[mark2410]

Fischer Audio Silver Bullet Quick Review
 

 
Brief:  Driver flex galore.
 
Price:  Seem to go for about US$60.
 
Specification:  12-22000 Hz 102 dB 18 Ohms 60 mW
 
Accessories:  3 pairs of tips and little baggy type case.
 
Build Quality:  Great, they are little slabs of metal and could well be indestructible.
 
Isolation:  Very good for a dynamic, easily enough for day to day use out and about.
 
Comfort/Fit:  Comfort was fine despite them being metal but as always YMMV.  Fit on the other hand was a nightmare.  These are just not vented whatsoever and I had nothing but constant venting related issues.  Air pressure build up and driver flex abounded to the point these for me were basically unusable.
 
Aesthetics:  These look pretty damn nice.  Their name pretty much nails them as they are like shiny silver bullets.  Not quite as pretty as the Denon C751 but still pretty damn pretty.
 
Sound:  Well here I had a lot of problems, Fischer Audio may not be the only one to do it but this may be the worst case I’ve encountered.  Dynamic drivers need air to move and if you create high or low air pressure on one side of that driver it won’t move like it’s supposed to.  I had nothing but air pressure problems here and endless driver flex every time I touched them.  I could get these to make a lovely sound but I had to hold them in place to do it.  Not everyone might have this issue but for me it meant these basically sounded like cack.  I know they can make a great sound but I could not get them to sit properly on their own and after 30 min of trying I gave up.  Fail.
 
Value:  If you don’t have the issues I had probably good, for me however they were unusable regardless of what they cost.  Why manufacturers think I want isolation at the expense of all else don’t know, if I want isolation ill buy a BA IEM not a dynamic.
 
Pro’s:  Look nice, metal
 
Con’s:  I found them unusable.
 
Thanks to Advanced Headphones www.advancedheadphones.co.uk for the samples

 

[Redmetal1897]

Hmm... these are actually one of my favourite phones (even with the e-q5). I don't seem to have the driver flex problems that you are having, not to the same extent, it will only pop up very occasionally. The  build quality is more of a worry, not the housings themselves but the wires, they look extremely fragile and I'm nervous about carrying them around. 

 

[Fizban]

Oh...so that's what you call it....the air pressure problem.     I had the same issue, keep having to re-adjust them after i pu thtem on else there will be no sound out of one side.  But otherwise they do sound very lovely.
 

 

[Burma Jones]

Nice review Mark, and thanks for saving me some money. I was about to order a pair of SB but not so sure now because of the driver flex issue.

 

[FlySweep]

My intensely-anticipated Silver Bullets arrived yesterday and are getting burned in.  About 4 hours of play out-of-the-box and, so far, they're pretty damn impressive!  A bit warmer than I expected, but that should settle with time.  The SB's heralded soundstage deserves all the acclaim it gets.. truly astonishing, 3D sound that never comes across as artificial or warping the presentation of any kind of music.  The presentation is very spacious and airy, akin to watching a movie on a w i d e-s c r e e n.. while retaining plenty of detail and clarity.  It's a tremendous value and a must-own IEM, IMO.  Despite it having low impedence, I was amazed by how much it improves with an amp.. even my entry level D2+ Boa makes an appreciative difference.. everything tightens up (especially the bass) and gains clarity & depth.
 
The SB's sound reminds me of my beloved iM590.. the Maximo's sound more balanced across the frequency spectrum & don't have the MASSIVE SB soundstage.  Aside from those two characteristics, they share a lot of the same qualities in terms of a natural sound & presentation.  They sound quite similar across the midrange.. liquid smooth, full, with very good detail and great separation.. the highs being rolled off gently while retaining a nice sparkle.  Again, these assessments could be quite premature as they're brand spanking new.  Like the iM590s, sibilance is nowhere to be found in all the music I played through the SBs, which was a nice surprise.
 
