[Hayang]

 

The Fischer Audio FA-003

 
Recently I bought these FA-003s from a fellow Head-Fier, and I feel that it was the most worthy $175 I have ever spent.
 
As a college student pinching pennies to make room for headphone purchases, I do not have the liberty to buy high-end $200+ headphones (but I get to listen to very nice setups in local NY meets), so I don't know how these compare to them.  However I have heard a few pairs under $200; I have owned the HD555 and HD558 and the M50, and have borrowed the AKG K240 for a week a year ago and the SRH840 for a month this semester (as well as others at meets) I liked each one very much, but I felt each one had its little, nagging weaknesses, making me want more.
 
Then I bought the FA-003s, and they have been the first pair of cans that I have been fully satisfied with.  I feel that it combines the strengths of all the cans I've had so far.  They are full-bodied like the HD555 and the AKG240 but don't bloat or bleed bass into the midrange at ALL; they have very good extension into the bass like the M50s, while having much tighter control, and far better integration with the rest of the spectrum.  I feel the punch of kick drums comes mostly from sub-50Hz frequencies, because the impact is very "airy".  The midrange is very even, smooth and VERY well textured.  The treble is also very detailed like the SRH840, and very present, but without the steely edge.
 
To do some more comparison between the FA-003 and the HD558/M50, which I am most familiar with:
 
FA-003 vs. ATH-M50: After A/Bing them (my friend brought his pair) I sense that the M50s definitely sound a little congested compared to the FA-003 in most music due to the slightly looser and more emphasized bass of the M50s.  I notice that the M50s' bass is like a "Boomph", while the FA-003's bass is like a "Pumph".  The V-curve of the M50s works a little better with some pop music and some rock, but when switching to the FA003, I don't really miss too much about the M50s' presentation.  The FA-003 more than matches the M50s in fun factor as well as PRAT, and seems faster as well.  One area the FA-003s clearly beat the M50s is in acoustic music.  The FA003s just sound so much more lifelike, while the M50s sound cold due to their recessed midrange.
 
FA-003 vs. HD558: I will not make detailed comments about this comparison since I don't have these on hand, but from owning them just up to last week, I distinctly remember the HD558s had a warmer, thicker presentation, with more emphasis in the lower midrange.  It worked very well for classical and acoustic music, and I thought I would miss that warmth when I moved to a more neutral can.  But when I hear the FA-003, I hear that there is not as much lower midrange, but I don't mind it at all!  In fact, pianos and guitars sound more realistic without that warmth, and yet they are not cold sounding like the M50s.  One thing I feel the FA-003s lose in is the soundstage, although it is not a big loss. The soundstage of the FA-003 is very nice, like an open can.  Far, far better than the M50s.  But the HD558 has one of the best soundstages I've heard in a can under $300 from my experience at meets.  The FA-003 sounds like it's reached the limit of the closed headphone soundstage, while the HD558 sounded completely liberated, being an open can.
 
To sum up my impressions:
Pros:
- Excellent neutrality; the whole song seems to be in balance without any glaring frequencies (some complain about a 8kHz peak but I don't really notice it) Very unfatiguing.  Good extension on both sides of the spectrum.
- Handles pretty much every genre very well. (not something I can say with any other headphone I've heard)
- Captures the timbre of instruments extremely well, as well as the character of vocals.  Detailed and nuanced.
- Very dynamic and very fast; the most articulate headphone I've heard. Contributes to how fun these are.
- Great isolation and no leakage except at very high volume.
- Good comfort (think Bose with some more clamping force) 
- Great soundstage, ESPECIALLY for a closed can.
- Easily detachable cables.
- Padded carrying bag (if ordered from certain places)
- Extra velour earpads included.
- Nice build quality, nice cable.
Cons:
- A little big on the head.
- Clamping force can get kind of hard after more than an hour of listening.
- Peaky at 8kHz? (I don't really hear anything disturbing)
- No glaring cons, truly.
 
