[Jalo]

@Bidn, thanks for the impression. First of all, I have the 240SS, I think I know how it pairs with the Lab 2. I have been using my Sony 1Z which is a much warmer music player than the 240. So I think with a warmer source, you will hear the Lab 2 slightly differently. I think the detail and transparency remain the same but it will be more lush. But the realism is unmatched. I was listening to the FiBass couple of days ago and I started to feel that the Lab 2 May even be more transparent than the FiBass.

With regard to the Bass. Yes, I am aware of the scale that is why I use frequency sound file to generate specific frequency down to 20 Hz and I can clearly hear rumble at the 20Hz. I will be going to the SoCal Can Jam, I can have the the Lab 2 scanned.

On thing I fail to emphasize is that the stock cable is very good, just as good as many after marker expensive cable. Thanks for the comparison to the Utopia, I will try to have a side by side critical comparison next weekend. The sound of the Lab 2 will become finer and smoother after burn in. Congrats.

 

[bidn]

@Bidn, thanks for the impression. First of all, I have the 240SS, I think I know how it pairs with the Lab 2. I have been using my Sony 1Z which is a much warmer music player than the 240. So I think with a warmer source, you will hear the Lab 2 slightly differently. I think the detail and transparency remain the same but it will be more lush. But the realism is unmatched. I was listening to the FiBass couple of days ago and I started to feel that the Lab 2 May even be more transparent than the FiBass.

With regard to the Bass. Yes, I am aware of the scale that is why I use frequency sound file to generate specific frequency down to 20 Hz and I can clearly hear rumble at the 20Hz. I will be going to the SoCal Can Jam, I can have the the Lab 2 scanned.

On thing I fail to emphasize is that the stock cable is very good, just as good as many after marker expensive cable. Thanks for the comparison to the Utopia, I will try to have a side by side critical comparison next weekend. The sound of the Lab 2 will become finer and smoother after burn in. Congrats.

Thank you so much Jola, for the pictured explaining the L and R sides.

Re. sound warmth vs detailed, actually for me the more detailled the better as long as it doesn't get bright (which is the big trouble for me with the HD 800 and K812, making them unsuitable for metal ).
I just expressed my surprise at the FR signature in the line of the top PF series, being accustomed to the consistency of their signature.

Sony is a no go for me because they don t read APE files ( maybe 10% of my files ) and support too much DRM politics ( I boycott them then...)

 

[bidn]

BTW, for testing the extent of the bass,
I use a test CD ( ripped by myself ) of the established German magazine Audio Magazin.
For each track, there is first a reference level voice anouncement of the frequency of the incoming signal,
so I can hear how audible the test signal is compared to a reference human voice at a normal level.

Maybe that if I would turn up the volume a lot, I would hear more, but that would not be realistic.
At this same level, I can hear that my Fi-BA-SS goes 20 Hz lower than my LAB II.
Also on Final FR curve, the normal level is 113 dB; at 30 Hz it has lost 23 dB, I think it may correspond to not really hearing the sound anymore, when starting from what is for me a normal listening level.

 

[Jalo]

Thank you so much Jola, for the pictured explaining the L and R sides.

Re. sound warmth vs detailed, actually for me the more detailled the better as long as it doesn't get bright (which is the big trouble for me with the HD 800 and K812, making them unsuitable for metal ).
I just expressed my surprise at the FR signature in the line of the top PF series, being accustomed to the consistency of their signature.

Sony is a no go for me because they don t read APE files ( maybe 10% of my files ) and support too much DRM politics ( I boycott them then...)

That was Rumina that posted the picture, I can't take credit for that. But once I located the left side, I use a blue marker and mark the left side with blue. So now it is easier for me to tell left from right.

I agree that the Lab 2 is detail but not analytical to me. It has a musical life like feel. I signed up for a session with the Audio Precision folks at the next week SoCal Can Jam and I will have them check out the Lab 2 for the frequency and report.

 

[Jalo]

BTW, for testing the extent of the bass,
I use a test CD ( ripped by myself ) of the established German magazine Audio Magazin.
For each track, there is first a reference level voice anouncement of the frequency of the incoming signal,
so I can hear how audible the test signal is compared to a reference human voice at a normal level.

