[Lifted Andreas]

I wanted to improve sound isolating, which tips do you suggest guys?

MEElec M6 Bi-Flanges

 

[IEMagnet01]

After reading an exorbitant amount of information about the FTX90s I've purchased them from Amazon and they will arrive Friday January 17th 2014.

I've been looking for a value deal in a high grade IEM for frequent travel and office use. Pairing with an ALO National iPod rig for now. Also snagging the NAD Viso HP50 for over the ear wear when convenient.

I'll return with my impressions.

Previous IEMs owned Shure 215, Monster Turbine Pro Gold, Klipsch S4i.

The FXT90 is mid forward and treble aggressive. This will continue that way even after hundreds of hours of intense burn it. The carbon based drivers will always stay rigid enough so that this characteristic is always there, it they deliver sublime timbre, hefty bass, and extreme clarity and detail. They are just very aggressive and not very forgiving of bad mastering or low bit rate files.

 

[phara0hseye]

The FXT90 is mid forward and treble aggressive. This will continue that way even after hundreds of hours of intense burn it. The carbon based drivers will always stay rigid enough so that this characteristic is always there, it they deliver sublime timbre, hefty bass, and extreme clarity and detail. They are just very aggressive and not very forgiving of bad mastering or low bit rate files.

I appreciate the added guidance. I'm fascinated to see how they perform. Taking them on a flight to DR next month where I'll have hours of quality uninterrupted time with them after they've had some time to mellow a tad. My music collection for that adventure will primarily be ripped SACDs from my collection.

In the mix will be some Fagen, Steely Dan, Peter Gavriel, Sting, Krall, lossless Phaeleh, Sub-Motion Orchestra, JacM, Gaga, Sade and Yo Yo Ma.

The ALO National should play a factor in tempering some small percentage of that sound signature. Thoughts?

 

[IEMagnet01]

When you get them, blast them with loud music. Blast them unrelenting, with heavy bass and drums. Don't be scared either. They can take the highest volumes with ease. Those carbon nanotubes are tough as heck. Give them massive heavy burn in, and this should help out as well. I've taken them on long trips, and served me well.

 

[phara0hseye]

When you get them, blast them with loud music. Blast them unrelenting, with heavy bass and drums. Don't be scared either. They can take the highest volumes with ease. Those carbon nanotubes are tough as heck. Give them massive heavy burn in, and this should help out as well. I've taken them on long trips, and served me well.

Will do. I'm all about the abuse. Especially when the product thinks it's mere playtime. I'll probably have something substantive to say about them on initial review come this Saturday. Now it's time to digest a bit more information on the new Sennheisers I've been hearing so much about.

The digestion of information never ends for audiophiles. It's part of the allure and what makes us so darn sexy!

 

[phara0hseye]

At this juncture, I've spent considerable time listening to the JVC FTX 90. Surprisingly, this IEM did not deliver on anything that I was expecting. Congested, veiled, lacking detail are all the words that come to mind after listening to this IEM. Using lossless files and an ALO National amplifier, I certainly had high expectations. As I may have mentioned previously, I've owned the Klipsch S4i, the Shure se215, the UE 600v and the UE SuperFi 5. The Klipsch are dynamic but lack detail; the Shures are cleaner and impactful but the mids succumb to a prominent mid bass, whereas the UE600 is detailed, mid-forward but lacking in the lowest registers. The old SuperFi were great for their period on the scene, delivering a robust, detailed, punchy presentation, albeit hampered by fit issues and a cord that loved to fail.

From a form-factor standpoint the FTX90 is clever. Small enough, ergonomically wise and solid. The cord is quality and overall look and feel are polished. That where it all ends for me.

Bass - Capable when tuned right, the stock sound of the base coming from these IEM's is wooly and fluid. It took the Golden Ears app to make the bass on these sound closer to right. Out of the box the bass is just all over everything on the FTXs. It mingles with too much, causing things like depth, separation and positioning to cram and centralize in an unpleasant way. When bass masks anything captured in a recording it usually isn't a good thing and the FTX90s are prime offenders.

