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.
