[koonhua90]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericp10 /img/forum/go_quote.gif MMM? I don't recall having much of a struggle with the supertip being placed over the nozzle of the FX700. There is, however, a technique. I get the silicon core to stretch over the nozzle partially. At the same same time I'm kind of stretching the the core on the other end of the supertip with my thumb (pushing and pulling gently, if you will, at the same time). There is no perfect fit, but then i quickly take my thumb and press down somewhat forcibly onto the middle of the tip forcing it to spread over the nozzle. You have to be careful regarding force applied. I just keep pressing down until it slides over the nozzle completely. You get the supertips to stretch over that nozzle once, it's not hard to get it on again after that.

I tried the supertips on the FX, but it tames the high quite a bit down for my liking. How is the sound of the FX using the supertips as compared to using the stock silicone tips, according to your opinion?

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by koonhua90 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tried the supertips on the FX, but it tames the high quite a bit down for my liking. How is the sound of the FX using the supertips as compared to using the stock silicone tips, according to your opinion?

I don't know. Once I started using the stock silicons on the Ortos, and the supertips on the FX700, I haven't looked back. But you know what, I'll try the stock silicon (medium, because the larges are not coming off of my Ortos...lol) tonight. I'll try it and get back to you on that. But the supertips gives all of the highs I require out of the FX700. Ironically, I wasn't getting enough good highs out of the Orto, and FX700 silicon has given me highs in abundance out of those IEMs now.

 

[ericp10]

Okay koonhua90, as promised I compared the stock silicons to the Monster hybrid foam supertips on the FX700. The verdict is>>>>>>> I prefer the Monster Supertips!! Okay, here's what each one does IMO:

JVC stock silicons: The best thing about these tips is that they do widen the soundstage more that the supertips, but just slightly more. I mean it's enough to notice a difference, but not enough for me that it's really a big deal. It's just not a huge enough leap. These tips, however, seem to amplify some minute details in the mids, but it makes the bass a bit shallow (this isn't saying much since the bass is still deep enough). Highs are decent but the micro details seem to thin out with these tips to me

Monster foam hybrid: The major thing these tips do well for the FX700 is thicken and add some weight and depth to instruments in the bass and mids register. These tips also - to me - extend the highs and bring out the minute details in the highs. Something quite wonderful for a foam tips (although it is a hybrid). As I mentioned earlier, the soundstage is somewhat diminished, but only a tad bit. Details are in the mids and bass area, but since the sound is thicker with more weight added, those details blend in together a little more, but the details are there. The key with the supertips - in general but especially with the FX700 - is to get a get tight seal in the ear canal, but don't go too deep with the tips on. The deeper you go inside your ear canal with the tip, the more treble you will lose. But with a good tight seal, the treble is there with glorious extension along with the mids and bass. So, I do like the JVC stock silicons, but it just thins the sound out a bit too much for me on the FX700.

On an added note, the FX700 has really opened up for me with about 60 hours or more of burn-in. And this is an added treat since I loved the FX700s out of the box, which is rare for me. I've never heard before such an all-around natural sounding IEM. It's like candy to the ears for me. I think I will keep the silicon tip on the e-Q7 and the MDs.

 

[koonhua90]

Could you please tell which size of supertip you use and which size of JVC stock silicone you use? This is interesting, I will definitely try it out.

 

[Anaxilus]

Size would depend on your ear no?

 

[koonhua90]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Size would depend on your ear no?

Both medium and large size of Supertips and JVC silicone will fit into my ear.

So the impression of supertips(medium) on FX:

It does add some coherency to it, and you sacrifice soundstage for it. It's smoother, and less edgy. For me, I felt that it tame down the hot highs on the FX. It's exactly as what ericp10 said in his post, but for me I don't lose any treble due to insertion depth. My ear won't let both medium and large supertip go in any further anyway. Yet for me, the bass on my JVC silicone(small) hits heavier. With supertips on, it's like the mid is more forward, but it thickens the sound, which make it slightly more laid back (in another way, it does not scream for attention all the time). This is my personal preference, but I prefer the small stock silicone because I like my music to be edgy, with more sparkle on the treble. And I like the air the soundstage attributes to certain high extending vocals (like Tibet born singer, Alan Dawa Dolma's song). Listening to high volume on FX with the stock can be fatiguing after a long time though. I can go much higher on IE8 but that's because IE8 is not as detailed. I am not saying that supertip is not good on FX, but this is all down to personal preference and different ear canal structures.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Could you please tell which size of supertip you use and which size of JVC stock silicone you use? This is interesting, I will definitely try it out.

