Do Brainwavz HM5 and Fischer FA-003 use the same drivers? - Page 6

sure you will :) Nothing is too good to end up in the FS area..they may just not last very long if they are very good

Here is something I posted in one of the other HM5 threads:

I'm hoping these will improve with burn in. They don't sound that impressive out of the box. They have a somewhat bloated, thick sound. Many parts of the sound are just...strange. Probably has something to do with that weird bass hump starting around 200Hz and extending below, if the FA-003 graphs are anything to go by. Drums sound artificial. Certain elements of the sound are very nice. Good soundstage and imaging, though a lot of things sound unnaturally far away.

Keep in mind these are initial impressions. I literally just opened up the box and played a few tunes. I'll be burning them in for sure. They have a lot of potential and a lot of good qualities, but the just sound a bit weird compared to my modded T50RPs out of the box. I have a good feeling about these, and I will most definitely warm up to them I think.

They also aren't very comfortable. Earpads are kind of hard. Very strong clamping force. I bet this will improve over time, and I plan on stretching these out a bit.

They seem to feel better after a few minutes. I think the body heat from your head softens the earpads quite a bit, which might also lead to better sound.

I definitely agree that the pads needs to wear in a little, I replaced them in one ear to see if there was a difference and the new ear seemed a bit lower in volume after.

I'm a bit late to the game, but it was suggested that I post here by kingpage. I've heard both the FA-003 and HM5, and I do believe they are exactly the same cans. I have an associate who always previews or is the first to own all the new cans, and he's owned both the FA-003 and the HM5. I put over ten hours on the FA-003 with my usual test tracks and music from a variety of sources, but so far I've only briefly auditioned the HM5. Though I didn't have my test tracks with me to test the HM5, the two sounded extremely similar. Though I can't say with absolute certainty, I believe that they share drivers.

He had the FA-003 on loan from an industry insider and recently gave it back, but when my own pair finally arrives from Russia I'll try to give a comparison if his HM5 is still around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hans030390 

Here is something I posted in one of the other HM5 threads:

 

I'm hoping these will improve with burn in. They don't sound that impressive out of the box. They have a somewhat bloated, thick sound. Many parts of the sound are just...strange. Probably has something to do with that weird bass hump starting around 200Hz and extending below, if the FA-003 graphs are anything to go by. Drums sound artificial. Certain elements of the sound are very nice. Good soundstage and imaging, though a lot of things sound unnaturally far away.

 

Keep in mind these are initial impressions. I literally just opened up the box and played a few tunes. I'll be burning them in for sure. They have a lot of potential and a lot of good qualities, but the just sound a bit weird compared to my modded T50RPs out of the box. I have a good feeling about these, and I will most definitely warm up to them I think.

It's been 2 months, what's your impression after some burn in? ;)

I'd also be interested to hear any brief comparisons you could make between the HM5's and Denon's.  I found my D2k's a little too boomy in the sub-bass, lacking punch in the mid-bass, and too sharp in the highs.  I'm hoping from what I've heard so far that the HM5's with a ZO2 might be the answer for me.  Considering they are said to be more neutral but still with hard-hitting bass, I'm hoping I can dial that bass up a bit more with the ZO2 for the sound I want, without hurting my ears from sharp treble.

Or maybe the T50RP? I haven't looked into those much, but I noticed you also have those.  Quick round-up would be greatly appreciated!

I don't think I would call the HM5 bass "hard-hitting."

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadFish81 

It's been 2 months, what's your impression after some burn in? ;)

 

I'd also be interested to hear any brief comparisons you could make between the HM5's and Denon's.  I found my D2k's a little too boomy in the sub-bass, lacking punch in the mid-bass, and too sharp in the highs.  I'm hoping from what I've heard so far that the HM5's with a ZO2 might be the answer for me.  Considering they are said to be more neutral but still with hard-hitting bass, I'm hoping I can dial that bass up a bit more with the ZO2 for the sound I want, without hurting my ears from sharp treble.

 

Or maybe the T50RP? I haven't looked into those much, but I noticed you also have those.  Quick round-up would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, um...I posted more in the other HM5 thread. I am still not a huge fan of them, BUT I think this is because of my modded T50RP. The T50RPs just sound so much better to my ears, so I'm biased. When I gave the T50RPs a break, I found myself enjoying the HM5s a lot more. But, as soon as I put my T50RPs back on...just couldn't stick with the HM5. I still think the HM5s sound a bit bloated and weird with that dip at 300Hz, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone else.

If you have a nice DAC, strong amp, and don't mind spending an extra $40-50 and quite a few hours on mods for the T50RP, get the T50RP and mod it. It is entirely worth it and a much better option in that price range. I think the HM5s are competitive in their price range, but a properly modded T50RP can be considerably better.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssrock64 

He had the FA-003 on loan from an industry insider and recently gave it back, but when my own pair finally arrives from Russia I'll try to give a comparison if his HM5 is still around.

Any comparison between the FA-003 and the HM5?

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorriman 

What's the mod you are using, hans?

At the time, I was using a variation of the RP2 mods with the 840 pads. I have since sold them and have my own Paradox T50RP. Got tired of modding the T50RP after a while!