Fischer Audio FA-003
Recommend: NO
Price: $180
I would like to thank Tyll Hertsens for lending me his pair of FA-003 headphones for this review.
Initial Impressions:
If you take a look at the charts you cannot help think that they will sound a little like the Audio Technica M50. The wavy midrange jump and the peaky impulse response had me worried.
Looks:
At first glance I was not sure if they were headphones or earmuffs for cold winter trecks. Once I placed them onto my noggin I could tell there was some serious engineering here. Things were well made and nothing was an immediately obvious weak point.
Fit:
The FA-003 is one of the more comfortable headphones I have worn. They look and feel big, but once they are on they melt away.
Comfort:
They were amazingly comfortable sans a bit of pinch that I knew could be relieved with some stretching over a tissue box for a week. The headband is really comfortable, but the strength of the hinges feels a bit weaker than the M50.
Design:
The earphones appear to be well made from synthetic materials. The ear cups are plastic with some nice looking metallic veneer. The headband adjusts easily and the cable is detachable which is a huge plus in my book.
Sound:
The sound is definitely dark with an audible midrange attenuation. I heard this easily while listening to John Williams' Double Trouble. It sounded clear and neutral until I switched to my AH-D2000's and realized there is a big dip in the midrange of the FA-003. The soundstage is wider than the Creative Aurvana Live and the highs were crisp, be it slightly rolled off.
Bass:
The bass was deep and not as boomy as other dynamic driver headphones. It extends quite well but using Collective Soul's "Forgiveness" gave me a sense of attenuation in the low end. There was some audible roll off in the bass. The bass was no where near as deep or impactful as the AH-D2000 or M50.
Mids:
The mids were fun. They were airy and extremely enjoyable with percussion. The slight echo that is common listening to drums was easily heard and enjoyed. Due to some dips in the midrange many tracks were not as wide as the AH-D2000. I especially heard this on Yoshida Brothers' Aiya.
Highs:
Much like the midrange the highs suffered from some extreme dipping and roll off. Coleman Hawkins & Duke Ellington' Wanderlust was lifeless sans the saxophone. I will admit that the sax and trumpet sound very pleasing through the FA-003.
Imaging:
The image was big, but not very. Using Buddy Miller & Julie Miller' Long Time, which is my favorite test track for imaging and soundstage, sounded too laid back and muffled.
Conclusions:
I think the FA-003 is a super comfortable headphone and perhaps with a few EQ tweaks could be much better sounding. For me the M50 was a far better headphone and did better with both soundstage and the high end. There is a lot that the FA-003 has going for it. The comfort is outstanding, the design is well thought out, and the comparative cost to some alternates is very reasonable. For me, however, there are some issues with the sound out of these cans that are extremely apparent while A/B testing with other cans within its price point.
Recommend: NO
Price: $180
I would like to thank Tyll Hertsens for lending me his pair of FA-003 headphones for this review.
Initial Impressions:
If you take a look at the charts you cannot help think that they will sound a little like the Audio Technica M50. The wavy midrange jump and the peaky impulse response had me worried.
Looks:
At first glance I was not sure if they were headphones or earmuffs for cold winter trecks. Once I placed them onto my noggin I could tell there was some serious engineering here. Things were well made and nothing was an immediately obvious weak point.
Fit:
The FA-003 is one of the more comfortable headphones I have worn. They look and feel big, but once they are on they melt away.
Comfort:
They were amazingly comfortable sans a bit of pinch that I knew could be relieved with some stretching over a tissue box for a week. The headband is really comfortable, but the strength of the hinges feels a bit weaker than the M50.
Design:
The earphones appear to be well made from synthetic materials. The ear cups are plastic with some nice looking metallic veneer. The headband adjusts easily and the cable is detachable which is a huge plus in my book.
Sound:
The sound is definitely dark with an audible midrange attenuation. I heard this easily while listening to John Williams' Double Trouble. It sounded clear and neutral until I switched to my AH-D2000's and realized there is a big dip in the midrange of the FA-003. The soundstage is wider than the Creative Aurvana Live and the highs were crisp, be it slightly rolled off.
Bass:
The bass was deep and not as boomy as other dynamic driver headphones. It extends quite well but using Collective Soul's "Forgiveness" gave me a sense of attenuation in the low end. There was some audible roll off in the bass. The bass was no where near as deep or impactful as the AH-D2000 or M50.
Mids:
The mids were fun. They were airy and extremely enjoyable with percussion. The slight echo that is common listening to drums was easily heard and enjoyed. Due to some dips in the midrange many tracks were not as wide as the AH-D2000. I especially heard this on Yoshida Brothers' Aiya.
Highs:
Much like the midrange the highs suffered from some extreme dipping and roll off. Coleman Hawkins & Duke Ellington' Wanderlust was lifeless sans the saxophone. I will admit that the sax and trumpet sound very pleasing through the FA-003.
Imaging:
The image was big, but not very. Using Buddy Miller & Julie Miller' Long Time, which is my favorite test track for imaging and soundstage, sounded too laid back and muffled.
Conclusions:
I think the FA-003 is a super comfortable headphone and perhaps with a few EQ tweaks could be much better sounding. For me the M50 was a far better headphone and did better with both soundstage and the high end. There is a lot that the FA-003 has going for it. The comfort is outstanding, the design is well thought out, and the comparative cost to some alternates is very reasonable. For me, however, there are some issues with the sound out of these cans that are extremely apparent while A/B testing with other cans within its price point.