xaf
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2010
- Posts
- 46
- Likes
- 14
It goes without saying that FA's Eterna and DBA-02 are some of the most well regarded earphones here on Head-fi (at least from what I read), and it's not really difficult to see why. Both of these offer performance which, mostly, better than its asking price, and is even comparable to some of those in the next price range. But while opinions and expressions of interest of those (and to a certain extent, the Silver Bullet) are pretty abundant here, the rest of the range is less well represented. So, allow me to share my opinions of some of the other FA products which are around (and which I own), this time looking at the Enigma and one of my favourites, the Paradigm v2. I won't compare it to other manufacturer's earphones here (feel free to ask about it if you are interested), though with a little bit of extrapolation from the in-house comparisons I do here, you might be able to work out how it stacks up against other alternatives.
Will update with pictures when there is daylight here...(Didn't get much daylight, but now UPDATED with pictures)
Specifications
Enigma
› Frequency range: 8-22000 Hz
› Sensitivity: 102 dB
› Impedance: 18 Om
› Input power: 60 mW
› Length of a cable: 1.25 M
Paradigm v2
› Frequency range: 10-20000 Hz
› Sensitivity: 104 dB
› Impedance: 16 Om
› Input power: 60 mW
› Length of a cable: 1.25 M
FA claims both have 1.25m cables, but putting them together, the Paradigms are clearly longer by at least 5-10cm...
Packaging (3/5)
Everything comes in a well presented box , the same as all the others in the Fundamentals range, which has a flap on the front which you open to reveal a window which allows you to see what you are getting. Inside, you get the same accessories as all the other in the same range (except Eterna where you also get the earhooks), which means there are 3 sets of different size single flange eartips, a small pouch, an instruction manual, and the earphones themselves. Pretty standard packaging, nothing particularly special.
Speaking of instruction manuals, for whatever reason, the one that came with the Enigmas said "Silver Bullet" (correctly spelt, unlike the one I actually got with the Silver Bullets themselves =\). Must have been happy hour when they packed my pair...
Design and Build quality (3.75/5)
Neither stand out particularly as being good or bad in either design or construction. Both have a glossy black plastic driver housing and a silver nozzle. In terms of size, the Enigmas are quite a bit shorter than the Paradigms, while the nozzle on the Paradigm are marginally smaller than the Enigma. Both weigh about the same.
The only real difference apart from design really is the cable it uses. The Paradigm starts of at the 3.5mm end as a single cable of reasonable thickness which splits into two at the Y-junction, while the Enigmas use a cable similar to the original Sennheiser CX300 (two cables joined together which then splits into two). I noticed that FA seems to have made changes to the cable on these because I noticed the Enigmas that ClieOS reviewed last year had a different cable (same as the ones on the Paradigm, Silver Bullet etc).
Comfort and Isolation (4.5/5 and 4.5/5)
In short, both are very good. Their plastic housings along with short strain reliefs make them light and very comfortable to wear both over-the-ear and straight down, while with the correct eartips, they can isolate pretty well as well. I personally found the bundled tips to be a bit to soft, but others may find it works just fine. I currently use Jays tips on the Paradigm and Sony tips on the Enigma.
Soundstage (6.5/10)
A little bit better than average on both. The Paradigm I find is ever so slightly wider while the Enigma has a tiny bit more depth. But even saying that is splitting hairs. Neither can match the wideness of the Eterna or the Silver Bullet.
Sound Quality (Enigma: 7.4/10 Paradigm v2: 7.6/10)
The differences between these two are nearly night and day. The sound of the Enigma resembles that of the Silver Bullet, in fact, quite a lot, resemble being the key word here. Overall, everything is more forward (except maybe the treble to a very, very small degree) and loses quite a bit of the airiness when compared to the Silver Bullet making it actually quite a bit more concentrated and dark, but more immersive. For those who think the Silver Bullet are too airy will most likely find this a good alternative. Compared to the Eterna though, they just aren't as musical or smooth.
In contrast, the Paradigm reminds me of a BA earphone tuned for a slightly better bass response, which in short means, neutral and probably the most analytical of the Fundamental series.
Treble (Enigma: 7.25/10 Paradigm v2: 7.75/10):
Enigma: Good detail and ok extension but marginally not as fast as the Paradigm/Silver Bullet. Slightly. Never sibilant or harsh, meanwhile, given a good piano track, you can even hear traces of sparkle.
Paradigm v2: Good detail, speed, clarity and extension. The lower end of the treble, the mid and upper mid-range is definitely the focus of these. The naturalness of the sound is also very attractive.
Mid-range (Enigma: 7/10 Paradigm v2: 7.75/10):
Enigma: Again, like the Silver Bullet, these are a little less prominent when compared to the treble or the bass, but definitely not as recessed. Good warmth and detail in the upper mids but because the bass has just much impact, you loose just that small amount of fine detail in the lower mids.
Paradigm v2: Same story as the treble; clear, concise and well detailed but for some may be a bit cold, but vocals are just well articulated. Tracks with vocals in harmony can even sound rich.
Bass (Enigma: 8/10 Paradigm v2: 7.25/10):
Enigma: In terms of quantity, from what I hear, it is more than Silver Bullet (though probably due to it being a bit more forward), and maybe even more than the Eterna. Good impact but bass could be even tighter if it were just that bit quicker. Can be a bit overwhelming at times, but still conveys a reasonable amount of detail (Eterna does this a little bit better) and extension is also quite nice.
Paradigm v2: Not a lot of this is here, but what is here has reasonable speed and detail. And while it may not have the impact, its presence can still be heard. It compliments the rest of the frequencies well to create a neutral sounding earphone.
Conclusion
While these may not be the most expensive earphones in FA's Fundamentals arsenal, which is headed by the Silver Bullet/Eterna pairing, the Enigma and the Paradigm v2 hold their own pretty well by providing an alternative or simply by utilising a different approach. For those who like the shape of the Silver Bullet sound signature but find it too airy, the Enigma is a good alternative, the reasons as mentioned earlier. The Paradigm v2 takes its own route with a far more neutral sound, ideal for those who aren't really into all that bass.
In the next few weeks, I hope to explore further down the range, going into the Signature series and looking at the Daleth and A'leph, just to see how FA copes with such a diverse range of earphones...so if you're interested, stay tuned!
