Package:
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Just like controlling the unit, the package it comes in is plain and simple. No special designs, no fancy pants packaging. What you get is a simple cardboard box in which the FA-10 is neatly and securely stored. All you get is the amplifier.
There are no RCA or XLR cables in the package, so you have to source your own. For most amplifiers that is standard practice.
Build Quality:
You can be a fan of the simplistic design of the FA-10 or not. I personally like my units looking simple. The FA-10 is built very well in my opinion. The unit comes in all-black except for the silver volume knob, the switches and the print on the front and back.
The FA-10 doesn’t have a fancy design. It is simple and clean. People who want something more extravagant won’t be wowed by it, that’s for sure.
I put my FA-10 in my self-made rack together with all my other amps and DACs. It gives a nice contrast to the usual silver gear I have. One thing I always check first with new gear, is how the volume knob is implemented. If it wobbles it’s a job done badly. The FA-10’s knob sits secure and firm, but allows to be rotated still with ease. That’s how you do it. It doesn’t move around left or right, it just sits securely on the front.
If there’s one thing I don’t like about the FA-10, it’s probably the screws in the corners of the front plate. I am nit-picking here, I know, but I just don’t like them. The FA-10 would look a whole lot cleaner if they weren’t there.
Flux Lab Acoustics FA-10
Sound:
The most important part of a HiFi product is always its sound. It’s the thing we all are after – good sounding gear. I have used the FA-10 for weeks with different sources. I paired it with my Chord Electronics Hugo2, the Matrix Audio Element M, the Topping D90 and the Burson Conductor 3X. They all played together with a variety of headphones. I used full sized headphones like the HiFiMAN Susvara and HE1000se, the Abyss Diana Phi and Diana V2, as well as the MrSpeakers Ether 2 and Aeon 2. For stress testing I used my vintage AKG K240 (Sextett, early 70’s edition).
One thing I would like to note right at the start, is how quiet the background of the FA-10 is. Even with portable headphones like the Shinola Canfield it does not produce any noticeable hissing in low gain. Which is always a very important factor to me. Even the 64 Audio Fourté Noir only brought out very mild electronic hiss. And that is a very rare trait to find in a desktop sized amplifier.
With that black background the FA-10 makes up for one of the nicest imaging abilities I have heard in a headphone amplifier to this day. The Flux renders instruments and singers with great care and gives each of them very good definition. It separates musicians with precision and places them accurately in the room.
The FA-10 has an overall linear sound that is oozing of transparency. Especially in the midrange it brings out a transparent sound that just convinces. The Flux comes with a full body throughout the entire frequency spectrum and gives notes and tones a wonderful size. To me, it all sounds nicely full with the right density. You get a sound, that is realistic and natural without over-sizing anything.
Bass reaches deep into lows, but there is no clear bass bump. The FA-10 doesn’t play favorites with any particular range. It reaches into sub-bass with good control. Lows are well formed and defined with very nice texture. Don’t expect any extra bass from the FA-10, if you want to push more volume in the lows through your amp, look elsewhere.
The mids are as previously mentioned transparent. They however also come with a certain body that makes midrange notes sound particularly full and enjoyable to me. The FA-10 provides a clarity in the mids, that gives every instrument a clear and clean sound.
Treble is again linear with nothing boosted in particular to me. It does add a dose of body again, which makes sharper edges a bit softer to the touch. Highs are well defined and clean. There’s no sharpness in the treble of the FA-10 on its own.
In technical aspects I think the FA-10 does a very good job. It creates a highly resolved and finely rendered picture. Every musician is portrayed in excellent light, which gives them just perfect contours. There is great contrast, with a pitch black background. In terms of sound stage dimensions the FA-10 does create a moderately sized venue. It doesn’t throw you into a massive arena, but it doesn’t sound closed in either.
Most of the final coloration is depending on the source and the headphones you use the FA-10 with. What the Flux mostly does in the end, is control your headphone with quality amplification. It gives you the sound of your chain in the most transparent and true-to-life way possible. The FA-10 adds a layer of weight and body, to give your music a more organic touch.
My favorite source pairing with the FA-10 is definitely the Element M. It gives the Flux a nicely rich and engaging tone that makes me come back day after day.
Flux Lab Acoustics FA-10
Pairings:
With 16 Watts into 32 Ohms load, the FA-10 should not have a problem driving any headphone. Also with the adjustable gain settings, you should be covered when it comes to varying parings. I have personally tested the FA-10 with many different headphones and even In Ears. Some pairings I want to go deeper into detail here, as I think they are absolutely worth mentioning.
