JVC HA-FXT90 Thread

[Basilius]

could someone compare these to the Radius DDM, please?

 

[cute]

Quote:

Agree again... Horns are the clear winner here above the rest I've heard. As a matter of fact, I would say that the FXT90 is to horn instruments what the GR07 is to drum instruments to my ears. Different sound signature, but the W4 would be a close second for horns.

+1
 
Exactly!  My fancy has been tickled.....
 
 

 

[cute]

These are what I hoped for in the Brainwavz B2, bought them twice and sent them back to Amazon both times.  I want to marry these and have "little ones".  Sigh.... I'm impotent tho, too old.  These are important..............

 

[cute]

OK, one more comment.............  My 7550's just went on "burn in duty", I've got to concentrate!

 

[cute]

Quote:

Glad you're enjoying them Eric, cute, etc..
 
I think my FXT90s have settled in terms of the sound.  They've got a lovely thickness through the (slightly forward) mids and a crisp (but non-fatiguing) treble.. spread a buttery layer of smoothness across the top of it all and you've got a very cohesive sounding phone.  The treble is a far cry from the harshness I heard out of the box.  It's now much more refined, smooth, and controlled.  I really like how the treble has graded out.  It's still got that excellent snap & special timbre.. but it sounds less metallic, more rounded, and multidimensional then out-of-the-box.
 
The treble presentation, to me, sounds much more in line with what JVC was going for in terms of the overall smooth, slightly warm tuning of the phone, imo.  The bass too has improved immensely from what I heard out of the box.  It's tighter, more controlled, and quicker.  As a whole, the phone sounds more balanced between the bass-mids-treble.. while sounding more spacious and cleaner.  As has been mentioned many times before, I highly recommend letting these burn in for at least twenty or thirty hours before making a fair judgement.
 
These phones have such character!  I recently got a pair of RE262 (which I'm also enjoying immensely).. and the JVC have that same kind of sophisticated (albeit different..not quite as detailed & textured) coloration.
 
A lot of people have been asking how they compare to the GR07.. like Eric, I see the JVC as an excellent complimentary phone to the GR07.  The GR07 has a more delicate, textured sound.  It's more about not trying to do "anything wrong" while the JVC is going for a (relatively) more colored, aggressive sound.  At the same time, the JVC is plenty detailed & textured.. it's that those qualities aren't quite as prominent & focused on as they are on the GR07.  The JVC eschews complete neutrality in favor of an engaging, fun, but natural sound.  In no way do I see myself ridding one phone for the other.  They both play well with a very wide variety of genres and do so in an impressive fashion.
 
One of my favorite tracks to listen to with the FXT90 is Sade's "Cherish the Day" (remastered version).. particularly after the JVC's have burned in.  It's a naturally spacious, immersive, and hypnotic song.. but the JVC just take it to another level.  The clean punch of the bass drum is addicting to listen to (along with the rest of the song)... and Sade's vocals sound heavenly (as usual).

FlySweep,  How many hours did they take for the changes to treble and bass?  Same thoughts on the treble initially out of the box, the treble was a little "tinkley", with Patricia Barber, "Companion", Album, " "Touch of Trash".  "Like", Diana Krall, Holly Cole as well, (these phones love "Sultry).   I also felt the bass was a little slow, and on some tracks it did not decay fast enough, "ringing"??, slightly boomy?? on some tracks.  So, if those two things tighten up with more hours, I would be a very happy camper!  I'm on my third time through the Getz/Gilberto SACD, just can't believe it, this must be what the artisit intended!
 
 

 

[FlySweep]

FlySweep,  How many hours did they take for the changes to treble and bass? 

I'd say roughly 15-20 hours before you notice an obvious change.  Don't worry about how many hours you've been letting them play.. just listen or let them burn in for a few days.. the change will reveal itself to you, no doubt.  Bass in particular was slow compared to what I hear now.. treble is much smoother and not fatiguing vs what I heard initially.
 
I've got roughly 50 hours or so and haven't noticed much of a change in the last day or two.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

could someone compare these to the Radius DDM, please?

be patient!

 

[cute]

Quote:

I'd say roughly 15-20 hours before you notice an obvious change.  Don't worry about how many hours you've been letting them play.. just listen or let them burn in for a few days.. the change will reveal itself to you, no doubt.  Bass in particular was slow compared to what I hear now.. treble is much smoother and not fatiguing vs what I heard initially.
 
I've got roughly 50 hours or so and haven't noticed much of a change in the last day or two.

Thanks....  "Cherish the Day", +1
 
 

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

could someone compare these to the Radius DDM, please?