Mids - The mids are a bright spot for this IEM. They can be quite lush and revealing without coming off as thin or recessed. Again, that's with properly monkeying around with the sound signature. Stock, they are eaten alive by the massive mid-bass hump that slathers itself onto everything.

Highs - The highs are a mixed-bag for me. The brightest areas of the FTX90s aren't that musical. The highs have a unique quality to them I've never heard in an IEM before. It's rather perplexing to accurately describe. It's not that it's bad, it's just not musically revealing. And it could just be that the bass signature has effectively muffed them up too.

Now, I will say that if you really want to see what it is that I'm talking about, get the Golden Ears app and play around with the FTX 90 setting. These IEMs open up and the bass becomes amazing. What remains subpar after applying the GE EQ is the highs. They just seem out of place in comparison to everything else that's going on. Oh...I should mention my break-in process. Five hours of pink noise at half volume. Five hours of white noise at full volume. Five hours of brown noise at full volume. Lastly, one hour of subwoofer test tracks. That'll, tech 'em!

So, these are going back, and I'm back to the drawing board.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

I pretty much agree with the above post.
 
The FXT90 have lots and lots of potential but those CNT drivers need many hours of hard pounding before they become in any way musical.
 
Mine have only recently blossomed into a flower, and I've had them for months and months.

 

[IEMagnet01]

It takes months of blasting to loosen those CNT up, just like Lifted said. You can't come close to judging their musicality until you've spent a minimum of a month straight blasting them burn in wise. The CNT are colossally rigid and strong.

 

[phara0hseye]

It takes months of blasting to loosen those CNT up, just like Lifted said. You can't come close to judging their musicality until you've spent a minimum of a month straight blasting them burn in wise. The CNT are colossally rigid and strong.

I can totally believe that. I've got about three weeks. I'm curious as to just how they will sound months from now. I'm going to take a pair of Martin Login Mikros 90s with me on this trip. I need something I can stomach for two weeks out of the country.

With that said, I was originally leaning Yamaha EH-100 all the way to HE-400. I didn't want to loose sub-bass capability but clarity, openness and instrumental details are critical to me.

 

[IEMagnet01]

I can totally believe that. I've got about three weeks. I'm curious as to just how they will sound months from now. I'm going to take a pair of Martin Login Mikros 90s with me on this trip. I need something I can stomach for two weeks out of the country.

With that said, I was originally leaning Yamaha EH-100 all the way to HE-400. I didn't want to loose sub-bass capability but clarity, openness and instrumental details are critical to me.

The EPH-100 are a beautiful and brilliant sounding IEM. I will readd them to my collection at some point, and they are actually a bit superior sonically to the JVC. To be honest, as engaging as the FXT90 was to me musically, I got tired of the sonic quirkiness of the CNT, and I've sold them off twice now, and will never own a pair of JVC CNT IEM's ever again. Maybe their cans though? Heard great things about their cans.

 

[IEMagnet01]

and the sub bass proficiency and clarity are to die for with the EPH-100.

 

[phara0hseye]

I got the impression from various reads that the EHs bass was undisciplined. I want to hear them.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

and the sub bass proficiency and clarity are to die for with the EPH-100.

 
+1
 
The bass control is second to none on the EPH, probably why they're so good with EDM.
 
That micro-driver is an absolute peach.
 
 

I got the impression from various reads that the EHs bass was undisciplined. I want to hear them.

 
You NEED to hear them, the tight bass is one of their main qualities. Have no idea who was telling you that its uncontrolled/undisciplined.

 

[phara0hseye]

and the sub bass proficiency and clarity are to die for with the EPH-100.

On it!

 

[phara0hseye]

On it!

They arrive tomorrow. Really looking forward to the journey. I owned Yamaha NS-1000M Studio Monitors for years after working at Harvey Electronics and Rabson's both in Manhattan. These were the Beryllium dome parents of the NS-10M. I've always been enraptured with Yamaha's musical roots and they way they crossfeed the collective expertise and experience of their engineering departments across their product lines.