JVC/Victor FX700 - The Successor (early Easter Bunny brought something very nice!) - Page 4

Pricejapan is a forwarding service, they are very responsive and fast. It took me less than a week to get them.

FX500 vs. FX700

I spent some time today A/Bing the FX500 and FX700 with various test tracks, mostly jazz, classical, trance, folk/rock and indie.
Edit: It's worth mentioning that I normally listen to my FX500 filter modded (using RE1 filters) to smoothen its highs and bring out the mids. However, for this comparison I undid this mod.

Let's start with the bad news: bass on the FX700 is a bit slower than on the FX500. It's only a slight difference and might be due to the larger sized driver, but it's noticable with trance or with some faster jazz drum patterns. TBO, when listening solely to the FX700 bass would not appear slow to my ears, but in comparison the FX500 mastered those tracks just a tad more effortlessly.

There are also differences in bass emphasis. The FX500 have an emphasis on low bass (the left end of its U-shaped frequency response). The FX700 reach equally low but have a flatter bass curve, with mid and upper bass quite as prominent as low bass. My guess is that the FX500's low bass emphasis is the reason why they get flabby and destort with bass-heavy music and/or on higher volume, because the smaller driver can't handle all the low bass energy. The FX700 don't have this weakness. They distribute energy across the whole bass range and their larger driver gives a clean and authoritative bass response even on high volume.

Moving up to the midrange its evident that the FX700's upper bass gives vocals more chest, whereas with the FX500 we're on the bottom of the U-shaped frequency curve. This is a welcome improvement, because on the FX500 vocals could frequently sound somewhat thinnish and recessed. However, there are some tracks (mostly folk and acoustic jazz) where I think the FX700 overcompensates the FX500's shortcoming and could have done better with slightly less upper bass. Nevertheless, the mids on the FX700 are also better refined, smoother and more detailed, wheras on the FX500 some traces of harshness in the higher mids are giving vocals a rougher edge. But overall these differences are still rather subtle.

This changes with the highs, which are equally extended on the FX700 and FX500, but clearly better detailed and refined on the former. There's no trace of the FX500's harshness on the FX700 and delicate instruments like cymbals sound vastly better. Bottom line, this is no subtle difference, the FX700's highs are simply in a different league than its predecessor's.

Soundstage and imaging on the FX700 are excellent and strike me as about the same as on the FX500. JVC/Victor didn't change much in the basic design of these phones, and as far as I am concerned there was no need for it. Both render a very compelling and airy 3D presentation that can keep up with the very best.

Overall and unsurprisingly, there's a lot of similarity between both IEMs, the FX700 retaining almost all of the FX500's good virtues and at the same time successfully addressing the weaknesses. There's no doubt that if choosing between these two, I'd go for the FX700. But whether the differences are worth the upgrade if you already own the FX500 is a harder decision. I hope this comparison will make it a bit easier.

This I don't mind , how else would I find out what's so special about Lady Gaga?

From A/Bing the soundstage on the FX700 is roughly the same size as on the FX500 and IMO they both don't fall very short compared to the IE8. However, soundstage on the IE8 is greatly depended on how you wear them (loose fit or sealed), so for some the difference may appear greater than for others. On the other hand the JVCs have a more open/airy sound due to their design, which I like very much, since it adds to the out-of-head experience.

I concur with you that the IE8 sound really big. From brief A/Bing the FX700 are partly comparable, yet still quite different. I love the IE8's vast soundstage - like I already said, the FX700's presentation is different, but to me no less attractive. Bass has great extension and authority on the FX700, even closer to full sized phones than the IE8's. The mids and highs are detailed, delicate and slightly more forward and involving on the FX700, whereas the IE8 is more laid-back and relaxed. Someone once wrote about the IE8 that it sounds as if you're sitting further back in the concert hall, and I second that. The FX700 put you closer to the performance and the overall sound signature is clearer with more attention to detail, but they still sound very spatial and certainly not condensed to my ears.

BTW I'm curious what's your gripe with the e-Q7. Apart from those having fit issues there seem to be few folks here who don't like them.

P.S. I see you're from Berlin, have you by chance tried the Playaz IEMs? Despite of them being budget phones and flawed in some aspects, the open ones (N1, Sonia II) sound extremely big and give the IE8 a run for its money.

x3, but I'm afraid you'll have to be patient for a few days, until I have my Ortofons back.