[tquickbrownfox]

Great Deal for some Brits who happen to be luckier than my canadian, deal-less self.
 
FRD80Z's for £29.99 in UK. only 3 remaining. free shipping.
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/JVC-HA-FRD80-Z-Micro-HD-In-Ear-Headphones-black/dp/B00BQBIXWE

 

[B9Scrambler]

Just ordered the FRD80 for 49.00 Canadian on Amazon We shall see how they stack up to their replacement, the all new FXH30.

Go wild my fellow canuckleheads:

www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00BQBIXWE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1441304763&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=jvc+frd80&dpPl=1&dpID=41EEKznn5rL&ref=plSrch

 

[Tom22]

Just ordered the FRD80 for 49.00 Canadian on Amazon

We shall see how they stack up to their replacement, the all new FXH30.

Go wild my fellow canuckleheads:

www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00BQBIXWE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1441304763&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=jvc+frd80&dpPl=1&dpID=41EEKznn5rL&ref=plSrch

 
 
oooh awaiting your impressions
 
the fxd80 was a good effort, not really my preferred sound signature, mids were clear, but cold and unnatural to my ears and the treble was a bit tooo exaggerated in terms of shimmer and such
 
bass was sweet though, dat bass indeed, tight and punchy

 

[B9Scrambler]

   
 
oooh awaiting your impressions
 
the fxd80 was a good effort, not really my preferred sound signature, mids were clear, but cold and unnatural to my ears and the treble was a bit tooo exaggerated in terms of shimmer and such
 
bass was sweet though, dat bass indeed, tight and punchy

 
Impressions will be up soon Tom! The FRD80s are in. While I've only put a few songs through them and like them quite a lot, I can tell already that the FXH30 is a clear upgrade. I'll be updating the comparison section of my FXH30 review once I'll put enough time on the FRD80s and a/b'd. For those who loved their FRD/FXD80s and were waiting for the right earphone to upgrade to, the FXH30 should probably be on your shortlist.

 

[Ulti]

   
Impressions will be up soon Tom! The FRD80s are in. While I've only put a few songs through them and like them quite a lot, I can tell already that the FXH30 is a clear upgrade. I'll be updating the comparison section of my FXH30 review once I'll put enough time on the FRD80s and a/b'd. For those who loved their FRD/FXD80s and were waiting for the right earphone to upgrade to, the FXH30 should probably be on your shortlist.

If you don't mind me asking, how do the two compare in terms of isolation. How about compared to BA IEMs which traditionally do not have vents? 

 

[B9Scrambler]

  If you don't mind me asking, how do the two compare in terms of isolation. How about compared to BA IEMs which traditionally do not have vents? 

 
Sorry for the slow reply. They're both pretty average imo. Neither isolate overly well with the FRD80 being very, very slightly better. Probably due to the steel housing vs. plastic/aluminum. When it comes to BAs I've only have experience with the XBA-2 and UE600. I have no idea how they isolate compared to other BAs, but they're both better than the FRD80/FXH30.

 

[yacobx]

oooh awaiting your impressions

the fxd80 was a good effort, not really my preferred sound signature, mids were clear, but cold and unnatural to my ears and the treble was a bit tooo exaggerated in terms of shimmer and such

bass was sweet though, dat bass indeed, tight and punchy

Have you let them do the 500 hour burn in? Or tried them with comply foam?
They actually warm up a lot.
I think the punch way above their price. My favorite iems.

 

[B9Scrambler]

Have you let them do the 500 hour burn in? Or tried them with comply foam?
They actually warm up a lot.
I think the punch way above their price. My favorite iems.

You should check out the FXH30. Vast improvement over the FXD series in every way (sound wise).

 

[yacobx]

You should check out the FXH30. Vast improvement over the FXD series in every way (sound wise).

Ohhh, do you know what kind of snake oil they poured over it?

Lol, but seriously I like bass and from what I've gathered is that it doesn't have the sub bass I'm looking for. I think it's very important to keep in mind when making an opinion on an earbud the source player is important. Also, these were bought with a specific function in mind. These are my edc ( every day carry) buds, I needed something that was strong with an inline mic that had great sub bass without completely isolating me from the outside world.