HiFiMAN – Susvara (83 dB/mW; 60 Ohms)
The Susvara is without a doubt one of the best headphones available today. It’s also one of the most expensive, so it better be awesome. It usually asks a lot from an amplifier. It needs a lot of power to get loud enough, but it also absolutely scales with quality amplification. I am using the high gain setting and volume around 12 o’clock and a little further to reach my preferred loudness.
The FA-10 knows how to handle the Susvara very well. You get a very accurate and well defined signature, that sports immense resolution and precision. Bass goes deep, with excellent technicalities. Lows are dynamic and come with good impact and thunder if need be. The bass sounds very natural and organic with the Susvara, and that comes into play especially in Jazz records.
One thing this setup does supremely well, is the combination of a pitch black background and extreme resolution. Here it is very obvious how much the Susvara enjoys a good amplifier. Everything sounds in control, and even when things can get a bit messy, it’s the Susvara that puts everything into place.
The Susvara’s ability to put analytical finesse and musicality together is coming out strong with the FA-10. It leaves me with the impression of having everything displayed and not missing a single beep, while also being able to just kick back and enjoy the concert. I recently was at a concert in Vienna’s finest concert hall (called Konzerthaus, thanks to my girlfriend for the birthday-present) and the room acoustics were just amazing. I sat high up and relatively far away from the musicians, but I heard everything so clearly. This is what the Susvara x FA-10 does right here in my living room.
Mids and treble both sound smooth and rich. The sense of space is absolutely great, and every musician appears in his/her own spotlight. You get very high resolution and a sound stage that spreads well out of your head. Singers are taking center stage and enjoy the right dose of emotions and blood. Highs have good energy in them but come with enough silk to not sound splashy or harsh.
Overall, this is a fantastic pairing and one that I enjoyed on many, many occasions.
More pairings and Comparisons on the next page!
Via
This is the best amplifier I’ve heard in this price range.
teknorob23
great review and very interesting amp, you mentioned testing with Hugo2. Please could you share your thoughts on how they a) compare just from an amplification POV and also how they partner with H2 on DAC duties. Many thanks in advance :)t
Linus
Hi Teknorob,
thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
The Hugo2 doesn’t have an analogue input, so I assume you want to know how it handles headphones on its own, right?
Truth be told, the Hugo2 still is the best single unit transportable DAC/Amp to me. It however doesn’t get my fullsized headphones to the same level as the FA-10. It’s in stuff like dynamics, sound stage and how it’s organized, imaging etc. All that stuff is just better handled on the FA-10 with headphones like the Susvara, Diana Phi or HE1000se for example.
With the Hugo2 as DAC for the FA-10 it results in a highly detailed and precise sound, it’s a bit colder and more analytical than my personal preference, but I can see why people would go crazy for it. This pairing would definitely be of higher resolution than with the Matrix Element M (which is my preferred unit for the FA-10). With the Hugo2 taking over DAC duties it would all be about the details. The finest drops of information.
Hope that helps.
Let me know if you have more questions. 🙂
James
How would this amp compare with the formula s with the powerman. I am looking at this as an option to have with my liquid platinum. I have my friends formula s that he will sell me at a good price but if I can save some money that would be great. I would pair it with the dCS Bartok and Abyss TC.
Linus
Hi James,
thanks for your comment.
I honestly can’t tell how it compares to either the Formula S or the Liquid Platinum. Unfortunately I haven’t heard either one of them. But I am very sure that the FA-10 can drive the Abyss TC to very good levels, can’t confirm though. The Flux drives the Susvara superbly and I assume it would do the same with the Abyss. Although the Formula S was specifically designed to get the maximum out of the AB-1266, so it is very likely to push the TC also to its best.
dCS Bartok: veeeery nice! 🙂
Teknorob23
Thanks for taking the time to come back to me it’s much appreciated. In the meantime I had a long Facebook chat with flux today and they agreed with your assessment of the the Hugo/fa10 pairing and suggested I’d be better suited with It’s balanced sibling the fa12, despite the fact I wouldn’t be availing myself of this extra feature the warmer signature sounds a better match. Their enthusiasm is infectious, pricing seems very competitive that combine with yours and review pretty unequivocal reviews I decided to chance my arm and pull the trigger on the fa12. Thanks again and keep up the good work, although there’s a risk if I keep rewind I’m going to come out of lockdown a lot poorer than I went in and the pay as a stand in teacher at home school does go far 😉 🙂
Linus
Hello Teknorob,
no worries, I’m happy to help.
The Flux people are very nice, and I agree, their enthusiasm is very infectious.
