[theDank]

Quote:

Originally Posted by epithetless /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, HA-FX33A is the blue version (I verified this on the package at Best Buy yesterday when I went shopping for black ones -- which they didn't have)...The JVC website lists the black version as HA-FX33B. Amazon has both of them in stock right now (but no picture of the black ones). It does get confusing, as some sites mix the model numbers and descriptions up...so here's hoping I do indeed have blacks on order...

can anyone confirm that the black ones on amazon (w/o picture) ARE ACTUALLY black ones? im getting one for myself and one for a gift. i just wanna make sure i dont get the wrong ones right before xmas. thx.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Yes FX33B is black and FX33A is blue

 

[Veggie_Musician]

Posted my full review

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=213744

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Spot /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh, I just can't take them without the filters, way too much shrill for me, to the point of where I want to punch the nearest person in the eye.... I bought another pair last night from Entertainment Outlet on 14th st. between 6th & 7th Ave ($13 and they also have one on 40th bet 5th &6th) so I'll try my best to mod the hell out of these. I'm going to try different types of paper and materials, tips etc.. I just need a hole puncher the size of the circumference of that hole. I think George, that you have allowed yourself to get used to the highs, and this isn't merely a matter of burn in, since they've probably burned in as much as they're gonna. I'm not much a believer in the burn in other than psychological. Of course though, if you bring a diaphragm from one extreme temperature to another, the physical properties of it will change, and will have an effect on the sound of what is coming out of it. But I doubt that you're putting those things through such extremes, right ? Meh, I'm just going on, wasting time before I have to leave, so whadoo I know.

I have my marshmallows tuned so well that I can make them sound the way I want them and I have three pairs now that all sound different because they are *tuned* differently. This one with no filters has 75 ohms of impedance in front with EX71 sleeves. The impedance rounds up the top. The more impedance, the darker they get. I do believe in actual burn in. My Shure E2s are the perfect example. After using them for years I had a chance to put them side by side to a brand new pair and the brand new pair sounded thin and did not have very good bass extension or treble.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I have been listening without the paper filters and with sony EX71 sleeves. Not bad. The bloated bass is gone, the highs have gotten better and the mids are more forward. I am wearing them like I wear the Shures and the sleeves are half way in my ear canal. Not too deep and not too out. I kind of like this. The Shure sleeves make the sound shrill, but the sony/UE sleeves do not. What do you think Sweet Spot & Kramer?

I listened to my blue ones without the paper filters and it gave me tinnitus for the evening

. Even with my bassy amps and low volume sessions.

My ears are VERY sensitive to any kind of treble thats boosted slightly over the mids. I need a gradual treble roll-off above ~6000Hz.

I'll fabricate some filters out of paper and glue them back.

 

[cmirza]

Finally picked up a pair of FX33Bs and I'm pretty impressed even fresh out of the box. They are very bassy as many have said before, but they are not severely lacking in mids or treble. This is what I've been looking for in a cheap pair of discrete looking headphones. MX400, MX51, EP630, etc were all lacking in either mids or bass or highs and made them unlistenable to me.

I've got them playing in a drawer now, letting them burn in. The only real complaint I have about them is that the stock marshmallow sleeves don't sit well in my ears and feel like they will fall out easy. But Shure sleeves will definitely fix that. And for some reason I felt they came with a pouch, kind of disappointing they didn't.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

kwel cmirza

I am pretty happy with them. I can customize their sound so much and still sound good. I could not do that with my EX71 and the only way my CX300 or EP630 sound good is if I carry an amp with me, which I really hate to do.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramer5150 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listened to my blue ones without the paper filters and it gave me tinnitus for the evening . Even with my bassy amps and low volume sessions. My ears are VERY sensitive to any kind of treble thats boosted slightly over the mids. I need a gradual treble roll-off above ~6000Hz. I'll fabricate some filters out of paper and glue them back.

I hear ya. I like treble and detail. Even then I like the stock marshmallows cus of the bass

. I found the perfect tips https://www.koss.com/koss/baskets.nsf/05cartviewN

They sound awesome on my Shure E2s and give that resonating mids that you like and I like as well.

 

[cmirza]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT /img/forum/go_quote.gif https://www.koss.com/koss/baskets.nsf/05cartviewN[/url] They sound awesome on my Shure E2s and give that resonating mids that you like and I like as well.

Cart view doesn't work...

I'm guessing you're suggesting one of these sleeves:

PLUG
PLUG_Cone
PLUG_Hexagon
PLUG_Round

https://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.ns...Start=75&Seq=1

They're $5 each, I'm very curious about which tips you feel enhance the mids as thats where I'd like to see some improvement.

Anyway, I got a variety pack of Shure E2 sleeves on the way now, I'll post some pics and impressions with them once they arrive.

