[ZzmadzZ]

If I'm not wrong Zhen Hong will be the one entertaining us

 

[Malevolent]

Jelt, malevolent and any singapore users,

Who are interested in visiting MS on Friday 2nd jan 215pm? I have tentatively booked an appointment for this timing haha.

Just reply to this thread and state your preferences on what will you like to demo so I can tell MS to prepare for us.

 
Hey bro, I'm sorry, I can't make it tomorrow. I already have something on. Anyway, enjoy! 

 

[ZzmadzZ]

Hey bro, I'm sorry, I can't make it tomorrow. I already have something on. Anyway, enjoy! 

Heya! No problems I will still be going. Whoever wanna go can also join!!

 

[musicinmymind]

  Audition Round 3: A "Not-So-Hidden" Gem Emerges
  Today I continued my audio journey, spending an afternoon with three TOTL universals: the Sennheiser IE800, JVC FX850, and AKG K3003.
  Sennheiser IE800 ($799)
  The IE800 has a refined sound that I would just stop short of calling "smooth"- especially when compared with the K3003. It has great bass detail and quantity, but the low-end lacks just a little bit of punch. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the highs have good energy that never crossed over into sibilance. Treble accuracy was a little bit of an issue for me, though, with some high notes just not sounding right to my ears. Over in the middle, the mid-range is really nice. Detailed, lush and airy, yet somehow not forward- the mids are beautifully balanced against the rest of the sound.
  The soundstage was not small- but it wasn't the largest I heard today. The IE800 was also relatively fast- but again, not the fastest among the three. Overall, the IE800 had a mainstream sound that was high on clarity. 
  IE800 Score: 9.4
  AKG K3003 ($1099)
  The AKG K3003 features, like the Shure SE846, a filter system. Unlike the Shure SE846, for which fun mods with the damping material is possible, the AKG K3003's filters have no changeable damping material and are just pieces of metal. I tested the two filters that interested me: "Reference" and "High-Boost". 
  Reference Filter: The K3003 has a very smooth and clean sound. It was the fastest of the 3 IEMs I heard, and also had the biggest soundstage to boot. The bass was punchier than that on the IE800, and had good detail as well. There is good treble energy without sibilance, and the mids are airy with good presence. Nice, balanced presentation.
  High-Boost Filter: With this filter installed, the K3003 sacrifices some smoothness for even more treble energy. The mids also gain more air, and overall clarity is a touch better, and the soundstage a bit larger. Unfortunately the bass gets noticeably thinner. Worse still, sibilance creeps into the picture for treble. With this filter in- when it sounds good, it sounds really good, but I found it sometimes too edgy and unlistenable. This has been a real rarity with my Hugo Chord, which generally has a buttery smooth sound, for which even the brightest Shure filter is completely free of edginess.
  K3003 Score:  9.4
  JVC FX850 ($280)
  And here it is. The hidden gem. By far the cheapest headphone of the day- in fact, of my entire series of auditions- also turns out to be one of the most stellar performers. First off, the bass. Oh, the bass. It's punchy with great detail and rhythm. This is a warm, enveloping bass that's both tight and textured. Simply wonderful. The IE800 and FX850 both have dynamic drivers, but their bass sounds completely different. This bass-heavy tuning, incidentally, also means that this IEM is also unequivocally warmer than both the K3003 and IE800. Despite the warmth, however, the FX850 remains an aggressive IEM with good rhythm. Timbre on both the mids and the treble is extremely good, and while the mids are a tad recessed, they do have good presence (this is a very interesting, and very well-done balance!), and never sound lacking. The treble could do with a bit more sparkle, but the details are there. Interestingly for an IEM that's less treble-focused, the soundstage remains extremely large- larger than the IE800, and just about on par with the K3003. If I were to nitpick, I'd say speed and clarity are not the FX850's strong suits.
  Update: I've been struggling a bit with how to describe the FX850's treble, and I've now tweaked my description a bit. Initially I wrote they had less treble energy. I think a more accurate description would be that they could do with a bit more sparkle in the high-end- especially with all that warmth. Nonetheless, it's important to note that the treble is not lacking. The highs actually sound very detailed, and are not recessed at all.
  Update 2: My score for the FX850 assumes that it can be improved with the mods, and/or with EQ. It is a technically proficient IEM, but its biggest weakness is its overly-warm frequency response. Nonetheless, if you're going to attempt neither of this, this is a big enough weakness that I would score it at 9.0.
  FX850 Score: 9.3
  Summary
  Overall, I liked the JVC a lot, although its signature was much too warm for me. I can understand why Head-Fiers have tried to EQ it and tried to mod it. There's a lot to work with here, and given its price... just wow. I also liked the K3003, although I preferred elements of the "Reference" filter and elements of the "High Boost" filter. Specifically, I thought High Boost needed to cut out the sibilance and retain a bit more of the smoothness of the Reference. Finally, the IE800 was a competent performer, but I found reason to be disappointed with both its bass and its treble.

 
your review prompted me to buy FX850, I agree with most part of your review, FX850 is great IEM. I did not find any sibilance, bass is impact full, great sound stage, good instrument separation (not really), all these agreed.
 
while every instruments are heard separately, imaging is pathetic IMHO. While hearing to JVC, I feel like every musicians is sitting two feet away from me, be it saxophone, vocalist, violin, piano, etc......I can hear everything at same vol, finer notes of music is brought front, there is no sense of layering.
 
still prefer IE800 for it's cohesiveness. For me IE800 Score : 9.4 and JVC Score: 8.4
 
this could be just my option, we all hear differently.

