[Deftone]

   
Did you hear the 1MORE Quad Driver has a BA dedicated to 20kHz to 40kHz?

 
Sounds like a waste to me and my hearing is pretty good up 18kHz
 
Wouldn't it be better implemented to do a few hertz dedicated to sub bass or something...

 

[Deftone]

 
A great inexpensive IEM for metal is the Focal Sphear
(very fast, punchy, detailed, clean, neutral; great bass; but the highs get mixed up sometimes).
I you don't have much money, I would save money for the Utopia, so go first for the Focal Sphear,
 

 
I actually have Focal Spheres out for delivery so reading this makes me even happier.

 

[Jalo]

Jalo,

thank you so much for these compliements, Jalo!

thank you also for informing me last week that the LAB II is sold out.
Then, given the reviews by you and by Rumina,
I immediately went on asking sellers who were still including it in their online catalog,
whether they would be able to get me one,
I immediately ordered it (Friday night) with the first seller who answered positively,
waiting time = about 1 week,
I hope they can really deliver one,
From all trademarks, I love the most the sound of Focal and of Final, 
so if that those combine the best of both.... just hoping I can get them....


BTW afI contac

I really hope you will get your Lab2 soon. I was going to buy the Utopia but after the Lab 2, my desire to buy the Utopia went from 90% to about 10%. People will think I am crazy and I know that, but after two weeks with the Lab 2, I call the dealer to ask him to look for a back up pair for me. I worry that if something happen to my pair, and if they are sold out, I will be out of luck.
Also, I will be getting a frequency chart from Final in the next few days and I will post it when I receive it. Furthermore, I was told that the chance of having a second run may not be very high. It is because of the 3D printing process is actually very complicated. Most people including myself think 3D printing is like printing a document, it is a one button process but in fact the successful yield rate of the Lab 2 is only 50 percent making it very expensive to create the titanium shelf. I have never heard a sound like the Lab 2. Please share your impression here.

 

[Bengkia369]

I really hope you will get your Lab2 soon. I was going to buy the Utopia but after the Lab 2, my desire to buy the Utopia went from 90% to about 10%. People will think I am crazy and I know that, but after two weeks with the Lab 2, I call the dealer to ask him to look for a back up pair for me. I worry that if something happen to my pair, and if they are sold out, I will be out of luck.
Also, I will be getting a frequency chart from Final in the next few days and I will post it when I receive it. Furthermore, I was told that the chance of having a second run may not be very high. It is because of the 3D printing process is actually very complicated. Most people including myself think 3D printing is like printing a document, it is a one button process but in fact the successful yield rate of the Lab 2 is only 50 percent making it very expensive to create the titanium shelf. I have never heard a sound like the Lab 2. Please share your impression here.

Heard of Lab2 myself as local distributor let me tried out.
Its good sounding but I still perfer Fibass and still believe it's one of the best sounding iems that FAD had created so far, not the Lab1 or 2.
I believe alot of of people love to judge things by the price of it, but not me, I am being honest of what I hear.

 

[CH23]

   
Sounds like a waste to me and my hearing is pretty good up 18kHz
 
Wouldn't it be better implemented to do a few hertz dedicated to sub bass or something...

snake oil sells!

 

[Headphoneslife]

Hey guys, 
 
i just wanted to give a quick expression and wanted to say that actually if you really want to see what final is possible to build that go in general for over ear versions of them. For me the Sonorous III is the perfect choice. 
I did listen to a lot of different versions from the In ears but exchanged them for the over ears 

 

[thefitz]

   
Sounds like a waste to me and my hearing is pretty good up 18kHz
 
Wouldn't it be better implemented to do a few hertz dedicated to sub bass or something...

Apparently their BA goes down to 20Hz to begin with. Most BAs do... whether or not it's enough oomph is another story completely.

 

[Jalo]

Heard of Lab2 myself as local distributor let me tried out.
Its good sounding but I still perfer Fibass and still believe it's one of the best sounding iems that FAD had created so far, not the Lab1 or 2.
I believe alot of of people love to judge things by the price of it, but not me, I am being honest of what I hear.

I have the Fibass for the past three years so I am very familiar with the sound. Like most people here, I consider the Fibass one of the best emotional and raw sounding phone. However, the Lab 2 has the same level of raw emotion but with body and weight added to the sound that only a dynamic driver can offer. It is just as intimate but more textural and layering and revealing overtones and harmonics two to three octaves up without the treble bite. Yes the treble, it is crisp with that clear "bing" and rounded sound but never feel veiled.

