[IEMusic]

How many times can I update/edit a review? These continue to be the most puzzling IEMs I’ve ever owned. Just when I think I have them figured out, I go back to something I’ve tried before, and suddenly my perception is totally different. This is a tinkerer’s dream, but a plug n’ play fan’s nightmare. The 4KHz peak has always irritated me, but suppressing it via mods (not EQ) has left the upper treble too subdued. I’m relatively treble sensitive, but decided to switch to the white nozzles, w/o any absorption, and use a micropore tape-like mod. Now it’s my favorite IEM. I’m still using Final Type E tips, and I thought the 4KHz peak would be unbearable, but instead I don’t find ANY bothersome peaks, and the upper treble “sparkle” is perfect. So much detail/resolution to be had.

 

[surfgeorge]

How many times can I update/edit a review? These continue to be the most puzzling IEMs I’ve ever owned. Just when I think I have them figured out, I go back to something I’ve tried before, and suddenly my perception is totally different. This is a tinkerer’s dream, but a plug n’ play fan’s nightmare. The 4KHz peak has always irritated me, but suppressing it via mods (not EQ) has left the upper treble too subdued. I’m relatively treble sensitive, but decided to switch to the white nozzles, w/o any absorption, and use a micropore tape-like mod. Now it’s my favorite IEM. I’m still using Final Type E tips, and I thought the 4KHz peak would be unbearable, but instead I don’t find ANY bothersome peaks, and the upper treble “sparkle” is perfect. So much detail/resolution to be had.

You are not alone!
I also find these JVCs puzzling and surprising... Assuming that my modded FD02 sound the same or very, very close to the FDX1.
I've had them for a year, and have bought several more expensive, also very good IEMs, but I keep coming back to the FD02 and I think they are still my most used ones. And I still find it hard to put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me come back, because each of my other IEMs objectively beats the FD02 in one or more areas, but it pulls me into the music and I just enjoy.

BTW - could you share a picture of your MP-like mod? I am curious!
I have to say I am very happy with the suggestion on Drop with the MP stuck directly onto the nozzle mesh. Works perfectly

 

[IEMusic]

You are not alone!
I also find these JVCs puzzling and surprising... Assuming that my modded FD02 sound the same or very, very close to the FDX1.
I've had them for a year, and have bought several more expensive, also very good IEMs, but I keep coming back to the FD02 and I think they are still my most used ones. And I still find it hard to put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me come back, because each of my other IEMs objectively beats the FD02 in one or more areas, but it pulls me into the music and I just enjoy.

BTW - could you share a picture of your MP-like mod? I am curious!
I have to say I am very happy with the suggestion on Drop with the MP stuck directly onto the nozzle mesh. Works perfectly

This is a variation on that idea. Instead of using actual MP tape, I used another porous paper material. I used a disposable lens wipe and folded in half. Right at the fold (as a tangent line), I cut a disc that is slight wider in diameter than the inside of nozzle tip. (I actually cut it out w scissors b/c I didn’t have a leather hole puncher, but using one would be easier.) Before I cut out the disc, I poked a hole in the center with a push pin. I then used the push pin to gently tuck the edges of the paper disc in the nozzle tip. Based on ones preferences, a single ply of the paper may be enough. This way, there is no sticky residue, and it’s easy to remove the discs, or move them to a different nozzle if you want. I find that the provided damped nozzles tame the peaks, but also bring down the upper treble too much for my taste. The paper disc tends to tame the upper mid/lower treble peak, while not affecting the upper treble that much. They now provide a lot of clarity and resolution, w/o being too fatiguing and shouty. I don’t have testing equipment to graph it out though. It’s only what I hear.

 

[MrNick]

I bought a pair before Corona hit us and promptly sent them back.

Service from drop was amazing.

i was (AND STILL AM) looking for an upgrade to the IT03. The timbre on the JVC's was off due to downright anemic bass and savage, tinny highs. I definitely got a decent seal. It was by far the worst purchase I've ever made in audio.

But the plot thickens. I then heard from someone helping me with suggesting an it03 upgrade say he also had the same issue. No bass and timbre being off due to it. Just wanting to shed some light on a possible QC issue here.

I want to buy these again, but not sure if I'll end up with the same crappy sound. Maybe my ears are crazy. Can someone please compare them to the it03 or ISN H40 so I can definitively say whether they were defective? Particularly in the bass department, how do the fdx1 compare to the it03?

