[ziocomposite]

It's like popping your headphones cherry lol.  What's your verdict with the phones WNBC?

 

[CryptHF]

Yeah, the first few pics appear uncut, though.  Anyway, I just meant that I didn't understand why someone would want pics of them uncut.
 
What do you mean by removing them completely...the entire cloth piece?  That seems like it would affect comfort.  Is it glued in or?  Can I remove them to audition and put them back without damaging the setup?
 
Quote:

LFF's FA-011 were cut, you just have to scroll to the end of his review to see some closeups.  Mine were cut but you could tell whoever did it wasn't going for the perfect circle with his/her scissors.  Shouldn't be a huge deal, go for it.   People are even taking them out completely.

 

 

 

[WNBC]

Hey CryptHF, looks like ericp10 cut his foam out rather than pull them out.  Look back a couple pages of posts.  I haven't kept up with the last several pages.  I like the way they sound now with the Fischer cut so I won't be the one to take on the experiment for a while.
 
Quote:

The FA-011 and M50 highs kind of remind me of each other (piercing and harsh), but the FA-011 treble has settled down a great bit with significant burn-in. I haven't listened to the M50 since the Fischer came in, but I don't recall the treble settling as much as I would have liked. 
 
Bass is clearly deeper with more impact in the FA-011 than the M50. Mids are more forward with the FA-011, and overall there is great instrument separation and details with the Russian headphones. The music sound lush, as I believe the OP stated initially. I believe the soundstage is significantly wider than the M50 too. With that said, I haven't been in a rush to sell my M50. I still think it's a decent phone for the money, but FA-011 clearly outshines it for my ears.
 
FYI, so I took a chance and grab my barber clippers and modded my FA-011. Yes, I cut out big circular patches of the inside foam covering the speaker. I was very skeptical that this would make much of a difference. Well, I was wrong. Just when I thought the FA-011 couldn't sound any better it does. Music is even lusher with more micro detailing bursting through. Strings - especially cello - are simply gorgeous and soothing. So I'm glad this gamble paid off. The M50 seemed like a good bargain headphone, but the FA-011 is the true undisputed bang-for-the-headphone that I have heard so far. I really feel like I have quadruple my money's worth! Now, I'm just hoping they last!!

 


Quote:

Yeah, the first few pics appear uncut, though.  Anyway, I just meant that I didn't understand why someone would want pics of them uncut.
 
What do you mean by removing them completely...the entire cloth piece?  That seems like it would affect comfort.  Is it glued in or?  Can I remove them to audition and put them back without damaging the setup?
 


 

 

 

[WNBC]

Phones are fantastic.  I use them a lot for gaming.  My Lyr amp drives them well (they haven't blown up yet).  Properly driven the FA-011 is great for jazz, classical, rock, vocals.   Even with no-EQ, I find the bass a little bloated with some reggae but that could be more to do with the original mastering.  For example, some Augustus Pablo albums sound great and with others the bass is blooming.  So, like LFF said, "The rule to follow with the FA-011 is this: CRAP IN - MAJOR CRAP OUT...QUALITY IN - MAJOR QUALITY OUT".  Slightly more forward than my HE-4s.  Lacks the air, soundstage, and detail of the HE-4 but I don't hesitate to thrown on the FA-011 when I just want a fun, lush sound.  Definitely keepers.  Like many have stated, 2-3 hours of listening before the clamping force starts to make you want to take a break.          
 
For those of us learning the vocab, read and re-read LFF's review.  He sums it up better than I could.  All I can say is he is right on the button with this review.  If what he describes is a headphone that appeals to you, go for it.  It's not a reference headphone, it's a kick back and enjoy the ride set of cans.

 
Quote:

It's like popping your headphones cherry lol.  What's your verdict with the phones WNBC?

 

 

[Marine Pilot]

Hi everyone.
 
All issues with customs are solved now and new orders will shipps out as usual.
 
--------------------------
GD AudioBase

 

[ziocomposite]

Sweet wnbc, I'll see how this stacks up against the ad700.  Reading the glossary with lff's review definitely helped lol.
 
Quote:

Hi everyone.
 
All issues with customs are solved now and new orders will shipps out as usual.
 
--------------------------
GD AudioBase

Thank you for the clarification and official statement!!! =D  Glad I won't have to wait too long for my bday present, hopefully >=P lol
 
 

 

[rymd]

 
[size=medium]

Quote:

  So, like LFF said, "The rule to follow with the FA-011 is this: CRAP IN - MAJOR CRAP OUT...QUALITY IN - MAJOR QUALITY OUT".         
 

I think this was understated, heh.
[size=medium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WNBC /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
  Definitely keepers.  Like many have stated, 2-3 hours of listening before the clamping force starts to make you want to take a break.          
 

 
The wings loosen up pretty quickly. Just stick some boxes or books between them.
​

[/size]

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[Kodachrome2000]

Haha!  So, funny story.  I had forgotten to fill in what state I live in somehow.  I paid for them immediately after ordering the other day, so hopefully it changes to "shipped" instead of "confirmed" sometime soon.  Awesome to hear from an official source, too.
 
Happily a guinea pig.  Glad to see you enjoy them, WNBC.  Rather encouraging.  
 
