B9Scrambler
Headphoneus Supremus
Greetings Head-fi,
Today I bring you a quick shootout between three very different beasties. We are going to be looking at two well-known earphones, the Havi B3 Pro 1 and the venerable KZ ED9, and one lesser known but no less impressive earphone, the JVC HA-FXH30. This was meant to be a quick and dirty comparison, but I was having too much fun so I fleshed it out a bit. Hopefully those of you who read it enjoy.
The twin 6mm micro-driver B3 Pro 1 has a reputation as one of the most neutral offerings in the under 100 USD category. KZ's ED9 has become an established budget monster cashing in at the low, low price of ~10 USD and bringing to the table two very different signatures courtesy of interchangeable filters. The HA-FXH30 utilizes a single tip-mounted, titanium coated, 6mm micro-driver and is the last to prove itself to the Head-Fi crowd as a worthy purchase. How will these three very different earphones stack up against each other? Let's find out!
I was intending to use stock tips on all, but for some reason I can't for the life of me get a seal in my left ear using the FXH30's stock tips. As a result they are running large Huawei Honor tips, the B3 is running large Senn-style dualies, and the ED9 is on their stock medium tips. Speaking of the Ed9's tips, they are way more suited to it than the UE600 tips I had on there before. With the stock tips, treble is much cleaner and more precise than I was expecting. *Slap* Bad B9 with your horrible tip choice ruining the ED9.....sheesh.
Alright, now to the comparisons.
Soundstage
I think it'll be clear which iem has the most expansive and accurate soundstage of this trio; the Havi B3 Pro 1. The ED9 (brass = b) also has a fairly spacious soundstage, especially for something so cost-effective. The FXH30's soundstage is more confined but quite deep. I was expecting it to sound congested vs. B3, but nope, separation and layering is top notch ensuring each sound has it's own distinct space. The ED9 (gold = g) also has a nice soundstage, but it's edges are more concentrated and well-defined than with the (b) filters installed.
Bass
The FXH30 has the best bass of the bunch in my opinion. Quick, accurate, and with realistic decay. It also digs deeper than the other two while still being very well-textured. The B3 certainly has the most polite and restrained bass, overshadowed quite significantly by the other two. That said, it is very pleasant and relaxed, and like the FXH30 is nice and snappy. The ED9(b) has nice punch and good sub-bass extension, but it lacks the texture and control of the other two. Toss on the (g) filters and bass is boosted. I personally prefer the bass with the (g) filters installed as it makes the ED9 a bit more fun.
Mids
I love the mids of the B3. Realistic, clean, and smooth, there is nothing they fail to portray well. The FXH30's mids are pulled back a bit and while their vocal presentation is not as forward as the ED9 or B3, guitars kick and crunch like no other. The ED9(b)'s mids are nothing to write home about, yet there's nothing bad about them either. They're not as forward as on the B3, but more forward than the FXH30. They lack the refinement of their more expensive competitors. The (g) filters don't change mids much in my opinion.
Treble
While I love the smooth treble presentation of the B3 it lacks the energy and enthusiasm of the ED9 with either filter, and especially the FXH30. Lots of detail, good separation, just a bit dull. The FXH30 is bright, sparkly, and with detail to spare. Despite this, I don;t find them fatiguing unlike a lot of other bright earphones. Some may have issues with a peak somewhere between 6-8K, but it doesn't bother me.
Some of you may know that the one thing that killed the ED9 for me was it's treble. Splashy and uncontrolled was how I described it. Well, I'm going to have to eat me hat a bit on this one. Ditching the UE600 tips and going back to the stock tips made a mountain of a difference with both filters. Things still aren't as tight as on the B3 or FXH30, but it's no longer distracting and I can enjoy the ED9 for what it is; a killer iem.
Material/Build Quality
You might not agree with me here, but I like the build and material quality of the ED9 the most. Solid metal housings, good strain relief all-around, and a durable cable, even if it is a little bouncy and noisy worn cable down. The FXH30 and B3 are both nice, but nothing about their build really stands out.