 

[housecat]

I work in an office around a large manufacturing environment and we have about 10 different kinds of plugs. I'm going to try some on these.

 

[Veggie_Musician]

No one seems to be replying to my review so post it on here lol!


There has been much said recently about the new JVC FX33 marshmallows. Being vegetarian I avoid products with gelatine so have missed out on all the fun at campsite fires! However, I have gone against my beliefs to try these Marshmallows. I got my Liquorish (black) flavour for £15 at Curry’s here in the UK.

There’s nothing much in the box – the headphones with a pair of marshmallows and a spare set. The socket is the same type as you get on Sony EX and UE models so tip interchanging is possible in case you are hungry and eat your marshmallows or they become a sticky goo in your ears!

The build quality is good – they feel solidly made – but at same time feel cheep. The cables are thick and rubbery and of the Y variety rather than lame J. There’s a toggle on the cable to shorten the Y.

The JVC's have been burning in for last few days playing radio static and bassy music for hours on end in my sock draw!!!!

I have tested the JVC’s with a Zen Vision:M using Lame VBR files ranging from Basement Jaxx to Bach. One early note – the JVC’s do not respond well to EQ’ing – it is best to leave them “flat” or the sound just becomes congested! I find my UM2 and Sony’s adjust very well to eq’ing and you can change the sound to suit how you want it without any loss in quality!

Other Headphones tested in Review

Westone UM2’s
Sony EX90
Sony EX71
Sony MDR 931

Naturally, the EX90’s and the UM2 are in a different league to the JVC, so wont do too much comparisons so to be fair, so it will be down to the latter 2.

Sony EX71 v JVC FX33

The JVC’s are better - However, the Sony’s do seem to have more class about how they deliver music – there is more control and rhythm, but are let down by a very harsh treble – like having a tweeter in your ears – shhh ssss shhh - think of chewing silver foil when someone plays high brass or hits a cymbal! There is a more organic nature to the sound of the JVC – fuller mids, soft treble (but there still is a bit of the shhh sshhhh ssss sounds you get from the EX71s – just not as much). The bass is perhaps a bit boomier on the JVC’s.

The JVC’s are built better out of the two.

Sony MDR 931 v JVC

I’ve always thought the 931’s were much better than the EX71s, and at £15 - over half the price of the EX71’s… much better value. They are what I’d say a DARK sounding earphone. More bass and mids than treble. Treble still very much sparkling and detailed. They may not be canal phones, but included them in this review, as they are the same price. They cable on Sonys are one of the best Ive seen - they are nylon material covered. First impressions, the 931’s have a load more detail, everything opened up – no more cotton wool in my ears! The Sony’s are more even thru out the range and balanced. The bass goes deeper, but not as loud and there is more treble. One problem I found with JVC is there seems to be frequencies missing – imagine you have a 15band EQ and turn one or two of the bands to –12db’s …that’s the effect I get with JVCs – something aren’t quite right! With the Sony’s I get everything back again. The Sonys don’t have the shhh sss sound either which is nice, but the treble can be a bit nasal – but still more forward than the JVC’s. In classical music you can hear each string of a harp glissandi that you cant hear on the JVC’s. Both headphones can lose a bit of control in complex passages, but that’s to be expected for the price. The Sony seems to have more dynamic punch.

The JVC’s sound better with no Eq, but the Sony’s with a little eq’ing do sound better!

UM2, EX90’s v JVC

To be honest there’s no comparison – these big boys slaughter the JVC’s and boy do they do it with style!

Both the Sony and UM2 sound fantastic with everything you play – the JVC’s do not like complex music. Some stuff sound good – others terrible. Also there’s no dynamics, no rhythm, poor control – actually the JVC’s are not very musical earphones. Even compared to the 931’s the JVCs are canalphones with a cold! I can’t seem to get my foot tapping and enjoy myself.

Just a few words on the UM2 and EX90’s sound. The EX90s (modded) has a very forward, lively and extrovert sound. The treble is more apparent then the UM2s which seems dull in comparison. The EX90’s sound like 5 rows back in a concert hall, the UM2’s feel on stage! Both of them have bass that extends an octave lower than the cheaper ones.

The UM2’s are instantly more closed in than the Sony’s – very dry. The bass is gritty but never boomy – It’s by far the most controlled and rhythmic earphone I have – very musical – always my first choice! Sometimes I find the treble on the Sony’s a bit too cold and metallic – but they are never harsh like EX71’s. Both the UM2 and EX90’s are prized headphones in my collection.

Final words. The JVC are ok for the price (£15). They are neither great headphones nor poor ones. They are much better than Sony’s very poor EX71’s… even when they are modded. They are a great choice if you want something you can take out without worrying about getting stolen or an upgrade over stock buds. For a little more (£20-25) the PX100’s are loads better.