Maybe that if I would turn up the volume a lot, I would hear more, but that would not be realistic.
At this same level, I can hear that my Fi-BA-SS goes 20 Hz lower than my LAB II.
Also on Final FR curve, the normal level is 113 dB; at 30 Hz it has lost 23 dB, I think it may correspond to not really hearing the sound anymore.

That is very interesting, for me, I use the HDtrack Audiophile Hi-Res System Test file and it has 10Hz, 20Hz, 25Hz, 31.5Hz, 40Hz and on up. At normal listening level, I am able to hear sound down to 20Hz but no sound at 10Hz. That is based on the Sony Wm1Z. But either way, I will have the Lab 2 measure by the Audio Prescision folk again and get another Frequency reading next week.

 

[bidn]

BTW, for testing the extent of the bass,
I use a test CD ( ripped by myself ) of the established German magazine Audio Magazin.
For each track, there is first a reference level voice anouncement of the frequency of the incoming signal,
so I can hear how audible the test signal is compared to a reference human voice at a normal level.

Maybe that if I would turn up the volume a lot, I would hear more, but that would not be realistic.
At this same level, I can hear that my Fi-BA-SS goes 20 Hz lower than my LAB II.
Also on Final FR curve, the normal level is 113 dB; at 30 Hz it has lost 23 dB, I think it may correspond to not really hearing the sound anymore.

That is very interesting, for me, I use the HDtrack Audiophile Hi-Res System Test file and it has 10Hz, 20Hz, 25Hz, 31.5Hz, 40Hz and on up. At normal listening level, I am able to hear sound down to 20Hz but no sound at 10Hz. That is based on the Sony Wm1Z. But either way, I will have the Lab 2 measure by the Audio Prescision folk again and get another Frequency reading next week.

maybe you have the luck of having a better model than mine ( they are individually handcrafted aren't they?)

or may by the bass extent would improve with burning in?

 

[Jalo]

maybe you have the luck of having a better model than mine ( they are individually handcrafted aren't they?)

or may by the bass extent would improve with burning in?

No, I don think there is such a big variant between units even with handcrafting. Final Audio is a high end company with pretty tight quality control. Well we will see after more testing. I am out of town now, when I return, I will test it with my other music players (AK240SS, AK380CU and LPG) to see if there is a difference. But at this moment, the Lab 2 is mesmerizing to me with that musical and big sound stage.

 

[rumina]

maybe you have the luck of having a better model than mine ( they are individually handcrafted aren't they?)

or may by the bass extent would improve with burning in?

hi bidn
 
i would use the term "break in" for mechanical audio parts, burn in is more related to electronics. this because the dynamic driver in your earphone is fresh from the factory stiffer then after some hours (like new shoes ), the main focus here is the outer suspension (sourround), the greenish ring at this left picture:
 

when i have new audio gear i let them play for 4 days (up to 8 days for other driver types), i only listen to one track after opening to check if the device has no failure.
 
with dynamic drivers the changes are mostly on resolution, coherent sounding and better defined bass, most drivers are 80% there after 30h, so let them play for a day at normal listening level (a tad louder is fine).
 
very rarely the factory does this for you, after all the ear- and headphones i owned i don't give much for the sound of a fresh unpacked ear- or headphone, first impression after a day gives you the right direction.

 

[Deftone]

Can you buy the cable serparate?

I remember it from when I reviewed the F7200
And it was very nice indeed. id like to use it on my P1s.

 

[Jalo]

Can you buy the cable serparate?

I remember it from when I reviewed the F7200
And it was very nice indeed. id like to use it on my P1s.

Yes, the cable can be purchase separately and they are very nice indeed.

 

[Jalo]

Just want to give Final a push here for those who are interested in the F series and are going to the SoCal Can Jam.  Just in case folks miss the announcement. Enjoy.
 
 
[Reviewer Wanted]
We'd like to announce the reviewer wanted campaign for the F series within USA.
We're looking for:
-3 reviewers for F7200 and F4100
-3 reviewers for F7200
 
If you're interested in it, please check the reviewer wanted page:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/842400/reviewer-wanted-usa-for-new-final-f-series-canjam-socal

We are looking forward to your application!
*Kindly to be advised, the review campaign only limited for the reviewers
who can come to our booth at CanJam SoCal to pick up the demos.