Very cool you pulled the trigger on the FA-12! Let me know how you like it when you received it. I’m also very interested in it. 🙂
Haha, I know what you mean! I’m also about to buy a new toy (Hugo TT2). But the lock-down restrictions are going to be lifted here soon. Although there will remain some left-overs of the restrictions (masks for example).
Hope you’re doing well wherever you are. 😉
Jerwin
Hi, nice review and very interesting amp. I am just wondering on how it pairs with the HD800? I am currently looking for a new amp to upgrade from THX-789. While the THX is good, I think I can still get a better sound quality by upgrading to a higher tier amp with the HD800. And since the FA-10 is within my budget range.
I plan to pair it with PC, Eitr, and RS06 as the source and DAC.
Also do you consider this to be an “end game” amp? I know there is no such thing as end game in this hobby, but it seems that the FA-10 is a really powerful amp which makes it as a future proof amp.
Linus
Hi Jerwin,
thanks for your comment, much appreciated!
It’s been a long while since I last heard the HD800, I owned the HD800S, but also sold that due to lack of use. Personally, I think the HD800 is best paired with a lush sounding tube amp. The FA-10 might be too neutral for the HD800 (at least for my taste). If you are into neutrality and superb precision, this could be it. Flux however is working on a warmer version of the FA-10, which is called FA-12. I have not heard that one yet.
As you said, End Game is a very sensitive term. 🙂
But for what it’s worth, I would be very happy with just the FA-10.
Hope that helps.
Raj
Hi Linus – How does the FA-10 compare to the amp section of the Burson Conductor 3/3X? You mentioned the 3X in associated test gear, but no notes were in the review.
After reading your and Matty’s impressions of the 3x/3 respectively (and another site starting with “Head….”), I put it on my shortlist for when Burson (hopefully) releases an amp-only version. Been looking for something quieter, yet as holographic, to replace my Airist Heron 5.
My current DAC is the NuForce DAC-80 paired with the Schitt EITR interface and Schitt Loki EQ control. I’m currently auditioning the RME ADI-2-DAC FS and am really enjoying it, though it definitely needs an outboard amp for full sized cans. Headphones are currently 2016 Audeze LCD-XC but thinking about the Focal Stellia next. Wireworld cables throughout.
Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
Linus
Hi Raj,
thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Sorry if the C3X wasn’t in the comparisons section, wanted to keep it on point with amps only. But glad you asked!
The FA-10 is much quieter and has an almost dead silent noise floor even with IEMs. The Burson has more hiss and doesn’t sound as clean. The contrast on the FA-10 is also nicer in my opinion. Both can handle hard to drive cans, but in my opinion the FA-10 does it with more grip and authority. Both are very neutral sounding products, but the FA-10 has more body and flesh to my ears. The Burson does sound more open and wider spread for that matter. It reaches a more holographic staging. I can’t say how it compares to the Airist.
I am not sure if Burson would release an amp only version of the C3X, although I’m sure many people would love that.
The XC and Stellia both would be driven well by either the Burson or Flux. The Stellia in particular is supposed to be a rather easy to drive headphone. Matty checked that one out not too long ago, he was very happy with it.
By the way, it’s okay if you read other review sites, I like Headfonics too (I suppose you were reading their C3 review). 😉
It’s important to gather as many impressions as possible.
Hope that helps.
Raj
Thanks, Linus! I went ahead and placed an order for the FA-10, they should have them back in stock in a month or so.
Linus
Hi Raj,
oh you are in for a treat. The FA-10 is certainly worth the wait. 🙂
Enjoy your new toy.
Raj
I’ve had the FA-10 for a few weeks now and it’s basically endgame for me!
I’ve compared it to the Questyle CMA600i, Airist Heron 5, Hagerman Tuba, Linear Tube Audio MZ2… even tried the McIntosh MHA100 on a whim and I’m done searching for an alternative – I’m not interested in the newest Burson C3’s since the DAC is redundant for me.
Running the ZMF Verite C, RME ADI-2-DAC FS v2 (which I preferred over the Chord Qutest on this amp), Auralic Aires Mini w/ SBooster, and a full Audio Sensibility Impact SE cable loom with Furutech connectors.
Thanks so much for posting your original review, I wouldn’t have found this gem otherwise!
Rave
Quite late here but those amps you mention – did you own them/try them for extended period or just A/B comparison? I have the MZ2 and initially I wasn’t taken aback by it or anything. But the more I played I started noticing that depth and layering is just on a different level on MZ2 compared to the liquid platinum I had at the time. Going back to Liquid Platinum, everything sounded flat by comparison, even though it was slightly more meaty. But I am looking for something balanced and really want to try Flux FA-10.
