[fickennein]

Oww okay, i'll look into it. Also, the littledot tube amp seems nice

I had a project starlight which was n your budget but next time id get something with more gain/output power

 

[ElMarcado]

I think I have a defective pair, at this point.
 
I'm using my SZ2000 with M55x pads and a Magni 2 and some EQ. The first month the headphones thumped HARD, it was incredible, now it clips and distorts at the same volume level/gain setting/EQ and hits less than the EarPods. Also, it's not that the signal is clipping, but the driver is loose and you can hear it without wearing the headphones. The reason why I'm suspecting that they are defective is that the first month it was alright, it clipped right where it should, but now the impact/extension/pressure is nonexistent at the same volume/gain/eq level. 1 month ago it pounded hard.
 
Did I got a dood? I really love these for Hip-Hop/EDM and I'll probably buy another pair if my pair is defective. I'm not sending them again to Japan, too damn expensive. Also, they are out of warranty. Please help. Thanks! 

 

[vapman]

  I think I have a defective pair, at this point.
 
I'm using my SZ2000 with M55x pads and a Magni 2 and some EQ. The first month the headphones thumped HARD, it was incredible, now it clips and distorts at the same volume level/gain setting/EQ and hits less than the EarPods. Also, it's not that the signal is clipping, but the driver is loose and you can hear it without wearing the headphones. The reason why I'm suspecting that they are defective is that the first month it was alright, it clipped right where it should, but now the impact/extension/pressure is nonexistent at the same volume/gain/eq level. 1 month ago it pounded hard.
 
Did I got a dood? I really love these for Hip-Hop/EDM and I'll probably buy another pair if my pair is defective. I'm not sending them again to Japan, too damn expensive. Also, they are out of warranty. Please help. Thanks! 

Yeah that doesn't sound right at all.... how long have you had them for and get them from?

 

[Pharmaboy]

OK, JVC HA-SZ1000-E's arrived. Unboxed them & listened for ~15 minutes today, just to make sure they work. And they do work. Extremely early impressions (before they get ~200 hrs of burn-in):
 
-- Yes, the stock pads totally blow. I'll replace them as soon as the HM5 extra thick pleather pads arrive
-- Yes, these headphones are heavy. You really know it when they're on your head
-- And there is some clamping force. Haven't tried bending the head-band yet...that'll be later on.
-- Having said all that, they're pretty comfortable, despite the bulk and the fact my ears touch the drivers. When the pads get swapped, my ears won't touch the drivers + there'll be more comfort from the new pads. If I still feel any clamping force, I'll try bending the head-band. These 'phones are built like a tank--I think they'll be able to take it, as long as I don't manhandle the cups while bending (just commonsense).
-- Sound: yes, they're veiled. But I can hear through that veil, and what's there sounds promising. After hundreds of hours of burn-in, with good pads, I'm guessing these will sound more resolving and clear. Maybe more soundstage.
 
Oh yes, the bass--'cause it's all about the bass. I don't have the kind of extreme material others use to turn these into monster bass-cans (EDM, hip-hop, rap). But I do have some well produced studio rock & reggae with very hard hitting bass lines that go pretty deep, and even cold, I can hear these headphones have real power in the low frequencies. 
 
(to be continued)
 
BTW, thanks to vapman for many helpful comments in this string & a separate JVC review. I learn something useful just about everyday from someone on Head-Fi.

 

[ElMarcado]

 
Yeah that doesn't sound right at all.... how long have you had them for and get them from?

A seller from Amazon. Like 4 months ago. I don't know about the warranty, but I find it strange that they don't have any impact now.

 

[OldDude04]

I'd contact them about the warranty, they sound broken to me.

 

[vapman]

A seller from Amazon. Like 4 months ago. I don't know about the warranty, but I find it strange that they don't have any impact now.

IMO try to get them to replace it, if no luck there, maybe contact amazon.

