@Napilopez thanks for your patience, here's a short comparison of the FX700 and HJE900. Remember, my Pannies are foam-modded, meaning I stuffed a small amout of foam into the nozzle to dampen the highs and bring out the mids.
First thing I noticed on A/Bing these two, is how incredibly well build the HJE900 are for the money. By no means do the FX700 look cheap, but the Pannies inspire even more confidence.
Ok, now for the sound: Bass levels are about equal between these, but the JVCs have more weight, because just like the IE8 the HJE900 has an obvious emphasis on upper bass. The latters hump isn't nearly as large as the Senn's and there's no invasion of the midrange to speak of, but the JVCs are flatter and you hear/feel more deep bass with them. On the other hand the Pannies are a tiny bit speedier with trance and fast electronica, not as fast as the FX500, but somewhere in between the two JVCs. Noteby: even the FX700 have excellent speed for dynamic driver based IEMs, so this is nitpicking on a high level.
Even though the foam mod helps to bring out the midrange on the Pannies, the FX700 are slightly more forward. Vocals sound a bit more laid-back but nevertheless very pleasant on the HJE900, whereas the FX700 present vocals in a way that demands your attention. With some phones and music this can easily get too friendly and fatiguing, but the JVCs do it with such gorgeous smoothness and timbre that I'd rather call them intoxicating instead. Speaking of which, I remember Chris saying he's using them at work and there's is no way I can picture myself doing this, as they would sure as hell deflect my attention too much, lol.
Let's move on to treble and face it: the guys at JVC may have an odd sense of humour, buggin' you with short cords and hiding your spare tips, but they have done their homework on the FX700's highs. They are easily among the best I've heard, detailed, extended and refined, and while the Pannies can keep up in extension and detail, overall refinement is noticably better on the JVCs. Their rendering of cymbals is simply more realistic than the HJE900's. Both are not all too forgiving with sibilant material, but the ssssss on the Pannies are more vicious than on the JVCs.
Soundstage strikes me as a bit more generous on the FX700, though I never thought the HJE900 lacking when solely listening to them. The JVC's open design also adds some welcome airiness that's missing from the Pannies. Imaging and positioning is good with both, but the 3D illusion is more pronounced with the FX700. Of course, isolation-wise the JVCs are no match for the closed Pannies.
So, can the FX700 be considered an upgrade to the HJE900? Obviously the answer is yes, but the difference in price tag ($320 vs. $110) certainly does not reflect the amount of improvement. Once again, a textbook case of diminishing returns, the curse of those who are in pursuit of audio excellence.
