[tekniiq]

can't get a good seal on my right ear, i'm missing some treble like i would on the left side. would anyone mind posting some tips suggestions? ^_^

 

[AngryBaconGod]

Bass goes lower now. One of two reasons:

1. break in continues
2. now wearing over the ear which allows a deeper insertion

Imaging and dynamics continue to impress.

 

[Greatscott]

 
Someone selling "L2" in ebay right now, grab it will you can!
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-JVC-HA-FXT90L2-TWIN-SYSTEM-INNER-EARPHONE-LIMITED-EDITION-/330644873381?pt=AU_Electronics_Portable_Audio_Accessories&hash=item4cfbf860a5
 

 

[FlySweep]

The wait is over!  FXT90s were waiting for me in my mailbox when I got home from work yesterday.  That's a mere 10 days after I hit the "Buy It Now" button on ebay...  No small feat.
 
My disorganized impressions thus far:
 
-Build quality and design are exactly what I expected--sturdy construction, just enough weight to them to make them "feel" durable, and they look classy in an unassuming way as befits a pair of $120 phones.  Microphonics aren't great when worn down, but a non-factor when worn over the ear.  Isolation is strictly average.
 
-I've got driver flex on both sides, but I don't really see/hear what all the fuss is about.  Makes for some squishy noises while inserting them, but is otherwise not at all present.  I have a feeling this would go away entirely with different tips, as the stock medium tips do give a fairly vacuum-like "sticky" seal in my ears.
 
-As for the sound (after only 6-7 hours of burn-in), it's pretty much exactly what I expected:  these are really up-front and in-your-face headphones.  To put it in spacial terms, it kind of feels like sitting 3-4 feet away from a pair of stereo speakers with about 4 feet between them.  The soundstage width is a bit limited because everything feels so close to my head, but not to the detriment of L/R separation.  The dynamics/depth are really nice, and the instrument separation is spectacular.  I've never really heard such obviously "coloured" headphones manage to achieve such surgical precision when it comes to instrument separation.  It's a really cool effect--a very natural, musical sounding 3D effect.  Actually, given this, I feel like a wider soundstage would push these over the edge into "fake surround sound" territory, so I can understand the decision to keep the width reeled in.
 
-Bass/Mids/Highs:  In keeping with my expectations, a very pleasing amount of bass (not hearing the mid-bass hump yet myself).  Bass is adequately thick, somewhat to the detriment of clarity...  Again, it reminds me of a good home stereo woofer in that it provides a satisfying amount of impact and presence, even if it downplays the detail somewhat, especially compared to the mids + highs.  
 
Speaking of which, the mids are really nice.  Very crisp, fast, detailed--as advertised!  
 
That said, THERE IS HARSHNESS.  I hear it in the upper-mids/lower-highs--the nasal frequencies.  Tom Verlaine's voice on 'Adventure' (by Television) is nasal to begin with, but these cans take an already difficult voice and make it practically unlistenable.  I find they also bring out the less pleasing elements of upper-mid-centric clean guitar tones and snare drums.  I'm really, really hoping this "honkiness" mellows out with burn-in, as it currently makes these headphones unnecessarily fatiguing, albeit mainly on tracks that prominently feature that frequency range.
 
Otherwise, the sparkle and detail in the highs is great.  The treble is not inherently cold or harsh, but rather it's that one spike in the high mids/low highs that jumps out as the lone sore spot in the frequency range and in a sense casts an unfortunate 'coldness' on the overall character of the FXT90s.  I definitely plan to let these burn in a bunch before making any rash decisions, and I may also order a set of M11 tips in an effort to improve isolation and tame those upper mids if they don't go away on their own.
 
Overall, these sound classy and I can undoubtedly hear their potential--enough so that I'm willing to be patient with them for a few weeks.  They are otherwise exactly what I was looking for--a near perfect blend of detail/separation/3Dness and musicality.  If/when the harshness goes away, I'll be perfectly happy to make these my go-to pair of cans for the next few years.  