 

 

[Niyologist]

Just want to give Final a push here for those who are interested in the F series and are going to the SoCal Can Jam.  Just in case folks miss the announcement. Enjoy.


[Reviewer Wanted]

We'd like to announce the reviewer wanted campaign for the F series within USA.
We're looking for:

-3 reviewers for F7200 and F4100

-3 reviewers for F7200


If you're interested in it, please check the reviewer wanted page:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/842400/reviewer-wanted-usa-for-new-final-f-series-canjam-socal


We are looking forward to your application!
*Kindly to be advised, the review campaign only limited for the reviewers
who can come to our booth at CanJam SoCal to pick up the demos.


[COLOR=FF4400]
[/COLOR]

Yeah. You guys should try it out. I reviewed the entire F Series. It was fun, yet somewhat stressful. It was worth it. I have the entire F-Series in my collection.

 

[Jalo]

Yeah. You guys should try it out. I reviewed the entire F Series. It was fun, yet somewhat stressful. It was worth it. I have the entire F-Series in my collection.

What made it stressful?

 

[Niyologist]

What made it stressful?

Making sure that I got every important detail in the review.

 

[costinstn]

Got the FI-BA-SST35 for the last 2 days....They are smaller and heavier than i expected, but overall a really nice finish. The cable has very good flexibility (was a little worried that it might be too stiff), quite noisy when it rubs against the clothes, but easy to wear over-ear, which solves the issue. 
Now...the sound...gotta say, it took me a little by surprise...after reading all the reviews about the SS, i was expecting it to be more.....raw.... Instead, is basically a relaxing sound. They instantly reminded me of the Heaven IV. Smooth, easy on the ears....
I changed the white silicons with the black ones which have a wider opening, and they became a little more sparkly and exciting...so i prefer them with the black silicons...
The SST, even if they have the same specs with H4( 16ohm, 112db) they are noticeably louder for the same output. On the iPhone 7 i listen between 35-50% volume, and 50% is quite loud..On the Chord Mojo i don't know the exact colours, but is about 6-7 clicks bellow the first double red. 
I tried these 2 days to browse through different music genres, and i avoided being analytical..i just wanted to let them play. I didn't ask anything from them, but waited to see what they can give me...While the level of details is really really surprising, and they have a very nice and musical balance, i can't help but feeling they should be more open. All the reviews i read led me to believe that they should be able to lift any veil from the music. And don't get me wrong...everything is crystal clear...i just feel is being somehow "enclosed"....don't know if that's the best term... I still believe the GR10 sounds more open and bounder-less.
In terms of everything else, they are great. The bass from these little things is amazing..impact is on par with the H4, but the texture is so...dynamic-like...so well textured and rich, and it extends much higher than the H4, giving weight and power to every instrument i heard...BTW, Jazz sounds fantastic on these.. Try " Richard Galliano & Winton Marsalis Quintet - La Foule " . Also the vocals of Lara Fabian are scary lifelike in "En tout Intimite" live concert...
So, generally i enjoy my time with the SST, but i have a nagging question mark in the back of my head....I will wait for some comparisons with the SS from the people that have both, to decide if i will get the SS also...
Oh....and the leather pouch is.....just for looking nice in the box....has no utility whatsoever...these iems are really well suited for listening on the go, for walks, comute, etc....so i'm using the shiny case from the H4...
 
L.E. got some more time on these, and one of 3 things is happening....Either the phones benefited from some burn-in time(for which i was under the impression that BA don't need it), or i benefited from some brain burn-in, or i had some problems with my hearing(unfortunately i work in a high noise environment). I notice now that the SST is quite bright, but not disturbing so as the DUNU 2000J. I started to enjoy it more with the Mojo than directly from the iPhone 7(i get some sibilance from the iPhone). I still feel is not as open as i'd wish, but they strike a very tasteful balance. The clarity on these is exceptional...And they can handle anything i throw at them...Classical, jazz, EDM, rock...
I'm still curious how they compare to the SS...Hope some reviews will come up soon...