Okay, this is how I see the supertips in size: X-Large, Large, Medium, Medium-small and Small. So, I'm using the Large supertips. 
 
I tested the the FX700 with the medium silicon, but I use the Large JVC silicon on the Orto. I'm thinking the large and the medium will sound the same, but I actually should put the large JVC silicon on the FX700 and test it that way. I did when I initially received the FX700, but it wasn't burned in then. So I'll try that later.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Size would depend on your ear no?

Both medium and large size of Supertips and JVC silicone will fit into my ear.

So the impression of supertips(medium) on FX:

It does add some coherency to it, and you sacrifice soundstage for it. It's smoother, and less edgy. For me, I felt that it tame down the hot highs on the FX. It's exactly as what ericp10 said in his post, but for me I don't lose any treble due to insertion depth. My ear won't let both medium and large supertip go in any further anyway. Yet for me, the bass on my JVC silicone(small) hits heavier. With supertips on, it's like the mid is more forward, but it thickens the sound, which make it slightly more laid back (in another way, it does not scream for attention all the time). This is my personal preference, but I prefer the small stock silicone because I like my music to be edgy, with more sparkle on the treble. And I like the air the soundstage attributes to certain high extending vocals (like Tibet born singer, Alan Dawa Dolma's song). Listening to high volume on FX with the stock can be fatiguing after a long time though. I can go much higher on IE8 but that's because IE8 is not as detailed. I am not saying that supertip is not good on FX, but this is all down to personal preference and different ear canal structures.

Yes, I agree koonhua, neither is bad or worst than the other, tips wise. It is more of a personal choice. They both styles of tips sound wonderful on the FX700.

 

[koonhua90]

Quote:

Okay, this is how I see the supertips in size: X-Large, Large, Medium, Medium-small and Small. So, I'm using the Large supertips. 
 
I tested the the FX700 with the medium silicon, but I use the Large JVC silicon on the Orto. I'm thinking the large and the medium will sound the same, but I actually should put the large JVC silicon on the FX700 and test it that way. I did when I initially received the FX700, but it wasn't burned in then. So I'll try that later.

Thanks for your impression. I am glad that the forum is back in working order. So, I finally found the tips that I like the most, and guess what, it's the smallest stock silicone which I had left inside the box. Today I felt like I need more clarity, so I tried it out, and it was good. 
 
Here is how it goes after the whole day of A/Bing:
I really like the supertips on FX, but the lost of soundstage is accompanied by a lost in the naturalness for me. I dont know why, but the bass become tighter and decreases in quantity with the supertips. One gripe I have when using the supertip is that the music sounds like it's tunneled into my ear. So, back to testing again. In short, I tried out Senn's big tip, double flange, and even tried stuffing the Sony hybrid in. All to no avail. So back to stock silicone. Using the biggest stock silicone, I have the strongest bass. But the sound is also the furthest from neutral. The midbass became too apparent and the sound was too warm, losing clarity and transparency. I assume that each person has different EQ when sound passes through the outer part of their ear canals, and mine amplifies the mid bass quite a lot. The best for me is the smallest silicone. It provides the most transparency and neutrality that I want. And the mid is so much more forward as it's not that warm anymore. 
 
I finally understand what other members meant by 3D soundstage in their FX impression posts. With a very deep insertion, I lose a bit of soundstage width, but I gained much clarity and mid forwardness. The imaging became really amazing. For me, I'd prefer imaging and accuracy rather than just soundstage size. Unlike what Eric said earlier, deep insertion gave me a smooth and sparkling treble. I did not experience any reduction in treble quality with deeper insertion, instead to my surprise it gave me more clarity and neutrality.
 
In short, for me:
Supertips(medium) : refined, smooth, coherent, but slightly lacking microdetails in the high. The bass impact is not satisfying for me, as the bass is now in the background. a slight lack in naturalness in the sound. mid is forward and clear. Instrument separation is good. As I have mentioned, less edgy sound, but very enjoyable. If not for the lack of bass impact, I'd have stick to using the supertips. Compared to big supertips, I have more impact using the medium one. Too bad monster didn't send me the small supertips to try out.
Big silicone tips: warm, bassy, and full sound, with nice reverb, but the mid(as in vocals) sounds unnecessarily distant. For pure bass impact, I'd choose this.
Medium silicone tip: the mid is more forward, tighter bass, but still a bit warm to my preference. Vocals is still not as good. 
Big/medium sony hybrid: too warm, bassy. The nozzle is blocked, so the sound is kind of muddy.
 