Comfort
This category is very personal, so what works for me won't work for everyone. That said, there are some things worth noting. Were someone to try all three back-to-back, the ED9 would probably win out with it's more traditional barrel-shaped housing. The FXH30 has a very thick nozzle due to a 5.8mm being crammed in there, so those with small ear canals will likely run into issues. Shallow insertion earphones with large housings seem to give people troubles, or so I've read in the forums. The B3 has a large housing and short stem. *shrug* I don't have issues with any of them, so...yay!
Value
ED9 wins by a landslide. Yeah, it's not as refined as the other two, but you get two earphones in one. With the (b) filters you have a fairly balanced earphone that offers up excellent clarity and resolution, a good soundstage, and a fun sound. The (g) filter dials down the technical ability and up the entertainment value, but is still very capable.
Overall
Without a doubt I think all three iems are worth owning.
The B3 Pro 1 is a very capable and technically adept earphone with a unique signature among it's peers. I would like to see it have a touch more bass in it's stock form, but that would kinda defeat the purpose of being neutral, wouldn't it? Oh yeah, forgot to mention earlier that an amp is recommended to get the most out of them. Not needed with the other two.
In steps the FXH30. While the B3 is relaxed and mellow, the FXH30 is loud, in your face, and screams for complicated and deeply textured beats. It is an EDM and metal monster and amazing for my favorite sub-genre, liquid drum and bass. High energy is the name of the game, and it delivers in spades.
Knowledge Zenith. You guys...just...you guys. What did you do here? You bring a knife to a gun fight, and only reveal late in the game that your knife is actually a gunblade. Sneaky. You want neutral, but not B3 levels of neutral? Go brass. You want energy, but not FXH30 levels of energy? Go gold. The ED9, while not as "good" as either the JVC or Havi, holds it own and fills in the gaps between the extremes the other two reside in.
So there you have it. Thanks to @Wokei for requesting the comparo. I had a ton of fun listening to all three earphones back-to-back, and it rekindled some of the love I had for the ED9 when I first got them. Thanks buddy!
For those of you that made it this far, if you were forced to own only three iems, each costing under 100 USD, what would you choose? I would take;
1. JVC FXH30 (entertainment value)
2. Havi B3 (technical ability)
3. NarMoo W1M (relaxing)
Thanks for reading!
- B9Scrambler
Today I bring you a quick shootout between three very different beasties. We are going to be looking at two well-known earphones, the Havi B3 Pro 1 and the venerable KZ ED9, and one lesser known but no less impressive earphone, the JVC HA-FXH30. This was meant to be a quick and dirty comparison, but I was having too much fun so I fleshed it out a bit. Hopefully those of you who read it enjoy.
The twin 6mm micro-driver B3 Pro 1 has a reputation as one of the most neutral offerings in the under 100 USD category. KZ's ED9 has become an established budget monster cashing in at the low, low price of ~10 USD and bringing to the table two very different signatures courtesy of interchangeable filters. The HA-FXH30 utilizes a single tip-mounted, titanium coated, 6mm micro-driver and is the last to prove itself to the Head-Fi crowd as a worthy purchase. How will these three very different earphones stack up against each other? Let's find out!
I was intending to use stock tips on all, but for some reason I can't for the life of me get a seal in my left ear using the FXH30's stock tips. As a result they are running large Huawei Honor tips, the B3 is running large Senn-style dualies, and the ED9 is on their stock medium tips. Speaking of the Ed9's tips, they are way more suited to it than the UE600 tips I had on there before. With the stock tips, treble is much cleaner and more precise than I was expecting. *Slap* Bad B9 with your horrible tip choice ruining the ED9.....sheesh.
Alright, now to the comparisons.
Soundstage
I think it'll be clear which iem has the most expansive and accurate soundstage of this trio; the Havi B3 Pro 1. The ED9 (brass = b) also has a fairly spacious soundstage, especially for something so cost-effective. The FXH30's soundstage is more confined but quite deep. I was expecting it to sound congested vs. B3, but nope, separation and layering is top notch ensuring each sound has it's own distinct space. The ED9 (gold = g) also has a nice soundstage, but it's edges are more concentrated and well-defined than with the (b) filters installed.
