[KimcheeKowboy]

If you are talking about sound wise, I doubt it. I had two types, one was the FXT90 and other was FX "Z" 200 which I think is better. The "Z" version contains a subwoofer built in that brings out more deeper end when it comes to sound.

 

[Hammerburst]

About 4 months ago, I bought some IEM's, the Etymotic ER3SE. The comfort was horrible, you had to stick them extremely deep into your ear canal, in order to hear the full sound, (especially the bass). When these JVC's first came out, I remember the positive response, among most people. Always wanted to try them, but never pulled the trigger. Now in 2020, they are an "old" IEM, (whatever that means). Yet I still prefer cable and 3.5mm jack.

A couple months ago, I found the FXT90 for only $27 on Ebay, from China. What the hell, why not? They took about 3 weeks to get here. They have now been in my possession for a month. These are amazing, I am just blown away by nearly every aspect of this IEM. It is comfortable, it sits shallow in your ear canal, but still generates a good seal. (Even with the stock tips). I can sit for 2+ hours, and even forget it is in my ear. It is lightweight, form-fitting, and small. (All great attributes for an IEM, because "Comfort Is King"). The sound is awesome. Definitely not neutral, they are spirited with good character. Good soundstage. The bass is great, the mids are great, the treble is clear and sparkly. These are excellent IEM's I just can't believe it. I think I am in love. Goin to be rockin' these for a long time. They also look cool, with the transparent, carbon body. Appreciate the information on this thread, have a good one!

 

[H T T]

^ My thoughts exactly. A while back in time, after about 3 years of heavy use my FXT90 died. I still mourn. What a great IEM!

 

[Hammerburst]

True. Some special things that we own, we fear they will be taken away. A good reliable car, or an IEM that fits us nicely, and sounds good. For me as well, these are a gem. JVC should re-release this model, lol. Allegedly the JVC HA-FXT100 and FXT200 were the successors. But they were bigger, bulkier, and had a different fit. Also, they had a different sound than the the original. (Never tried them, but it would be nice to hear both of them). Maybe in the future some time.

 

[Raketen]

FXT90 were definitely a gateway drug for me, I'd had a few before that I found more convenient than enjoyable, but that was the one that made me realize the potential of IEMs.

It's been so long since i heard the fxt90 so there's a good chance this is just my imagination, but I think the fxh-30 and "solidege" fd7 might be truer successors to the fxt90 than the 100 & 200 (either that or those just better fit my preferences as they have changed).

 

[Hammerburst]

FXT90 were definitely a gateway drug for me, I'd had a few before that I found more convenient than enjoyable, but that was the one that made me realize the potential of IEMs.

It's been so long since i heard the fxt90 so there's a good chance this is just my imagination, but I think the fxh-30 and "solidege" fd7 might be truer successors to the fxt90 than the 100 & 200 (either that or those just better fit my preferences as they have changed).

Thanks for the info, you seem to have much more experience with JVC IEM's than me. At this point, I am trying to be happy with what I have, and the FXT90 has been amazing so far. I would like to try those JVC's you stated, as well as the FXZ200, and the FXT200, (the regular one, without the stiff gold cable). Or maybe that cable from the FXT200LTD won't bother me as much as others? I really like JVC, they make good stuff, and those are some intriguing IEM's for me. (Both considered successors of the FXT90). I think that the FXZ200, is simply a T90 with an added subwoofer? It is big and bulky, yet many people say it is still comfortable.

 

[Gandasaputra]

So I bought a cheap FXT90 from Ebay ($17) to supplement my favorite FXT90, which has aged since 2011 and working perfectly. I knew it would be a fake / a refurbished version, and upon arrival, I noticed a crack on the top of the left side. But most importantly, the cheap FXT90 sounds a little off - it sounds quieter and a little imbalanced to the right side. The tonality is still the same as my FXT90, though.

Another features I found with this cheap FXT90 were: 1) somewhat stiffer cable, which is unlike to the suppleness of original one 2) flexible strain relief while the original one is rigid.

