As the "orthodox successor" of Fei'ao 2018 four-moving iron headset FA7, FA7S is naturally also a pure moving iron headset. However, its moving iron units have increased to six, the same as the flagship FA9 of the Fei'ao FA moving iron series. The unit here is a brief mention, the internal structure we will talk about in detail later, first look at the appearance. Unlike the previous three products of the FA series, which all use 3D printing technology, Fei O has chosen a metal material with higher technology and higher capital threshold on FA7S.
Product specifications
Wearing style: Ear-to-ear
Unit type: moving iron unit
Unit composition: floor-type moving iron × 2 (high frequency)
Fios Custom Moving Iron Unit × 2 (Intermediate Frequency)
Floor-type moving rail × 2 (low frequency)
Frequency response range: 10Hz ~ 40kHz
Horn impedance: 18Ω @1kHz
Headphone sensitivity: 111dB (1kHz@1mW)
Maximum power: 100mW
Wire change interface: MMCX
Wire type: high purity single crystal copper silver plated wire
Cable length: Approximately 120cm
Unit weight: 8.4g
Reference price: 2199 yuan
Not to say that 3D printing technology is not good enough, three years ago when FA7 was first launched, the combination of resin material and 3D printing technology is still synonymous with custom headphones, and at that time, FeiO, as the world's first manufacturer to apply this material and technology in mass production headphones, did have a pioneering taste. But now 3D printing technology has been popularized, from hundreds of yuan products to tens of thousands of yuan of products can see its application. Therefore, FA7S chose a metal material, which can not only reflect the differentiation, but also bring users a more textured external experience.
Tough metallic wind
Third generation family industrial design
In fact, from the new headphones launched by Fei O in the past year or so, we can already see this change in the design and materials of Fei O. It is called the third generation of family industrial design, FD5, FD7 and other products are the same. FA7S has its own unique recognition of the design, all stainless steel ear shell cavity, the front circular panel using brushing process, supplemented by Y-shaped windmill elements, the line embedded in the blue air-conducting steel mesh, making it present a sense of technology that is not common on Hi-Fi headphones.
The design of "Y" is also exquisite, each angle of the three sides is 120 °, and the circular panel is divided into three equal parts, which not only has a balanced and symmetrical aesthetic, but also echoes the acoustic design concept of three-frequency balance. In addition to the silver prototype in my hand, fa7S also has a black gold color scheme - adding black elements to the PVD plating process, and changing the gas-conductive steel mesh to gold, compared with the silver version, it has an elegant temperament.
Interchangeable cable design, MMCX interface... The FA7S has the "standard" design on The FA7S. It is accompanied by a high purity monocrystalline copper silver-plated headphone cable with 8 strands of 152-core Leeds structure. Expanded MMCX interface, left "blue" right "red" logo is convenient for users to quickly distinguish between left and right.
It is optimized at the joint, with an elbow design and an ergonomic joint amplitude for a more comfortable wearing experience. At the same time, the other end of the headphone cable adopts the design of the in-line interchangeable audio plug, with a standard 3.5mm single-ended / 2.5mm balance / 4.4mm balance three plugs, for most users, even if you do not buy additional headphone cables, the standard headphone cable can also cope with the needs of access to various devices.
From the "four" to the "six" hardware file is obvious
Although the appearance is "remodeled", what you are more concerned about is undoubtedly the biggest upgrade inside the FA7S - the application of a six-unit floor-style moving iron. From FA7 to FA7S, the latter's increase in the number of moving iron units alone is exciting enough, not to mention that FA7S is based on the current FA series of "Big Brother" FA9 as a model for moving iron units and audio architecture planning. Its low frequency and high frequency are each responsible for 2 floor-type moving iron units, while the intermediate frequency part is where Fei Ao has made great efforts, and the manufacturer has deeply developed and customized an intermediate frequency composite moving iron unit. The three-frequency moving iron adopts an independent sound cavity design, which can effectively reduce the frequency band interference phenomenon.
