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CX500 vs. q-Jays

Mar 5, 2009 at 9:22 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15
MegatronRx

MegatronRx

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Anyone own both. Anybody have a rough idea of the pros and cons?
They are in the same price range so I figured I'd make it a toss up between them.

I've heard nothing but good about the q-Jays. The CX500s mostly good and some bad.

I have a nice Sony MP3 player and I'm into a variety of music. Rap, Metal, Jazz, Pop etc.

My only background is a PX100, SE210(which I am returning) and a Grado SR80. I'm delving into the realm of IEMs because I want to listen to top notch sound quality but not go deaf. The SE210s were a huge disappointment for me so they go back to Chicago from whence they came.
 
Mar 5, 2009 at 9:31 PM Post #2 of 15
If you did not like the se210, I would assume they lacked bass, in your opinion. CX500 definitely does bass well in terms of quantity and quality for a 70$ USD phone (price I got it for).

I have not tried q-jays so I will avoid recommending CX500.
 
Mar 6, 2009 at 12:25 AM Post #3 of 15
q-Jays + FiiO E5 (bass boost) = bliss. The FiiO amp really warms up the signature and kicks up the bass, so now, IMHO the q-Jays are nearly perfect. I've heard the Shure SE530, and the q-Jays/amp combo is nearly identical, for about half the price.

Haven't heard the CX500, but I really recommend the q-Jays. Plus, they're so comfortable!
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 2:43 PM Post #5 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by MegatronRx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I bought the q-Jays. Definitely a much better sound. However, sound isolation is abysmal. Is there something I should do to enhance this?


I'm glad you did
wink.gif
. Sound isolation is on pair with all other IEMs on the market. Sounds like you just have a bad fit. Try change the sleeves and also try the foamies and make sure you have a tight fit. This will also improve the bass responce.

Peter
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 2:52 PM Post #7 of 15
Every headphone has negatives. So look for reviews that have negatives in them, and see if you can live with the negatives or even if the negatives are justified.

Personally, I find criticism to be more helpful than praise.
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 3:34 PM Post #8 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by PetCed /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm glad you did
wink.gif
. Sound isolation is on pair with all other IEMs on the market. Sounds like you just have a bad fit. Try change the sleeves and also try the foamies and make sure you have a tight fit. This will also improve the bass responce.


+1 to what peter said. i get great isolation with any sleeve on q-jays, they just need to be inserted properly.
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 6:14 PM Post #9 of 15
Assuming the tips are similar to my s-Jays, use the foamies. Isolation is excellent with mine, like wearing ear plugs. The rubber tips seem to let through sound of a certain frequency for me - things like rustling paper or plastic bags and typing.

On a related note I tore one of my foam tips when swapping them around (within a week of getting them) so be careful. A bit of super-glue later and they work fine - although don't look quite as good as they used to.
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 8:57 PM Post #10 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by fyu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Every headphone has negatives. So look for reviews that have negatives in them, and see if you can live with the negatives or even if the negatives are justified.

Personally, I find criticism to be more helpful than praise.


x2 on this...

..and thanks for making me realize why I only read the negative feedback! Never thought of why before.
 
Mar 9, 2009 at 10:08 PM Post #11 of 15
So I was happy with my q-Jays until..

It clearly says that I can take this babies to the gym. So I did. I run on a circular indoor track. I was running like the wind and sweating like a pig. I realized that my right ear wasn't fitting properly. So I pushed it in deeper and all of a sudden the right phone went dead. Acck!!

I think the sweat from my ear went into the phone and completely ruined it. I've noticed that the sound is gradually returning to normal but it's still noticeably lower than the left. I was using the foamy tips at the time.

The main reason I purchased these is so I can exercise without hearing all the fans and whirring of Ellipticals and Treadmills. However, if it can't stand a simple drop of sweat these are not good for me. Has anyone had this problem?

I'm assuming that a product that goes directly into your ear should be able to stand a bit of moisture.

I'm getting a bit philosophical here but I think I deserved this for spending $200 dollars on headphones what with all the poverty and such in this world. Should have donated the money to charity or something...but that's just an aside.

FYI: Good to see a jays rep on here interacting with customers. Also, thanks for all your input and advice. Much appreciated.
 
Mar 10, 2009 at 1:15 AM Post #12 of 15
The q-Jays aren't perfect -- though very close. If there's anything bad I have to say about them, it's that they're slightly sibilant. If you can live with that, then fine -- it's only really noticeable for me on certain songs, but I do wish it wasn't there. They are upbeat, energetic headphones, and I think have a sound signature quite the opposite of Atrios. For portable earphones, I like energetic -- punchy bass, emphatic treble; for full-size headphones, I prefer laid back, mid-based sound. Again, this is all your opinion, but I say this after using my q-Jays for nearly two months now. I really like them, and they're a damn good value.

I hated the SE210's too, so props. Also, have you looked into the Phonaks?
 
Mar 11, 2009 at 2:37 AM Post #15 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by MegatronRx /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So I was happy with my q-Jays until..

It clearly says that I can take this babies to the gym. So I did. I run on a circular indoor track. I was running like the wind and sweating like a pig. I realized that my right ear wasn't fitting properly. So I pushed it in deeper and all of a sudden the right phone went dead. Acck!!

I think the sweat from my ear went into the phone and completely ruined it. I've noticed that the sound is gradually returning to normal but it's still noticeably lower than the left. I was using the foamy tips at the time.

The main reason I purchased these is so I can exercise without hearing all the fans and whirring of Ellipticals and Treadmills. However, if it can't stand a simple drop of sweat these are not good for me. Has anyone had this problem?

I'm assuming that a product that goes directly into your ear should be able to stand a bit of moisture.

I'm getting a bit philosophical here but I think I deserved this for spending $200 dollars on headphones what with all the poverty and such in this world. Should have donated the money to charity or something...but that's just an aside.

FYI: Good to see a jays rep on here interacting with customers. Also, thanks for all your input and advice. Much appreciated.


So I'm not the only one with that problem? That happens to me all the time but never really thought too much about it. And I don't exercise with them either, just use them for the commute.

I find that when that happens, if I remove the silicon/foam tips and then put them back on, sometimes it'll be fixed...miraculously. So I'm not sure where the problem is, but it's good to see someone else experience this.

As for the OP, I've never used the CX500s but know that they are quite a bit more bassy than the Q-Jays, but as another poster mentioned, Q-Jays + Fiio = Perfection
 
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