Fischer Amps FA-4E XB Grey

For the last 6 years I have always put my trust in Shure products, and still do as their earphones are superb, these Fischer Amps earphones are also superb and I am extremely happy with this purchase, even after using Shure E500's for years I found these FA earphones opened new doors in their sound separation and quality .... these FA 4E XB earphones are quite simply an excellent product, well designed with an excellent balaced sound ... my compliments to Fischer Amps for these earphones, and to Thomann for making them available for me to purchase.
Perfect German engineering professionally supplied by probably the best source of electronics available today. top level product from Fischer Amps and top service from Thomann.

These were purchased as an upgrade to the UE Triple.Fi 10's which had served as my primary headphones for the past few years. I've now had the Fischer Amps for the best part of a year so feel ready to review them. I also have ATH-M50's and DT-880 (600)'s for comparison.

From the outset it was obvious that FA's were of a better build quality than the UE's. Aside from the logo stickers on the side of the driver shells which fell off within a few days, I've had no reliability issues with these headphones. Even the cables have held up exceptionally well, considering the UE's required a new replacement cable every few months and I'm still on the cable that shipped with the FA's.

The FA's are very comfortable, which is a great improvement over the notoriously unergonomic UE's. I can even lay on my side with the side of my head against a pillow without it being uncomfortable. The memory wire at the top of the cable helps keep the headphones in place whilst moving around. Aesthetically, they 're unassuming without looking cheap.

Now onto the important part. These have an unashamedly coloured sound. If you're looking for a flat response, look elsewhere. The sound is fun, pleasing for a majority of genres. The bass is somewhat exaggerated, mainly at the lower end and they are capable of reproducing reasonable sub-bass. There is also a milder boost of the upper frequency range, resulting in a classic V shaped response. On the other hand, these IEM's reproduce a lot of clarity in a small to medium sized soundstage. The sound is intimate and detailed without a hint of sibilance at the high end. You won't get the most shimmering highs, nor a veiled sound, they sound quite 'natural' at the high end to my ears. The low end is controlled, capable of rumbling bass which never sounds flabby.

The FA's are sensitive, easy to drive. My sources are the HTC One M8 and an O2+ODAC, with FLAC or MP3@320. The O2+ODAC definitely sounds slightly better, but not by miles. You don't need a strong amp to drive these well.

To sum up, I'm very happy with my purchase decision. These are excellent headphones for everyday use with a variety of sources. They provide a nice compromise between a detailed and fun sound with an impressive bass response.

I've had these ear phones for 8years now. They have been fantastic. Sound and comfort is amazing. They could do better in the bass department, but if you listen to lots of rock you won't be disappointed. Still performs well with music with bass, but slightly lacking sometimes.

But I've had them for 8yrs and still going strong. The cable has only malfunctioned and I have taken these ear phones with me every where when traveling so they have good build quality.