[gnarlsagan]

Also just received my replacements. Driver flex is non-existent on the left but slightly present on the right upon insertion with stock tips. It is still less than it was with the previous pair. Comply t400 eliminates it.

 

[shotgunshane]

Do the Comply's affect treble much?  Usually they do on most phones I've tried them on but I've been really leaning towards trying the Ts400.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Yes it's pretty noticable that the treble loses some emphasis, but I haven't tried trimming them yet which would likely help a lot.

 

[olear]

Just received FXT90. OTB, very nice!
How many hours of burning to achieve its max SQ and w/o a bit of sibilance?
 
Using stock tips. Which are the top 3 tips to try?
 
Comfort wise, coming from TF10, need I say more? Driving in a 20 year Volkswagen vs. a brand new
 Lexus LS 460L.  Actually thought about selling the UE. 
 
 

 

[AngryBaconGod]

So I've noticed that these have no love for innately sibilant music. I would say that mine should be fully burned in by now.

I'm not complaining mind you. I think there's something not quite right about an IEM which hides sibilance when it's in the recording. I'm more a fan of hearing a truer reproduction over suppressing detail for the sake of trying to make the music more pleasant.

So what I find interesting is that for me the GR07 is by far kinder to sibilant recordings. So this is another tick in the FXT90 column for me.

 

[DrGroove]

Mine just arrived so I thought I'd give an out of the box impression with no burn in and stock tips. Frankly, I'm blown away at how smooth these are. I was expecting an upgrade from my Shure SE215, but these simply excellent.
 
Pro
- Sub bass extension is good
- Bass has good impact that can still handle fast drum and bass. 
- Everything seems nice and smooth, although the treble might be slightly dark (which I prefer). I listen to a lot of electro with female vocals, and haven't experienced any noticable sibilance. 
- Comfortable and easy seal with stock tips
 
Con
- My left earphone has driver flex, but only during insertion
- Isolation is pretty poor due to shallow insertion
 
Overall, I think this is a fairly bass heavy but still pretty well-rounded earphone. It is certainly warm and smooth, and you may not hear separation of a good BA, but that's not what most people look for in a dynamic. 

 

[LooptroopRocker]

Could you elaborate on the level of isolation? Say on Joker's scale of 10, where would these end up? Cheers!

 

[Elladan]

 
There follows a long post from a from a thread I started at http://www.head-fi.org/t/582620/radius-ddm-lover-seeks-advice-twf21-ftx90-gr07-mtpc/15 while looking for a DDM replacement; I thought it would have an audience here.  I have edited it a bit to remove much of the context of the other thread.  
 
 
My girlfriend had indeed intended to get me a set of Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, but after reading all the replies to this thread and reading much of the FXT90 Review & Impressions thread, I told her I thought that the JVCs probably represented the best bargain.  (She apparently didn't consider the GR07s strongly, because she thought they were ugly, a judgment I really can't gainsay.)
 
She gave me a set of champagne-colored FTX90 Limited Editions.  At the same time, I gave her a set of Brookstone Clear Drive IEMs, the Radius DDM2 knockoff being sold for $70 at retail. I had recently helped her set up an mp3 player (and provided most of my music library), so she was excited about them, and recognized them for looking just like the DDM2s.  I had read a lot about the FXT90, so I was prepared to hear some harshness at the top end before burn-in, but I was NOT prepared for what I actually heard: a positively shrill -- though admittedly resolving -- and grainy top end supported by virtually no bass whatsoever.  For a while, I thought the bass drivers on both 'phones must have been defective or disconnected.  I'm not kidding, they sounded like hissier iBuds.  
 
Now, while monkeying around in  befuddlement with the iPod and the JVCs, which I couldn't believe were the same phones that Ericp10 said "smokes the DDMs," I gave her Brookstones a listen, and was both pleased and crestfallen.  Pleased because they are indeed a fantastic bargain and I had given a really good gift, crestfallen because they sounded IMMEASURABLY superior to the JVCs I had received.  I haven't listened long enough to judge them accurately, and my own DDMs simply can't be kept working for long enough to do any valid A/B comparisons; but I thought they were certainly in the same league as the DDM1, and possibly better.
 
