That's it, FI-BA-SS ordered this morning (880$), have to wait 15 days or so (it will be long, very long...).
FI-BA-SST35 was available near 1100$ but i couldn't find enough feed back to go with it. Hope i do not regret after a while ...
Thanks Ninaraduga for your advice !
I'd like to replace my old but still valiant Jays Q Jays (first generation). With my Cowon S9, It was a perfect duo for the price . With my new Cowon Plénue 1, I want to go next step.
After reading a lot of iem reviews (and all this thread), I kept in mind a few of them.
Now it's time to choose but not that simple since I can't try them before buying !
My preference goes to FAD's products ( Heaven VI, VII, VIII or FI BASS) but I'm also thinking about Sennheiser IE 800 and Cardas EM 5813 which appear to be great choices as well.
In FAD's family, FI BASS seems to have the unanimity and heaven VI seems to be more popular than its later versions. But what about IE 800 and EM 5813 compared to FAD ?
At the time of selection, your help could be precious if anyone of you tried those products.
Precision: I primarily listen to metal, hard-rock but also all other styles from time to time.
A quick reply with phone while having lunch at work.
I have the Heaven VII, VIII, IE 800 anf Fi-BA-SS.
I too like you listen to a lot of metal ( but hardly any rock)
for me the FIbass has clearly the better sound, I concurr with ninaraduga, the IE 800 has no chance against the fibass.
I prefer the top Piano Forte though because of their superb imaging and soundstage but because of their weight and size they can easily drop off your head if you are moving so this limits their use to immobile activities (for me when laying in bed )
Additional nice and inexpensive buys for metal are Focal Sphear and Sparks.
Thanks for your quick response. I had read this (but read too much to remember everything).
However, I forgot to ask if the FI BASS was very noisy for people near us (the only semi-open in my selection) . I often listen to music late with my wife sleeping right next to me !
A quick reply with phone while having lunch at work.
I have the Heaven VII, VIII, IE 800 anf Fi-BA-SS.
I too like you listen to a lot of metal ( but hardly any rock)
for me the FIbass has clearly the better sound, I concurr with ninaraduga, the IE 800 has no chance against the fibass.
I prefer the top Piano Forte though because of their superb imaging and soundstage but because of their weight and size they can easily drop off your head if you are moving so this limits their use to immobile activities (for me when laying in bed )
Additional nice and inexpensive buys for metal are Focal Sphear and Sparks.
I own both the AKR02 (custom FI-BA-SS) and the IE800, and I concur the fibass is the better performer overall. There are some qualities I prefer with the IE800 depending on music, so for me it makes for a complimentary companion to my AKR02.
My preference goes to FAD's products ( Heaven VI, VII, VIII or FI BASS) but I'm also thinking about Sennheiser IE 800 and Cardas EM 5813 which appear to be great choices as well.
In FAD's family, FI BASS seems to have the unanimity and heaven VI seems to be more popular than its later versions. But what about IE 800 and EM 5813 compared to FAD ?
At the time of selection, your help could be precious if anyone of you tried those products.
Precision: I primarily listen to metal, hard-rock but also all other styles from time to time..
Here a post where I shared my impressions re. the unique (often called "magic") experience of listening to several genres of metal music with the Piano Forte VIIl-X (due to their incredible imaging):
That's it, FI-BA-SS ordered this morning (880$), have to wait 15 days or so (it will be long, very long...).
FI-BA-SST35 was available near 1100$ but i couldn't find enough feed back to go with it. Hope i do not regret after a while ...
Thanks Ninaraduga for your advice !
I didn't listen to hard rock, metal, or goth rock in more than 10 years...and this discussion made me curious...I have the FI-BA-SST....so i fired up some Manowar, and one of my favorite albums from my childhood Theatre of Tragedy - Aegis.
It's quite amazing how fast and controlled the SST can be with Manowar. I don't think i ever heard such a good clarity and separation between drums, bass guitar, electric guitars and voice...But the highlight for me was Theatre of Tragedy.....excelent low end power and speed, and a magnificent presentation of the male/female duo voices....
BTW...no comparisons between SS and SST yet?
That's it, FI-BA-SS ordered this morning (880$), have to wait 15 days or so (it will be long, very long...).
FI-BA-SST35 was available near 1100$ but i couldn't find enough feed back to go with it. Hope i do not regret after a while ...
Thanks Ninaraduga for your advice !
I just got the AKR02 from the A&K website on closeout at $650 – the bad news is that the cable is having issues and the sound cuts out. Contacted A&K service, they basically say that my only option is to return it for a refund.
However I like the AKR02 a lot when it works. And I’m reluctant to return them and give up such a nice deal. Reading around it seems that a lot of buyers have had cable issues, so no surprise there.
So I’m looking to replace the cable. It seems that there are a few options:
The Q-JAYS replacement cable is supposed to fit and costs $49. Not great looking though.
Does the FAD replacement cable fit the AKR02? It looks great but is pricey at $200+.
Has anyone ever tried fixing a cable? It doesn’t seem like it would be that hard to do, if you are good with a soldering iron.
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