[DefQon]

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I tried them on the Crack, but their sound became a bit loose (due to impedance matching issues I think). What OTL have you used them with?
 
I'm intrigued about the mods (although reluctant to mess with a limited edition). What sort of things get done? I feel like thicker pads to move them away from the ears a bit would be beneficial as a start (and something reversible)

Yeah I experienced the same, it was just "ok" out of my Crack but the Crack is absolutely good sounding with the 300ohm 5/6/650 Sennies.
 
Tried the Chazz II, few of the DV/La Figarro amp's and a custom made integrated amp that I had the correct impedence matching out of a dummy load box on taps.
 
The drivers in the 011's are absolute gem's, they don't do distort even on high volumes, I had a vintage 70's JVC integrated amplifier that had a hp out jack, maxed out on the bass dial's and omg, my 011's almost blasted my brain's into mush.
 
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I tried the standard FA011 with a tube amp and they sure love those. Very clean, enjoyable and sublime like an electrostat.

Yep they sure do. In some area's it gave my LCD2's a run for it's money besting them on certain aspects on different passages of the same music source used.

 

[Loquah]

So, what mods have you tried, Defqon?

 

[DefQon]

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So, what mods have you tried, Defqon?

Apart from mine being in pieces right now, have sanded down the housing for a different stain still deciding, I've dremeled/sanded down the inner wood wall too perfect circular, soldered extra resistors to the drivers for higher z for better control on the wonky parts of the sound although still experimenting, various dampening mods to the driver housing and wood to tame the highs a bit sounds bit sibilant at times, mounted mini 4 pin xlr chassis jacks into the wood like the LCD2's for balanced operation and so that I can swap out a single cable on both sides. There was more but right now everything is as I said, desoldered in pieces. Haven't bothered putting it together because I was originally going to order new FA badges to replace my rusty looking brass logo's but haven't bothered yet since Serge's last email.

 

[Loquah]

Quote:

Apart from mine being in pieces right now, have sanded down the housing for a different stain still deciding, I've dremeled/sanded down the inner wood wall too perfect circular, soldered extra resistors to the drivers for higher z for better control on the wonky parts of the sound although still experimenting, various dampening mods to the driver housing and wood to tame the highs a bit sounds bit sibilant at times, mounted mini 4 pin xlr chassis jacks into the wood like the LCD2's for balanced operation and so that I can swap out a single cable on both sides. There was more but right now everything is as I said, desoldered in pieces. Haven't bothered putting it together because I was originally going to order new FA badges to replace my rusty looking brass logo's but haven't bothered yet since Serge's last email.

 
Wow. You're going all out!! Yours will be like limited, limited editions!!
 

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

 
Wow. You're going all out!! Yours will be like limited, limited editions!!
 

Yeah a few people want to hear them as well, billy and bigsby just to name a few.
 
It will be done once I've chosen a finish and have ordered the necessary parts from FA.
 
This is the sort of finish I'm trying to replicate, but maybe a different stain followed by a nice coat of polyutherene. 
 
(Thanks to kidcharlemagne for the F/S pics)
 

 

[Loquah]

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Yeah a few people want to hear them as well, billy and bigsby just to name a few.
 
It will be done once I've chosen a finish and have ordered the necessary parts from FA.
 
This is the sort of finish I'm trying to replicate, but maybe a different stain followed by a nice coat of polyutherene. 
 
(Thanks to kidcharlemagne for the F/S pics)
 

 
Beautiful!
 
Do you find you notice pressure on your ears (the outer parts I mean) after wearing the 011s for a couple of hours?

 

[DefQon]

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Beautiful!
 
Do you find you notice pressure on your ears (the outer parts I mean) after wearing the 011s for a couple of hours?

Yes, and I've experimented with various earpads as well increasing comfort but retaining the original sound signature of the headphone without sacriface to sound. Haven't found any pad better than the FA's ones unfortunately. 

 

[FlySweep]

That looks gorgeous. I've owned a ton of FA phones/IEMs.. and loved all of them. The FA-002w HE (Karelian Birch) is something special when driven properly (i.e. out of the Speedballed Crack and/or Vio stack.. it's terrific). I'm very much looking forward to more impressions on the FA-011 LE.. I told myself I'm done buying full-sized phones now.. but it's hard to resist when FA comes out with something new (and top tier).

You guys mentioned the 011 sounded a bit loose off the Crack.. was that with a Speedballed Crack or a stock Crack? The Speedballed Crack does have lower OI (~40-70 ohms?) than the stock Crack.. but perhaps still not low enough?

 

[Loquah]

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That looks gorgeous. I've owned a ton of FA phones/IEMs.. and loved all of them. The FA-002w HE (Karelian Birch) is something special when driven properly (i.e. out of the Speedballed Crack and/or Vio stack.. it's terrific). I'm very much looking forward to more impressions on the FA-011 LE.. I told myself I'm done buying full-sized phones now.. but it's hard to resist when FA comes out with something new (and top tier).

You guys mentioned the 011 sounded a bit loose off the Crack.. was that with a Speedballed Crack or a stock Crack? The Speedballed Crack does have lower OI (~40-70 ohms?) than the stock Crack.. but perhaps still not low enough?

 
I tried it from a non-Speedball Crack. I plan to put the Speedball on in the near future, but can't comment as of now.
 
Hoping to do a full review this week on the 011 LEs.
 
On a different note, I've tried a set of the stock 011 pads on the LEs and it makes them much more comfortable because they sit further out from the ear. It seems to change the sound slightly because the stock pads don't have the fabric across the centre of the earphone over the driver. I'll have to take my set into Noisy Motel one day and A/B with Billy's LEs with the original LE pads.

 

[DefQon]

I found that middle foam piece to not offer any changes to sound. Is the LE pads different to the stock?

 

[Loquah]

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I found that middle foam piece to not offer any changes to sound. Is the LE pads different to the stock?

 
Yeah. They're fabric instead of velour and they are quite a bit stiffer so they sit further out from the head. I prefer them in all ways I think.

 

[mintycans]

nice pair of cans...more pictures pls if there are diff types of finishes. 
the pads, are they velors? 

 

[Loquah]

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nice pair of cans...more pictures pls if there are diff types of finishes. 
the pads, are they velors? 

 
The 011 LE pads are velour. The stock 011 pads are not.

 

[DefQon]

The stock 011 pads are velour as well. 

 

[Loquah]

Quote:

The stock 011 pads are velour as well. 

Really? They feel a lot different. Maybe because of the stiffer foam inside.