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I have some questions regarding the FA-003:
a. Did
anyone try the (unmodified/modified) FA-003 with a MF X-Can v3 (stock/6N1P-EB tubes)? If so, what are your impressions?
b. Especially @
LFF: I know that mastering with headphones is a bit of a no-no but I sometimes have to do it (partially) that way. In your review you wrote:
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LFF said:
These are mastering grade headphones and I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to recommend them for such critical sound applications.
So my questions are: Did you ever use the FA-003 for mastering? In which way? Did they prove useful?
Cheers
A) I haven't tried the FA-003's with that amp in particular but I can tell you that the FA-003's sing with tubes. I have heard them on vintage receivers, on the Schitt amps as well as a few others. Tubes really bring out the midrange goodness on these.
B) Mastering strictly with headphones is a big no-no IMHO because you can't accurately verify some things like soundstage and other such matters which only speakers can provide. However, headphones, especially neutral headphones, are an excellent addition to the mastering process and one tool which I have come to heavily rely on.
Do I use the FA-003 for mastering?
Yes, I use them almost daily for double checking my final masters and always use them during any restoration project.
In which way?
I do a lot of restoration work. This involves selectively removing noises and other distractions without affecting the main part of the audio, be it music or dialogue. This is where headphones really come in handy for me. How? Pick up any Norberg Sinatra re-issue on the Capitol label. Play it on normal speakers and most people will tell you it sounds great. People with golden ears will tell you it sounds bad when heard on a good system. However, play them on headphones and it becomes apparent to a vast majority of people just how much life has been sucked out of the recordings. Headphones tend to magnify problematic areas on recordings (if you know what to listen for) and I find the FA-003's perfect for listening for these flaws. Sometimes a speaker will not resolve a faint tick or a slight warble but it will be apparent on the FA-003's. Also, a lot of mixes are sometimes either spaced out too much or not enough and you can't always rely exclusively on speakers, especially if you are working at another studio and are not intimately familiar with the room and set-up. I always double check adjustments on my FA-003's. Why the FA-003's and not the HP-2's or HiFiMan HE500's? The HP-2's are too uncomfortable for extended listening and I don't own a pair of HE-500's yet. However, if I did have a pair of HE-500's, I wouldn't take them outside of my studio. If my FA-003's are lost at another studio, I wouldn't be out too much in $$ and they can be immediately replaced.
Do they prove useful?
I use them almost daily, especially during restoration work. I have noticed that when I master something on my speaker rigs first and do the final go-around with the FA-003's, I get a final master that will sound great on 80% of the stuff I play it on, regardless of hi-fi level, and will sound absolutely amazing on the other 20%. Excluding personal preferences from clients (ie, make it louder), I have never received a master back due to a failure to remove a noise or low level feedback or space monkeys or any other noise problem. When called in by friends to double check, the FA-003's make it immediately apparent to me when someone has applied too much noise reduction or when there is any sort of noise issue which needs to be addressed. Due to their neutral flavor, it also become readily apparent when there is too much bass or not enough mid-range or too much high-end, etc etc.
I hope those answers help. Like I said, I would never master exclusively on headphones, but the FA-003's in particular, have become an essential workhorse for me and I highly recommended them for mastering due to their affordable price, sonic signature and overall comfort and performance level. I still do.
they made me start listening to Diana Krall and Dave Matthews Band and whatever else I see as cited as good quality recordings at Head-fi, just because they sound so great with those music. on the other hand, you can notice something is wrong with bad quality recordings with them, and those constitute a big bulk of my existing collection. 
