I am not bashing FA-003. They are a great value and are definitely one of my favorite headphones. But I think some people do rate it a bit too high. It is certainly not a be all end all headphone and it does have weaknesses. I've mentioned this many times already that FA-003 lacks some texture/micro-detail and also has a peak in the upper highs between 10-12 kHz that can make it sound a bit shrill. I do think that it is a hi-fi headphone, just not top hi-fi. I think HD650, RS1, HD800 and DT880 are better sounding headphones than FA-003, but they are also significantly more expensive, especially when you factor in the price of the amp and probably a balanced cable as well to make them sound their best. I think SRH840, D2000 and PRO750 are on par with FA-003, but certainly different in sound signature and presentation and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Overall, I feel that FA-003 is a wonderful headphone for the price, but it is not a giant killer like some people make it out to be. Even my HD555 does some things better, like a more airy treble and a more neutral frequency response. FA-003 beats HD555 in every other way though. But in the end it's all a matter of preference - the differences in sound quality at this level are subtle and not always easy to hear at all. Sometimes, when I am tired I can't hear the difference between HD555 and FA-003 at all. It takes some effort to notice that FA-003 is better in many ways. And then for some people, the emphasis at 10-12 kHz may be a fatal flaw and they will say that they prefer HD555 any day just because it's more even in the highs. Similarly, some people may hate the laid back presentation of HD650 or the bright, forward sound of RS1 and will say that FA-003 is much better even though what they really mean is that it doesn't sound as bright as RS1 or as laid back as HD650.