Victor HP-FX500 Review: World's first Wood Canalphones - Page 70

Oh wait.  Found a thread here:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/474863/fx500-foam-mod-works-treble-harshness-improved

Don't understand how these can reportedly be called harsh (batch difference again?). My pair is revealing, but never to a point where it blatantly accentuates sibilance or harsh frequencies. These are actually very revealing though, lower bitrate or poorly mastered songs will show their flaws very easily with these. 

 

Anyway, been comparing these back to back with the EX600 and while they both sound very different, they're very close in technical proficiency. Amazing how JVC managed so much with a 8.5mm driver. 

 

Also, these are hands down the best I've heard with brass instruments, even more so than the FX700s. Strings on par with the 700s with a slightly different flavor that's more in the analytical side. 

Edited by Inks - 8/4/11 at 10:23am

i agree

 

ive never thought them harsh but they are very treble abundant and if you feed them crap they will punish you accordingly. 

 

thing is when the stuff is badly mastered you cant do anything about it.

I would love to be able to hear the 500's in comparison to my 700's.  As far as hot treble, I've found the (real) Sony Hybrids are the perfect cure for those sensitive to it.

Which tips are the best for FX500? Which offers good isolation without compromising the SQ. The stock tips are just horrible.

@noobass456: The BEST sounding tips I've found for the HP-FX500 are the HiFiMAN/Head-Direct RE Series Bi-Flange clear silicone tips. Excellent extension at both ends of the spectrum, and easy-to-clean, durable silicone. 2 other great sounding tips are the COMPLY P-Series, which are dense foam (but less so than the SHURE Olives) and are "airier/softer" sounding than those other goodies, the very bass-enhancing, and extremely isolating SHURE Olives. Sometimes I find the Olives make my canals feel too "full" and that the treble/upper HF part of the audio spectrum is too congested.

 

Good Luck

And for my first trick, I will resurrect this thread! Ahem.

I received my FX500s yesterday as a replacement for my second set of busted Hippo VBs and, after wearing them during my commute today, I've been doing a lot of reading (all 70 pages of this thread plus some others...) to try and find a way to improve the isolation through non-stock tips. I realise the FX500s are open and this will always restrict how well they isolate, but damn do they let the outside in. I never realised how much I value isolation

Living in the a$$end of the world, Australia, I have limited access to tips. I can get Koss KE29 tips in Australia and can import the Head-Direct Bi-Flange/Filter kit, which seem to be the two real contenders for increasing isolation without adversely affecting the sound signature of the FX500s. My problem is I have no idea what size in the KE29 will fit me best (S, M or L,), or if the Head-Direct Bi-Flanges will fit me at all.

I am currently using the large stock tips after initially trying the medium ones, finding that I get a better seal with the large size at the expense of some comfort I had with the mediums.

Can anyone provide a comparison of the size of the FX500 stock tips to the various KE29 sizes or Head-Direct Bi-Flanges?

Thanks.

Are there any physical differences between the old batch vs. the new batch?

Ok well I got mine and I think they're new batch. The bass doesn't distort on high volume, and the treble isn't really harsh. Though on high volume it's a *bit* harsh sometimes.

Late in the day but I have been interested in these for ages and a good deal on a mint pair came up on the forum so I just bought them! Should be here in a couple of weeks allowing for the slow down of mail at this time of the year!

Yeah, they have shipped, can't wait to try them, I love Japanese esoterica!

My phones arrived yesterday. The seller was kind enough to include a pair of opaque tips as well as the normal silicone tips. My initial thoughts were.. Heck, too much bass but then I remember to pull them out a little from my ear canal (years of being used to doing the opposite with my ER4S's!).

