JVC HA-FXT90 Thread

[shotgunshane]

The FX700 has a pretty significant V shape.  Vocals can sound very distant in some songs (certainly not all) but regardless the quality of the mids are very, very good.  In contrast the FXT90 mids are much more forward and upfront.
 

 

[Nulliverse]

Quote:

The FX700 has a pretty significant V shape.  Vocals can sound very distant in some songs (certainly not all) but regardless the quality of the mids are very, very good.  In contrast the FXT90 mids are much more forward and upfront.
 

This matches my experience exactly.
 
On another (sub)subject, I've tried some Complys TS-400s on the FXT90s with satisfying results. Rather than significant gains over the MEElecs, UEs, Supertips or Jays, I noticed only the expected trade-offs. Comfort was inevitably superior, whilst treble response took a slight hit (though significantly less so than any other Complys I've used).
 
I therefore experimented by reversing the tips - the outer foam tip being over the base of the nozzle and the inner spacer opening over the tip of the nozzle. Wow... maybe it's just my strangely shaped ears, but this is easily the best sound I've heard coming out of the FXT90s. The treble response has gone through the roof... but better still, the vibrant mids and punchy bass remain perfectly in tact.    
 
I'd be interested to hear other peoples impressions with this setup.
 

 

[gnarlsagan]

I just trimmed the t-400's to be almost flush with the end of the nozzle. There's maybe a millimeter or two of extra foam. This sounds great to me with no noticeable loss of the highs (and I love my highs).
 

 

[Nulliverse]

 
My reversed TS-400s are similar, but have no extra foam at all. The sound travels through the spacer and straight into my ear. Treble heaven with Comply comfort...

 

[gnarlsagan]

That looks quite clean. I'd appreciate not having to trim the ends since it doesn't look quite as nice. I'll probably pick up some Ts400s at some point thanks to your pic

 

[Nulliverse]

Quote:

That looks quite clean. I'd appreciate not having to trim the ends since it doesn't look quite as nice. I'll probably pick up some Ts400s at some point thanks to your pic

Glad to be of help

 
It's a sad fact that Ts series are not available anywhere in the UK, meaning we have to buy second-hand or pay large shipping fees. I therefore emailed handheldaudio advising that it's in their best interests to stock them.

 

 

[dfrost]

I've been using and enjoying FXT90's, purchased from Inks, since last weekend. If these are the tour and review pair, all of you that used them deserve credit for taking very good care of them. They look brand new!
 
After two very satisfying years of DBA-02 and Xcape v.1 use, I'm now going through the "brain burn-in" period to accustom myself to this rather different sound signature. Listening to Roger Waters' "In The Flesh" (live versions of Pink Floyd hits) definitely gave the sense of a live performance. More subtle pieces don't lose any of their feel, either. Thanks to the broad dynamic range, I can listen at a lower volume and still appreciate all the musical elements, even with my 6+ decade old ears. Still not sure how the greater bass quantity and depth in rock, classic and otherwise, will suite me in the long term, but I'm enjoying it ATM. FWIW, I have never felt my DBA's were particularly bass-light, maybe because these old ears have lost some of their high frequency sensitivity, so the Fishers never feel overly bright.
 
My recollection of Xcape v.1's (mine have essentially lost left side function) is that the FXT90's don't convey quite the cohesiveness of the Xcapes, but certainly have a broader frequency response, and give up very little on the high end to the DBA's.
 
BTW, my tip experiments have settled on RadioShack hydrids, one size larger than what I used on the Xcape.

 

[tienbasse]

Quote:

Glad to be of help

 
It's a sad fact that Ts series are not available anywhere in the UK, meaning we have to buy second-hand or pay large shipping fees. I therefore emailed handheldaudio advising that it's in their best interests to stock them.

 

There's always a coupon for ordering directly from Comply, so it pretty much halves the shippings fees. Current one is -25%.
And honestly with the weak US dollar (versus £), you won't pay more than £15.

 

[Nulliverse]

Quote:

After two very satisfying years of DBA-02 and Xcape v.1 use, I'm now going through the "brain burn-in" period to accustom myself to this rather different sound signature. Listening to Roger Waters' "In The Flesh" (live versions of Pink Floyd hits) definitely gave the sense of a live performance. More subtle pieces don't lose any of their feel, either. Thanks to the broad dynamic range, I can listen at a lower volume and still appreciate all the musical elements, even with my 6+ decade old ears. Still not sure how the greater bass quantity and depth in rock, classic and otherwise, will suite me in the long term, but I'm enjoying it ATM. FWIW, I have never felt my DBA's were particularly bass-light, maybe because these old ears have lost some of their high frequency sensitivity, so the Fishers never feel overly bright.
 
