[migasson]

billymav might know an alternative, maybe an Aune T1 Billy?
 
I amp mine with a Schiit Valhalla, probably the best low cost desktop valve amp there is. I personally didn't like my solid state Burson Soloist on it.. too glassy in tone, a bit hard/forceful for me. That amp is just great with my AKG K702's however. I think valves are the way to go.. I'm hopefully adding a Woo WA6 for both my 'phones

 

[billymav]

Quote:

billymav might know an alternative, maybe an Aune T1 Billy?
 
I amp mine with a Schiit Valhalla, probably the best low cost desktop valve amp there is. I personally didn't like my solid state Burson Soloist on it.. too glassy in tone, a bit hard/forceful for me. That amp is just great with my AKG K702's however. I think valves are the way to go.. I'm hopefully adding a Woo WA6 for both my 'phones

Yes, the Aune T1 represents excellent value and drives the normal FA-002W and HE really well.  Be aware that it needs to be used as a DAC to benefit from the tube.
 
It's a great starting point for tube rolling to experiment with the characteristics different tubes might provide.

 

[fishda]

the fa002w he is very picky with amps. best amps i've tried for them are the millet hybrid and the continental v2. other amps will make these hps hard to listen to.

 

[jjcoolaus]

I'm considering buying these.
 
Can anyone who has a pair advise what portable amps might have sufficient power to drive them?
 
Currently I have the Fiio E12, Fiio E11 and IBasso T5. Out of those the E12 is the only one I would try it with, but is this amp powerful enough? (850mW total maximum output power)
 
So portable amp recomendations for these anyone please?
 
*edit* ok I just saw the ALO "Continental" amp recomended above, but it costs almost double what the headphones do:
http://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/ALO-Audio-The-Continental-V3-Mobile-Vacuum-Tube-Amplifier#xml
 
*edit#2* I found a headphone shop in indonesia promoting a bundle package last year, with these headphones paired with the GoVibe Martini Amp/DAC. Hmm the review on HeadFi looks good too, but I wouldn't want to buy another amp without knowing it would be suited to these cans.

 

[FlySweep]

I've come to absolutely adore these headphones.  I recently got a new cable for them from CablePro (Freedom-UPOCC cable).. whom I highly recommend (Ted offers excellent customer service and the cables are incredibly durable and well-built).
 
One thing I've found is that not only do they demand a very good/synergistic amp.. a HQ DAC is quite necessary, IMO, as well.  The ODAC was nice.. but using it with the Uber-BiFrost & Vio V800 yield a marked improvement in sound and presentation.  I've also noticed the soundstage has significantly improved since early on in my ownership.  They're not HD800-level.. but the FA-002w HE's soundstage no longer sounds distinguishably narrow.. I find it much more pleasing now.  I'm yet to determine if it's the cable, DAC, amp, driver break-in, some combination of the above.. or placebo.. but whatever it is, the stage is feels much more expansive than it did early on.
 
The treble has smoothed out.. the midrange remains incredibly transparent, detailed, vibrant, and tonally pure.  Bass has excellent dynamics and texturing ability.. it's taut yet full, impactful, and nimble.  The signature reminds me of a beefier, more lush RE272.. with infinitely better bass, soundstage, and dynamics.  All of this is contingent on the fact you've got well matched gear up stream of it.
 
I can't recommend the Uber-Bifrost/BH Crack combo for this headphone enough:  it's simply spectacular.. and worthy of being "end-game" for many, IMO.  I feel the Crack & UB are very reasonably priced upstream components that will help bring out the best the HE has to offer w/o breaking the bank.. and they're wonderful products in their own right.
 
If you're using the Crack, the Tung Sol 5998 output tube is a must when it comes to hearing the soundstage quality and detail I've described.  For input tube, go get the Tesla (not JJ) ECC802S.  It's widely considered a near clone of the famed, stupid-expensive, and jaw-droppingly good Telefunken ECC802S... for much MUCH less ($30-$50!).  I can attest to the wonderful SQ of the Tesla in the Crack (with the 5998) as I've had it for a quite a few days now and it's every bit as good as the impressions I read on them (before buying) make it out to be.  It's the type of tube you drop in and will have no desire to replace, IMO... the HD800 loves it, as well.
 
I can't say how the HE stacks up to other (competing) full sized, closed, neutral, dynamic driver phones that have high impedance.  It actually seems pretty tough to come across a phone that meets all those criteria... another reason I'm very happy to have the HE.  I briefly had the (semi-closed) Beyer DT880/600 for a couple of weeks.  I found it to be an excellent phone.. but felt the HE was technically superior in most all areas... most notably in resolving ability and instrument separation.
 
Hopefully people still take a look at this somewhat overlooked, undervalued phone.. it's getting a but tougher to find as FA seems to have shifted their focus to the Ti (which I sense, is a low impedance version of the HE.. nice.. but being able to run the HE off an OTL tube amp is part of hearing the magic, IMO), but I feel if you've got good upstream gear, this phone has the potential to know your socks off.