Small silicone tip: slightly small soundstage, but the imaging is on-par or better than using supertips. Very clean and smooth sound (somehow when compared to using big and medium silicone tips, I find that the highs on those 2 tips is a bit harsh). The mid is as forward as using supertips. As neutral as using supertips. I can hear the most tiny details and nuances in the music using this. I'd even venture to say that the mid is almost as sweet sounding (but not as warm) as the MD that I tried last night. The bass impact is there, stronger than using supertips (in my case), but less compared to using medium/big tips. It's tight, accurate and very well controlled, instead of boomy bass. For me, this is the most natural and detailed sound. Some might prefer the fuller sound when using bigger tips/supertips/other tips, but I want the most clarity out of this FX.
 
I didn't listen using Senn's tips on FX for too long, as somehow I feel that overall, the FX silicone tips has better highs.
 
I am not sure why, but different ear structures of each person has a part to play in this.  I observe that the smallest silicone tip has the shortest extension from the nozzle, so I think it will not obstruct/modify the sound much when the earpiece is in your ear. I am in no way saying that this can work for everyone, but this is just my own experience. I am glad this is a happier purchase than IE8, as the sound is really good out the box.
Note: All listening was done through Ipod Nano 5G, which has average SQ.

 

[ericp10]

Nice tips impressions @  koonhua90. Okay, I'm going to try the smallest supertips and smallest silicons and report back to you later. Thanks again for your detailed impressions.

 

[koonhua90]

Wrong post

 

[koonhua90]

Thanks for complimenting, I am sure it may not really suit everyone's taste. But it so happen that after CX-300(boomy beast), HF5(detailed but not fun and engaging), IE8(smooth, fun sounding but not enough intimacy and details), this kind of clarity, intimacy, and naturalness is just what I want. It's really a journey to find what you really like. 

 

[koonhua90]

Double post. This new system makes it kind of hard to edit post.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Thanks for complimenting, I am sure it may not really suit everyone's taste. But it so happen that after CX-300(boomy beast), HF5(detailed but not fun and engaging), IE8(smooth, fun sounding but not enough intimacy and details), this kind of clarity, intimacy, and naturalness is just what I want. It's really a journey to find what you really like. 

True enough @ koonhua90. Well why on God's green earth I'm still up at 4:03 a.m. in the morning I don't know, but I have made use of my time by doing what I told you I would do.
 
First, let me say that you are on to something @ koonhua90, and the first to discover (and I don't know why this is) that the smaller the tip, the better sounding the FX700 is! This has never happened for me before. Usually I have found that the bigger the tip the better the sound, but the FX700 has just flipped the script on me and turned everything upside down and topsy turvy if you will...lol. Yes, you lose some soundstage (not a whole lot I might add), but you what you gain in micro details, instrument separation and 3-D sound is just shy of magnificent to me. And like you said, the shorter tip doesn't mean you need a deep seal, just a decent canal seal and the sounds come pouring through.
 
Now, here the deal for me: The small JVC silicon or the small Monster SuperTip (I just so happened to have a pair of small)? Let me just say right off the back that both tips are wonderful and open the FX700 in ways I didn't imagine. So really, as koonhua90 alluded to earlier, this is going to come down to personal preference. I found the small JVC tip to flood the ear with micro details. I tested these tips on the IEM through last year's 16gb iPod nano (direct line and no portable amp). My test songs were: The Beatles' "Penny Lane", Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft," Ben Harper's "Woman," and Led Zeppelin's "For Your Life."  Oh, I forgot one, Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band's "Cher Chez La Femme." On each one of those songs I heard instrumentation and background vocals that I didn't know was there. I thought I knew these songs backwards and forwards, but I was wrong. And to hear all those details with that natural timbre, transparency and clarity is something to hear. Although the sound sigs. are different, this is how I would think the e-Q7 would sound if it was a full-fledge dynamic driver (in my imagination of course). The thing about the JVC small silicons, however, is that to me it thins the bass out a little too much for my liking. Yet, you were right koohua90 in suggesting that these small silicons really push the FX700 mids forward to the point of sounding like a clearer and more transparent Miles Davis. Treble is quite nice in extension. Vocals are really pushed out front with these tips too.
 
