[legodt]

Do the FA-003s sound as good as described unamped?

 

[rawrster]

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I have better options for portable use as well.

Such as? Please do divulge further!
 

 
I use my Livewire customs for portable use. I want better isolation than what the FA-003 can provide. My portable commute is quite loud especially the subway and the isolation from the FA-003 just wouldn't do it while customs have much greater isolation without sacrificing sound and have a much shorter cable suitable for portable use.
 
I'm one of those people who don't consider any portable headphone to be actually portable. Phones such as the Denon AHD1001 or Audio Technica M50 take up too much space for me to call it portable. I'd rather they stay at home for use with a home rig than outside. I'd rather use iem or customs than a headphone for portable use any day.
 

 

[Pianist]

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Do the FA-003s sound as good as described unamped?

Yes, they sound excellent unamped, but I can sense great potential that can be revealed with higher quality sources and amps. But even unamped, the sound is great - bass is very tight and deep, mids and highs are crystal clear. Amping should makes the bass punchier and mids and highs more defined. Compared to HD25-1, FA-003 is easier to drive I believe and doesn't suffer from a lack of bass definition which HD25-1 suffers from when unamped IMO. Really, FA-003 is in a different league compared to HD25 in just about every way and are a much better value for the money.

 

[legodt]

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Do the FA-003s sound as good as described unamped?

Yes, they sound excellent unamped, but I can sense great potential that can be revealed with higher quality sources and amps. But even unamped, the sound is great - bass is very tight and deep, mids and highs are crystal clear. Amping should makes the bass punchier and mids and highs more defined. Compared to HD25-1, FA-003 is easier to drive I believe and doesn't suffer from a lack of bass definition which HD25-1 suffers from when unamped IMO. Really, FA-003 is in a different league compared to HD25 in just about every way and are a much better value for the money.

Well, time to sell my set to afford them! Unless this is a bad move....
I use them for walking around the suburbs, riding a relatively quiet bus/plane for hours on end every now and then, and hanging around the house.

 

[jonhapimp]

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Do the FA-003s sound as good as described unamped?

Yes, they sound excellent unamped, but I can sense great potential that can be revealed with higher quality sources and amps. But even unamped, the sound is great - bass is very tight and deep, mids and highs are crystal clear. Amping should makes the bass punchier and mids and highs more defined. Compared to HD25-1, FA-003 is easier to drive I believe and doesn't suffer from a lack of bass definition which HD25-1 suffers from when unamped IMO. Really, FA-003 is in a different league compared to HD25 in just about every way and are a much better value for the money.

Well, time to sell my set to afford them! Unless this is a bad move....
I use them for walking around the suburbs, riding a relatively quiet bus/plane for hours on end every now and then, and hanging around the house.

you can get the DBA-02s
 

 

[legodt]

Is that really a better choice? I never got into IEMs, stopping at some Klipsch S2s.

 

[Pianist]

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Is that really a better choice? I never got into IEMs, stopping at some Klipsch S2s.

Good IEMs are a better choice for portable use, unless you are the kind of person who doesn't like sticking things in your ears. They isolate better, draw much less attention and are much easier to store when not is use. Good BA dual drivers like DBA-02 and Q-jays are also quite close to the FA-003 is sound quality, so you won't be sacrificing much. Actually, I really recommend the Q-jays if you are looking for a balanced sound. Check out this great review here. According to this review, Q-jays are more suitable for a wider range of musical genres, whereas DBA-02 is technically superior, but more specialized with its bright treble that may be harsh for those sensitive to it. That's not a knock against DBA-02 of course, but just something to keep in mind.

 

[legodt]

Yeah, I have trouble with monitor insertion for a few reasons, so these seem like a good bet. Would doing a case mod be good idea or would that manipulate the sound?

 

[rawrster]

If you have trouble with putting earphones in your ear then I wouldn't suggest the DBA-02. First there's the long wait time and then there's also that I found deep insertion to sound better when I had the DBA-02. Depending on your isolation needs the FA-003 wouldn't be bad if you can handle the large size of the headphones and the long cable (unless of course you decide to shorten them and terminate them into the plug of your choice)

 

[Pianist]

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Yeah, I have trouble with monitor insertion for a few reasons, so these seem like a good bet. Would doing a case mod be good idea or would that manipulate the sound?

You mean switching the stock earcups to say wooded ones? I think if you can afford it, you should definitely go with the woodies.

 

[legodt]

Obvious puns aside, I am looking for a durability mod. Also, do they sound better than the 003s?

 

[Anaxilus]

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I never got into IEMs, stopping at some Klipsch S2s.

S2s probably would have made me stop as well.  Horrible.

 

[gavinfabl]

The headphones sound excellent using my iPhone or iPad without any amp. With either my Fiio e7 or e9 they sound slightly better. With my MacBook via USB with the e7 used as the dac connected to the e9 they sound special. Listening with my iPad and e7 as I reply on my iPad. Such a great sound and I have nearly burned these in for 6 days now. They just get more compulsive to listen to.

Also the velvet pads have softened up. The leather is soft from day one.

 

[Slaughter]

My Fischer's shipped. We'll see if all this hype is justified.

 

[Pianist]

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The headphones sound excellent using my iPhone or iPad without any amp. With either my Fiio e7 or e9 they sound slightly better. With my MacBook via USB with the e7 used as the dac connected to the e9 they sound special. Listening with my iPad and e7 as I reply on my iPad. Such a great sound and I have nearly burned these in for 6 days now. They just get more compulsive to listen to.

Also the velvet pads have softened up. The leather is soft from day one.

Now imagine how they will sound with a 1k+ source and amp.