IEM With Lots Of Bass
Feb 6, 2013 at 9:02 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23
JCH-19

JCH-19

New Head-Fier
Joined
Sep 16, 2011
Posts
11
Likes
10
Hey guys so i'm in the market for a new pair of IEM's. Right now I have the Philips SHE 3590/3580. I like them but I do have a few problems with them. First, I'd like some more bass. I'm definitely a bass head and i'm pretty much looking for as much bass as I can feasibly get. Next, the SHE 3590 don't fit my ears well. I can get a good seal but they seem to work there way out. When I occasionally run it's practically impossible to maintain a seal. I've been looking at the JVC HA-FX101. Is that a good choice or would something else serve me better? My budget is about $50. I might have a little lee way on that if it's really worth it but i'd prefer to stay under it. Thanks for the help.
 
Feb 6, 2013 at 9:20 PM Post #2 of 23
Hippo VB. Pounding sub-bass, extreme pleasure. Infinite low end extension.

http://www.inearmania.com/2011/11/hippo-vb-review.html
 
Feb 6, 2013 at 9:44 PM Post #4 of 23
Quote:
jch-19 said:
Hey guys so i'm in the market for a new pair of IEM's. Right now I have the Philips SHE 3590. I like them but I do have a few problems with them. First, I'd like some more bass. I'm definitely a bass head and i'm pretty much looking for as much bass as I can feasibly get. Next, the SHE 3590 don't fit my ears well. I can get a good seal but they seem to work there way out. When I occasionally run it's practically impossible to maintain a seal. I've been looking at the JVC HA-FX101. Is that a good choice or would something else serve me better? My budget is about $50. I might have a little lee way on that if it's really worth it but i'd prefer to stay under it. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

 
I made a comparative review (Sony MH1/MH1-C, Klipsch S4, HiFiMan RE0, Grado SR60, etc.) that tests a headphone's capability to drive quality bass to louder volumes with minimal muddiness and without distortion. Included in the list is the Philips SHE3580 along with more than $500 worth of budget-fi I bought in the last two months. If I did get a good pair, then the SHE3580 failed my simple bass test quite pathetically. Only the FX101 came closest to the best in my list, the Sennheiser CX400 (CX500 without volume control). Although I recommend the FX101 over the CX400 because of availability, as the latter has been discontinued and only fakes are available in the market, last week I was able to find a trusted Amazon Japan seller that sells authentic CX400's and CX500's. I can confirm they're the real deal comparing to my authentic pair I got from Newegg a few years back. I will update my thread with high-res pictures. The CX400 will cost you $42 total shipped from Amazon Japan through Tenso. If you don't amplify your bass to dangerous levels like I do, then the FX101 is more than enough for $15. I got a lot of criticism from this website for my abnormal demand for extreme bass, but they're all based on the mistaken assumption that I equate bass quality with bass quantity. And then you see them recommending RE0 to people who are looking for bass like you and this is what happens.
 
EDIT: Regarding the Hippo VB, I haven't tried it. But I suggest that you be wary according to this review that they have less bass impact than the Creative EP-630/Sennheiser CX300. It is smarter for you to stick to your initial demand, which is tons of quality bass, and try not to be sidetracked by hypnotizing audiophile jargon. If one day you think you want to know what that "audiophile" sound is all about, then try the Sony MH1-C (although you'll be disappointed by the bass if you like your bass party loud). I still maintain my argument that it's harder for headphones to drive quality bass at higher volumes (it's easy to tell because they either crack or not) than to EQ/postprocess (stereophonic-to-binaural DSP) your way to make an inexpensive quality headphone sound the same as expensive hi-fi ones. (In one of these links Joe Bloggs shows a tutorial on how to EQ a SHE3580.)
 