 

[fickennein]

 
Guys, i get them SZ1K. So friggin happy!! 

Heres my lil review, same from the Hardest Hitting thread:

Spoiler: Spoiler

[size=1em]Well, look who's decided to join the family. The SZ1000! I got them this afternoon, straight from Japan after 2 weeks of waiting, came with a Japan only warranty. Which is kinda useless. The main reason I'm getting this is because I'm kinda disappointed with my Fidelio X1 while watching Need for Speed, when the 00:51:25 came, where the Mustang was revving outside and the glass inside the building was rumbling, the X1's driver can't handle it. So i decided to find a bass headphone, and here i am. [/size]
 
And here is my quick review out of the the box.
 
Build quality & looks:
They look nice. It's big, slightly smaller than the Fidelio X1, but still it's too big for portable use. And non-detachable cable, which kinda disappointed, but maybe JVC don't fancy detachable cable. It's sturdy tho, looks like it can handle some beating. 

 
Comfort:
The headband is quite comfort on this one. But, the earpads are awkward, i don't know if that's possible, but the fit is awkward, i can't get the right fit and my ear keeps touching the driver, and kinda heavy too. So i might find a new one. Also, you need to fight the urge to headbang in these, because it will fall right away.
 
Sound:
Out of the box, best bass hit i've ever heard in my entire life. And since i've been troubling whether to get these or the Sony XB950bt(which has built-in bass boost), i can guarantee you, these are better, much better. I've been borrowing the XB from my friend, and glad i didnt go for the xb950. The xb950 sounds muddy, not suitable for all genre. While the sz1k is not muddy, have more detail, also the soundstage and instrument separation is better, and can quite handle various of genre. Some EQ are needed tho, don't be ashamed of using them (since, you know, some of people in Head-Fi really hate EQ). For a 16ohm driver, they are power hungry. I thought it will go well directly from phone or laptop, but no, you need an amp to get the best of it.  
 
Conclusion:
This thing shakes my head. Best bass i've ever heard in a headphone, the bass hit hard, no doubt. The soundstage is not that bad tho, which is good because the main reason i chose these is to go with a bass-heavy movie, like explosions, gun shots, etc, because apparently the Fidelio X1 cant handle it quite well. As for music i mostly listen to metal and their sub-genres, and my favorite is Djent, so im gonna go with the Fidelio for those, but for EDM, the SZ1k is now my go to headphone. As my goal for the SZ1k, to beat the 00:51:25 at the Need for Speed, it satisfied my needs. YEAH!! This was the bass i've been looking for. My search now has come to an end. Thanks for all the answer you guys gave me, really appreciate it. Cheers.
 
 
*To the grammar nazi out there, you're welcome to correct me on my bad grammars.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Re fickennein's comment in review about the attached cable--forgot to mention this before. I found the cable on my new JVC HA-SZ1000-E's to be barely long enough for comfortable use on the desktop. The quality is above average, which is nice, but the length just isn't quite enough.
 
For long-term comfort, to avoid pulling a HP amp onto the floor (inevitable w/a 1.2M fixed cord), I plan to check out a detachable cable mod for these headphones once they've burn in, assuming they sound good enough to justify the extra cost. I'm not handy w/a soldering iron & don't know how to do that, but there's a company that can help. Pretty sure this came from someone earlier in this thread (sorry can't recall who) - BTG Audio:
http://btg-audio.com/webstore.htm#ecwid:category=2609209&mode=product&product=11484987
 
Won't know 'til I verify with the owner whether the JVC can be modified in this way. But just looking at this metal frame (the JVC is very sturdy, large, well-built), I'm pretty sure there's enough space outside & inside the frame to accommodate a 3.5mm port. It's a cost, obviously, but if the headphones sound as good as I hope they do--and I mean above & beyond that crazy-good bass--it'll be worth it.
 