 

[jelt2359]

   
your review prompted me to buy FX850, I agree with most part of your review, FX850 is great IEM. I did not find any sibilance, bass is impact full, great sound stage, good instrument separation (not really), all these agreed.
 
while every instruments are heard separately, imaging is pathetic IMHO. While hearing to JVC, I feel like every musicians is sitting two feet away from me, be it saxophone, vocalist, violin, piano, etc......I can hear everything at same vol, finer notes of music is brought front, there is no sense of layering.
 
still prefer IE800 for it's cohesiveness. For me IE800 Score : 9.4 and JVC Score: 8.4
 
this could be just my option, we all hear differently.

Did you mod or EQ the FX850? Stock, I gave it a much lower score. I agree, though- imaging is not its strong suit. I find though that every IEM has something a bit lacking, so I try to look beyond 'what could be better' (as long as it's not unacceptable), and look for 'is there anything special here'?
 
I did like the IE800 a lot- don't get me wrong. I rated it higher than the JVC FX850, and just short of some of my favourite IEMs like the V6S or Noble 6. The thing though is that the IE800 had a very mainstream sound. I had heard that type of sound a lot recently, and some do it better (especially the JH13).
 
The JVC was unique in having its own character, and I gave it props for that.
 
PS, I did not write about the imaging nor the instrument separation in my original review... If you're looking for that, the JVC would definitely not be my first choice. Both the AKG3003 and the IE800 are clearly better.

 

[jelt2359]

Comparison Round 5. This was a big one. Included this time are: JVC FX650, FX750, FX850, FX1100. Westone W30, W40, W50, W60. Westone UM 30 Pro, Westone UM 50 Pro. Three entire families worth! Let's get to it...
 
JVC FX650 ($160)
 
Let's get this out of the way immediately. The entire JVC family embraces warmth- if that's not your cup of tea, look elsewhere. What with Fitear, the JVCs, and ATH CKR10, I just wonder if the Japanese market is more keen on a warmer signature. Anyway, the FX650 has more warmth like the FX850, but lighter bass like the 750. It has a large soundstage like the rest of its siblings (albeit smaller than the 850's), but unfortunately it actually sounds pretty veiled. It also has an edgy treble. It has a strange signature of sounding both warm and thin at the same time. The bass extension is not quite there, and the speed is also too slow. Its mids are recessed, and imaging weak. Honestly, this was by far the worst IEM I heard today. Well, it was also by far the cheapest, so...
 
JVC FX650 Score: 8.2
 
JVC FX750 ($220)
 
The FX750 sounds totally different from the 850, which I was very surprised at. It seems like the 750 was their attempt at trying to go for clarity (again, caveat- still warm, just not warm when considered against its siblings). It had mids that weren't recessed, but unfortunately lacked both presence and air. Up top, it had sparkly treble, with no sibilance to be heard anywhere- which is good. The bass was just slightly tighter than that of the 650, but still lighter than its two more expensive counterparts, the 850 and 1100. The sound also continued to sound a bit thin for my tastes. The soundstage was similar to the 650- smaller than the 850, for sure, and unfortunately also lacked a bit of focus. But perhaps the biggest thing working against the FX750 was that for a relatively 'clear-sounding' member of the family, its clarity was just not up to par vs some of the competition out there.
 
JVC FX750 Score: 8.5-8.6
 
JVC FX850 ($280)
 
I've already reviewed the FX850 here, but I thought it would be good to reiterate and add on a few points next to its siblings. Compared to the 750 and 650, it has bass that's much tighter, but also sounds a little too sharp and edgy. The bass is also slightly faster than that of the 750 and 650. Compared to the 1100, it's less warm; has mids that are airlier but less lush; and has treble that is a little bit edgy. The 850 is also the cheapest of the series to have that detailed, textured bass that this family is renowned for.
 
JVC FX850 Score (unmodded): 9.0
 
JVC FX1100 ($550)
 
The 1100 is a much warmer, smoother take than the rest of the family. Its bass could be a little bit cleaner as a result, but then again, that's never been the hallmark of this family of IEMs so I guess if you're interested in this you actually probably like this type of lush bass. The mids are more forward than the 850, and have good presence and air- these are really, really well done on the 1100. The treble unfortunately lacks sparkle, but are veryyyyy smooth. While still large, its soundstage was slightly more intimate than that of the 850. Finally, the imaging was clearly the best of the entire family, with a strong enveloping effect.
 