I'm not sure how else to describe it, but there's a "pleasantness" to the SB sound that makes them very easy (and addicting) to listen to.. not fatiguing in the slightest bit.. laid back but not veiled.  They feel like a match made in heaven for atmospheric, dubby, downtempo material.. the quality & texture of the bass is phenomenal.  No leakage of the lowest frequencies into the lower midrange/upper bass could be detected by my ears too.. very impressive considering the authority with which these produce bass.  With an amp, the bass tightened and gained body.. something I was impressed by considering the quality of the bass was great coming from an unamped iPhone 3GS.  It seems like all FA phones benefit from an amp, but sound great without one.
 
As far as fit, they're one of the most comfortable IEMs I've ever worn.. The stock (medium) tips fit PERFECTLY in my ear, offered an impressive amount of isolation, and within a minute.. I totally forgot they were inserted.  I don't have odd shaped ears/canals (as far as I can tell..lol) & have had very few if any fitting problems with IEMs.  The medium sized tips on virtually every IEM I have tried or own have fit me perfectly, as a reference point.  My only complaint about the SBs would be the rubbery cable (very similar in texture to the Denon D1001 stock cable).. it kinks, can be a bit annoying to to wrap quickly & gets caught on clothing easily.  A very minor quibble for me personally, though.. and certainly not an issue that should hold anyone back from purchasing these when taking into account the whole package & everything they offer for an absolutely dynamite value.
 
Appearance isn't very high on my priority list when purchasing an IEM (fit & SQ is paramount for me) but for the fashion-conscious, these look absolutely fantastic.. the shiny, polish is awesome and the metal housing feel very sturdy.  The fragility of the wire connections to the housing could be a concern but so far, it hasn't been an issue for me.. I'm not rough-&-tumble (even) with my on-the-go IEMs, so I'm not too concerned.  The strain relief to the 3.5mm plug is SOLID.
 
Fischer Audio knocks another one out of the park with the SB for this happy customer!
 
PS.  I did not experience ANY of the driver flex issues Mark did..

 

[Redmetal1897]

Great review

 You are right the sound is absolutely addicting. The cable is a real let down for me, I'm not comfortable wearing it out and about, I keep thinking I'm going to break it
 
Quote:

My intensely-anticipated Silver Bullets arrived yesterday and are getting burned in.  About 4 hours of play out-of-the-box and, so far, they're pretty damn impressive!  A bit warmer than I expected, but that should settle with time.  The SB's heralded soundstage deserves all the acclaim it gets.. truly astonishing, 3D sound that never comes across as artificial or warping the presentation of any kind of music.  The presentation is very spacious and airy, akin to watching a movie on a w i d e-s c r e e n.. while retaining plenty of detail and clarity.  It's a tremendous value and a must-own IEM, IMO.  Despite it having low impedence, I was amazed by how much it improves with an amp.. even my entry level D2+ Boa makes an appreciative difference.. everything tightens up (especially the bass) and gains clarity & depth.
 
The SB's sound reminds me of my beloved iM590.. the Maximo's sound more balanced across the frequency spectrum & don't have the MASSIVE SB soundstage.  Aside from those two characteristics, they share a lot of the same qualities in terms of a natural sound & presentation.  They sound quite similar across the midrange.. liquid smooth, full, with very good detail and great separation.. the highs being rolled off gently while retaining a nice sparkle.  Again, these assessments could be quite premature as they're brand spanking new.  Like the iM590s, sibilance is nowhere to be found in all the music I played through the SBs, which was a nice surprise.
 
I'm not sure how else to describe it, but there's a "pleasantness" to the SB sound that makes them very easy (and addicting) to listen to.. not fatiguing in the slightest bit.. laid back but not veiled.  They feel like a match made in heaven for atmospheric, dubby, downtempo material.. the quality & texture of the bass is phenomenal.  No leakage of the lowest frequencies into the lower midrange/upper bass could be detected by my ears too.. very impressive considering the authority with which these produce bass.  With an amp, the bass tightened and gained body.. something I was impressed by considering the quality of the bass was great coming from an unamped iPhone 3GS.  It seems like all FA phones benefit from an amp, but sound great without one.
 