The bass is not exaggerated but much much better than the Fibass. With Fibass you can hear the bass quite clearly and better than many BA drivers but with Lab 2 you can feel the bass down to 20 hz. Try the first minute of Billy Jean by Micharl Jackson, with the Lab 2, it feels like you just walked into a club with sound thumping at your chest. I give credit to Fzman who posted yesterday on the Vega thread ( post #3201) when he contrasts the difference between DD and BA where he said "a bass note...has a leading edge, bloom, and then decay...The BA driver can do the leading edge well...Many bass note...have a pressure wave that develops after the leading edge--the wallop that punches you in the gut, so to speak. That is the part that BA drivers don't do well."

The decay of the Lab 2 is also better than the Fibass. The decaying of the Lab 2 does not just resonate in the bass range, it is a full range thing from 20 ha to 16 kHz and it will sustain until the last bit of sound wave dies naturally all the while carrying vibrato slowly faded into the sunset.

To me the Fibass does require some synergy with upstream equipments due to its brighter upper nature. For instance, it will not pair well with my 240SS as it can be rather sharp at times in the upper mid to lower treble (6 kHz through 9 kHz). But it will pair very nicely with my 380Cu and even more so with my 1Z.

As a open iems, the Lab 2 has all the benefit of and in fact better than the ADEL or APEX systems, it never create any pressure on the ear drum and after a few hours of listening, your ear is as good as fresh.

But the biggest difference between the Lab 2 and Fibass and for that matter almost all other iems dynamic drivers or not is the sound stage. I have never heard an iems that can produce a sound stage that big. Even bigger than the Utopia and many full size headphones. I was talking with Jason Lord over at The Source about the sound stage of the Utopia where I was wishing the Utopia's sound stage can be bigger and hope Focal can improve it in their next version. He was commenting what happen with bigger sound stage is that you will also have increasing diffusion. With increase diffusion, you will also have decreasing focus and imaging and thus loosing that holographic image. The Lab 2 is unique in that it can throw a sound so big that create that sense of in vivo or being there but does not loose that tight imaging. The Lab 2 images very well like the Fibass but in a true to life sound and that is one of the objective that the designer of the Lab 2 want to the point of creating and tuning an all new dynamic driver to accomplish this exact goal.

Of course being a single driver, the Lab 2 has an excellent coherence from the lowest to the top frequency like the Fibass. But the Lab 2 without sacrificing clarity is able to render sound so naturally that mature female vocal still capturing my attention hours after I am done listening to them.

Another unique feature of the Lab 2 is that as an iems the distance from the driver to the ear drum is much closer than all full size headphones. But in order to create the sound stage that it becomes there has to be a certain distance created and the Lab 2 because of its design like the other PF system has that certain distance to allow the creation of this beautiful sound stage. The only other iems that I heard being described like it is the 64 Audio Tia Fourte that I have not yet audition but will in two week at the SoCal Can Jam and I will have my Lab 2 for a side by side comparison. The Tia also happens to be an expense iems also at $3600.00. But I can guarantee that it is not price that make a difference for the Lab 2 but rather it is the inherent merit of the sound of the Lab 2. I have owned and audition many totl iems and headphones. I consider the Fibass and the Lab 2 uniquely promising with the Lab2 finding no peers at the moment.

Bengkia, I do not meant to write this much and it is not all meant as a reply to you. Michael Brown, the US Final rep and distributor has suggested that I should write a review on the Lab 2 but I just do not have the time to do it so I take this as a mini impression of the Lab 2.

 

[bidn]

Heard of Lab2 myself as local distributor let me tried out.
Its good sounding but I still perfer Fibass and still believe it's one of the best sounding iems that FAD had created so far, not the Lab1 or 2.
I believe alot of of people love to judge things by the price of it, but not me, I am being honest of what I hear.

I have the Fibass for the past three years so I am very familiar with the sound. Like most people here, I consider the Fibass one of the best emotional and raw sounding phone. However, the Lab 2 has the same level of raw emotion but with body and weight added to the sound that only a dynamic driver can offer. It is just as intimate but more textural and layering and revealing overtones and harmonics two to three octaves up without the treble bite. Yes the treble, it is crisp with that clear "bing" and rounded sound but never feel veiled.

