[ARCXENOS]

Ordered on the 29th of August, my FA-10 finally arrived and I am extremely amazed at it. The bass and instrument separation on my HE1000 V2 from the FA-10 is fantastic, and is what I would consider the main draw if someone asks me about them. At 750 USD (+ shipping and paypal fees, total was iirc 880 USD), I am shocked that there aren't more people talking about it or even recommending it.

If you are interested in ordering an unit, the timeline was like this for me :
- 5 working days to receive order confirmation, don't be shocked if you don't get the confirmation within the day of payment.
- Another 5-7 (as per quoted by Vitaliy, looks like I got the best case scenario) working days to build (?, work on ? do something ? no idea) the unit
- About 2 days to dispatch/deliver (I opted for the UPS option, seems rather fast for me)

I was also considering the FA-10 PRO, and this is what Vitaliy had to say about them :

FA-10 and FA-10PRO are based on similar topology but with some unique differences. Thanks to that, FA-10 and FA-10PRO have the same output power but different sound character. PRO version is more crisp and detailed, the bass response has more focus but is less in-depth. The classical version is more linear, warm and musical; lows are deeper, mids are more emotional. Those both models were designed to share unlimited possibilities for hard to drive headphones market

Another thing to note in my experience is, for the first 10 to 20 minutes it sounded pretty bad (bloated bass, some static, very sure its not the rest of the chain), but after that it sounded consistently good (break in?), been listening to it for about 4 hours straight without feeling any fatigue at all.

Very happy with the product.

 

[nicastrino]

Ordered on the 29th of August, my FA-10 finally arrived and I am extremely amazed at it. The bass and instrument separation on my HE1000 V2 from the FA-10 is fantastic, and is what I would consider the main draw if someone asks me about them. At 750 USD (+ shipping and paypal fees, total was iirc 880 USD), I am shocked that there aren't more people talking about it or even recommending it.

If you are interested in ordering an unit, the timeline was like this for me :
- 5 working days to receive order confirmation, don't be shocked if you don't get the confirmation within the day of payment.
- Another 5-7 (as per quoted by Vitaliy, looks like I got the best case scenario) working days to build (?, work on ? do something ? no idea) the unit
- About 2 days to dispatch/deliver (I opted for the UPS option, seems rather fast for me)

I was also considering the FA-10 PRO, and this is what Vitaliy had to say about them :


Another thing to note in my experience is, for the first 10 to 20 minutes it sounded pretty bad (bloated bass, some static, very sure its not the rest of the chain), but after that it sounded consistently good (break in?), been listening to it for about 4 hours straight without feeling any fatigue at all.

Very happy with the product.

Glad you like the amp!!, myself i went with the FCN-10 and placed the order on August 26th so im just waiting on it to ship out and opted for DHL...... 2 Days delivery is really fast, do you live in the USA?

 

[ARCXENOS]

Glad you like the amp!!, myself i went with the FCN-10 and placed the order on August 26th so im just waiting on it to ship out and opted for DHL...... 2 Days delivery is really fast, do you live in the USA?

Whoops, forgot to mention I am in Singapore. The package route was Ukraine->China->SG, but from what I googled previously, it should be about 3 days towards the US (I assume since canada is close, it surely can't be too far off).

I have also asked him about the delivery options before, and this was his reply:

About the delivery, the most reasonable method would be UPS Express Saver, it is issued and fast, not as DHL but also good. The delivery cost is about 100 USD. EMS cost can check on Monday, but it won't be cheaper than UPS (we have a special tariff there)

From what Vitaliy said, I would assume DHL would be faster, or at least on par with, UPS for the Ukraine part of the delivery. I mean it better be faster since it was 250 USD (at least that was what was quoted on my end)

 

[Bilo]

I've been using the FA-12 for a little over a month now and I've been nothing but impressed with how well it performs, its so smooth with excellent staging and warmth. For the first time, I feel like I don't need upgrade my chain anymore. If anyone is on the fence about it, just buy it, you wont regret it.

Shipping was much faster than I expected getting to me (U.S) in 4 days with the UPS shipping.

Running D70s -> FA-12 -> Focal Clear/6xx/Aeon 2

 

[ecc35]

Whoops, forgot to mention I am in Singapore. The package route was Ukraine->China->SG, but from what I googled previously, it should be about 3 days towards the US (I assume since canada is close, it surely can't be too far off).

I have also asked him about the delivery options before, and this was his reply:


From what Vitaliy said, I would assume DHL would be faster, or at least on par with, UPS for the Ukraine part of the delivery. I mean it better be faster since it was 250 USD (at least that was what was quoted on my end)

Glad to hear that someone in Singapore ordered it and received quickly. Thinking of getting FA-12 to replace my A90 for a more musical sound. Will choose UPS if I decide to purchase. Thanks for the info.

 

[Flak]

Summary if you don't want to read the paragraph below: I have a Bifrost 2 on the way, currently have a Modius + Asgard 3. I generally like the sound but feel like I'm missing something (not sure what). I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3 (other suggestions)? Would it pair well with the Bifrost 2? Headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawk, SR2, OG Clear Pro, possibly HE6SEv2 since they are on sale for 700.

