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YikW
22
Dec 19, 2019
Some initial impressions: Personal Bias: I listen almost exclusively to classical and instrumental tracks and have a background in orchestral music (flute and piccolo). The most important sonic aspects to me are timbre/tonality, clarity, instrumental separation. The ultimate comparison for me would not be to another headphone, but rather to live performances and my personal experiences with instruments. The Good:
  1. The FDX1s have incredible separation and resolving capabilities. Timpani rolls sound like true rolls, not a drone of sound. I can easily distinguish between instrument groups and parts in orchestral recordings with no congestion. Fugues and Mahler symphonies are must try if you are into classical music with these.
  2. Timbre feels spot on for most instruments. Plucked strings and percussion are especially good with a sharp attack and short but still within the realm of natural decay.
  3. I don't have enough experience in analytical listening to tell which, if any neutral target the FDX1 follows. To me, they sound balanced in the sense that no instrument group seems emphasized over any other. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

The Mixed
  1. The shells are very well built, but feel a bit too heavy for me to wear cable down. Comfort is excellent with Final E tips (the spiral dots are a bit soft for me) worn cable up. The rotating nozzle is very cool, but I worry that the extra moving parts will cause durability issues later on.
  2. The bass response seems to be controversial, here's my take on it. The FDX1 has very good bass extension and detail. The sub-bass is deep and textured; I can easily hear the difference between woodwind and string bass contributions. I've heard some say that they lack rumble. I'm not sure what's going on there since there is plenty of rumble in the bassoon and string bass heavy tracks that I've tried them on. What I will say is that such instruments are not emphasized very much in overall presentation. This might be a bad thing for bass heads. I think it's pretty ideal for orchestral music.
  3. Imaging is average and sound stage is only slightly above average in size. I haven't really heard anything significantly better though.

The Bad
  1. With the blue (actually green) filters, the lower mid-range feels slightly recessed making cellos sound thinner than usual. The green (actually blue) filters fix this but I feel like they take away some of the energy in the upper woodwinds. A conundrum for me.
  2. They definitely don't sound as 'fun' as say an MH755 on electronic tracks with booming bass. Not a deal breaker for me since the resolution and timbre still make them enjoyable, but probably not a strong point for those genres.

TL;DR: Analytical, well-separated, and balanced sound. Well-built (seemingly) but very heavy. Not necessarily rich or 'musical' in presentation.
(Edited)
shotgunshane
127
Dec 19, 2019
YikWExcellent impressions!
joeftan
388
Dec 19, 2019
YikWI’m still trying to figure things out for myself, but I definitely agree with you regarding using these with classical/ orchestral music. The timbre is so natural, and the resolution is the best I’ve heard from a dynamic driver, thus far. Instrument separation is excellent. No blurring.
Helpbot
310
Dec 20, 2019
YikWOrchestral musician here as well, maybe a plated (silver, never tried gold) copper cable with the most damped filter will be a good middle ground? Or maybe different tips :) Just ordered a pair, hoping I find a good balance somehow, will try my symbio tips too.
(Edited)
JoeBi
Dec 20, 2019
HelpbotHow do you order a set?
Helpbot
310
Dec 20, 2019
JoeBiI was saying I ordered the Jvc iems. What are you asking about?
YikW
22
Dec 20, 2019
joeftanThe resolution is indeed amazing. I'm super happy with these.
YikW
22
Dec 20, 2019
j444
98
Dec 23, 2019
YikW"With the blue (actually green) filters, the lower mid-range feels slightly recessed making cellos sound thinner than usual. The green (actually blue) filters fix this but I feel like they take away some of the energy in the upper woodwinds. A conundrum for me." You could use the white nozzles to build DIY filters that offer acoustic damping in between the green and blue ones. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/jvc-fd01-a-new-contender-for-best-dd-iem.6500/#post-213883 The blue (actually green) filters are comparable to 13mm swab filters, and the green (actually blue) ones to 15mm swab filters. So, if you build yourself 14mm swab filters for the white nozzles, you'll get a sound signature in between the green and blue ones.
(Edited)
Helpbot
310
Dec 25, 2019
YikWJust wanted to check in after getting my pair. I agree with everything you said except I think the Jvc spiral dots sounds great for these. String bass sounds perfect in jazz with the green (actually blue.. The most damped one! ) filters but there is a lack of treble/air which is a bit of a let down. Overall extremely detailed listen, I've never had a listening experience like this one after spending close to 2k on trying gear and different headphones. Some over ears like the Elex just get the tonality all wrong making you wonder why you're spending the money at all. These are accurate in tonality with decent imaging. I will look no further when it comes to detail.. Well.. in a portable form. :)
(Edited)
VixxZ
42
Dec 28, 2019
YikWWhat are your thoughts on the white nozzles? I quite like the amount of energy in the highs with the stock tuning... I feel the stock tuning gives brass instruments a nice sparkly sound
(Edited)
YikW
22
Dec 31, 2019
VixxZThe white nozzles sound sharp, but not unlistenable for me (thanks piccolo). They add a lot of air in upper woodwind heavy passages, which is cool. My problem with them is that the bass lines sound recessed in the overall presentation. Not a bad choice for certain tracks though.
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