The bass is not exaggerated but much much better than the Fibass. With Fibass you can hear the bass quite clearly and better than many BA drivers but with Lab 2 you can feel the bass down to 20 hz. Try the first minute of Billy Jean by Micharl Jackson, with the Lab 2, it feels like you just walked into a club with sound thumping at your chest. I give credit to Fzman who posted yesterday on the Vega thread ( post #3201) when he contrasts the difference between DD and BA where he said "a bass note...has a leading edge, bloom, and then decay...The BA driver can do the leading edge well...Many bass note...have a pressure wave that develops after the leading edge--the wallop that punches you in the gut, so to speak. That is the part that BA drivers don't do well."

The decay of the Lab 2 is also better than the Fibass. The decaying of the Lab 2 does not just resonate in the bass range, it is a full range thing from 20 ha to 16 kHz and it will sustain until the last bit of sound wave dies naturally all the while carrying vibrato slowly faded into the sunset.

To me the Fibass does require some synergy with upstream equipments due to its brighter upper nature. For instance, it will not pair well with my 240SS as it can be rather sharp at times in the upper mid to lower treble (6 kHz through 9 kHz). But it will pair very nicely with my 380Cu and even more so with my 1Z.

As a open iems, the Lab 2 has all the benefit of and in fact better than the ADEL or APEX systems, it never create any pressure on the ear drum and after a few hours of listening, your ear is as good as fresh.

But the biggest difference between the Lab 2 and Fibass and for that matter almost all other iems dynamic drivers or not is the sound stage. I have never heard an iems that can produce a sound stage that big. Even bigger than the Utopia and many full size headphones. I was talking with Jason Lord over at The Source about the sound stage of the Utopia where I was wishing the Utopia's sound stage can be bigger and hope Focal can improve it in their next version. He was commenting what happen with bigger sound stage is that you will also have increasing diffusion. With increase diffusion, you will also have decreasing focus and imaging and thus loosing that holographic image. The Lab 2 is unique in that it can throw a sound so big that create that sense of in vivo or being there but does not loose that tight imaging. The Lab 2 images very well like the Fibass but in a true to life sound and that is one of the objective that the designer of the Lab 2 want to the point of creating and tuning an all new dynamic driver to accomplish this exact goal.

Of course being a single driver, the Lab 2 has an excellent coherence from the lowest to the top frequency like the Fibass. But the Lab 2 without sacrificing clarity is able to render sound so naturally that mature female vocal still capturing my attention hours after I am done listening to them.

Another unique feature of the Lab 2 is that as an iems the distance from the driver to the ear drum is much closer than all full size headphones. But in order to create the sound stage that it becomes there has to be a certain distance created and the Lab 2 because of its design like the other PF system has that certain distance to allow the creation of this beautiful sound stage. The only other iems that I heard being described like it is the 64 Audio Tia Fourte that I have not yet audition but will in two week at the SoCal Can Jam and I will have my Lab 2 for a side by side comparison. The Tia also happens to be an expense iems also at $3600.00. But I can guarantee that it is not price that make a difference for the Lab 2 but rather it is the inherent merit of the sound of the Lab 2. I have owned and audition many totl iems and headphones. I consider the Fibass and the Lab 2 uniquely promising with the Lab2 finding no peers at the moment.

Bengkia, I do not meant to write this much and it is not all meant as a reply to you. Michael Brown, the US Final rep and distributor has suggested that I should write a review on the Lab 2 but I just do not have the time to do it so I take this as a mini impression of the Lab 2.

Wow, excellent and very knowledgable post,
thank very much, Jalo

 

[Bengkia369]

I have the Fibass for the past three years so I am very familiar with the sound. Like most people here, I consider the Fibass one of the best emotional and raw sounding phone. However, the Lab 2 has the same level of raw emotion but with body and weight added to the sound that only a dynamic driver can offer. It is just as intimate but more textural and layering and revealing overtones and harmonics two to three octaves up without the treble bite. Yes the treble, it is crisp with that clear "bing" and rounded sound but never feel veiled.