I get very good quality, inexpensive headphone cables from Ghent Audio. Have 3 of them, two x 2M + one x 3M. Sturdy/heavy cables that sound quite good. Not for mobile use, but for the home, really good. A 2M cable w/3.5mm jack on one end, 6.5mm jack on the other costs $14, shipped (can't beat that).
http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/d08.html

 

[fickennein]

  Re fickennein's comment in review about the attached cable--forgot to mention this before. I found the cable on my new JVC HA-SZ1000-E's to be barely long enough for comfortable use on the desktop. The quality is above average, which is nice, but the length just isn't quite enough.
 
For long-term comfort, to avoid pulling a HP amp onto the floor (inevitable w/a 1.2M fixed cord), I plan to check out a detachable cable mod for these headphones once they've burn in, assuming they sound good enough to justify the extra cost. I'm not handy w/a soldering iron & don't know how to do that, but there's a company that can help. Pretty sure this came from someone earlier in this thread (sorry can't recall who) - BTG Audio:
http://btg-audio.com/webstore.htm#ecwid:category=2609209&mode=product&product=11484987
 
Won't know 'til I verify with the owner whether the JVC can be modified in this way. But just looking at this metal frame (the JVC is very sturdy, large, well-built), I'm pretty sure there's enough space outside & inside the frame to accommodate a 3.5mm port. It's a cost, obviously, but if the headphones sound as good as I hope they do--and I mean above & beyond that crazy-good bass--it'll be worth it.
 
I get very good quality, inexpensive headphone cables from Ghent Audio. Have 3 of them, two x 2M + one x 3M. Sturdy/heavy cables that sound quite good. Not for mobile use, but for the home, really good. A 2M cable w/3.5mm jack on one end, 6.5mm jack on the other costs $14, shipped (can't beat that).
http://www.ghentaudio.com/part/d08.html

It's long enough for me, tho i'm planning to have it modded to detachable, so i can change the cable to the length i want. Seems like there are many modder that live in my country, i will give it modded when i get really sick of the cable. 
BTW, are you using Brownian, Pink, and White noise for the burn-in?

 

[Pharmaboy]

That's a great question. Never occurred to me to use noise for burn-in, though it's probably the ideal technique (I learn something new every day on Head-Fi...thanks!).
 
But I just don't have a way to do it--you need a noise generator. Instead, I do it old-school: have a laptop w/a FiiO 10K running in the basement, where noise leakage from the headphones don't disturb my work. I set Windows Media Player to repeat-play various lists of .wav files for 7 days or so, going from bass-heavy music (reggae, AfroPop, etc) to jazz & classical. The volume is somewhat higher than the highest volume I'm comfortable with, but still not crazy loud (I'm not young; have tinnitus & can't listen @headbanger volume).
 
Guess it's not perfect, but it seems to do the trick.

 

[fickennein]

That's a great question. Never occurred to me to use noise for burn-in, though it's probably the ideal technique (I learn something new every day on Head-Fi...thanks!).

But I just don't have a way to do it--you need a noise generator. Instead, I do it old-school: have a laptop w/a FiiO 10K running in the basement, where noise leakage from the headphones don't disturb my work. I set Windows Media Player to repeat-play various lists of .wav files for 7 days or so, going from bass-heavy music (reggae, AfroPop, etc) to jazz & classical. The volume is somewhat higher than the highest volume I'm comfortable with, but still not crazy loud (I'm not young; have tinnitus & can't listen @headbanger volume).

Guess it's not perfect, but it seems to do the trick.

I have them noise in mp3, each 10mins long, then i play it in on loop from my old phone directly to my headphone. I got them from some website that explain the technic, but i forgot which one. If you want it, just PM me your email and i'll send it to you.

 

[johnnyyukon]

Hey ya'll.
 
I'm on my way to pick up my SZ1000s, yay!  Plus the HM5 pads.  
 