 

[Sweden]

You should check out the FXH30. Vast improvement over the FXD series in every way (sound wise).

 
I'm sitting here listening to the FXD70 and FXH30 side by side and I can't really agree. At all.  FXH30 got a lot more bloom in the bass but the bass is not especially tight or detailed. Lots of rumble but not much solidity. The mids are fuller but slightly muffled and affected by bass bleed and at most times less transparent. Detail is close but because of the advantage of having higher clarity, the detail is easier to spot with the FXD70. FXD70 sounds more precise, faster and more nimble with better imaging. 
For some songs I feel FXH30 warmer presentation is a more pleasurable listen. For some songs it's just sound bloated and slightly confused.
Biggest advantage of the FXH30 is that it's easier to drive which especially here in EU with our lowered volume from mobile devices makes a difference. The extra bass is also helpful in loud environments.

 

[B9Scrambler]

   
I'm sitting here listening to the FXD70 and FXH30 side by side and I can't really agree. At all.  FXH30 got a lot more bloom in the bass but the bass is not especially tight or detailed. Lots of rumble but not much solidity. The mids are fuller but slightly muffled and affected by bass bleed and at most times less transparent. Detail is close but because of the advantage of having higher clarity, the detail is easier to spot with the FXD70. FXD70 sounds more precise, faster and more nimble with better imaging. 
For some songs I feel FXH30 warmer presentation is a more pleasurable listen. For some songs it's just sound bloated and slightly confused.
Biggest advantage of the FXH30 is that it's easier to drive which especially here in EU with our lowered volume from mobile devices makes a difference. The extra bass is also helpful in loud environments.

 
Thank you for making me go back to the FXH30 for some serious listening. I've been spending all my time with the KZ ZS1, HDS1 and ED3c since they arrived a couple week ago.
 
I can't agree with those observations at all, mind you I'm comparing to the 60/80, not the 70, and do not use the stock tips. Wide bore tips are an absolute necessity with the FXH30. The stock tips hold them back considerably. I've also got at least a couple hundred hours or more on them by now.
 
Yes the FXH30 has greater bass emphasis (midbass most notably), but it is exceptionally quick, nimble, and unlike the FXDs is there in more realistic quantities with live music. They're close I guess, but the FXDs lack the texture and control of the FXH30.
 
The FXD series iems are also extremely thin in the treble and mids. This is a nice trick for enhancing detail and making them sound more spacious and accurate, but it's just a trick. The FXH30 keeps that detail, has a similarly sized soundstage (ie. not large), greater depth and outstandingly well defined layers, and adds much needed weight and thickness making them sound immeasurably more natural and realistic.
 
The largest improvement over the FXDs is in their timbre and texture, and smoothing out that painful treble (something JVC has done for many of their current-gen iems). Listening to an orchestra for example, I find it's noticeably easier to pick out and listen to individual instruments. With the FXDs the emphasis is so focused on the razer sharp treble and upper mids that deeper instruments just get overshadowed and lost. There is also that metallic edge they put on everything. Very uncomfortable, especially with metal and thrash in particular. Thrown on some Vortex or Thrashfire (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVimw69CL9Q) and the FXDs become a bit of a mess. With the FXH everything is still well-defined, drums actually have some kick and realistic decay, and vocals have some breadth and weight. The FXH30 can handle some seriously busy and dynamic music with ease. There is a reason they got me back into metal. Nothing I own, especially the FXDs, comes close to handling it as competently as the FXH30. I imagine the FXH20 would be even better for metal given their reduced bass, though crunchy electric guitar riffs sounds f'ing phenomenal with the FXH30.
 
The biggest knock I have against the FXD series is just how thin they sound. There's just no weight to them. The brightness I can work with.
 
The FXH30 would benefit from a wider and taller soundstage.
 
