May I present the spiritual successor of the Havi B3 Pro 1
Introducing the Fender FXA5 Pro! I have had this sample for a long time but no matter which tips I tried, they didnt sound that great. Unit a few days ago, for some reason I decided to try them with the havi foam tips then BOOOOOM.
This was it. This was the sound I have been searching for all this time !
This is a personal preference thing but this is pretty much end game for me, nothing else comes to the texture and midrange growl of this beast. This and havi take up 95% of my listening time now. I LOVE LOVE this iem, and if anyone wanted a direct upgrade these would be it.
If you are auditioning it, be sure to try with the HAVI FOAM TIPS. I am not kidding, I have tried everything else I have and they work the best. I love them, they have slayed upgraditis. However I do immensely regret not getting the ASG 1 Plus
Tried the FXA5 at Jaben earlier today. Man...that weird angling and them sitting 'proud' outside my ears...just nopeville. Kinda struggled with the fit and angle, ended up with eartip end nicely flush like customs but top end and connector portion sticking out so far out and un-flush. Bottom sits nice and tight, top not even touching my concha or the small flap of skin just above canal entrance.
Ended up just wrestling with the shell and doing the selfie thing, wrestling and re-adjusting again, mouth-breathing like a fish out of water (trying to equalise pressure/vacuum), selfie again. Tried with logo perfectly horizontal, tried with shell vertical like the promo photos, and even with MMCX connector perfectly centred inside that small notch above the tragus. Lather, rinse, repeat. Didn't enjoy the musical presentation/test drive because I was doubting if I even had the fit and isolation down to perfection
. Side note though, wow, those default tips are sticky! Haha.
I don't have any photos to share, but I kid you not, I both felt and looked stoopid with the top portion of the shell jutting out. AND while doing the mouth-breathing thing. I imagine.
Anyway, I just hit play and expected to hear the familiar, inviting warmth but open and large soundstage of the Havis.
Unfortunately, since my fitting was meh, well: good mids warmth, okay sub-bass, loud enough trebles, but no Havi-esque openness and separation. Still kinda claustrophobic and "heavy", but clear-ish.
Perhaps tomorrow I'll try again with my Sony hybrids M and L. Totally forgot to bring them along. Gotta tell you, after 2 months with the SE846 and its big bada booms, but too soft sizzles and tisssss... I'm getting a severe case of claustrophobia. Madness, i tell you.
If it doesn't work...well...I'm coming back home to the Havi Pro 1s. Pity about the build quality, though. I miss that true, silent, oled black background.
Blackground. Badump-tisssss. Real tissss this time.