[kendric]

I really want the Noble K10 bad, but my car hobby far exceeds my earphone/headphone addiction even though it's a lot less expensive.  I try to go for really good stuff that isn't in the ridiculously expensive and great category like the k10 and paring it with the chord hugo which seems like there's a lot of people who have that combo here so I have a RSA Predator and this FX850 that I really like.  I feel like if I can just get it to be a little bit better I could be satisfied as long as I stay off of this site and read some review of a new product that is the new flavor of the month.  I should just follow mochill to get the scoops. lol

My FX850 purchase was an impulse buy too.  I had sold off UE900 that I was disappointed in and was just ok with the cheap but pretty decent AT IM70 and wanted something better without going over 500 or 1000 and browsed a few threads and came across this thread.  I normally wouldn't buy a jvc product (I had a few jvc products back in the 80s and didn't last too long due to quality control issues) like I wouldn't buy a domestic vehicle, but went ahead anyway and was glad that I did.  If I do upgrade it will be to a top tier CIEM or univeral IEM like the tralucent ref 1 although I find that selling a uber cable that is over 1k itself is ridiculous to me.  

So I went ahead with buying the nocturnal hybrid 8.  I hope that I don't have issues with the weight of it causing the IEM to fall out, but if I do I have a buddy that has a 535 that I probably could convince to take it off my hands. 

I feel ya. It was barely more than a month with my FX850 and the JH13FP coming back soon anytime.

Before I barely had enough time with them I am already looking at the M-Fidelity SA-43, 1964ears V8 and Noble Audio K10... and Audeze LCD-XC.

I am also looking at the Chord Hugo with the Woo Audio Tube Amps.. the head-fi is truly scary for the wallets, looks like I have enough to keep my wishlist full until end of next year already.

 

[Kamakahah]

I'll never forget the first time I heard the K10. It was just handed to me by a friend at a meet. I had no idea what model it was. It checked all the right boxes for me. It was so small that I thought it was the 5 or something. I remember getting excited thinking I do that price. Then he told me they were the 10s.

While I enjoyed the K10 quite a bit I would still use these JVCs if I owned the K10. Two different beasts IMH. Both have their own magical flavor.

 

[TooPoor]

Initial out of the box impressions: I like them. They seem to be a better, more refined version of my FXZ200. They sound good amped through the E17, but not great. A/B'ing them to my FXZ200 and CKS77, they are the clear winner (not burned in). I've already made some cable inquiries as I feel like these will be keepers until I decide to go CIEM or something like the UM Merlin/Shure SE846. Before that I'm going to go with a better portable AMP/DAC...
 
What do you guys recommend <$1k for a portable AMP/DAC? I thought I read about the iFi Micro pairing well with these? I see a bunch of balanced portables (F-35 Lightning, ALO Rx Mk3 B+, Cypher Labs Duet, etc)... Just not sure where to even start!

 

[Lorspeaker]

i am perfectly happy with the sound of the stock 850, but out of curiosity..
i put on the HAVI B3 (small bore) red tips,
and the sound is much more condensed, controlled, intensed.
As if i had a HAVI B3 in my ears...

the havi tips are on the right.

 

[Jnjy]

Can someone explain to me how different cables may affect the sound quality? I do not know the electronics behind this.

Mainly resistance and capacitance.
Resistance will influence attack/decay. Capacitance will influence FR, like eq'ing to some extent.

 

[bluchicboi]

Prices just dropped to 25% here in japan. Great deal.

 

[Exesteils]

Prices just dropped to 25% here in japan. Great deal.

Very good deal indeed. Lowest was also around ¥28k when I bought it.

 

[ThickT]

Initial out of the box impressions: I like them. They seem to be a better, more refined version of my FXZ200. They sound good amped through the E17, but not great. A/B'ing them to my FXZ200 and CKS77, they are the clear winner (not burned in). I've already made some cable inquiries as I feel like these will be keepers until I decide to go CIEM or something like the UM Merlin/Shure SE846. Before that I'm going to go with a better portable AMP/DAC...

What do you guys recommend <$1k for a portable AMP/DAC? I thought I read about the iFi Micro pairing well with these? I see a bunch of balanced portables (F-35 Lightning, ALO Rx Mk3 B+, Cypher Labs Duet, etc)... Just not sure where to even start!

would you recommend the fx850 over the fx200 in every regard?

 

[surge]

 

finally after 5 weeks, the nocturnal cable is here. 4core silver.
workmanship is excellent. doesnt have a memory wire but uses the hear shrink sleeve to angle the cable at around 90 degress(see pic).
 
was surprised by teh increased soundstage after cable switch, low end is tightly too...initial impression is positive...

 

[Leo888]

Nice cable surge. Looking forward to a Hydra 4 V2 myself.

 

[TooPoor]

would you recommend the fx850 over the fx200 in every regard?

Right now, I would.

 

[surge]

Nice cable surge. Looking forward to a Hydra 4 V2 myself.

thanks...actually regretted after seeing how nice a hybrid 8 core looks..haha.. below is a short impression of the cable compared to the stock cable. Since sound is a subjective, i shall describe the percievable difference(in this case audible) between stock and the silver 4 core. its up to you then to decide if such changes is welcome based on you on preference. comparison listed in decresing order in terms of magnitude in the difference. I must stressed that they are not alternate A/B comparison but based on a few tracks that i have been listening to before the cable switch(and i am not going to switch e cable just to make further comparison). 
 
