[BlinkST]

  Okay, I am super curious about the 850 after trying them out in two different shops here, and loving my current JVC FXZ200s .  As I mentioned, the 850`s price has dropped a lot here since release.  Of course, on the other hand the new/improved is always attractive, so I`ve done a run through of the Japanese sites on the upcoming 1100. I`m still curious about them, but my suspicion is growing that this new flagship may be just a marketing-department creation.  Here are some A-B screen shots with the 850 side-by-side with the 1100, from the JVC page.  I see no difference except for different wood and cable.  On the 1100 page, they`ve highlighted in red that the `wood dome unit has an opening of 11mm`, yet the 850 has the exact same unit, same dimensions.  All the other specs and exploded views look the same to me.  
 
This makes the 850 all the more interesting. 0f course, who knows, maybe the sound sigs are different due to the different wood density or internal shape...  
 

 

 

 
 
 
http://www3.jvckenwood.com/accessory/wood/index.html#lineup
 
I thought it might have been a rebranded 850, too. It's hard to know what it really says about the new tech, since no one here really reads Japanese. The HA-FXZ1100 is coming out in December, and they say it's the new flagship in the line-up. Dec. 6th is the release date. I look forward to it, as a former FXZ200 owner.

 

[mchang]

I've read the last 10+ pages of this thread. I am trying to choose between the FX850 and the Fostex TE-05.
 
I've seen several reports here about Shure and other brand cables working with the FX850. Can anyone confirm whether cables with mic and iPhone controls work? A Q&A on Amazon seems to indicate yes.
 
I'm looking at the Westone options in particular, but could with any brand, just as long as it works. The ability to make and control calls is just about as important to me as the SQ. Thanks!

 

[surge]

I've read the last 10+ pages of this thread. I am trying to choose between the FX850 and the Fostex TE-05.

I've seen several reports here about Shure and other brand cables working with the FX850. Can anyone confirm whether cables with mic and iPhone controls work? A Q&A on Amazon seems to indicate yes.

I'm looking at the Westone options in particular, but could with any brand, just as long as it works. The ability to make and control calls is just about as important to me as the SQ. Thanks!

never listen to fostex before but westone has a very very different sound signature from e jvc. Tried westone but didnt like them at all.

850 has warmer mids, fuller bass n smooth highs. Although westone has clearer separation, jvc is more enjoyable to listen to. Lear 2d4b has better separation n staging while maintaining e lively presentation. But at almost quadriple e price.

Wait 3 more days...heard something that to me sounds better than e jvc...at similar price but gonna launch in 3 days.
Listened to it side by side of 850 n it sounds more intimate w better layering.

 

[mchang]

I wasn't quite clear.

I'm looking at the Westone replacement cable+mic options for the FX850.

I actually returned a pair of Westone W20 to Amazon today. I did not care for the sound at all (coming from the Etymotic hf3). I posted my thoughts on two other HF threads, so I won't repeat it here.

But the W20 cable seemed solid and share the same mmcx connectors as the FX850. The reviews for the Shure equivalent were poor. UE cable+mic wasn't listed on Amazon. Ultrasone was too pricey.

Of course price and construction don't matter if they aren't compatible with the FX850 -- or cheaper TE-05.

 

[Dopaminer]

  I've read the last 10+ pages of this thread. I am trying to choose between the FX850 and the Fostex TE-05.
 
I've seen several reports here about Shure and other brand cables working with the FX850. Can anyone confirm whether cables with mic and iPhone controls work? A Q&A on Amazon seems to indicate yes.
 
I'm looking at the Westone options in particular, but could with any brand, just as long as it works. The ability to make and control calls is just about as important to me as the SQ. Thanks!

Hi I have both and love both.  But beware they are very very different animals.  The Fostex has the Fostex sound : hyper detailed and really satisfying crunch and click.  I crave their sound, and put them in regularly.  They are excellent, but only in quiet environments, and only if I and my ears are in good shape.  If it`s public-noisy, or if I`m tired, they quickly become fatiguing.  They also lack some bass quantity.  
 
The 850 is just all-around awesome.  Near the Fostex in detail but with so much more of everything else : sound stage, separation, bass quantity and quality.  Rich, lush, smooth, impactful, detailed : throw as many contradictory adjectives as you like, the 850 is all of them.  
 
I`m a huge Fostex speaker fan, and the TE-05 appeals to me for that reason.  
 
The 850 has standard mmcx connectors; the Fostex look like mmcx but there`s something off: they didn`t connect at all to my custom Shure 846 cable, and I just tried them with my 850 cable and they connect, but not securely and the sound was cutting in and out.  In my opinion the Fostex connectors are proprietary, not mmcx universal.  

 

[Dopaminer]

   
I still haven`t tried the Large spinfits; the mediums are too small to get any seal at all . . . 

 
 
Okay, if anyone is interested in the spinfit tips, I have to completely revise my above comment.  I`ve had spinfit Ms in all morning and they are sealing perfectly and strongly.   I believe my earlier mistaken impression was due to 3 factors:
 
1.  When new they have a light dusting of some kind of talcy powder, making them slide around and feel loose
2.  I think they actually needed to warm up and become more pliant/grippy
3.  They are desinged to be inserted more deeply than regular tips, which feels a bit weird/risky but for the past 2 hours has worked extremely well/comfortably.  
 
I am now officially sold on these tips.  I`m stil going to go back and get a pack of Large.   

 

[richbass]

   
 
Okay, if anyone is interested in the spinfit tips, I have to completely revise my above comment.  I`ve had spinfit Ms in all morning and they are sealing perfectly and strongly.   I believe my earlier mistaken impression was due to 3 factors:
 
1.  When new they have a light dusting of some kind of talcy powder, making them slide around and feel loose
2.  I think they actually needed to warm up and become more pliant/grippy
3.  They are desinged to be inserted more deeply than regular tips, which feels a bit weird/risky but for the past 2 hours has worked extremely well/comfortably.  
 
I am now officially sold on these tips.  I`m stil going to go back and get a pack of Large.   

check PM.

 

[ronaldo7messi10]

will there be a new thread on the 1100?

 

[BlinkST]

will there be a new thread on the 1100?

Yeah, if someone buys them or there are any impressions.

 

[mchang]

Well I just placed an order for a pair of FX850, along with the Westone MFi cable with mic and controls.

If they don't work, I guess I can always sell them here and recoup most of the cost.

With expedited shipping, I hope to get them late next week or the week after.

Cautiously excited!

 

[waynes world]

Cautiously REALLY INCREDIBLY excited!

 
Fixed that for ya!
 
Well, that's how I'd be feeling anyway

 

[nightdance]

For anyone interested in the 850s, I have a pair in pristine condition for sale. Check my profile for the link!
 
Thanks for the attention and happy listening

 

[Dopaminer]

S`more porn for y`all  :   SpinFitted 850 : 
 

 

[Dopaminer]

  will there be a new thread on the 1100?

There is a measurable probability that I will buy the 1100 when it is in the stores here, probably next week.  It will be interesting to A-B with the 850, since spec-wise there`s no obvious differences.   

 

[hellfire8888]

I know 850 do not need amping but when i pair it with fiio x3 + hippo cricri+ (similar with o2 sound sig) the overall sound become more neutral and does not sound as warm as before. Need few more days to observe.