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Author Topic: FAD 1601 Measurements  (Read 3036 times)

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Marvey

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FAD 1601 Measurements
« on: January 23, 2013, 07:32:56 AM »
Also discussed here: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,742.msg17030.html#msg17030



Subjective Impressions pre-measurement - this time with the bare metal tips:
  • Bandwidth limited.
  • Piece of shit.
  • WTF!
  • Huh?
  • Amazing (how something could be so bad)
Nominate to Wall of Shame / Walkin' the Plank?

This is the kind of shit that pisses me off. Only because it gives nwavguy and minions ammunition that high-end = colored rip-off gear. The tonal coloration is not pleasant. It is simply low-fidelity. Although from HF, we all know that low-fidelity may be pleasant sounding to a few.

FYI: per all other IEM measurements on this site, there is a cutoff after 9kHz.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 07:40:24 AM by purrin »
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Marvey

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2013, 07:39:00 AM »
Burst Decays.
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Maxvla

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2013, 07:50:00 AM »
 :-00
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Marvey

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2013, 07:55:05 AM »
Sonove's results: http://sonove.angry.jp/finalaudiodesign_FlDC1601SB.html (Just found out Sonove measured the same thing - I run a slightly different compensation curve, but results are consistent with his.)

Alternate subjective impressions from HF: http://www.head-fi.org/t/458719/wow-the-final-audio-design-fi-dc1601sb-also-known-as-dont-go-to-yodobashi-lol


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Marvey

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2013, 07:58:24 AM »
Harmonic Distortion.

Bass distortion does make these things much warmer than the FR graph by itself would indicate. Higher order distortion is relatively low. Midrange distortion is actually decent/good.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 08:24:08 AM by purrin »
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Maxvla

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2013, 07:59:02 AM »
How do you make something so bad?  p:0

and LOL @ the 'best IEMs I've ever heard' impressions.
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ultrabike

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2013, 08:11:00 AM »
Definitively walk the plank
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Sforza

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2013, 08:35:04 AM »
Questions on the measurements:

- Clearly they were tuned to sound like... something. The low frequency roll off starting at 100hz is exactly where the distortion measurements start to build up towards a peak. Is there anything from the marketing copy that states what they exactly the designers were going for?

- Is that drop between 1 and 2khz audible?

- Do they really just roll off off at 4.5khz? It's ridiculous to have something that's that limited.

- I read on some descriptions of a similarly shaped FAD product that they were supposed to "equalize ear pressure" or something. Do they even seal properly to begin with?

Anyway...  walk the plank
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Marvey

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2013, 08:41:36 AM »
Quote from: Sforza on January 23, 2013, 08:35:04 AM
Questions on the measurements:

- Clearly they were tuned to sound like... something. The low frequency roll off starting at 100hz is exactly where the distortion measurements start to build up towards a peak. Is there anything from the marketing copy that states what they exactly the designers were going for?


- Is that drop between 1 and 2khz audible?

- Do they really just roll off off at 4.5khz? It's ridiculous to have something that's that limited.

- I read on some descriptions of a similarly shaped FAD product that they were supposed to "equalize ear pressure" or something. Do they even seal properly to begin with?

Anyway...  walk the plank


Answers below:
  • No idea on the literature, but clearly FAD does go for a certain colored sound. This is the reason why I gave the FAD Piano Forte VIII a "pass", or didn't feel the need to make harsh comment on it. I can understand the PF8's weirdness. (Actually, I can't, but I'm just saying so to be nice.) This IEM however is simply a really really really bad bandwidth limited product. It's on another level of bad. I cannot turn on my Dale Carnegie nice-speak mode to stop myself from saying this is really a huge
          poo poo poo
  • Drop between 1 and 2kHz was inaudible to me.
  • Yes, these do start rolling off that early! That is from the upper midrange. In fact, all we hear is upper bass to midrange!
  • These are ported and sit somewhat loosely with the metal tips. I don't think they are supposed to totally seal.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 09:14:28 AM by purrin »
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ultrabike

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Re: FAD 1601 Measurements
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2013, 08:52:31 AM »
Trying to picture how these would sound, but from the measurements and description seems to me that the target coloration here is the analog telephone line p:8
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