[fdx1blues]

The one the left is the fdx1 from eBay.

The one on the right is my old fd01.

(Sorry if the pictures are bad…)

 

[CEE TEE]

^Hmmm, users who had both did report the bass to be tighter and better resolving on the FD-X1.
There were not supposed to be any driver differences from the FD-01 though, except for the lack of knurling on the external body, the different modded nozzles...oh, and much less expensive packaging.

 

[surfgeorge]

The one the left is the fdx1 from eBay.

The one on the right is my old fd01.

(Sorry if the pictures are bad…)

I looked into my FDX1 and they look the same as the one in your picture.
What you can see there is not the driver, but the driver cage. JVC made 2 versions of that cage, a titanium one for the FD01 and a stainless steel one for the cheaper FD02. It might well be that JVC used the stainless steel cage in the FDX1. So I don‘t think this is a Fake.

BUT…
There were some FDX1 that had some issue with bass. My first pair had very weak bass response, about -5dB on one side and -10dB on the other. I have written about this and posted some simple measurements. I asked for a replacement and the second pair I received sounded and measured as expected.
There were other, similar reports.

So maybe you have been sold such a dud…
I would try to return it if that is possible. If they want proof you could consider buying a $50 Dayton imm-6 microphone and take a measurement with a tube coupler. But you‘d need to invest a little time to learn about taking measurements.

Good luck!

 

[imackler]

In case anyone is looking, I’ve got a pair listed: $125 Shipped US

 

[funnyjoke]

Guys, would the JVC FWX1 be an upgrade to the FDX1?

Also, some soapy water went into the tiny holes on my FDX1s and they sound boomier and less technical now I think. Is that damage or am I imagining it?

 

[warbles]

I have the Drop FWX1 and can testify that it is boomy as hell. Paid nearly 700 clams (NZ ) for it. Biggest disappointment imaginable for this here audio maven! The Drop FDX1 you have is pretty much the only JVC earphone that does not suffer from appallingly blobby, bloomy, overkill bass.

 

[funnyjoke]

I have the Drop FWX1 and can testify that it is boomy as hell. Paid nearly 700 clams (NZ ) for it. Biggest disappointment imaginable for this here audio maven! The Drop FDX1 you have is pretty much the only JVC earphone that does not suffer from appallingly blobby, bloomy, overkill bass.

It's on sale so I wondered if it was worth it, or if it would be better than the FDX1 which I do own right now. Thanks for letting me know! Guess I'll steer clear?

 

[kumar402]

It's on sale so I wondered if it was worth it, or if it would be better than the FDX1 which I do own right now. Thanks for letting me know! Guess I'll steer clear?

I too was tempted but then talked myself out of it as I already have a JVC IEM no point to get another one.

 

[funnyjoke]

I too was tempted but then talked myself out of it as I already have a JVC IEM no point to get another one.

But seriously? It's not better than the FDX1 at all? I'm sure JVC intended it to be a successor to it? How could that be.

 

[kumar402]

But seriously? It's not better than the FDX1 at all? I'm sure JVC intended it to be a successor to it? How could that be.

Well FDX01 is result of some good enthusiasts ,we have in this hobby, coming together and putting across a mod. I’m not sure about the history of the new model

 

[james444]

Well FDX01 is result of some good enthusiasts ,we have in this hobby, coming together and putting across a mod. I’m not sure about the history of the new model

I'm not quite sure about the new model's history either. But I did an analysis and tuning suggestion for the FW1800 back then, the model that later became the basis for the FWX1. This never resulted in a collaboration, but I'm putting it out here now for those who might want to try a reversible mod on their FW1800 or FWX1:

Here are my measurements and thoughts on the FX1800:

(DF-compensated) red = FX1800 stock, blue = FX1800 modded, green = FDX1 medium damped nozzle

Stock sound (red)

Let's start with the best thing: mids are gorgeous in the FX1800, sweeter and with even better vocal timbre than on the FDX1, while equally resolving. Certainly among the best mids I've heard.

Treble is also great, smooth and extended. With one minor exception around 5-6 kHz, where to my ears the emphasis is a tad overdone and makes some tracks sound borderline sibilant. I think it would benefit the sound signature to lower this range just a smidgen, in order to steer clear of sibilance, while retaining the same great treble resolution.

Bass is the range I have the most problem with. First of all, the hybrid DLC+wood driver appears to be a little "slower" than the FDX1 driver, so bass seems to linger a bit. Second, bass amplitude is about +5 dB higher than on the FDX1 throughout the entire range (from deep bass well into lower mids), which makes the low end sound noticeably boomy with some more bass-heavy tracks. IMHO, bass emphasis, plus somewhat long-ish decay, is definitely little too much for such a high-class earphone.

Therefore, I've been playing around with bass tuning quite a bit, and I think it should be lowered to FDX1 level. Or maybe just 1-2 dBs higher than FDX1 at max, but 5 dB higher is definitely too much. Note that even a modified FX1800 with the same bass level as the FDX1 will still sound slightly bassier than the latter, due to slightly slower decay.


Modified tuning (blue)

Flattening the peak around 5-6 kHz was pretty easy, I just affixed a thin strip of 3M micropore tape across the nozzle. In a production version, it might be possible to affix a damping strip like this directly to the protecting mesh, or just increase acoustic resistance of the mesh itself by a small amount.

Taming the bass was a little more challenging, but after some trial and error, I found a small piece of rubber band with just the right diameter to create the proper amount of leakage underneath the tips:

Mounting the tips together with the rubber strip is a bit tricky, but if done correctly, it should look like this:

Front:

Rear:

This tiny DIY front-vent underneath the tips creates just the right amount of airflow to lower the FX1800 bass to FDX1 level. Of course, in a production version, one wouldn't have to go to such modding lengths. One would simply lower acoustic resistance of the filters behind the existing front-vents, that's all (two holes in center of the photo).

Conclusion

I think, with slight adjustments to the tuning, these are some truely excellent IEMs. Not only do they look classier than the FDX1, but they also sound classier (i.e. not as technical and analytical, but overall sweeter and more euphonic, while being technically at least on the same level).

 

[Raketen]

My impressions of stock FW1800 I think are similar- that it was like a more traditional JVC V shaped version of unfiltered FD01 and a bit less suited for all round listening due to upper mid intensity (especially with rock and such)- personally enjoy the JVC woodie bass but it's probably not helping w/ that. I guess I'd consider it a bit of an eccentric side grade to the FD01.

I thought it was better balanced in comparison to FW01, so if FWX1 performs like the 1500/1800 rather than the FW01, seems like it's worth considering* if the price is right, at least for v-shape DD and JVC fans (and potential modders I guess).

*Would have been happy to keep them myself but instead of "New" Amazon sent me "Obviously Used (Complete w/ Earwax crumbs on the eartips)", and did not offer replacement, so just stole a quick demo & returned

 

[funnyjoke]

Awesome, guys, I told you all FWX1s were on sale and they sold out.

 

[seanwee]

It's on sale so I wondered if it was worth it, or if it would be better than the FDX1 which I do own right now. Thanks for letting me know! Guess I'll steer clear?

If you want an upgrade to the FDX1, I suggest giving the Tangzu Zetian Wu Heyday a shot.

Personally I went for more treble extension after my eyes were opened by the Elysian Annihilator but granted that is waaaay more expensive.

 

[funnyjoke]

Guys I was thinking of buying either a new DAP or new headphones and I wondered, already owning the FDX1s, could a DAP like the M0 Pro or Fiio M11s or Shanling M3 Ultra fix the shouty aspect of the FDX1?