[funnyjoke]

Hi guys,

I've had the JVC HA-FDX1 IEMs for around 2 years now and I've enjoyed them a lot, but now I think I want to upgrade. Wondering which IEMs to go for then with a budget of around $500 (but could go higher if need be, upto $1000).

I want comfort above all else, but after that sound and isolation as well.

For the sound, I like less sibilance and more intricacy (or detail), especially with female vocals and the instruments. I love the bass and I want it to be thumping and impactful, and I like drums too.

I listen to everything from Electronic music like Eden, early-2000s Rock like Linkin Park and Three Days Grace to instrumentals from Ludovico Einaudi and Tom Day and Alternative bands like Oh Wonder. Overall, I just want something that will do everything the FDX1 does but better and without the flaws such as bright treble etc.

I am still a novice audiophile so please keep the terminology noob-friendly, lol.

Oh and btw, my main source is my iPhone 7 and its headphone jack dongle but I might be getting a Shanling M3X soon so recommend something compatible please!

Thanks.

 

[surfgeorge]

Hi!
I have the FDX1 and am familiar with it's stengths and weaknesses.
Interesting that you mention comfort - I also believe that this is an extremely important and often underestimated factor.

I have had the Moondrop Blessing 2 and I think the B2 Dusk version would be a good upgrade, with reservations.
It has good midrange detail but with occasional grain and bass is a step down from the speed and texture of the FDX1 IMO.
But the tuning is great.

A step further up is the Moondrop Variations (which I still own and use frequently), which fixes the issues of the Blessing 2, namely it has cleaner and more textured bass and smooth, clean and detailed midrange and treble. The downside of the Variations is that the tuning is going for pure sub-bass boost, which keeps it very clean sounding and gives excellent separation, but that also makes it sound lean with music that depends on mid-bass rather than sub bass.

Both of these use the same shell design which is on the larger side and not that easy to get a comfortable fit for my ears (I have narrow ear canals, so I have difficulties with deep insertion)

Another candidate would be the DUNU SA6, which I have unfortunately not heard but it is highly regarded as a very good IEM with excellent tuning and most of all - extremely comfortable shell design. You'll have to research on that. From all I have read it might tick all your boxes, with maybe the exception of bass excellence...

Another, maybe surprising recommendation is to find a used Sony XBA-N3. It is a bassy IEM with excellent midrange. Not your "cleanly tuned" IEM, bass definitely bleeds into the midrange, but it's the combination of lost of bass with the excellent midrange that is a kind of "guilty pleasure" IEM. Like headbanging basslines + delicate and natural mids. Comfort is very good if your ears work for cable-down IEMs. This one should not be more than $150 so it might be worth getting in addition to a higher end one.

And then there is the Sony IER-M9...
They are sometimes offered for very good prices, I got mine for $700 in Australia some years back. If you can get them around that price they are a steal.
This is a different class in terms of detail and imaging, and extremely coherent. It is very capable but really benefits from a very good source to bring out its full potential. The limitation of the M9 is that it's more mellow, impact and dynamics are somewhat limited.

---------

Out of all these I guess the SA6 could be the best choice for you, maybe with the XBA-N3 added as a second IEM.
The Variations is another strong contender if your ears and ear canals are big enough and if you can live with the somewhat recessed upper bass/lower mids.

 

[funnyjoke]

Excellent! Thanks for the recommendations.

I have been thinking about the B2 Dusk and Dunu SA6 and will try them out when I go to Malaysia. How much of a step up from the FDX1 would these two be roughly?

Also been looking at the Sennheiser IE600, any idea about those?