[audiobot]

Any update impressions? It's been awfully quiet in this thread. Did any other members receive sample units? Curious to hear more impressions.

 

[dweaver]

I just got back home tonight from being out of Province on vacation. Unfortunately my laptop I took with me had technical issues which kept me from being able to write up my review of the Fujisan as well as a review of the T20 for RHA. I will rectify that issue by Wednesday hopefully.
 
In the mean time when I got home today I had a pair of Westone Beta's I bought on a whim before I went on vacation or even received the Fujisan so I took them for a quick spin and then switched back to the Fujisan. Now I only paid about $75 for the Beta's so in theory they shouldn't be able to compete against the Fujisan but their MSRP is $199 so in theory they are within $100 of the MSRP of the Fujisan.
 
In my initial testing I prefer the signature of the Fujisan quite a bit more. The Fujisan has a lusher signature that feels fuller with more bass and more detailed treble as compared to the Beta which has a leaner and slightly recessed midrange and slightly tinny treble in comparison. They both have similar sized sound stages though.
 
Technically I think the Fujisan is ahead of the Beta as well as it has a more nuanced bass that does not feel as one noted as the Beta. It also has a bit more forward midrange with more detail and the treble is also more detailed.
 
Now I want to be clear. The Westone Beta is MILES ahead of the Westone Alpha which I have also owned in the past and would not compare against the Fujisan. So the Beta is not a piece of junk that I am using to jack up the merits of the Fujisan.
 
Also the Beta has less cable noise but more footfall noise as compared to the Fujisan. For me cable noise can be managed through cinches and shirt clips but footfall noise is more problematic as it simply happens by walking. The Beta is also the first Apple IEM I have tried in a long while that is not working with my LG G3 phone. Most apple based IEMs will usually allow me to use the middle button but this one does not.

 

[TelosAcoustics]

  Any update impressions? It's been awfully quiet in this thread. Did any other members receive sample units? Curious to hear more impressions.

Hi Audiobot,
 
Thanks for your patience! We were supposed to have another batch of samples last week. But there was slight delay to ship them out of the factory due to some last minute adjustment. We should have them within a few days and send one to another Head-Fi reviewer as soon as possible!
 
Our KickStarter campaign is very successful and now we are in process of getting ready for mass production. We will have another round of samples (pre-production samples) within a few weeks. We will also send them out for reviews.
 
Thanks again for your support!
Tetsuro

 

[dweaver]

Just started a thread in the regular IEM/Portable forum.
 
I will post my review in that thread hopefully by Wednesday at the latest.
 

 

[dweaver]

@dweaver: if you are able to would you mind drawing a comparison between the Fujisan and the Etymotics HF2/3/5 (which are all the same except for the music control remote). Thanks!

I have owned the HF2 so can comment on this. Sorry for the delay. The HF2 has a very typical BA type signature in my opinion. Meaning it's bass is very tight and punchy but not heavy in any way, it's midrange is front and center and is on the lean side verging on cold, treble is bright and very crisp but not harsh. I think of the HF2 as an analytical persons dream IEM. In many ways the HF2 reminded me of an AKG K702

The Fujisan is quite a bit different than the HF2 sonically speaking. The bass of the Fujisan is heavy and nuanced with good decay and texture. The midrange is slightly warm and has a bit of sweetness to it, the treble is nicely extended with good sizzle with no spike in the lower treble which helps make cymbals not sound to loud on the initial hit. The Fujisan is kind of like the baby brother of my Sony XBA-Z5 signature wise.

The HF2 is the more isolating of the 2 IEMs due to its deep insertion design while the Fujisan is more of a typical level of isolation. Both have some issues with micro phonics and both can be managed through cable management to a degree lessening the issue. The Fujisan is easily more comfortable. I can wear them for hours without any problem. The HF2 on the other hand was hard for me to wear for extended periods of time and they caused itchiness in my ears.

If you love the Ety sound and don't want it changed up much the Fujisan is not the right IEM for you. But if you want a complimentary IEM that is different from the analytical nature of the HF2 the Fujisan is an excellent option.

 

[chuim]

Thanks a ton dweaver!

 

[dweaver]

OK, after a bit of delay here is my review of the Fujisan by Telos. The unit I am using is a loaner test unit from the manufacturer, as stated above this unit doe not have the final cosmetic finishes but does have the final tuning.
 
When I initially received the unit I liked how it looked and found it to be very comfortable in ear. Initially I struggled with the default tip before realizing I was using the medium tips instead of the large ones. Consequently I ended up playing with a couple of other tips I had on hand including UE900 tips and JVC Spiral Dot tips. I find the original tips offer the best balance especially in the treble region. The UE tips increase the treble to the point where they start to be to strong affecting the sound stage and the JVC Spirals landing somewhere right in the middle. The default tips look pretty generic but I do think that so long as they fit OK they offer the truest rendition of sound that Telos was aiming for.
 
The one issue I did struggle with was cable noise and to a much lesser degree footfall noise. I ended up using a shirt clip and making a simple chin cinch and this removed almost all cable noise and helped to reduce the footfall noise to almost nil. In discussions with Telos they decided to add a shirt clip to the packaging. Once this issue was resolved I was able to start to enjoy the IEM and just focus on it's sonic and comfort.
 
Comfort wise the IEM is the first straight down IEM I have used that I have enjoyed in the past few years. The oval shaped nozzle and half ear design is very well done and works as advertised. I have been able to wear the IEM for several hours at a time with ZERO comfort issues they are very close to being as comfortable as my XBA-Z5 which I think is as comfortable an IEM I have ever owned.
 
