Ordered via Amazon 11/26. Received in Central Texas today (12/3). Very surprised at the speed coming from Japan.
Initial tangible impressions: Elegant packaging and travel case. Gorgeous wood, design and construction. HEAVY! Using larger foam tips because I seem to be between the large and medium silicone tips.
VERY brief impressions out-of-the-box and plugged into my Objective2/ODAC combo:
When compared to Etymotic hf3, the JVCs pack a TON more bass and mids to go with very nice highs. It tilts to the bass, but it is snappy and deep bass -- not flabby. Soundstage is surprisingly wide for IEMs, but I feel like I’m sitting front row. Instrument and vocal separation is surprisingly good.
Other than treble and comfort, the 850s bury the hf3 across the board. I'm shocked.
When compared to my Lawton Audio-modded, self-recabled Denon AH-D5000, the full-size headphones are more refined. It’s more of a night at the symphony vs. an adult rock concert. The modded Denon sound is more balanced across treble, mids and bass. Soundstage is even wider, and I feel like i’m sitting a few rows back.
Overall, I can immediately tell that the 850s are going to be fun fun fun. Can't wait to listen more.
I have the Westone iPhone cable/mic arriving tomorrow. While I hope they work with the JVCs, I doubt these will become my mobile earphones. Too heavy, less isolating and just overkill listening to podcasts at Chipotle.
