ssrock64
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Posts
- 4,168
- Likes
- 257
Hello, Head-Fi. Good evening.
I would like to address some reviews of the Fischer Audio FA-003, Brainwavz HM5, and LINDY Premium Hi-Fi, which overall do not overstate. They're great headphones at their price point, and are competitive at nearly twice their price. Those reviews and numerous recommendations have led many, many Head-Fi'ers to buy these Yoga-OEM headphones, and a vast majority of them have been very satisfied with that purchase.
However, I come to you tonight with my one major concern with the FA-003, a headphone that I otherwise adore (for its price, that is). I don't really use it much, as my main home rig phones are my T5p, PS1000, and HD600 and my portables are my S4i and T50p. It seems that even with the light use of my FA-003, some durablity issues have arisen.
All of the durability issues stem from problems with the headband and the fitting of the earcups. The first I noticed, from the moment I bought the headphone, was that the handband metal is loosely fit inside the earcup, letting it wiggle around a bit. I thought little of it, as the earcup fitting is shaped specifically for it to have that wiggle room. However, over time this wiggling has grown larger from simple use, and the headband metal can now move a small fraction of an inch in any direction I wish to move it, whereas it only moved side to side before. This may eventually lead to a break in the headphone.
The second issue, and one that has less impact on the physical state of the 'phone but is much more annoying, is that the right side of the headband has become displaced from its factory position. When the headband is extended the right side no longer clicks into place, just sliding around instead. Every few days this connection becomes looser, and though the design of the headband keeps the metal and attached earcup from falling out of the cloth headband covering, it may eventually become completely free to slide around wherever gravity so chooses.
This is to be expected from Yoga and doesn't really come as a huge surprise, but the fact that the FA-003/HM5/Premium Hi-Fi was touted for durability in some reviews is concerning and misleading.
TL;DR The FA-003/HM5/Premium Hi-Fi is not as durable as some reviews claim, with many issues cropping up even from minimal use. If you're looking for durability, look elsewhere.
I would like to address some reviews of the Fischer Audio FA-003, Brainwavz HM5, and LINDY Premium Hi-Fi, which overall do not overstate. They're great headphones at their price point, and are competitive at nearly twice their price. Those reviews and numerous recommendations have led many, many Head-Fi'ers to buy these Yoga-OEM headphones, and a vast majority of them have been very satisfied with that purchase.
However, I come to you tonight with my one major concern with the FA-003, a headphone that I otherwise adore (for its price, that is). I don't really use it much, as my main home rig phones are my T5p, PS1000, and HD600 and my portables are my S4i and T50p. It seems that even with the light use of my FA-003, some durablity issues have arisen.
All of the durability issues stem from problems with the headband and the fitting of the earcups. The first I noticed, from the moment I bought the headphone, was that the handband metal is loosely fit inside the earcup, letting it wiggle around a bit. I thought little of it, as the earcup fitting is shaped specifically for it to have that wiggle room. However, over time this wiggling has grown larger from simple use, and the headband metal can now move a small fraction of an inch in any direction I wish to move it, whereas it only moved side to side before. This may eventually lead to a break in the headphone.
The second issue, and one that has less impact on the physical state of the 'phone but is much more annoying, is that the right side of the headband has become displaced from its factory position. When the headband is extended the right side no longer clicks into place, just sliding around instead. Every few days this connection becomes looser, and though the design of the headband keeps the metal and attached earcup from falling out of the cloth headband covering, it may eventually become completely free to slide around wherever gravity so chooses.
This is to be expected from Yoga and doesn't really come as a huge surprise, but the fact that the FA-003/HM5/Premium Hi-Fi was touted for durability in some reviews is concerning and misleading.
TL;DR The FA-003/HM5/Premium Hi-Fi is not as durable as some reviews claim, with many issues cropping up even from minimal use. If you're looking for durability, look elsewhere.
