[kiteki]

 
Back to the JVC FXC51.
 
 
Really enjoying trance on these
 

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possibly better SQ:​

http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Spirit+The+Atom/3XxAou?src=5​

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In some music, the bass is often too fuzzy / distorted / overshadowing.
 
Like Katun and other users have said, this is fixed with Eq:
 

 
You have to kill the overshadowing bass and spotlight the mids, then they open up and they're in the approximate ~$150 IEM SQ category.
 
 
I've been listening mostly on my Sabre ES9023 where they sound great.
 
They sound fresh and analytical on the HM-101, a likeable setup, especially for the price, but a tiny bit emaciated.
 
They sounded okay with the T51, but no special synergy, and I Eq'd down 60Hz to -9.
 
They sounded nice with the HM-601, but the Eq doesn't even work at all, so I got tired of the bass after 5~10 minutes.
 
They probably sound fine with weaker sources, since they seem sensitive and weaker bass is only to their advantage... I'll try with my Sony gumstick and mobile phone later.
 
 
 
 
Apart from trance I've been enjoying rock and metal on them too.
 
The vented feature seems to help, it's easily noticable with vocals, if I cover up the vents the sound quality (esp. in the highs) suffers a bit, so the "bass venting" is just JVC marketing towards the bass lovingn populous on this planet.
 
 
Compared to the EX600 they can't get anywhere near it's soundspace, bass quality, neutrality and fresh, clear-cut notes.
 
Compared to the RE272 they can't match it's tonality, purity, overall sound quality and sheen.
 
Compared to the UE700 they can't match it's imaging, layering, air, exciting mids or flat FR.
 
 
Sometimes they simply remind me of internet radio type sound quality, which the RE272, EX600 and UE700 don't.
 
However, they have a more colourful sound signature than all of them, they rival them all in detail, they could possibly be the most engaging and likeable to some users, they're vented, they have a snug, solid fit, and they should be great for students that love techno, trance, rock, metal, vocals etc. I'm not sure what the Eq is like on the Sansa Clip+ but that could be a very nice sounding cheap combination.
 
I suppose Katun was right that they're a very good IEM esp. after Eq'ing and I suppose I will agree with JamesMrBlonde that they sound better than anything I've heard under ~$120 at current street prices.
 
 
Listening to "Theta complex" right now, in summary I think they have the sound quality of a radio, but they're a true piece of sonic art.
 
They're a blissful full spectrum of raindrops on an empty canvas of translucent green and blue silver sky, they're like watching a movie about a chocolate cake and all his cherry berry friends chasing pacman in the year 3000. 
 
 
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

 
In short words, well I think it's a great product for lullaby songs.
 
Just imagine the sound that a bit impactless and laidback sounding. But the good point is it has "neutral enough" coloration, so there's no weird coloration or bump freq through 3 spectrums (treble, mid ,bass) and adding a good wide soundstage (well not that great for depth and height though). I won't call it bright nor dark, perhaps just neutral with hint of warmness. It's also more forgiving and smooth than DACport. DACport is cleaner sounding and more lively character though.
 

So it's a neutral lullaby with a wide soundstage. Hmm...
 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesMcProgger /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I never said that!
 
they are very different animals.
 

Like cow versus tiger?
 
 

 

[MrQ]

Quote:

 
So it's a neutral lullaby with a wide soundstage. Hmm...
 
 
Like cow versus tiger?
 
 

I've seen that film 

 

[veyrongatti]

Quote:

 
 
 
No, you don't, you don't need an amp for hardly any small IEM's unless you're using a weak source like a mobile phone, then perhaps you can try the Fiio E6.  If you want a balanced armature IEM I'd recommend the UE700.
 
 
 

the UE700 are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy out of my price range any suggestions for something under 100 dollars aus? 

 

[kiteki]

 
That's funny... it seems I had a dream last night someone posted in this thread and told me to download a graphical 3D equalizer for foobar with smoother curvatures, and the standard Eq is basic and induces distortion between the frequency adjustments.
 
ANyway... that comment isn't here, haha.
 
Just to clarify the FXC51 and Eq thing... I very rarely Eq anything, basically I think Eq'ing is a sin and I don't like sources that don't have clean, neutral signals, I also hate filters (there was a clearly audible filter in the Kama Bay Kro headphone amplifier, for example).
 
I'll make an exception for Eq in a few products though, like cheap Sony earbuds, which I used to use and Eq a lot, and I make an exception for the JVC FXC51 because it's
 
1. Cheap
 
2. Responds very well to Eq.
 
 
The bass is emphasized (I don't know how they managed that in a 6mm driver) and dissonant, sending ripples of dissoance and cloudiness up into the treble and mids, akin to the typical skullcandy dissonance/emphasis I think.
 