Break-in/Burn-in aside, I'm wondering if my components (amps, I guess) are sufficient, though I think they are:
 
FiiO Q1
FiiO E10K
Sony Receiver/Amp-STR-DH55
 
 
Also, what is an EQ?  haha, as in, I'm a bit confused as to what the Head-Fi studs use (and I'm sure the list is LONG).  Mostly for listening to music/movies.
 
I mean, me, the VLC EQ and compressor seem to work swell for my Sennheiser 518s and Game Zeros.   I experimented with AU Labs (mac owner) when I was trying to maximize the bass on the Game Zeros (tricky) and then just regular iTunes eq seems to work great for me.
 
I have a zillion plugins, EQ and otherwise, plus several standalone mastering software, iZotope Ozone 7 by FAR my favorite.  I actually wish it could be used as an audio player (though it kind of can be).
 
Anyway just curious.  I don't post here often, but my lurking has been very beneficial. 
 
Ok, FedEx is holding my cans so I'm running out the door now.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I'm burning in my SZ1000s on the Fiio E10K right now. And I can tell you that these 'phones seem relatively efficient--anything over ~2 1/2 (out of the top marking of "8," or ~25%-30% power) is too loud for me to listen to. Even grading on a curve because I'm not a kid anymore & have tinnitus, it seems the Fiio E10K can get these headphones to more than satisfactory volume.
 
My only concern--which I'm not able to check out yet--is whether the FiiO has the reserve capacity to drive that sub-bass the JVC's are renowned for. Something tells me that during bass transients, these headphones are going to really tax an amplifier in terms of current & voltage in ways not strictly reflected by apparent volume. To check that out, once they're burned in, I'll test them on other HP amps having more pop--the M Stage Matrix HPA-1 (kind of "real-world," not a specs monster, but sounds wonderful); and my best amp, the Lake People G109A, which has stronger specs.
 
I'm going to be in the minority here, but I really don't care much for EQ--I use it only when my back's to the wall (ie, HP's sound horrible w/it). Despite their basshead reputation, I really got these headphones in the hope they'll rock my foundation a bit w/o EQ, but also (after burn-in) do an above average job in the midrange & upper frequencies, too.

 

[johnnyyukon]

  I'm burning in my SZ1000s on the Fiio E10K right now. And I can tell you that these 'phones seem relatively efficient--anything over ~2 1/2 (out of the top marking of "8," or ~25%-30% power) is too loud for me to listen to. Even grading on a curve because I'm not a kid anymore & have tinnitus, it seems the Fiio E10K can get these headphones to more than satisfactory volume.
 
My only concern--which I'm not able to check out yet--is whether the FiiO has the reserve capacity to drive that sub-bass the JVC's are renowned for. Something tells me that during bass transients, these headphones are going to really tax an amplifier in terms of current & voltage in ways not strictly reflected by apparent volume. To check that out, once they're burned in, I'll test them on other HP amps having more pop--the M Stage Matrix HPA-1 (kind of "real-world," not a specs monster, but sounds wonderful); and my best amp, the Lake People G109A, which has stronger specs.
 
I'm going to be in the minority here, but I really don't care much for EQ--I use it only when my back's to the wall (ie, HP's sound horrible w/it). Despite their basshead reputation, I really got these headphones in the hope they'll rock my foundation a bit w/o EQ, but also (after burn-in) do an above average job in the midrange & upper frequencies, too.

 
ok i bolded the japanese, ha.  except the "tax an amplifier."  I assume you mean HP amps?  Yeah, I guess I'll just have to play.  I mean, in my experience, as wonderful as all these HP amps are, they can't compare to a big ***** receiver/amp like my Sony DH55, but that is probably obvious.
 
Yeah, with movies, and games, and different music styles, I'm ALWAYS fiddling with the EQ.  iTunes, for example, I  have about 20 presets and same with VLC.  Like the dialogue is to quiet/loud, bass too heavy, etc.  But that's me.
 
I feel like I'm an audiophile, but when I come to this forum, I usually feel like a moron.  ha.