Built:
 
cable is solid and well built. as mentioned earlier, some might be interest to know that there is no memory wire at the connector end but a heat shrink angle at slightly more than 90 degrees, thus, if you wear straight down, the wire will naturally point to the front near the ear. as i wear them over the ear, these are perfect, the wire just lay behind the ears and no need to the tweak any wire. the sire itself is soft and doesnt tangle. but has a tendency to lay spiral than a straight fashion. the connector snaps right in place and is more firm. it requires more force to rotate than the stock cable. very satisfied with the built.
 
comparison w stock cable:
 
Soundstage:
 
was surprised when i first change the cable. just reached home and still listening to the stock fx850. then paused it and change cable and the soundstage was much wider. music sounds more spacious yet the vocal stays were it was without moving backwards due to the increase soundstage.
 
highs:
 
increased details. could heard high hats behind vocals which seems to have lesser presence previously. overall sound is more airy without bringing the treble forward. so, treble presence is increase, sound is more airy but distance remains the same. 
 
lows:
 
sub bass seems tighter with very clean thub. mid bass sounds the same.
 
mids: vocals sounded similar to before, remains at the same place. was afraid that silve will make mids sound thinner but everything was okay.
 
conclusion: audible difference is there. (previously i got the premium wire from heir audio for heir 5.0 but could not figure any difference even though i did a/b comparison. i also have a 800 dollar interconnect in the speaker system that sounds no difference to me from a 3 dollar wire). in fact, the difference were so apparent that i am now tempted to tried other cables! 
 
personally i have always prefer a dark sound with a clean background. in my chain there is also a silver wire adaptor that increase the overall impedance by 32ohms. for me, i like the  the increase clarity and separation between instruments. now, with e new cable, i can say that i like the fx850 more and how it sounds. (btw the adaptor is removed during the comparision between stock and silver wire.)
 
hope this helps anyone who is contemplating a new cable. verdict: try it. there will be differences,

 

[kahaluu]

  thanks...actually regretted after seeing how nice a hybrid 8 core looks..haha.. below is a short impression of the cable compared to the stock cable. Since sound is a subjective, i shall describe the percievable difference(in this case audible) between stock and the silver 4 core. its up to you then to decide if such changes is welcome based on you on preference. comparison listed in decresing order in terms of magnitude in the difference. I must stressed that they are not alternate A/B comparison but based on a few tracks that i have been listening to before the cable switch(and i am not going to switch e cable just to make further comparison). 
 
Built:
 
cable is solid and well built. as mentioned earlier, some might be interest to know that there is no memory wire at the connector end but a heat shrink angle at slightly more than 90 degrees, thus, if you wear straight down, the wire will naturally point to the front near the ear. as i wear them over the ear, these are perfect, the wire just lay behind the ears and no need to the tweak any wire. the sire itself is soft and doesnt tangle. but has a tendency to lay spiral than a straight fashion. the connector snaps right in place and is more firm. it requires more force to rotate than the stock cable. very satisfied with the built.
 
comparison w stock cable:
 
Soundstage:
 
was surprised when i first change the cable. just reached home and still listening to the stock fx850. then paused it and change cable and the soundstage was much wider. music sounds more spacious yet the vocal stays were it was without moving backwards due to the increase soundstage.
 
highs:
 
increased details. could heard high hats behind vocals which seems to have lesser presence previously. overall sound is more airy without bringing the treble forward. so, treble presence is increase, sound is more airy but distance remains the same. 
 
lows:
 
sub bass seems tighter with very clean thub. mid bass sounds the same.
 
mids: vocals sounded similar to before, remains at the same place. was afraid that silve will make mids sound thinner but everything was okay.
 
conclusion: audible difference is there. (previously i got the premium wire from heir audio for heir 5.0 but could not figure any difference even though i did a/b comparison. i also have a 800 dollar interconnect in the speaker system that sounds no difference to me from a 3 dollar wire). in fact, the difference were so apparent that i am now tempted to tried other cables! 
 
personally i have always prefer a dark sound with a clean background. in my chain there is also a silver wire adaptor that increase the overall impedance by 32ohms. for me, i like the  the increase clarity and separation between instruments. now, with e new cable, i can say that i like the fx850 more and how it sounds. (btw the adaptor is removed during the comparision between stock and silver wire.)
 
hope this helps anyone who is contemplating a new cable. verdict: try it. there will be differences,

This sounds promising. I'm currently getting the 2 pin connectors changed to MMCX connectors on my Whiplash v2 silver cables. Nice to hear that the silver cables don't make the mids sound thinner.

 

[Leo888]

@surge, nice impression and actually was worried that the sound will get thinner like kahaluu mentioned. The V1 hybrid I have is no longer listed and replaced with V2.

Have not heard a pure silver cable before but the V1 hybrid I have works very well with the 850 giving subtle improvements in many area. The one area that I liked most with is in the mid range especially vocals. Vocals took a small half step forward with a tighter focus while maintaining the air around the notes. I have a slight preference towards a mid centric presentation and this just works in my favour. Someday, I might get myself a silver cable and hear the differences.

 

[ThickT]

Right now, I would.

Does the upper mids and treble sound like the carbon nano tubes from JVC?