SilverCans
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2004
- Posts
- 470
- Likes
- 15
Intro:
After purchasing my Ipod, I quickly realized that the stock ear buds weren’t so great, so I was on a quest to find some earphones that sound decent and didn’t fall out of my ear every time I moved around. Unfortunately, however, my father became ill, and had to put my search temporarily on hold, but I have been able to try a few. Listening to the Altec Lansing im716 and Bose Triport earphones, I felt something was missing from the sound. Overall, I really enjoyed the im716 and found them very detailed with a pleasant midrange but ultimately felt they needed a bit more bass. When using the im716s in “high definition” mode, the lower octaves didn’t have enough weight and impact; drums came across as a tap rather then a thump. When switched over to the “enhanced bass” mode, I thought the sound became a bit muddy, and though using an amplifier helped, it didn’t rectify the issue. I then moved on to the Bose Triport earphones, which had much more bass then the im716, but at the cost of accuracy. In general, I felt the Bose sounded thick, and rolled off in the highs. Weeks later I came across a thread on this forum mentioning the Xtrememac FS1. Not a whole lot was said about them but one member noted that they had excellent bass and was able to listen to them for hours without fatigue. So I figured I’d give the FS1’s a shot.
Specs on the box:
Transducer:
10mm, Future Sonics MG5
Proprietary Miniature Dynamic
Input Sensitivity:
+/-112dB @ 30Hz / 1 mW
Cable Length:
43.3 inches
Connector:
1/8" mini-plug, right angle
Noise Isolation:
+/-25dB with foam sleeves
Impedance:
32 ohms
Frequency Response:
20Hz-20KHz
Packaging / Fit and Finish:
In the packaging were three sets of silicone sleeves, two pairs of foam sleeves, a zippered carrying case, cleaning tool, and instruction booklet. The carrying case was a nice bonus and found it useful for use when I head out to the gym. Overall, the fit and finish of these earphones is very nice. The driver casing/housing is made from a hard plastic and seems very durable. The cord, albeit a bit short for me, isn’t too thick, which helps keep the weight down (using a food scale, the earphones with silicon sleeves only weighed in at 13 grams). When walking about, I did notice a bit of microphonic echo but it isn’t too bad. A feature I particularly like is the 90-degree headphone jack. I’ve found that when wearing a belt clip with my Ipod, any time I used a headphone with a vertical jack, the jack would constantly bump into or snag on things such as the bottom of desks, or, when working out, would rub into my torso which isn’t very comfortable and puts strain on the Ipod’s output connector. Needless to say, the 90-degree jack on the FS1 solves this.
Isolation / Comfort:
Isolation with the foam sleeves is excellent and I’d say very good with the silicon sleeves. I actually preferred the silicon sleeves because I was still able to hear my co-workers call my name when I didn’t have any music playing (yes, at times I was too lazy to pull them out, particularly if I got a good seal, I didn’t want to have to take them out then re-insert them again).
From my initial reading and research online I was expecting the FS1 to be uncomfortable when used with the supplied silicon sleeves, after receiving the product, however, it seems that Xtrememac had redesigned them (from the pictures I’ve seen on the web the silicon sleeves that came with mine looked completely different). Generally, I found the FS1 very comfortable when used with both the silicon and foam sleeves. I actually was able to wear them for hours at a time without irritation or discomfort. Being lightweight also made them very portable and great to use at the gym.
Foam vs Silicon sleeves:
Overall, I felt the foam sleeves, while offering the best isolation, attenuated the high frequencies a bit, making the FS1 sound dark, and wasn’t to my liking. The silicon sleeves on the other hand still offered good isolation and comfort without altering the sound. That said, my comments below were made using the supplied medium sized silicon sleeves.