As far as fit, they're one of the most comfortable IEMs I've ever worn.. The stock (medium) tips fit PERFECTLY in my ear, offered an impressive amount of isolation, and within a minute.. I totally forgot they were inserted.  I don't have odd shaped ears/canals (as far as I can tell..lol) & have had very few if any fitting problems with IEMs.  The medium sized tips on virtually every IEM I have tried or own have fit me perfectly, as a reference point.  My only complaint about the SBs would be the rubbery cable (very similar in texture to the Denon D1001 stock cable).. it kinks, can be a bit annoying to to wrap quickly & gets caught on clothing easily.  A very minor quibble for me personally, though.. and certainly not an issue that should hold anyone back from purchasing these when taking into account the whole package & everything they offer for an absolutely dynamite value.
 
Appearance isn't very high on my priority list when purchasing an IEM (fit & SQ is paramount for me) but for the fashion-conscious, these look absolutely fantastic.. the shiny, polish is awesome and the metal housing feel very sturdy.  The fragility of the wire connections to the housing could be a concern but so far, it hasn't been an issue for me.. I'm not rough-&-tumble (even) with my on-the-go IEMs, so I'm not too concerned.  The strain relief to the 3.5mm plug is SOLID.
 
Fischer Audio knocks another one out of the park with the SB for this happy customer!
 
PS.  I did not experience ANY of the driver flex issues Mark did..

 

[illissius]

Guess I might have to bite the bullet on these after all... (pun not intended, but nor objected to).

 

[mffl41]

I bought these and sold them after 2 days.  I just didn't like the way they sounded that much.  A lot of people really like them though so it really is about preference.  Just as it is with anything else.  I also felt like I might accidentally break them eventually just by taking them out of my ears. 

 

[FlySweep]

These have burned-in a good 30 more hours and I'm very addicted to the sound.. it takes my ears a little while to adjust when switching between phones, but after they do to these.. it's smooth as butter.  The mids have come out more and the slight harshness they had right out of the box has smoothed out.. they sound a bit mid-forward but, strangely, (male) vocals sound slighty recessed.  I'm not sure if that makes sense but how it sounds to my ears.. could be the quality of the source material too, though.
 
The low frequencies tighten nicely with an amp and subsequently sound ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.  Soundstage is more apparent with an amp too.  The lush, textured bass is practically soothing when listening to reggae.  The high's have a pleasant sparkle but the warm nature of these IEMs kind of covers that up.
 
I'm a huge fan of the stock medium-sized tips.. very good isolation & quite comfortable.. it had to be said again.
 
Listening to 8 Ball & MJG's "Lost" on the Silver Bullets.. oh my goodness.. the bass will shake your soul.  Outkast's Synthesizer puts the SBs massive soundstage of full display.
 
These are fantastic with electro, hip hop, prog rock, pop, modern soul & funk.  It's a definite keeper!

 

[blockhead]

Well I have to report having the same problem as mark2410 but only in the right side. If I held the right driver in lightly it would sound normal but any time I moved it I would get nasty driver flex (sounded like someone crushing cellophane in my ear.) Going to try and get a refund/replacement of a different model as I don't want to wait for another set and have the same issues. When I have my finger to my head like a secret agent they do sound great though , pity.
 
Ps I have tried a lot of tips so it's not a fit issue, and of course the right driver still sounds bad in the wrong ear.

 

[kanuka]

 i'm late again, but i liked your 'honest' review. good thing i didnt get a pair and went for the Eterna

 

[swbf2cheater]

I really liked the SBs

 

[Techno Kid]

I've started to really like the way these sound but they do have a fair amount of driver flex but is not a problem for at all.  For a $70 IEM they have the best soundstage of any IEM I've heard under $100, more wide than deep but they have more depth than the GR07.  Crisp highs and a good low end with nice impact and depth and the mids are a bit forward but they don't sound as mid-centric to me as they do for others, but the mids are detailed and smooth.  These are a very nice mid-tier set so if your looking for a under $100 IEM the Silver Bullet is one that should be on your list.