The small SuperTips, however, pushes the mids out, but not as much as the small silicons. The treble extension is also a tad bit less, but it's there. What the small SuperTips do better than the small silicon - IMO - is thicken the bass and gives more weight and reverb to the instruments. For example, in the Led Zep track "For Your Life" Jimmy Page's guitar has more reverb and details in his finger work through the SuperTips than through the JVC silicons. The vocals are not as forward with the SuperTips as they are with the silicons, and like that they aren't that forward. There is more weight and depth on instruments through the SuperTips. Do some details not get through? Yes, some details are more blended in the higher mids and highs, but on the other hand, the silicon lose some details in the lower mids and  bass. Both small tips will give you more details than you probably hear using the medium or large size tips.
 
So my choice? The SuperTips! Again, it's a matter of sound preference. I can see myself sometimes switching to the silicons. But I'm saying you get so much added micro details that you don't mind losing a little bit more soundstage, or I don't anyway. By the way @ koonhua, I did try the Senn. double flanges and the Sony hybrids (only had mediums for bother). Neither sounded bad, but those tips just couldn't reproduce the details you get from the small SuperTips and JVC silicon. One thing about the SuperTips, when you get them on, you can just let them hug the nozzle - they stay in place. But I choose to gently squish the SuperTips all the way down on the nozzle stem. This allows the least amount of silicon covering the sound port (sort of how it is with the small JVC). This gives the SuperTips it's optimal sound. Some of the silicon is effecting the sound, but not like it would be if you didn't push it down. This makes the small SuperTip kind of rotund around the nozzle and provides enough seal to the ear canal without any type of deep insertion. With the discovery of the right tips, these FX700s are quickly becoming my favorite IEM. They sound better than the MDs (I still love my MDs), and yes, they are sounding better to me than the e-Q7! Dear I say this? To be honest, the FX700 does sound better to my ears, but only by a couple of hairs. I still have love for the Orto, and it provides a sound like no other. I can tell you now, I don't expect the Radius to beat the FX700, but if it does, it will be one heck of an IEM. FX700 is king for me right now. Okay bedtime. Please forgive any mistakes in this post. I"m typing half sleepy. I'll edit another time. Happening listening!

 

[koonhua90]

Wow, you put it in a much better and understandable way that I did. Very nice impression, thanks for explaining. I am glad I am not the only one who hear it this way. Well, I concur with you, but too bad I don't have the small supertips (now I am regretting not asking for more). Perhaps when my friend with the MD got his delivered, I will try it out. The thing that I hear differently from you Eric (reason should be the difference in our ear structures I think), is that the bass on the small silicone as compared to the medium foam is actually punchy and organic to my ear (although it's good bass, it's not as overpowering as compared to using the bigger tips). It's the kind of bass that I want, that hits so low, and yet it does not color/affect the rest of the spectrum in the slightest way. Anyway, I am only using Ipod Nano, which is not really flat sounding, that may be another reason. Hopefully when my Sflo2 and pico slim arrives, they will bring a new dimension to the FX.
 
I don't have that much collection of good music, so most of my songs are Jpop and some other songs. All the songs I listen to when doing comparison are female songs, and I didn't realize it till today...My preference lies with a forward vocal, I like it to shine and be differentiated from the rest of instruments. Oh ya, about the soundstage, instead of saying losing soundstage width, I'd say you gain a more natural soundstage. Reverb just fade away naturally, it doesn't linger unnecessarily. The tiny details present now is kind of addictive to me. On some songs, I heard things like the air movement when female singer first open her mouth in a song, and those details were never presented to me before.
 
Same with you, when I tried the supertips on the FX, I tried to force it in as much as possible too. 
 
I did try out the small foam given with the FX, if you push all the way in till the nozzle is exposed(no longer blocked by the foam), the sound is pretty good too. I assume Senn's tips are a bit soft, so they will end up obstructing the nozzle when inserted into the ear.
 
In one sentence, comparing this FX using small tip vs the famous IE8, I dare to say that listening to IE8 is like having a blanket between me and the music.
 
Perhaps I should try contacting Monster again, for the small tips. Hopefully it will go retail soon. The coherency and smoothness I heard when using even the medium supertips really left me wanting to try out the small tips.
 
By the way, sorry for keeping you up, Eric. But this is some good discovery, and perhaps I shall stay awake, even though it's 6.30am, while drowning in good music and mugging for finals.