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Fischer Audio FA-911 Sledgehammer Review
Thanks to Advanced Headphones www.advancedheadphones.co.uk for the samples
First Impressions: Well these look really nice, great big slabs of metal and the cable on them looks great too, reminds me of the grey one MEElectronics use. Packaging’s a bit on the skimpy side of things but nothing I can actually say is lacking. I really must say these really do look so very nice but quite different to what’s on Fischer Audio’s website. These are shiny chrome not black. Weird. Anyway first musical impressions are somewhat dampened by the right bud coming apart in my hands, oops. Still it clipped back together and seems fine but inspiring confidence its not.
Falling apart aside they sound alright. I can’t say I’m loving but better than most of their siblings. However like most of their siblings I seem to be getting a little imbalance. What is it with Fischer audio and my ears?
Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added
Lows: Good, surprisingly good. I think I’ve been spending too much time with their siblings. I quick listen to the M6 and its shows up the differences across the range but I can’t deny the 911 does lows nicely. It has a nice balance and can hold a note without sounding like its struggling. Granted it doesn’t have much punch to it but it’s not too soft to sound right either. It’s a nice even keeled bass. Not too much not too little, not too soft, not too hard. The only place id say it stands out it is that it has far better depth than id expect of it. It can go deep down low with ease and far better than many others.
Mids: Fair. The mids like the bass is pretty good but it’s nothing wildly exceptional. Once more it’s pretty much in the middle of things being neither too liquid nor too dry. I would say it’s a little on the recessed side but again its nothing huge. Ho hum what to say about these, erm I can’t really think of anything. Yes the mids here are good but since I don’t know how much it’s going to retail at its hard to say how good it is for the money. These are no M6 or Jazz beaters but neither are they a bajillion miles away.
Highs: Oh god I’m going to struggle here too to say much about these. The highs are fairly decent but again they aren’t blowing me away. That said they aren’t offending me either which got to be a good sign. So often treble on cheap stuff gets gratey on the ears and these are pretty good in that sense. Still I’m really struggling for things to say. Yes these are good but nothing exceptional. If it matters these are a little on the dry side and every now and then get a little tiny scratchy and almost sibilant.
Soundstage: Remarkably good for something so undoubtedly cheap, instrument separation is likewise surprisingly good.
Comfort: I was a little concerned that comfort might be a problem given their metal and rather long strain relief. My worries turned out to be for nothing as they were absolutely fine.
Fit: Well, like almost every other Fisher Audio I’ve used I had a little trouble but here it want too bad. Once they were in my ears 5 or so minutes later they had even themselves out. I still don’t see why things just couldn’t be better vented.
Microphonics: If you wear them down you will get a little but very little. It’s a kick ass cable so it largely removes the issue. Wearing down of course you get none.
Isolation: Like many of its siblings it’s on the higher side of what you get from a dynamic. That fine for on a bus or walking about but not so much for a plane or on the tube.
Cable: Excellent.
Value: Well value is going to wildly depend on its retail price and so for the only price I have found puts them around US$36 or cica £20. So that’s placing them around M9 territory and if that is what they come in at then these are potentially show stealers. Assuming of course you absolutely cannot possible spend a little more. If it was a head to head between these and the M9 then the 911’s win hands down every time but I’m basing this on price guess work. In such a competitive region it doesn’t take much price movement to go from being a poor buy to a great one.
Conclusion: This review feels as though I’m being so hard on the little 911’s but really they are not bad at all. In many ways they remind me of the iM-590, it was a great all-rounder but it never stood out anywhere nor excelled at anything in particular so too its review read like one giant “meh.” The 911 is just like it in that regard, it does nothing spectacularly, nothing stands out bar potentially its soundstage and separation, it’s not exciting. While I know in my head that not exciting is actually what most people ought to be buying it doesn’t make for a thrilling review. It makes for what you see above, waning lyrical about how its fine but nothing special. In the cheap end of the market what you really should be looking for in a headphone is something you can live with and do justice to all that you listen to rather than excel in only one particular area and I’ve got to say the 911’s do a pretty decent job of everything.
As I mentioned what is far on the better side of what I’d expect from it is the soundstage and instrument separation. It’s very common on cheap things that when there is too much going on things tend to get lost but the 911’s manage to keep everything where they ought to be. Far better than I would expect them to.
God help me but it may just be the best all rounder if it comes in cheap enough.
