I received a new set of FA-003s from backorder last week, presumably from the latest production run. I ordered these on the strength of some early reviews that compared them favorably to HD-600s. Since my favorite headphone is a late HD-580 with HD-600 screens and an HD-650 cable, this sounded good. Moreover, I wanted to acquire a decent set of closed cans, and the price was right. Here are my impressions. (My apologies for any redundancies; I haven't reviewed the whole thread, and it's been a while since I last looked in.)
Physically, the packaging is impressive, with a nice nylon carrying case, and an extra set of fabric ear cups to complement the leather ones it comes fitted with. Quality of materials, fit, and finish are good. The cable is of decent gauge. No instructions or other paperwork is included. Like most over-the-ear closed cans, things get a bit warm after a half-hour or so of listening, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I didn't perceive any major difference in heat buildup between the leather and fabric ear cups, nor any real acoustic differences. BTW, the ear cups come off with a quarter-twist of a bayonet mount. (I'm glad I fooled around with them for a while, rather than marring the cans trying to pry them off.)
These closed cans do a good job of insulating your roommate from your music, but a relatively poor job of keeping exterior noises out. These are not cans to take on an airplane.
I did a straight-up comparison between my modded HD-580s and the FA003s. Source was a Sony SCD-CE595 feeding the CD Direct circuit of my Yamaha RX-797, thence via the tape output to a Matrix M-stage headamp. (I have a BBE Sonic Maximizer in this setup as well, but kept it turned off for the test.) The M-stage drives both cans effortlessly, and unlike the Sennys, the FA003 doesn't need an amp this potent.
I gave the FA-003s a 200 hour burn-in (with frequent on and offs) prior to the test.
Test sources:
Chesky's Ultimate Demonstration Disk
Chesky's Audiophile Vocal Recordings
Chi passa per'sta strada -- from Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Journeys
Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 1 in D major - Stephen Hough
The Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis
The Quintet - Gillespie/Parker/Mingus/Roach/Powell
Songs for Swinging Lovers (20 bit) - Sinatra
A Hard Day's Night (mono) - Beatles
The Way I Feel - Gordon LIghtfoot
Basket of Light - Pentangle
As you can see, I'm not much of a rocker, and I don't present my impressions as having any particular authority for those who are.
Are the FA003s 'like' the modded Senn HD-580s? No. I will agree that both cans are relatively neutral and unobtrusive, and I think that's fair, as far as it goes. Compared to the modded HD-580s, the FA003s were more forward in the bass, and lighter in the upper frequencies. In terms of transparency, resolution, and imaging, however, they give up a lot to the Senns.
How significant a difference is this? Depending on the music, a little or a lot. With music that lives mostly in the mids, and is dominant for one location and/or instrument, the FA003s compared very well. There was little to choose between the cans when listening to the Saint-Saens, Sinatra, and Lightfoot recordings. The Beatles recording also held up well. At the other extreme, certain elements in the Quintet recording simply disappeared (at least at my preferred volume level) in going from the Senns to the FA003s.
This may be coming across as a negative review, but it's not. The takeaway should be not how these cans fall short of the Senns, but how close they come for the price. At $188.05 shipped (versus a delivered price $318.96 for HD600s at Amazon, plus $12.55 for a 650 cable, a must), these FA003s are a steal. For someone with an under-$200 budget, the FA003s are a great choice.
