REVIEW: Fischer Audio FA-011 - OFF THE DEEP END!!
May 26, 2011 at 3:26 PM Post #646 of 2,116

Nice Todeon!!!  And congrats on your 1st post as well 
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  Will be waiting for the comparisons when it comes.
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Received mine this afternoon ( all in all took 20 days after I placed the order Russia>Sweden) :) Looks absolutely beautiful! Burning em in right now, will probably do a comparison vs m50s someday soon!
 



 
 
May 26, 2011 at 3:34 PM Post #647 of 2,116
mine shipped out today, hopefully I'll be receiving them in the next 3 weeks :/ 
 
as soon as I can I'll post a review on them (as well as FA-003 which I ordered also)
 
 
 
May 27, 2011 at 4:20 PM Post #649 of 2,116
Got mine yesterday (about 56 days from date of ordering).  They arrived in good condition; the box was a bit beat-up at the corners, but the headphones were in good condition, and I didn't detect any defects.  They also arrived with the foam cut out of the middle; I was kind of relieved, because I didn't want to have to make that decision myself:)
Was able to listen to them for about 10 minutes before I had to go get my wisdom teeth extracted.  Naturally, I wasn't feeling very well post-op, so that was the extent of my listening yesterday.  I'm listening to them right now, and have been doing so for about half an hour.  The first thing that struck me about them is the astonishing, deep, velvety bass.  It's some of the best bass I've ever heard from headphones, and certainly the best I've heard from open headphones.  The bass is really something, but it is also very well-behaved; there's no bleed into the upper registers, as far as I can tell.  I've owned the DT 990-600s twice in the past, and they're the nearest competitor, in terms of sound signature:  bass-heavyish, open cans.  And based on sound quality alone, I prefer the Fischers, no small feat for headphones that retail for a third of the price and can be found online for about half the price of the Beyers. 
Another advantage of the FA-011s, IMHO, is the treble region.  The Fischers still have plenty of sparkle up top, but it's not fatiguing or offensive, and it's probably a bit less sibilant, as well.  I would describe the Beyers as dark and piercing.  The FA-011s are warm, too, but this warmth doesn't overshadow the whole spectrum, and the treble is superior. 
Save one caveat, I wholeheartedly recommend the FA-011s, for the Head-Fier on a budget who likes the sound of the Beyers.  That one caveat is that the Fischers aren't very comfortable.  After about 30 or 40 minutes, I already find myself working to place them in a more comfortable position.  This doesn't bode well for long-term listening.  It's kind of expected, though, coming from my K601s, which are lighter, have deeper earpads, and clamp less.  So, in sum, based off about an hour of listening, I'd give the FA-011s an 8/10, and would probably raise that to a 9 or 9.5, were it not for the comfort issue.  I will probably decide soon whether I want to keep them or not, but my hat is off to Fischer, for making a fantastic-sounding pair of headphones for a ridiculously low price.
 
May 27, 2011 at 5:18 PM Post #651 of 2,116
Damn the timing..My package has reached Pittsburgh. But, USPS will be taking a nice vacation for memorial day. My package will be sitting in the post office 2 miles from my house for the next 3 days
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May 27, 2011 at 5:37 PM Post #652 of 2,116
For the guys who have received the FA-011, was a signature required?  
 
Mat, call your local post office and see if they deliver on Saturday even though Monday is a holiday.  If the package is already @ the pickup site, I usually get packages delivered on Saturday still.
 
May 27, 2011 at 5:46 PM Post #653 of 2,116
Nice impressions Marximus. Sounds like a headphone Id be happy to live with, but comfort takes top priority, so that rules them out. I'd get the DT990 again but not wanting to deal with the treble anymore. I think I'll wait and see what Beyer does when they most likely release the T80 and T90, which makes sense as the T70 and T70p are DT770 sucessors. A DT990 successor with less treble would make my day. I'd keep my HE4 as a true successor to those, but I no longer have an amp that powers them to their max potential.
 