JVC FX1100 Score (unmodded): 9.1
 
Westone W30 ($400)
 
The Westone family was actually the easiest to review. They do a very, very good job of keeping a consistent house sound throughout, and improve it in very specific ways with each jump up. The W30, for example, has that same refined sound that I had first heard in the W60 in a previous review. Technically speaking, the W30 has a great soundstage and very nice clarity. Imaging and soundstage were both also good. The midrange was also well balanced. One thing that could improve, though, was the low end- which was a tad muddy. The W30s also could be a little bit more lush. Perhaps the biggest issue with these, however, was that the high end could get a bit too edgy and lack coherence.
 
Westone W30 Score: 9.0
 
Westone W40 ($500)
 
I can basically sum up the W40 to W60 by repeating this again and again, with each successive iteration: 1) More lushness. 2) More enveloping sound. 3) Bigger soundstage. 4) More impactful bass. 5) More presence and lusher midrange. Actually, that's probably what I'll do. I heard this going from the W30 going on to the W40, and then again from the W40 to the W50, and the W50 to the W60. What can I say, very consistent house sound. Starting from the W40, the high end is also much better, with the edginess gone and coherency issues solved.
 
Westone W40 Score: 9.2
 
Westone W50 ($750)
 
Read points 1 to 5 for W40. That's basically what happened here. Note however that the jump from W30 to W40 was bigger than the jump from W40 to W50. But nonetheless, the improvement was obvious.
 
Westone W50 Score: 9.3
 
Westone W60 ($1000)
 
Again, same for the W60. You can also read my previous W60 review here. This time around I had the same experience. As I was listening and trying to make listening notes, after a while I just lost myself in the music. I just found myself thinking, 'these are not usually my cup of tea, but wow, they are really good!'
 
Westone W60 Score: 9.4
 
Westone UM 30 Pro ($400)
 
The UM series clearly had a very different sound from the W series. The sound is much more intimate and lush (especially in the midrange), and the overall sound signature is quite warm. The UM 30 Pro had by far the smallest soundstage of the day- although the UM 50 Pro isn't that big either, they're just not tuned that way. The bass actually seemed tighter on the UM 30 than on the UM 50. The treble was both a little edgy, and recessed. The UM 30 was definitely also less warm than the UM 50. Overall, as a long time owner of the UM3X, this sounded very familiar.
 
Westone UM 30 Pro Score: 8.9
 
Westone UM 50 Pro ($650)
 
The UM 50 Pro had a bigger soundstage than the UM 30, although still much smaller than the others in this comparison. Surprisingly, it had rounder bass than the UM 30. The midrange was just as lush, and the treble was better than on the UM 30. More energetic, and without sibilance. But still part of the same family of 'recessed' trebles. One good thing about both the UM 30 and the UM 50, though- despite the smaller soundstage, separation was still top notch.
 
Westone UM 50 Pro Score: 9.0-9.1
 
Summary
I was very impressed with the Westone W series- not least for its consistency. The JVC FX1100 was also much better than I thought it would be (I thought it'd sound the same as the FX850), but then again for it's price I'm not sure it's great value. I was very surprised that the entire series sounded so different, though- I'm not sure what to think of that. This round, unfortunately, yielded no surprises. The undisputed best IEM was also by far the most expensive.

 

[karistep]

Great job. Very helpful.

 

[Wilderbeast]

If Westone adds 6 more drivers to the W60 we should have the perfect earphone

 

[Spyro]

I would rate ALL the UM-series trebles as "poor".  You don't realize how bad it is till you hear something better.

 

[yeongman]

Jelt, malevolent and any singapore users,

Who are interested in visiting MS on Friday 2nd jan 215pm? I have tentatively booked an appointment for this timing haha.

Just reply to this thread and state your preferences on what will you like to demo so I can tell MS to prepare for us.

 
Would love to, but I can't. Am saving up my leaves as it is.
 
Saturday?

 

[jelt2359]

I would rate ALL the UM-series trebles as "poor".  You don't realize how bad it is till you hear something better.

To my ears, my hifiman he6 is simply the king of treble. I've not heard something be equally energetic, extended, detailed, and yet without a trace of sibilance at all. Iems are just an entirely different ballgame in many respects.

 

[jelt2359]

   
Would love to, but I can't. Am saving up my leaves as it is.
 
Saturday?

I'm heading down with zzmadzz and kenz. The burned-in legend r customs will be there. Will be interesting to hear the difference.

 

[yeongman]

  I'm heading down with zzmadzz and kenz. The burned-in legend r customs will be there. Will be interesting to hear the difference.

 
Sounds great. Looking forward to seeing you guys there tomorrow and getting your impressions of the gear as well.

 

[jelt2359]

Sounds great. Looking forward to seeing you guys there tomorrow and getting your impressions of the gear as well.

I meant today

 

[yeongman]

I meant today

 
Lol. Did I mention how evil you guys are? Because right now you guys are sounding really evil...