Sound:
Source:
IPOD 30gb video
Denon dvd/cd player
Amp:
Straight out of IPOD
DIY battery powered portable
Bass:
Ok so I'm the type of person that likes clean tight bass, clear mids and highs (yeah I know this probably fits everyone's preferences, but I want to emphasis I like high quality, but large quantities of bass that doesn't over power the mids) and wow, the FS1’s certainly do deliver. With other earphones I have tried, the bass was nonexistent and/or weak or bloated and “thick” regardless of the volume level, but immediately after I put the FS1 in I noticed how clear and tight the bass was even at low listening levels. When I turned the volume up the bass remained controlled and tight, extending very low. On songs such as Virtue, by Jesse Cook, guitars had such great weight and texture to them. With the FS1, drums had slam, cellos had body, and nothing sounded tinny. Ok, so they produce great bass, but did it over power the rest of the audio spectrum? Nope. The bass blended very nicely with the mids and highs, particularly due to the fact that the quality of the bass was so good (fast, tight, not bloated/thick, or boomy). Though, I wouldn’t call these earphones the ultimate reference in reproducing a perfectly flat sound or to be used for record mixing, I would say they are fun and very enjoyable to listen to. Bottom-line, I was looking something that was fairly balanced, yet able to produce the lower octaves with slam, and the FS1 do this wonderfully.
Mids:
The mid range performance was simply one of my favorite aspects of the FS1. To characterize the midrange in a few words, I would say the mids are clear, not recessed or overly forward, smooth, uncolored, very nice. Vocals didn’t sound muffled, congested or thin; they had the right amount of weight, body, and good detail. Unlike some Grados I’ve listened to, there was no glare or harsh peaks in-between the upper mid and lower highs. Then again, I wouldn’t say they were as detailed in the mids as some of the high-end Grados, but as previously mentioned, they are detailed and, more importantly, did not induce fatigue.
Highs:
The highs are pleasant. One of the very first characteristics I noticed was how the FS1 do not sound rolled off and yet do not come off as harsh, fatiguing, or piercing. I wouldn’t say they were as extended as the im716, but smoother, without sounding dark or lacking. Cymbals and percussions sounded clean and real, rather then tinny, and instrument separation was very good. The soundstage was fairly wide and instruments had great depth.
Amplifying vs Straight out of Ipod:
There wasn’t an “OH MY” moment when switching between my portable amplifier and just straight out of the Ipod, but I did notice that the lower frequencies did tighten up a tiny bit. Furthermore, both output sources were able to drive the FS1 to very high volumes. This indicated that FS1 are fairly efficient and sound great without the need to lug around an amplifier to make them sing, thus making them much more portable.
A few listening impressions / notes taken:
Showdown - ELO
Background string instruments, such as violin, have good body, yet sound detailed and sweet
Bass is deep, tight, with impact, and very clean, balances nicely with other frequencies
Mids come through clean and image very well
Great layering/depth/spatiality
Foot tapping
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Vocals are clean, well done
Bass extends low and has good weight without sounding sluggish, bloated, or thick
Highs come through nicely not harsh in any way
Can’t Get it Out of My Head - ELO
Transition at 0:34sec from vocals and piano to vocals and drums really emphasized how capable these are at producing lower octaves cleanly
Mids are slightly warmer sounding but still clear
Nice depth and separation
Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
Nice piano, neutral / realistic
Sound is far from being tinny, very full/warm sound without sounding muffled or recessed in the highs
Violin in background comes out nicely
Amplifying added a tad bit more body, fullness, and control
Pocrcelain - Moby
Whoa, these things definitely have the ability to produce bass. A bit too much for my tastes.
Synaesthetic - Blue Man Group
Awesome, robust, and powerful bass. Extends very low, isn't boomy. Maybe a tad too much.
The rest of spectrum (mids on up) sounds nice. Extended and open (doesn't sound thin, or closed in, good detail)
Virtue - Jesse Cook
Detailed guitar with nice extension
Great body to the sound, bass is deep and highs are smooth and detailed
Amplifying tightened things up a bit. Sound is so relaxing.
Awesome
Conclusion:
The FS1 truly surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Across the audio spectrum they held their own against other earphones I have tried. Bass was deep, had authority, and was tight/punchy (even at low volumes). The mids were clear and free from color. Finally, the highs had detail without being harsh or fatiguing. Add to that the fact that they are very lightweight and comfortable, and I think it all sums to a great set of earphones. Just as an fyi: I do not work for Xtrememac/FutureSonic, and these are just my opinions/impressions.
