Fischer Audio Eterna rev1 reprod

[IDvsEGO]

Fischer Audio Eterna v1 reproduction
ordered from bugdenaudio.com

Accessories
Stock tips are OK, nothing special. I bailed on them for the Sony hybrids almost right away. Hybrids went on easily. The stock ears guides are bulky but not bad. I had extra Phonak guides so I used them instead.

Build
They have a thick cable, sturdy plug, plastic body but seems strong. Strain relief is a bit short but hopefully better than previous versions. Right angle plug is always good for me. This one isn't as beefy as the VB but def better than the S4.

Fit
With stock tips, the biflanges didn't feel too comfy on me...or should I say in me. I went straight to the Sony Hybrids and they were pretty easy to get a good seal and good comfort. The body is a bit of a bubble but is light and not obtrusive. I have worn these for a couple of hours so far and they are fine. While I did put on the Phonak ear guides, the cable is heavy enough that it should lay fine without anything.

Isolation
at moderate listeing levels on my J3, isolation is good. I can hear the occasional clikcing of my noisy keyboard as I type this and I can hear loud noises in my office but I cant hear my coworkers convo from 30 feet. The speaker phone is an occasional barely audible noise. I will give a better iso test once I go out for lunch a couple of times, but I consider these to do the job. well enough.


Sound
Fun is about right. I mean, they don't sound like they are too lacking anywhere so I don't feel like I am sacrificing or that the bass is bleeding into anything. The contrary actually. Its midbass emphasis is well contained. I have run several types of music through it and they haven't left me feeling like I am missing anything huge in any genre. that's a huge accomplishment for me. They also have decent bass from my 3rd gen touch. Another huge accomplishment. Now for the question EVERYONE will ask me...how do they compare to the VB? The bass is slightly more midbass oriented than the VBs, but that is cool for most stuff. Its what the general public responds too anyway. I have some songs that I know have a stronger low end presence than these show, but its still there.

Conclusion
What it all boils down to for me is "would you buy them again if you had the chance to go back and redo your decision?" Yes. Yes two times actually. Man, $70 gets you a good set these days. Well worth the wait and the money. These over the VBs? Hard to say. AE only goes over the ear and has a moderate insertion depth. Fun sound, good bass, and nice tone throughout. The VB has more grunt, shallower insertion, tuning ports, and can be over the ear or straight. I really think this is more about fit and a slight sound difference. The EA will instantly make any music pop in comparison to stock or budget buds and has a generally appealing sound while the VB is a monster at times. That's a good thing for me. OK, that wasn't really an answer because I feel like the answer is different for everybody. Heck, for me it just depends on the day of the week or direction of the breeze. They are two great IEMs for people that demand some bass and just like to enjoy their musical experience, not analyze it.

[lestatar]

ID: Congrats and thanks for the review! Sounds like a worthy addition to your stable. Any chance we can get some real world pics of the IEMs and the packaging?

And just a suggestion but...

You have a very nice selection of IEMs - maybe some more direct comparisons to other stuff, like you did with the VBs a bit?

Thanks and nice work!
-les

[IDvsEGO]

I have some pics with the phonaks and sonys but cant post yet. Busy at work. I just copy and pasted this from an earlier type up. I will compare them to others but will have to go back and dust them off. honestly, the M6 got about a week of use and I went back to the VBs. I haven't even listened to the s4 on the J3 I don't think. heh...obviously I really needed to get these EAs huh?

[WalkGood]

Nice review, short and to the point it's fine the way it is, only if possible add some personal pics when you get a chance like lestatar stated.

[IDvsEGO]

thanks, yeah, I dont have the critical ear that some do, so I leave the detailed stuff to others. But I do know what I like and I am choosey with how I spend my money. I am working on a set test track list for better AB comparisons between sets too closely. I dont think its fair to compare sets if they have different variables. still, some general imrpessions wont be too hard to do.

[Adub]

Good read, thanks for this.

[dfkt]

What does "rev 1 reprod" mean?

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by IDvsEGO

... I am working on a set test track list for better AB comparisons between sets too closely. ...

There's a lot of suggestions out for a good set of test tracks and I've got a few personals that I use, but you might want to check out "The Ultimate Demonstration Disk (1995) [FLAC]." This is a good start for you as before each track a narrator explains where a track excels and what you should be listening for. Sometimes he’ll give the distance an instrument is from a microphone so you can try to understand the arrangement better. This way you can determine for yourself if it sounds accurate to you when the tracks are played.

[The Larch]

Originally Posted by dfkt

What does "rev 1 reprod" mean?

I think a rev2 came out that people didn't like as much so fischer reproduced the "rev 1"

[dfkt]

Interesting, thanks.

[IDvsEGO]

Originally Posted by The Larch

I think a rev2 came out that people didn't like as much so fischer reproduced the "rev 1"

Yep, this. I specified because I haven't seen a comparison of the new rev 1 to the old rev 1. I guess these should be rev 1.2 actually, but whatever.

[lestatar]

ID: Yes, WG makes a good point as always - nice concise read.

@WG, my suggestion for a bit more comparisons was only in light of the fact that ID already has some very popular IEMs in his stable. Folks [me, for instance] I think might like to "hear" how various IEMs stack up, especially against stuff they might already own or have heard/heard about

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by lestatar

... @WG, my suggestion for a bit more comparisons ...

I wasn't knocking your suggestion, fact is I liked your thoughts too. We all have different suggestions and there's no "one way is best," hopefully he takes the best of the suggestions and incorporates them into his writing style for updates or future reviews. I was only stating my thoughts on the read as is and sometimes I like short to the point ...

[IDvsEGO]

I like the suggestions...This is the first review of any type that I have put out there for the general public. I may tweak this one with some things mentioned. follow up question...how do you guys feel about ratings? I intentionally didnt include any because I wanted people to draw their own conclusions and make them actually read the review instead of skimming for the ratings. I know I am guilty of skimming the ratings and skipping to the conclusion of a long review.

[dfkt]

Skip the ratings, I'd say. A scale from 1 to 5 or 10 or infinity never explained anything for me. What you wrote is good enough to draw one's own conclusions, IMO.

[IDvsEGO]

Originally Posted by dfkt

Skip the ratings, I'd say. A scale from 1 to 5 or 10 or infinity never explained anything for me. What you wrote is good enough to draw one's own conclusions, IMO.

that's what I thought too, thanks.

[Machiventa]

great review. will consider these in the future due to this thread.

[lestatar]

Originally Posted by dfkt

Skip the ratings, I'd say. A scale from 1 to 5 or 10 or infinity never explained anything for me. What you wrote is good enough to draw one's own conclusions, IMO.

Agreed. Ratings are stupid and not really useful to me...

[lestatar]

Originally Posted by WalkGood

There's a lot of suggestions out for a good set of test tracks and I've got a few personals that I use, but you might want to check out "The Ultimate Demonstration Disk (1995) [FLAC]." This is a good start for you as before each track a narrator explains where a track excels and what you should be listening for. Sometimes he’ll give the distance an instrument is from a microphone so you can try to understand the arrangement better. This way you can determine for yourself if it sounds accurate to you when the tracks are played.

@WG: Huge THANK YOU for this. Excellent indeed. The narration before the tracks is an excellent learning tool for me to help me try and become slightly more of a critical listener.

Awesome man...

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by lestatar

Agreed. Ratings are stupid and not really useful to me...

That's how I feel about rating songs.