Bass
The FXH30 has the best bass of the bunch in my opinion. Quick, accurate, and with realistic decay. It also digs deeper than the other two while still being very well-textured. The B3 certainly has the most polite and restrained bass, overshadowed quite significantly by the other two. That said, it is very pleasant and relaxed, and like the FXH30 is nice and snappy. The ED9(b) has nice punch and good sub-bass extension, but it lacks the texture and control of the other two. Toss on the (g) filters and bass is boosted. I personally prefer the bass with the (g) filters installed as it makes the ED9 a bit more fun.
Mids
I love the mids of the B3. Realistic, clean, and smooth, there is nothing they fail to portray well. The FXH30's mids are pulled back a bit and while their vocal presentation is not as forward as the ED9 or B3, guitars kick and crunch like no other. The ED9(b)'s mids are nothing to write home about, yet there's nothing bad about them either. They're not as forward as on the B3, but more forward than the FXH30. They lack the refinement of their more expensive competitors. The (g) filters don't change mids much in my opinion.
Treble
While I love the smooth treble presentation of the B3 it lacks the energy and enthusiasm of the ED9 with either filter, and especially the FXH30. Lots of detail, good separation, just a bit dull. The FXH30 is bright, sparkly, and with detail to spare. Despite this, I don;t find them fatiguing unlike a lot of other bright earphones. Some may have issues with a peak somewhere between 6-8K, but it doesn't bother me.
Some of you may know that the one thing that killed the ED9 for me was it's treble. Splashy and uncontrolled was how I described it. Well, I'm going to have to eat me hat a bit on this one. Ditching the UE600 tips and going back to the stock tips made a mountain of a difference with both filters. Things still aren't as tight as on the B3 or FXH30, but it's no longer distracting and I can enjoy the ED9 for what it is; a killer iem.
Material/Build Quality
You might not agree with me here, but I like the build and material quality of the ED9 the most. Solid metal housings, good strain relief all-around, and a durable cable, even if it is a little bouncy and noisy worn cable down. The FXH30 and B3 are both nice, but nothing about their build really stands out.
Comfort
This category is very personal, so what works for me won't work for everyone. That said, there are some things worth noting. Were someone to try all three back-to-back, the ED9 would probably win out with it's more traditional barrel-shaped housing. The FXH30 has a very thick nozzle due to a 5.8mm being crammed in there, so those with small ear canals will likely run into issues. Shallow insertion earphones with large housings seem to give people troubles, or so I've read in the forums. The B3 has a large housing and short stem. *shrug* I don't have issues with any of them, so...yay!
Value
ED9 wins by a landslide. Yeah, it's not as refined as the other two, but you get two earphones in one. With the (b) filters you have a fairly balanced earphone that offers up excellent clarity and resolution, a good soundstage, and a fun sound. The (g) filter dials down the technical ability and up the entertainment value, but is still very capable.
Overall
Without a doubt I think all three iems are worth owning.
The B3 Pro 1 is a very capable and technically adept earphone with a unique signature among it's peers. I would like to see it have a touch more bass in it's stock form, but that would kinda defeat the purpose of being neutral, wouldn't it? Oh yeah, forgot to mention earlier that an amp is recommended to get the most out of them. Not needed with the other two.
In steps the FXH30. While the B3 is relaxed and mellow, the FXH30 is loud, in your face, and screams for complicated and deeply textured beats. It is an EDM and metal monster and amazing for my favorite sub-genre, liquid drum and bass. High energy is the name of the game, and it delivers in spades.
Knowledge Zenith. You guys...just...you guys. What did you do here? You bring a knife to a gun fight, and only reveal late in the game that your knife is actually a gunblade. Sneaky. You want neutral, but not B3 levels of neutral? Go brass. You want energy, but not FXH30 levels of energy? Go gold. The ED9, while not as "good" as either the JVC or Havi, holds it own and fills in the gaps between the extremes the other two reside in.
So there you have it. Thanks to @Wokei for requesting the comparo. I had a ton of fun listening to all three earphones back-to-back, and it rekindled some of the love I had for the ED9 when I first got them. Thanks buddy!
For those of you that made it this far, if you were forced to own only three iems, each costing under 100 USD, what would you choose? I would take;
1. JVC FXH30 (entertainment value)
2. Havi B3 (technical ability)
3. NarMoo W1M (relaxing)
Thanks for reading!
- B9Scrambler