May 27, 2011 at 5:57 PM Post #654 of 2,116
Interesting.. per LFF's review and the more I read about them, the more I've got a good feeling the FA-011 should round out my full sized can collection.  Between the 003, HD598, and the 011, I don't really desire anything else and those cover everything I listen to with full sized phones.  All three will sound decent to great when unamped from the iPhone (my primary listening source), laptop, and desktop.. they all will scale nicely when amped (Arrow, MX-1, home theater A/V).  I'll probably continue to dabble with future cans FA turns out just cause they're so intriguing and I love the sound.  
 
A couple of customs and I can close my HF account, right? LOL.
 
May 27, 2011 at 7:11 PM Post #655 of 2,116


Quote:
For the guys who have received the FA-011, was a signature required?  
 
Mat, call your local post office and see if they deliver on Saturday even though Monday is a holiday.  If the package is already @ the pickup site, I usually get packages delivered on Saturday still.


Mine was the same as the pair of FA-002s I ordered.  I believe a signature was required, since I got home on Wednesday and there was a note stuck in my door saying I needed to pick it up at the post office, even though there's a locked package box for USPS stuff by my mailbox.
A few more impressions:  I had the Fischers on for about an hour and a half.  They were tolerable, but it was nice to put on my AKGs for a movie I watched.  Again, phenomenal bass.  Definitely north of neutral, but so seductive.  You keep expecting its strength to overcome the other frequencies, but it never does.  Pretty remarkable.
Detail and clarity are excellent.  Soundstage is okay.  Nothing special (definitely inferior to the AKGs).  These are more forward than laid back.
 
 
May 27, 2011 at 7:16 PM Post #656 of 2,116
I live in apt. complex and it was left with the manager.  I did give my manager the right to sign for my packages.
 
Quote:
For the guys who have received the FA-011, was a signature required?  
 
Mat, call your local post office and see if they deliver on Saturday even though Monday is a holiday.  If the package is already @ the pickup site, I usually get packages delivered on Saturday still.



 
 
May 27, 2011 at 7:26 PM Post #657 of 2,116
I've had mine for a few weeks by now and for those who are concerned about comfort I must say that using them on a daily basis usually for two to three hours I find them far less bothering than at the beginning. Coming from the AH-D2000 I was first really unhappy about the clamping force. Also the padding could be slightly thicker, but by now I hardly notice the cans on my head anymore - or rather I notice them without being annoyed. So I think their excellent sound deserves your patience.....you might find them more comfy after a while too.
 
May 27, 2011 at 9:43 PM Post #658 of 2,116


Quote:
Mat, call your local post office and see if they deliver on Saturday even though Monday is a holiday.  If the package is already @ the pickup site, I usually get packages delivered on Saturday still.


Guess what..USPS has blessed me with the phones delivered today itself 
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gorgeous 
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May 27, 2011 at 10:00 PM Post #659 of 2,116
Congrats bro!!!  I had a feeling you'd be getting them today.  If they are in your local post office in the AM, the chances of delivery later in the day is almost guaranteed from my experience =D.  Ooooh, you went for the set!!!  Nice 
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May 27, 2011 at 11:10 PM Post #660 of 2,116
I've been listening to them for almost a week now (many hours a day), and I also feel that they get more comfortable over time.  It's either that or, they mutilate your ears so that the headphones become more comfortable.  :p
 
I've been listening to them exclusively on E7/E9, and today, I started listening to them from the stereo channel (not line out) of my Auzen Prelude soundcard unamped.  I can't really notice much if any difference as of yet...definitely not ~$200 worth of difference to my beginner's ears.  What do you guys think?  Is there something specific I should be listening for, or certain tracks that would grossly show a difference?  I almost feel like if I have to ask, it means there isn't something large or obvious.  This is my first set of phones and first amp/dac, by the way.  It's quite hard to do a true comparison, though, since I can't guarantee that the volumes are equal.
 

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