ziocomposite
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
- Posts
- 244
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- 15
I just purchased this so don't have her yet but I can't wait. This is a sexy looking portable!!!
Aside from that I want to give big props to Sebastian Thümmel from http://www.headsound.de who helped me with it. It's a German only site but thankfully google translate was able to help me out initially and Sebastian went through a lot of trouble to help out a U.S. buyer. It's hard enough to find a reputable authorized Fischer Audio merchant for the US as it is. (LOL for FA-011 buyers
). I usually don't start threads but something that excites me & to get this WORLD CLASS service should be shared with the community lol.
Official Fischer Audio article - http://www.fischeraudio.com/article.php?art=6
They even added 2 chocolated almonds & complimentary IEM. And yeah I ate the other one lol.
Couple of Box Pics
Open Sesame
Close-Ups
Size-ups
UHA-4 & Zo 2.3 + FA-011/FA-004
Aside from that I want to give big props to Sebastian Thümmel from http://www.headsound.de who helped me with it. It's a German only site but thankfully google translate was able to help me out initially and Sebastian went through a lot of trouble to help out a U.S. buyer. It's hard enough to find a reputable authorized Fischer Audio merchant for the US as it is. (LOL for FA-011 buyers
Official Fischer Audio article - http://www.fischeraudio.com/article.php?art=6
Purchased from/paid to GD-A on 1/16, shipped on 1/23 (received tracking # on 1/27), received 2/10. I was out of town on 2/10 & got back in town today so I picked up these beauties from the PO today:
Every bit as gorgeous as I expected. I love the ltd. edition wooden box & artwork. I certainly wouldn't be ashamed setting it up on a bookshelf as a display ornament.. the font/artwork is, again, simply fantastic. Clean, stylish, & artistic without coming across as gaudy or flashy.
The phones/earcups are smaller than I expected (perhaps I should've assumed that since they are 'portable' after all). More importantly, they're damn comfortable: perfect clamping force, the cups' padding isn't too soft & mushy but not stiff & painful either. In other words, simply perfect as for an on-ear phone. Artwork and craftsmanship on the wood cups is excellent, too. These are truly portable in their slim style & the way they fold up.. yet feel quite sturdy. Not built for a nuclear explosion but if that's what you're facing, you got bigger problems than preserving some headphones.. lol.
I'll comment on the sound more extensively as I let these burn in a bit.. but my initial feelings? I love what I'm hearing. One thing I did notice quite quickly was that these are revealing phones in terms of source file quality. Not quite as stark as the 011 but close, IMO. "Garbage In Garbage Out" is fully in effect with the 33/13. Feed them HQ, well recorded music and they will reward you with ear candy.
Given their technical ability & signature, they'd sit quite comfortably in FA's premier 'master series' (alongside the FA-003/002w, 004, 006, 011 & DBA-02). They present a balanced sound that's firmly on the neutral & natural side of things.. though they're very musical & engaging. Excellent extension at both ends with every part of the spectrum possessing impressive body, weight, control, & depth. In terms of texture.. they're not too smooth or too crisp. Not too thin or too thick.. balanced & natural (more than absolute neutrality) in practically every way is what the 33 1/3 seems to be about. Bass has very nice punch & thump but isn't boosted or bloated. Treble is smooth & natural but possesses just the right sparkle. Those lovely FA mids are thankfully, preserved, too! The mix of neutrality & natural sound reminds me of a fine blend of the 003 & DBA actually.. particularly through the mids. What you don't have to worry about is any lack of dynamics or note thinness (which the DBA can suffer from) or lack of bass impact (which the 003 can suffer from when unamped) from the 33 1/3.
Per FA, the special APC-02 filter these phones employ (a piece of technology they've incorporated into their most premier phones.. i.e. the 002w High Edition) allows the 33 1/3 to be driven easily from portable devices (despite the high impedance ratings). Briefly listening to them from my iPhone (unamped), I'd say FA has definitely delivered with this technology. I've got the volume pretty high (~90%) to get the desired listening level (very slightly above average).. but the thing that impressed me most is that they sound quality was damn good straight from my iPhone 4. I've listened to many portable-friendly phones that can be driven by DAPs but don't necessarily sound all that great from them. Despite the iPhone 4 being one of the better, more robust DAPs out there, I often find myself reaching for the Arrow to get the full potential from my phones & IEMs.. With the 33 1/3, I don't find myself scrambling for the Arrow like I would with some of my other phones (that boast better sensitivity specs, no less). So, kudos to FA for the APC filter.. I hope they continue to use it in their phones in the future. All that being said, these phones certainly benefit from (and take advantage of) a good DAC & amp. Running them through my Grant Fidelity TubeDAC-11, the overall improvement & refinement is easily noticeable.
I'll report back with more sound impressions in a few days.. but I can confidently say the 33 1/3 will (and should) put a legitimate scare in the On-Ear headphone market.. not only in style but in substance (don't be surprised if Brainwavz 'copies' this soon, either.. lol). In terms of sound quality alone, it most definitely deserve to be among the best in the <200-$250 pricepoint.
March 3, 2013
I've been doing more listening with the RPM the last couple of weeks.. they've improved slightly (but noticeably) since my initial impressions. OOTB, they were a bit flat & lacking dynamics (at least compared ot how they sound now). At the moment, they're livelier more open sounding.. music has better depth & clarity too.
I'll have more to say about the phones in the next few days but it's late now & I'm not in the mood to type.. I'll leave you with this teaser, though:
To say I'm impressed with the RPM would be an understatement. These phones have become my among favorite Fischer Audio phones. I like these more than the DBA & 003/002w (). They tie with the Silver Bullet & Tandem, in my book. A very impressive feat, IMO.
The RPM isn't necessarily more technically capable (in some areas) than those other FA phones.. but in terms of sheer enjoyment & compatibility with my ideal sound preference, they hit all the right spots. The RPM's ability to sound very neutral, natural, and musical at the same time is chief among the reason for my infatuation with them. Their sound signature & texturing reminds me of the UM Miracle in more than a few ways.
They even added 2 chocolated almonds & complimentary IEM. And yeah I ate the other one lol.
Couple of Box Pics
Open Sesame
Close-Ups
Size-ups
UHA-4 & Zo 2.3 + FA-011/FA-004
) to see that you've already received the Oldskools.