Now, with the DDMs, and every other IEM I've used, the mid-sized "standard" rubber tip gave me good fit and acceptable sound.  Nonetheless, I had purchased a set of Monster tips (gels and foams in five sizes, $25 at a Staples store in Roanoke, VA) to experiment with, and had the S/M gel tips on the DDMs when they broke down.  (They're about the same size as medium stock rubber tips provided with most IEMs. If you're interested, the Supertips were almost ludicrous with the DDMs. It was like hooking a good subwoofer up to them, but with the crossover set incorrectly.)  I had been listening to the FXT90s using the medium stock tip, so I tried the small/medium supertip.  It still didn't sound good, but it proved that the bass drivers were working.  In desperation, I tried the large stock tips, which I've never before worn.  They were an improvement, but still left me extremely unimpressed and indeed depressed.  
 
In despair, I left the JVCs hooked to the iPod and left it to play overnight.  The next morning, I tried again, rolling tips, but had no better results than the night before.  My girlfriend tried them, as well, and immediately got a "What" look on her face; she was outraged that she had paid $150 plus shipping from Singapore and immediately offered to return them and buy me the Coppers.  I didn't want to make her feel bad, so I said, "well, let's see," and left the JVCs playing all day and night again.  There was no change, and I offered to pay for the return shipping if she could get an RMA from Accessoryjack.  I boxed the FXT90s up and returned home.  
 
While waiting for the RMA, I decided to dig out my other tips and just try a few options, just in case.  I tried Complys first, and they were a big improvement...but I frankly can't stand Complys, because they get so gunked up for me that it's embarrassing to remove them in public.  I tried the monster tips, too.  The medium gels and foams were a big improvement over even the Complys; I went ahead and tried the larges (two sizes up from what I used with the DDM, which offers a deeper insertion), et voila! I had a brand new set of IEMs.  Bass was not only present, but strong and impactful, and whether it was the tips or the 35 or so hours of burn-in I'd already done, a touch of the top-end grain and harshness was gone.  I immediately contacted my girlfriend and called off the return. (She was very happy!) 
 
I'm happy with these phones, but I have never experienced such a strange fit.  With their relatively shallow insertion, the JVCs require a lot more width to get a good seal; even the large rubber tips weren't sealing effectively, which is why they sounded like iBuds initially. I've been listening to them a lot over the last couple of days, and have noticed a few things.
 
First off, right now, I'm not experiencing them as a 1:1 replacement for the DDMs.  All the things I loved about the DDMs, well, I still love them, and most of them aren't done as well by the FXT90s.  While the smaller, quicker bass driver of the JVCs offers very good -- and exceptionally tight -- bass, it sacrifices the beautiful reverb and decay that characterizes the DDMs.  (And I don't concede that the DDMs have "too much" bass; I think they're beautifully balanced, but that many recordings are mixed for iBud listening these days, rather than for speaker playback.)  The midrange, as well, is a strength of the DDMs, and it may be a function of my long time with those 'phones that the JVCs' mids seem recessed by comparison (I reserve the right to change my mind on this; I just listened to Radiohead's "Give Up the Ghost," and it was just lovely).  On the other hand, I'd definitely say that  midrange -- especially vocal -- detail is superior in the FXT90s.  At the top end, of course, the JVCs seem to offer a lot more than the DDMs.  Detail is phenomenal by my standards, and fast transients (snare drums, etc.) are nearly perfect, though certain "crunching" -- some percussion, very heavily "feedbacked" guitars -- sounds gain a very unpleasant edge through these phones.  On the whole, the FXT90s are comparatively fatiguing; the DDMs' more relaxed treble is easier on the ears in long doses.   I have faith that further burn-in, not to mention adjustment on my part, is going to lessen the difference here, though.  The FXT90s are far less forgiving with poor source material, as well...you really can tell a 128kbps mp3 when using them.  
 
Presentation is a split decision; when I woke up this morning, I think I preferred the DDMs, but now I'm not so sure.  The DDMs provide a far more "outside the head" (and yet, somehow more intimate) sound, which I prefer, but I think that the FXT90s beat the DDMs pretty handily when it comes to instrument separation and spatial accuracy.  I would never have called the overall sound signature of the DDM veiled, but the FXT90's exceptional clarity can somewhat unfairly give that impression.  I'll try to explain.  For me, the biggest difference between these 'phones is that the DDMs present music more "organically," with that bass foundation somehow wrapping the mids and even the treble up into a bundle and presenting it gently to your ears.  The FXT90s, on the other hand, seem to "show" a chasm between each instrument and voice, revealing each in the fullness of its detail.  I want to say that the DDMs' presentation is more natural, more the way we hear, but I'm not sure that's really true.  Perhaps a better analogy would be to say that the DDMs represent recorded music, which we always receive from drivers of one sort or another, virtual point sources that combine the discrete components of music together, and attempt to provide an illusion of space in the recording.  The FXT90s, by contrast, represent listening to unamped live music, perhaps sitting close to an orchestra, where the sounds you're receiving are really coming from many points in space.  It's a somewhat ridiculous comparison, of course, since the the DDMs showed me more space, if less spatial accuracy, and both IEMs actually ARE using speaker drivers to create illusions, but it's the best I can do for the moment.
 
A note on fit and comfort: the DDMs require a deeper insertion, which is to me fundamentally less comfortable than the FXT90s' shallower insertion.  When paired with the monster foam tips, I can hardly feel them in my ears.  I think the gel tips improve the sound, particularly bass extension, very marginally and though very comfortable, feel more "squirmy" in my ears and make me think I'm going to lose the seal or have them drop out entirely.  However, the design of the DDMs allowed for pretty much one correct insertion, while the FXT90s can twist through a range of positions in your ear, with enormous effect on the sound.  The FXT90s also have FAR better isolation.
 
If I can get the DDMs repaired, I feel like I'm going to have two great and completely different options, allowing for mood and the needs of a listening situation, so I'm quite happy.  That said, I'm still going to listen to those Brookstones some more and will certainly get a set if the DDMs can't be fixed.  Now, maybe next year I'll try those UM Merlins and see if they provide a best-of-both-worlds solution...

 

[ericp10]

Elladan, great detailed impressions about your initial challenges and conquests with the FXT90 (and comparing it with the DDM). I'm glad I decided to read everything you wrote before my initial inclination to respond. Yes, the DDM is a special IEM (I still own it and pull it out on occasion for a listen). It has a unique layering sound like no other (well, until the FXT90 came out IMO). 
 
I thought that maybe you had received a defective FXT90 too when reading the first half of your experience with the JVC. But here is where I think things went wrong (and maybe you have no choice because how your ears are made)>>> the FXT90 is not a shallow-fitting IEM, it's meant to be inserted deeply. Or at least that is how it works for me. And with most IEMs I've tried (not all), the deep the insertion the more bass you're going to get out of it. Just about any tip I use on the FXT90 I get plenty of bass (some more than others), but I use small enough tips so that I can get a deep insertion. I'm not saying this was the case for you, but some head-fiers new to the IEM game think that if one IEM fit a certain away that means that all should fit that way (i.e. perhaps a person think that all IEMs should fit in a shallow placement). So I just think you found subconsciously a deeper fit and insertion that brought out the bass for you. 
 
Regardless, I'm glad you've found a way to enjoy the FXT90. Happy listening!

 

[DrGroove]

Quote:

Could you elaborate on the level of isolation? Say on Joker's scale of 10, where would these end up? Cheers!

To give an idea, I can still hear my computers case fans, mouse clicks, keyboard strokes, my own voice, etc. This is with stock rubber tips, I haven't tried anything like complys

 

[Freefallr4545]

Quote:

 
There follows a long post from a from a thread I started at http://www.head-fi.org/t/582620/radius-ddm-lover-seeks-advice-twf21-ftx90-gr07-mtpc/15 while looking for a DDM replacement; I thought it would have an audience here.  I have edited it a bit to remove much of the context of the other thread.  
 
 
My girlfriend had indeed intended to get me a set of Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, but after reading all the replies to this thread and reading much of the FXT90 Review & Impressions thread, I told her I thought that the JVCs probably represented the best bargain.  (She apparently didn't consider the GR07s strongly, because she thought they were ugly, a judgment I really can't gainsay.)
 
She gave me a set of champagne-colored FTX90 Limited Editions.  At the same time, I gave her a set of Brookstone Clear Drive IEMs, the Radius DDM2 knockoff being sold for $70 at retail. I had recently helped her set up an mp3 player (and provided most of my music library), so she was excited about them, and recognized them for looking just like the DDM2s.  I had read a lot about the FXT90, so I was prepared to hear some harshness at the top end before burn-in, but I was NOT prepared for what I actually heard: a positively shrill -- though admittedly resolving -- and grainy top end supported by virtually no bass whatsoever.  For a while, I thought the bass drivers on both 'phones must have been defective or disconnected.  I'm not kidding, they sounded like hissier iBuds.  
 
Now, while monkeying around in  befuddlement with the iPod and the JVCs, which I couldn't believe were the same phones that Ericp10 said "smokes the DDMs," I gave her Brookstones a listen, and was both pleased and crestfallen.  Pleased because they are indeed a fantastic bargain and I had given a really good gift, crestfallen because they sounded IMMEASURABLY superior to the JVCs I had received.  I haven't listened long enough to judge them accurately, and my own DDMs simply can't be kept working for long enough to do any valid A/B comparisons; but I thought they were certainly in the same league as the DDM1, and possibly better.
 
Now, with the DDMs, and every other IEM I've used, the mid-sized "standard" rubber tip gave me good fit and acceptable sound.  Nonetheless, I had purchased a set of Monster tips (gels and foams in five sizes, $25 at a Staples store in Roanoke, VA) to experiment with, and had the S/M gel tips on the DDMs when they broke down.  (They're about the same size as medium stock rubber tips provided with most IEMs. If you're interested, the Supertips were almost ludicrous with the DDMs. It was like hooking a good subwoofer up to them, but with the crossover set incorrectly.)  I had been listening to the FXT90s using the medium stock tip, so I tried the small/medium supertip.  It still didn't sound good, but it proved that the bass drivers were working.  In desperation, I tried the large stock tips, which I've never before worn.  They were an improvement, but still left me extremely unimpressed and indeed depressed.  
 
In despair, I left the JVCs hooked to the iPod and left it to play overnight.  The next morning, I tried again, rolling tips, but had no better results than the night before.  My girlfriend tried them, as well, and immediately got a "What" look on her face; she was outraged that she had paid $150 plus shipping from Singapore and immediately offered to return them and buy me the Coppers.  I didn't want to make her feel bad, so I said, "well, let's see," and left the JVCs playing all day and night again.  There was no change, and I offered to pay for the return shipping if she could get an RMA from Accessoryjack.  I boxed the FXT90s up and returned home.  
 
While waiting for the RMA, I decided to dig out my other tips and just try a few options, just in case.  I tried Complys first, and they were a big improvement...but I frankly can't stand Complys, because they get so gunked up for me that it's embarrassing to remove them in public.  I tried the monster tips, too.  The medium gels and foams were a big improvement over even the Complys; I went ahead and tried the larges (two sizes up from what I used with the DDM, which offers a deeper insertion), et voila! I had a brand new set of IEMs.  Bass was not only present, but strong and impactful, and whether it was the tips or the 35 or so hours of burn-in I'd already done, a touch of the top-end grain and harshness was gone.  I immediately contacted my girlfriend and called off the return. (She was very happy!) 
 
I'm happy with these phones, but I have never experienced such a strange fit.  With their relatively shallow insertion, the JVCs require a lot more width to get a good seal; even the large rubber tips weren't sealing effectively, which is why they sounded like iBuds initially. I've been listening to them a lot over the last couple of days, and have noticed a few things.
 
First off, right now, I'm not experiencing them as a 1:1 replacement for the DDMs.  All the things I loved about the DDMs, well, I still love them, and most of them aren't done as well by the FXT90s.  While the smaller, quicker bass driver of the JVCs offers very good -- and exceptionally tight -- bass, it sacrifices the beautiful reverb and decay that characterizes the DDMs.  (And I don't concede that the DDMs have "too much" bass; I think they're beautifully balanced, but that many recordings are mixed for iBud listening these days, rather than for speaker playback.)  The midrange, as well, is a strength of the DDMs, and it may be a function of my long time with those 'phones that the JVCs' mids seem recessed by comparison (I reserve the right to change my mind on this; I just listened to Radiohead's "Give Up the Ghost," and it was just lovely).  On the other hand, I'd definitely say that  midrange -- especially vocal -- detail is superior in the FXT90s.  At the top end, of course, the JVCs seem to offer a lot more than the DDMs.  Detail is phenomenal by my standards, and fast transients (snare drums, etc.) are nearly perfect, though certain "crunching" -- some percussion, very heavily "feedbacked" guitars -- sounds gain a very unpleasant edge through these phones.  On the whole, the FXT90s are comparatively fatiguing; the DDMs' more relaxed treble is easier on the ears in long doses.   I have faith that further burn-in, not to mention adjustment on my part, is going to lessen the difference here, though.  The FXT90s are far less forgiving with poor source material, as well...you really can tell a 128kbps mp3 when using them.  
 