Once I did that the bass became much better, not overpowering and it allowed the lovely treble to come through more. I don't find the treble harsh at all though I do find the mid range a little less prominent.
They definitely give a "big headphone" sound to my ears and overall I very much like the way they deliver music, very musical and non analytical. In some respects they present the music in a similar fashion to both my ER4S and LCD2 Rev1. Different ways of achieving the same goal which is to get ones foot tapping and absorbed into the music. I ended up going through three albums last night, the time disappearing and to me that is what makes a great headphone.

Maybe it is because I am become used to the natural bass presentation of the etymotics but I think if they could reduce the bass presence a tad and bring the mids out a little more these would be all but perfect. But then I have to remember what these cost new! When I do that, and this is very important! They become giant killers I feel.

A lot of this hobby is mental re-adjustment I feel. Listening this morning all the not so positive traits pale really, I remember what these cost, the fact that they are beautifully made, one would think they would cost $600 not $150 or what payed for a very gently used pair which was $115. When you think that at that price your in the low end of shure or heaven forbid the low end of dre these are incredible value.

Oh yes, they walk all over the triple.fi10's!

I was listening to a track I like to use on new headphones, Steve Davis's album, a quality of silence and the track "one, two, free" This is a great track to test the mettle of any headphone. There is a instrument that I have still not found out what it is but it sounds like whirling a rope above ones head and there is a deep fluttering sound from it. On certain headphones this sound becomes visceral, you can literally feel it vibrate your head! The victors do that!

Then the percussion and acoustic bass come in, sticks dance across drum skin, it feels like they fly and these headphones present it as well as my LCD2's if a little smaller version. About two and a half minutes through the track the bass and percussion vie with each other. On lesser headphones it becomes a mess as it is a series of fast interchanges between the instruments. The bass on lesser phones becomes bloated and glutenous but with excellent quality phones it dances before your eyes and the interplay becomes something joyful and foot tapping. This is what happens with the Victors I am pleased to say. Quite astonishing with any good headphone but remarkable with one so reasonably priced!

So, take my slightly negative remarks in context. Compare these to phones costing upwards of a $1000 and you will find minor faults but that is to do them a great injustice. I feel safe to say that if your budget is anything up to $500 these earphones should be given very serious consideration, heck if your budget is beyond that they should! The faults are very forgivable simply because the musicality of these phones override them, they just don't seem important when your engrossed in the music which is what it is all about in the end isn't it?

Now, one last note and this is representative of what I call "Rip off Canada"! One of the motivations to explore these phones was that my local JVC dealer is contemplating bringing them in to sell. I was very excited about this as that meant I could purchase locally.. Until they told me, with a straight face that the 700's would cost a $1000 plus tax and the 500's would be coming in at $700 plus tax! Mind, this company charges $900 for Denon D5000's!

So, to sum up, at $500 these earphones I feel would represent good value, but at what they are retail they simply are a steal I feel and give a really good account of high end sound for budget price!
Edited by ianmedium - 1/4/12 at 12:28pm

Sitting in a coffee shop listening to tabaldis La Boheme. The Victors are wonderful with Opera but I am finding in noisy environments I need to insert the phones in deeper to lessen external noise. Of course when I do this the bass becomes a little over powering again.

I have tried all the tips and it seems the clear ones inks gave me are the best over the stock tips but there is still a little too much bloom on the bass if I listen in environments which have greater external noise. Does anyone have any suggestions as to reducing bass whilst the earphones are inserted deeper?
I tried my Etymotic triple flanges which did reduce bass but they also made the victors lose all life and emotion so they won't work.

Just wanted to add that I've been using these for almost two years now and they've been the best personal audio I've ever had. I got rid of everything else I have including over the ear headphones as a result. The bass can be overwhelming at times with a good fit, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Accurate? probably not. Reminiscent of live concerts and such? Hell yes.

I've been kind of curious if anything better is out - I'm sure many would say the 700's fit the bill - but what else?

I've had FXT90 and enjoyed their sound except for harsh treble on some tracks.

Seems like the 500 have similar sound signature?

How do the 500 compare with the 700?