@yacobx The FXH30 do not lack subbass at all. I love my deep, obscenely rumbly subbass (KZ ZS1 is amazing for this!), and never feel like the FXH30 needs more. More is always better, but not needed in this case 

 
All of this is my opinion of course, and I completely respect yours @Sweden, but outside of better build quality the FXD series feels a bit weightless next to their successor. I just can't see any situation where I'd recommend an FXD over the FXH.

 

[Tom22]

Have you let them do the 500 hour burn in? Or tried them with comply foam?
They actually warm up a lot.
I think the punch way above their price. My favorite iems.

I'm not really a firm believer in burn in but I probably had about 200 hrs or so of listening at least
 
comply foam? they fit? that nozzle? no..... way..
 
anyways they prefer well don't get me wrong, its just I dunno I do like more warmth if its bassy
 
like say the nuforce ne800m or the monster turbines (those aren't as detailed in the treble) but I'd take the mids of those aforementioned over the fxd80 anyday.

 

[Sweden]

   
Thank you for making me go back to the FXH30 for some serious listening. I've been spending all my time with the KZ ZS1, HDS1 and ED3c since they arrived a couple week ago.
 
I can't agree with those observations at all, mind you I'm comparing to the 60/80, not the 70, and do not use the stock tips. Wide bore tips are an absolute necessity with the FXH30. The stock tips hold them back considerably. I've also got at least a couple hundred hours or more on them by now.
 
Yes the FXH30 has greater bass emphasis (midbass most notably), but it is exceptionally quick, nimble, and unlike the FXDs is there in more realistic quantities with live music. They're close I guess, but the FXDs lack the texture and control of the FXH30.
 
The FXD series iems are also extremely thin in the treble and mids. This is a nice trick for enhancing detail and making them sound more spacious and accurate, but it's just a trick. The FXH30 keeps that detail, has a similarly sized soundstage (ie. not large), greater depth and outstandingly well defined layers, and adds much needed weight and thickness making them sound immeasurably more natural and realistic.
 
The largest improvement over the FXDs is in their timbre and texture, and smoothing out that painful treble (something JVC has done for many of their current-gen iems). Listening to an orchestra for example, I find it's noticeably easier to pick out and listen to individual instruments. With the FXDs the emphasis is so focused on the razer sharp treble and upper mids that deeper instruments just get overshadowed and lost. There is also that metallic edge they put on everything. Very uncomfortable, especially with metal and thrash in particular. Thrown on some Vortex or Thrashfire (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVimw69CL9Q) and the FXDs become a bit of a mess. With the FXH everything is still well-defined, drums actually have some kick and realistic decay, and vocals have some breadth and weight. The FXH30 can handle some seriously busy and dynamic music with ease. There is a reason they got me back into metal. Nothing I own, especially the FXDs, comes close to handling it as competently as the FXH30. I imagine the FXH20 would be even better for metal given their reduced bass, though crunchy electric guitar riffs sounds f'ing phenomenal with the FXH30.
 
The biggest knock I have against the FXD series is just how thin they sound. There's just no weight to them. The brightness I can work with.
 
The FXH30 would benefit from a wider and taller soundstage.
 
@yacobx The FXH30 do not lack subbass at all. I love my deep, obscenely rumbly subbass (KZ ZS1 is amazing for this!), and never feel like the FXH30 needs more. More is always better, but not needed in this case 

 
All of this is my opinion of course, and I completely respect yours @Sweden, but outside of better build quality the FXD series feels a bit weightless next to their successor. I just can't see any situation where I'd recommend an FXD over the FXH.
 
 

 
 
No problem

The FXD70 and 80 are pretty similar, but the 70 have better bass impact (even though the graph show them as having 8 dB or so less bass) and a slightly fuller more coherent presentation with little less air.
 I agree that FXD series lack texture in the bass but it's faster and more solid than FXH which works well with fast well produced music, and that at times you can get a slightly metallic tinge. That slightly steely timbre works great with synth and well produced instrumental music and perhaps not as great with some voices and badly produced hot stuff. The fact that it's not a smoothed over treble adds texture and weight to instruments which is something I preferred to say the soft touch treble of the IE800.
 
