Hey guys, long time reader, first time poster. I’ve been a bit of an amateur audiophile for a while now, but until today, I’ve stuck to armature-driven IEMs.
Here are some of the past headphones I’ve owned:
-Etymotic Research ER-6
-Klipsch X-5
Headphones I’ve listened to extensively:
-Etymotic Research ER-4s
-Klipsch X-10
-Shure forgetting-the-model-now-outdated-IEM
-Westone 2
My most recent pair of IEMs, my Klipsch X-5s, died suddenly while on the train. I had been experiencing various degrees of sound loss for some time now, but now the left side went completely dead (and the right side was /very/ tinny). I loved them while they lasted, but two years of college and earwax did them in.
However, this train was quite eventful to me: I was taking the Sapsan high-speed train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and I happened to sit next to a fellow audiophile. He was sporting a pair of FA-002Ws in the Old Wood, and graciously let me listen to them. I was pleasantly surprised, and decided to make an investment in a circumaural set.
So in this bizarre turn of events, I was introduced to a no-name brand (in the States, that is) that happens to be pushing a great product in Russia. I also was in Russia, in their headquarters city. As a matter of fact, I lived 15 minutes by foot to their offices they list on their Russian website.
Well, when in Rome – or in Petersburg – I decided to email them and ask if I could stop on buy and try out some cans. They graciously responded to me within 24 hours, and invited me to their offices to peruse the selection.
So, well, I did just that. As a non-native Russian speaker, it took me a while to figure out their directions, because it happened to be behind a back alley on an unmarked door. But I managed to guess the right place without too much embarrassment, and within 2 minutes, I was swarmed by a 3-4 people.
They soon showed me their lineup and treated me like royalty– and had me choose between a “new” version of the FA-002W (with a flatter piece of wood, not as rounded as you see in the photos) and the original. I ended up liking the original better – slightly more resonant in the lower end, but they both sounded great.
I then had my selection of wooden cups. I didn’t want the break the bank on a piece of wood, so I ended up taking the bright beech – the cheapest one. However, the mahogany and the old wood sounded absolutely phenomenal.
Several times, the staff offered me what the difference sounds like on the high edition – complete with a very nice amp (but I didn’t catch the make or model). I could tell the difference in sensitivity, but I wanted to use my cans with an iPod. Well, Valentin ended up giving me a pair of chips to install myself if I ever wanted to make the high-edition upgrade. He also gave me a pair of FA-788s “for the gym” – one of their consumer earbuds (which also sound nice for buds).
Needless to say, I was happy enough that I ended up purchasing my pair of FA-002Ws. They packed it there in their office and everything. Some of the best customer service I’ve ever had, and gave me a slight discount. I really do hope this company goes places, because they are very kind and accommodating.
I haven’t had a full 48 hours of burn-in time yet, so take these reviews with a grain of salt. I listen to a lot of soul, funk, and hip hop. However, I also listen to classical and jazz, so I gave these cans the full work out.
Here the song-by-song comparison- all tracks are in either MP3 or AAC 320kbps.
Goat Rodeo Sessions – Quarter Chicken Dark: You can really hear Edgar Meyer on his upright bass behind you - the squealing of the strings, the brusqueness of every bow stroke. I can hear Yo-Yo Ma tapping his foot to my front-left. Great staging and sibilance, it feels like I’m in the middle of these four virtuosic musicians. Fast response to some of the faster passages – these cans pass the instrumental strings test.
Radiohead – Life in a Glass House (Amnesiac): Powerful piano, vocals are utterly orgasmic. The wind instruments have an amazing amount of color and distinction. The instruments do not sound as separated as they do with the Etys, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Absolutely mind blowing trumpet and clarinet – the detail is astounding.
Killer Mike – That’s Life II (PL3DGE): clear vocals, the snares really pop out. I’m actually slightly disappointed by the bass – it wasn’t as booming as it was in my X5s. I guess bone conduction counts for a lot in the low frequencies.
De La Soul ft. Cee-Lo Green – Held Down: Oh is Cee-Lo’s voice so sweet and smooth with these cans. The bass performance was slightly better on this track, but it still left me wanting more. The organ track really pops, and combined with the great moan of Cee-Lo, I had to listen to this one over and over again.
The Roots - What You Want (ft. Jaguar Wright): This groovy track was popping. Again the bass was a little shallow, but it was tightly controlled. This track features a lot of countermelodies weaving between one another, and the cans really captured this clearly where most others get muddy. Almost an airy sound – quite remarkable.
Bloomfield, Kooper, and Stills – Stop (Super Session): This funky jamband groove is where these cans really shined. The guitar’s vibrato does not go unnoticed between changing notes. Al Kooper’s organ is really phenomenal. You can hear the Hammond B3 in it’s truest form. I had to go grab a beer so I could listen to this track again and again.
Tower of Power – What is Hip: Tower’s horn section really shines – the balance here is right on par with what I wanted. Not too bass-heavy, great horns that pop out at you, and silky smooth vocals.
In terms of sound characteristics (sans burn-in):
Warm and airy soundstage – not too constricted despite being closedbacks. Great detail and instrument differentiation.
Distortions from linear EQ: prominent mids and a screeching (but amazingly clear) high. Horns, reeds, and strings really shine. These pair of cans are amazing for any sort of instrumentals. Great vocals, too – just the right shade of smoothness without sacrificing detail. Slightly recessed bass and almost no sub-bass. I am actually slightly disappointed about this – I’ll update post burn-in. However, I’m used to IEMs with zero bass leakage, with really earth shattering bangs when the song calls for it. These aren’t earth shattering, but they are damn clear.
Verdict: great value – for ~200USD (when I bought in-office), you really can’t go wrong. This is been a great introduction to circumaurals, and these are my primary headphones now. The cans themselves are nothing to scoff at, and pop great sound – I’m still hoping that some bass shines through. If you’re not a basshead, you’ll love these. Great clarity and staging. They sound best with classical, rock, and funk. The instrumentals are absolutely phenomenal.
And, for what it’s worth, I can’t recommend the company enough. They are wonderfully nice and welcoming people, and will do just about anything to please a customer.
. 
). You can see the lettering for the logo is not complete (M missing). The white spots on the cups are dust (or small wood chips 
. 