Presentation is a split decision; when I woke up this morning, I think I preferred the DDMs, but now I'm not so sure.  The DDMs provide a far more "outside the head" (and yet, somehow more intimate) sound, which I prefer, but I think that the FXT90s beat the DDMs pretty handily when it comes to instrument separation and spatial accuracy.  I would never have called the overall sound signature of the DDM veiled, but the FXT90's exceptional clarity can somewhat unfairly give that impression.  I'll try to explain.  For me, the biggest difference between these 'phones is that the DDMs present music more "organically," with that bass foundation somehow wrapping the mids and even the treble up into a bundle and presenting it gently to your ears.  The FXT90s, on the other hand, seem to "show" a chasm between each instrument and voice, revealing each in the fullness of its detail.  I want to say that the DDMs' presentation is more natural, more the way we hear, but I'm not sure that's really true.  Perhaps a better analogy would be to say that the DDMs represent recorded music, which we always receive from drivers of one sort or another, virtual point sources that combine the discrete components of music together, and attempt to provide an illusion of space in the recording.  The FXT90s, by contrast, represent listening to unamped live music, perhaps sitting close to an orchestra, where the sounds you're receiving are really coming from many points in space.  It's a somewhat ridiculous comparison, of course, since the the DDMs showed me more space, if less spatial accuracy, and both IEMs actually ARE using speaker drivers to create illusions, but it's the best I can do for the moment.
 
A note on fit and comfort: the DDMs require a deeper insertion, which is to me fundamentally less comfortable than the FXT90s' shallower insertion.  When paired with the monster foam tips, I can hardly feel them in my ears.  I think the gel tips improve the sound, particularly bass extension, very marginally and though very comfortable, feel more "squirmy" in my ears and make me think I'm going to lose the seal or have them drop out entirely.  However, the design of the DDMs allowed for pretty much one correct insertion, while the FXT90s can twist through a range of positions in your ear, with enormous effect on the sound.  The FXT90s also have FAR better isolation.
 
If I can get the DDMs repaired, I feel like I'm going to have two great and completely different options, allowing for mood and the needs of a listening situation, so I'm quite happy.  That said, I'm still going to listen to those Brookstones some more and will certainly get a set if the DDMs can't be fixed.  Now, maybe next year I'll try those UM Merlins and see if they provide a best-of-both-worlds solution...

More importantly, your Girlfriend may have thought you looked even hotter with a pair of GR07's in your ear. They may have displayed your "smile and swagger" more than the "ugly phone"
 Friends don't let friends were pretty IEMS 

 
 
 

 

[Guizan]

My fxt90's somehow reached the midwest in 3 days from China... I have no idea how, especially considering this was over the holidays. Anyways, I wasn't able to pick them up before the post office closed so I'm waiting till Tuesday. Can't wait!!

 

[jiff]

After reading this thread I can't resist getting these with all the praise they've received.  I've been searching for a good dynamic for around $150 (also looked at the GR07's) to go with my TF10's and these seem like they're a good choice.  I saw some on ebay from BuyJapan for around $130 after shipping and thats seems like the best price but if anyone knows of a better deal let me know.

 

[Freefallr4545]

I would get these in a heartbeat, if it were not for the poor isolation. Although I never thought I would get dynamics in general because of isolation, but I'm so pleased with the GR07, I can;t even go back to BA any longer. I still may pick up a pair someday

 

[shotgunshane]

Quote:

I would get these in a heartbeat, if it were not for the poor isolation. Although I never thought I would get dynamics in general because of isolation, but I'm so pleased with the GR07, I can;t even go back to BA any longer. I still may pick up a pair someday

I get about the same isolation with these as I do the GR07 but it depends on the tips you use.  Some tips will give you a shallower fit and thus less isolation.