Thank you!

 

[IEMusic]

I bought a pair before Corona hit us and promptly sent them back.

Service from drop was amazing.

i was (AND STILL AM) looking for an upgrade to the IT03. The timbre on the JVC's was off due to downright anemic bass and savage, tinny highs. I definitely got a decent seal. It was by far the worst purchase I've ever made in audio.

But the plot thickens. I then heard from someone helping me with suggesting an it03 upgrade say he also had the same issue. No bass and timbre being off due to it. Just wanting to shed some light on a possible QC issue here.

I want to buy these again, but not sure if I'll end up with the same crappy sound. Maybe my ears are crazy. Can someone please compare them to the it03 or ISN H40 so I can definitively say whether they were defective? Particularly in the bass department, how do the fdx1 compare to the it03?

Thank you!

I can’t comment on QC and others’ experiences, but when I first got them, the bass was very anemic, and the upper mids/treble were bright, coarse, and tinny. I was definitely disappointed. Fortunately I determined to let them burn-in for a while, and the sound completely changed over time (Generally, I’m not one that puts a lot of stock in burn-in for IEMs.). This was by far the most change in sound that I’ve ever experienced with burn-in for an IEM. As I’ve stated before, these IEMs have been very confusing for me, with a constantly evolving sound, but now the bass is definitely not anemic. It is controlled, but deep with lots of rumble. No bleed into the mids. To me, subjectively, they have slightly more bass than the T4s do (objectively, they’re identical per Crinacle’s graphs). Incidently, I didn’t notice any change on the T4s with burn-in. Other people on Drop did receive defective FDX1 units, and the replacements reportedly sounded completely different.

 

[MrNick]

I can’t comment on QC and others’ experiences, but when I first got them, the bass was very anemic, and the upper mids/treble were bright, coarse, and tinny. I was definitely disappointed. Fortunately I determined to let them burn-in for a while, and the sound completely changed over time (Generally, I’m not one that puts a lot of stock in burn-in for IEMs.). This was by far the most change in sound that I’ve ever experienced with burn-in for an IEM. As I’ve stated before, these IEMs have been very confusing for me, with a constantly evolving sound, but now the bass is definitely not anemic. It is controlled, but deep with lots of rumble. No bleed into the mids. To me, subjectively, they have slightly more bass than the T4s do (objectively, they’re identical per Crinacle’s graphs). Incidently, I didn’t notice any change on the T4s with burn-in. Other people on Drop did receive defective FDX1 units, and the replacements reportedly sounded completely different.

Hecking darn. Should've just burned em in. The ISN H40 is another disappointment to me. Amazing Soundstage size/3D presentation but no coherent timbre. Full of bass bloat, little clarity, sibilance galore, and lifeless mids. I totally fell for the hype. I think I'll be trying the FDX1 again...

If anyone can compare to the IT03 that would be super helpful!

 

[jsmiller58]

Hecking darn. Should've just burned em in. The ISN H40 is another disappointment to me. Amazing Soundstage size/3D presentation but no coherent timbre. Full of bass bloat, little clarity, sibilance galore, and lifeless mids. I totally fell for the hype. I think I'll be trying the FDX1 again...

If anyone can compare to the IT03 that would be super helpful!

It is probably not your issue with the FDX1, but I want to mention the sound is incredibly affected by the orientation of the rotatIng nozzles... when I had them pointing in the wrong direction they were muddy and muted. If you want to get a sense of the best orientation, put them next to another set of IEMs. It is hard to explain, best as a visual If you look at other IEMs, and play with the orientation. For me the ”right“ orientation is point diagonally up, and away...

again this is probably not what is causing your problem, but I mention it because of what I experienced.

 

[AudioAw2015]

It is probably not your issue with the FDX1, but I want to mention the sound is incredibly affected by the orientation of the rotatIng nozzles... when I had them pointing in the wrong direction they were muddy and muted. If you want to get a sense of the best orientation, put them next to another set of IEMs. It is hard to explain, best as a visual If you look at other IEMs, and play with the orientation. For me the ”right“ orientation is point diagonally up, and away...

again this is probably not what is causing your problem, but I mention it because of what I experienced.