I remembering having the same discussion when the much warmer FXZ100/200 came out and everybody was hyping it as a super upgrade to the FXD series but when listening to them side by side you could tell it was more a sidegrade than upgrade from a technical stand point with the FXD series sounding faster, more coherent and clearer and being better with some music and poorer with other. 

 
 
 Usually I let an earphone go in my burn in apparatus for a 100 hours before initial comments and at times can you see a tightness and reduction in the bass (like the AT CKS70 for example).
As of now I feel it's a great in-ear handicapped by an out of control bass bleeding into the great mids hampering transparency.  For badly recorded modern stuff I would recommend FXH over the FXDs.
Listening to my reference badly recorded modern track, From the Bughouse, which is a great track but produced like ****, it's clear the FXH is the winner even though the bass sounds bloated and slow with voices and instruments sounding more fleshed out and smooth.
I listen to the FXD70 at slightly louder than normal listening volumes and with a superdeep fit from a good amp which takes away some of the thinness, but I'm the first to admit they are in need of some EQ to show the full potential of the drivers.

 

[Tom22]

   
 
No problem

The FXD70 and 80 are pretty similar, but the 70 have better bass impact (even though the graph show them as having 8 dB or so less bass) and a slightly fuller more coherent presentation with little less air.
 I agree that FXD series lack texture in the bass but it's faster and more solid than FXH which works well with fast well produced music, and that at times you can get a slightly metallic tinge. That slightly steely timbre works great with synth and well produced instrumental music and perhaps not as great with some voices and badly produced hot stuff. The fact that it's not a smoothed over treble adds texture and weight to instruments which is something I preferred to say the soft touch treble of the IE800.
 
I remembering having the same discussion when the much warmer FXZ100/200 came out and everybody was hyping it as a super upgrade to the FXD series but when listening to them side by side you could tell it was more a sidegrade than upgrade from a technical stand point with the FXD series sounding faster, more coherent and clearer and being better with some music and poorer with other. 
 
 
 Usually I let an earphone go in my burn in apparatus for a 100 hours before initial comments and at times can you see a tightness and reduction in the bass (like the AT CKS70 for example).
As of now I feel it's a great in-ear handicapped by an out of control bass bleeding into the great mids hampering transparency.  For badly recorded modern stuff I would recommend FXH over the FXDs.
Listening to my reference badly recorded modern track, From the Bughouse, which is a great track but produced like ****, it's clear the FXH is the winner even though the bass sounds bloated and slow with voices and instruments sounding more fleshed out and smooth.
I listen to the FXD70 at slightly louder than normal listening volumes and with a superdeep fit from a good amp which takes away some of the thinness, but I'm the first to admit they are in need of some EQ to show the full potential of the drivers.

i completely agree on the metallic tinge that the fxd80 has, as it seems to exaggerate cymbals a bit more,
 
its exciting for sure but i guess it is up to preference cause i actually like a bit of a smoother treble despite calling myself a treble head (i guess i'm not one clearly)
 
from a technical standpoint the fxd80 (and it seems the 70 as well) check off nearly all the boxes
 
its one of those times, that on paper it seems fine and dandy but your ears sometimes differ (i guess i'm one of them)

 

[yacobx]

 
I'm not really a firm believer in burn in but I probably had about 200 hrs or so of listening at least
 
comply foam? they fit? that nozzle? no..... way..
 
anyways they prefer well don't get me wrong, its just I dunno I do like more warmth if its bassy
 
like say the nuforce ne800m or the monster turbines (those aren't as detailed in the treble) but I'd take the mids of those aforementioned over the fxd80 anyday.

I know what you mean. I have some Vsonic vsd3s's that are nice and balanced, but thats not what i enjoy most. One of the main reasons why i love the fxd80 is because it reminds me of my favorite tracking headphones, the DT770s. One day when im not obessed with accuracy and transparency( im a bedroom music producer https://soundcloud.com/mythodical ) ill get a nice tube amp and some wood headphones.