Thanks to Advanced Headphones www.advancedheadphones.co.uk for the samples
First Impressions: Well these look really nice, great big slabs of metal and the cable on them looks great too, reminds me of the grey one MEElectronics use. Packaging’s a bit on the skimpy side of things but nothing I can actually say is lacking. I really must say these really do look so very nice but quite different to what’s on Fischer Audio’s website. These are shiny chrome not black. Weird. Anyway first musical impressions are somewhat dampened by the right bud coming apart in my hands, oops. Still it clipped back together and seems fine but inspiring confidence its not.
Falling apart aside they sound alright. I can’t say I’m loving but better than most of their siblings. However like most of their siblings I seem to be getting a little imbalance. What is it with Fischer audio and my ears?
Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added
Lows: Good, surprisingly good. I think I’ve been spending too much time with their siblings. I quick listen to the M6 and its shows up the differences across the range but I can’t deny the 911 does lows nicely. It has a nice balance and can hold a note without sounding like its struggling. Granted it doesn’t have much punch to it but it’s not too soft to sound right either. It’s a nice even keeled bass. Not too much not too little, not too soft, not too hard. The only place id say it stands out it is that it has far better depth than id expect of it. It can go deep down low with ease and far better than many others.
Mids: Fair. The mids like the bass is pretty good but it’s nothing wildly exceptional. Once more it’s pretty much in the middle of things being neither too liquid nor too dry. I would say it’s a little on the recessed side but again its nothing huge. Ho hum what to say about these, erm I can’t really think of anything. Yes the mids here are good but since I don’t know how much it’s going to retail at its hard to say how good it is for the money. These are no M6 or Jazz beaters but neither are they a bajillion miles away.
Highs: Oh god I’m going to struggle here too to say much about these. The highs are fairly decent but again they aren’t blowing me away. That said they aren’t offending me either which got to be a good sign. So often treble on cheap stuff gets gratey on the ears and these are pretty good in that sense. Still I’m really struggling for things to say. Yes these are good but nothing exceptional. If it matters these are a little on the dry side and every now and then get a little tiny scratchy and almost sibilant.
Soundstage: Remarkably good for something so undoubtedly cheap, instrument separation is likewise surprisingly good.
Comfort: I was a little concerned that comfort might be a problem given their metal and rather long strain relief. My worries turned out to be for nothing as they were absolutely fine.
Fit: Well, like almost every other Fisher Audio I’ve used I had a little trouble but here it want too bad. Once they were in my ears 5 or so minutes later they had even themselves out. I still don’t see why things just couldn’t be better vented.
Microphonics: If you wear them down you will get a little but very little. It’s a kick ass cable so it largely removes the issue. Wearing down of course you get none.
Isolation: Like many of its siblings it’s on the higher side of what you get from a dynamic. That fine for on a bus or walking about but not so much for a plane or on the tube.
Cable: Excellent.
Value: Well value is going to wildly depend on its retail price and so for the only price I have found puts them around US$36 or cica £20. So that’s placing them around M9 territory and if that is what they come in at then these are potentially show stealers. Assuming of course you absolutely cannot possible spend a little more. If it was a head to head between these and the M9 then the 911’s win hands down every time but I’m basing this on price guess work. In such a competitive region it doesn’t take much price movement to go from being a poor buy to a great one.
Conclusion: This review feels as though I’m being so hard on the little 911’s but really they are not bad at all. In many ways they remind me of the iM-590, it was a great all-rounder but it never stood out anywhere nor excelled at anything in particular so too its review read like one giant “meh.” The 911 is just like it in that regard, it does nothing spectacularly, nothing stands out bar potentially its soundstage and separation, it’s not exciting. While I know in my head that not exciting is actually what most people ought to be buying it doesn’t make for a thrilling review. It makes for what you see above, waning lyrical about how its fine but nothing special. In the cheap end of the market what you really should be looking for in a headphone is something you can live with and do justice to all that you listen to rather than excel in only one particular area and I’ve got to say the 911’s do a pretty decent job of everything.
As I mentioned what is far on the better side of what I’d expect from it is the soundstage and instrument separation. It’s very common on cheap things that when there is too much going on things tend to get lost but the 911’s manage to keep everything where they ought to be. Far better than I would expect them to.
God help me but it may just be the best all rounder if it comes in cheap enough.