True, I have not heard every headphone under $200.  But I really feel these are a gem telling from how they compare so well with other highly praised headphones mentioned above, to my ears at least.  Consider these!  They are really so transparent and fun, and really know how to get out of the way between me and my music.  To me they seem like the best value for under $200, and I wouldn't be surprised if they turned out to be the best value for under $400.  Even if they aren't, I don't feel the need to upgrade anymore.
 
Now for a few more pictures!
 

 

[keoni]

Wow, amazing review. Nice job.

 

[treal512]

Were you listening to these amped for the review?

 

[Hayang]

I used all of these from my Desktop, laptop, and iPod, so no amp except on the review of FA003 vs. M50, where I briefly tried a cmoy but found no great difference in either pair.  Sorry if this makes a big difference to you.
 
By the way, the FA003 runs very well off of an iPod.

 

[yann3804]

Amazing review!
 
You didn't really compare them to the SRH840, could you say if they are better than those or not? (I know you had them for only a month, so I agree that it's difficult to remember the sound...)
 
And again, very nice review! Many thanks

 

[DemonicLemming]

If I can find any, I'll probably be picking up a set in the next month or two.  I love my 780s, but having a more neutral closed-back can for work can't hurt.
 

 

[Hayang]

You'd be better off going into the other FA003 thread and looking for comments from people who owned both at the same time, but my lasting impression was that the SRH840 had a very forward lower treble that I found pretty annoying.  Someone described it as "steely" and I agree.  When I compared the M50 and the SRH840 at length, I still felt the same way about the 840s' treble.  The M50 is nice and sparkly but the SRH840 is a little too much.  The bass on the 840 was pretty tight and balanced with the mids, I think.
 
I also noted that the M50s were more comfortable than the SRH840 for me, and the FA003s are about as comfortable as the M50s with a bigger circumaural circle and deeper cups.
 
The SRH840 have awesome build quality, though.  I would have no problem throwing them in a backpack.  The FA003s not so much... but hey, they come in an awesome carrying case!

 

[yann3804]

Yeah, I just searched about that FA-003/SRH840 comparison, but to no avail... the only one that came up was Pianist's comparison, in which he thought the 840 were very on par, and maybe better than the FA-003.
 
I ordered the FA-003 already and they're coming to Canada, but I died a little bit inside when I saw this... I can't even believe it.

 

[Hayang]

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Future_Shop
http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/ratings/vendor_info/FutureShop.ca

 

[yann3804]

It's a local store, here in Montreal and all over  Canada. Their customer service is on par with BestBuy
 

 

[Hayang]

 
Quote:

I recommend to try Fischer Audio FA-003. They are a good deal lighter than the SRH840 and are also more comfortable to wear thanks to the excellent, soft leather pads. The bass on them is not more elevated in general than SRH840, but it has more lower bass presence, much like the M50, except that the low end on FA-003 is much tighter and much more accurate than that of M50. Compared to M50 and SRH840, the FA-003 does not have the mid/upper bass hump of the aforementioned two cans, but it makes up for it with better definition and extension down low. Also, FA-003 is able to portray a much better sense of space than SRH840 and M50 with zero closed in feeling that you can get with the Shures and Audio Technicas. Overall, the FA-003 is a significant step up in overall quality - I highly recommend that you try them out. Also, if you can afford it, save up a bit for FA-002w which are essentially the same headphones as FA-003, but with wooden cups instead of plastic ones. The wooden acoustic chamber improves bass response even further and increases refinement.

 
Quote:

Yes, sure FA-003 can be used as a portable. It is very light and looks much better on the head than SRH840 or most other closed headphones like HD280 Pro, DT770 and others do. The isolation is also about the best you can get in a closed headphone, over-the-ear headphone.

 
Quote:

@OP: SRH840 is excellent indeed, but I believe you can do even better for around the same price or a little more. Check out Fischer Audio FA-003 and German Maestro GMP 8.300 D.