With a little more attention, I realized that it sounds far inoffensive than the aggressive sounding old FXT90 I have. No more harsh, unrefined treble and forward mid, it sounds more V-shaped as what most reviewers find. The bass is more pronounced and impactful because of the relaxed treble. Though, it requires a little more volume than my old FXT90. Still, I am debating if I should request for replacement or not....I am going to give it a burn-in for a while and see what happens. If I were to replace it, a measly $17 wouldn't be worth of my effort

 

[Hammerburst]

So I bought a cheap FXT90 from Ebay ($17) to supplement my favorite FXT90, which has aged since 2011 and working perfectly. I knew it would be a fake / a refurbished version, and upon arrival, I noticed a crack on the top of the left side. But most importantly, the cheap FXT90 sounds a little off - it sounds quieter and a little imbalanced to the right side. The tonality is still the same as my FXT90, though.

Another features I found with this cheap FXT90 were: 1) somewhat stiffer cable, which is unlike to the suppleness of original one 2) flexible strain relief while the original one is rigid.

With a little more attention, I realized that it sounds far inoffensive than the aggressive sounding old FXT90 I have. No more harsh, unrefined treble and forward mid, it sounds more V-shaped as what most reviewers find. The bass is more pronounced and impactful because of the relaxed treble. Though, it requires a little more volume than my old FXT90. Still, I am debating if I should request for replacement or not....I am going to give it a burn-in for a while and see what happens. If I were to replace it, a measly $17 wouldn't be worth of my effort

Interesting, did you buy it from a Chinese seller named, "seagogo" on Ebay? That is who I bought mine from. They are great, and if they are fake, it would be a surprise. Really wouldn't care at this point, they sound very good. Maybe the crack in yours, is generating the different sound profile, from the original? I find it very hard to believe, that people would make fake FXT90's. Even in its most popular years. Spending that much time to gather the materials, research, copy the design, etc, etc. The profit margins wouldn't make sense to me.

 

[Gandasaputra]

Interesting, did you buy it from a Chinese seller named, "seagogo" on Ebay? That is who I bought mine from. They are great, and if they are fake, it would be a surprise. Really wouldn't care at this point, they sound very good. Maybe the crack in yours, is generating the different sound profile, from the original? I find it very hard to believe, that people would make fake FXT90's. Even in its most popular years. Spending that much time to gather the materials, research, copy the design, etc, etc. The profit margins wouldn't make sense to me.

No, I bought it by the seller "Knockbargains". I do not think they are fake. I've heard they were secondary quality products that did not pass the inspection (e.g. the crack) and was subjected for disposal. Some people might have collected these and resold them for cheap. I don't think people would make a fake out of it. Instead, people copied the design of FXT90 and you could see on Chinese Market or Amazon that sells FXT90-like earphones, and people like them.

Despite of the crack on one side, there were no sound imbalance. Maybe I've gotten used to the sound of old FXT90, so because the harsh, aggressive treble was non-existent, I perceived it as sound imbalance. It sounds smoother, just how I would've wanted it, while maintaining the tonality of the original FXT90.
I brought up the issue to the seller and he gave me a partial refund of $5 (and I got to keep the product).

 

[Hammerburst]

No, I bought it by the seller "Knockbargains". I do not think they are fake. I've heard they were secondary quality products that did not pass the inspection (e.g. the crack) and was subjected for disposal. Some people might have collected these and resold them for cheap. I don't think people would make a fake out of it. Instead, people copied the design of FXT90 and you could see on Chinese Market or Amazon that sells FXT90-like earphones, and people like them.

Despite of the crack on one side, there were no sound imbalance. Maybe I've gotten used to the sound of old FXT90, so because the harsh, aggressive treble was non-existent, I perceived it as sound imbalance. It sounds smoother, just how I would've wanted it, while maintaining the tonality of the original FXT90.
I brought up the issue to the seller and he gave me a partial refund of $5 (and I got to keep the product).

Oh cool, yeah I saw those as well. Good price, it's nice that the seller gave you a partial refund. But I'm going to be will be wary of that seller now though, after hearing your experience. A cracked earphone? That would disappoint me, even at that low price, since they are described as "New".

My FXT90's don't have harsh treble to me, I love the sound signature. A few years ago, I read a review of the JVC HA-FXT90, by Joker, and I pretty much agree with everything he said. Don't have too much experience with IEM's, but this one is my favorite. It is small, light, form-fitting in *my* ears, comfy, good seal, with an awesome, vivid sound. Would like to try other models from the JVC FXT family. But apparently the T90 is the smallest, lightest, and most comfortable. Well maybe in the future, will see, I'm happy with mine though, very happy.