*waits*

 

[Sophonax]

Someone asked a little while back about pad modding.  I tried (preliminarily, anyway) swapping out the FA-011 pads with a pair of AKG K701 pads that I had on hand.  The pads definitely improved the comfort, though the clamping force was higher because the headband was being stretched further.  Unfortunately, though, the sound was negatively impacted.  The mids became recessed, and most unfortunately, the highs became even more fatiguing.  The bass was relatively unchanged, though.
 
So based on my experimentation, I probably won't be pad modding these headphones.  The only thing I might consider doing is trying to make some pads with a higher-quality velour, something like what Beyerdynamic uses on their headphones, to help improve comfort a bit.  But it seems that increasing the distance between the driver and the ear does bad things to the sound.

 

[Phreak]

Hello Head-fi. First time poster here.
 
Not sure if this fits into the thread, but as it is i elect to pseudo-ninja it anyways...
 
In regards to these headphones' need of amping, could anyone educate me as to whether or not a good soundcard is 'enough'? I just ordered them, and now im not sure if i'll need a desktop amp, lol. The soundcard i use is this one: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2005/10/31/creative_xfi/1
 
Thanks!

 

[1eye1derweasil]

Quote:

Hello Head-fi. First time poster here.
 
Not sure if this fits into the thread, but as it is i elect to pseudo-ninja it anyways...
 
In regards to these headphones' need of amping, could anyone educate me as to whether or not a good soundcard is 'enough'? I just ordered them, and now im not sure if i'll need a desktop amp, lol. The soundcard i use is this one: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2005/10/31/creative_xfi/1
 
Thanks!

 Yeah you'll need an amp for these, your soundcard will probably give you enough volume, but the quality will be well short of their potential. I'll be using the Schiit Asgard, but really most desktop amps should power these well. 
 
 

 

[sysfail]

Quote:

Someone asked a little while back about pad modding.  I tried (preliminarily, anyway) swapping out the FA-011 pads with a pair of AKG K701 pads that I had on hand.  The pads definitely improved the comfort, though the clamping force was higher because the headband was being stretched further.  Unfortunately, though, the sound was negatively impacted.  The mids became recessed, and most unfortunately, the highs became even more fatiguing.  The bass was relatively unchanged, though.
 
So based on my experimentation, I probably won't be pad modding these headphones.  The only thing I might consider doing is trying to make some pads with a higher-quality velour, something like what Beyerdynamic uses on their headphones, to help improve comfort a bit.  But it seems that increasing the distance between the driver and the ear does bad things to the sound.

That sucks, hopefully they'll be comfortable for me. Maybe Fischer Audio will come out with different replacement pads on these with better comfort.
 

 

[Cajunky]

I received mine today. Pretty similar to CryptHF. Ordered on 3/29. Within a week I was told of up to 3 week wait due to Russian customs issue. I was already expecting a wait of 3-4 weeks so it wasn't that big a deal.  Tracking number 5/5. Export on 5/13. Showed up on USPS Tracking on 5/20. Next time I order any Fischer Audio headphones for my birthday I will just be sure to order a month early. 

 
Forgive my roughly hewn scrawls on the microscopic face of a grain of salt that I hope to pass for initial impressions.
 
Out of the box I was expecting some sizzle in the treble and it was there but even now after a good 7 hours of burn-in it doesn't seem out of place unless the recording is already boosted in that region. I always thought I had a sensitivity to treble but I now think it is more due to harshness/sibilance from spikes in the upper midrange. A test track I use for sibilance and hot treble is "Air Traffic" by Owl City. The FA-011s (so far) don't seem to accentuate the sibilance any more than is already on the recording and the treble while very bright is not unlistenable. I think the full sound (strong bass & even mids) somewhat balance the bright treble. It probably isn't fair for me to use this track because I merely picked it for its bad qualities. If it weren't for this test I probably would never listen to this track due to its sibilance / hot treble issues. It is just a good example of poor recording / mixing techniques. If a headphone made the treble sound balanced and you didn't notice the sibilance then I imagine those would be some seriously dark headphones. If anyone else has access to this track I would appreciate their impressions.  I was afraid that I would have issues with the sound signature (due to lack of experience) and be waiting for burn-in to hopefully resolve them but I have been pleasantly surprised. They are better than anything I have owned (not much) and if they get better from here then I am set.
 
I have pretty big ears but they sit close to my head. While they totally fill the vertical height of the inside of the pads there is still some space for them to breathe. My ears also gently touch the foam on the driver but it doesn't bother me. They are not as comfortable as my HD-570s but those are the most comfortable headphones I have ever used. They simply disappear. This has me wondering about the HD-598 for a different sound signature and as a replacement for the HD-570s. My problem now is feeling like I will get the same bang for the buck from other brands after dipping my toe in the pool that is Fischer Audio. I know it isn't saying much but after buying the FA-011s I will be relegating my HD-570s to kids DVD player duty. I will always keep them because their velour pads (replaced once) have served me well over the last 12 years. I also always want to be able to remember where I came from and what I lived with for so long.
 

 

[ziocomposite]

Cajun, looks like the fa-011 gave you a good impression & that's a good thing =D.  I'm glad you are keeping your hd-570's regardless if the torch has been passed down.  I'm planning to do the same for my ath-m50 & ath-ad700.  This is my birthday present to myself also and like you, if I purchase another FA product, will have to purchase ahead of time lol.
 
Update on status:
21 May 2011 - Purchased
22 May 2011 - Changed to Shipped
24 May 2011 - Tracking # sent
 
 

 

[wz2000]

Here's my recabled FA-011 headphones with a removable mini-xlr connector: