[levonhelm]

if it will be more isolating i think it will be a good choice for me 

 

[ulnevrgtit]

Hey all...I was wondering if anyone could compare the W4s and the FX700s. 
I have the W4s and really enjoy their relatively neutral presentation and ability to play almost anything well.  I generally use the W4s for longer listing sessions and when at work and have used TF10s when I want a more fun sound. However, after having the TF10s reshelled they seem to have lost some of their magic so I'm looking for a replacement (the W4s also made some of the flaws more apparent).  What I've read about the FX700 make them sounds like an ideal replacement for a more dynamic, fun sound.  I've been reading this and other threads to try and pin down the sound signature of the FX700s relative to the W4s.  I've found some one off comparisons here and there but nothing very comprehensive.  For these reasons I was hoping that someone that owns/owned both could make a comparison between the FX700 and the W4s.  Thank you

 

[Ultrazino]

I compared the two in great detail somewhere, but I don't remember when and where. If it was in this thread, it's pretty much lost anyway at 115 pages.
 
It's not easy to compare the two. Coming from the W4, the V will be much too strong for your taste - also compared to TF10. Resolution is two steps down. If you have the possibility, why don't you try to EQ the W4 for a fun signature?

 

[ulnevrgtit]

I expect the FX700 to be more v-shaped, Im hoping for as much.  The W4s are great but can be boring at times.  I wanted something livelier with more bass and sparkle.  My TF10s fit the bill but as I noted, the reshell has negatively impacted the signature so I'm looking for a replacement.  I am actually ok with a bit more V than the TF10s but the cost and inconvience of getting the FX700s has me searching for more information. 
 
Regarding EQing, I've tried and even used a couple amps to try and liven the W4s up...even the digizoid.  In all cases the changes made by the EQ/Amp seemed artificial and negatively impacted the other elements of the W4s I love so much, specifically seperation and resolution, imo.  I have come to reaffirm my dislike of EQs and comparable tools to modify sound. I do appriciate the advice though.
 
Ultimately which do you prefer (W4 or FX700)...judging by your signature its the FX700 as you have them noted, but no W4.?
 
I have also been considering the UE900 which I see you have.  How do they compare to the FX700s, W4s or TF10?  Based on reviews it seems like they are a tamed down version of the TF10s with better mids...but that was only a couple reviews.

 

[Ultrazino]

Hi, I think the W4 is better than the FX700 overall, but the JVC has its own category. Luxurious design, amazing build, cable-down, open design and dynamic driver. There are but two IEM that also fit this category: HJE900 (almost the same but far less quality) and IE800 (not available yet). That's why I got the FX700.
 
Here's a small quote from myself why I have replaced the W4 with UE900:
Quote:

I'd always first recommend the W4. It's like small perfection if you can appreciate what it does and it all makes sense. Build and comfort are the best out there. However, sound is about preference and after some time I decided the Westone isn't for me. It does not have flaws as such, but here are a few things that bothered me:
- mid-upper bass peak (actually this only started getting annoying after I tried an UERM mod on the W4)
- veiled vocals (disappear after getting some used to, but if you keep switching with the FX700, definitely apparent)
- broad but 2D-ish soundstage with great distance, takes me too far out of the action
- bass punch softens considerably at lower volumes (I listen at level 1 to 3 from 16 on an EU iPhone)
 
So in conclusion the W4 was just a tad bit too relaxed for me.

 
Here are my impressions on UE900. It cannot replace the TF10 as a fun phone. It rivals the W4 but it doesn't do anything better, just differently.
Quote:

I much prefer the UE900 over the TF10. The TF10 sounds very disharmonic to my ears. Even though its bass performance is incredible I prefer most dynamics over the Triple Fi. I also didn't like the Shure SE535 so I picked the W4 at the time. Some things did bother me and it is too mellow for my taste. The UE900 improves in that aspect.
 
The UE900 has a very light veil over vocals, yes, but it's far less prominent than with the W4. Soundstage of the UE is smaller, but also more intimate whereas the Westone has a much further distance and mostly expanding left and right.
One big problem with the W4 is that the bass loses all of its punch at lower volumes. It just disappears. Bass quantity scales with volume which bothers me a lot - yet you cannot get rid of the mid/upper bass and lower mids hump without proper EQ. With the Logitech I can listen at very low volumes and still have dirty bass punch on Hip-Hop tracks.
If you don't mind the points above, I think the W4 is the slightly better IEM. Personally, I prefer the UE900.
 
Build quality and comfort is amazing with both. I prefer the aggressive blue looks of the Logitech as it's a kinda offensive punch towards Monster Beats.
On other days I might prefer the humble black plastic and skinny cable of the Westone 4.

 
I also remember playing with the EQ and the W4. No matter what I did, the Westone remained mellow and wasn't aggressive enough, so I get your point.
 
Of course you can try the FX700 and see if it fits your definition of fun but I fear that you might not appreciate dynamic drivers when you're coming from W4 and TF10. Especially the Triple.Fi plays much tighter and faster. With the JVC you will have more rumble instead of punch. With +10 dB the bass might also slam you. You can try a loose fit, though.
Another problem is that from my experience the FX700 is prone to humidity. You have to make sure you have a trustworthy seller. I saw some other people having the same problem as I did first, having their filters blocking and altering the sound upon receipt. Considering this pair is difficult to get without warranty in most cases, you might rather pick an EU or US product...
 
Which leads me to the PFE 232. I'm pretty sure you'll like this one! It's the same category of fun as the TF10 from my impressions. It has a deep subwoofer bass, nice punch, V shape (~6dB on both ends), etc.
Technically, I find it to be inferior to the W4, but just by a small bit.

