[FlySweep]

hey there would this be similar sounding or better that 004s? 

'Better' is a very subjective opinion, so I'll hold off on deeming it better (or worse) than other phones.  They're certainly similar sounding phones, though.
 
I haven't had the 004 for some time but I remember its sound quite well.  The RPM & 004 are both quite balanced in sound signature.. the 004 was a little warmer through the lower midrange/midbass.  That warmth could creep into the 004's vocals sometimes too.  The 004 might have had a slightly deeper soundstage while width between the two seems about equal (the edge going to the RPM by a hair though).  The 004 imaged a little better.  I find the RPM to be better controlled from end to end.
 
The RPM has a tighter, more linear bass response.  The 004's bass could sound loose & bloated and at times, especially when unamped.  The RPM's mids are a tad smoother & (comparatively) drier.  It's still lush & full sounding, just not as wet as on the 004.  Mids seem to always shine on the any phones in FA's Master series.. no exception on the RPM.  They're lovely in their nautral tonality, smoothness & detail.  Treble texturing is quite similar between the two but the RPM has more air, is crisper, possesses more sparkle, and is more detailed.
 
I'm still letting these guys burn-in.. but they continue to get better & better.  I'm really impressed with the sound quality they possess for the price & from an on-ear (it seems tough to get true hifi sound from on-ears.. I think FA got it right though).  I want to stress GIGO as I did in my initial post.  Feed these HQ files.  Low quality recordings/digital files will reveal themselves quite easily & for the uninitiated, my think the phones sound bad.. NOT SO!
 
Not sure if I'll keep the RPMs though since I've got enough phones as it is & my customs (and HE-500 get most of my listening time).  I definitely want to let them run in for at least a hundred hours or so, though.  I bought these cause I'm a big fan of Fischer Audio and just had to hear 'em!  Even if I sell them & lose a little bit of money on them, I'm more than happy I got them.. great phones... that I would take over the 004 

.
 
Zio currently has the 004 so he may be able to offer more in-depth comparisons.

 

[diodiel]

yea cuz i havent used any headphones for a while besides my tma1. sometimes i wanna hear songs naturally, airy and livelier while being closed. hopefully i could get 1 soon, but also waiting for e17 to be back in stock too. thx!

 

[FlySweep]

yea cuz i havent used any headphones for a while besides my tma1. sometimes i wanna hear songs naturally, airy and livelier while being closed. hopefully i could get 1 soon, but also waiting for e17 to be back in stock too. thx!

I think you'll like the RPM, then.. but make no mistake, the treble isn't tuned to add air & sparkle.. they're quite neutral and true to the source material, while being a little more full through the midrange to give that natural sound.  I found the 004 to be a little too warm to be considered truly neutral or natural sounding.. the RPM is closer to that characterization.

 

[ziocomposite]

I agree with Flysweep.  The FA-004 sounds airy but it sacrifices the natural side of treble to even say a tad bid metallic.  The RPM treble sounds natural w/o added influence.  The mids on these two are awesome.  The RPM is natural & lively for sure as in almost like a studio in your face which is perfect for when I'm walking around the college.  
 
I'm definitely keeping the two since they have a particular use in my schedule.  FA-004 is my gym buddy, sturdy, & sounds great w/o getting in my way or worry about taking abuse.  RPM is perfectly portable while walking around the college & in between classes.  Wish I had a TMA-1 to compare with =P
 
Do you want closed portables only?  Flysweep has experience with the FA-003 a full size but that may be another option.
 

 

 

 

[shigzeo]

Great photos!

 

[diodiel]

tma-1 is very comfortable imo. when u listen to hiphop and stuff its unbelievable. its okay with other genre too but it might get better with a good amp/dac, i might settle with tma-1 alone if the fiio e17 compliments good. 

yea just for iso and not disturbing ppl lol, i never had an open headphone but ill def get 1 when i get my own place. i also have this koss kde250 that i got for free recently its sounds pretty lively but kinda uncomfortable cuz its an earbud with a metal hook. so ill try to get those rpms they look awesome too, nice pix btw guys
Quote:

I agree with Flysweep.  The FA-004 sounds airy but it sacrifices the natural side of treble to even say a tad bid metallic.  The RPM treble sounds natural w/o added influence.  The mids on these two are awesome.  The RPM is natural & lively for sure as in almost like a studio in your face which is perfect for when I'm walking around the college.  
 
I'm definitely keeping the two since they have a particular use in my schedule.  FA-004 is my gym buddy, sturdy, & sounds great w/o getting in my way or worry about taking abuse.  RPM is perfectly portable while walking around the college & in between classes.  Wish I had a TMA-1 to compare with =P
 
Do you want closed portables only?  Flysweep has experience with the FA-003 a full size but that may be another option.
 

 

 

 

 

[number six]

Hey guys!
 
I'm on the lookout for a new set of headphones. Been bouncing all around the multiple recommendation threads and such. The Fischer 003s looked good but seems about impossible to find them for sale currently.. then I saw these and they certainly look good. Was wondering if anyone can report if they are still happy with these after burn-in? Also how's the isolation? I realize they are over-ear so probably won't be amazing but would like something that can block out some ambient noise (ie @ the gym, etc). Since these are new information and reviews have been scarce.
 
I'm mainly looking for something to use with my Sansa Fuze, mostly with rock type stuff. So far it's between these or maybe the Shure SRH840s. I love the look of these and they seem like they would be easily portable so plus there. Only downer is they'd have to be imported which takes them well over the cost of the Shures with shipping but if the quality is there it would be worth it. Either way should be better than my 4 year old ATH-SJ5s
 
Thanks
 
 

 

[FlySweep]

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 are easily among my favorite Fischer Audio phones.  I like these more than the DBA & 003/002w (

).  They tie with the Silver Bullet & Tandem, in my book.
 
