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Need help juicing FA-011's

post #1 of 3
Thread Starter 

 

I made a similar thread in PC audio but seems like no one's on there so...

 

I just ordered a pair of Fischer FA-011's and I've read they benefit a lot from amping.

 

I'm new to the concept of amping, so I really need some advice.  What am I going to need to juice these things for as cheap as possible?

 

I need a decent soundcard I'm assuming, do I ALSO need an amp to go with it?  Any suggestions or information at all would be helpful.

 

 

I should also mention that portability is not a concern at all; this will be for one set up and the headphones will likely never leave this computer.

post #2 of 3

Well, if you're specifically talking amp, you might consider posting in the "Headphone Amps (Full-Sized)" section, but anyway...

I'm not particularly familiar with the Fischer FA-011 myself, I've heard of them on here, but never heard them myself. The impedance on them is high enough that I suspect they'd do better with an amp than unamped, and in general most higher end headphones will sound better with an amp, at least that has been my experience. For a relatively inexpensive Amplifier you could go with the FiiO E9 which has been viewed fairly favorably from what I understand, and at around $100 is one of the best deals you'll find. You can also get a version where it is bundled with the FiiO E7 which is a DAC, and will remove your need for a soundcard. A soundcard would be a good investment unless you intend on getting a full sized DAC, which is what most people who listen to audio off of their computer do on this forum. If you get a full sized DAC (The FiiO E7 is portable, but I'll still count it here) the digital to analog conversion is done outside of your computer, so the need for a quality soundcard is greatly diminished. There's just a little background info for you, sort of. I can't say for sure how well Fischer FA-011 benefit from amping vs. unamped, so you'll have to wait for someone who is more knowledgeable about them specifically to weigh in.

 

EDIT: You may also want to browse through this fairly extensive review of your cans: http://www.head-fi.org/t/545368/review-fischer-audio-fa-011-off-the-deep-end

That review was done using a variety of different amps.

 

Double EDIT: So in hindsight I should have included more than just the FiiO offerings, I just went there specifically because they are technically two separate components (DAC and Amp). There are a variety of other DAC/Amp combos that are a single unit which you may want to investigate as well. Audio GD makes a few, although you may have to import it. People have also spoken highly of the NuForce HDP for a combo unit. I honestly haven't looked much into combo units in a couple of years now, so I'm sure other people could direct you towards a decent one that I'm forgetting.


Edited by Victorious25 - 10/21/11 at 2:32pm
post #3 of 3
Thread Starter 

Can you tell me why people use a full size DAC over a sound card?

 

 

I'm not specifically talking amps, rather I'm trying to figure out whether or not a decent soundcard will juice these cans sufficiently.

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