Rave
Okay, had both the MZ2 and FA-10 for sometime now and I can confidently say that MZ2 is in a different league to FA-10. It does almost everything better. The bass digs digs deeper, soundstage is bigger, instrument separation is more prominent, instrument timbre is better, detail is about equal and the treble remains smooth and never gets harsh. Overall, the sound is more ballsy than flux. Only area where Flux is better is transient response but that’s typical of solid state when compared to a tube amp. And you really don’t notice it while listening to music unless you’re analyzing. Anyway, wanted to give my two cents because I think your comment is quite misleading.
Janis
An excellent review, many thanks! Could you *please* also review the FA-12, which has just come out? I am in the market for a warm sounding quality headphone amp and would much prefer solid state over tube, though I understand I would get more options with tube. I know Violectric would be a great choice for me, the V280 in particular, but it is really expensive. FA-12 could be a cheaper option.
Linus
Hi Janis,
thanks for your comment.
The FA-12 review was requested just yesterday from Flux. So the review for it will come. When? I don’t know yet. But it will come. Just keep your eyes on Headfonia. 🙂
Unfortunately I don’t have the V280 at home, or any other Violectric product. So a comparison to it won’t happen unless I can source one locally on loan. Which is not very likely to be honest.
Janis
Perfect, thanks for making my day! May I suggest adding the hd800(s) headphones to your test setup. The hd800 owners are always on a lookout for a warm-sounding quality headphone amp. It would be nice to add another candidate to the shortlist where Violectric and Bottlehead amps reign supreme.
Linus
No worries.
I owned the HD800S a while ago, but didn’t use it much and had to let it go. In the end, I enjoyed other headphones a lot more. It is a critical to pair headphone indeed though. Maybe it would be good for the FA-12.
Saad
Hi, great review and it was very interesting to read however I was also looking for your thoughts of pairing this amp with the Topping D90 as DAC that you have mentioned in the gear section. I also have Topping D90 and I shall be receiving my Susvara in few days. I currently have Monoprice THX 887 amp but I am not sure whether it would be able to drive the Susvara to it’s full potential so I am looking for more powerful amp. Interestingly you mentioned the exact gear i.e. D90 > FA-10 > Susvara. Can you please tell me that how this pairing sounds or is D90 too analytical and cold for FA-10? This review has made me interested in FA-10 but I want to know how the complete system (D90, FA-10 and Susvara) sounds in your opinion.
Linus
Hi Saad,
thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
The D90 is an excellent DAC (review coming soon), but I find it a bit too cold especially in the mids, where vocals sound too sterile and analytical for my taste. For the FA-10 it’s not my preferred unit, and as you assumed, it’s too cold as a pairing. However, there is also the FA-12 (costs the same as the FA-10) which has a warmer signature overall. It might be better suited for the D90. Flux already requested the review for the FA-12, so I can go into that pairing soon. As long as I haven’t heard it, all I can say is what I read about it. Here’s a link to the product page on their website: https://fluxlab-acoustics.com/product/fa-12/
When I have the FA-12 at home, I will give it a good spin and put a dedicated comparison to the FA-10 into the article.
Hope that helps.
Cheers!
Saad
Thanks so much for your reply. Looking forward to your review of FA-12. Please check it with D90 and see if FA-12 can run Susvara as good as FA-10 can. The FA-12 seems to have less power.
Linus
Hi Saad,
will do! Don’t know yet when the FA-12 will arrive/be shipped though. As far as I can see, it’s on backorder right now on their website.
Indeed, the FA-12 only has 2.6W into 32 Ohms, while the FA-10 has 16W. Quite a bit less. We’ll see how it handles the Susvara. 🙂
Em
I came across this while looking for a pairing of lyr 3 and looking at options other than the bifrost and gives me little flexibility for different headphones.
Zmf aeolus mainly looking what can drive these.
Quad era-1
Th-x00
Grado RS-1e
Linus
Hi Em,
thanks for your comment.
The FA-10 should not have any difficulty driving either one of these headphones.
Hope that helps.
Cheers!
cfranchi
Hi,
As you have the hard to drive Susvara, for Hifiman HE6, do you recommend FA10 or Cayin iHA-6 ?
I will use Chord Mojo -> RCA inputs -> balanced output for max power : unlike other amps, the Cayin handle pretty well RCA to balanced (no quality loss) but don’t know about FA10.
Also the Cayin has high current mode very useful for planars.
Hard choice!
Thank you
Linus
Hi CFranchi,
thanks for your comment.
You are indeed right about the High Current mode on the i-HA6. That is a very useful feature for planar magnetics.