Rating ***/*****

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cart view doesn't work... I'm guessing you're suggesting one of these sleeves: PLUG PLUG_Cone PLUG_Hexagon PLUG_Round https://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.ns...Start=75&Seq=1 They're $5 each, I'm very curious about which tips you feel enhance the mids as thats where I'd like to see some improvement. Anyway, I got a variety pack of Shure E2 sleeves on the way now, I'll post some pics and impressions with them once they arrive.

The Shure sleeves make the bass even heavier. I think you should have tried the Shure foams instead. I am going to stick one of these Koss cushions on my marshmallows tonight and see how it goes. It gave me very good mids and highs when I used them with my Shure E2. Let me try 'em on first before you go out buying anything.

 

[cmirza]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Shure sleeves make the bass even heavier. I think you should have tried the Shure foams instead.

I got the E2 variety pack thing that you get with a new E2C (clear sleeves, soft sleeve and foamies) so I can experiment with them and see which I like most.

I really feel that these would worth twice the $20 they typically sell for, and considering how balanced they sound, they blow away pretty much all <$50 earbud/canalphones that I've heard. One thing that I really like about the FX33s is how well they perform with a variety of music, rock, acoustic, electronic and hip hop are all done very well.

I find them more enjoyable than my old E2s which, while they were more detailed, the boomy bass and rolled off highs were distracting. The E4s I have now are a whole other creature and would not be fair to compare to the FX33s. The EX71, EP630, MX450 and MX51 are trounced by the FX33. The EX71s bass is out of control and highs are too sibilant compared to the FX33. The EP630 also has boomy bass while its highs were too rolled off compared to the FX33. The MX450 and MX51 I feel are both very similar with just slight differences in sound. They both have rolled off highs and either boomy bass with the foam pads on, or rolled off bass with the foam off. Aesthetically, I really like the FX33s compared to the E2, EX71, EP630, MX450 and MX51. First of all, they have a Y-cord. Second, they are very small and sit very deep in the ear, so they are very discrete when worn. Better yet, they can be worn like my E4s, with the cord looped around the ears to reduce cord microphonics.

They aren't KSC75 killers, and they are not going to compete with high end ($100+) IEMs. But, they are very enjoyable and IMO king of the hill among sub $50 canalphone/earbuds, the only thing that comes close (that I've heard) is the Shure E2 or Etymotic ER6, but since both of those are ~$60 at best, the value of both of them is very dubious considering the quality of the FX33s. That is how the FX33 is like the KSC75, it makes you reconsider the value of other, more expensive canalphones/IEMs.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmirza /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got the E2 variety pack thing that you get with a new E2C (clear sleeves, soft sleeve and foamies) so I can experiment with them and see which I like most. I really feel that these would worth twice the $20 they typically sell for, and considering how balanced they sound, they blow away pretty much all <$50 earbud/canalphones that I've heard. One thing that I really like about the FX33s is how well they perform with a variety of music, rock, acoustic, electronic and hip hop are all done very well. I find them more enjoyable than my old E2s which, while they were more detailed, the boomy bass and rolled off highs were distracting. The E4s I have now are a whole other creature and would not be fair to compare to the FX33s. The EX71, EP630, MX450 and MX51 are trounced by the FX33. The EX71s bass is out of control and highs are too sibilant compared to the FX33. The EP630 also has boomy bass while its highs were too rolled off compared to the FX33. The MX450 and MX51 I feel are both very similar with just slight differences in sound. They both have rolled off highs and either boomy bass with the foam pads on, or rolled off bass with the foam off. Aesthetically, I really like the FX33s compared to the E2, EX71, EP630, MX450 and MX51. First of all, they have a Y-cord. Second, they are very small and sit very deep in the ear, so they are very discrete when worn. Better yet, they can be worn like my E4s, with the cord looped around the ears to reduce cord microphonics. They aren't KSC75 killers, and they are not going to compete with high end ($100+) IEMs. But, they are very enjoyable and IMO king of the hill among sub $50 canalphone/earbuds, the only thing that comes close (that I've heard) is the Shure E2 or Etymotic ER6, but since both of those are ~$60 at best, the value of both of them is very dubious considering the quality of the FX33s. That is how the FX33 is like the KSC75, it makes you reconsider the value of other, more expensive canalphones/IEMs.

That's a nice review

 

[nineohtoo]

They can't touch the highs of the EX90s. Bass is much nicer imo. Boomier without being distorted, but the vocals just don't sound as clear imo. And definitely, don't EQ these. I plugged them into my Zen V, and they sounded like utter crap. Then I read this and turned off the eq and its night and day. Still prefer my EX90s though. I guess I'll give these to my sister for xmas with her shuffle.

Excellent for the price though.