The bass is not exaggerated but much much better than the Fibass. With Fibass you can hear the bass quite clearly and better than many BA drivers but with Lab 2 you can feel the bass down to 20 hz. Try the first minute of Billy Jean by Micharl Jackson, with the Lab 2, it feels like you just walked into a club with sound thumping at your chest. I give credit to Fzman who posted yesterday on the Vega thread ( post #3201) when he contrasts the difference between DD and BA where he said "a bass note...has a leading edge, bloom, and then decay...The BA driver can do the leading edge well...Many bass note...have a pressure wave that develops after the leading edge--the wallop that punches you in the gut, so to speak. That is the part that BA drivers don't do well."

The decay of the Lab 2 is also better than the Fibass. The decaying of the Lab 2 does not just resonate in the bass range, it is a full range thing from 20 ha to 16 kHz and it will sustain until the last bit of sound wave dies naturally all the while carrying vibrato slowly faded into the sunset.

To me the Fibass does require some synergy with upstream equipments due to its brighter upper nature. For instance, it will not pair well with my 240SS as it can be rather sharp at times in the upper mid to lower treble (6 kHz through 9 kHz). But it will pair very nicely with my 380Cu and even more so with my 1Z.

As a open iems, the Lab 2 has all the benefit of and in fact better than the ADEL or APEX systems, it never create any pressure on the ear drum and after a few hours of listening, your ear is as good as fresh.

But the biggest difference between the Lab 2 and Fibass and for that matter almost all other iems dynamic drivers or not is the sound stage. I have never heard an iems that can produce a sound stage that big. Even bigger than the Utopia and many full size headphones. I was talking with Jason Lord over at The Source about the sound stage of the Utopia where I was wishing the Utopia's sound stage can be bigger and hope Focal can improve it in their next version. He was commenting what happen with bigger sound stage is that you will also have increasing diffusion. With increase diffusion, you will also have decreasing focus and imaging and thus loosing that holographic image. The Lab 2 is unique in that it can throw a sound so big that create that sense of in vivo or being there but does not loose that tight imaging. The Lab 2 images very well like the Fibass but in a true to life sound and that is one of the objective that the designer of the Lab 2 want to the point of creating and tuning an all new dynamic driver to accomplish this exact goal.

Of course being a single driver, the Lab 2 has an excellent coherence from the lowest to the top frequency like the Fibass. But the Lab 2 without sacrificing clarity is able to render sound so naturally that mature female vocal still capturing my attention hours after I am done listening to them.

Another unique feature of the Lab 2 is that as an iems the distance from the driver to the ear drum is much closer than all full size headphones. But in order to create the sound stage that it becomes there has to be a certain distance created and the Lab 2 because of its design like the other PF system has that certain distance to allow the creation of this beautiful sound stage. The only other iems that I heard being described like it is the 64 Audio Tia Fourte that I have not yet audition but will in two week at the SoCal Can Jam and I will have my Lab 2 for a side by side comparison. The Tia also happens to be an expense iems also at $3600.00. But I can guarantee that it is not price that make a difference for the Lab 2 but rather it is the inherent merit of the sound of the Lab 2. I have owned and audition many totl iems and headphones. I consider the Fibass and the Lab 2 uniquely promising with the Lab2 finding no peers at the moment.

Bengkia, I do not meant to write this much and it is not all meant as a reply to you. Michael Brown, the US Final rep and distributor has suggested that I should write a review on the Lab 2 but I just do not have the time to do it so I take this as a mini impression of the Lab 2.

No worries.
I totally agreed with you on Fibass require synergy and not so nice on my AK240 since of it's bright sounding nature.

 

[thefitz]

Does anybody tip roll with the Heaven series? I've found a PERFECT combo of tips from the stock tips of my Heaven IV. The Heaven VI I have doesn't have those sizes. I'd put the IV tips on the VI, but my OCD would kill me over the fact they aren't brown!

 

[Headphoneslife]

Just got a quick question I bought the Sonorous III and i wanted to ask how long they need to burn in ? Or are they fine out of the box 

 

[VoodooSamurai]

Have anyone tried putting sleeves on piano forte? What was the result?

 

[sonickarma]

 

[jwbrent]

  Just got a quick question I bought the Sonorous III and i wanted to ask how long they need to burn in ? Or are they fine out of the box 

I believe burn-in is a real phenomenon. With headphones, it's not only the drivers but also the cable that requires some run-in time. I'm sure your new Finals will sound nice out of the box, but 100 hours is usually the minimum time I put on a new purchase before I make any assessment on the sound quality.
 
Congrats on your new purchase!