Feb 6, 2013 at 10:34 PM Post #8 of 23
Quote:
pocketsmiley said:
 
I made a comparative review (Sony MH1/MH1-C, Klipsch S4, HiFiMan RE0, Grado SR60, etc.) that tests a headphone's capability to drive quality bass to louder volumes with minimal muddiness and without distortion. Included in the list is the Philips SHE3580 along with more than $500 worth of budget-fi I bought in the last two months. If I did get a good pair, then the SHE3580 failed my simple bass test quite pathetically. Only the FX101 came closest to the best in my list, the Sennheiser CX400 (CX500 without volume control). Although I recommend the FX101 over the CX400 because of availability, as the latter has been discontinued and only fakes are available in the market, last week I was able to find a trusted Amazon Japan seller that sells authentic CX400's and CX500's. I can confirm they're the real deal comparing to my authentic pair I got from Newegg a few years back. I will update my thread with high-res pictures. The CX400 will cost you $42 total shipped from Amazon Japan through Tenso. If you don't amplify your bass to dangerous levels like I do, then the FX101 is more than enough for $15. I got a lot of criticism from this website for my abnormal demand for extreme bass, but they're all based on the mistaken assumption that I equate bass quality with bass quantity. And then you see them recommending RE0 to people who are looking for bass like you and this is what happens.
 
EDIT: Regarding the Hippo VB, I haven't tried it. But I suggest that you be wary according to this review that they have less bass impact than the Creative EP-630/Sennheiser CX300. It is smarter for you to stick to your initial demand, which is tons of quality bass, and try not to be sidetracked by hypnotizing audiophile jargon. If one day you think you want to know what that "audiophile" sound is all about, then try the Sony MH1-C (although you'll be disappointed by the bass if you like your bass party loud). I still maintain my argument that it's harder for headphones to drive quality bass at higher volumes (it's easy to tell because they either crack or not) than to EQ/postprocess (stereophonic-to-binaural DSP) your way to make an inexpensive quality headphone sound the same as expensive hi-fi ones. (In one of these links Joe Bloggs shows a tutorial on how to EQ a SHE3580.)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I saw in your review that you said the FX101 has a vent under the X. Does this make them bleed sound to the outside? I ask as I spend a lot of time listening in quiet places with other people. Also by sibilance with them, does that mean harsh treble? I really dislike listening to harsh treble, but is it overly prominent with the FX101?
 
Feb 6, 2013 at 11:44 PM Post #9 of 23
Quote:
jch-19 said:
Thanks for the advice! I saw in your review that you said the FX101 has a vent under the X. Does this make them bleed sound to the outside? I ask as I spend a lot of time listening in quiet places with other people. Also by sibilance with them, does that mean harsh treble? I really dislike listening to harsh treble, but is it overly prominent with the FX101?
Click to expand...

 
Wow, I actually went ahead and tested this. I remember being concerned about the same thing when I noticed the vents. At my loudness threshold (which is very, very loud; here the FX101 bass already cracks) and with the earbuds sealed with my fingertips an arm's length away, they bleed a muffled sound that is not louder than my PC fans. Which can be problematic because PC fan noise is comfortable noise whereas music can be distracting. Now, about a meter away, I can barely hear them even if I concentrate. I guess you can use it in a library if you can find a seat with noone around in a meter radius haha. You may have a problem in plane rides if you crank it loud and you're sitting next to someone trying to sleep. The sound leakage is definitely not at the level of open-back cans where you can hear them playing across rooms (I stopped using my Grado SR60 because of this and switched to IEM's for the first time).
 
And yeah, I only noticed the treble is harsh when I listened to black metal. If you listen to a song with already harsh high frequencies such as extreme metal or noisecore it's unbearable without EQing the treble down. So yeah, this might be the biggest deal-breaker for you. As for me, I bought a CX870 prior to the FX101, and the CX870 has harsh treble. Because I didn't want to accept that I wasted money, I trained myself to LOVE the sound lol, convincing myself that the highs are boosted because the headphones want to emphasize its capabilities on higher frequencies. When I got the FX101, I didn't think they have harsh treble at all until I tried extreme music. You should ask around a bit more about this; there are many FX101 owners in here. I don't want to recommend the FX101 without an accurate estimate of your noise and pain thresholds.
 
BTW, I read that you have the Sony XB500. I wish to try that as well so that's one reason I want you to try the FX101 so you can tell how they compare with a basshead IEM.
 
