doesn't make your view any more compelling or profound .

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

I would NOT say the Mystify ruins my UE10's. It amps them beautifully. The difference is just much less noticeable than when using the DBA-02 or FA-003. The amp is quiet and powerful and sounds great with everything I have thrown at it. It just seems the UE10's are less affected by the amp. It's hard to describe accurately. 

 

Does this diminish the value or potential of the Mystify for me?

 

Not one single bit.

It is comforting to know that the UE10 isn't affected badly by the Mystify. It probably isn't a multiple-driver or custom problem then. I guess synergy would really be the only explanation. I am not sure if I agree with Spanish on his points at all (while he is right if we are to look at things in an absolute technical perspective and if the goal is to replicate real life sounds through digital/analog recordings).

Anyhow, I guess if Mystify fails my UM Mage, I guess I'll at least be in great comfort that it'll go well with my other headphones.