 

[ulnevrgtit]

Thank you so much for your response Ultrazino.  It is very helpful and I appriciate you taking the time.
The FX700 seemed like a pretty big risk given what you've noted.  I will take a closer look at the PFE232s.
Thanks again

 

[Surg]

[size=medium]Hi guys, I’m new to the head-fi community and I’ve been reading some of these forums for certain headphones I planned to buy. First off, I would like to say thanks for any help provided here. The issue I’m having is with the JVC FX700 and how terrible it sounds. I bought my FX700 from Amazon online, “US” and when I first received the pair, it had a very terrible frequency spike. The Sibilance was so bad, I couldn’t wear it and the mid treble or somewhere in the lower mid treble was very much boosted, it was piercing and above all other Frequencies. [/size]
 
[size=medium]Now, after I read in this forum that the humidity can affect the way it sounds and burn-in should be applied, I gave it 300 hours of burn-in. After the burn-in the frequency spike was less but still very noticeable on my DAP iPod touch 4 and my computer. I can’t hear much detail from them still and the SQ seems to change every time I wear them now. This is amazing because this is the first dynamic drivers I’ve had yet to ever do this so much. [/size]
 
[size=medium]My reference headphones are: Nuforce NE- 700x, Re- 262[/size]
 
[size=medium]I’ve also heard the whole turbine line of headphones: Turbine pro, MTPG, and MTPC[/size]
 
[size=medium]I have to say the FX700 sounds mediocre against all the above I’ve mentioned. The NE- 700x was my favorite V shaped response because of its high transparency, biggest soundstage and cheap cost. [/size]
[size=medium]I’ve sent an email to the seller. Can anyone tell me what could be wrong?[/size]
 
[size=medium]Thanks[/size]

 

[james444]

Hi Surg, welcome to head-fi
 
While I can't tell you what's wrong with your FX700, I can assure you that's not how they're supposed to sound. And if the cause is humidity, you won't be able to fix that with burn-in. I'd try to get a replacement pair from the seller.

 

[audiobot]

Question for you gentleman. Is the isolation on these as bad as they say? I just purchased them and plan on using them on the subway commute to school and work. It can't be that bad right? People tend to over-exaggerate about certain things on these boards.
 
Also, would sony hybrid tips help?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[nihontoman]

Quote:

Question for you gentleman. Is the isolation on these as bad as they say? I just purchased them and plan on using them on the subway commute to school and work. It can't be that bad right? People tend to over-exaggerate about certain things on these boards.
 
Also, would sony hybrid tips help?
 
Thanks in advance.

I'm not quite certain (because I don't  have one) but those huge vents don't usually translate to good isolation. It may be ok for you, but I'm pretty sure you will still hear subway symphony through them...

 

[james444]

Quote:

Question for you gentleman. Is the isolation on these as bad as they say? I just purchased them and plan on using them on the subway commute to school and work. It can't be that bad right? People tend to over-exaggerate about certain things on these boards.
 
Also, would sony hybrid tips help?
 
Thanks in advance.

 
To me it's borderline with the FX700. We have older subway cars that are simply too noisy for them, and modern ones which are ok.
 
No need to buy hybrids, since stock tips isolate just as well.

 

[Ultrazino]

Hi Surg, if the treble is causing problem, I doubt the problem is humidity. If this were the cause of problems, the filters would be soaked and dampen the sound. You'd hear a muddy bass boost instead of treble spike. But keep in mind, the treble is pronounced and elevated by 10dB, yet it's supposed to sound energetic without piercing or sibilant spikes.
Sadly I haven't heard any of your other 'phones so I can't compare.
 
Hi audiobot, I will put it like this: yes, the isolation is terrible and almost non-existent! Now if you will put them in you will say "hey, these do isolate much better than expected!"
If you want isolation only (I often put IEMs into my ears without actually playing music), then they're terrible. But if JVC's transducer is in motion, the music will play straight in your ear and obviously it will overpower outside noise. But please keep in mind - for your ears' safety sake - that you can't block noise by turning the volume up. All sources add together in volume so if you want to enjoy music in a loud environment you might damage your ears.
 
I also suggest to stay away from the Sony hybrids. Their tip opening is too narrow and it dampens the treble resulting in an overly warm sound instead of the well balanced timbre these are famous for. UE silicone tips are my favorite but the standard tips, if size matches your ears, will do perfectly fine.

 

[audiobot]

Thanks a lot guys. Hopefully these work out for me. I returned the yamaha eph-100. Really sharp pain wearing those.

 

[audiobot]

Quote:

Hi Surg, if the treble is causing problem, I doubt the problem is humidity. If this were the cause of problems, the filters would be soaked and dampen the sound. You'd hear a muddy bass boost instead of treble spike. But keep in mind, the treble is pronounced and elevated by 10dB, yet it's supposed to sound energetic without piercing or sibilant spikes.
Sadly I haven't heard any of your other 'phones so I can't compare.
 
Hi audiobot, I will put it like this: yes, the isolation is terrible and almost non-existent! Now if you will put them in you will say "hey, these do isolate much better than expected!"
If you want isolation only (I often put IEMs into my ears without actually playing music), then they're terrible. But if JVC's transducer is in motion, the music will play straight in your ear and obviously it will overpower outside noise. But please keep in mind - for your ears' safety sake - that you can't block noise by turning the volume up. All sources add together in volume so if you want to enjoy music in a loud environment you might damage your ears.
 
I also suggest to stay away from the Sony hybrids. Their tip opening is too narrow and it dampens the treble resulting in an overly warm sound instead of the well balanced timbre these are famous for. UE silicone tips are my favorite but the standard tips, if size matches your ears, will do perfectly fine.

Thanks for the great advice. I will stick with the stock tips.

 

[AlexLacasse]

I've tried some comply tips with my new JVC fx-700 and they sound great. Tames the treble down a bit and brings out the bass even more!