Very nice initial impressions, John.  Give them a good fifty hours, they do indeed mellow out.. the bass' tightens up considerably, showing impressive speed and detail.. this results in a more balanced midrange with some very articulate coloration, the treble's splashy nature also cleans up & smooths out.. I think you'll be very impressed with these in time.. like I said in my reviews, they change quite a bit from their ootb sound.. all for the better too.

 

[Inks]

The wait is over!  FXT90s were waiting for me in my mailbox when I got home from work yesterday.  That's a mere 10 days after I hit the "Buy It Now" button on ebay...  No small feat.
 
My disorganized impressions thus far:
 
-Build quality and design are exactly what I expected--sturdy construction, just enough weight to them to make them "feel" durable, and they look classy in an unassuming way as befits a pair of $120 phones.  Microphonics aren't great when worn down, but a non-factor when worn over the ear.  Isolation is strictly average.
 
-I've got driver flex on both sides, but I don't really see/hear what all the fuss is about.  Makes for some squishy noises while inserting them, but is otherwise not at all present.  I have a feeling this would go away entirely with different tips, as the stock medium tips do give a fairly vacuum-like "sticky" seal in my ears.
 
-As for the sound (after only 6-7 hours of burn-in), it's pretty much exactly what I expected:  these are really up-front and in-your-face headphones.  To put it in spacial terms, it kind of feels like sitting 3-4 feet away from a pair of stereo speakers with about 4 feet between them.  The soundstage width is a bit limited because everything feels so close to my head, but not to the detriment of L/R separation.  The dynamics/depth are really nice, and the instrument separation is spectacular.  I've never really heard such obviously "coloured" headphones manage to achieve such surgical precision when it comes to instrument separation.  It's a really cool effect--a very natural, musical sounding 3D effect.  Actually, given this, I feel like a wider soundstage would push these over the edge into "fake surround sound" territory, so I can understand the decision to keep the width reeled in.
 
-Bass/Mids/Highs:  In keeping with my expectations, a very pleasing amount of bass (not hearing the mid-bass hump yet myself).  Bass is adequately thick, somewhat to the detriment of clarity...  Again, it reminds me of a good home stereo woofer in that it provides a satisfying amount of impact and presence, even if it downplays the detail somewhat, especially compared to the mids + highs.  
 
Speaking of which, the mids are really nice.  Very crisp, fast, detailed--as advertised!  
 
That said, THERE IS HARSHNESS.  I hear it in the upper-mids/lower-highs--the nasal frequencies.  Tom Verlaine's voice on 'Adventure' (by Television) is nasal to begin with, but these cans take an already difficult voice and make it practically unlistenable.  I find they also bring out the less pleasing elements of upper-mid-centric clean guitar tones and snare drums.  I'm really, really hoping this "honkiness" mellows out with burn-in, as it currently makes these headphones unnecessarily fatiguing, albeit mainly on tracks that prominently feature that frequency range.
 
Otherwise, the sparkle and detail in the highs is great.  The treble is not inherently cold or harsh, but rather it's that one spike in the high mids/low highs that jumps out as the lone sore spot in the frequency range and in a sense casts an unfortunate 'coldness' on the overall character of the FXT90s.  I definitely plan to let these burn in a bunch before making any rash decisions, and I may also order a set of M11 tips in an effort to improve isolation and tame those upper mids if they don't go away on their own.
 
Overall, these sound classy and I can undoubtedly hear their potential--enough so that I'm willing to be patient with them for a few weeks.  They are otherwise exactly what I was looking for--a near perfect blend of detail/separation/3Dness and musicality.  If/when the harshness goes away, I'll be perfectly happy to make these my go-to pair of cans for the next few years.  

Try different tips to tame/balance that harshness, Monster foam tips or Sony Hybrids may be good options. What's your source by the way? 
I think I have a good idea of the FXT90's impedance phase and based on that I can see why some users are experiencing harshness. Also noticed all the IP4 users seem pretty satisfied, seems there's a good synergy there. 
 
 

 

[popejohnlarue]

Quote:

Try different tips to tame/balance that harshness, Monster foam tips or Sony Hybrids may be good options. What's your source by the way? 
I think I have a good idea of the FXT90's impedance phase and based on that I can see why some users are experiencing harshness. Also noticed all the IP4 users seem pretty satisfied, seems there's a good synergy there. 
 