The nozzle position is key here, and as counter intuitive as it sounds, they should be pointed away from your ear canal and sit there without much insertion. Stick with the stock tips as well because the sound was tuned with the wide bore spiral dots in mind. Wearing them cable up or down also affects the sound too depending on your ears, so I'd say experiment with that. These are probably the most finnicky IEMs out there in terms of ergonomics.

 

[exitfire401]

The nozzle position is key here, and as counter intuitive as it sounds, they should be pointed away from your ear canal and sit there without much insertion. Stick with the stock tips as well because the sound was tuned with the wide bore spiral dots in mind. Wearing them cable up or down also affects the sound too depending on your ears, so I'd say experiment with that. These are probably the most finnicky IEMs out there in terms of ergonomics.

Couldn't agree more. It took me about 3 full days of use to figure out how to actually wear them comfortably...then once I heard the sound the way it was supposed to be coming through, I bit the bullet and picked up custom tips. No ergonomics issues anymore and they sound consistent every time. I did find personally that these are way easier to get the fit right with while wearing cable down.

 

[surfgeorge]

If anyone has Spinfit 145 and could try them in comparison to the Spiral Dots, could you try them on the FDX1 and try to insert them a little deeper? I‘d love to hear what you think! I was quite surprised when I swapped tips with another IEM in my collection!

 

[IEMusic]

If anyone has Spinfit 145 and could try them in comparison to the Spiral Dots, could you try them on the FDX1 and try to insert them a little deeper? I‘d love to hear what you think! I was quite surprised when I swapped tips with another IEM in my collection!

I have the 145s and didn’t really like them on the FDX1s due to the fit. Because the core isn’t complete rigid, and the IEMs are relatively heavy, they weren’t very secure, and would move around too much. It worked for me with the dual flange SpinFit tips, but I don’t like the feel of those tips (they hurt my ear canal).

 

[surfgeorge]

This is a variation on that idea. Instead of using actual MP tape, I used another porous paper material. I used a disposable lens wipe and folded in half. Right at the fold (as a tangent line), I cut a disc that is slight wider in diameter than the inside of nozzle tip. (I actually cut it out w scissors b/c I didn’t have a leather hole puncher, but using one would be easier.) Before I cut out the disc, I poked a hole in the center with a push pin. I then used the push pin to gently tuck the edges of the paper disc in the nozzle tip. Based on ones preferences, a single ply of the paper may be enough. This way, there is no sticky residue, and it’s easy to remove the discs, or move them to a different nozzle if you want. I find that the provided damped nozzles tame the peaks, but also bring down the upper treble too much for my taste. The paper disc tends to tame the upper mid/lower treble peak, while not affecting the upper treble that much. They now provide a lot of clarity and resolution, w/o being too fatiguing and shouty. I don’t have testing equipment to graph it out though. It’s only what I hear.

Thanks for sharing! Very interesting... maybe I‘ll try and measure that some day! It looks like a lot of damping, but if it works that’s all that counts!

 

[surfgeorge]

I have the 145s and didn’t really like them on the FDX1s due to the fit. Because the core isn’t complete rigid, and the IEMs are relatively heavy, they weren’t very secure, and would move around too much. It worked for me with the dual flange SpinFit tips, but I don’t like the feel of those tips (they hurt my ear canal).

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, fit is a little bit of an issue. The swiveling tip in combination with the heavy IEM makes them a bit wobbly...
But I really like what they do to the sound.
I am using a teflon insulated pure silver cable which sounds very smooth, clean and tight, top to bottom, and improves separation and the focus of the instruments in the soundstage.
And in comparison to the Spiral Dot++ the Spinfit 145 warms up the sound a little, making the mids a bit fuller and further smoothing out the upper mid-treble but without reducing clarity.
I don't know if it is the deeper fit or the narrower nozzle, but in combination with the PTFE-silver cable and the CP145 they are stunningly good for the money.

 

[jibberish]

I have the 145s and didn’t really like them on the FDX1s due to the fit. Because the core isn’t complete rigid, and the IEMs are relatively heavy, they weren’t very secure, and would move around too much. It worked for me with the dual flange SpinFit tips, but I don’t like the feel of those tips (they hurt my ear canal).

Same here. Last week I paired my FDX1 with Symbio W hybrid tips, because of their relatively high rigidity, and it's given me a nicely stable fit.

 

[James Shoegazer]

Not tryna sound dumb here, but no LR markings on the fd01s?