The isolation of this IEM is also much better than most half in ear IEM I have heard. It is not to the level of the best in ear IEM like Shure or Etymotic  but it is at least as good as most average IEM's which again is better than other half in ear IEM's I have tried.
 
The build of the IEM while mostly plastic does seem to be fairly robust and the cable is thin and light yet very sturdy as are the strain reliefs. The jack is a straight I jack but is a good balance between thin and light and sturdy.
 
In regards to sound the overall sound is slightly bassy with a warm sweet tilt in the midrange and extended yet not hot harsh treble. The sound stage is slightly above average with similar imaging. I found I was able to listen to the IEM for hours on end with no fatigue and yet never felt bored with the signature.
 
Bass - 4.25/5 - The bass of the IEM is a bit hard to stick. It has pretty deep sub-bass while not having much of a mid-bass hump. The bass also does not have a lot of slam or punch as compared to some IEM's I have heard. In regards to 2 IEM's I have on hand I would say the Fujisan has deeper bass than the RHA T20 and not quite as heavy bass as the XBA-Z5. I find the overall tonal quality of the bass to be pleasant with good texture.
 
Midrange - 4.25/5 - The midrange is slightly forward and as mentioned a bit on the warm sweet side. Strangely enough even though this is the tonal quality of the midrange I still manage to hear the slight natural sibilance of singers like Patricia Barber but they never go into the painful sharp levels that some IEM's end up having.
 
Treble - 4.5/5 - The treble of the IEM is one of it's best features in my opinion. It managed to be bright and detailed without any spikes that would make it fatiguing. It is one area where I actually find myself preferring over my XBA-Z5 at times which is something I have not had another IEM achieve since I bought the Z5.
 
Sound Stage / Imaging - 3.5/5 - This is the one area that I would say the IEM is only slightly above average. The sound stage is decently wide but lacks depth. Imaging is consequently not as accurate as my XBA-Z5. But I have to also be very honest about the fact that I am spoiled by my XBA-Z5 which excels in this area so others may not feel this area is as average as I make it out to be. In fact when I did an A/B between the RHA T20 and the Fujisan they were similar with the T20 only just edging out the Fujisan.
 
The Fujisan also has a microphone and single button remote which seems to be good for the remote and average for the microphone. Telos opted to put the microphone and button at the Y joint as compared to higher up on the right or left cable. I find this position OK for the button but less than ideal for making calls as it starts to make me sound distant but I have not had any serious complaints about my voice when using the microphone.
 
Over all I find this IEM to be well designed and thought out. It is not perfect but it has excellent qualities that make it worth while in my opinion. Only time will tell if the $299 MSRP will hold up but at the asking price of the Kickstart project I think this is an excellent value IEM (even at the $139 bracket) if your looking for the sonic qualities I have mentioned and if your wanting a very comfortable IEM. I have to be honest and say I enjoy the Fujisan over my last Kickstarter IEM the Rocket by Aurisonics which I found to be too lacking in the bass department and a bit subdued in the treble region. The Rockets have a better midrange but not by enough to make me prefer it over the Fujisan's fuller overall sound. I also vastly prefer the Fujisan from a comfort perspective.

 

[audiobot]

Thanks for all the impressions dude. 

 

[dweaver]

Congratulations to Telos for achieving their Kickstarter goal. I am glad to see them make their target and be given a chance to succeed. For anyone interested if you have a friend in Head- or I willing to split the cost you can buy 2 Fujisan for a cost of only 119 per set versus 139 and then just ship the one pair to your friend. It will save both buyers some money with the small hassle of having to deal with shipping.

 

[audiobot]

Congrats to the team at Telos for exceeding the $50,000 kickstarter goal. Hope to read some more impressions in the coming weeks.

 

[dweaver]

I will let Telos answer your question themselves. But I would guess that the cost of developing an over ear design would take away from the development of the driver and Accoustics of the IEM. By focusing on the sound for this IEM it would allow Telos to build a solid foundation for future IEMs.

 

[audiobot]

Not sure about over-ear being cooler. Drop-down style has always been more aesthetically pleasing, especially the ones with an earbud stem. Just check the dunu Titan thread. Comfort is just amazing in this aesthetic.

 

[dweaver]

Not sure about over-ear being cooler. Drop-down style has always been more aesthetically pleasing, especially the ones with an earbud stem. Just check the dunu Titan thread. Comfort is just amazing in this aesthetic.

that too, the only IEM more comfortable that I own is the Z5 and it has a very weird design that many people dislike. The Fujisan on the other hand has developed a more isolating half in ear design than anything I have tried plus it is very comfortable.

 

[audiobot]

Hey dweaver, did u review the Rockets/T20? I wonder how the score (bass, midrange, treble, soundstage/imaging) compares to the Fujisans. 

 

[dweaver]

Hello Audiobot, I have not done a formal review of the Rockets yet, but here is my review of the T20. Personally I prefer the Fujisan signature over both IEM's but as can be seen I have a penchant for more bass heavy, warm/dark sounding IEM's The Fujisan actually mixes it up a bit as I find it's treble to be slightly bright and busy while retaining more warmth in the mid-range and a solid thick bass. The T20 falls right in between the Fujisan and the Rockets in regards to bass while having the most edge of the 3 IEM's. The Rockets have the least bass and tamest treble of the 3 making it the most neutral of the IEM's.
 
Build wise the T20 and Rockets are both beasts while the Fujisan is lighter and slightly less robust. Having said that I don't feel the Fujisan is fragile, it just isn't made out of solid metal like the other two.
 
Comfort wise I would say the Fujisan and T20 are tied and well above average while the Rockets are less comfortable for me as they are a deeper insertion design.