petesheep
New Head-Fier
As I mentioned I have Fibae3, Ei.3 (these are V shaped, and there’s a huge quality jump from these to F4), and I’ve had Fibae2. Other than that I have B&O H6 headphones, which at least for me are something between F2 and F3 (quite neutral with plenty of details and a bit of good bass), but I prefer Fibae CIEMs rather than headphones.
When it comes to Fibae4 characteristics – they are more \___/ shaped rather than V shaped. This is something that Piotr has told me around the premiere and I think this is the perfect description of Fibae 4 There is quite a lot of bass and sub bass etc. everything is rounded, rich, and present. You can’t forget the bass, because it constantly gets your attention. It’s not in the first scene (at least for me) and it’s doesn’t cover the other instruments; it’s a good background that gives a perfect “rhythmic layout” for the good song. It’s not an Ali G “umc umc umc” type of sound as well. It’s basically well rounded/tuned bass, that you want to appreciate, because rarely can you hear that well tuned sound (in the most of my musical experiences when it comes to concerts / cinemas etc. – it’s either too much of this or too little of that).
Mids for me are a bit further in the scene, especially when it comes to the vocals, so it’s kind of a cosy-concert type of vibe. I haven’t spent that much time comparing F4 with F3, frankly I focused mainly on F4 during last 24 hours, so I need more time to have a better opinion on that. Though the mids are not the main topic (as they IMHO are with highs in F3) they are really well balanced and clear. As I mentioned I have Ei.3 which are a bit foggy (?) when it comes to vocals and that difference is really noticeable between them and F4.
Highs are great, these are not as technical as Fibae3 (which I like in them, because these neutrality / technicality aspects make them different and it’s great type of sound especially with artists like Moderat, Trentemoller etc.), but trebles in F4 are really there detailed and clear (but not harsh) – basically fun to listen to.
To sum up, I think that the best description for Fibae 4 is the one that Piotr told me - “it’s a good balance between F2 and F3, with a class of sound from Harmony 8.2”. To be honest, I think that the graphs from TheCustomArt website are describing each model quite good in all terms (quantity, quality, resolution, headroom and others characteristics). I have been able to compare a few of models and all the metrics are really well thought.
The only caveat that I see right now is the waiting time (10 weeks for me). I think some kind of live updated spreadsheet or any other type of personal-ID-script (with well counted deadlines that don’t change that much and that often) would work like a charm in this type of orders. Although the support is really awesome and they always replied within less than hour (when writing during the working day), sometimes I felt not that comfortable asking once again for the update on the delivery date. It’s not a big minus per se, but I think that this is an important experience, that a friend of mine (that I recommended Custom Art to) shared with me, and changing that for a positive one would make the whole waiting process much better.
When it comes to the photos – I will post them after the weekend, when I get back to my apartment. I got solid blacks, which look great with a new silver-plated cable (which I like the best comparing to all the previous that I got). The seal is really great, presumably these are 3d printed and I think that it was a great choice for me. The CIEMs disappear in a moment in the ears and although all the previous models that I have (F3 and Ei.3 and ex-F2) have been good as well, these are just the most comfortable ones. If this is true that solid blacks are all 3d printed, and if I have the opportunity ($$$) to buy any other model in the future, I will take 3d printed for 100%. The custom designs are beautiful, but after sensing this kind of comfort, there’s no coming back for me.
The refinement is just not on the same plane field, not that the stock cable is bad by any means btw...