After purchasing my Ipod, I quickly realized that the stock ear buds weren’t so great, so I was on a quest to find some earphones that sound decent and didn’t fall out of my ear every time I moved around. Unfortunately, however, my father became ill, and had to put my search temporarily on hold, but I have been able to try a few. Listening to the Altec Lansing im716 and Bose Triport earphones, I felt something was missing from the sound. Overall, I really enjoyed the im716 and found them very detailed with a pleasant midrange but ultimately felt they needed a bit more bass. When using the im716s in “high definition” mode, the lower octaves didn’t have enough weight and impact; drums came across as a tap rather then a thump. When switched over to the “enhanced bass” mode, I thought the sound became a bit muddy, and though using an amplifier helped, it didn’t rectify the issue. I then moved on to the Bose Triport earphones, which had much more bass then the im716, but at the cost of accuracy. In general, I felt the Bose sounded thick, and rolled off in the highs. Weeks later I came across a thread on this forum mentioning the Xtrememac FS1. Not a whole lot was said about them but one member noted that they had excellent bass and was able to listen to them for hours without fatigue. So I figured I’d give the FS1’s a shot.
Specs on the box:
Transducer:
10mm, Future Sonics MG5
Proprietary Miniature Dynamic
Input Sensitivity:
+/-112dB @ 30Hz / 1 mW
Cable Length:
43.3 inches
Connector:
1/8" mini-plug, right angle
Noise Isolation:
+/-25dB with foam sleeves
Impedance:
32 ohms
Frequency Response:
20Hz-20KHz
Packaging / Fit and Finish:
In the packaging were three sets of silicone sleeves, two pairs of foam sleeves, a zippered carrying case, cleaning tool, and instruction booklet. The carrying case was a nice bonus and found it useful for use when I head out to the gym. Overall, the fit and finish of these earphones is very nice. The driver casing/housing is made from a hard plastic and seems very durable. The cord, albeit a bit short for me, isn’t too thick, which helps keep the weight down (using a food scale, the earphones with silicon sleeves only weighed in at 13 grams). When walking about, I did notice a bit of microphonic echo but it isn’t too bad. A feature I particularly like is the 90-degree headphone jack. I’ve found that when wearing a belt clip with my Ipod, any time I used a headphone with a vertical jack, the jack would constantly bump into or snag on things such as the bottom of desks, or, when working out, would rub into my torso which isn’t very comfortable and puts strain on the Ipod’s output connector. Needless to say, the 90-degree jack on the FS1 solves this.
Isolation / Comfort:
Isolation with the foam sleeves is excellent and I’d say very good with the silicon sleeves. I actually preferred the silicon sleeves because I was still able to hear my co-workers call my name when I didn’t have any music playing (yes, at times I was too lazy to pull them out, particularly if I got a good seal, I didn’t want to have to take them out then re-insert them again).
From my initial reading and research online I was expecting the FS1 to be uncomfortable when used with the supplied silicon sleeves, after receiving the product, however, it seems that Xtrememac had redesigned them (from the pictures I’ve seen on the web the silicon sleeves that came with mine looked completely different). Generally, I found the FS1 very comfortable when used with both the silicon and foam sleeves. I actually was able to wear them for hours at a time without irritation or discomfort. Being lightweight also made them very portable and great to use at the gym.
Foam vs Silicon sleeves:
Overall, I felt the foam sleeves, while offering the best isolation, attenuated the high frequencies a bit, making the FS1 sound dark, and wasn’t to my liking. The silicon sleeves on the other hand still offered good isolation and comfort without altering the sound. That said, my comments below were made using the supplied medium sized silicon sleeves.