 

[CJG888]

Has anyone had a chance to analyse the APE-02? Is it just a couple of resistors (like the Ety P to S adapter)?

 

[migasson]

Headfi-ers.. My Fischers are for sale.. Pm me. Australia only

 

[Ony38]

Has anyone had a chance to analyse the APE-02? Is it just a couple of resistors (like the Ety P to S adapter)?

I'm also definitly interested to get the value of the component !

 

[Infoseeker]

My local store has these.
 
Why are these things soundstage being compared to the HD800? Aren't those open-backed headphones? That is a little unfair (or is that a pro and not a con to be compared to the extremely airy Hd800?) I'll compare them to my JVC HP-DX1000; a closed-back famous for it's soundstage:
 
The Fischer has a great soundstage, it is still surprisingly significantly bigger than my close-back portables (Audio-Technia ESW10jpn). The surprising part is that the Fisher cups are smaller than the JVC's but still can give a great soundstage. I guess that resister thing of theirs works. The soundstage is as good in both of them; however, the JVC's presents some sounds at a less intimate positioning (smoother?).
 
JVC's handles reaches the lower bass better with that sub-bass being forward. Again, that is not the bass being forward, but the sub-bass on the JVC; it is a unique fun-sounding headphone.
 
Fishcer's handle the mid's with an explosive feeling. The JVC's mids are smoother in comparison, but still explosive with those instruments.
 
Voices, are great on the Fischers. On the JVC, they fall farther back in positioning, but the resolution is still there.
 
Both are equally smooth at the highs. Neither is fatiguing. The JVC's highs come out at a slightly further distance position of the soundstage.
 
I would say over all resolution is the same.
 
Fit? Fischer's have a strong clamp that may get used too. JVC's clamp is also crazy snug too. Headband on the Fischer is a million times more comfortable though. Both have amazing pads, though the JVC's is fake leather. The JVC's are lighter in weight despite being bigger in size. The Fischer's more dense wood makes them a little heavier, however both headphones are significantly lighter weight than other high-end dynamics out there (especially those orthodynamics from Audeze are heavy!). The denser wood makes the Fischer headphones even less sound-leaking compared to the JVC's at ear-bleeding sound levels.
 
The Fischer's are definitely portable; while the JVC's are not going anywhere. The cord on the JVC is cloth-bound. The Fischer's has removable cables; stock comes with a thick sturdy plastic cable. Neither can be folded in to put away in your bag. If the Fischer's could fold in, and you got thinner cables, it would totally be portable.
 
Hinges on the Fischer's are really sturdy. JVC's hinge's need to be handled with care.
 
Closing StatementL
Compared to the fun-signature of my JVC HP-DX1000, the Fischer FA-002W HE really are balanced sounding. Fischer's soundstage is amazing compared to the famous closed-back standard of soundstage.

 

[mikroski]

One quick question. What about isolation, can we hear surrounding sound? I'm looking for a phones to use when my wife watch TV in the evening. My W5000 is not good at isolation and I have an good offer for demo one from the shop

 

[Infoseeker]

It is pretty isolating. It is a pretty solid piece of wood surrounding you and leather cups.
 
However, blasted TVs have a tendency to make themselves known.

 

[mikroski]

Thanks Infoseeker
 
Shop has three version Beach, Hornbeam, Wenge
 
From Fischer web site

1. Beech is very similar to hard ash in its acoustic properties. With all the good qualities characteristic of ash, beech has another extremely important quality: beech cups provide virtually identical sounds from one to another, which renders beech a very convenient material for achieving a predictably good result.
2. Hornbeam is a very hard and extremely difficult to process wood. It is used to manufacture an acoustic enclosure of headphones due to the fact that this species, like merbau, sensitively resonates to even the quietest sound. While it accentuates the top range sounds, the lowest range is perfectly readable and has no rumble. It has many advantages over other species, such as sharp attack and tight rounded lows, but also soft highs and detailed mids. It is perfectly fit for music genres replete with acoustic instruments, classical music and female vocals.
3. Wenge is a hard, solid and sturdy wood. In terms of sound and weight, it is most similar to hard maple, but has a wider stage. Like rosewood, wenge slightly clips the highs, while at the same time, resonates more in the basic tones in the medium frequency region and in the lower mids. Due to its "striped" density wenge selectively filters out some of the overtones in these regions.

 
I may order Hornbeam since I mostly listen to female vocal and piano jazz but will wait until Audeze EL-8 launched for final decision.

 

[CJG888]

Any news on the anatomy of the APE-02?

 

[Mach3]

Any news on the anatomy of the APE-02?

Did you want the spec so you can build one yourself? I can probably measure each component and make a mockup schematic for you if you like.

 

[CJG888]

Thank you. Yes, that is precisely what I intend to do!

I want to use it with my soon to be heavily modded LD Mk. III (the components for the various mods are still in the UK).