Final Audio Design Appreciation/Discussion Thread - Page 60

As a present to myself for my promotion, I picked up the FI-BA-SS - "The Yin to the Piano Forte's Yang" - as put by MuppetFace. 

 

First package to be derailed by customs. 4 and a half days in customs now, no telling when it will release. 

Wonderful, I am looking forward to your thoughts on them!

My previous post must have jogged them out of customs. 

 

Been spending a little time with them. As with all fine things, it's too early to post details. I will say the FI-BA-SS is truly the yin to the Piano Forte's Yang, as put by MuppetFace. Obviously neither of them are perfect, but what each one does, it does astonishingly well. I'm quite confident I will be keeping them both. I just don't want to stop listening to music on the FI-BA-SS, much like the Piano Forte. It's rigid attention to detail and texture does not compromise the sheer fun of the earphone. The SS also gives me even more of an appreciation for the Heaven VI's prowess. It is quite a great phone.

 

The FI-BA-SS is definitely Final Audio at its heart. Not a variation of the Piano Forte, but a recomposition, brilliant in it's own right. Much like Max Richter's re-envisioning of the 4 Seasons. More to come. 

 

Edit for Emoticon : )

Edited by SoundFreaq - 1/12/13 at 8:22am

If I aim for the extreme detail, should I go for FIBASS or should i go for the Piano Forte IX?

 

I listened to FIBASS before (and just a moment ago), was very impressed with the sound. Currently the best detailed IEM in my inventory is the Ocharaku Flat-4-Sui, easily ousting the Shure's 535 Red. I wonder which sides should I swerve into?

 

Thanks for your advice!

 

If it's detail you're after, I do believe the FI-BA-SS is the one to get. While the PF IX seems to be the most detailed of the Piano Forte line, it doesn't quite have the immediacy of information that the FI-BA-SS has. I don't know how it compares to the Flat-4, however.

 

Thanks! I've tried briefly on the PF VIII, and the only way I could describe it is "nostalgic". It's like the feeling of listening to old songs on a radio. Can't actually describe the feel. Not that it lacks detail, but somehow it lulls me to relax more than presenting the details out. I'm not sure about the PF IX tho.

Well, it's a different type of detail. The detail is there with the PF, but it makes music and you don't pay attention to it as much as the music. The detail makes the music. With the SS, the detail is still "musical," but you pay more attention to it.

What genres of music do you listen to?

Excuse sloppy writing on phone

 

Actually, I've opened a thread here http://www.head-fi.org/t/645822/iem-flagship-which-should-i-go-for-with-impressions-on-brief-encounter just to gather advice on this. I've been experiencing a transition on my music preference, from pops to rock+pop and now to pop 10%, rock 40% and jazz/classical/vocals 50%. I aims to increase the jazz/vocal/classicals collection so as to experience quality recordings.

 

I just posted my thoughts in answer to your question. Hopefully that helps somewhat.

OH BOY! My new Analog Squared Paper portable tube amp has just arrived from Japan.

I will report more later but even initial, cold from the box with the PF's inserted a smile as wide as the grand Canyon is on my face!

A quick pick of this lovely amp.

Just one more picture with the PF's. I have to say, if you have an opportunity to hear the PF's with a tube amp of high quality then please do as you will get an even greater sense of out of the head. Also, with this amp I truly do not think I have seen deeper into an acoustic other than being present where the recording was made!

Congratulations Ian! 

 

Enjoy!

Nicely done, Ian. I will have to try my PF with my Liquid Fire 

Thanks SF and Mike.

Early days yet and I have yet to unscrew the cage around the tubes which from experience helps the sound as well. I really look forward SF to your thoughts with the liquid fire. If my very early impressions are anything to go by you will be in for a treat!

I have emailed Di-Ma san about burn in and if I should put some sorbothane feet on the bottom of the amp to aid isolation.

I can report that it is absolutely inky black in terms of noise. The only noise I can hear is when no music is playing and I turn the volume knob there is a slight light bell like noise. But that is completely non-existent even in the quietest passages of music where there is just the rooms acoustic.