Sound:
Source:
IPOD 30gb video
Denon dvd/cd player
Amp:
Straight out of IPOD
DIY battery powered portable
Bass:
Ok so I'm the type of person that likes clean tight bass, clear mids and highs (yeah I know this probably fits everyone's preferences, but I want to emphasis I like high quality, but large quantities of bass that doesn't over power the mids) and wow, the FS1’s certainly do deliver. With other earphones I have tried, the bass was nonexistent and/or weak or bloated and “thick” regardless of the volume level, but immediately after I put the FS1 in I noticed how clear and tight the bass was even at low listening levels. When I turned the volume up the bass remained controlled and tight, extending very low. On songs such as Virtue, by Jesse Cook, guitars had such great weight and texture to them. With the FS1, drums had slam, cellos had body, and nothing sounded tinny. Ok, so they produce great bass, but did it over power the rest of the audio spectrum? Nope. The bass blended very nicely with the mids and highs, particularly due to the fact that the quality of the bass was so good (fast, tight, not bloated/thick, or boomy). Though, I wouldn’t call these earphones the ultimate reference in reproducing a perfectly flat sound or to be used for record mixing, I would say they are fun and very enjoyable to listen to. Bottom-line, I was looking something that was fairly balanced, yet able to produce the lower octaves with slam, and the FS1 do this wonderfully.
Mids:
The mid range performance was simply one of my favorite aspects of the FS1. To characterize the midrange in a few words, I would say the mids are clear, not recessed or overly forward, smooth, uncolored, very nice. Vocals didn’t sound muffled, congested or thin; they had the right amount of weight, body, and good detail. Unlike some Grados I’ve listened to, there was no glare or harsh peaks in-between the upper mid and lower highs. Then again, I wouldn’t say they were as detailed in the mids as some of the high-end Grados, but as previously mentioned, they are detailed and, more importantly, did not induce fatigue.
Highs:
The highs are pleasant. One of the very first characteristics I noticed was how the FS1 do not sound rolled off and yet do not come off as harsh, fatiguing, or piercing. I wouldn’t say they were as extended as the im716, but smoother, without sounding dark or lacking. Cymbals and percussions sounded clean and real, rather then tinny, and instrument separation was very good. The soundstage was fairly wide and instruments had great depth.
Amplifying vs Straight out of Ipod:
There wasn’t an “OH MY” moment when switching between my portable amplifier and just straight out of the Ipod, but I did notice that the lower frequencies did tighten up a tiny bit. Furthermore, both output sources were able to drive the FS1 to very high volumes. This indicated that FS1 are fairly efficient and sound great without the need to lug around an amplifier to make them sing, thus making them much more portable.
A few listening impressions / notes taken:
Showdown - ELO
Background string instruments, such as violin, have good body, yet sound detailed and sweet
Bass is deep, tight, with impact, and very clean, balances nicely with other frequencies
Mids come through clean and image very well
Great layering/depth/spatiality
Foot tapping
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Vocals are clean, well done
Bass extends low and has good weight without sounding sluggish, bloated, or thick
Highs come through nicely not harsh in any way
Can’t Get it Out of My Head - ELO
Transition at 0:34sec from vocals and piano to vocals and drums really emphasized how capable these are at producing lower octaves cleanly
Mids are slightly warmer sounding but still clear
Nice depth and separation
Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
Nice piano, neutral / realistic
Sound is far from being tinny, very full/warm sound without sounding muffled or recessed in the highs
Violin in background comes out nicely
Amplifying added a tad bit more body, fullness, and control
Pocrcelain - Moby
Whoa, these things definitely have the ability to produce bass. A bit too much for my tastes.
Synaesthetic - Blue Man Group
Awesome, robust, and powerful bass. Extends very low, isn't boomy. Maybe a tad too much.
The rest of spectrum (mids on up) sounds nice. Extended and open (doesn't sound thin, or closed in, good detail)
Virtue - Jesse Cook
Detailed guitar with nice extension
Great body to the sound, bass is deep and highs are smooth and detailed
Amplifying tightened things up a bit. Sound is so relaxing.
Awesome
Conclusion:
The FS1 truly surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Across the audio spectrum they held their own against other earphones I have tried. Bass was deep, had authority, and was tight/punchy (even at low volumes). The mids were clear and free from color. Finally, the highs had detail without being harsh or fatiguing. Add to that the fact that they are very lightweight and comfortable, and I think it all sums to a great set of earphones. Just as an fyi: I do not work for Xtrememac/FutureSonic, and these are just my opinions/impressions.