BTW, my tip experiments have settled on RadioShack hydrids, one size larger than what I used on the Xcape.

 
Interesting impressions dfrost, most of which I can relate to. I certainly share your appreciation of the JVCs broad dynamic range, as well as its ability to convey subtleties and drama with equally good affect. Like yourself I had the DBA's, and continue to feel that as my personal high frequency bench mark, thay are yet to be bested. Whilst the JVCs do have very articulate and revealing treble, they can't quite match the sparkle of the Fischers shimmering intricacy. That said, I think they pull comfortably ahead of most other iems at this price range, including the Atrios, RE-262s and GR07s.
 
The problem I always had with the DBAs was their feather-weight bass, something which I could never quite overcome. This may have been down to the impactful nature of much of my music, which the DBAs could never convincingly convey. However, it's possible that my appreciation was restricted by my limited experience of IEMs, and further compounded by the fact that I had just come from the warm and excessively thick SM3.
 
My appreciation of the FXT90 is an altogether more stable and slower burning affair. Whilst I seldom experience 'wow' moments as I did with the Fischers, I've never have any qualms, problems or doubts either. They just strike me a good, solid phones, and draw my attention to music as a whole, rather than a particular aspect of the frequency spectrum. This for me is their strength, not least because they manage to do it without sounding polite, monitor-like, or boring.
 
Thanks for the info on RadioShack, I'm always keen to try new tips.


Quote:

There's always a coupon for ordering directly from Comply, so it pretty much halves the shippings fees. Current one is -25%.
And honestly with the weak US dollar (versus £), you won't pay more than £15.

Oh, ok. That's doable. Thanks - will look into it.

 

[FlySweep]

..they can't quite match the sparkle of the Fischers shimmering intricacy.

 
I agree.. the FXT's warm-ish, smooth flavor is balanced nicely by the treble's crispness.. though it lacks a bit of sparkle.  One thing I've always appreciated about the DBA's sparkle is that it sounds surprisingly "dynamic driver"-like in texture (this became more apparent after reshelling them, in fact).
 

My appreciation of the FXT90 is an altogether more stable and slower burning affair. Whilst I seldom experience 'wow' moments as I did with the Fischers, I've never have any qualms, problems or doubts either. They just strike me a good, solid phones, and draw my attention to music as a whole, rather than a particular aspect of the frequency spectrum. This for me is their strength, not least because they manage to do it without sounding polite, monitor-like, or boring.

That to me is what makes or breaks a phone.. can it present music, as a whole, in a consistently engaging manner?  The FXT manages to compensate for it's weaknesses much better than many of its peers and still remain quite versatile.

 

[Ryolith]

I just got my fxt90s in the mail today.  I ordered them from accessoryjack and it arrived in eleven days.  Being a noob headfier, this is my first mid tier iem I've ever heard and I must say they are amazing.  Thanks for all your positive reviews; they really convinced me to buy them and right now, I couldn't be happier (although I'm down 160$

)

 

[Leo888]

I'll say that the build quality is among the best at it's price point, it's made in Japan afterall. 

Hi, can anyone confirm if the FXT90 is made in Japan as my packaging clearly states that it is made in China.

 

[tienbasse]

Quote:

Hi, can anyone confirm if the FXT90 is made in Japan as my packaging clearly states that it is made in China.

I would expect some components to come from Japan, but assembly is very likely to be done in China, as with most electronic gear.

 

[Inks]

Hi, can anyone confirm if the FXT90 is made in Japan as my packaging clearly states that it is made in China.

Will admit, never inspected much into the matter and almost ignored the packaging. I assumed it was since the cable is pretty identical to the FX500/FX700 which are clearly made in Japan. It seems though, that all the components are made in Japan but assembly is done in China to keep costs low. 

 

[Leo888]

Thanks guys for the replies, just need to get the facts right. Personally, I'm really enjoying the musical and fun presentation from them and " Made in Japan " or not isn't going to take anything away from them.