Imagine a nice lake made out of liquid crystal rainbows, with a big walrus jumping around screaming, that's what the FXC51 is like, so you have to Eq away the walrus and then you can hear the lake properly and it sounds more like a ~$150 IEM from a good source, perhaps ~$100 from a less ideal source.
 
My theory why the FXC51 sounds so good is
 
1. It's vented
 
2. Unique driver material/size/placement (carbon fiber, and closer to the eardrum than any standard issue IEM or custom).
 
Of course, the other reason to like it is the low price, I paid $26 + $9 shipping from the U.S. amazon, on the Japanese amazon they cost around $40 + shipping.
 
 
More Eq pictures.
 
 
T51 / S:Flo 2: (60, 300, 1, 3, 6)
 
The extra juice the T51 provides (or possibly the 0.4 ohm output impedance or possibly the Wolfson DAC's) entail you to keep the sub-bass extra low otherwise it's quite an annoying experience, similarly to the HM-601 (for the record, my HM-601 has the exact same Eq as the T51, except it's broken... which for the record I think is OK, since no one should equalize an RE252 or RE272 IEM in the first place).
 

 
 
 
Sony gumstick (any model): (100, 315, 1, 3.15, 10)
 
The 3.15 boost above is optional, I usually keep it on 0, but with rock and metal, electric guitars sound too flat and lack bite, so then I increase it to +1.
 

 
 
If you want to hear every note on the bass guitar and kick drum, and give electric guitars a lot of bite, keep the sub-bass on 0 and increase 3.15kHz to +2.
 

 
 
 
Edit: For a $26 IEM, the above Eq sounds incredible.
 
 
For reference, I'm using volume level 24/30.
 
 
 
Edit: For reference, I use the Hifiman small clear bi-flange tips, along with the medium JVC stock tips, Sony hybrid tips and UE tips did nothing.
 
This is important, you should only push the tips down to the base of the metal cylinder, if you push them further the sound will become too upfront and soundspace suffers,
 
I.E. the JVC's sound better with a 'tunnel' in the tip after the metal driver encapsulation, please note the driver placement inside the tip in this picture (in blue):
 

 
 
I'm assuming the difference between the Hifiman tip and the JVC tip is simply the sound refraction in the exit as silicon versus rubber (I think...) or the tunnel length, overall I prefer the sound of the small Hifiman bi-flange, while at the same time I find the very pliable JVC tips the most comfortable I've ever used.
 
 
So, I'll finalize this review with a picture or two.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Feel free to discuss the JVC but here's some exciting news.
 

Audio Technica DAC​

 
Audio Technica AT-HA26D

 
 
Audio Technica AT-HA70USB

So this is the first Audio Technica USB Dac/Amp, and it looks like it has a microphone and upsampling which is excellent.
 
Price is ～¥42,000, approx $550 USD.
 
 
Since I don't think I can afford or justify both the Fostex HP-A3/A7 and the Audio Technica AT-HA70USB at the same time, and since this one has a microphone and upsampling, 2012 is looking very nice.
 
Now I wonder which DAC chip AT has decided to use
 
 

 

[iRoux]

That looks so nice.

 

[kiteki]

 
Oh, nevermind.
 
It uses Asahi Kasei AK4396!
 
link
 

 

[iRoux]

Hey Kiteki, can you reply my pm, since I need to plan a trip quite quickly
 
Thanks

 

[kiteki]

http://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/akm/en/product/ak4396/ak4396_f00e.pdf

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

Hey Kiteki, can you reply my pm, since I need to plan a trip quite quickly
 
Thanks

 
You haven't sent me a PM(?), but I already sent everything with DHL today so you should receive it tomorrow afternoon.
 
Edit: http://www.dhl.com.au/en/express/tracking.html your tracking number is 8089274211.
 

 

[iRoux]

Thanks. I'm just kinda confused by something I saw earlier on.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

that ATH Dac+Amp is really reminds me of DACmini

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

do i need an amp to power westone um1? or the pl50? anyways my ipod touch is slowly dying and i need something that can take 32 gbs of music

Quote:

 
the UE700 are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy out of my price range any suggestions for something under 100 dollars aus? 

Sansa Clip Zip - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Sansa-Clip-Zip-4GB-MP3-FM-Voice-Player-White-/310343400586
+
JVC FXC71 - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Victor-JVC-HA-FXC71-W-White-Stereo-Inner-Earphones-/130581275173
 
 
+
Sandisk 32GB Micro SD - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/San-disk-32GB-Micro-SD-SDHC-MicroSD-Memory-Card-32-GB-/170648120950
 

 

[ericp10]

Has anyone heard the jvc fxc51 compared to the fxc80?