[LFF]

Fischer Audio’s OLDSKOOL’70’s​

 
SPEC’S:

1. › Frequency range: 20-20000 Hz
2. › Sensitivity: 112 dB
3. › Impedance: 35 Om
4. › Input power: 100 mW
5. › Color: black.

 
EQUIPMENT USED ON THIS REVIEW:

1. Portable set-up: Sansa Clip+ (Rockboxed) ->UE Mini2Mini ->RSA Shadow
2. Portable set-up: Ipod 5.5G -> ALO Cotton Dock -> RSA Shadow
3. Home Rig 1: Sony D-25S -> UE Mini2Mini from Line out-> Heed CanAmp
4. Home Rig 2: Denon DCD 1560 CD Player – RCA -> Heed CanAmp
5. My mastering rig

 
BACKGROUND & FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
 

 
On first glance the OldSkool’70’s really impress. The packaging is sleek and sexy. If headphones were ever packaged to be given as gifts – these would be the ones to get.
 
Once you open the packaging you will find the headphones neatly packaged along with a nice pouch to store them away so they don’t get full of dust. The inner packaging is top notch as well. Very fancy.
 
The look of the OldSkool’70’s is pure awesome retro – did I mention they look awesome and retro? It looks like those old headphones they used to bundle with your walkman portable cassette player. In my opinion, the look is awesome and the build quality is super awesome. These aren’t your cheap sony walkman freebies you used to wear back in the 1970/80/90’s.
 

 
THE MUSIC & THOUGHTS ON SOUND:
 
1. Paul Simon – You Can Call Me Al from the album “Graceland”
The sound is pleasing.  The soundstage is quite large and the bass is pronounced. Good detail. Mids are very lush sounding.
 
2. Paul Simon – Homeless from the album “Graceland”
The voices sound natural. The baritones come out a bit more.
 
 
3. Nat King Cole – Stardust from the DCC release of “Love Is The Thing”
Nat’s voice  sounds natural, the strings are as airy as they should be but they aren’t bright or suppressed. The sound is very lush.
 
4. Danny Elfman – This is Halloween from the soundtrack “Nightmare Before Christmas”
The voices are all distinct. Bass is very nice. The soundstage and imaging on this track is better than most. 5. Absolute Silence – custom demo track made by myself.
Except for a slight pop the Clip+ added when the track finished, it was completely dead silent for the entire duration of the track.

6. Bach – Solo Cello Suites from the Mercury Living Presence release feat. Janos Starker
The cello sounds ever so slightly boomy. The ambiance and detail is present but lacking, probably due to lack of isolation.

7. Ella Fitzgerald – Sweet & Lovely from the album “Sings Sweet Songs For Swingers”
Nice. Ella comes across natural. The bass is really showcased here and the soundstage is once again very nice. Imaging is quite good.

8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication & Scar Tissue from the album “Californication”
The bass really rocks on this track. The distortion and clicks cannot be heard.

9. Lady Gaga – Poker Face from the album “The Fame”
The bass is awesome without being over-powering or bloated. Vocals are also very nice. The detail is a bit lacking due to lack of isolation.
 
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
 
The one thing I noticed while listening to the OldSkool’70’s is that it does well with all types of music. It has that typical Fischer sound. The OldSkool’70’s are surprisingly more accurate and articulate than your average headphones this size and of this design. They sound rather similar to the PX100’s but I would give the OldSkool’70’s the edge for a more pleasing sound. The OldSkool’70’s really shines with all tracks but especially with rock, pop and hip-hop. Like most of Fischer Audio’s line, it has a very pleasing and fun sound signature. They are also very easy to drive to a high volume level without degrading the sound.
 
The sound signature of the OldSkool’70’s is fun but leaning toward the natural and organic side. One thing that surprised me was the soundstage. It has that 3D soundstage that you would only expect from much more expensive headphones. There were a few times that I looked back to see if someone was knocking and to my surprise it was the recording I was listening to!!! In particular I was listening to a Blue Note recording where in the middle of a solo someone yells “Yeah!” and I swear that “Yeah!” came over my left shoulder. Cool beans!
 
Not surprisingly, I found that these headphones upscale quite nicely as you move up the equipment chain. They sound great straight out of my ipod. They sound better on the Denon DCD 1560 CD Player going through the CanAmp and really impressed me coming out of my mastering rig. Considering the design and the price, that’s really impressive.
 