* Update: On a whim I decided to look at my T90's to see if they had any cracks. Mine also have a crack! It is a hairline crack though. On the inside body of the Right earphone, maybe 1/4" long. I highly doubt that it effects the sound, but that was trippy.

 

[Gandasaputra]

Oh cool, yeah I saw those as well. Good price, it's nice that the seller gave you a partial refund. But I'm going to be will be wary of that seller now though, after hearing your experience. A cracked earphone? That would disappoint me, even at that low price, since they are described as "New".

To compensate that, I painted the FXT90 to look like its red limited edition with lacquer (for durability), to distinguish it from the original FXT90 I have. Not too shabby but at least it matches with my rockboxed Sansa Clip Zip

Let's hope this cheap FXT90 don't fail me in the future. I have the FXT100, 200, 200LTD, and the Z200. I like the FXT100 the best among all, mainly because of the deepest bass , and the most fun (yet least fatiguing) sound of all.

 

[Hammerburst]

To compensate that, I painted the FXT90 to look like its red limited edition with lacquer (for durability), to distinguish it from the original FXT90 I have. Not too shabby but at least it matches with my rockboxed Sansa Clip Zip

Let's hope this cheap FXT90 don't fail me in the future. I have the FXT100, 200, 200LTD, and the Z200. I like the FXT100 the best among all, mainly because of the deepest bass , and the most fun (yet least fatiguing) sound of all.

Hehe, cool. I remember those red ones, they were fire. Yours looks good, lol. Let me know how that FXT90 does. I wonder what the story was, behind it. A damaged box during shipment?

Yes, my research pointed to the fact, that the FXT100 had a rich bass. Yet, the T90 has good bass for me, imho. Do you notice a difference between the FXT200 and the FXT200LTD? I know the cable on the FXT200 is better, but they sound the same right?

 

[Gandasaputra]

my research pointed to the fact, that the FXT100 had a rich bass. Yet, the T90 has good bass for me, imho. Do you notice a difference between the FXT200 and the FXT200LTD? I know the cable on the FXT200 is better, but they sound the same right?

The FXT100/200/200LTD have similar thick tonality so those earphones got rid of the fuzzy, harsh treble of the FXT90. But they all have one flaw - they sound congested. One head-fier fixed the issue by removing the nozzle filter. So I got rid of the thick, fibrous filters of all the FXTs to improve the air and its soundstage.

The FXT100 is the most fun-sounding of the three. It has similar sound recipe of the FXT90 with deeper, more impactful bass and relaxed treble. The FXT200 sounds more balanced, more aggressive and forward mid than the FXT100 with more accentuated treble. Though, the 200 is far from being harsh like the FXT90.

The FXT200LTD is an interesting one - it is like the mix of the FXT100 and 200.The LTD is less aggressive, more V-shaped sounding (or distant?), requires more volumes, and it has punchier and deeper bass than the FXT200, but the bass is not as plentiful as the FXT100. The LTD was my favorite, but it got ruined by the stiff, kinky cable that always get in the way, while the non-LTDs have supple, shoe tie-like cables. Using the cable clip is a must.

One important note is that the FXT100 and the FXT200LTD had the soft JVC spiral dots, which fits perfectly. Those were purchased back in 2014. The most recent one I bought, the FXT200 (was purchased around 2017), had a stiff, rigid spiral dots that barely even fits to my ear, and I had a fitting issue with those. So I fit the FXT200 with a JVC's non-spiral dots tips found in many FX earphone lines (e.g. FXT90, FXZ200). I believe the older batches had those nice soft spiral dots while the newer ones had the stiff spiral dots. Therefore, the difference between the FXT200LTD and the FXT200 could be contributed by the different tips I used.

Still, I'd highly recommend getting the FXT100 first then moving forward to the FXT200LTD. If the LTD irked you because of the cable, you might choose getting the FXT200. Or, might just as well pick all those three and enjoy.

Second important note is buying an used FXT100/200/LTDs might be risky. I bought a cheap, used FXT100 for $30 (since I love it) and it sounds like FXT90....I dont know how could that happen.