Okay, here you go (FXT90 vs. DDM). I used the E7/E8 (Fiio DAC/Amp) combination out of my Mac to do the comparison. To get to the crust of it right away, this is not a fair comparison. The FXT90 smokes the DDM (and the DDM has been one of my favorites for a long time). 
 
The DDM sounds veiled and muddy compared to the FXT90 (this even with my DDM having hundreds of hours on them now and not even a good five hours of burn-in on the FXT90). The JVC has great instrument separation; more micro-detail of instruments; more clarity and transparency than the DDM. The JVC has better treble.
 
Now, mids are a hallmark of the DDM. Mids and bass. So the mids are more forward and in your face (somewhat) than on the FXT90 (this doesn't mean the mids on the JVC are the least bit recessed, they are not). But despite being forward, the sound is way muddier coming out of the DDM. 

Bass, however,  is where the DDM is king. Yes, the DDM has quite a bit more sub-bass in quantity than the FXT90 (and the JVC has quite a bit). But the FXT90 blows the DDM away in quality of bass. I really only used one test song for the both IEMs, Lenny Kravitz' "Are Gonna Go My Way." There was so much detail and liveliness in the JVC as compared to the DDM. They both do thick notes, but again, way more clarity in the FXT90. The bass of the DDM is not bad (don't get me wrong), but it's not clear compared to the FXT90. Timbre is nice in the DDM (and it has its own special layered sound like no other), but it still doesn't compete well against the JVC.
 
The treble of the DDM can't even get into the same ballpark of the FXT90.

Only clarity I've heard in a dynamic approaching the FXT90 is in the GR07 and Sony 7550 (although neither throws out the intensity of energy in the guitars the way the JVC does - GR07 is much much closer). 
 
Sound quality I would put the DDM at a 5 compared to a solid 9 (1 to 10 scale) for the FXT90. Hope that helps. Happy listening.

 

[ericp10]

Whoa!! The Monster foam hybrids are very very nice on the FXT90 @ shotgunshane, but the JAYS silicons are like BAM!!! FANTASTIC!! MONSTER foam hybrids thickens the bass even more, but the JAYs allow the other sound spectrums to be opened up at full throttle with the bass.

 

[cute]

Quote:

Whoa!! The Monster foam hybrids are very very nice on the FXT90 @ shotgunshane, but the JAYS silicons are like BAM!!! FANTASTIC!! MONSTER foam hybrids thickens the bass even more, but the JAYs allow the other sound spectrums to be opened up at full throttle with the bass.

I was saving tip rolling on the FXT90 with my gears for tommorrow, but I read this as I was setting up for burn in overnight.  Tried the Supertips, and I am glad I tried the Jays first.  With the Supertips all of the refinement I had with the Jays is pretty much gone (but consider my main rig is highly resolving, not portable).  When I first tested the Supertips a few weeks ago I thought they were the ticket, so I bought a set of large.  I think I just eliminated them for these phones.  I get no sparkle, good bass though, think the bass is equal in quantity for me with the Jays.  I wil try rolling more tips in the am after overnight burn in.  I have had earphones on for most of 12 hrs, mentally fatigued for today.  It is amazing how tips can alter the sound, good or bad. 

 
 

 

[gnarlsagan]

@ericp10
So the E7 pairs nicely with the fxt90?

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

I was saving tip rolling on the FXT90 with my gears for tommorrow, but I read this as I was setting up for burn in overnight.  Tried the Supertips, and I am glad I tried the Jays first.  With the Supertips all of the refinement I had with the Jays is pretty much gone (but consider my main rig is highly resolving, not portable).  When I first tested the Supertips a few weeks ago I thought they were the ticket, so I bought a set of large.  I think I just eliminated them for these phones.  I get no sparkle, good bass though, think the bass is equal in quantity for me with the Jays.  I wil try rolling more tips in the am after overnight burn in.  I have had earphones on for most of 12 hrs, mentally fatigued for today.  It is amazing how tips can alter the sound, good or bad. 

 
 

X2...These JVCs aren't playing.. .I can't believe the value for sound quality that's finally out there in this hobby. Yes, you can get a top tier sound for under $200 now.... Under $150 if you listen (look) real hard.
 

 

[ericp10]

Inks, FlySweep, shotgunshane and cute you guys have to listen to Chicago's "Beginnings" through these FXT90s... Wow...wow....WOW!!! 

 

[-y0-]

Quote:

Inks, FlySweep, shotgunshane and cute you guys have to listen to Chicago's "Beginnings" through these FXT90s... Wow...wow....WOW!!! 

Does this mean you like this better than the FX700's sound?