Once some of you see the OldSkool’70’s, you might think it’s a cheap quality headphone and be reminded of the freebies of days gone by. Nothing could be further from the truth. These headphones are solid and they feel as solid as they can be. Not only are they solidly built but they are also surprisingly comfortable. This will vary from person to person, but I did find them to be very comfy headphones.
 
One slight thing consumers are going to have to watch out for with the OldSkool’70’s is volume. I feel that these headphones can be used for critical listening but you must be in a very quiet environment with very little or no ambient noise. Otherwise, these headphones will merely be there for mood listening. These headphones sound so good but isolate so little that people will really be tempted to crank up the volume to unhealthy levels, especially if they are in a less than perfect listening environment. If you have a less than perfect listening environment and want the same great quality, my suggestion would be to look into Fischer Audio’s similarly priced FA-004 headphones.
 
Once again what gets my attention with Fischer Audio’s products is the price/performance ratio. All the prices I was able to find for these were under $90.00 US! If I had paid $120 for these, I wouldn’t be upset at all. I would think these would be a good deal at $120.00. At $90 or under, these are an amazing deal – especially considering that these are limited edition headphones.
If you’re looking for some great sounding headphones that will not isolate you from your environment, then these are perfect. The build quality, sound quality, price and awesome looks are sure to please many, many folks.
 
Recommended!
 
PICTURES:
 

 

[Noir7]

another great review about FA product, they really are best bang for the buck right now.
these headphone could compete with px100, k420, portapro and zino.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

another great review about FA product, they really are best bang for the buck right now.
these headphone could compete with px100, k420, portapro and zino.

Having heard most of them, I feel there is really is no competition. OldSkool's win.

 

[rawrster]

It seems like Fischer Audio makes a bunch of products that seem to be bang for your buck which is always appreciated as a consumer. Thanks for the review LFF

 

[Noir7]

@LFF; quite a subjective reply you have there , with those comment i can't hardly wait to try it in my local store which will be stocking them later with DBA-02.

 

[ManBeta]

Thanks for next great review of Fischer Audio product, LFF
Could you maybe decscribe a direct comparison between this beautiful Oldskools and the better isolating pair, the FA-004? I'm interested how the sound of the first "looks" compared to the second ones. Would appreciate it very much.

 

[EraserXIV]

Quote:

Having heard most of them, I feel there is really is no competition. OldSkool's win.

They do kind of compete in a different price bracket.. for the average consumer $90 is MUCH different than $30.

 

[ethan961]

I'd like to note that retail for these is $68, not sure where the $90 came from.

 

[TheGame21x]

Quote:

I'd like to note that retail for these is $68, not sure where the $90 came from.

Probably bought them off eBay, where GD_Audiobase is selling them for $68 + $20 shipping.

 

[ethan961]

Ah, I thought their shipping was $10. MRSP as listed on my price list is $67.50 exactly, just for common knowledge.
 
As for LFF's pair, they were sent by Fischer Audio as a sample.
 
One fairly interesting thing that LFF didn't get to was the cable. It's flat.

 

[Noir7]

what do you mean by the cable is flat?

 

[KLS]

I like the 'organic'-looking package of DBA-02 more

 
Thanks for the review @LFF!

 

[LFF]

Quote:

what do you mean by the cable is flat?

It's flat. Not round.

Very cool design. I'll get to your other posts soon. I'm on my phone.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Thanks for next great review of Fischer Audio product, LFF
Could you maybe decscribe a direct comparison between this beautiful Oldskools and the better isolating pair, the FA-004? I'm interested how the sound of the first "looks" compared to the second ones. Would appreciate it very much.

So sorry it took me a while but I have been a bit busy.
 
Not surprisingly, I feel all their products share a similar sound signature with slight differences going from model to model.
 
The Oldsskool's sound great and very similar to the FA-004. I feel the FA-004 has more punch and better articulation but that is probably due to the isolation. The FA-004 doesn't really sound like a closed headphone either. It has a very open sound much like the Oldskools. I would personally pick the FA-004 but that is strictly due to the isolation factor. Based on looks, I like the Oldskool's more. Based on sound....well...that's a very tough choice.

 

[129207]

I was looking forward to this review. They look awesome and I really can't wait to try them. One thing though, let's say they end up costing $70, would they really compete with phones in this pricerange? I mean, they may beat the Portapro and PX100, but do they, for example, beat the AKG K518DJ, Grado SR60i, Creative Aurvana Live, Yuin G2A and JVC HA-M750?