How close is the FA-10 to the sound of an Asgard 3? I recently go into headphones and started with a Modi 3 + Asgard 3. But then my budget in headphones shot way up. So I upgraded from the Modi 3 to the Modius. But then from reviews and various forums I talked myself in to upgrading the Modius to a Bifrost 2 (Schiit is letting me return/exchange my Modius for a Bifrost 2). And now I'm wondering if I'd gain anything upgrading the Asgard 3. I like the sound I'm getting from my various headphones, but I feel like I'm missing something. My current range of headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawks, SR2 and OG Clear Pros. Planning on possibly getting HE6SEv2 since they are on sale again for 700. Though the 58X, K7XX and Sundara have taken a shelf spot vs the other 3. If I got a balanced amp I'd get balanced cables for the headphones that have them available. I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3?

 

[ardbeg1975]

Summary if you don't want to read the paragraph below: I have a Bifrost 2 on the way, currently have a Modius + Asgard 3. I generally like the sound but feel like I'm missing something (not sure what). I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3 (other suggestions)? Would it pair well with the Bifrost 2? Headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawk, SR2, OG Clear Pro, possibly HE6SEv2 since they are on sale for 700.

How close is the FA-10 to the sound of an Asgard 3? I recently go into headphones and started with a Modi 3 + Asgard 3. But then my budget in headphones shot way up. So I upgraded from the Modi 3 to the Modius. But then from reviews and various forums I talked myself in to upgrading the Modius to a Bifrost 2 (Schiit is letting me return/exchange my Modius for a Bifrost 2). And now I'm wondering if I'd gain anything upgrading the Asgard 3. I like the sound I'm getting from my various headphones, but I feel like I'm missing something. My current range of headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawks, SR2 and OG Clear Pros. Planning on possibly getting HE6SEv2 since they are on sale again for 700. Though the 58X, K7XX and Sundara have taken a shelf spot vs the other 3. If I got a balanced amp I'd get balanced cables for the headphones that have them available. I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3?

I have a BF2 paired with a FA-22 and they work together quite well. That said, wait for the BF2 to arrive and test it out with the Asgard so as to change only one part of your chain at a time. I too upgraded from Modius to BF2 and I do not regret it in the least. Very fun, meaty multi-bit DAC. If after you’ve had it paired for a while with the Asgard, then consider the Flux.

Also, if you are treble sensitive, I believe the FA-12 / 12S are better for that than the FA-10 unless you need the power.

 

[Ichos]

I haven't heard the Asgard but non the FA-10 or the FA-12 are treble forward.
Frequency response is dead flat and the listening experience is warm and smooth.
I would choose the 10 for the meatier and more dynamic sound (and the power of course) and the 12 only if you have a fully balanced set up.
Another option is the 22 that sits somewhere between.
You can't go wrong with a Fluxlab amplifier.

 

[ardbeg1975]

I haven't heard the Asgard but non the FA-10 or the FA-12 are treble forward.
Frequency response is dead flat and the listening experience is warm and smooth.
I would choose the 10 for the meatier and more dynamic sound (and the power of course) and the 12 only if you have a fully balanced set up.
Another option is the 22 that sits somewhere between.
You can't go wrong with a Fluxlab amplifier.

I agree you cannot go wrong with the Flux and that they are all generally neutral. However, my perhaps mistaken impression from reading other posts on this thread was that on the very slight warmth coloring scale the FA-22 was the least warm followed by the FA-10 and then the FA-12. I’m also slightly treble sensitive and have no issue with the FA-22 but thought (again perhaps mistakenly) that someone who wanted the most warmth / subtle treble smoothing may lean toward the FA-12 (if they want balanced) or 12S if SE was sufficient.

 

[Ichos]

I agree you cannot go wrong with the Flux and that they are all generally neutral. However, my perhaps mistaken impression from reading other posts on this thread was that on the very slight warmth coloring scale the FA-22 was the least warm followed by the FA-10 and then the FA-12. I’m also slightly treble sensitive and have no issue with the FA-22 but thought (again perhaps mistakenly) that someone who wanted the most warmth / subtle treble smoothing may lean toward the FA-12 (if they want balanced) or 12S if SE was sufficient.

Your impressions are on the right track but the warmth of this amps is not related to their treble.
All three are smooth regarding the treble by means that it is not forward at all and in no way accentuated.
The warmth is about the bass response and the way that overall harmonics and overtones are presented.
So yes the FA-12 is the most warm in the way that sounds like a tube hybrid amplifier.
But bass is on the softer side while the FA-10 has a meatier and way more slamming presentation.
Not as smooth and warm as the FA-12 but differences are very subtle.
All Flux amps are musical and organic with very analog timbre.
I haven't heard the FA-22 but it must be the most neutral as not tubey and certainly not forward.

Other than tonal characteristics the FA-12 is best used with balanced sources because it works either only balanced or single ended.

By the end of the week I will have my FA-12 review including a FA-10 comparison.

 

[ardbeg1975]

Your impressions are on the right track but the warmth of this amps is not related to their treble.
All three are smooth regarding the treble by means that it is not forward at all and in no way accentuated.
The warmth is about the bass response and the way that overall harmonics and overtones are presented.
So yes the FA-12 is the most warm in the way that sounds like a tube hybrid amplifier.
But bass is on the softer side while the FA-10 has a meatier and way more slamming presentation.
Not as smooth and warm as the FA-12 but differences are very subtle.
All Flux amps are musical and organic with very analog timbre.
I haven't heard the FA-22 but it must be the most neutral as not tubey and certainly not forward.

Other than tonal characteristics the FA-12 is best used with balanced sources because it works either only balanced or single ended.

By the end of the week I will have my FA-12 review including a FA-10 comparison.

Thank you for your response and comparisons as I am only personally familiar with the FA-22. I got it specifically to offer an alternative presentation to a hybrid amp and transformer coupled tube amp which it certainly does. I like the FA-22 very much but it is certainly more neutral and than my other two. The Flux won’t cause me to get rid of the full tube amp but its general enjoyment factor may very well force the hybrid off the regular use cycle.

 

[jonathan c]

~ For me, there have been three great headphone audio surprise products / discoveries in 2021…and over three months are left!
~ Two are tubes: the Brimar CV455 KB/FB (Footscray) and the Tungsram ECC81.
~ The third is: the Flux Lab FA-22 headphone amplifier. A solid-state piece of equipment that makes me forget that I am listening to a solid-state piece of equipment !

 

[whitefang]

Summary if you don't want to read the paragraph below: I have a Bifrost 2 on the way, currently have a Modius + Asgard 3. I generally like the sound but feel like I'm missing something (not sure what). I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3 (other suggestions)? Would it pair well with the Bifrost 2? Headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawk, SR2, OG Clear Pro, possibly HE6SEv2 since they are on sale for 700.

How close is the FA-10 to the sound of an Asgard 3? I recently go into headphones and started with a Modi 3 + Asgard 3. But then my budget in headphones shot way up. So I upgraded from the Modi 3 to the Modius. But then from reviews and various forums I talked myself in to upgrading the Modius to a Bifrost 2 (Schiit is letting me return/exchange my Modius for a Bifrost 2). And now I'm wondering if I'd gain anything upgrading the Asgard 3. I like the sound I'm getting from my various headphones, but I feel like I'm missing something. My current range of headphones: 58X, K7XX, Sundara, Nighthawks, SR2 and OG Clear Pros. Planning on possibly getting HE6SEv2 since they are on sale again for 700. Though the 58X, K7XX and Sundara have taken a shelf spot vs the other 3. If I got a balanced amp I'd get balanced cables for the headphones that have them available. I am extremely sensitive to treble fatigue. Would the FA-10 be an upgrade from the Asgard 3?

To me FA-10 is very slightly on the dark side, not because the treble is rolled-off but more like the lows and mids has more forward presence.
It is definitely not a bright amp that would cause treble issue, on the other hand it is also not going to tame a treble-hot system or headphone.
Unfortunately I dont have the Asgard 3 to compare, but FA-10 is certainly not brighter than the Magni 1 Magni 2 or Magnius.

 

[nicastrino]

Your impressions are on the right track but the warmth of this amps is not related to their treble.
All three are smooth regarding the treble by means that it is not forward at all and in no way accentuated.
The warmth is about the bass response and the way that overall harmonics and overtones are presented.
So yes the FA-12 is the most warm in the way that sounds like a tube hybrid amplifier.
But bass is on the softer side while the FA-10 has a meatier and way more slamming presentation.
Not as smooth and warm as the FA-12 but differences are very subtle.
All Flux amps are musical and organic with very analog timbre.
I haven't heard the FA-22 but it must be the most neutral as not tubey and certainly not forward.

Other than tonal characteristics the FA-12 is best used with balanced sources because it works either only balanced or single ended.

By the end of the week I will have my FA-12 review including a FA-10 comparison.

my FCN-10 just shipped yesterday and is on the way, DHL is quoting 5 business days for it.... your review of the FA-10 was a really strong consideration factor on why I chose the FCN-10

I'm definitely looking forward to your FA-12 review as i would also consider a FA12 just to see what it has to offer because the value proposition here seems good for the money and there is also lots of praise for it

 

[Ichos]

my FCN-10 just shipped yesterday and is on the way, DHL is quoting 5 business days for it.... your review of the FA-10 was a really strong consideration factor on why I chose the FCN-10

I'm definitely looking forward to your FA-12 review as i would also consider a FA12 just to see what it has to offer because the value proposition here seems good for the money and there is also lots of praise for it

Thank you very much for reading my FCN-10 review.
Congratulations on your new unit i am sure that you are going to enjoy it a lot.

Do you have another source than the upcoming FCN-10 that you can use with the FA-12?

Although I don't see the point of purchasing the FA-12 since the FCN-10 is a hell lot of a do it all machine.
I don't think that you are going to need anything else.

What headphones are you using?