[Ultrazino]

Hi,
 
I love my Panasonic RP-HJE900 for the quick sound fix I use them for. I used to always carry them in my pocket in case I should get bored somehow. But now I gave them away to a hot girl so I either have to get a new pair or upgrade (200 €)... or ask back for them!

 
What I love about the HJE900:
- easy fit: the sound changes minimally at best. I have no problems searching a perfect fit. They just go in and out without having to even out the air pressure in the ear canals - I hate this with IEMs! I prefer either vent holes, like with the HJE900, or foam tips
- elegant looks: the build quality is amazing. They just look luxurious. It will be very difficult for me to accept a piece of plastic for an upgrade
- natural sound: the sound signature is slightly v-shaped, no doubt, but the overall tonality is great. It's a wee bit too warm sounding, but it works well on-the-go, IMO
- frequency range: the bass goes low and the highs come to no end. I love this, I never have the feeling like I'm missing anything in the sound.
- soundstage: the soundstage is fairly accurate and intimate. But the sound is very airy and the instrument separation is good
 
What I would like to improve upon:
- resolution: obviously I can hear far greater details with my PRO 900 or with the T1. I wouldn't mind a better clarity
- less recessed mids: I don't want the mids to be pronounced, please not! But I don't want them to be more recessed than with the HJE900. Slightly more balanced would be nice.
- slightly less harsher highs: Really, just slightly! But only if it doesn't affect the extension
- iPhone mic: an iPhone control with mic would be sweet. I can't understand there's none available for the HJE900 since it already has replaceable cables
 
That's about it. Here are some alternatives I have checked out already:
- HD25-1 II: They look crap and, coming from Ultrasone, they triggered claustrophobia with their flat soundstage and warm sound
- DT1350: The fit issue will bother me, no doubt. At work I have to quickly put them on and off and don't want to search for the perfect seal
- MDR-Z1000: Everything I read sounds great so far. But they are far above my budget and I'm not searching for a pair to replace my PRO 900
- PFE 122: I had these before. I actually preferred the HJE900. Resolution was better, but everything else failed to keep up with the Panasonic
- plenty more, actually. You can check my profile for a list
 
Source: iPhone 4 exclusively. I don't want a portable DAC/amp for this purchase.
 
I prefer IEMs at this point. A slightly pronounced bass will do fine at work (I have a very noisy work environment - I work with Chinese, haha), but I don't want more bass than the HJE900 has, though. I think a DT880 as IEM is what I'm looking for.

 

[yello131]

How about ortofon e-Q5 or even e-Q7
reivew here
no iphone mic on this but other then that this are fabulous IEMs
 

 

[Ultrazino]

Thanks, the Ortofon e-q5 is a great recommendation! Never did some research about it, but it might be just up my alley.
 
Based on the review, these are some pros:
- great timbre
- lush and musical mids
- open design, great soundstage
- build quality, design
- better treble than HJE900 (not as harsh)
 
Some possible cons:
- bass shy
- possibly a little bit too bright
 
I can't find a store that sells them in Germany, but the girl whom I gave my HJE900 to is currently in Japan, so she could pick a pair up for me.
But I'm not 100% sold yet. I don't want to send her on a price hunt, so the Z1000 can almost be had for the MSRP of the e-q5 plus a dinner.

 

[Ultrazino]

Bump.
Increasing my budget for something that might have just a small bass weight. Let's say 350 € max as that's higher than the price for the Sony MDR-EX1000 which I'm also considering.

 

[davidcotton]

Quote:

Thanks, the Ortofon e-q5 is a great recommendation! Never did some research about it, but it might be just up my alley.
 
Based on the review, these are some pros:
- great timbre
- lush and musical mids
- open design, great soundstage
- build quality, design
- better treble than HJE900 (not as harsh)
 
Some possible cons:
- bass shy
- possibly a little bit too bright
 
I can't find a store that sells them in Germany, but the girl whom I gave my HJE900 to is currently in Japan, so she could pick a pair up for me.
But I'm not 100% sold yet. I don't want to send her on a price hunt, so the Z1000 can almost be had for the MSRP of the e-q5 plus a dinner.

http://www.iheadphones.co.uk/ortofon-eq5-silver.html
 
Will ship to europe.
 
 

 

[Ultrazino]

Would you consider the MDR-EX600 a noticeable upgrade?
 
Edit: I doubt it.
I now want the JVC FX700. End of thread, thank you.

 

[Ultrazino]

It's been a while, but I just want to add that the FX700 is exactly what I was hoping for. Very very musical, incredible bass with nice punch, great treble without sibilance and overall great timbre. Easy fit, open build, luxurious design, ...
Mids are just as recessed, though, so I also got the W4. For the iPhone mic, I'm hoping the PFE 232 won't disappoint.

 

[esaleris]

How bad is the sound isolation?  Would you be able to listen to them on a plane without having to turn the volume up to 10?

 

[Ultrazino]

It's the same as with the HJE900, maybe even worse.
I would not use them on a plane. When I listen in bed, my wife knows which record I'm listening to and I keep the volume pretty low. But it's enough to block out most noises at work or to forget you're on a train (unless you have loud people traveling with you).
 
The FX700 is not *the one* IEM you want - especially not for isolation! But the sound is purely awesome (epic is the word) and highly musical with the tendency to become fatiguing at some point. It's the perfect 2nd pair (my 1st pair are Westone 4) for when you need more music than the recording actually has to offer: more punch, more energy, bigger soundstage, ...

 

[roma101]

Bumping this up as I love my HJE900s but I'm more of a HP person. The one thing I love most about the HJEs is the natural timbre quality. Headphones I've been recently looking at are the Sony MDR-Z1000 and the Bowers & Wilkins P5.
 
Can anyone shed some light on which of these headphones are closer in overall presentation and timbre quality to the HJEs? Basically I'm looking for something as natural sounding as possible.

 

[roma101]

^^ Up once again. Are the Z1000s what I'm possibly looking for? There's also the new Fidelio L1, however those are semi-open and I am not sure how that will fair for use in buses/trains.