 

[Hammerburst]

Great, thanks for the informative reply. I did see the earlier posts, where people were removing filters from their FXT200LTD's. Interesting that the FXT200 sounds different than the FXT200LTD. That comes as a surprise. At the top of my list, to try, was the FXT200. It seemed to be a good, balanced IEM, that upgrades the sound in all categories, versus the FXT90. (Although that may not turn out to be the case). Plus, I don't think I would like the cable on the T200LTD. Anyway, I would be intrigued to hear the soundstage, bass, etc, of the T200, T200LTD, and T100. Another JVC model that interests me, is the big IEM, the FXZ200.

The T100 may be too much bass, lol. My T90 has good enough bass, imho. More of it might be too much, especially for an IEM, that gets inserted into your ear canal. The whole concept of IEM's, is pretty unnerving! So far, the T90 has been the only IEM, that "feels right" to me. It goes in, generates a good seal, and has comfort.

As of now, the sound of my T90, while not perfect, is very good to me. I don't experience harsh treble. Furthermore, it seems that the vast majority agrees, that these are more comfortable than the newer models. Will definitely consider trying out the "upgraded" models, that came later. Their prices have been going down, and it may be a fascinating experience, with a new favorite at the end!

There are so many options out there, for someone in the market, lol. Although I don't buy the hype, of many of these smaller, newer companies. Clever and flashy pictures won't fool me, hehe. Gotta have some good substance behind it, "form over function". Have been a big fan of Sony, Panasonic, Audio-Technica, JVC, Kenwood, etc, for many years now.

 

[Gandasaputra]

Anyway, I would be intrigued to hear the soundstage, bass, etc, of the T200, T200LTD, and T100. Another JVC model that interests me, is the big IEM, the FXZ200.

The FXZ200 is the most interesting one of all four. Not only because of the design, but its soundstage intrigues me. The Z200 has the most spacious soundstage with more noticeable instrument and vocal separation of the four. The soundstage is not contributed by the tuning (e.g. sparkly treble and woofer like sound), but it might be attributed by its size. You could feel the space and the distance placed among the spectrum when listening through the Z200. If I were to characterize its soundstage, it is more of 2D platform around the ears than being 3D. Because of its expansive sounding, it is the least fatiguing JVC's of all in my collection. The FX750 has the most expansive, out-of-the-head soundstage of all the FXs (and most natural-like tone), but the bass is exponentially more boomy than the Z200.

Despite of the extra woofer, the FXZ200 is not a basshead earphone. It is more of a non-fatiguing, pleasant sounding earphone to me. Also, the Z200 has the least forward, or most distant sound of all the FXTs; therefore, it loses the density or the impact of the FXTs. The Z200 bass has a slightly elevated, deeper, and more rumbly than the FXT90, but it does not have the same quantity and impact of the FXT100/200/200LTD (the 200 bass is overshadowed by accentuated treble, making it sound balanced). However, the feat is that the bass is well separated from the other spectrum. The mid does not sound recessed but has a slight grainy tone of the FXT90. Though, the mid never sound aggressive like the FXT90 and forward/thick than the new FXT200/200LTD. Vocal is placed in a distance from the listener, which gives the nice spacious sound. The treble is quite tamed - it is relaxed and has nice touch of sparkles to prevent it from being dull. It never sounds harsh or fuzzy like the FXT90. Overall, the FXZ200 is not a detail / basshead monster, but the non-fatiguing sound might contribute to this spacious character.

Some features of the Z200 that needs to be mentioned is that it needs more power than the FXTs. I listen it from Sansa Clip Zip (rockboxed), and it needs about 8-10 more volume to sound equal. It came with the non-spiral JVC tips similar to the FXT90. I listened to it with the soft JVC spiral dots attached for a better fit. Fitting wise, it is quite comfortable. It has the same fitting as the FXT90, and its nozzle isn’t as long as the FXT100/200/LTD. Slightly heavier than the FXT90 but isn’t bothersome. The cable is also thicker and slightly heavier than FXT90, so I recommend to use the clip. Though less supple, it is far from being stiff and kinky like the LTD. The Z200 is not a good earphone to use for workout because of the size and the thick cable. I tend to lose the seal when workout with it, but not when doing chores or walking around.

I wrote the review of the Z200 back in 2016 and until now, I am still fond with it. Despite the lack of bite/ density/ aggressiveness of the FXTs, the sound of the Z200 is difficult to fault. It is a well-rounder for most genres. You could throw any tracks that are deemed offensive, and they will sound just fine on the Z200. I am interested to get the Z100 and see how it compares. I have been a fan of Sony and JVC earphones - their house sound cater wide range of audiences.