The discovery thread.! NEW Jant71's take on the new ATH-CLR100 Pg 618.. Zero Audio Carbo Basso PG... - Page 297

Nice comparo Ericp. I am gonna have to agree with your take. These MH1C come close but I prefer the FXDs for their up front clarity and imagery. I think the MH1Cs are a bit more musical sounding and perhaps smoother but they don't beat the FXDs in detail and imagery. The FXD80 being the tops in this. I also find the bass end of the MH1C a bit slower and a tad boomier than the FXDs. Otherwise these getting real close to the refinements of a much higher priced FXDs shows how much of a crazy good deal these are.

Okay, so The FXD80, MH1C, and FXD70 (source: Sony S545, volume on 30 for all three - wasn't that loud to my ears with these three, song was the Black Crowes acoustic version of Non-Fiction).

D80 = best black space between instruments out of all three. Percussion instruments (shakers) can be heard with great detail and clarity. Sound is very transparent and 3-D like. Plucking of guitar strings highly detailed with nice sub-bass, yet a balanced sound. Closer to stage than the MH1C.

MH1C = richer, heavier refined bass. Less black space and instrument separation than the D80. Percussion instruments audible but more buried behind major instruments (bass, piano and acoustic guitars). Sound signature is darker and rich, but doesn't touch the either JVCs on clarity and transparency of sound. Vocal have great realistic weight, but the D80 vocals are probably more forward. Instrumentation blends in (blur) together more than the JVCs.

D70  = Clearly the most neutral sounding IEM of the three. Nice bass punch but clearly least bassy out of the three. Just a cleaner sharper sound (like the difference between looking through a newly Windex cleaned window and a window with mist on it when comparing the MH1C to the D70. Less 3-D out of the three. Notes blend together nicely with superior clarity.

(Second song was Wings' Band on the Run listened to through last year's iPod nano 16gb at the highest volume)

D80 = Sharper imaging and clarity in notes than the MH1C, but the MH1C has heavier notes and more details in vocals and string instrumentation. Again, use of black space is outstanding. 

MH1C = Heavier notes of the three and darker sounding. Really nice details but not as easy to breakout separation of individual instruments. Vocals are very nice in detail, but I don't the vocal are as forward as the D80. I think you're sitting farther from the stage, however with the Sony.

D70 = The same as with the other song. Great clarity, transparency and a more neutral sound.

Conclusion: It's really hard to say which is better than the other. It really depends on sound signature preference. So with that stated, I prefer the D80. The black space is really something special to me along with clarity and . I hate to use the word "veiled" but the MH1C is a bit compared to the JVCs. Next to the EX1000, the D80 and D70 might be the clearest dynamic IEMs I've heard. Both have great transparency and clarity. But the MH1C has a better stay imaging from front to back than the JVCs. The sounds of the JVCs are clearly different from the sound of the MH1C. There's no clear winner here with any of the IEMs outrunning the other. One does something better than the other and vice versa,, but all three are good (and the MH1C is great for the price). But again, my favorite is the D80 out of the three.

Awesome! Thanks.

Just thinking out loud...

I have the $21 MH1C's on the way. Obviously will be keeping them (just due to the price alone).

I have the $35 Brainwavz R1's being prepared to be sent back to mp4nation. They are good, but mids/vocals are a bit veiled, and I can't justify keeping them.

I finally got the $60 FXD70's in today. They are sitting in front of me unopened. Mocking me. Waiting for me to decide if I am going to sell them to a head-fi buddy (unopened), or rip them open and give them a try (and potentially keep them, or sell them on head-fi).

And I have the $130 XBA3's on the way. I have a feeling that I will end up having no choice but to keep them once I have heard them.

Being the cheap screw that I am (well, before getting introduced to head-fi, dsnuts, ericp and gang lol!) I normally wouldn't consider keeping the FXD70's if I also have the XBA3's. But the FXD70's sound like they might be a bit of a jewel for $60 and will have a sufficiently different sound such that I might enjoy switching over to them now and then. Hmmm!

Awesome! Thanks.

Just thinking out loud...

I have the $21 MH1C's on the way. Obviously will be keeping them (just due to the price alone).

I have the $35 Brainwavz R1's being prepared to be sent back to mp4nation. They are good, but mids/vocals are a bit veiled, and I can't justify keeping them.

I finally got the $60 FXD70's in today. They are sitting in front of me unopened. Mocking me. Waiting for me to decide if I am going to sell them to a head-fi buddy (unopened), or rip them open and give them a try (and potentially keep them, or sell them on head-fi).

And I have the $130 XBA3's on the way. I have a feeling that I will end up having no choice but to keep them once I have heard them.

Being the cheap screw that I am (well, before getting introduced to head-fi, dsnuts, ericp and gang lol!) I normally wouldn't consider keeping the FXD70's if I also have the XBA3's. But the FXD70's sound like they might be a bit of a jewel for $60 and will have a sufficiently different sound such that I might enjoy switching over to them now and then. Hmmm!

man, open those things and have some fun.. my offer wont stand anymore cause i got a problem  with my FP, seems like i will have to spend some money sending this unit back to HK or a for repair over here.  sorry.

rickdohc <-- in a   bad mood

DannyBoi,  Whe want Pics of that beauty

Since I have the XBA4, if you don't like the XBA3 I might buy them from you if you decide to sell (that's not putting any pressure on you to sell them though ... lol). Based on what I've read you like, I think you will highly enjoy the D70, and for the price it's going to be hard not to like the MH1C.

Thanks Eric! My post-purchase-anxiety (ie "cheap screwness") is definitely weakening fast, and I now feel that if I end up deciding to keep all of them, that it will be fine. If I do decide to sell the XBA3's though, I will let you know. Thanks again.

@wayenumm - I think a LOT of us would not pass up XB3's at $130.  I'd sure give 'em a try!

@dsnuts & DannyBai  - Glad you're enjoying the amp!  I have one of their lower models and love it.  Can't wait to watch you start tube rolling.  I've got about a dozen different tubes waiting for me to try out this winter.  Nice to have some "cheap" fun ahead!

@ericp10 - if you don't stop, you're going to make me decide I NEED to add the fxd70's to my collection along side the fxd80's!

I did plug the MH1C's into my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC.  HOLY GUACAMOLE they sound nice!

~BG

So jealous.

That sony in sexy poopy brown, dies from awesomesauceness!!! So professional looking yet so stylish and modern at the same time, but those hamburger-esque earpads are kinda goofy looking. Just lowkey jelly that's all.