Feb 7, 2013 at 12:06 AM Post #10 of 23
Quote:
pocketsmiley said:
 
Wow, I actually went ahead and tested this. I remember being concerned about the same thing when I noticed the vents. At my loudness threshold (which is very, very loud; here the FX101 bass already cracks) and with the earbuds sealed with my fingertips an arm's length away, they bleed a muffled sound that is not louder than my PC fans. Which can be problematic because PC fan noise is comfortable noise whereas music can be distracting. Now, about a meter away, I can barely hear them even if I concentrate. I guess you can use it in a library if you can find a seat with noone around in a meter radius haha. You may have a problem in plane rides if you crank it loud and you're sitting next to someone trying to sleep. The sound leakage is definitely not at the level of open-back cans where you can hear them playing across rooms (I stopped using my Grado SR60 because of this and switched to IEM's for the first time).
 
And yeah, I only noticed the treble is harsh when I listened to black metal. If you listen to a song with already harsh high frequencies such as extreme metal or noisecore it's unbearable without EQing the treble down. So yeah, this might be the biggest deal-breaker for you. As for me, I bought a CX870 prior to the FX101, and the CX870 has harsh treble. Because I didn't want to accept that I wasted money, I trained myself to LOVE the sound lol, convincing myself that the highs are boosted because the headphones want to emphasize its capabilities on higher frequencies. When I got the FX101, I didn't think they have harsh treble at all until I tried extreme music. You should ask around a bit more about this; there are many FX101 owners in here. I don't want to recommend the FX101 without an accurate estimate of your noise and pain thresholds.
 
BTW, I read that you have the Sony XB500. I wish to try that as well so that's one reason I want you to try the FX101 so you can tell how they compare with a basshead IEM.
Click to expand...

Well I went ahead and bought them, you can't go to wrong for $20. I mostly listen to rap, rock, and dubstep so hopefully the treble won't be too much of a problem.
 
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:33 PM Post #11 of 23
Quote:
jch-19 said:
Well I went ahead and bought them, you can't go to wrong for $20. I mostly listen to rap, rock, and dubstep so hopefully the treble won't be too much of a problem.
Click to expand...

 
There's an FX101G available for $14 shipped from Amazon marketplace (the same seller I bought from) except it's in a color I'd pay about $3 NOT to get haha (nah I actually like green). I'm getting worried that you might get disappointed ): for example like the person in this thread. Although for whatever reason that is, I am not capable of imagining outside my stated experience. I haven't tried the Sony XB500 and it might have a different bass timbre that you love, for example the frequency response graph of the XB500 shows a boosted midtohigh-bass compared to my top favorite the Sennheiser CX500 otherwise their bass are similar. Well, I can't trust these headroom graphs as much after I tried the S4, when the S4 and CX500 graphs looked almost identical although the S4 absolutely sucked. Anyway, it's possible that you might have grown to love a different bass sound; but then I already considered that possibility in my review and communicated it the best I can.
 
I am only recently receiving messages asking for recommendations and I keep sending disclaimers that I am in no way an authority in the matter. I've only tested a few headphones after all. The only different thing I do is that I have a simple bass test which tests a clearly stated demand and the headphones either pass or fail. I wanted to say in my thread that I am not in any way telling people what to do, just giving information on what I did and the decision is up to the reader--but then I already put "if you like [given property] then get" clauses all around, and it also sounds as if I'm not willing to take any responsibility. If the FX101 disappointed you (bass-wise) and/or if you find anything better in the future please kindly tell me so I can revise my basshead list finally. Thanks!
 
EDIT:  Nevermind. The person disappointed with the FX101 had a change of heart. He compared them again with the GR02-BE and the FX101 "seemed to have a stronger bass with some songs." He should be updating his original post by now.
 
Feb 8, 2013 at 9:27 AM Post #13 of 23
There's also the FX3X which is the newer model of the FX101, I've got to order them someday..
biggrin.gif

 
Feb 8, 2013 at 10:20 AM Post #14 of 23
I, for one, am not a fan on JVC's low end bassy IEM, all of the 3 (FX1X, FX3X and FX101) have all been a dissapointment in bass quality.
 
I would say if you can, move straight to JVC's FXZ100 or FXZ200, they are both triple-dynamic IEM, with the third being a kevlar subwoofer - so yes you literally have in-ear subwoofer with either of these two
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top