I don’t have the HE-6 myself, but since the FA-10 drives the Susvara just so beautifully, I assume it would do the same with the 6. The FA-10 x Susvara combo is my absolute favourite and I think you’d be happy with it too. But again, I don’t have any first hand experience with the HE-6, so take that with a huge amount of salt.
So I can’t recommend an amp per se for the HE-6, but if I’d have to just recommend an amp it would be the FA-10.
Hope that helps.
cfranchi
Ok, by the way, for Susvara do you prefer FA10 or iHA-6 ?
Linus
The FA-10. 🙂
cfranchi
Hmm, interesting 🙂
Last, do you use 6.35 jack or balanced output ?
From what I have read at Flux Audio, it seems that balanced is provided for convenience as the FA10 is not a true balanced amp.
Linus
I’m using the 4 Pin XLR mostly, as my cables are terminated to that plug.
You are right, the FA-10 is not a fully balanced design. Their upcoming FA-12 will be however. But I haven’t heard that one yet.
Brian
Hey,
Have you heard this amp would any of the Audezes particularly the LCD 3? I’m trying to debate between this and the GSX Mini Headamp amplifier.
Best,
Linus
Hi Brian,
thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
I don’t have any Audeze headphones unfortunately. Neither do I have the GSX Mini. So I can’t really say how they’d compare and how the FA-10 handles the LCD-3, but from my listening sessions with other hard to drive planars, I’m pretty sure the FA-10 would handle the LCD-3 like a charm. You just have to keep in mind, that the FA-10 doesn’t color the sound much.
That’s probably not the response you’ve been hoping for…
Cheers!
cfranchi
Hi again,
Which amp did you have used with Susvara before ?
For Susvara did you used amp that was better than FA-10 ?
Flux told me that FA-10 can output 10.5w at 50 ohm
Linus
Hi Cfranchi,
before the FA-10 I used either the i-HA6 or the Burson Conductor 3X, but neither of them makes the Susvara sound as good as the FA-10 in my opinion.
Hope that helps.
cfranchi
I have just ordered FA-10, your review and experience were helpful.
Can’t wait to try with my HE6se and Chord Mojo.
cfranchi
Which voltage for DAC input do you set ? 2v, 3v ? Flux told me that FA-10 doesn’t care about input voltage.
Linus
Hi Cfranchi,
the Element M’s XLR output is rated at 4V RMS, the Chord Hugo TT2’s Line Out is 3V in DAC mode and other RCA line level outputs are usually 2V RMS. So it really doesn’t matter it seems.
Hope you’ll enjoy the FA-10 as much as I do.
Cheers!
Manish
The fa10 vs Phonitor X or E for the LCD-4? Now we seen the Topping A90 come out, it measures superbly but i’d be worried it doesn’t have the top of the line power output at 200 ohms.
Linus
Hi Manish,
thanks for your comment.
I don’t have the LCD-4 here so I can’t say about how the FA-10 handles them from experience. But it does not break a sweat even with my AKG K240 (early 70’s edition, 600 Ohms). So I assume the FA-10 would also drive the LCD-4 well. All that is just speculation though as I can’t speak from first hand experience. The FA-10 however is a damn fine piece of equipment and one of the nicest amplifiers I’ve heard.
Also, unfortunately I don’t have the Phonitor amps here. So I can’t compare.
The A90 does seem to measure extremely well. But measurments aren’t the whole story as you rightfully noted too. On paper it seems like a steady amp, but I’ve heard gear in the past that measure extremely well, but lack excitement and character. So far Topping hasn’t requested a review for the A90 yet, so we will see if that will happen.
Hope that helps.
Janis
The FA-12 (ideally vs the Topping A90 and THX AAA-789) – will we see that review any time soon?
Linus
Hi Janis,
I don’t have any news to share unfortunately. Still waiting for the FA-12. Only Flux knows when it’s ready to be shipped at the moment.
Unfortunately I don’t have the A90 or THX amp. Matty will cover the A90 on Headfonia. 🙂
Hope that helps.
John
“Flux Lab Acoustics (FLA) is a rather young company from the Ukraine”
It’s Ukraine, not the Ukraine, just like one doesn’t say the Germany or the Canada and simply says Germany or Canada.
Emmanuel
Hi! very nice review, nicely detailed. I wonder what kind of ‘improvement’ this FA-10 could bring to my setup (iMac + Audirvana + Topping D90 + Topping A90 + Hifiman Arya), replacing the A90 of course. Did you ever try the A90 ? If you did, what do you think about comparing A90 and FA-10 in a setup like mentioned above?
Looking forward to read your answer!
Brian
How would you say it compares to either the Sparkos Aries or the Benchmark HPA4?