 

Thanks for the "tips" tip, skip!  I do plan to try more tips, but I'll live with the stock ones for now until I've burned them in a bit.  (This should give me a better idea of how they change with burn-in, too.)
 
Incidentally, do you know which tip I should try if I'm looking for better isolation + mellower treble, while maintaining their awesome imaging + soundstage?
 
Sources are a 3GS and an Apogee Duet.  FLAC + 320kbps.  I haven't A/B'd them, but I've noticed the harsh tones on both sources.  I'll try them through my stereo with an LP or two later on for fun...  
 
 
Quote:

Very nice initial impressions, John.  Give them a good fifty hours, they do indeed mellow out.. the bass' tightens up considerably, showing impressive speed and detail.. this results in a more balanced midrange with some very articulate coloration, the treble's splashy nature also cleans up & smooths out.. I think you'll be very impressed with these in time.. like I said in my reviews, they change quite a bit from their ootb sound.. all for the better too.

 
Thanks, FlySweep.  I will indeed give them some time.  In fact, I think it's your review that prepared me for a slightly brash ootb sound, so it didn't come as such a shock when I first heard some unpleasantness.  I do look forward to seeing how they 'age' over the next few days.  I'm already having fun with them, for the record--their presentation is drastically different from any other monitor speakers or headphones I have, so it's really cool to hear familiar tracks from fresh perspective.  I can see how you guys could get caught up with this stuff, wanting to hear your favourite music from different angles, etc.  
 
I have no intention of going there myself, so hopefully between burn-in and some new tips, these cans will find their happy place.
 

 

[Inks]

Incidentally, do you know which tip I should try if I'm looking for better isolation + mellower treble, while maintaining their awesome imaging + soundstage?
 
Sources are a 3GS and an Apogee Duet.  FLAC + 320kbps.  I haven't A/B'd them, but I've noticed the harsh tones on both sources.  I'll try them through my stereo with an LP or two later on for fun...  

  Most seem satisfied with the Monster Supertips. They're pricey, but isolation should improve a bit and the highs will be tamed. 
 
3GS is a good source, I don't think an amp will be needed. 

 

[Selenium]

I have come close to buying these a couple times now since I can't find the FX700s for a "reasonable" price. What exactly is the point of a dual-driver dynamic?
 
This doesn't impact if I get them or not, I'm just curious.

 

[marlonmarabe]

stock tips are the best for me

 

[Inks]

compared to?

 

[marlonmarabe]

monster supertips,foamtips,sony hybrids, soundmagic tips, hifiman tips, and stock tips of many other iems. the jvc stock tips are very good since the bore is wide enough to unleash the potential of the victors. not to mention it is very comfortable too.

 

[Inks]

I see, thanks for the insight. 

 

[Greatscott]

Did anyone tried Duffy's - Mercy using the FXT90 with ipad 2? and which EQ did you tried? Please comment.

 

[Hayang]

Got mine today!  Impressions to follow soon but so far very good!
 
I was incredibly confused for a while because something was strangely off about the sound... and then I turned off the Realtek EQ, which I had previously set to "Crappy Laptop Speaker EQ".  Ahh, much better.
And no driver flex, btw.
 

 

[ericp10]

I'm discovering more and more that the unlike some IEMs that are very finicky about tips, the FXT90 is the exact opposite and actually likes a variety of tips (as long as you give it one with a wide enough nozzle to push through all of that sound.
 
So I finally dug out an old pair of double-flange silicons from an IE8 and wow!! These throw even more body (weight) on the instruments and gives more space between the musicians. In addition, where I found the IE8 to be enjoyable but veiled sounding, the Senn tips seem to lift any veil off of the FXT90 (not that I really felt any was there, but the music seems even more high definition with these tips). Only thing about these tips that some might not like is that it seem to bring the treble out even more - along with the bass and mids. I'm not for abundance of treble, but to my surprise the highs don't sound really harsh, just more extension. So now I have several tips I absolutely adore on the FXT90...