The increase in the number of units is only one aspect, in order to make good units sound good, it also requires systematic planning and design of architecture. Fei'ao's style for FA7S is positioned as a balanced sound, which requires six units to achieve uniform timbre and balanced energy distribution. In order to achieve energy balance, Fei Ao adopts a physical three-way design, designing high, medium and low three-way frequencies as a 1:1:1 acoustic balance system, using a "2+2+2" acoustic configuration, and then through the electronic and structural crossover design, the three-frequency cutting and then splicing and fusion to achieve a more balanced three-frequency distribution.
Comfortable to wear
Listening for a long time is not tired
When introducing the FA7S's standard headphone cable, it was mentioned that it was ergonomically optimized at the connector. In the actual wearing experience, it can be felt that it has excellent stability, and the presence of the ear part is not strong, mainly when the head is turned, it can be better adapted to the user's requirements for the wearing stability of the headset when going out. In the part of the ear feeling, although the FA7S made of stainless steel is not as warm to the touch as the FA7 resin cavity, the comfort is not inferior. Its inner cavity has been polished to have a mirror-like smooth effect, while the cavity is round and silky, and the touch behind the ear and the ear is still delicate and refreshing.
The toughness of the metal material is only reflected in its own firmness, and there is no "hard" component in the listener's wearing feeling. In addition to the shape of the cavity that fits the shape of the ear, the sound tube that goes deep into the ear canal is not very long, and the default earbud sleeve can already achieve a very comfortable feeling without putting pressure on the ear canal. Even if you listen to music for a long time, your ears don't feel tired easily.
Audition experience
Next, use the M11 Plus with the FA7S for a preview. When it comes to pure moving iron headphones, most people have a strong "listening smell" in their ears, but FA7S is not this typical moving iron style. At first listening, you can feel its original intention of pursuing a balanced and healthy "triangle" on the three frequencies. The superior resolution of the moving iron unit and the sound density are naturally presented. At the same time, the configuration of the six-unit gives it ample space, and the custom moving iron unit responsible for the intermediate frequency plays an important role in the formation of its style, weakening the monitoring taste of the traditional moving iron headphones, bringing more listening and moving characteristics, and the sound is also very uniform. In this regard, the FA7S is quite similar to the FA9, but the latter can achieve more sound adjustments and variations due to the tuning switch, while the FA7S is more like a fixed balanced tuning style.
Fa7S's three-frequency connection is smooth and smooth, there will be no "split" sense of hearing, and Fei'ao's tuning power for multi-unit headphones has been quite mature. The addition of the custom IF unit not only continues the natural, loose dynamic performance of similar dynamic headphones already shown on the FA7, but also goes a step further, with a thicker sense of sound and better density. The vocals have a nice charm and are very enduring, and the sculpting position slightly closer to the ear is just right for the presentation of this trait. Fei Ao did not deliberately "show off" the "brightness" of the high frequency of the moving iron unit on the FA7S, but focused on creating a more stretched and silky listening, which can be said to be less frizzy and more cheerful. Of course, the good high-frequency dynamic range and ductility have not been affected, and the details are presented in place. The analytical power and elasticity of the FA7S low-frequency part are easy to capture, the sense of volume is maintained in a moderate balance, and the overall feeling is not the surging and continuous low-frequency energy, but more emphasis on rapid and solid condensed listening. Fa7S has a high sensitivity, I found some mobile phones and tablets that also provide a 3.5mm interface and pushed it directly, and the sound is not bad.
brief summary
Pure moving iron headphones are easy to mark the "iron taste" of the distinct brand, but after polishing the more high-end product FA9 experience, the FA7S modeled on it in the pursuit of more balanced sound quality performance appears to be more comfortable, I think it has a balanced tuning mode FA9 shadow. In the case of a sharp increase in cost compared with FA7, Fei Ao still places it at a price of 2,000 yuan, which is full of sincerity.