 
Quote:

i am not good with sonic descriptions, but these were my reactions to these:
 
840 : got it and wanna sell it fast in a month becos it was temp hot on my head...and i do pity the guy who bought it from me.
the sound is warm n full bodied, not bad ..if it had been temp cooler, i would have kept it. max i can keep it on my head: one hour.
 
003 : everything i hoped the 840 was.... and better..looks, feeel, sound...price is on par..retail i mean. i sold it v reluctantly but knowing that the buyer is gonna get a great time with it. need to spend more time on the t5p given the money i sank on it.
 
dba2 : not bad, i tot its great for operas...agile and with a bite...just not as full sounding as its bro 003
sold it with a neutral disposition, not sad, not happy. its an ok iem...great bang for the money.
 
if i have only ONE can to buy with 200bucks...the Choice is CLEAR.

 

[yann3804]

Pianist really changed his thinking in the last days, ... anyway. I'm getting the woodies, should be somewhat different
 
Quote:

Thanks for the impressions. I agree that the soundstage is more spacious on the FA-003, but I disagree that FA-003 has better imaging and that the overall sound signature on the two is similar. I think SRH840 images very well too. In fact, SRH840 outlines sounds better than FA-003 - the latter smears the edges of sounds more by comparison. While the space is larger on FA-003, SRH840 provides more meat to the sound. The sound signature is quite different IMO - FA-003 is significantly more neutral, while SRH840 is warmer, fuller and can sound more natural with some music. Timbre is more realistic on the FA-003, but neither holds a candle against my Etymotic ER4 in this regard. FA-003 can sound almost clinical at times, especially with colder sources, while SRH840 can sometimes sound a bit harsh and congested. Both have their weaknesses. SRH840 has more micro detail and it is easier to follow sounds with it. FA-003 has better separation and depth to sounds, while SRH840 carries more information and depth within sounds (more texture).

Quote:

 
SRH840 is nice, but not that nice. I think HD650 is still in a higher league than FA-003 and SRH840. As for SRH840 being less refines, I think I will disagree. They are both quite refined and the SRH840 is actually the sharper sounding can IMO. Personally, I really had a hard time deciding which one to keep. I just kept the FA-003 mostly because it is harder to get, but also because I do prefer the more neutral sound overall.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Yeah, I just searched about that FA-003/SRH840 comparison, but to no avail... the only one that came up was Pianist's comparison, in which he thought the 840 were very on par, and maybe better than the FA-003.
 
I ordered the FA-003 already and they're coming to Canada, but I died a little bit inside when I saw this... I can't even believe it.

I have heard the SRH840 and believe the FA-003 to be superior. To me, the FA-003 is more comfortable, more neutral, more natural and just more refined in every which way. With the SRH840 I feel like I am listening to a fantastic headphone. With the FA-003 I feel I am listening to fantastic music. The FA-003 seems to disappear to me and you really don't appreciate the headphone per se, you appreciate the music, you appreciate the vocal and you appreciate the art. You only really appreciate the FA-003 when you try the other headphones around and realize how much of a gem the FA-003 really is.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I have friends who prefer the slight coloration of the SRH840 and others who prefer the neutrality of the FA-003. It really comes down to what sound signature you want but also keep in mind that coloration is far more easier and cheaper to come by than neutrality.
 
 

 

[Lorspeaker]

X2 to LFF's post....listening to the phones vs listening to the music..how apt.

I came in to write of my experience just an hour ago...
Was sitting in my truck..iPad in hand, plugged in the 003...
And before I know it, I was lost in the music...
Suddenly I realized, I DIDN'T realized I had headphones on my head...
I mean...it disappeared in total comfort.

And the best part of it was.....
I was just tuning in to some Internet radio.
Not some high resolution bytes in my hard disk.

This 003 is amazingly Great!

What about the 840.....shruggs.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

great, I have these on the way. well see how they do with prog and metal. So far Ive been using the K601 and Im not planing to replace it, just to listen in a different way.
 
to Hayang, you said you've NOT tried all <200$, do you know how do they c compare to HD25 and k601? just a quick general comparison. 
 
edit: First time I read that you have, but maybe you have heard these two?