The RPM isn't necessarily more technically capable than (certain parts of) those fantastic 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, while quite musical is really quite impressive.  Their sound signature & texturing reminds me of the UM Miracle in more than a few ways.

 

[ziocomposite]

Sweep I wholeheartedly agree with you.  I'm using mine with the Digizoid Zo V 2.3 and this baby is awesome as a portable while @ the college.  Burn in definitely did justice either via the headphones or mentally who knows.  All I know is I <3 it.  I don't think your going to sell this anytime soon ;P
 
Regarding Pics
 
Gotta have a gorgeous can to take breath taking pics 

 

[marlonmarabe]

should be receiving mine by next week. il compare them to my dt1350 and es88

 

[FlySweep]

should be receiving mine by next week. il compare them to my dt1350 and es88

That'll be a nice comparison since the DT1350 seem to be the king of the OE, atm.  I had a chance to hear the the DT1350 very briefly this weekend.. they're impressive, but I came away liking the RPM more.

 

[ziocomposite]

should be receiving mine by next week. il compare them to my dt1350 and es88

Any update with the comparison?

 

[FlySweep]

It's been a good two months since I last checked in & I continue to love these headphones.  They've burned in quite nicely now, too.  While they sound great from my iPhone (unamped).. they scale beautifully with better sources & amps.  I've done a lot of listening with them the last two weeks with my Objective2 amp.. and the sound is very immersive.. yet laid back & utterly relaxing the same time.. what a unique blend!
 
The RPM's sound sig is incredibly smooth & natural.. among the most natural sounding phones I've ever heard, in fact.  The midrange is positioned ever so slightly forward.. giving music a bit of a lively feel.. yet, there's literally nothing fatiguing about the presentation as it's quite neutral for the most part.  Bass possesses a natural curve.. well extended & linear, imparting a nice punch when called for, There's a small, gentle lift in the midbass to give the lower midrange a hint of fullness & warmth.  If you've followed my posts/impressions, you'll know that I detest midbass humps with a passion.. so rest assured that anything raised in the midbass on this phone is very tastefully done and doesn't impact the sound in a negative way (the opposite, in fact).  The lower frequencies are impressively well controlled and nimble.. while boasting very good speed for a portable OE.
 
The bass steers clear of the meat of the midrange where the intoxicating FA mids (which have always combined a wonderful amount of dryness & lushness) thrive.. totally uncolored by the bass, the mids are dynamic, smooth, balanced, and possess fantastic timbre.  The treble, too, is smooth & uncolored.. but possesses just the right sparkle & airiness to keep you engaged.
 
If I had to describe the RPM's sound in relation to other FA phones.. I'd call it a fine blend of the most noticeable aspects of the FA-003 & Silver Bullet: take the (monitor-inspired) 003's smooth texture & neutral tuning.. combine that with the lively Silver Bullet's natural tuning & airy, deep, immersive presentation.. presto!  You've got the RPM 33 1/3.
 
I continue to be impressed with the RPM's technicalities.. which, IMO, hit far above it's price.  Listening to electric jazz (i.e. Chuck Loeb), blues, soul, and fusion is a real treat.  I hope more people try these out.. they get the FlySweep seal of approval.. lol.  The fact the RPM remain in my collection while sitting alongside the HD580, HE-500, and T50RP Paradox (the only other full sized phones I've kept) should speak volumes about how much it impresses me.

 

[shigzeo]

Sort of an old thread, but I want to throw in some impressions here. I am sort of borrowing them from Musica Acoustics, (don't tell them). Anyway, the 33/13 is one of my favourite portable phones for a number of reasons. Firstly, I wear glasses and most portable on-ear and even over-ear phones are quite uncomfortable. These are very comfortable. And while isolation isn't that good, I can listen to them on the train without annoying anyone and still hearing my music.
 
That aside, the 33/1/3 are very good sounding phones. Thick and mid-centric in some ways, but still crisp in the treble, they are hearty. They err on the side of thickly natural (whatever that is), eschewing the FA-004's more broad spectrum neutrality for a mids-oriented sound. Reach in all directions is decent, and there may be a tad more bass than is in the original signal, but considering these are open on-ears, it helps keep that frequency in you head. 
 
I tend to prefer more sparkly headphones in sound, but when I put these on, I can forgo the desire for so much space, etc. for smooth and somewhat detailed sound. I think these are a semi-good analogue of the HD600 in may ways, but portable, light, train-friendly, and much more cost effective. 
 
They do work well with portable players, even an iPod nano, but I turn the volume up louder than I usually do. 
 
The limited edition (and gone) wooden box is stunning, and so are the cups. I think this is one of Fischer audio's most iconic products and I agree fully with their pricing and design for it. Very nice. I don't use it that often for train rides now as it is getting hot in Japan and I'm preferring earphones. I'm a sweater. 

 

[FlySweep]

Great impressions, shigzeo.. I think you're spot on in terms of sound.. smooth, slightly thick, and natural.  I've since sold mine but continue to highly recommend them as they were definitely one of my favorite phones regardless of type (full size, custom, IEM, etc.).  If you want to hear what the Fischer Audio house sound is all about.. this is a great example of it.  Natural, engaging, dynamic, and possessing an excellent balance between liquidity, lushness, smoothness, and dryness.  A great all-arounder with enough pizzazz to make both the casual listener & audiophile be smitten with them.
 
The box & design are truly gorgeous.  I took one look at them when I first heard about their release & knew I wanted to have them (regardless of sound signature/quality).. lol.  Hope FA continue to turn out these unique designs and boxes.. they're as gorgeous in the photos as they are in real life!